Leonard L. Milberg ’53 declared in his 30th reunion book entry, “I have belatedly, but passionately discovered books, prints, and the Princeton University Rare Book Library.” During the past 37 years, Len has shared the fruits of that passion with the University community. His gifts (13,000 items plus) range from 19th-century American prints and drawings to several book collections: American poetry, Irish poetry, prose, and theatre as well as two Judaica collections (Jewish American writers and early American Judaica).

His love of art began during his 1950s Army days in Alaska when he devoted his reading time to American art books. He collected American prints at first and then expanded to related media. American printmakers who were English emigres prompted his collecting British color plate books (late 18th and early 19th centuries). This section shows some favorite selections indicating the wider range of subjects among his more than 115 large format books, now promised as a gift to the Library.