Life, art and books
Our library staff are making the most of the Christmas vacation as an opportunity to work on the stock in our beautiful Rosenthal Art Library. But do you know how it got here?
In December 2013, the publisher Tom Rosenthal (1956) donated his extensive collection of art books to Pembroke. The decision was made to house them in a special room, which was renamed the Rosenthal Art Library. The shelves were cleared, the room redecorated, bookcases resized and the carpet cleaned in order to make the room ready for 2,000 books to arrive. Each was labelled with a distinctive R on the spine.
One year ago today, on Tuesday 3rd December 2013, an official opening was held at which Rosenthal was present. Writing for The Spectator, his friend Andrew Lambirth subsequently said: ‘Although by then seriously ill, Tom launched himself into a speech replete with polished anecdote and extemporised comment, and ended by saying that his father had always counselled “giving with a warm hand”. Although he had intended to leave his art library to Pembroke in his will, why not give it while he was still there to enjoy the process? It was clear that he took great pleasure in this last public act, and it was a privilege to be there to witness it.’
Exactly on month later, on 3rd January 2014, Rosenthal passed away aged 78 following a long battle with cancer. Several of the national papers published obituaries, describing him as ‘flamboyant’ and making reference to his black humour and colourful bow ties. They also described his career as an influential publisher, art historian, broadcaster, collector and critic who made his mark on the publishing houses Thames & Hudson, Secker & Warburg, William Heinemann and André Deutsch.
Rosenthal’s connection to Pembroke College began when his father, Erwin, became a fellow of the College. Rosenthal himself matriculated at Pembroke in 1956 to read History and English. He was involved with the Pembroke Players and became secretary of the Amateur Dramatic Club. He later recalled his spacious room in Ivy Court, discovering a talented young undergraduate called Peter Cook and returning to the College after a ball to find the Porter rather unimpressed at being woken up.
In the 1960s Rosenthal became a fan of the painter Lowry, purchasing a small oil painting of his. He went on to become a great advocate of Lowry’s work and in 2012 published a monograph with Unicorn Press. He also produced a volume of the complete graphic work of Paula Rego. Rego in turn created a pastel portrait of Rosenthal, which formed the frontispiece of Life in Books. This collection held tributes and memories from Rosenthal’s friends and clients, brought together to celebrate his seventieth birthday. It was published on a limited print run of 300 copies, one of which now proudly sits in the Rosenthal Art Library. In the same year, Rosenthal was presented at the Senate House by Pembroke's Praelector for a PhD. His son Daniel Rosenthal (1990), author of The National Theatre Story, also studied at Pembroke.
The Rosenthal Art Library is an invaluable addition to the College – why not take a virtual tour on our website?