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Greetings,
We at the Athenaeum look forward to a happy and busy New Year for 2011, and we hope to see you for the many lectures, exhibitions, and other meetings which we have already scheduled for winter/spring. You should soon receive via snail mail your new calendar of programs, but below you will find a preview of some of the programs planned. In the meantime, don’t miss our William Birch exhibition, which continues in the gallery through January 8th, a Saturday when we will be open from 10AM to 2PM. The exhibition gleaned a very nice review from Victoria Donohoe in the December 24th
Philadelphia Inquirer. In case you missed that, here is the
link. (To see Birch images
in the link go to the “View images” section to the right).
Happy New Year to all!
Reminder: The Athenaeum will be closed on January 17th for Martin Luther
King Day.
Banner
Image: Detail of a still life by Severin Roesen.
New Books for January
 As Philadelphia is a “City of Firsts” for its historic sites and centuries-old buildings, it has also become known over the years as one of America’s most haunted cities, according to Fulbright Fellowship winner Colette Fu. She injects new questions into our views of Philadelphia's historic landmarks using both her photographs and a new approach to the popup structure. Ms. Fu employs Epson ultrachrome ink, mounted onto archival card stock and bound in Philadelphia newspapers and Joss paper-also known as ghost money, sheets of paper that are burned in traditional Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies and in Chinese funerals.
Opening
Reception: February 4, 5:00-7:00pm
Free Admission. RSVP to Susan Gallo at 215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org
Exhibition
Dates: February 1-March 18
Above:
Eastern State Penitentiary. Photo by Colette Fu.
Pop-up
Book Workshops with Colette Fu
 Children’s
Popup Workshop: Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Year of the Rabbit
Saturday,
February 5, 2011 -- 10:00AM-12:00PM
This year Chinese New Year
starts on February 3rd. Children born in the year of the Rabbit are
even-tempered, sensitive and patient. Find out more about the Year of the Rabbit
and make your own colorful Chinese New Year card. Happy Chinese New Year-Gong
Xi Fa Cai!
Members: $15/ Non-Members:
$25
Adult Popup Workshop
Saturday, February 5, 2011
-- 1:30-4:30PM
The year of the Rabbit will
be a calmer year, much needed after a heated year of the Tiger. In this workshop
we will learn the basic mechanisms and terminology for pop-ups, including slits,
angle folds, generations, coils, tents, platforms and pull-tabs and make our own
Chinese New Year’s card leading us into the Year of the Rabbit.
Members: $30/ Non-Members:
$50
Click
here to register
Above: Pop-up
book by Colette Fu.
Member Critics
 Robert
Harris. Conspirata. New
York: Simon and Schuster, 2010.
Having
read Ben Hur or Cleopatra or seen a well done movie version of any
fictionalized chunk of history, the experience could have been enjoyable- unless
you'd previously studied the story in school or had otherwise become very
interested in the period. Even so, a very good novel or other production
might have helped to suspend disbelief.
The conspiracies
Robert Harris tells us about loom huge in Ancient Rome's history, featuring bad
guys like Catalina and Caesar, and only one unobjectionably good guy, Tiro, a
slave, who was Cicero's secretary (and the narrator). Cicero, the central
action figure, really meant well for the people- but you know how things worked
in Ancient Rome (or more recent Russia, or Germany, or Italy, or...of course,
that's a reason for liking ancient stuff).
Submitted
by Dr. Harold Rashkis.
Do
you have a book that you loved (or hated), and would you be willing to share
that opinion on the Athenaeum e-newsletter? If so, please send your short
essay to sltatman@philaathenaeum.org.
Save
the Date:
January
8: First Saturday, Athenaeum open, 10:00am-2:00pm
January
11: Socrates Cafe, 11:00am
February
4: "Haunted Philadelphia" Opening Reception, 5:00-7:00pm
February
5: First Saturday, Athenaeum open, 10:00am-2:00pm
February
5: Pop-up
Book Workshops, 10:00am-4:30pm
See
the Event
Calendar for details and additional
events.
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