New York Public Library To Celebrate Spelling In Display That Will Leave Visitors ‘Spellbound’

MARCH 2, 2015 – The New York Public Library is preparing to cast a “spell” over New York City.

The Library, which has championed the written word for over a century, is celebrating the art of spelling the English language with the free display Spellbound: A Celebration of Spelling, to open March 6 at its iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. 

It will feature eight unique items spanning 200 years from the Library’s renowned research collections, including:

• A family edition of Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language from 1841, which includes annotations by Webster including the definition for the adverb "wordily;”
• A 1906 menu from the Thirteen Club, which represented the English spelling reform movement, honoring spelling reformer and American President Teddy Roosevelt;
• Dr. Seuss’s Spelling Bees: The Oldest and Newest Rage, published during his time as a commercial illustrator;
• The Freedman's Spelling Book, which was modeled after antebellum primers, contains material specifically for former slaves;
• An 1821 textbook that promises to lead children “gradually from spelling to reading in a very short time;”
• The Spelling Match Song: I Couldn’t Spell That Word Because I Love You!, a vaudeville song sheet from the turn of the 19th Century;
• A set of ivory spelling disks, similar to those used by the son of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley;
• A Is For Apple Pie, a Victorian picture book about the alphabet features amusing and animated depictions of Victorian children at play—all of them in quest of the titular “apple pie.”

The items come from the Library’s collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Library for the Performing Arts and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

“Spellbound illustrates the importance of the written word as a gateway to education and inspiration - a pursuit that The New York Public Library supports through our research collections and our branches. Each year thousands of New Yorkers visit our libraries to enjoy the millions of books available, participate in our after-school programs, or learn how to read and write through our ESOL and literacy classes,” said Ann Thornton, the Library’s Andrew W. Mellon Director.  

The Library has also created NYPL's Surprisingly Tricky Online Spelling Bee for those who want to test their spelling acumen. Available at nypl.org/spellingbeequiz, contestants have ten seconds to select the correct spelling of ten exigent words. (Exigent and acumen are not included.)

The pop-up exhibition is being held in advance of the 51st annual New York Daily News Citywide Spelling Bee, being presented for the first time at The New York Public Library on March 19 and 20. The competition will feature 140 New York City students from 5th to 8th grade competing for a coveted slot in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC.

Spellbound: A Celebration of Spelling will run through March 17 in the McGraw Rotunda on the third floor of the 42nd Street Library.

Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, and Jonathan Altman.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.