April 1, 2013 - May 18, 2013
The 4th of July is always a dynamic and important celebration in Philadelphia, but in 1876 the Centennial Exposition added more festivities and tensions to the occasion. To the surprise and consternation of many in Philadelphia, Susan B. Anthony and others belonging to the National Woman’s Suffrage Association presented the Declaration of Rights for Women, an activity in contrast to the dedication that day of the statue of Baron von Humboldt and the unveiling of the Catholic Temperance Fountain.
As part of Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts 2013, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Center for the Book are seeking artists, through the medium of the book, to explore and respond to prints and books in the Athenaeum’s extensive collection regarding the Centennial, Susan B. Anthony, Women’s Suffrage, and the 1876 4 th of July. The books created will be exhibited in the Athenaeum gallery in April – May during the Festival in a show titled From Seneca Falls to Philadelphia: Fourth of July 1876 and the Women of the Centennial.