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Welcome to the New newberry.org!

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A family tree appears literally as a tree. Each leaf of the tree bears the name of a family member.

Genealogy Research at the Newberry

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: John Hancock’s iconic signature appears below the text of the Declaration of Independence.

Engraving the Declaration of Independence

On Our Blog
A group of teachers sit at a table talking with one another.

Take an Adult Education Class

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Ready to explore the past? There's no time like the present.

Upcoming Events

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Event—Public Programming

The Evolution and Influence of Chicago-Style Graffiti

PENGO, EAST, and Dulce María Díaz

Oct 12, 2022

6:00pm-7:00pm

Hybrid - Ruggles Hall and Zoom

Event—Public Programming

Back With You Again: Celebrating 75 Years of Kukla, Fran, and Ollie

Oct 15, 2022

3:00pm-4:30pm

Off-site - Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.)

Event—Public Programming

The Year the Stars Fell: Toward a Continental History of a Very Few Hours

D’Arcy McNickle Distinguished Lecture with Philip Deloria

Oct 20, 2022

6:00pm-7:30pm

Hybrid - Ruggles Hall and Zoom

Event—Public Programming

History Wars: A Conversation about the Politics of Representing America’s Past

Daina Ramey Berry and Leslie M. Harris

Oct 25, 2022

6:00pm-7:00pm

Hybrid - Ruggles Hall and Zoom

Event—Center for Renaissance Studies

19th Newberry Cervantes Symposium

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Apr 28, 2022

Open to All

The Newberry's collections, programs, and exhibitions have been free and open to all since 1887. Curious people from all over visit to research topics of interest, discover their family history, take classes, or learn something new and unexpected.

About the Newberry

Event—Exhibition

A Show of Hands: Handwriting in the Age of Print

Sep 09-Dec 30, 2022

Handwriting didn't disappear with the invention of the printing press. Or the typewriter. Or the Internet. It evolved.

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Our Collection Is Your Collection

Whether it's a letter from Michelangelo or a doodle drawn in a 19th-century textbook by a procrastinating student, primary sources bring the past to life. You’re free to explore these historic materials online or in person at the Newberry.

Explore

Adult Education Classes

All Classes

Event—Adult Education

Chaplin

Led by Steven J. Venturino

Weekly on Tuesdays, -

2:00pm-4:00pm

Online

Event—Adult Education

Tracing the Powerful Mythology of Women and Their Jewelry

Led by Wendy Doniger

Nov 12, 2022

2:00pm-3:30pm

Online

Event—Adult Education

Jane Austen and the Rise of the English Novel

Led by Elzbieta Foeller-Pituch

Weekly on Tuesdays, -

6:00pm-7:30pm

Online

Event—Adult Education

"American Scripture": The Making and Meaning of the Declaration of Independence

Led by Bryan LeBeau

Weekly on Wednesdays, -

6:00pm-7:30pm

Online

Research Your Family History

The Newberry is a leading center of genealogy research. Wherever you are in the process of researching your family history, we can help.

Learn How

Exhibitions

Exhibitions bridge the past and present using historic items from the Newberry collection.

Now on View

Visit

More than 600 years of human history are waiting to be discovered in the Newberry's reading rooms, exhibition galleries, classrooms, and event spaces.

Plan Your Visit