Kitty Preyer and Her Books
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A COVER GIRL AT LAST
In 2002, the Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room featured an exhibit of eight book collectors and the books they loved. For this exhibit Kitty lent eight of her favorite law books, many of which are on exhibit.
Kitty is featured on the cover of the exhibit catalog, along with two other contributors, Jim Rogers and Dan Coquillette. Although she was initially reluctant to sit for a photo, eventually her qualms diminished enough for her to send a copy of the catalog to friend and fellow book collector John Gordan with a sticky note on which she proudly wrote: “A Cover Girl at last!”
“Kitty Preyer sparkled like the Venice she loved. Every colleague and student was inspired by her enthusiasm, her pure love of learning and teaching. Like Chaucer's Clerk of Oxenford, "She would gladly learn and gladly teach." She touched my life, and those of so many others. We are all in her debt. To have her books is truly special!”
- Dan Coquillette
[Photo is from the program “A Tribute to Kitty Preyer,” American Society for Legal History Conference, November 12, 2005.]
" . . . I am one of the participants in the Grolier Club’s 'New Members Collect' exhibit. . . . I had earlier said that my books need to be displayed open to show text because their covers are simply old, very worn with use, truly ratty. Given all this, it may turn out that I will be demoted from my membership in that august Club."
- Letter from Kitty Preyer to Morris Cohen, May 14, 2000