Penn Libraries Lorraine Beitler Research Fellowship

Housed in the Kislak Center, the Lorraine Beitler Collection of the Dreyfus Affair includes posters, broadsides, newspapers, magazines, letters, prints, caricatures, books, and postcards documenting the history of the Dreyfus Affair and its global impact on the art, society, and politics of France and the modern world. All of the major events of the Affair, from the wrongful conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus for treason in 1894 to Emile Zola’s galvanizing statement headlined “J’Accuse…!” in 1898, to Dreyfus’ long-awaited exoneration in 1906 are represented by original items in the collection. The Collection was assembled by Dr. Lorraine Beitler as a resource for students, scholars, and members of the community interested in the research and study of the Dreyfus Affair and its importance to stimulate discussion of issues of prejudice, justice, politics and personal courage. Dr. Beitler’s intent was that the Collection would be used broadly to examine and promote understanding and social justice.

The Lorraine Beitler Fellowship will be for a one-month duration and carries a stipend of $3500. The expectation is that the Fellow will be onsite at the Kislak Center for all or most of that time. Recipients will be expected to curate a small exhibit from materials in the collection and give a presentation on their research findings or larger project during the following academic year. Applications are welcome from faculty, graduate students, independent scholars, teachers, lawyers, and journalists who are engaged in projects that bear on the historical lessons and enduring significance of the Dreyfus Affair. In keeping with the breadth of the Collection, we welcome proposals focusing on history, sociology, literature, Jewish studies, communications, political science, rhetoric, art history, law, or human rights.

Fellows will also have access to the wide-ranging collections of the Kislak Center, including the collections of the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.