The Lilly Library, Indiana University
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04/23/2026
Curatorial assistant Kylee Green showcases some eye-opening comics and scrapbooks of optometric interest from the collection of Henry W. Hofstetter, who was the first president of IU's optometry school.
Keeping an Eye on Comics Curatorial assistant Kylee Green showcases some eye-opening comics and scrapbooks of optometric interest from the Hofstetter Collection! These scrapbooks don’t contain family photos or memorabilia. Instead, they contain cartoons about optometry from the years 1900-1993. Well, most are about optome...
A very special document has taken center stage at the Lilly Library... 👀
When you imagine the Declaration of Independence, you most likely picture a yellowed, inked manuscript, complete with dozens of names — including John Hancock's famously large signature at the bottom.
But that wasn't the first edition ever made. Before the words could be memorialized, the message had to be spread.
On the night of July 4, 1776, a print maker in Philadelphia was tasked by Congress to create the first publications known of the document. John Dunlap, under the supervision of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, created hundreds of prints, now known as the "Dunlap broadsides."
These broadsides literally carried the message of American freedom throughout the 13 colonies, and eventually, across the ocean to England. Of the hundreds originally printed, only 26 are known to exist today.
See it for yourself at the library's newest exhibition, "The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment," on display now through the end of July.
12/10/2025
For generations, The Lilly Library, Indiana University’s collections have helped people explore how belief, culture, and daily life shape one another. 📖🌍 With a new $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., this work will continue to grow in meaningful ways.
The grant endows a cataloger of religious materials and supports a traveling exhibition that will bring rare texts and cultural artifacts to communities across Indiana and beyond. This new position strengthens how the library preserves, organizes, and shares materials that help us understand the human experience in all its depth and diversity.
Building on an earlier $2.5 million award that endowed the curator of religious collections, this support reflects a continued commitment to expanding access, fostering curiosity, and helping people connect with stories that have shaped history.
Learn more about the impact of this generous support: https://bit.ly/4oFnwk0
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