Remembering Robert J. Bertholf (November 5, 1940-February 19, 2016)

Immensely passionate about poetry, Robert J. Bertholf, Ph. D. was the curator who presided over the glorious treasure trove at The Poetry/Rare Books Collection in the University Libraries at the University at Buffalo. Characteristically, he smiled broadly, eyes scrunched in the corners, the cadence of fast, excited speech interrupted to slurp inhales before breaking into a quirky, full-bodied laugh that conveyed his enthusiasm for poetry, art, and all of culture. Count me among the beneficiaries of his generous nature. 

When we first met, Dr. Bertholf devised an ideal graduate assistantship for me to produce a bibliography of their internationally renowned concrete poetry collection, and to curate and install exhibitions from their special holdings. For Ulysses, 1922‑1982: A Centenary Exhibition, I had the privilege of being one of a handful of people in the world who have held James Joyce’s original manuscripts. With my back turned, he opened the inner sanctum vault protected by a secret combination lock, and then he allowed me to enter and select some of the rarest publications in the world—such as The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer by William Morris and his Kelmscott Press—for another exhibition simply titled: Small Press Publications Spanning 300 Years from the Lockwood Collection. It was truly an honor to work in such an aesthetic, academic environment. 

From my childhood fascination with “The Mouse’s Tale” in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, my knowledge of visual and concrete poetry expanded exponentially, thanks to Bertholf, who curated and developed one of the most significant collections in the world. In 1990, as the Charles Cary Rumsey Curator of the Burchfield Art Center, I organized the exhibition Robert Lax and Concrete Poetry, putting into international context the master poet who had roots in Western New York. I worked in collaboration with Bob Bertholf, now a colleague who commissioned poems “red red blue” by Robert Lax, “King” by Ian Hamilton Finlay, and “Untitled” by bill bissett. The exhibition catalog contained a title essay by scholar Mary Ellen Holt, and a collaborative essay, “From Concrete Poem to Zine Display,” by Michael Basinski and Bertholf investigating newer iterations. The exhibition traveled to The Rare Book and Manuscript Library in Butler Library at Columbia University in New York in 1992. 

So many years were punctuated with stirring poetry readings and other presentations made by poets and scholars that Bertholf invited from around the globe. His scholarship about Robert Duncan played a supportive role in Jess: A Grand Collage, a fascinating exhibition of art by Duncan’s partner. Michael Auping organized this traveling exhibition in 1993 for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. Subsequently it traveled to the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN; San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY. 

Literature, art, music, world events—they were all subjects of animated discussion in various venues. In their home, Bob and his wife Anne were generous hosts to special guests and colleagues. The engaging dinner conversation might be complemented by a curry dinner—its numerous condiments arranged in assorted small dishes around the table, while Bob’s favorite classical music harmonized the background. I had worked with Anne too, when she directed Empire State College, enabling non-traditional students to earn college credit while balancing their jobs and personal life responsibilities. 

This rambling stream of associations might seem more about me than Bob Bertholf, but they are my way of saying thanks for all that he taught me and for all the opportunities he provided that enriched my life, and the lives of so many of us here in Buffalo. We mourn the loss of his active mind and friendship. 

Nancy Weekly
Head of Collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey Curator, Burchfield Penney Art Center
Burchfield Penney Instructor of Museum Studies, SUNY Buffalo State
February 22, 2016