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,LC Information B u l l e t i n , Vol. 29, No. 52, Wcember 31, 1970
Exhibits
150th Anniversary of t h e B i r t h o f E l i z a b e t h Blackwell, M.D.
Gc
January 4 t h e Library w i l l open an e x h i b i t i n observance o f t h e sesquic e n t e n n i a l o f t h e b i r t h of E l i z a b e t h Blackwell (1821-1910), t h e f i r s t
woman medical doctor of modern t i m e s . A s i n g l e - c a s e hawca case ~ x h i b i t , "
l o c a t e d i n t h e west f o y e r on t h e Ground F l o o r of t h e Main B u i l d i n g , t h e
d i s p l a y w i l l c o n s i s t p r i m a r i l y o f m a t e r i a l s from t h e L i b r a r y ' s e x t e L s l v e
c o l l e c t i o n o f Blackwell Family Papers.
D r . Blackwell w a s born i n England on February 3 , 1821, and came tz
t h e United S t a t e s with h e r family i n 1832. When s h e w a s 1 7 y e a r s o i ~
h e r f a t h e r d i e d , and t o h e l p support h e r family s h e began t o t e a c h ~ c h o c I n 1847, a f t e r applying t o a number of medical s c h o o l s , s h e w a s acc?ptred
by Geneva (now ~ a b a r t )College i n u p s t a t e New York. Shown i n t h e e x ~ i : .
i s h e r copy o f a r e s o l u t i o n by t h e s t u d e n t body v o t i n g f o r h e r accepta:i, -.
Also shown i s an 1849 l e t t e r o f Miss Blackwell's, w r i t t e n f o u r days beL'uce
she r e c e i v e d h e r medical diploma, r e p o r t i n g t h a t she had s a t i s f a c t o r i l y
.passed h e r examinations " t h i s morning. I'
Also on d i s p l a y are 19th- and 20th-century v i e w s ' o f t h e New York
Infirmary f o r Women and Children, e s t a b l i s h e d by D r . Blackwell i n 1857,
and a n o t e from Florence Nightingale opposing t h e i d e a ' o f a medical
s c h o o l f o r women. Two books by D r . Blackwell, both from t h e Library ':
Rare Book D i v i s i o n , i l l u s t r a t e h e r l i f e - l o n g i n t e r e s t i n h y g i e n i c pract i c e s , p r e v e n t i v e medicine, and s e x education f o r t h e young. Accom&&-, -.-&
one of t h e s e books i s a memorandum i n h e r hand d e s c r i b i n g t h e r e a c t - ?.t o i t s s u b j e c t matter by a member (female) o f t h e firm t h a t publishr:c
t h e lady p u b l i s h e r threw t h e advance s e t o f p ~ o o fs h e e t s i n t o t h e :':I#
P o l i s h Folklore and Folk A r t , an e x h i b i t prepared by t h e Slav' and C e n t r a l European D i v i s i o n , w i l l open on January 4 on t h e F i f t h ?L,a-.
o f t h e Annex Building and w i l l continue through February 28.
P o l i s h f o l k art i s b e s t k n w n t o Americans through t h e influer-.t
o f f o l k music on such composers as Chopin and Paderewski, o r i n t h c
s t r a i n s o f t h e krakawi'aks and o t h e r P o l i s h dances which are heard G:.
many an American dance f l o o r .
But it i s n o t . w i t h music alone t h a t t h e P o l i s h people have e x p r e c
t h e i r n a t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r ; as e a r l y as t h e beginning o f t h e 19th century
t h e s y s t e m a t i c c o l l e c t i o n of P o l i s h f o l k l o r e began--folk customs, dance
legends , and rites.
Only l a t e r was i n t e r e s t concentrated on f o l k p a i n t i n g and s c u l ? ~ u = , e ,
at a t i m e when, i n t h e rest of Europe, such a r t i s t s as Martisse, P i c a s a d ,
and Brancusi were f i n d i n g t h e i r i n s p i r a t i o n i n p r i m i t i v e art.
P o l i s h f o l k art, as i s t h e case throughout t h e world, i s c l o s e l y
i n t e r c o n n e c t e d with t h e p e o p l e ' s d a i l y needs f o r s h e l t e r , food, and
c l o t h i n g . The f o l k t r a d i t i o n may be t r a c e d f a r back i n t o time through
potsherds and medieval examples of f a b r i c s u s i n g t h e s t r i p e s s o t y p i c a l
of P o l i s h costume. And t h e r e are a few s u r v i v i n g b u i l d i n g s i n t h e f o l k
t r a d i t i o n which d a t e from b e f o r e t h e 1 8 t h century. M o s t of t h a t which
remains todaj., however, i s an expression of t h e more r e c e n t period.
I