Friday, October 24th
The Bancroft Library
3:00pm - 5:00pm

Chancellor Robert and Mary Catherine Birgeneau request the pleasure of your company at the dedication of The Bancroft Library.

Please RSVP to Cardis McKines-Jones (mckinesjones@berkeley.edu) by October 17th. You may phone (510)643-3249 for more information or special accomodation.

Thursday, October 23rd
155 Dwinelle Hall
5:30pm - 8:45pm

The Bancroft Library proudly invites you to attend the premiere of the documentary, America’s Wine: The Legacy of Prohibition. Three years ago Bancroft’s Regional Oral History Office, bringing together ROHO staff, journalists, and filmmakers, embarked on a project to augment the California Wine Industry Oral History Collection with a documentary to mark the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition. Producer Carla De Luca and wine historian Vic Geraci have used ROHO’s scholarly oral histories and Bancroft archival materials, augmented with over 40 original interviews and photographs and film clips from numerous other collections, to provide an historical overview of the legacy of Prohibition and the rebuilding of a new American Wine Culture.

This documentary offers an unprecedented and balanced historical perspective on wine-related issues that continue to shape and influence legal, policy, and entrepreneurial decisions, direct shipping of wine to consumers, scientific research on wine and health, and competitiveness in today’s global economy. Just as significant is the cultural insight it provides into the continuing societal debate over the issue of alcohol in America.

For further information and to RSVP, please contact Vic Geraci: (510)643-4786 or vgeraci@library.berkeley.edu

"Mark Twain smoked between 20 and 40 cigars a day. He loved billiards, cats and technology. And he once invented an adjustable garment strap.

These tidbits, and many more, can be found at a UC Berkeley exhibit about the literary giant that opens Dec. 1. On Friday, however, there will be a sneak preview to coincide with homecoming weekend at Cal.

Titled "Mark Twain at Play," it's the first show in the new gallery of the revamped Bancroft Library, which was closed for seismic refitting in 2005 and will reopen in a few months.

The exhibit focuses on the writer's leisure pursuits - from yachting and sketching to private social clubs and amateur theater - and how they influenced what he produced." - Patricia Yollin, Chronicle Staff Writer

Click here for Full Article

October 2008 - June 2009
The Bancroft Corridor Gallery

A collaborative exhibit prepared by staff of the Museum and the University Archives. The materials for this display come from the University's rich holdings of publications, personal papers, photographs, historical artifacts, and artwork.

Old Photo Negatives Come Back to Life
An Interview with Jack von Euw, Curator of The Bancroft Library Pictorial Collection

"If you would like to take a journey through Bay Area history, you might want to try U.C. Berkeley's Bancroft Library. There is a collection of photographs that can take you through it all.

A newspaper in a box on the street captures a moment in time. Every day on page one, there is at least a picture. However, what is news today becomes old tomorrow, until someone like Jack Von Eau of U.C. Berkeley's Bancroft Library views those pictures from a distance in time.

"I probably looked at several thousand," says Jack." - Wayne Freedman, ABC7

Click here for Full Article and Video