Patterson to Speak at Event Honoring Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson

NYC Historic Landmarks Preservation Center to Present Cultural Medallion

Lebanon, IL (03/23/2018) — Dr. Martha Patterson, professor of English at McKendree University, has been invited by the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center (HLPC) in New York City to speak at the presentation of a Cultural Medallion in honor of the life and work of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson. Patterson's 2005 book, Beyond the Gibson Girl: Reimagining the American New Woman, 1895-1915, examines the tremendous cultural significance of Gibson's illustrations charting women's changing roles at the turn of the 20th century. The dedication will take place at Gibson's former residence, 111 East 35 Street in Manhattan on Wednesday, April 25, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The HLPC installs Cultural Medallions on buildings to commemorate and celebrate New Yorkers involved in the arts, sciences, the law, business, education, sports and politics. The center and the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association are partnering with neighborhoods and historic districts to enhance the commemoration of notable New Yorkers from diverse communities.

Patterson has taught at McKendree since 2004. Her teaching and research interests include American late 19th and early 20th century studies, women's studies, African American literatuire and culture, and composition.

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New York artist Charles Dana Gibson created iconic pen-and-ink illustrations of feminine, independent American women in the early 20th century, known as "Gibson Girls."