The Indicator

This column takes its name from the popular printer's mark shown above. Leigh Hunt used the indicator mark, also called a fist, hand director, or index to sign his column in the Examiner and later chose the Indicator as the title for his new journal that ran from October 1819 through March 1821. In an epigraph, Hunt explained that the African indicator bird, when looking for honey, would issue "a cheerful cry" to indicate sweets to its followers. The editors hope that this column will serve a similar purpose. The Indicator will be used to direct special attention to various topics, including forthcoming programs and speakers, exhibitions, and news of selected acquisitions.

The University of Iowa Libraries Exhibitions Program for 1991-1992

WOMEN OF COURAGE

Women of Courage is an exhibition of photographs based on the Black Women Oral History Project. Photographer Judith Sedwick traveled throughout the United States during the early 1980s to assemble a portfolio of portraits of African-American women who had been interviewed by Project staff during the previous decade. Ms. Sedwick spent hours with each subject, attempting to capture "the character and personality of each participant" as related to individual accomplishments.

The Black Women Oral History Project was an undertaking of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Radcliffe College. The participants, who were all in their 70s, 80s, or 90s, were selected for extensive interviewing by Project staff because of their contributions in service, communities, or professions.

Women of Courage has been on exhibition at the University of Iowa Libraries during October 1991. Selected portraits from Sedwick's portfolio are accompanied by appropriate materials from the University Libraries' collections, including The Black Women Oral History Project, a ten volume collection of oral history transcripts from the Schlesinger Library which were published this year by Meckler Publishing Company. The exhibition was prepared by Marianne Ryan and William Welburn.

MOZART BICENTENNIAL

From November 1991 through January 1992, the University Libraries will present an exhibition commemorating the bicentennial of the death of Mozart (December 5, 1791). This exhibition will feature a variety of materials from the University's research collections and will draw especially on the resources of the Rita Benton Music Library. In addition to the music itself, the exhibition will explore specific aspects of Mozart's life, career, and musical legacy: Mozart as child prodigy; Mozart's adult life (including his participation in Freemasonry); the controversy concerning Mozart's death (recently popularized by the movie Amadeus); literary influences and studies (Pushkin, Wallace's Jane Austen and Mozart, Krysl's Mozart, Westmoreland, and Me, Spaethling's Music and Mozart in the Life of Goethe); current compositions influenced by Mozart's life and work (Francaix' Mozart New-Look, Colgrass' Letter from Mozart); satirical treatment of Mozart (P.D.Q. Bach's The Abduction of Figaro); and current research on Mozart, with special attention to work being done at The University of Iowa, including theses and dissertations. This exhibition was prepared by Sandra Ballasch, Grace Fitzgerald, and David Hudson.