“No picture could be more lovely”: Ada Shepard with the Hawthornes in Florence, 1858 Exhibition
The exhibition "No picture could be more lovely": Ada Shepard with the Hawthornes in Florence, 1858 features the sketchbooks and letters of Ada Shepard, a well-educated, perceptive young woman who served as governess to the children of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne while they were in Europe between 1857 and 1859, with the focus on the family's sojourn in Florence in 1858. Ada’s letters, in particular, provide a window into a young American woman’s experiences in mid-19th century Europe.
The grand opening was held on April 6, 2018 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Concord Free Public Library rotunda. A lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Megan Marshall, biographer of the Peabody sisters, Margaret Fuller, and Elizabeth Bishop, was followed by elegant refreshments and an opportunity to view the exhibition. [Watch Exhibition Opening with Megan Marshall]
Lecture Series:
The lecture series continues on May 5 with a talk by Dr. Phyllis Blum Cole, Ada Shepard, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and the Feminist Fifties. On June 2, Rev. Jenny Rankin will speak on The Hawthorne's Italian Journey. Lectures begin at 5:00 p.m. in the Library Rotunda. All are welcome.
Gallery Tour:
Join Curator Leslie Perrin Wilson for a tour of the exhibit on April 12 at 10:00 a.m. Meet in the Art Gallery.
