FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Erika Hartings
(312) 255-3553
hartingse@newberry.org
www.newberry.org

NEWBERRY LIBRARY TO HOST LARGEST EXHIBITION ON ENGLAND'S VIRGIN QUEEN

CHICAGO—Why is Queen Elizabeth I the subject of over 20 films and television mini-series, hundreds of volumes of fact and fiction, and innumerable scholarly debates? Why, 400 years after her death, does Elizabeth I continue to fascinate and inspire?

Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend, on display at Chicago's Newberry Library from September 30, 2003 - January 17, 2004, is the largest and most comprehensive North American event commemorating the reign of Queen Elizabeth I on the 400th anniversary of her death. Examining both public declarations and intimate exchanges, the exhibit reveals the shrewd and subtle machinations with which Elizabeth secured her life and throne and explores the legendary representations of this complex ruler, many of which she promoted. Elizabeth came of age in a politically treacherous environment, yet she mastered the art of statecraft to lead an economically crippled and religiously divided England into a Golden Age of culture, trade and exploration.

Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend features over 100 rare books, manuscripts, maps, letters, paintings, and artifacts, primarily drawn from the Newberry Library's renowned Renaissance collections. Significant items are also on loan from the British Library, the libraries at the University of Kansas and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Art Institute of Chicago, and distinguished private collections.

Exhibit highlights from the Newberry Library include an imprint of Elizabeth's Great Seal, her personal copy of the Rule of Reason Containing the Art of Logic, and Shakespeare's First Folio. On loan from the British Library are "The Funeral Procession of Elizabeth" (1603), a 40-foot drawing of Elizabeth's funeral procession, letters and speeches in Elizabeth's own hand, and a 1587 drawing of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. The exhibit will also include numerous portraits, dating from early in her reign to her last days on the throne.

Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend, organized by the Newberry Library's Center for Renaissance Studies, has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, promoting excellence in the humanities. A complementary photo-panel exhibit, produced by the American Library Association, will travel to 40 cities across the country, while a separate Web-based exhibit will bring Elizabeth's intriguing legacy to a worldwide audience. An illustrated 100-page catalogue will also be available.

The Newberry Library is an independent library open to the public for research and reference in the humanities. The Library offers a vast array of lectures, seminars, and concerts, in addition to exhibits related to its collections.

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