Pards visit the National Archives of France and spark transatlantic scholarship.
Amy Downey
A group of alumni made the trip to Paris in May, posing here on the staircase leading to the exhibition. These steps with the Frenchman’s face have become a “selfie hotspot” for visitors.
Photographs by Jaquan Alston; Photographs by Winding Way Travel; Cedric Bufkens Sipa
From April through Bastille Day, Lafayette Between France and America: History and Legend educated museum-goers from around the world about the life, legacy, and impact of the Marquis. The free Parisian exhibition, of which the College was a major lender with more than 50 artifacts and items, proved to be a popular attraction for the museum.
Vitrines and cases were designed to specifically show the College’s objects in new ways, like the dual-glass-paneled Hermione.
Forty second-year engineering students studying abroad in Spain and Germany received an exclusive tour.
Ana Ramirez Luhrs and Elaine Stomber ’89, P’17,’21, co-directors of Special Collections and College Archives, viewed the curation during a private morning walk-through in April.
The floor plan consists of five rooms, in distinct colors, representing chapters of Lafayette’s life. Here, President Nicole Hurd explores his time in America.
In April, Robert E. Sell ’84, H’18 observed the Bicentennial in France, visiting the National Archives with other Board of Trustees members.
One of the curators, Olga Ana Duhl (left) spoke on behalf of the College during a reception ahead of the opening. Later that night, she caught up with Virginie de Pusy Lafayette, a descendent of the Marquis (right).
Panels about the history of Lafayette College were displayed prominently outside the exhibition entrance.
Amy Downey
Amy Downey is the editor-in-chief of Lafayette magazine. She has 20 years of experience in the magazine industry, including being on the editorial staffs at city regional publications such as Boston and Philadelphia. More recently, she was a senior editor for Penn Stater, the alumni magazine of Penn State University, from where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in creative writing and publishing. She and her family moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2017.
