CHICAGO, January 11, 2007 -- The much-lauded Newberry Library fall 2006 exhibition, Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country: 200 Years of American History, closed its physical doors a year ago but left open a window. Developed in conjunction with the exhibition's curators and staff from the Newberry Library, the exhibition's companion Web site is now available online at www.newberry.org/lewisandclark.
"People who were unable to come to Chicago for the exhibition or people who would like to spend more time exploring the subject can visit the world of Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country from their homes or schools," explained Riva Feshbach, exhibits manager at the Newberry. "It is exciting to be able to provide a way for the public to remain involved with the topic long after the physical exhibition has closed."
The Web site is organized into the same four sections as the exhibition -The Indian Country, 1800: A Brilliant Plan for Living; Crossing the Indian Country; A New Nation Comes to the Indian Country; and The Indian Country Today - and includes images of all but a few of the items that were on display at the Library. Visitors will also find the complete text of interviews with American Indians that were originally presented on interactive media kiosks in the Newberry's exhibit hall. The Web site also includes an extensive list of secondary sources and online resources related to the project in addition to transcripts of important government documents and reports.
"We expect the Web site to bring the exhibition to life for another generation of learners," Feshbach said.
Approximately 18,000 visitors experienced the world of Lewis and Clark at the Newberry through lectures, seminars and by visiting the exhibition. And, even now, months after the exhibit closed, thousands more will soon be learning about its subject matter as a result of a traveling exhibit developed in partnership with the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library is an independent library open to the public for research and reference in the humanities. One of the largest independent research libraries in the United States, the Newberry holds an extraordinary collection of more than 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages and 300 thousand historic maps. As one of the world's leading repositories of a broad range of books and manuscripts relating to the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas, the Library's mission is to acquire and preserve research collections of such materials, and to provide for and promote their effective use by a diverse community of users. Visit the Newberry online at www.newberry.org.