News
February 11, 2013
JCB Celebrates 20 Years of the Galletti Lecture Series
The Sonia Galletti lecture takes place at the John Carter Brown Library each February to honor the volunteers and Associates who contribute so much to the JCB community. Sonia Galletti volunteered in the JCB's Administrative Offices for many years. This year the lecture will be given by Barnet Schecter who will speak on his book, George Washington's America: A Biography through His Maps.
January 15, 2013
New Exhibition Opens in the Reading Room
The JCB opens a new exhibition in the Reading Room and online on January 15, 2013. Called "The Florida Story: Reconnaissance and Rivalry on a Maritime Periphery," it explores the history of the peninsula now known as the state of Florida. The Spanish first claimed the area, but French and British incursions into the area changed allegiances.
September 21, 2012
Ted Widmer Leaves the JCB to Take New Position
Ted Widmer has left the position of Director of the John Carter Brown Library and accepted a position as an assistant to President Christina Paxson of Brown University for special projects. He will also be a senior adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
September 2012
New Exhibition Opens in the Reading Room
The JCB opens a new exhibition in the Reading Room and online on September 13. Called "Mind Your Business: Records of Early American Commerce at the John Carter Brown Library," it explores what it took to “mind” one’s business in the 18th and early 19th centuries using the archival records for companies founded by three prominent Providence families—the Browns, the Arnolds, and the Tillinghasts.
For more information, see the Press Release.
June 2012
JCB and Google Endangered Language Project Join Hands
The JCB has contributed 14 books containing American indigenous languages of varying degrees of endangerment to Google’s information arm which aims to accelerate language documentation and encourage collaborative scholarship.
For more information, see the Press Release.
June 2012
JCB Fellows' 50th Conference
On June 7 through 10, 2012, over a hundred fellows (of almost 750) returned to Providence for reflection, reunion, and socializing. The four days included many interesting discussions, delicious meals, and fascinating information, accompanied by splendid weather and great conversation. Even participants not in Providence joined in the discussion by web conferencing (from Peru, Benin, California, and Haiti) and watched the events which were live streamed. See the News Release here.
May 2012
New Exhibition Opens in the Reading Room
The John Carter Brown Library opens a new exhibition in the Reading Room and online in May. "Voyage to the Islands: Hans Sloane, Slavery, and Scientific Travel in the Caribbean" explores the intersection of science and slavery in the early modern Atlantic world. The exhibition is guest-curated by former JCB Fellow, James Delbourgo.
For more information, see the Press Release.
April 2012
Roger Williams Decryption Project
An exciting project has been undertaken by a group of Brown University undergraduates at the John Carter Brown Library. They are exploring the decryption of manuscript shorthand written on a mysterious book held by the library. The book, called "An Essay Towards the Reconciling of Differences Among Christians" (title taken from running head; the actual title page is missing), contains shorthand thought to have been written by Roger Williams.
The Atlantic Monthly wrote an article on April 9, 2012, on the project which can be read here.
Read the front page article which appeared in the Providence Journal here.
To keep up with the doings of the "Cracking the Code" team, follow our blog, JCB Books Speak.
January 2012
New exhibition on Lawrence C. Wroth's The Colonial Printer Opens
The John Carter Brown Library is highlighting another work by Lawrence C. Wroth with its new exhibition in the Reading Room. Wroth's The Colonial Printer is the source for "The Illustrated Colonial Printer" and the point of departure for the exhibition which showcases a selection of the books mentioned, but not shown, in the text.
For more information, see the Press Release.