Ackermann Exhibit
JOHNSON CITY (Sept. 11, 2018) – “The World Through a Woman’s Eyes,” an exhibition exploring the life and work of activist, author and world traveler Jessie Ackermann, is on display at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum through Oct. 12.
In conjunction with the exhibit, a public panel discussion titled “Untold Stories: Jessie Ackermann and Women’s History,” will be held Thursday, Sept. 13, at 5 p.m., with a reception to follow until 7 p.m. Participating in the discussion will be Jenny Brock, vice mayor of Johnson City; Melanie Storie, historian and senior lecturer in the ETSU Department of History; and Amy Steadman, collection manager at the Reece Museum.
In addition, Steadman will present “Mingle with the World: Life and Work of Jessie Ackermann” on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at noon in the museum as part of the “Women on Wednesdays” lecture series sponsored by ETSU’s Women’s Studies Program, and a book club discussion on Ackermann’s book, “The World Through a Woman’s Eyes,” will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 4:30 p.m. at the Johnson City Public Library, 100 W. Millard St. The book is available free at book.google.com.
Ackermann was born in either 1857 or 1869, and either in Frankfort, Illinois, or Boston – she claimed both dates and places throughout her life. Although she spent most of her life in the public eye, with a multi-faceted career that took her around the globe eight times, many people in her home country do not recognize her name today.
Ackermann, who viewed herself as a sociologist, fascinated with the study of the human condition, wrote and spoke about her travel observations and experiences. She introduced many audiences, particularly in the United States, to the world’s other cultures.
She educated audiences about the alcohol and opium trades, abuses against women, universal suffrage, world peace, poverty, working class conditions and other topics. She stressed the need for education for all, especially women, and took academic courses throughout her life, including at East Tennessee State Teachers College (ETSC, now ETSU).
It was during Ackermann’s time in Johnson City that she built a relationship with then-ETSC President Dr. Charles C. Sherrod. This friendship with Sherrod led Ackermann to donate much of her library, correspondence and mementos from her travels to the school.
Reece Museum records indicate that in 1957, the Ackermann collection consisted of 243 artifacts and was the largest donation of its kind made to the school up to that point. When the museum opened in 1965, Ackermann artifacts were some of the first artifacts absorbed by the new institution.
“Ackermann’s passion to understand different cultures – and in many ways, humanity itself – is ever-present in what she kept close to her,” Steadman says. “Women’s handiwork, a teapot, pair of shoes, and the American flag symbolized more than just objects; they held the life of those who used them.”
Ackermann’s writings were published around the world. She wrote several books and many magazine articles. In her 1896 book, “The World Through a Woman’s Eyes,” she writes: “I was a guest in nearly two thousand homes; all kinds of homes, rich and poor, high and low – from palace, government house and castle to the thatched cot of the sturdy farmer, the canvas or tin tent of the miner, and the bark hut of the lumber camp.”
The exhibit and associated events are free and open to the public. Regular hours at the Reece Museum are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
For more information, call the museum at 423-439-4392 or visit www.etsu.edu/reece. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Hill
hill@etsu.edu
423-439-4317