The American fascination with the Far East began with the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry in 1853. Accompanying Perry on the journey was Bayard Taylor, one of the most widely read journalists of his time, who published his impressions of the trip and lectured about it in nearly 100 U.S. cities and towns. At the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Americans could see first-hand fine and decorative arts from the Far East on display in a Japanese Pavilion. The following year, former president Ulysses S. Grant met with the emperor of Japan and the Chinese prime regent, each in his own palace. This unprecedented trip inspired others to travel to the Orient to observe the nation's customs, nature, religion, education and art.
Admission is free.
The View from China. The following day, there will be presentations on topics ranging from W.B. Yeats, Wallace Stevens and Chinese art, Gertrude Stein, pre-Modernist Orientalism, Ezra Pound and Confucius, and John Gould Fletcher. The conference is free and open to the public. For further information, call 432-2963.