Download exhibit flier (pdf)

Visualizing American Roots Music
Through Dec. 31, 2013
Wilson Special Collections Library
Pleasants Family Assembly Room
Free and open to the public
Information: Steve Weiss, Southern Folklife Collection, 962-7105

Twenty rare and unique photographs of iconic musicians are now on view in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room of the Wilson Special Collections Library. Johnny Cash, The Byrds, Mississippi John Hurt, and The Maddox Brothers and Rose, are among the celebrities depicted.

The photographs come from Wilson Library’s Southern Folklife Collection. They showcase a wide spectrum of American Roots Music—ranging from the blues, bluegrass, and country, to rock and roll—and highlight its popular and commercial development over the last century.

Visualizing American Roots Music will be on view through Dec. 31, 2013.

The Wilson Special Collections Library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The Pleasants Family Assembly Room is not available at all times. Call (919) 962-0104 for exhibit availability.

Related Links

• Southern Folklife Collection
• Wilson Special Collections Library

On Dec. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m., preservation staff will show you how to make a small pamphlet that you get to keep. All materials are provided. The whole process takes about ten minutes.

Look for the table in the periodicals room, to the right as you enter Davis Library.

For more information, contact Susan Griffin in the Preservation Department: (919) 962-1324, griffins@email.unc.edu.

Hurricane Hazel at Carolina Beach, 1954. Photograph by Hugh Morton.

The work of photojournalism will be the subject of a lecture by former Daily Tar Heel student photographer James Wallace (’64) on Nov. 1 at Wilson Library.

The 5:30 p.m. talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Wilson Library’s North Carolina Collection, and the Center for the Study of the American South, is part of the Center’s James A. Hutchins Lecture series. It also serves as the keynote for a Civil Rights in Chapel Hill Celebration Weekend taking place Nov. 1-3 at locations around Chapel Hill and Durham.

Beginning at 5 p.m., attendees can enjoy a special viewing of the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives exhibit Photographic Angles: News Photography in the North Carolina Collection.

The theme for Wallace’s lecture will be “That we may know by our eyes,” and he will also discuss his new book of photographs, Courage in the Moment: The Civil Rights Struggle, 1961–1964. Also presenting will be Patrick Davison, associate professor of journalism at UNC, who will examine the current and future state of the photojournalism profession.

Davison previously worked as a staff photojournalist at the Rocky Mountain News (Denver) and the Dallas Morning News.

Wallace served for 25 years as director of Imaging and Photographic Services at the Smithsonian Institution, and currently serves on the board of advisers of the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The exhibit features 30 published and unpublished photographs taken for the News & Observer of Raleigh, the Daily Tar Heel, the Durham Herald-Sun, and other newspapers from 1891 through 2000. The images show how photographers use low camera angles, wide-angle lenses, and personal perspectives to create compelling news photographs.

The exhibit will be on view through February 3, 2013. February 10, 2013.

Among the photojournalists represented are Hugh Morton (UNC ’43); UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty members Jock Lauterer (UNC ’67) and Paul Cuadros; Roland Giduz (UNC ’48), former editor of The Chapel Hill News Leader and The News of Orange County; Charlotte Observer photographer Don Sturkey; and The Hatterasman author Ben Dixon MacNeill.

The exhibit is sponsored by the North Carolina Collection and draws on the holdings of its North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives.

The website www.jacksoncenter.info/events contains complete schedule information for the Civil Rights in Chapel Hill Weekend.

Download exhibit poster (pdf)

An exhibit of Carolina Alumni Review covers and page spreads is now on view in the Wilson Special Collections Library to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the magazine.

The Alumni Review, a publication of the General Alumni Association (GAA), debuted in October 1912.

To mark the centennial, 35 enlarged covers and five page spreads are on display in the first floor corridor of Wilson Library.

The covers on view include the magazine’s first issue, featuring a drawing of Caldwell Hall, which opened in 1912. Other covers highlight iconic photos of the campus, as well as articles covering key events in University history, such as the admission of UNC’s first African-American undergraduates, the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on Chapel Hill, the 2005 NCAA basketball championship, and the University’s response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Through an agreement with the Library, the Alumni Review’s complete archive has also been digitized and is available online on the GAA site. Issues from the most recent five years are available to GAA members only, as a benefit of membership; earlier issues are open to anyone.

The exhibit is sponsored by the University Library and the General Alumni Association and will be on view indefinitely.

For exhibit information, contact Wilson Library,  wilsonlibrary@unc.edu or (919) 962-3765.

