Chief Curator Michael K. Komanecky, organizer of the N.C. Wyeth and the Poems of American Patriotism exhibition, will discuss the evolution of Wyeth's illustrations for this 1922 book by Brander Matthews. Matthews, a renowned literary scholar and critic, described his book as a “history of America as told by her poets. . . a collection of old favorites,” including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride,” Oliver Wendell Holmes’ “Grandmother’s Story of Bunker Hill Battle”, Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner”, Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, John Greenleaf Whittier’s “Barbara Frietchie,” and Walt Whitman’s O Captain! My Captain!” Komanecky's presentation will consider Wyeth's choices of what poems to illustrate, as well as his choice of what episodes within them he chose to portray.

Location: Farnsworth auditorium

Seating: limited to 70 people

Cost: $5 members; $8 nonmembers