About this Event
In a rare example of two scholars married to each other releasing major works simultaneously, Grolier member Bob Ruben and his wife Yvonne Korshak will present illustrated talks on issues raised by their recently published books, Pericles and Aspasia: A Novel of Ancient Greece (Yvonne) and Ontogenies of Otology: Anatomy (Bob). Yvonne's talk, "Aspasia: Feminist Heroine or Kept Woman?," will look at contradictory traditions swirling around Aspasia, a courtesan who lived in ancient Athens during the city’s golden age, and who was the beloved mistress of Pericles, leader of the Athenian democracy. She has been portrayed as influential on Pericles, conversing with great philosophers, artists, and other leading men of Athens--according to Plato, she instructed none other than Socrates in the art of public speaking. And she has been reviled as a wicked temptress—Helen of Troy reborn—and the cause of Athens’ Wars. Bob's talk, "Primary Sources and the Development of Medical Knowledge," will examine scientific reports on the structure of the ear from antiquity through the 20th century, which were predominantly in Latin and German. Since they have never been translated into English, they have gone largely unread and ignored by 21st-century scholars and students. Ontogenies of Otology: Anatomy provides analyses, English translations, and the illustrations of all the critical primary sources necessary for understanding the development of anatomical basis of otology.
Yvonne Korshak, Professor Emerita of Art History at Adelphi University, received her BA with honors from Harvard, and her MA in Classical Archaeology and PhD in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. She has written and spoken widely on Greek art and on European painting. Bob Ruben, a graduate of Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is Chair Emeritus of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Distinguished University Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He founded and was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology for 40 years.He founded and was president of major organizations such as the Society for Ear, Nose and Throat Advances in Children and the Association for Research in Otolaryngology and is now chairperson of New York Academy of Medicine Section on the History of Medicine and Public Health.. He has been a member of the Grolier Club for 33 years, served on the Council, chaired the Committee on Public Exhibitions, and has presented two Grolier exhibitions and took part in a third. His collections include artists’ books and books on otolaryngology.
Registration
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Support
We appreciate your interest in the Grolier Club’s programming on the art and history of the book. For over 130 years we have offered our exhibitions and lectures to the public, free of charge. If you have enjoyed these offerings, and would like to support that tradition, and help ensure that it continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Grolier Club.
Accessibility
An ADA-compliant lift from street level to the lobby is available to anyone with mobility issues. All desk staff should be ready and able to assist you in operating the lift, with or without advance notice.
A “T-Coil” assisted listening system is available to anyone attending a lecture in the Exhibition Hall. Visitors with hearing aids should turn their devices to the “T” setting in order to access the system; visitors without hearing aids may request a “loop receiver” with earphones.
Environment
The temperature and humidity in the exhibition hall are tightly controlled for the sake of the valuable items on display, and this may cause the room to feel chilly, particularly in warmer weather, to those coming in from outside. Members and visitors are advised to bring a light wrap when visiting an exhibition, or attending an event in the hall.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00