Related Links

• Digitized issues of the Carolina Alumni Review

Visit the symposium website

The end of the Maya Long Count calendar cycle on Dec. 21, 2012, is the inspiration for a free public symposium at UNC on Oct. 25 and 26. “13 Bak’tun: New Maya Perspectives in 2012” will place the 2012 date within a larger historical and cultural context that includes the voices of Maya people.

The events for the symposium are free and open to the public. The website maya2012.unc.edu contains complete schedule information. Registration is recommended but not required.

The Maya word bak’tun signifies a calendar cycle of 400 years of 360 days. Ancient inscriptions indicate that once the 13th bak’tun is reached, the cycle starts over.

Exhibits

The symposium will include two exhibits. Ancient and Living Maya in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries: Archaeological Discovery, Literary Voice, and Political Struggle will open Oct. 8 in the Wilson Special Collections Library and will be on view in the Melba Remig Saltarelli Exhibit Room through Jan. 27, 2013. The exhibit features Maya materials from the Rare Book Collection’s George E. and Melinda Y. Stuart Collection.

Ancient and Living Maya Through the Photographic Lens will be on view from Sept. 18 through Dec. 14 in the FedEx Global Education Center. The exhibit will feature twenty large images of Maya people and sites, as well as a display of Maya garments and textiles. National Geographic staff members took the photographs while on assignment from the 1950s onward.

Symposium keynote and highlights

• A keynote address by Victor Montejo, a Maya Pop’ti novelist, poet, and scholar from Guatemala. Montejo, Professor Emeritus of Native American Studies at UC Davis, will open the symposium Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Wilson Special Collections Library. Beginning at 5 p.m., attendees can view the exhibit Ancient and Living Maya in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries: Archaeological Discovery, Literary Voice, and Political Struggle.
• A curator’s talk by former National Geographic archaeologist George E. Stuart, Ph.D. ’75, at the FedEx Global Education Center at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26.
• Contemporary Maya poetry readings on Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the FedEx Global Education Center. Poets Briceida Cuevas Cob (Maya Yucatec) of Mexico and Rosa Chávez (Maya K’iche’-Kaqchikel) of Guatemala will read in Spanish and their native Maya languages. Translation will be provided.

Lectures and learning

Lectures and open classes by UNC professors and Maya scholars will take place on Oct. 26.

• 11 a.m, Wilson Library - Emilio del Valle Escalante (Romance Languages and Literatures) will lead an open class on how contemporary Maya conceive the end of the Maya Long Count calendar and represent it in current literature.
• 12 p.m, UNC School of Law (Van Hecke-Wettach Hall) – Maya activist Cristina Coc will discuss indigenous land rights in Belize.
• 2 p.m., Wilson Library - Patricia A. McAnany (Anthropology) will lead an open class on classic Maya use of the Long Count calendar at major capitals that supported strong scribal traditions between AD 275 and 919.
• 3:30 p.m., Morehead Planetarium and Science Center – David Mora Marín (Linguistics) will give a lecture about Mayan hieroglyphic writing.

The symposium is hosted by the Douglass Hunt Lecture of Carolina Seminars, the Friends of the Library, the Institute for the Study of the Americas, the Rare Book Collection at Wilson Library, and UNC Global, with additional support from the American Indian Center, the Carolina Digital Library and Archives, the departments of Anthropology, Linguistics, Romance Languages and Literatures, Latin American and Iberian Resources at the University Library, the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, the Research Laboratories of Archaeology, and the School of Law.

Related Links

• 13 Bak’tun: New Maya Perspectives in 2012 (symposium website)

"Rose of the Eno" by Alex Armstrong

Photographs of the Eno River as it passes through Durham, N.C., will be on view in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room in Wilson Library through Dec. 31.

The images are the work of Alex Armstrong, a Hillsborough-based artist and photographer.

Armstrong selected the 22 photographs from his series, “Reflections of the Eno,” which documents reflections and optical effects on the river in the Eno River State Park.

“The play of wind, water, and light produces effects that are reminiscent of impressionist works of art,” said Armstrong in an artist’s statement.

“Reflections of the Eno” continues Armstrong’s decades-long interest in landscape photography. His photographs of Hillsborough landmarks are on view at numerous locations, including the Orange County Courthouse, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, and the Eno River State Park Office and Museum.

The Wilson Special Collections Library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. “Reflections of the Eno” is not available at all times. Call (919) 962-0104 for exhibit availability.

Download a flier (pdf)

The Carolina Parakeet and Relatives: A Look at Some Natural, Un-natural, and Cultural Histories
Wednesday, Aug. 29
Wilson Special Collections Library
5:15 p.m. Exhibit viewing | North Carolina Collection Gallery
5:45 p.m. Program | Pleasants Family Assembly Room
Free and open to the public
Information: Liza Terll, Friends of the Library, (919) 548-1203

The Carolina Parakeet once flocked in great numbers across the American Southeast. Today, the colorful bird, which became extinct by the 1920s, offers up mystery and Carolina lore.

