NEWBERRY'S SUMMER 2009 SPOTLIGHT EXHIBIT

1859: Much More Than the Origin

On display from August 4 - September 12, 2009

CHICAGO, June 17, 2009 - This August, the Newberry celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of a remarkably large number of English titles of enduring interest and impact in a Spotlight Exhibition.

These included the following:

• Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, one of his most popular novels from its serialization to the present
• Alfred Tennyson, Idylls of the King, perhaps the Poet Laureate's greatest work, and certainly his most celebrated
• George Eliot, Adam Bede, generally recognized as one of her two most powerful and enduring novels, which set off a fixation on who its author might be
• John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, the most influential statement of liberalism in the nineteenth century, anywhere
• Samuel Smiles, Self-Help, the great monument to British self-reliant optimism, which had a remarkable impact on adults and children for many decades
• And, at the end of the year, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, one of the three most influential scientific books of all time.

This free exhibition, curated by the Newberry's President and Librarian David Spadafora, offers a stimulating recreation of a remarkable year in British history while emphasizing the breadth of the Newberry's collections. Approximately 12 items from the Newberry's collections will be on display from August 4 through September 12, including first edition copies of the books, book review text from the famous periodicals of the mid-Victorian period, such as the Edinburgh Review and the Westminster Review, and political cartoons from the era.

Our Spotlight Exhibit Series introduces visitors to the Newberry's collections with small displays that highlight a wide range of humanities topics through rare books, original manuscripts, maps and archival materials.

Following 1859: Much More Than the Origin, Abraham Lincoln in the Newberry's Collection will be on display from October 10, 2009 through February 15, 2010 in conjunction with Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, a Library of Congress exhibition at the Newberry from October 10 to December 19, 2009.

Location and Travel Information
The Newberry Library is at 60 West Walton Street, on CTA bus lines #22 and #70, and close to several "L" stops. For more travel information, call the RTA Travel Center Hotline, (312) 836-7000, or visit www.transitchicago.com.

Hours and General Information
The Newberry Library's exhibition rooms are open Monday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:15 am to 5:00 pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:15 am to 7:30 pm.

For information about using the Library's collections, call (312) 255-3506 or visit our Web site at www.newberry.org.

ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library provides a home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, and maps, and also to a growing community of readers. Our collections, spanning many centuries, feature a wide range of materials, from illuminated medieval manuscripts to rich genealogical resources, and from early printed books to the personal papers of Midwest authors. The Newberry offers highly acclaimed programs for serious readers: fellowships for scholars, seminars for undergraduates, professional development activities for teachers, and a variety of adult education seminars, public lectures, and workshops. Visit us online at www.newberry.org or in person at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL.