As Queen Elizabeth II and her subjects observe the 50th anniversary of her reign with public festivities, Yale is celebrating the milestone with an exhibition of documents and memorabilia from Jubilee celebrations past and present.
A toy bus, special-issue stamps and chinaware emblazoned with the royal coat of arms are among the many commemorative items at Sterling Library marking the Jubilees of British monarchs from George III's 50th in 1809 to Elizabeth II's in 2002. Also on display are souvenir programs, verses written for the occasion by the reigning poets laureate and the manuscript of the Moss Hart/Cole Porter play "Jubilee."
Frank Prochaska, who teaches a course on the monarchy and modern British society, put the exhibition together from disparate sources with the help of students and library staff. Manuscripts and illustrated books from Yale's libraries account for most of the items on display. Prochaska notes that people who passed by as the exhibition was being put together unearthed souvenirs and mementos of their own, which they loaned to the show.
"Everything that has a Jubilee association can be marketed," Prochaska says, standing beside a case containing such Jubilee 2002 items as a Union Jack-clad Teddy bear, Queen Elizabeth II playing cards and dishtowels with a portrait of the queen and flags of the Commonwealth.
Although it can look like a commercial venture, says Prochaska, a Jubilee is a peculiarly British expression of public spirit and national unity, a way for people throughout the Commonwealth to express their support for the reigning monarch and an occasion for the monarch to reach out to her subjects.
From the Jubilees of George III and Queen Victoria (her Golden in 1887 and her Diamond 10 years later) to the present Queen's celebration, which began on Feb. 6, the bestowal of royal patronage on favorite charities and public projects has been a hallmark of the event, he notes. Traditionally, during Jubilee celebrations the monarch pardons prisoners, relieves debtors and provides public festivities.
"Britain is a republic with an hereditary royal president," says Prochaska. "Republics need festivities and spectacles to amuse and distract the public. An hereditary monarchy provides the opportunities for celebration through weddings, coronations and jubilees. Street parties, royal visits and grand staged events help to foster a sense of civic pride, social responsibility and national unity in a nation undergoing continuous social change."
While the exhibition plays up the popularity of the Royal family, it also pays heed to a vocal anti-monarchist minority. Standing out among the artifacts extolling the virtues of the reigning monarch is a record with scathing anti-royalist lyrics by the Sex Pistols, ironically titled "God Save the Queen." Prochaska says he had to comb many record stores to find it.
The exhibition will run through the end of July at Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High St. The library's summer hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Thursday; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday.
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