News Release
"A Cathedral of Books: Rediscovering George Peabody's Gift to Baltimore" celebrates the reopening of the George Peabody Library following renovations made possible by a Save America's Treasures grant. This exhibit, free and open to the public, runs from May 11 to August 8 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the library, located at the Peabody Institute in the historic Mount Vernon district of Baltimore. "We are delighted to commemorate the re-opening of one of Baltimore's architectural and intellectual treasures with this exhibition," said Winston Tabb, dean of university libraries at The Johns Hopkins University. "It features over 100 works from a magnificent collection that has contributed to the city's vibrant literary and artistic culture for more than 125 years." The George Peabody Library, which opened in 1878, is known worldwide for its striking atrium-style reading room with five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies rising toward a 61-foot-high ceiling and skylight. The reopening exhibition includes volumes from the library's collection, including beautiful editions of 15th- century books, modern editions of literary greats such as Edgar Allan Poe, 19th-century works in science and engineering and fascinating works on great voyages of discovery. Library staff will present gallery talks on Wednesday, May 12, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Topics will include the history of the Peabody collection, rare books and conservation of the collection. Each talk will last about 45 minutes. The George Peabody Library is one of the Sheridan Libraries of The Johns Hopkins University, and part of the research library collections that serve Johns Hopkins' academic programs worldwide. It has been closed since July 2002 for a $1 million renovation to refurbish the library and modernize the heating and air conditioning system to preserve the historic collection of more than 300,000 volumes. Major financial support for the renovation came from a Save America's Treasures grant, administered by the U.S. Interior Department. WYPR 88.1 is media partner with Johns Hopkins on this exhibit. The library is open to the public. For information, call 410-659-8179.
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