May-June-July 2008
CHICAGO (April 21, 2008) - This summer the Newberry Library will illuminate calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing. The Chicago Calligraphy Collective's Annual Juried Show, traditionally a winter delight, will open May 28. The annual Purchase Award, to be announced June 7, will augment the Newberry Library's collections of more than 600 original calligraphic manuscripts-a representative selection of scripts and formats from all periods beginning with the 15th century.
"Urbs in Horto"-City in a Garden-has been Chicago's motto since 1837. Two Meet the Author talks will remind you that many of the best places to enjoy nature are right here in the city. For a century, the Garfield Park Conservatory's lush, green trees, plants, and flowers have been a haven for residents and visitors. On June 14, Julia Bachrach and Jo Ann Nathan, the co-authors of the centennial history, Inspired by Nature, will trace the intertwined developments of the Conservatory, Garfield Park, and the West side community. On July 12, Sally A. Kitt Chappell will show you 66 parks, beaches, plazas, river walks, gardens, and boulevards in her unique guidebook, Chicago's Urban Nature: A Guild to the City's Architecture + Landscape.
The summer also marks the return of the very popular Newberry Library Book Fair on July 24. Now in its 24th year, this year's book fair spans four days and will have more than 100,000 books for sale - many priced at less than $2. Sales from the Book Fair go to support the Library's collections and public programs.
View a complete calendar of events at www.newberry.org.
General information:
Location: 60 West Walton Street, Chicago IL 60610
Public Information: Call (312) 255-3700 or visit www.newberry.org
Exhibit Hours: Monday, Friday, and Saturday, 8:15 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8:15 am - 7:30 pm
Admission is free unless otherwise noted.
May 2008
Wednesday Club: Sweet Swan of Avon: Did a Woman Write Shakespeare?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Reception, 5:30 pm, Presentation, 6:15 pm
Speaker: Robin P. Williams, Author; Lecturer; Instructor; Associate Member of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust (London)
The legitimate question of whether William Shakespeare penned his own works lies not in his lack of education, but in the lack of documented evidence that he was a writer (we know he was an actor). Robin P. Williams explores the possibility that a woman wrote the sonnets -- most of which are love poems to a younger man -- and the plays; a woman who developed the movement to establish English as a flexible and worthy language, who added many words to our language, who published the first play in English that was written by a woman. In eight years of research, Robin has discovered documented connections that make it look mighty suspicious that Mary Sidney (Herbert), the Countess of Pembroke, wrote the works attributed to the man named William Shakespeare. Is it possible?
Sweet Swan of Avon will be available for sale at the Newberry Library's A. C. McClurg Bookstore. A book signing will follow the talk.
Tickets are $9/$6 for Associates of the Newberry Library.
Chicago Map Society: Mapping Sailboat Races in Real Time
Thursday, May 15
Reception: 5:30 pm; Program: 6:00 pm
Speaker: Kim Flagstad, FIS Tracking Services, LLC
Sailboat races are adrenaline-producing occasions for the crew, but once a boat disappears over the horizon, spectators have been left in the dark until a boat comes within sight of the finish, hundreds of miles away. Now, through an exciting new application of GPS and webbased tracking displays, folks on shore can view an entire race in real time. The FlagShip Race Tracking system has mapped the Chicago-Mackinac races since 2005, as well as many other renowned races. Kim Flagstad, president of FIS Tracking Services, will explain the underlying tracking technology and demonstrate the kinds of animated maps produced.
Admission is free. A $5 donation is requested from non-members of the Chicago Map Society.
For information call (312) 255-3569.
Chicago Commons Settlement House and Neighborhood Tour
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 am
Sunday, May 18, 2:00 pm
Tour leader: Rachel Bohlmann, Newberry Library
In this hour-long guided tour, walk the neighborhood around Chicago Commons, one of the city's famous settlement houses, established in 1894 by Graham Taylor, a friend and colleague of Jane Addams. Among factories, commercial and residential buildings, single-family cottages, and other vernacular architecture of the neighborhood, hear stories about the Commons and the neighbors who visited the settlement and lived nearby.
To register, go to www.greatchicagoplaces.us. No tickets are available from the Newberry.
