In December 1951, the long-standing dream of Dr. A.J. Armstrong became a reality after decades of fundraising and meticulous planning with the formal opening of the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum. To honor our 75th anniversary, we are planning a two-day symposium and a community celebration to honor researchers who use our collections, thank our ardent supporters, and welcome a whole new generation of people who appreciate the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum.
Looking Back & Looking Forward Together
When the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum was formally dedicated 75 years ago, the occasion was marked by a three-day celebration that featured tours of the new building, a poetry symposium, a Vespers service, and a performance by actress Katharine Cornell, who portrayed Elizabeth Barrett Browning on Broadway in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," and her counterpart, actor Brian Aherne. Honors poured in from former students, poets from around the world, and dignitaries like U.S. President Harry Truman and King George V of England. T.S. Eliot marked the occasion by laying a wreath on Robert Browning's grave in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey, and celebrations were held at the American Library in Florence, Italy, Elizabeth's final resting place in their beloved country.
This year honors the original dedication with plans for building tours, an academic symposium featuring Browning scholars from around the world, and an evening of celebration that both remembers the past and looks forward to the bright future of Armstrong Browning Library & Museum.