Join Special Collections Research Center staff at a reception to celebrate the installation of the exhibit "Orson Welles as Family Man: Son, Husband, Father." Exhibit curator Phil Hallman will chat about this extraordinary display in the company of warm coffee and refreshments. The informal discussion will be followed by a tour of the exhibit.

The exhibit provides a unique glimpse into the actor/director Orson Welles’ private life. Unlike previous U-M Library exhibits that focused on the artist at work, this display shows him in informal and familial environments, revealing a depth and complexity of character that are often overshadowed by his fame and professional achievements. The photographs and documents displayed showcase a variety of emotional tones — warmth, humor, tenderness, and passion. Candid and relaxed more than posed, these photographs are similar to most people's pictures in old family albums.

Culled from the Orson Welles-Beatrice Welles materials that are part of the Mavericks & Makers collection within the U-M Library’s Special Collections Research Center, each photo or letter tells a story of a connection Welles held dearly. The materials included are from two periods: the late 1920s and early 1930s, when Welles was a teenager, and the mid-1950s to early 1960s, during the early years of his marriage to his third wife, Paola Mori.