Songs of the Centuries’ Program at Freeport Library
Date and Time
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM CDT
Location
Freeport Public Library - 100 E. Douglas Street in Freeport.
Fees/Admission
The program is free and open to the public
Description
FREEPORT, Ill., March 18, 2019 — The Stephenson County Historical Society will present “Songs of the Centuries by Charissa Taylor Bass” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 at the Freeport Public Library. The presentation is being co-sponsored by Freeport Public Library and the Freeport Public Library Foundation. Historical Society Executive Director Sharon Welton is the speaker. Charissa Bass was the youngest child of Oscar and Malvina Taylor. Their 1857 home houses the Stephenson County Historical Society. It opened as a museum in 1944 and is furnished to reflect the early years of the Taylor family. Daughter Clarissa was an artist whose illustrated book, The Songs of the Centuries, contains more than 70 illuminated poems spanning 12 centuries and was 28 years in the making. The Historical Society received a grant from the Freeport Community Foundation for the preservation and digitization of the large leather-bound book, which is housed at the Historical Museum. Thanks to the grant, visitors may view the original volume in its new custom-made case and see all its pages by scrolling through a digital copy mounted above the book itself. The April 10 program will tell the story behind the pages of The Songs of the Century, as well as reveal the intricate artistry of what is arguably a masterpiece. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments are courtesy of the Freeport Library Foundation. The Freeport Public Library is located at 100 E. Douglas Street in Freeport.