Contact: Dan Adkins

The symposium and exhibition is sponsored by the UK Office of the Provost, UK Libraries, the UK Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2004) -- A two-day symposium on 1890s British Literature, featuring publications and letters of the period drawn from the collection of native Lexingtonian James G. Nelson, will be held Thursday and Friday, Nov. 4 and 5, in the Niles Gallery of the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center at the University of Kentucky.

“An 1980s Symposium and Exhibition Honoring James G. Nelson” features a display of Nelson’s collection at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the Niles Gallery at the Little Fine Arts Library.

The symposium gets under way at 1:30 p.m. in the Niles Gallery at the library featuring discussions of the works of illustrator Aubrey Beardsley’s and author Oscar Wilde’s use of 1890s technology.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, the event continues with the formal opening of the exhibition, which will include remarks by Nelson, a UK alumnus, retired professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and president of the British-based 1890s Society. Steven Halliwell, secretary of the 1890s Society, is traveling from the United Kingdom to deliver special remarks.

The symposium’s second session opens at 11 a.m. Friday with discussions of Wilde and will continue that afternoon.

The symposium and exhibition is sponsored by the UK Office of the Provost, UK Libraries, the UK Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research.