Director of the Gennadius Library Maria Georgopoulou enthralled book collectors and classics fans with her recent talk at the illustrious Grolier Club on some of the Library's collection's important rare editions, fine bookbindings, and “only known” copies that belonged to Greek diplomat and bibliophile Joannes Gennadius (1844-1932).

Gennadius wanted his magnificent personal library of 26,000 volumes to remain intact, in Greece and accessible to scholars internationally. His holdings have been preserved and expanded sixfold in a 1920s marble building on the campus of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. With highlights including early editions of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and a laurel wreath belonging to Lord Byron, the library sheds light on Hellenism, Greece, and neighboring civilizations from antiquity to modern times.