Ornithologists from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will discuss what is known about the Parakeet during a lecture in the Wilson Special Collections Library on Wednesday, Aug. 29. The free public program will begin at 5:45 p.m.

Curator of Ornithology John Gerwin and Ornithology Collections Manager Brian O’Shea will talk about the Parakeet’s history, the experiences of early explorers who encountered the Parakeet, and efforts to conserve endangered Parrots in the U.S. and abroad.

Before the lecture, birders, history lovers, and amateur biologists can also visit the North Carolina Collection Gallery exhibit The Carolina Parakeet in Art: Images from the Powell Collection.

The exhibit includes approximately 40 prints (including a rare print from Audubon’s Birds of America series), photographs of specimens, and paintings of the bird.

Many exhibit items were gifts of William S. “Bill” Powell, the North Carolina Collection’s former curator, and his wife, Virginia Powell, of Chapel Hill. The Powells made a lifelong project of collecting materials related to the Parakeet.

The exhibit will be on view in the North Carolina Collection Gallery through Sept. 30.

Related Links

• The Carolina Parakeet Returns in Wilson Library Exhibit
• William Stevens Powell Papers (finding aid in the Southern Historical Collection)
• Purchase reproductions of “The Parrot of Carolina” by Mark Catesby (benefits Wilson Library)

For event information, contact Liza Terll, Friends of the Library, liza_terll@unc.edu, (919) 548-1203.

August 25, 2012
The Banjo: Southern Roots, American Branches (read more)
Symposium and concert inaugurating the Southern Folklife Collection’s Instrument Series. The concert will feature Tony Trischka; Riley Baugus with Kirk Sutphin; and Dom Flemons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Symposium
7:30 p.m. – Concert
Concert in Memorial Hall. Free tickets required from the Memorial Hall box office: 919-843-3333.

August 29, 2012
The Carolina Parakeet and Relatives: A Look at Some Natural, Un-natural, and Cultural Histories (read more)
A talk about the exotic extinct bird, with scientists from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. In conjunction with the exhibit The Carolina Parakeet in Art: Images from the Powell Collection.
5:15 p.m. – Exhibit viewing; reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:45 p.m. – Program

Sept. 6, 2012
Preserving Your Intellectual Legacy at UNC: An Information Session for Faculty and Staff Nearing Retirement (read more)
Retiring faculty and staff members can get answers to the question “What do I do with my books and papers?” Spouses and guests are welcome.
4 p.m. – Program followed by reception

September 13, 2012
Two Captains from Carolina: Moses Grandy, John Newland Maffitt, and the Coming of the Civil War (read more)
UNC professor Bland Simpson shares a grand tale of race and maritime culture in the antebellum South.
5 p.m. – Reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:30 p.m. – Program

September 14-15, 2012
“To Gain Attention to Their Various Claims”: Historic Political Campaigns in North Carolina (read more)
An examination of significant North Carolina campaigns from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Dinner will feature a moderated discussion between Republican strategist Carter Wrenn and Democratic political consultant Gary Pearce. (Conference: $10 per person. Dinner: $50 per seat.)
Visit the conference website for schedule information.

September 20, 2012
Rufus Edmisten Watergate Materials (read more)
Chancellor Holden Thorp interviews Rufus Edmisten, Deputy Chief Counsel to the Watergate Committee, honoring the donation of Edmisten’s papers to the Southern Historical Collection.
5 p.m. – Display of selected materials from the Edmisten papers and related collections; reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:30 p.m. – Program

October 2, 2012
First Amendment Day: Banned and in the Rare Book Collection (read more)
Readings from original editions of banned and rare books.
5 p.m. – Display of rare editions; reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:30 p.m. – Program

October 7, 2012
Honoring Doris Betts
A remembrance of the beloved North Carolina writer and UNC professor, sponsored with the Department of Creative Writing.
3 p.m.
Program in Alumni Hall, Hill Alumni Center

October 11, 2012
Knowledge Capital and Human Flourishing: Educating North Carolinians, 1865-1970 (read more)
Yale historian Glenda Gilmore delivers the keynote address for the second New Voyages to Carolina conference, organized by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History.
5 p.m. – Reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:30 p.m. – Program

October 25-26, 2012
13 Bak’tun: New Maya Perspectives in 2012 (read more)
A symposium on Maya civilization in recognition of the end of the current great cycle in the Maya Long Count calendar. Programs and exhibits in Wilson Library, the FedEx Global Education Center, and the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Symposium website: http://maya2012.unc.edu/.

