November First Friday Lecture Showcases the Frederick Douglass Collection in the Lavery Library

Learn about the robust Frederick Douglass Collection housed in the Special Collections held at Lavery Library at St. John Fisher University during the November First Friday Lecture, presented by Julia Novakovic, head of special collections and archivist.

Douglass, an abolitionist, spent 25 years of his life in Rochester, New York. This was his base as he published The North Star, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, and Douglass’ Monthly. He also published the newspaper The New National Era during his time in Washington, D.C.

Lavery Library has original copies of 147 of these influential newspapers. The most important piece of this collection is the February 22, 1850 issue of The North Star where Douglass incorporated an intricate drawing of a slave running to the North Star in the masthead. Research has revealed that Lavery Library possesses one of the few known print copies of this special edition in the world.

The lecture begins at 10:30 a.m. following a light reception at 10 a.m. in the James ’71 and Kathleen Leo Community Room in the Joseph S. Skalny Welcome Center. Attendees are invited to Mass at 12:30 p.m. in the Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great after the lecture.

Register for the November First Friday Lecture online and save the date for the final lecture of the semester on Friday, December 11.

For questions about the First Friday Lecture Series, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (585) 385-5292 or email alumni@sjf.edu. Parking is available in Lot A.