Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine offered an exciting opportunity for muggles and medievalists alike to discuss the historical roots of the topics found in this popular series of books by J. K. Rowling. The traveling exhibit came from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest medical library. The historical materials highlighted in the exhibit came from the collections of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine.
Selected portions of rare texts on alchemy, medicine, zoology, botany, and other Renaissance sciences that serve as a basis for some parts of the world of Harry Potter were collected for patrons to examine. Patrons viewed historical texts through Early English Books Online, a resource available on the Library’s website. Scholars from the fields of literature and medieval studies, anthropology, journalism, tourism research, and library science offered their unique perspectives on Harry Potter’s world.
