Join Us for a Talk & Presentation with Bowne House Archivist Charlotte Jackson:

A Ticket to Freedom: the Bowne House Archives and the Underground Railroad

Eastman Johnson, A Ride for Liberty -The Fugitive Slaves, c. 1862. Brooklyn Museum.

Date & Time: Sunday, September 27th from 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Location: IN-PERSON at Bowne House at 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY 11354

Program Description: To mark National Underground Railroad Month, the Bowne House Archives will showcase the historic documents that tell the story of abolition, manumission, and the Underground Railroad at Bowne House. A highlight of our collection will be on display: a letter carried to Bowne House resident William Bowne Parsons 176 years ago this month by a freedom-seeker on the Underground Railroad. This rare surviving document connects Bowne House and the broader Flushing community to a multiracial network of abolitionists and the aspirations of those who self-emancipated from slavery.

Jackson’s talk will explore the time and place of the letter’s writing, profile the Bowne House residents who acted as conductors, and share our still-evolving map of the anonymous freedom-seeker’s route to safety. A question-and-answer period will follow. Talk and Q&A will run one hour, with an optional self-guided tour of Bowne House to follow. 

PLEASE NOTE: The “Bowne Around Towne” Flushing Walking Tour will be offered at 2 p.m., following the presentation. LEARN MORE HERE. Those who wish to attend both events should purchase tickets separately. There will be between half an hour and one hour for attendees to get lunch in the neighborhood between events, depending on how much time they choose to stay at Bowne House following the talk.

Admission:

• $10 General

• $5 Student (please present valid school I.D. upon entry)

• Free for Members of BHHS