A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs
Using images from Broadway musicals, classic films, and personal collections, “A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965” tells the story of Jewish artists who created songs of wit, sophistication, and optimism through America’s ups and downs during the 20th century.
The sky was the limit for talented young people with big imaginations—young people such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, and George Gershwin. Their witty and romantic songs—“Body and Soul,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Thou Swell,” “That Old Black Magic,” “It Had to Be You“—became beloved classics that remain enduring elements of American popular culture.
This tribute to the many Jewish composers of the American songbook will be on display at the Main Library from January 13–February 23. The Library is also sponsoring a a number of free programs for the public in connection with the exhibit. See the program calendar for details.
“A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965” was developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture, and ideas, and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The national tour of the exhibit has been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, and an anonymous donor, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.
Beautiful Costume Books From The Library’s Collection
At the Main Library, discover beautiful colored plates selected from our collection of 19th and 20th century costume books. From 17th century French theater costumes and traditional Mexican clothing, to photos of historical Russian costumes worn by the imperial family in St. Petersburg a few years only before the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, these images are not only works of art but they also represent a limitless source of information for the history of gender, body, ideology, and material culture. You’ll find this exhibit in the 2nd and 3rd floor display cases, next to the south building elevators. It will be on view until mid-November.
“1937 Flood: River Still Rising” Exhibit
This moving exhibit, on view in the Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Cincinnati Room from January 14-April 26, uses historical records, newspapers, letters, diaries, maps and photograph to vividly document the local impact of one of the twentieth century’s great disasters .
For additional information about any of the exhibits listed please call our Programs & Exhibits Coordinator at 513-369-6944.