The free and the brave: American philhellenes the “glorious struggle of the Greeks” (1776–1866)

Item

Title

Date

25 March–12 December 2021

Date Issued

2021

Abstract

"To celebrate the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, a dominant theme among the important collections of the Gennadius Library, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens hosts an exhibition on American Philhellenism. Part of an important American institution that has distinguished itself in the study of Greece since 1881, the Gennadius Library focuses on the history of Greece, sο the bicentenary is a unique opportunity to explore the relations and connections between Greece and the United States during the century of revolutions. The exhibition, which will also be available online, is based on rare archival material from the Gennadius, as well as paintings and relics of museums and private collections in Greece.

The Gennadius Library contains rare publications, pamphlets, memoirs, newspapers, archival material, engravings, travelogues, maps, poems, and textbooks that are well-known resources for the history of the Greek Revolution and philhellenism. The exhibition is also enriched with loans from the Collection of Michael and Dimitra Varkarakis, the Archives of the Hill Memorial School, the Archives of the British School at Athens, the National Historical Museum, the Museum of History of the University of Athens, the Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Arniakos and Robert McCabe.

The exhibition focuses on the action of individuals to highlight the extent of American support for the struggle of the Greeks, but also the criticisms of the philhellenic movement in the evolution of the new Greek state. To illustrate the complex range of interactions between the two countries, the report covers the period from the American Revolution of 1776 to its explanation in Crete in 1866. The report also explores the role played by the slave trade, as experienced by the American philhellenes. in the slave market of the East, in shaping the thought of the emancipation of slaves in the United States by highlighting the replica of a famous sculpture, of the Greek slave of the American sculptor Hiram Powers, in the dialogue between North and South about slavery. "

(Edited text from American School of Classical Studies at Athens: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/events/details/the-free-and-the-brave-exhibition-gr)