Exhibit: Exploration 2008
The Chicago Calligraphy Collective's Annual Juried Exhibition
May 28 - July 11, 2008
This annual juried exhibit of members' work includes handmade artists' books and broadsides as well as three-dimensional works executed in various media and styles, from classical to contemporary. The annual Purchase Award enables the Newberry to acquire one exhibited piece to strengthen the calligraphy holdings of its distinguished John M. Wing Foundation for the History of Printing.
Railroad Ancestors featuring Paula Stuart-Warren
Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31
9:15 am - 3:00 pm
Did your ancestors work as porters or engineers for a railroad? Or did they build rail cars or drive spikes? A free two-day workshop will discuss railroad sources for genealogists. On Friday, representatives of three institutions that hold railroad records will speak. On Saturday, genealogist Paula Stuart-Warren will give three talks on genealogy and transportation.
Admission is free, but reservations are required. For reservations, call the Public Programs department at (312) 255-3700
June 2008
Victoria's Britain: One Queen, Four Nations
Thursday, June 12, 6:00 pm
Speaker: Frank Biletz, Newberry Library Seminar Instructor
This talk will explore the varying images and perceptions of the British monarchy held by the English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh-the diverse peoples over whom Queen Victoria reigned. To what extent did the institution of the British monarchy, as embodied by one of its most imposing rulers, contribute to the establishment of a British identity that transcended distinctive national identities? Particular attention will be given to the cases of Ireland, where republicanism was especially inf luential, and Scotland, where the terms of the Act of Union had preserved distinctive Scottish institutions.
Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago's West Side
Saturday, June 14, 11:00 am
Speakers: Julia Sniderman Bachrach, Chicago Park District, and Jo Ann Nathan, Jens Jensen Legacy Project
Often referred to as "landscape art under glass," Jens Jensen's revolutionary 1908 design of the Garfield Park Conservatory is a poetic interpretation of his beloved Midwestern landscape as he imaged it in prehistoric times. The Conservatory is at the center of a larger story: how nature, urban design, and horticulture helped to shape one of Chicago's most interesting neighborhoods. The co-authors are the historian of the Chicago Park District and the consulting landscape historian and director of the Jens Jensen Legacy Project. Their centennial history covers everything from the history of the conservatory and Garfield Park to the revival of the surrounding community.
Inspired by Nature will be available for sale at the Newberry Library's A.C. McClurg Bookstore. A book signing will follow the talk.
July 2008
Chicago's Urban Nature: A Guide to the City's Architecture + Landscape
Saturday, July 12, 11:00 am
Speaker: Sally A. Kitt Chappell
Historian Sally A. Kitt Chappell sees Chicago in the forefront of global efforts to end the divide between town and country by bringing into harmony buildings and landscapes, culture and nature, commerce and leisure. In Chicago's Urban Nature, she provides new insights into such historic Chicago sites as Jens Jensen's Garfield Park Conservatory and Frederick Law Olmsted's Jackson Park. Then she takes us to innovative contemporary green spaces they influenced, from City Hall's rooftop garden to the North Lawndale Green Youth Farm and the new Millennium Park. The 66 beautiful spaces described in the guidebook meld art, architecture, and ecology. Far more than retreats - they're now essential parts of the cultural life of the modern city.
Chicago's Urban Nature will be for sale at the Newberry Library's A. C. McClurg Bookstore. A book signing will follow the talk.
The Twenty-Fourth Annual Newberry Library Book Fair
Thursday, July 24, Noon - 8:00 pm
Friday, July 25, Noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday, July 26, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, July 27, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Feed your bibliomania at the Newberry's annual Book Fair! More than 100,000 donated books have been sorted into 60 categories for your browsing convenience. With many books priced under $2, it's easy to replenish your home library's holdings on subjects ranging from antiques to zoology.
Bughouse Square Debates
Saturday, July 26, Noon - 4:00 pm
Held in Washington Square Park across the street from the Newberry Library
We are looking for sharp, eager soapbox speakers for this event. If you have a topic and would like to join the program, call today! (312) 255-3700
Exercise your first-amendment rights and relive the days of soapbox oratory and public debates that immortalized Washington Square Park. Celebrate Chicago's long history as a hub of free speech with soap boxers and a compelling main debate. Bring your loudest heckling voice, and get on the soapbox yourself. An open mic and musical entertainment complete the afternoon's participatory pleasures. For gustatory delights, Chase Root Beer's hot dogs, fresh squeezed lemonade, and root beer floats are highly recommended. Prizes will be awarded to the best speakers and hecklers.
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 exhibits 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.