CHICAGO (January 6, 2009) - The Year of Abraham Lincoln kicks off at the Newberry this February. Stop by on Feb. 6 to view our Lincoln Bicentennial Lobby Display - on view until Feb. 13. And, on Feb. 7, Spencer Crew, former president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, discusses the role played by African-Americans in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.
Join us on March 6 and 7 for the Mystery and More Book Fair - a bargain-filled precursor to the 25th Annual Book Fair held the last weekend in July.
Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free and no reservations are required.
View a complete calendar of events at www.newberry.org.
February
Wednesday Club: Love's Messenger: Victorian Valentines
February 4, Wednesday, 5:30 pm reception; 6:15 pm presentation
Speaker: Debra N. Mancoff, Art Institute of Chicago
Tickets required; visit www.newberry.org.
Few men today-and even fewer women-would wish to return to the strictly regulated rituals of Victorian romance. But nostalgia surrounds the Victorian legacy, and in a world of mass-produced and disposable cards, many long for handmade and heartfelt keepsakes of the past. Don't be deceived by the whimsical appearance of Victorian valentines, these confections of paper lace and scraps and silk and artificial flowers were serious symbols of honorable intentions. Join author and exhibit curator Debra N. Mancoff to explore Victorian valentines and the traditions that made them "Love's Messenger".
Lincoln Bicentennial Lobby Display opens
Friday, February 6 - Friday, February 13
African-American History Month/Lincoln Bicentennial
African-American Abolitionists, Abraham Lincoln, and the Road to Freedom
February 7
Saturday, 11:00 am
Speaker: Spencer Crew, George Mason University
Did African-American abolitionists shape Lincoln and the nation's thinking about slavery? The former president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will discuss the role played by African-Americans in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.
Exploration 2009: Chicago Calligraphy Collective Exhibition opens
Monday, February 9 - Friday, April 17
Meet the Author: A. Lincoln: A Biography
February 12
Thursday, 6:00 pm
Speaker: Ronald C. White, Jr.
Co-sponsored by the McCormick Freedom Museum
White provides a portrait of Abraham Lincoln's personal, political, and moral evolution. A booksigning will follow.
The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare
February 14
Saturday, 10:00 am
Two pairs of identical twins are engulfed in mayhem in this riotous comedy of mistaken identity. Fun for playgoers of all ages.
African-American History Month Program
The Preacher's Wife: Law, Divorce, and Respectability among African-Americans, 1865-1930
February 17
Tuesday, 6:00 pm
Speaker: Dylan Penningroth, Northwestern University
A hundred years ago, in the Jim Crow South, African Americans went to court to get divorced. What do these cases tell us about black life after the Civil War, and notions of respectability and race among African-Americans?
Women Hidden in the Archives Spotlight Exhibition opens
Thursday, February 19 - Saturday, March 21
The Newberry Consort
What a Difference a Day Makes: Venetian Music for Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
Thursday, February 19 - Sunday, February 22
For tickets, visit www.newberry.org/consort, or call (312) 255-3700.
Exploration 2009 Chicago Calligraphy Collective
Exhibition Opening Reception and Presentation of the Purchase Award
February 21
Saturday, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
View the annual juried show, and meet exhibiting artists. The Newberry's Curator of the History of Printing, Paul F. Gehl, will announce the 2009 winner of the Purchase Award, which will become part of the Library's collections.
March
Wednesday Club: Full Circle
March 4, Wednesday, 5:30 pm reception; 6:15 pm presentation
Speaker: Virginio Ferrari
Tickets required; visit www.newberry.org.
The acclaimed sculptor will discuss the evolution of his work, accompanied by video projections and musical performances by Poi Dog Pondering.
Mystery and More Book Fair
March 6/7
Friday 12:00 - 6:00 pm; Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Two days of all the mystery, romance, and science fiction books you can handle.
Women's History Month Program
Why Diamonds Really Are a Girl's Best Friend
March 7
Saturday, 11:00 am
Speaker: Linda K. Kerber, University of Iowa
How has the Constitution and the Supreme Court protected women's rights as citizens? Kerber argues that during the nineteenth and most of the twentieth centuries rights under law provided American women unreliable protection for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Women's History Month Program
Collecting Histories: Preservation and Cultivation
March 14
Saturday, 11:00 am
Speakers: Christine Stansell, University of Chicago (moderator); Martha Briggs, The Newberry Library; Tamar Evangelistia-Dougherty, Black Metropolis Research Consortium; Mary Ann Johnson, Chicago Area Women's History Council
Join archivists, a public historian, and an historian of women in a conversation about collecting, preserving, and using papers of African Americans and women.
Meet the Author
Avengers and Defenders: Glimpses of Chicago's Jewish Past
March 17
Tuesday, 6:00 pm
Speaker: Walter Roth
Co-sponsored by Chicago Jewish Historical Society
Roth presents a picture of well-known and little-known Jews in various professions and areas of work in Chicago. A booksigning will follow.
The Newberry Consort
Ecco la Primavera: The Music of Francesco Landini
Thursday, March 19 - Sunday, March 22
For tickets, visit www.newberry.org/consort, or call (312) 255-3700.
Fakes and Forgeries Spotlight Exhibition opens.
Wednesday, March 25 - Saturday, April 25
Explore the Library's ongoing Spotlight Exhibition Series, small displays of Library materials that rotate throughout the year.
Gallery Hours:
Monday, Friday, and Saturday
8:15 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
8:15 am - 7:30 pm
For more information about Library programs visit our web site at www.newberry.org or call (312) 255-3700. If you would like to support the Library and become an Associate visit www.newberry.org/giving or call (312) 255-3543.
All Meet the Author or Editor talks are co-sponsored by the Newberry's A. C. McClurg Bookstore (www.newberry.org/general/bookstore or 312-255-3520).
ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library, a preeminent humanities research and reference institution, is home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, maps, music, and other printed materials related to the history and culture of Western Europe and the Americas. The collections span many centuries and feature items such as illuminated medieval manuscripts, rare early maps, rich genealogical resources, and the personal papers of Midwest authors. The Newberry offers exhibitions based on its collections, musical and theatrical performances, lectures and discussions with today's leading humanists, seminars and workshops, and teacher programs. Visit us online at www.newberry.org or in person at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL.