Cabinets of Curiosity: James Ford Bell Library
Tue, Oct 3 2023, 1pm
The James Ford Bell Library holds a treasure house of historical hand-colored maps, rare travel journals, and artifacts from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The October UMRA Cabinets of Curiosity tour, led by Marguerite Ragnow, curator, and her assistant Anne Goode, begin with two exhibits, “Eyes on the World: Cartography in the Age of the Sail” and “Curious strangers: Views of the Other on Early Modern Maps,” including the valuable Ricci map. They will then provide direct access to several of the rare, artistic, and informative maps that undergird the era of global exploration as well as illuminated letters of James I of England to the emperors of China and Japan and an early 19th century book of costumes of China, illustrating people in a variety of walks of life/professions.
For more on the library, see: https://www.lib.umn.edu/collections/special/bell.
The event is free but registration is required. Event size is limited so register soon.
Join the tour on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, from 1-3 pm, at the Wallin Center on the ground level of Elmer L. Andersen Library, which is located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Personal items will go into lockers. The closest parking is the Law School Parking Lot. After the tour, those interested will convene for conversation and refreshments at the Town Hall Brewery, just two blocks away.
Can’t attend this time? Look for more Cabinets of Curiosity outings in the coming months.
Questions are welcome to Sally Gregory Kohlstedt ([email protected]), Jan Morlock ([email protected]), or Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]).
Upcoming Events
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.