World culture: Penn libraries receive a collection of books on Japanese art and culture

Over 1,000 books, magazines and journals were donated to Penn Libraries by Shirley, Marilyn, and the late Gilbert Luber.

The Lubers began collecting Japanese art books and prints in the 1970s. It includes journals, magazines and books, and it covers techniques, individual artists, specific collections, the history of collecting and Japanese culture.

When they traveled to Japan, they fell in love with different types of printmaking and returned home with several purchases. Gilbert then began researching ancient Japanese prints through the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The family also created the Gilbert, Shirley, and Marilyn Luber Endowment to help support and enrich the collection. Right now, the endowment is paying for the cataloguing and processing of the books. According to Kristin Winch, associate director of Penn Libraries’ Office of Development and External Affairs, the endowment will eventually be used to buy more materials related to the collection.

Julie Davis, an art history professor who specializes in East Asian art, said the Luber’s donation is “one of the broadest and deepest private collections of books about Japanese prints I have ever encountered.”