A gallery talk and book presentation will accompany the exhibit at George Latimer Central Library, presented in conjunction with the 14th International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference in Saint Paul. Read our interview with Fitzgerald in Saint Paul president, Stu Wilson.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, May 25, 2017 – The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, together with Fitzgerald in Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Public Library, are pleased to present the new exhibit Sight Unseen: Rare Photographs of F. Scott Fitzgerald with His Family and Friends. Free and open to the public, the exhibit will be on display in the Bremer Room on the 1st floor of the George Latimer Central Library, 90 West Fourth Street, Saint Paul.
Stu Wilson, president of Fitzgerald in Saint Paul, and scholar Dave Page will present a gallery talk about the exhibit and the new book F. Scott Fitzgerald in Minnesota, authored by Page with photographs by Jeff Krueger.
Sight Unseen exhibit hours:
June 24 through July 17
Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Mondays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Gallery talk and book presentation:
Sunday, July 16, 2:00 p.m.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is considered one of America’s greatest writers, and is known worldwide for his masterwork, The Great Gatsby. The new book F. Scott Fitzgerald in Minnesota, published by Fitzgerald in Saint Paul, is a collaboration providing historical insights, stunning photographs and images, and the opportunity to re-examine and appreciate the many Minnesota connections found in Fitzgerald’s life and works.
Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul in 1896, and the new exhibit provides glimpses into his life with his family and friends, including a number of early photos from his days in Minnesota. The exhibit was curated by Shawn Sudia-Skehan, who collected the photos while researching a forthcoming book. While some of the photographs presented in Sight Unseen may be readily recognizable, many are relatively rare and previously unpublished. Many were selected specifically for their relevance to Fitzgerald’s years in Saint Paul.
A resident of Atlanta, curator Sudia-Skehan is a board member of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Now retired after a distinguished career in non-profit public relations, she re-discovered Fitzgerald after re-reading The Great Gatsby for the first time as an adult.
The photographs in the exhibit include reproductions from:
- The Matthew J. and Arlyn Bruccoli Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina;
- Sara and Gerald Murphy Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library;
- The Reginald Marsh Collection, Smithsonian Archives of American Art;
- The Baltimore News American Collection at the University of Maryland; and
- The Minnesota Historical Society.
Sight Unseen is presented by Fitzgerald in Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Public Library, and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library in conjunction with the 14th International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference in Saint Paul. For more information on the conference, visit www.fitzgerald2017.org.
About The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library exists to help libraries, and the communities they serve, thrive. An independent, nonprofit organization established in 1945, The Friends invests in the Library through fundraising, advocacy, and programming; as a result, the Saint Paul Public Library is a nationally-recognized leader in serving its community. The Friends also serves libraries across the country and internationally through its consulting services, Library Strategies and promotes literacy, reading, and libraries statewide as the Minnesota Center of the Book. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit thefriends.org.