Two different angles on building Louisiana--architecture and politics--  will be the focus of two free lectures presented by LSU Libraries’ Special Collections in conjunction with the exhibition “State of Transition: Louisiana circa 1812.” Both presentations will be held in the Lecture Hall at Hill Memorial Library, and are free and open to the public.

Jay D. Edwards will present “Louisiana Vernacular Architecture in Transition” on Thursday, April 26 at 12 noon. This is a “brown bag” talk; visitors are invited to bring their own lunch, and drinks and light refreshments will be provided. Professor Edwards is the Director of the Fred B. Kniffen Cultural Resources Laboratory, LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology.

On Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 pm,  join Special Collections for birthday cake to mark the admission of Louisiana to the Union on April 30, 1812, and attend a lecture by Charles N. Elliott,  “’Incorporated into the United States, and admitted as soon as possible to the Principles of the Federal Constitution':  Promises, Perceptions, and Problems of Louisiana Statehood in 1812.”  Mr. Elliott teaches Louisiana history at Southeastern Louisiana University.

The exhibition “State of Transition” will be on display through June 2, 2012, at Hill Memorial Library. A variety of topics are examined, from daily life to politics, during Louisiana’s transformation from territory to state in the early 19th century.

Hill Memorial Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. When classes are in session, the library is open Tuesday evenings until 8 p.m. Paid parking is available at the Visitors’ Center, Memorial Tower, and Mike the Tiger’s Habitat.  For more information, visit the Special Collections’ Web site at www.lib.lsu.edu/special.

Image: Plan of the City and Suburbs of New Orleans from an actual survey made in 1815 by J. Tanesse City Surveyor