The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus.
Thursday, May 23 (7:30 p.m.)
Whitman in Culpeper – followed by Shenandoah (Universal, 1965)
For two months in early 1864, poet, essayist, and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) resided in Culpeper, Virginia, while serving as a volunteer nurse in the Army of the Potomac’s nearby field hospitals. Despite the ravages the war had visited upon the area, Whitman described Culpeper as “one of the pleasantest towns in Virginia.” As part of the Library of Congress’s series of events commemorating the Whitman bicentenary, local historian Bud Hall will present a talk about Whitman’s time in the area, followed by a screening of Shenandoah. Set during the Civil War, James Stewart stars as a prosperous Virginia farmer who has raised six sons and a daughter on his sprawling, self-contained farm since his wife died in childbirth. Though morally opposed to slavery, he struggles to maintain a neutral stance until the conflict affects his family. Directed by Andrew McLaglen, the film also stars Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett and Patrick Wayne. 35mm archival film print, 105 min.
For more information on our programs, please visit the website at: //www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/