Rex Dennis Parady Collection

• Dates: 1950-1987
• Extent: 2 boxes, 29 monographs
• Repository: Center for Lowell History, Kerouac Room, 1st Floor, Wall D
• Biographical Note: Self-educated after 8th grade, artist Rex Dennis Parady (1916-1989) also became known for his talent and knowledge in collecting rare books. Working with Tom Adams, Curator of the Chapin Library at Williams College, Parady learned key skills that later aided him in becoming the first librarian at the Merrimack Valley Textile Museum (MVTM). Beginning in 1961, Parady built the MVTM collection to a first-class textile library that included rare editions of many books. After leaving MVTM and a NYC rare map store, Parady was reunited with Adams, working as a rare book librarian at the John Carter Brown Library of Brown University. The collection donated in his memory to the Kerouac Archive includes several rare books, first editions, and an advanced review copy of Kerouac’s The Town and The City (1950).
• Provenance: Donation by George Stabler
Descriptive Summary
• Scope and Content: The Parady Collection consists of monographs, magazine articles, and ephemera.
• Language: English