FEBRUARY 28–JULY 29, 2012

The King James Bible: Its History and Influence

Four hundred years after its first printing, the King James translation of the Bible remains a vital work whose language permeates contemporary literature, music, and everyday speech. This exhibition tells the little-known story of one of the most widely read and printed books in the history of the English language. Materials from the Ransom Center and Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. provide a compelling look at the history of this translation, its English-language predecessors, and the social and historical context in which it was produced.

Items from the Ransom Center's literature, film, photography, and art collections demonstrate the King James Bible's far-reaching influence on the arts and humanities, from John Milton to Harriet Beecher Stowe to Martin Luther King, Jr. to Norman Mailer. The King James translation's distinctive and eloquent language has become an integral part of our culture and literature, permeating the Civil War-era writings and speeches of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, providing the title for Walker Evans and James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and even inspiring the tattoos for Robert De Niro's character in the film Cape Fear.

The exhibition features the most comprehensive display of Bibles and related materials in the Center's history. Highlights include examples of modern biblically inspired design and printing, including prints by Marc Chagall, silk screens by Jacob Lawrence, and sculpture by Eric Gill.

Admission is free; your donation supports the Ransom Center's exhibitions and public programs.

Located at 21st and Guadalupe Streets, the Ransom Center is free and open to the public.
www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/

Free docent-led tours of the exhibitions occur on Tuesdays at noon, Saturdays at 2 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The Ransom Center welcomes groups and school field trips. To schedule your visit, please visit the website or call 512-475-8086.

Paid parking is available in the Dobie Center parking garage on the corner of 21st and Whitis and in various nearby surface lots. Information about University-operated parking garages and shuttle service routes is available online. Limited street parking is available in the neighborhood west of Guadalupe Street. Capital Metro offers several bus routes that stop near the Ransom Center, including 1M and 1L.

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go to Harry Ransom Center home page

Northeast corner of 21st and Guadalupe Streets
on The University of Texas at Austin campus
300 W. 21st St.
(512) 471-8944
Tue, Wed, Fri 10-5
Thur 10-7
Sat-Sun 12-5