Noted art historian Andrew Oliver will present a lecture based on his recently published book American Travelers on the Nile: Early U.S. Visitors to Egypt, 1774-1839 at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Sunday, August 16 at 5:30 pm. A reception and book signing will follow.
Andrew Oliver’s talk draws on unpublished letters, diaries and long-neglected newspaper accounts of the early American experience in Egypt and the Mediterranean world. His research enhances our understanding of travel in the Middle East for Americans during this period.
Andrew Oliver, living in Washington, D.C., has been a museum administrator and was also director of Museum Programs at the National Endowment for the Arts from 1982 to 1994. Earlier in his career, he was a curator in the Greek and Roman Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is a former summer resident of Mattapoisett.
The program is part of The Purrington Lecture Series presented by the Mattapoisett Library Trust, a nonprofit organization that supports the Mattapoisett Free Public Library throughout the year by providing programs and other funds for needed equipment and furnishings.
The public is invited to attend. Please make a reservation by calling the library at 508-758-4171 or by emailing mfpl@sailsinc.org.