[In-Person Lecture] The Inquisition's Inquisitor

Henry C. Lea (1825–1909), a Philadelphia-based historian, publisher, political activist, and reformer, was determined to document the history of the Inquisition in Spain. He obsessively acquired books, manuscripts, and copies of thousands of documents housed in musty European archives and libraries. His groundbreaking writings on the subject fostered better understanding of the history of an institution whose aims and methods troubled Lea and remain the subject of heated debate.

Richard L. Kagan, Arthur O. Lovejoy Professor of History, Emeritus, at Johns Hopkins University, will lecture on his new book, The Inquisition’s Inquisitor: Henry Charles Lea of Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania Press), the first biography of Lea since 1931. Professor Kagan will examine Lea’s long and productive career as a literary critic, shrewd businessman, dogged reformer, and philanthropist; his controversial infatuation with his first cousin and future wife, Anna C. Jaudon; his periodic breakdowns that sidetracked his intellectual pursuits; and his religious convictions that compromised his work’s ostensibly objective character. This talk will also explore Lea’s bibliophilic legacy, including an eponymous library at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Kagan’s new book will be available for sale and signing at the event.

Registration

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Accessibility

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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