Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers. Inside the life of a curator (and the myth of white gloves), with John Overholt.
Apr 16, 2026
John Overholt, curator at Harvard’s Houghton Library who cares for pre-1800 and Samuel Johnson collections. He reveals why 18th-century paper is tougher than you’d think. He recounts escorting George Washington’s annotated book under heavy security. He debunks the white-gloves myth and explains real reading-room practices.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Balloon Printed Magazine Solved With Photos
- Widener Library received a McSweeney's issue printed on balloons that required creative access strategies to read.
- Another library had already inflated and photographed the balloons, allowing content access without risking damage.
Hand-Carried George Washington Book Escort
- John Overholt transported George Washington's heavily annotated personal copy to a Mount Vernon exhibit under armed escort and special insurance conditions.
- He carried the book in a metal, foam-lined briefcase, sat first class for the book's safety, supervised installation, then returned without it.
Why Old Books Aren't Always Brittle
- Early books (pre-19th century) are often stronger because they're made from rag fibers like cotton and linen rather than acidic wood-pulp paper.
- That durability, plus skilled conservators, makes handling valuable pre-1800 items less fragile than popular perception suggests.
