The recent first snowfall of the season on Delancey Place has us thinking warm thoughts about the upcoming holidays. This year, we hope you’ll share in our end-of-year celebrations, with a variety of programs that highlight the festive spirit, no matter how you celebrate.
It’s hard to think of the holidays without thinking of Charles Dickens and his inimitable Christmas stories. Join us in a mini-course to study two of those stories, “A Christmas Carol” and “The Chimes,” and toast his literary legacy at a special Drinking with Dickens Bibliococktails. You can also take a Hands-On Tour exploring the the ghosts that haunt Dickens’ Christmas tales.
We are also offering two Hands-On Tours that examine the early Hebrew books in our collection. In part one, learn about philosophy and history of some of the first books printed in the Hebrew language. In part two, explore books in English, Latin, Dutch, Hebrew, and Native American languages that tell a story of cultural misunderstanding in an age of exploration and expansion.
Charity and good will are at the heart of the holidays, and this year, The Rosenbach is offering a unique Themed House Tour that traces the little-known stories of friendship and kindness found in our collections. The tour is inspired by the charity rare book auction that Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach held eighty years ago in December 1938 to benefit European refugees of Nazi Germany, raising $35,000 through this interfaith endeavor. You can read more about his generous efforts on our blog.
However you celebrate the holidays, we hope you make The Rosenbach a part of your season.