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Author Talk | Black Victorian & Edwardian Jewelry Culture

Learn more about authentic representation and preservation of Black Americana decorative arts.

This lecture will explore the inspiration behind Precious Black Jewels and the historic significance of preserving Black ancestral material culture. Tanzy Ward will discuss the importance of stewardship and thoughtful gatekeeping in order to reshape and update the broader narrative of Black Americana within the decorative arts.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with select antique pieces from Ward's personal archives—many of which are featured in the book—as interactive primary sources that reflect Black ancestral presence and adornment traditions and will learn practical methods for preserving family heirlooms such as photographs, jewelry, and other sentimental objects.

Books will be available for sale and signing.

Registration is requested. 

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Tanzy Ward is an antique dealer, historic preservationist, and author whose work unites decorative arts and history education to preserve ancestral material culture. Her research centers on integrating the ancestral Black diaspora into antique jewelry representation and reimagining the broader story of Black Victorian and Edwardian life.

Presented by Adult Services. 

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