Events & Programs

In special partnership with the Bibliothèque Administrative de la Ville de Paris (BAVP).

This exhibit pays tribute to a humanist who led an amazing life: Alexandre Vattemare (1796-1864), ventriloquist, traveler, and visionary, who played a key role in the birth of modern ideas about public libraries and the exchange of knowledge. After becoming a famous ventriloquist, Vattemare spent the next 25 years as a philanthropist promoting free public libraries and the dissemination of culture. He created the first American Library in Paris, whose 1860 collection included 14,000 volumes sent from the young United States.

Vattemare is credited with inspiring the expansion of the library system in the United States, and his exchange system is regarded as a forerunner of later cultural exchange systems, including UNESCO. Books and other documents exchanged through Vattemare's system can still be found in libraries throughout the world. Those collections include many rare and valuable publications of great interest to modern historians.

Access to the exhibit is free to Library members, as well as users with a Library day or week pass. Visit the membership page for details.