Honoring Elinor Eisemann, 1932-2025
The staff and board of trustees of the Linda Hall Library offer our heartfelt condolences to the Eisemann family on the passing of their beloved mother, Elinor Charlotte (Rickles) Eisemann. Elinor and her husband, Gus, were steadfast and generous champions of the Library and its mission.
Gus and Elinor Eisemann at the Linda Hall Library in 2012.
Their support began in 1998 with a monetary contribution, evolving over time to encompass gifts of furnishings and invaluable volunteer time. Elinor, a lifelong lover of books, demonstrated her passion through remarkable contributions to our rare books collection. In 2010, she began donating to the History of Science collection and in 2020, made a gift of 204 rare books and individual leaves, significantly enhancing our holdings related to printing and books as technological artifacts.
In 2021, to commemorate a special birthday, Elinor generously funded the creation of a purpose-built virtual rare book presentation space, enabling us to connect with students and scholars worldwide. Her gift also facilitated the acquisition of three significant rare books, all of which have been digitized and made freely available through the Library’s catalog:
- Der aus dem Reiche der Wissenschaften wolversuchte Referendarius (1751-1767), a very lightly held scientific journal
- Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples’ reprinting of three mathematical, geometrical, and astronomical texts printed in 1503
- Wilhelm Pitschner’s Himmelskarte (1875/1876), which is both a book and a large chromolithographically printed star map, measuring almost 42 inches square when unfolded.
We are immensely grateful to Elinor and the entire Eisemann family for their extraordinary generosity and support of the Library. Their enduring legacy, evident throughout the Library, will continue to inspire and cultivate a love of books for years to come. Thank you, Elinor.
