Upcoming Exhibit: The Scopes Trial Centennial

This year, the Law Library and Riesenfeld Center will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which remains one of the most storied courtroom dramas in American history. Dubbed at the time "the trial of the century," the case drew intense national attention and its legacy still has impact today. The trial pitted a Tennessee law that prohibited the public school teaching of Darwinian evolution against the First Amendment. The legal battle involved several of the most famous lawyers and political figures of the day, including Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, prominent heavyweights who provided counsel to the defense and prosecution, respectively. At the center of the trial was the young high school teacher, John T. Scopes, who was willing to be indicted for violating the law in order to test the constitutional issues that it raised.

The eight days of trial, in the sweltering July heat of Dayton, Tennessee, resulted in victory for the prosecution. Although Scopes was convicted of a misdemeanor in Rhea County court (later overturned on a technicality in the state's Supreme Court), the storm created by the trial brought the influence of literalist interpretations of the Bible into sharp focus, while stimulating scientists and others to argue vocally on behalf of evolution. For the attorneys on the prosecution and defense, the trial also provided a spotlight for their extraordinary tactical skills and courtroom oratory. 

Among the lawyers who shaped the trial, Clarence Darrow occupies a special place at the University of Minnesota Law Library and Riesenfeld Center, which holds more than 1,000 letters to and from the legendary defense attorney, as well as case materials, speeches, writings and other material about Darrow's life and career. The Darrow Collection at the Riesenfeld Center, and the Darrow Digital Collection showcasing these holdings, provides a rich trove of letters, books, and printed debates related to the Scopes Trial, together with briefs from Scopes's appeal case, expert witness statements, and many other treasures from the Center's collections.  

 

Beyond documents and publications related to the case, the exhibit will also feature items produced by the national media frenzy that surrounded it. Humorous cartoons flooded newspapers and often mocked the anti-evolutionist cause, though also skewered the reductionism of evolution. In the cartoon by H. T. Webster (1885-1952), from Life Magazine, Bryan is lampooned for his denials of Darwinism. In another cartoon, Webster satirized a “fan” letter castigating his portrayals of evolution. His cartoons portraying the anxieties of modern life were popular in the early to mid-20th century, and he was known for several syndicated comics that appeared across the country. 

Popular music was another beneficiary of the Scopes Trial. The 1920s shellac record, pictured here, features “The John T. Scopes Trial” by Vernon Dalhart (1883-1953) with the refrain, “the old religion’s better after all.” Dalhart was one of country music’s first major recording artists, who recorded on Thomas Edison’s label. His music, featuring vivid storytelling, marked the beginning of country music's commercial rise in the 1920s, drawing on folk and bluegrass traditions. In similar fashion, Billy Rose and Clarence Gaskill’s “You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me” (1925), made light of Darwinism with lines like: “there's no chimpanzee in my pedigree, and you can't make a monkey of me.” The songs took to the airwaves and enjoyed public appeal.

Viewers will be invited to explore the background and context that produced the trial, the important legal issues that it raised, and the arguments, strategies, and responses that played out in the courtroom. In addition, the exhibit will treat some of the interesting cultural and legal legacy of the trial, discovered in everything from theatrical and cinematic adaptations, to cases that continue to raise questions concerning the role of religion in public education.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

 

Finals Study Break: Thursday, December 12!

Come out this Thursday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., for a study break during finals! 

Grab coffee and freshly-baked donuts outside the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center in N30.  The Rare Books Center is on the subplaza, at the end of the hallway past Common Grounds and Student Orgs in N20.

When: Thursday, December 12, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Where: Outside the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center (N30, subplaza level). 

What: Coffee and donuts!

Good luck on finals, and best wishes for the holidays from the Law Library!

Wednesday, October 30: Halloween Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's Halloween rare books open house, next Wednesday, October 30, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see spooky and macabre treasures from the library's rare books and special collections! The haunted tomes will include witchcraft trials, gruesome murders, wicked judges, magic and more. The Riesenfeld Center's collections feature more than 35,000 titles dating from the 15th century to today.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Spooky rare books, bagged snacks and treats, and refreshments!

When: Wednesday, October 30, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the Subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.)

Wednesday, October 2: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's monthly rare books open house for October, next Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see new and unique treasures from the library's rare books and special collections! The Riesenfeld Center's collections feature more than 35,000 titles dating from the 15th century to today.

When: Wednesday, October 2, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Rare books, bagged snacks and treats, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the Subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.)

New Publication: Histories of Legal Literature

A new legal bibliography has just been released, which will be of service to scholars and students across disciplines interested to learn more about and use for research the rich and diverse texts found in the history of the law. The book, Histories of Legal Literature, indexes 998 English-language works of scholarship, published in the past hundred years, on the history of legal literature in a global framework. The bibliography also includes extensive introductory material, a subject index and statistical analyses to guide the reader. These are intended to provide better access to the scholarship and indicate where future scholarship may make new contributions. 

The legal texts that are the subject of the indexed studies have formed the basis of legal systems across numerous jurisdictions, from the ancient world to the present, and have represented repositories of significant historical continuity and change, providing a window not only into substantive law, but the social, economic and political dynamics that the law often illuminates. The authors have also featured in the bibliographic checklist works about the law - including juvenile legal literature and comic books - that offer a point of entry into forms of expression that have cultural significance beyond canonical treatises, reports and statutes. These are certainly worthy of (and often need) further study.  

The project was led by Michael Widener, an internationally recognized expert on legal history and rare law book collecting, who has served as the Rare Book Librarian at Yale Law School and previously at Tarlton Law Library. A very warm congratulations to Mike on the wonderful result of all the good work! The author of this post has been privileged to provide assistance, and both of the book's authors very much hope that the bibliography will open new paths for study by students and scholars.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections 

Wednesday, September 25: Fall Exhibit Open House!

Come out to an open house for our fall exhibit in the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center, next Wednesday, September 25, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.!

"Jewels of the Collection: Treasures of the Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center"

Open House: Wednesday, September 25, 2024
                         12 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
                         Riesenfeld Rare Books Center (N30, Sub-plaza)

                         Cookies, snacks, fruit and refreshments served.

"Jewels of the Collection: Treasures of the Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center," showcases the depth of the Law Library's special collections. The Arthur C. Pulling Rare Books Collection, housed in the Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center, comprises more than 35,000 volumes printed across six continents between the fifteenth century and today. The current exhibit features selected treasures from the Pulling Collection, as well as the Law School archives, and the Library's signature Clarence Darrow Collection, which contains more than 1,000 letters to and from the great American defense attorney.

Section introductions and descriptions in the exhibit place the works in their historical contexts and indicate their enduring value. The items reflect a historical legal legacy that is both national and global in its scope. We invite visitors to browse the exhibit and learn more about the richness of the Law Library’s collections.  

 

Tuesday, September 17: Celebrate Constitution Day!

Come out and celebrate Constitution Day in the Law Library lobby! 

Stop by and grab donuts and coffee on Tuesday, September 17, and pick up a crossword puzzle and word search about the US Constitution for prizes. Collect a pocket copy of the Constitution also!

Don't forget to take a selfie with James Madison!   

When: Tuesday, September 17, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Law Library Lobby
What: Donuts, Coffee, Tea and Prizes!