Displays at the Powell Library
Visit the Powell Library during public hours to see displays featuring rare books from the Powell collection and related objects from the Bayou Bend Collection.
A New Nation: The Early United States as Reflected in Books and Objects from the Kitty King Powell Library and the Bayou Bend Collection
May 1–August 29, 2026
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this display features books and objects from the early years of the United States representing various achievements and aspects of the period. The first encyclopedia printed in America by Thomas Dobson celebrated the country’s new identity, its history, and geography. It also presented the latest international technological and scientific discoveries that supported economic development.
Other works demonstrate the importance of maintaining the military strength and strategic alliances that enabled the victory over Britain and that would also be needed to protect the citizens’ hard-won liberty. Surveying instruments and manuals assisted the country’s rapid expansion into new territory. Items related to Benjamin Franklin represent the importance of the Founding Fathers to the society and culture of the new nation.