Drawing above by Albert Edward Winchester from the William L. Clements Library collection.
Brought to you by the Grosse Pointe Artist Association:
For the second lecture in the "Celebrating the Nation's 250th Birthday" series, you are invited to a learn about Valentine's Day in early America with Jayne Ptolemy, a curator of manuscripts at the William L. Clements Library on the U of M Ann Arbor campus.
Ptolemy will share the fascinating history of Valentine's Day and some of the heartwarming ways people's love has endured through the centuries from secret notes to lipstick kisses.
Ptolemy received her Ph.D. in African American Studies and History from Yale University before she joined the Clements Library team. Her research interests include women and children’s histories and the quirky stories that highlight the very human side of early American history.
Your Old Mansion Lecture Series:
This year, the Grosse Pointe Artists Association's annual lecture series, "Your Old Mansion," celebrates the nation's 250th birthday. All lectures are at 2 pm on Sundays in the library of the Alger Mansion on The War Memorial campus.
2 pm, Sunday, Jan. 11: "Face Value: Contextual Cataloging of Historic Native American Photographs" with Jakob Dopp will open the lecture series. During the afternoon he will explain the challenges he has encountered working with 19th and early 20th century photographs from the Richard Pohrt, Jr. Collection of Native American Photography.
2 pm, Sunday, Feb. 15: Come celebrate Valentine's Day with Associate Curator of Manuscripts Jayne Ptolemy who will share some heartwarming ways people displayed their love through the centuries.
2 pm, Sunday March 8: Join Sierra Laddusaw, Curator of Maps and Graphics, and Mary Pedley, Assistant Curator of Maps, at the William L. Clements Library, for a walk through the history of mapping Michigan.
2 pm, Sunday, March 29: To cover the costs of the seven-year French and Indian War, the British Parliament levied taxes and enacted harsh laws that enraged the colonists. One thing led to another, or one could say, to the Lexington Green where the British Redcoats met the American Minutemen, igniting the Revolutionary War between the British Empire and its North American colonies. Curator of Manuscripts at the Clements Library Cheney Schopieray, who developed a recent exhibition titled “Bloody Work: Lexington and Concord 1775," will help us relive this pivotal time in American history.
BONUS LECTURE: 2 pm, Sunday, April 12: For the BONUS lecture, artist and Detroit historian Mike Kroll will help us remember early 20th-century Detroit, when art, industry and civic vision converged in transformative ways. Center stage were Dr. Wilhelm Valentiner and Edsel Ford.
This lecture series is the Grosse Pointe Artists Association's only fund raiser. The association thanks the presenters for donating their time and The War Memorial for its support. Proceeds from the series funds free arts programming for veterans, senior citizens and high school art students.
Additional information and registration can be found on the Grosse Pointe Artist’s Association’s website.
This event is presented as part of America 250, a nationwide commemoration marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. In 2026, select programs at The War Memorial invite reflection on our shared history, civic ideals, and the stories shaping the nation during this milestone year.