The Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana is a special collection at the University of California, Los Angeles which focuses on Leonardo da Vinci – life, art, thought, and enduring cultural influence. It is the most extensive research collection concerning Leonardo in the United States.[1] It was donated to UCLA in several installments between 1961 and 1966 by Dr. Elmer Belt (1893-1980),[2] an internationally recognized urologist; a pioneer in gender-affirming surgery; a strong supporter in the founding of the UCLA School of Medicine;[3] an important public health advocate; and a lifelong bibliophile and book collector.[4]
The Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana was officially dedicated in 1966 when UCLA opened in its Dickson Art Center a suite of wood-paneled and antique-filled rooms especially designed to house Belt’s collection. However, in 2002, the Dickson Art Center was transformed into the Broad Art Center, and the Belt Library was removed from its quarters and ultimately its holdings were integrated into UCLA Library Special Collections.[5]
- ^ The Heritage of Leonardo da Vinci: Materials from the Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana, University of California, Los Angeles. University Art Galleries, University of Southern California. 1982. pp. v.
- ^ Dibner, Birn. “Elmer Belt (1893-1980).” Technology and Culture 22, no. 4 (1981): 837–38.
- ^ Arthur, Ransom (1992). By the Old Pacific's Rolling Water: Birth of the UCLA School of Medicine. Los Angeles: UCLA School of Medicine. p. 63.
- ^ Finger, Frances (1971). Catalogue of the Incunabula in the Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana. Friends of the UCLA Library. pp. v.
- ^ "Finding Aid for the Library. University Librarian. Administrative files of Gloria Werner. c.1985-2003. Box 8". Archived from the original on 2021-08-20.