Fall 1997 Exhibitions in City College's Cohen Library

he City College Library's special sesquicentennial exhibits continue this fall with Townsend Harris: The Man Who Opened Doors, currently on view in the atrium of Cohen Library. Harris (1804 - 1878) was a pioneer in public higher education and in diplomacy. Through his work in establishing the Free Academy (later City College), he opened the door to higher education to thousands of New Yorkers. His patient, culturally sensitive diplomacy inaugurated diplomatic and trade relations between the United States and Japan.

The exhibit, drawn from materials in the City College Archives and Special Collections, reproduces manuscripts, photographs, drawings, documents, and books to illustrate Harris's life in New York City and in the Japanese port of Shimoda where he lived during his first eighteen months in Japan. Reproductions of an early daguerreotype portrait of Harris and of the photograph taken in 1863 at the New York studio of famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady shortly after Harris's return from Japan are included, as is a contemporary print widely circulated after his arrival that shows how Harris appeared to the Japanese.

Harris's legacy in the 20th century is the subject of the final section of the exhibit and deals with the famous City College preparatory school which bore his name, the Alumni Association's Townsend Harris Medal, and John Wayne's portrayal of Harris in the romantic film The Barbarian and the Geisha. The exhibit also includes material, among other items, relating to Dawn of Japan, a new opera about Harris by Toroku Takagi which was given a concert performance at Carnegie Hall on October 1, 1997.

150 Years of Excellence: From the Free Academy to CUNY, 1847-1997 will also be on view in the atrium until November 7. Through text, images, and artifacts, the exhibit suggests the rich history of the large educational enterprise known as the City University of New York which developed out of Townsend Harris's establishment of the Free Academy in 1847. The exhibit is especially rich in material about the first seventy years of the college and the text describes the development of "Centers" of City College in Brooklyn and Queens which were the forerunners of the four-year colleges later established. The community college movement is also highlighted as well as special areas focusing on topics such as athletics and the colleges in time of war.

From the Free Academy to CUNY was curated by Professor Sandra Roff of Brooklyn College, Professor Barbara Dunlap of City College, and Professor Anthony Cucchiara of Brooklyn College with support from the Office of the Chancellor, the PSC/CUNY Research Foundation, the H.W. Wilson Company, and the individual colleges of CUNY.

Both exhibits are on view in the atrium (main floor) of the Cohen Library in the North Academic Center from 9 to 9, Monday through Thursday, 9 to 6 on Friday, and noon to 6, Saturday and Sunday. For information, call 212-650-7609 or e-mail to bjdcc@cunyvm.cuny.edu.

Barbara Dunlap

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