UNH Unveils New Portraits of J.D. Salinger in Honor of Author’s 100th Birthday

January 10, 2019

DURHAM, N.H.—The University of New Hampshire will unveil previously unknown, rare photographs of J.D. Salinger taken by famed photographer Lotte Jacobi Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, from 4-6 p.m. in honor of the 100^thanniversary of the author’s birth. The photographs are part of a larger exhibition on Jacobi's work. The event is free and open to the public; registration is requested.

Thomas Payne, associate professor of English and a published author, will speak about Salinger during the program. He will explore Salinger’s influence over writers like himself, and the strength of his craft, including a short selection of readings from Salinger’s works. The museum will also showcase special items related to Salinger and allow guests an early peek at the upcoming Jacobi exhibit.

The Jacobi exhibit, curated by award-winning filmmaker and photographerGary Samson, will open in the Special Collections Museum in Dimond Library Jan. 24. Samson will speak about the Jacobi collection at the exhibit opening, and again at a lecture with art and art history lecturer Hyewon Yoon February 20.

The Salinger portraits were recently digitized and are available for license.

J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) was an American author most famous for his teenage cult-classic novel, The Catcher in the Rye, although he also wrote Franny and Zooey and the Nine Stories collection, which includes “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” Like his most famous character, Holden Caufield, Salinger was reclusive and eventually moved to Cornish to live a quiet life.