Mark Twain at Play
December 1st 2008 - March 31st 2009
10 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday

Please note that the exhibition will be closed for the Library's Winter Holiday Closure period of December 24th through January 4th.

How did Mark Twain spend his time when the "bread-and-butter element" was put aside and he was free to relax and amuse himself? This exhibition provides a broad view of his leisure pursuits, from amateur theatricals to yachting - and explores the permeable border between his "play" and his "work." As the author said in 1905, "What I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn't have done it."

The exhibit is in the Bancroft's new Gallery, located in the Bancroft's Rotunda lobby immediately inside the front entrance. Visitors can check in at the Reception Desk in the Rotunda. The Gallery is the only area of the Bancroft Library that will be accessible to the public before January 5th.

"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

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