Draft Handout on Athenaeums/Membership Libraries

Athenaeums in America - "Membership Libraries"

ATHENAEUM (Webster's Dictionary): (1) A literary or scientific association [for the promotion of learning]. (2) A place where reading materials are available.

* Benjamin Franklin founded the first independent library: He was only a printer's apprentice in 1731 when he convinced members of his "Leather Apron Club" to pool their resources and buy a collection of books to share. This later became the Library Company of Philadelphia. Athenaeums become a special extension of the membership library idea. Among the earliest athenaeums were two founded in Rhode Island, in Redwood in 1747 and in Providence in 1753.
* In 1807 a group of gentlemen founded the Boston Athenaeum in order to have "a reading room, a library, a museum, and a laboratory [workplace]." The name "Athenaeum" belonged first to a school in ancient Rome created for the arts - Boston's Athenaeum started a trend in America. Boston members included John Quincy Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Daniel Webster.
* Athenaeums as centers for study of the arts, including a reading room and gallery, are an entirely American invention. Clearly they connect with the goddess Athena, the Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom.
* Athenaeums like ours reach beyond being collections, in order to offer lectures, works of art, special exhibitions - a broad base of culture. To start this athenaeum, Horace Fairbanks planned a library of nine thousand volumes.
* Some athenaeums became research institutions. St. Johnsbury's Athenaeum, founded later than most, in 1870, continued over the years to serve as the central library for the town.
* Another role of athenaeums has been to form collections - the Philadelphia Athenaeum was founded in 1814 to collect materials "connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts." A resource for scholars, museum curators, interior designers, and private owners of historic buildings interested in authentic restoration, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 - and this took place for the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum in 1996.
* "Membership libraries" like our Athenaeum also store historic materials. St. Johnsbury's archives are housed on four institutions: The Athenaeum, the Fairbanks Museum, the St. Johnsbury Academy, and the Town Clerk's office. These and the St. Johnsbury Historical Society together created an Archives Collaborative in 1999.
* Today's athenaeums have in common "memberships," boards of trustees, artwork and special collections, and programs. Their mission statements all reflect the goal of providing "a place for quiet study, reflection, and self-improvement."
* The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is one of the few remaining "membership libraries" in the United States, and is one of sixteen featured in Richard Wendorf's book America's Membership Libraries.

[We thank retired St. Johnsbury Athenaeum director Irwin Gelber for his contributions to this material.]

Lew Wallace, Author of BEN HUR

The speaker who followed Henry M. Stanley in St. Johnsbury's lecture series was Lew Wallace, author of the 1880 book BEN HUR. He was a general in the Union Army. I'm posting visuals here of the first edition of the book, and of Wallace himself. (Info from the Caledonian.)

Athenaeum Hall, 2010

A dropped ceiling, installed for energy conservation and "because it was the fashion," hid the painted ceiling of Athenaeum Hall for decades in the 20th century. Here it is today; wish we had a photo of it from 1872!

Fairbanks History Specific to Athenaeum Hall Lectures

The Athenaeum Hall was intended to be auxiliary to the educative use of the library. Series of popular lectures of special  interest were provided : Dr. John Lord gave ten which are now  included in his Beacon Lights of History ; Prof. John Fiske gave a  course on American History; Prof. W. D. Gunning a series on the  Life History of our Planet. Lectures and concerts have been  given under auspices of our home institutions. The Hall was designed to serve the public benefit only, and no entertainment for  personal profit has ever been admitted. (p. 323)

President Harrison Visits St Johnsbury

President Benjamin Harrison arrived on the train, Aug. 26, 1891, accompanied by Sen. Redfield Proctor and party; "was escorted by 800 citizens with banners and musci to Underclyffe, wehre entertainment was given by Col. Franklin Fairbanks. In the evening, which was brilliant with flags and swinging lanterns, the President adddressed 15,000 people from the front balcony of the Athenaeum." (Fairbanks St J history p. 385)

Right after this, there's a portion of Harrison's speech, which I think might do quite nicely as a handout  -- would appreciate your opinions on it:

"I am most happy to witness in this prosperous New England town so many evidences that your community is intelligent, industrious, enterprising,  and your people lovers of home and of order. You have here manufacturing  establishments whose fame and products have spread throughout the world.  You have here public-spirited citizens who have established institutions that  will be ministering to the good of generations to come. You have here an  intelligent and educated class of skilled workmen; nothing pleased me more  as I passed through your streets today than to be told that here and there were the homes of the working people of St. Johnsbury, homes where every  evidence of comfort was apparent, homes where taste has been brought to  make attractive the abodes in which tired men sought rest, homes that must  have been made sweet for the children and comfortable for the wives whose  place of toil and responsibility is there. This is what binds men to good  order, to good citizenship, to the flag of the constitution; and I venture to  say that all our public policy, all our legislation, may wisely keep in view  the end of perpetuating an independent, contented, prosperous and hopeful  working-class in America."   

Any possibility of a picture of the (now gone) balcony??

Text of Speeches

We found some good lecture descriptions in the Caledonian today, including a nice set of notes on a presentation given by Thomas Nast, illustrator.

I've just received a book called The World's Great Speeches that includes speeches by the following members of the Fairbanks St J history p. 320 list: Henry M. Stanley (his Dark Continent speech), Henry Ward Beecher, Booker T. Washington. I also have Russell Conwell's speech "Acres of Diamonds" (he gave others as well). Any thoughts about how much of a given speech we might want typed up? Two or three paragraphs maybe?

Note that Bob has the Fairbanks speech from the opening of the Athenaeum.

How can we think about speeches in a way that fits with what the docents like to do? QUESTION: Should we invite the docent chairperson to our May 28 session, to help us think about this?

Work Meeting, May 14: Hand survey of 4 bound volumes of Caledonian Record

This worked out really well, with each of us taking a volume. Important discovery in terms of logistics: These early years (1872-1874?) always have the local news on p. 3. Also, we figured out that the Lecture Committee planned speakers for the town's YMCA hall (Colonial building at this time) and that there was a Town Hall with an auditorium.

Recapping decisions: (1) We think we'll spread our view over lectures/guests at the vanished YMCA and Town Hall buildings as well, to incorporate the interesting names -- and with the belief that for many of these, there may have been an Athenaeum Hall reception. (2) I'll start gathering images online, and will send them to Bob for future printing. Anyone else who spots a good image (like Shara's geography lecturer's book image), send them to Bob also. (3) We'll incorporate Edward Fairbanks's list of lecturers from p. 320 in the St J history as a baseline list of noted people who spoke here in town.


Next work session in person, Friday May 28, 8:30 a.m., at the Athenaeum.