As announced in February 2023, the exhibit space in Hatcher once named the “Audubon Room” was renamed the Hatcher Gallery Exhibit Room. This change was driven by the library community to address long-overlooked facts about Audubon, an enslaver who spoke out against the abolitionist movement. New exhibit labels provide a deeper context and more information about Audubon’s work, which brings to light the uncredited labor of Indigenous people, enslaved Black people, and women.
Moderated by Marieka Kaye and Caitlin Pollock of the U-M Library, Gregory Nobles will discuss the legacy of John James Audubon (1785-1851) as both a brilliant artist/naturalist and unrepentant slaveholder, inviting us to explore the connection between the personal background of this flawed figure and the continuing impact of his remarkable art.
Gregory Nobes, author of John James Audubon: The Nature of the American Woodsman
Gregory Nobles is a historian who specializes in the period from the American Revolution to the Civil War. His latest books are John James Audubon: The Nature of the American Woodsman (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017) and The Education of Betsey Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2022).
You can view all images from Audubon’s Viviparous Quadrupeds (purchased jointly by the Special Collections Research Center and the William L. Clements Library in 2014) and a small selection from The Birds of America here: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/s/sclaudubon
The event takes place virtually on October 20, 2023 from 10-11am. Registration and live-streaming info can be found here: https://events.umich.edu/event/113130