From the Canterbury Tales to Ulysses, the Rosenbach’s collection is full of books that have been banned, challenged, or censored. During Banned Books Week (Sept 24-30) take your rights and the books back into your own hands, discuss the controversies surrounding them, and celebrate your freedom to read.
The Rosenbach will open its doors to the public as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live. Visitors are invited to explore the historic Rosenbach home and experience special hands-on presentations of objects in the collection. This event is free and no advance registration is required.
The first edition of Ulysses, published in 1922, carried a note of apology: “The publisher asks the reader’s indulgence for typographical errors unavoidable in the exceptional circumstances.” Beyond these typographical errors, the published novel departed widely from the text written by James Joyce. Working with a team of dedicated collaborators, Hans Walter Gabler examined Joyce’s notes, the manuscript (which resides at the Rosenbach), serial publications of the first 14 chapters, and more to compile a new readable edition of the novel and a record of the text’s growth from fair copy to first edition. This edition, though controversial, has become the standard for Ulysses readers.
This course includes 1 session and 1 field trip to Lantern Theatre’s production of Red Velvet, about a 19th-century African American actor and his career portraying Othello onstage. Details to come.
Calling all pre-schoolers! Come play with us on the last Thursday morning of every month. We’ll read a story together and then embark on a treasure hunt through the Rosenbach brothers’ glitzy Rittenhouse Square home to discover things that relate to the story. Afterward, families are welcome to join us in our activity room for hands-on art making activities, creative play, music and snacks.
The tradition of the rent party dates back to the Harlem Renaissance, when communal gatherings of artists and musicians fed the outpouring of blues, jazz, and poetry for which this period is known. Hosted by poet Yolanda Wisher, this quarterly series celebrates the literary past with readings by contemporary poets and music performed by her band, the Afroeaters.
“Picturing Cervantes” explores the ways Don Quixote has been imagined and illustrated through the centuries, featuring remarkable drawings and prints by notable artists such as Gustave Doré and Honoré Daumier. Explore depictions of the questing Don, his companion Sancho Panza, and his noble steed Rocinanante from artworks created shortly after the heroic entry of the “Ingenious Gentleman” onto the field of literature, and through the centuries beyond.
Heralded as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, Ulysses is also considered one of the most daunting. The Rosenbach offers a welcoming discussion-based environment and unparalleled access to primary resource materials from our James Joyce collection to deepen readers’ understanding of the text and the author himself. First-time Ulysses readers and returning fans alike are welcome in either group.
Ernest Hilbert is a Bauman Rare Books specialist, poet, and author of the essay “Austen’s Ring and Shelley’s Heart: Our Fascination with Literary Relics”
Join us for this rare peek into some of the most personal and emotional writing in our collections. From the aching yearnings of poet John Keats to the dying wishes of a Civil War solider, the Rosenbach is home to a variety of love letters. Spend an hour getting up-close and personal with a variety of treasures, including correspondence from Marlene Dietrich to Mercedes De Acosta and handwritten pages from James Joyce’s Ulysses.