October 27, 2012
Gridiron Glory at Carolina (read more)
An encore presentation of archival videos, along with photographs, programs, and memorabilia.
Begins three hours before kickoff.

November 1, 2012
Photojournalist James Wallace (read more)
The James A. Hutchins Lecture, sponsored by the Center for the Study of the American South. In conjunction with the exhibit Photographic Angles: News Photography in the North Carolina Collection.
5 p.m. – Exhibit viewing; reception for Friends of the Library and guests
5:30 p.m. – Program

November 13, 2012
Help Me to Find My People
Heather Williams, associate professor of history at UNC, will discuss and read from her new book about the African American search for family lost in slavery.
5:30 p.m. – Program

December 6, 2012
20^th Annual Winter Stories for Children of All Ages
Special anniversary presentation of a beloved Chapel Hill tradition.
5 p.m. – Cookies and juice
5:30 p.m. – Program

Purchase reproduction of Mark Catesby's "Parrot of Carolina" to benefit Wilson Library

The Carolina Parakeet in Art: Images from the Powell Collection
June 21 – Sept. 30, 2012
North Carolina Collection Gallery
Wilson Special Collections Library
Free and open to the public
Information: Linda Jacobson, (919) 962-0104

Images of the exotic but now-extinct Carolina Parakeet will be on display this summer in the Wilson Special Collections Library.

Few people alive today would have seen the colorful bird before it disappeared for good in the early 1900s. A new exhibit, The Carolina Parakeet in Art: Images from the Powell Collection, will feature the bird in vivid detail. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, runs through Sept. 30, 2012, in the North Carolina Collection Gallery.

Visitors to the exhibit will be able to see:

• Approximately 40 prints, photographs of specimens, and paintings of the bird.
• An original print—Carolina Parrot, no. 6—from the Havell edition (1827-1838) of John James Audubon’s Birds of America series. This edition was printed in a run of approximately 200 copies.
• An illustration by British naturalist Mark Catesby in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (1771 edition).
• Books containing descriptions of the Parakeet by explorers Lewis and Clark, and by 17^th-century Jesuit missionaries, and a news article noting the death of the last captive Parakeet in 1918.

The Parakeet, also known as the Carolina Parrot, was plentiful in the 18th- and 19th-century Carolinas, Virginia, and other parts of the southeast. Early English settlers often described great flocks nesting together or in swamps.

“That quality of flocking probably helped lead to their extinction,” said Digital Projects and Outreach Librarian Emily Jack. Jack said poachers would sometimes capture dozens of roosting birds at a time by throwing a net over them as they slept in a tree hollow. Images of the bird were very popular in wallpaper and fabric designs, and hatmakers prized their feathers.

The birds also suffered from deforestation as early settlements grew, said Linda Jacobson, keeper of the North Carolina Collection Gallery. “The story of the Parakeet’s decline aligns closely with the development of the early colonies,” she said.

Many of the items on display were gifts of former North Carolina Collection Curator William S. “Bill” Powell and his wife, Virginia Powell. The Powells, of Chapel Hill, made a lifelong project of collecting materials related to the Parakeet.

Bill Powell, who authored more than 25 books and numerous articles on North Carolina, retired from the Library in 1973.

The Powells have donated other materials to the Libraries in recent years, including a 17th-century Book of Common Prayer, a 19th-century Bible, the 1702 edition of An Abridgement of Sir Walter Raleigh’s History of the World in Five Books, and the 1693 volume The Character of Queen Elizabeth.

Related Links

• William Stevens Powell Papers (finding aid) in the Southern Historical Collection
• Purchase reproduction of “Parrot of Carolina” by Mark Catesby (benefits Wilson Library)

Download event flier (pdf)

Thursday, Apr. 26, 2012
1-4 p.m
Davis Library periodicals room (main floor)
Free and open to the public
Information: Ardys Weiss, (919) 962-1324

Hitting the books for finals? Take a break and make one of your own with the Library’s Preservation Department.

On the afternoon of Apr. 26, preservation staff will have all of the materials you need to create a small pamphlet that you get to keep. Look for them in the periodicals room, to your right as you enter Davis Library. The sewing process will only take about ten minutes.

Preservation staff will also offer tours of the binding and repair lab.

The event is in honor of national Preservation Week, sponsored by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services.

For more information, contact Ardys Weiss, Preservation Department, (919) 962-1324.

Related Links

• UNC Library Preservation Book Care and Handling Guidelines
• Preservation Week
• Photographs from 2011 Make Your Own Book event