Exhibit of Rare Maps Opens at the Boston Athenaeum on November 3
The Boston Athenæum is proud to present the upcoming exhibition, Collecting for the Boston Athenæum in the 21st Century: Maps, Charts, & Plans, opening to the public in the Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery on Tuesday, November 3, and on view through Sunday, February 28. A free and public reception celebrating the opening of the exhibition will be held on Monday, November 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Boston Athenæum at 101??2 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.
Curated by John Lannon, Associate Director and Curator of Maps, Collecting for the Boston Athenæum in the 21st Century: Maps, Charts, & Plans brings together an exquisite selection of materials from the institution’s rich cartographic collection. The third in a series, the exhibition celebrates the Athenæum’s robust acquisitions program and showcases more than 50 objects that have been added to the collection since the year 2000. Visitors will discover works from the 16th to the 21st centuries, including a chart of Casco Bay by J.F.W. DesBarres; a rare French edition of a classic map of the Americas by Petrus Bertius, published in the mid-17th century; and a beautiful example of one of the earliest charts to focus on the New England coastline by J. van Keulen.
The first floor and the Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery of the Boston Athenæum are open to the public seven days a week (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Sunday, 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.). Public admission to the gallery is $5; members are admitted for free.
About the Boston Athenæum:
The Boston Athenæum, a membership library and museum, first opened its doors in 1807. Today, it remains a vibrant and active institution that serves thousands of members and scholars with a distinguished circulating and research collection, rich and varied special collections, extensive electronic resources, in-depth educational programming, and quiet reading spaces. The Athenæum’s first floor, including the Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery, and many of its programs, are open to the public. Membership is open to anyone interested in joining. For more information about the Athenæum, visit www.bostonathenaeum.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@bostonathenauem), and Instagram (#bostonathenaeum).
Image: Sir Thomas Hyde Page, A Plan of the Action at Bunkers Hill on the 17th of June 1775, London, 1793, 18 ½ x 22 ¼ inches. Athenæum purchase, 2013.
