The Law of Postcards Rare Book Room Exhibit Catalog

Michael H. Hoeflich, John H. & John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas School of Law, has given us two gifts of antiquarian and modern Roman law books in the past. This year, he continued his generosity with our institution by donating a collection of legal postcards, trade cards, and other ephemera. All involve depictions of the law in one form or another—serious, humorous, nostalgic, whimsical, and sometimes puzzling!

The cards were the basis of his book, The Law in Postcards and Legal Ephemera 1890-1962 (The Lawbook Exchange, 2012). In the book, Professor Hoeflich pulls out certain themes and trends that manifest themselves in the collection—cards involving animals and kids, holidays, love, money, advertising, etc. Many of those categories are reflected in our exhibit. Regardless of the subject matter and tone, Professor Hoeflich notes that the cards provide “a rich source for understanding the role of lawyers, the courts, and the law in popular culture” (ix).

All of us at the Boston College Law School and Law Library are profoundly grateful to Professor Hoeflich for his generous donation. The exhibit was curated by Laurel Davis, Curator of Rare Books/Legal Information Librarian & Lecturer in Law. Please come in to see the exhibit whenever the room is open—generally on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will remain on view into early 2015.

Please take a look at our exhibit catalog.

Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room

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