Events
Lunchtime Talk with Alexander L. Ames, The Rosenbach’s Associate Curator and author of The Word in the Wilderness
In the 1700s and early 1800s, the German-speaking residents of the agrarian counties surrounding Philadelphia practiced arts of calligraphy and manuscript illumination that have long drawn the attention of scholars, regional historians, and students of American decorative art. Some have interpreted the manuscripts produced by Pennsylvania Germans as “medieval” in nature, whereas others treasure them as ornaments of early American folk life. In this presentation, Dr. Alexander Lawrence Ames takes a different lens to the documents, analyzing them as artifacts of the intense religious culture of the time, and local examples of an overlooked global tradition of manuscript text production during the so-called “Age of Print.” In the process, Ames will reconsider the significance of Pennsylvania in transatlantic religious history and address the importance of the Pennsylvania Germans to the story of America. He will highlight objects from The Rosenbach’s collection that showcase the incredible diversity of religious thought in early Pennsylvania as well as pieces from the Free Library of Philadelphia Rare Book Department’s iconic collection of Pennsylvania German manuscripts. The presentation is based on Dr. Ames’s new book The Word in the Wilderness: Popular Piety and the Manuscript Arts in Early Pennsylvania, published by the Pennsylvania State University Press in 2020. Discounted soft-cover copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. About the Speaker Dr. Alexander Lawrence Ames is Associate Curator of The Rosenbach. He holds an M.A. in American material culture from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware, as well as an M.A. in history and a Ph.D. in history of American civilization and museum studies from the University of Delaware. A scholar of early American religion and the history of the book, his research has been published in venues including Winterthur Portfolio, The Mennonite Quarterly Review, Libraries: Culture, History, and Society, as well as Suave Mechanicals: Essays on the History of Bookbinding. He is also The Rosenbach’s Celtic harpist in residence, having performed numerous bibliographically-inspired recitals in recent years, and will be one half of a harp and organ duet at the upcoming Rosenbacchanal celebration in May. About Lunchtime Talks at The Rosenbach Enjoy In Conversation Programs at midday with leading scholars, artists, and authors talking about their work. Tea sandwiches and light refreshments included. Register here: https://rosenbach.org/events/lunchtime-talk-with-alexander-ames-in-person/ 
Penmanship sample (Vorschrift) for Martin Dettweiler, 1788. 8 1/4" x 13 1/8". Object number 00.265.22. Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center.
The Word in the Wilderness:
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Join Alexander Lawrence Ames for a virtual lecture sponsored by the Indian Valley Public Library in Telford, Pennsylvania. For more details and registration information, visit https://ivpl.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/virtual-author-presentation-alexander-ames/. If you have any questions, please contact DeAnne O'Brien, Adult Services Librarian, at dobrien@ivpl.org.
Attend the virtual book launch for The Word in the Wilderness: Popular Piety and the Manuscript Arts in Early Pennsylvania on Sunday, July 19th at 4:30 p.m. The free Zoom event is hosted by the Horner Memorial Library of the German Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Advance registration is required by emailing gsplibrarian@gmail.com. Download the e-invitation here for more details.
A recording of the book launch event is below.
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Johannes Bard, penmanship sample, "Alphabet Romain," Adams County, Pennsylvania, ca. 1819-1821. Courtesy of the Winterthur Museum.
Pennsylvania State University Press Virtual Author Panel
Join PSU Press and the authors and volume editors of four recent books in Early American Studies for a virtual panel on Friday, June 19th at 1pm EST! Panelists will discuss their new books and answer your questions.
Our guests are:
Alexander Ames, author of The Word in the Wilderness: Popular Piety and the Manuscript Arts in Early Pennsylvania
Wendy Bellion, author of Iconoclasm in New York: Revolution to Reenactment
Cecile Fromont, editor of Afro-Catholic Festivals in the Americas: Performance, Representation, and the Making of Black Atlantic Tradition
Bethany Wiggin, editor of Babel of the Atlantic
Moderated by Kathryn Yahner, PSU Press Acquisitions Editor
A recording of the panel is available on PSU Press's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PennStateUniversityPress/videos/612536482725084
Image: Matthew Carey, map of Pennsylvania, published in Philadelphia, 1813. Courtesy, The Rosenbach, Philadelphia.