Exhibitions

Past exhibition: Voices of 1863

Witnesses to the Civil War

From 05/01/2013 to 01/05/2014

1863 was a pivotal year in the Civil War. Through letters and other dispatches, hear first-hand from the people struggling to preserve the Union and live their lives during this dramatic era of U.S. history.

Past exhibition: War Stories: Hard Earned. Unforgettably Told.

An Exhibition: Soldiers’ Stories, Then and Now

From 11/11/2012 to 05/26/2013

From the American Revolution to Operation Enduring Freedom, United States troops have served on many fronts throughout our nation’s history. Interweaving historic letters with first-person accounts from today’s veterans, this exhibition shows the remarkable similarities between soldiers’ lives then and now.

Past exhibition: Maurice Sendak and Stephen Colbert

Interviews, Objects…and Poles!

From 07/18/2012 to 11/11/2012

Colbert Nation has raised its flag at the Rosenbach Museum & Library…or, at least its flagpole.

Past exhibition: Maurice Sendak: A Legacy

From 06/10/2012 to 05/26/2013

Celebrate Sendak’s revolutionary work and artistic talent in this landmark exhibition, displaying more than 65 drawings from his 65-year career. Refreshed with new material every four months, this exhibition will include work from each of Sendak’s picture books by the end of its yearlong run.

Past exhibition: Who Owns Ulysses? Joyce and Copyright

From 05/30/2012 to 08/26/2012

James Joyce once said: “A work belongs to its author by virtue of a natural right, and thus the courts ought to protect an author against the mutilation and publication of his work…” This exhibition examines several such “mutilations” of Joyce’s own work while tracing the impact of obscenity laws and copyright laws on the international publication history of his novel Ulysses.

Past exhibition: The Superlative Showcase

From 04/04/2012 to 04/08/2012

Largest? Oldest? Smallest? Newest? See selections of the most extreme objects in the our collection. On view for five days only, don’t miss your chance to see this fun display that highlights the breadth and quality of our remarkable and expanding collections.

Past exhibition: Titanic

The Rise of Rosenbach

From 02/15/2012 to 07/08/2012

Follow the story of book dealer Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach as he hears about the sinking of the Titanic and realizes a protégé has died on the ship. Learn the details of the tragic event and how, ultimately, Rosenbach’s personal loss led to professional success.

Past exhibition: From Pen to Publisher

The Life of Three Sendak Picture Books

From 01/24/2012 to 05/27/2012

Follow the lives of three picture books by Maurice Sendak: The Sign on Rosie’s Door, Outside Over There, and Brundibar. Spanning more than 40 years, each of these books was inspired and produced in radically different ways by Sendak and his collaborators.

Past exhibition: Inquiring Minds

Rosenbach Researchers Report Back

From 11/23/2011 to 03/25/2012

Each year, hundreds of on- and off-site researchers make use of the Rosenbach’s collections. Inquiring Minds is the first of its kind: an exhibition that shows a cross-section of our researchers’ projects from concept to completion

Dracula and Friends

From 09/21/2011 to 11/06/2011

Dracula, one of the most famous literary characters ever created, first appeared in an 1897 novel written by an Irish theatre manager, Bram Stoker. This exhibit presents a selection of Stoker’s research notes, as well as a selection of “friends”—other literature about the supernatural from across the Rosenbach’s collections.