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May 1 - August 11, 2002
(Debuted in Dublin, Ireland in 2000)

In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, the Rosenbach Museum & Library announces the opening of Ulysses in Hand: The Rosenbach Manuscript. The show will be the first major exhibition to take place in the museum's newest galleries at 2008 DeLancey Place. The Rosenbach Manuscript is a complete handwritten draft of James Joyce's Ulysses. Pages of the draft containing some of the story's most memorable passages will be on display, highlighting the masterful writing that prompted the Modern Library to vote Ulysses the best English-language novel of the 20th century. Differing from the published version of the novel, the Ulysses manuscript is considered highly significant and controversial in its own right. The show also features documents Joyce used to write Ulysses, as well as personal items and photographs never before seen by the general public.

Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, Ulysses is a homecoming epic that celebrates the heroism of everyday life. Ulysses in Hand tells the fascinating "story behind the story" of Ulysses, from the novel's creation over the course of seven years to the extensive journey it took before finally coming to reside in Philadelphia. The exhibition will be accompanied by a variety of related programs. For example, Big Mess Theater impresario Greg Giovanni will host "Bloom's Fork" Cabaret, a music hall featuring songs from Ulysses. The Rosenbach will also present performances of "The Potable Joyce", a theater piece emphasizing the hero story at the core of Ulysses and designed for an audience of all ages.

Dublin, Ireland - 2000 Exhibition Opening
The Rosenbach announces the opening of Ulysses in Hand: The Rosenbach Manuscript, the first-ever traveling exhibition of the manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses to Ireland. The Chester Beatty Library and the Rosenbach Museum & Library celebrate a 75-year-old connection: Beatty was a friend and customer of Dr. Rosenbach. Both notable private collectors, Beatty and Rosenbach shared the foresight to create public institutions to preserve and develop their world-renowned collections. The Rosenbach Museum & Library is delighted to celebrate this long standing association by presenting the Ulysses manuscript at the new Chester Beatty Library facilities at Dublin Castle. Upon returning to the United States, Ulysses in Hand will be on view in the Rosenbach's own expanded and renovated facilities.