TALIM – Page 7 – Tangier American Legation Museum

Historic Preservation, Morocco, TALIM, Tangier

First Images from TALIM’s Collection of Glass Negatives Made Available on Archnet

December 5, 2014December 5, 2014 1 Comment by Michael Toler

Rue Portugal — One of the negatives depicting rue Portugal

Guest post by Michael A. Toler, Archnet Content Manager, AKDC@MIT

The Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT (AKDC@MIT) has recently made available via Archnet, a first batch of scans from TALIM’s collection of glass negatives dating back to the first decades of the 20^th century and depicting various locations in the Mediterranean.

The collection of approximately 2,000 images is believed to be the work of photographer Paul Ruedi, a Spanish resident of the city of Tangier between 1900 to 1930. The collection of slides features more images of Tangier than any other city, but there are also numerous photographs of locations throughout Morocco, as well as sites in Algeria, France, Spain and other parts of the Mediterranean. To read more about the collection, click here.

The decision by AKDC@MIT to host the images on Archnet came out of a meeting that took place

Books, Events, TALIM

Morocco Launch of “A Gardener’s Garden” at the Museum

November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 Leave a comment by Michael Toler

TALIM Board Member Elena Prentice looks on as fellow Board Member Madison Cox signs his book — Another Board Member, Elena Prentice, looks on as Madison Cox signs books

TALIM in partnership with Librarie des Colonnes welcomed landscape architect and Tangier resident Madison Cox to the Legation on November 12 for the Morocco launch of A Gardener’s Garden, published by Phaidon.

Madison, who currently serves on the TALIM Board, spoke of how he and his collaborators had made what must have been the difficult decisions on which of the world’s gardens, great and small, to include in this beautiful book.

Books, Film, Music, TALIM

Enchantment On Sale through the New Year

November 12, 2014 Leave a comment by Michael Toler

If you are looking to get an early start on some Christmas shopping, you can do it and support TALIM by purchasing copies of Enchantment. Pictures from the Tangier American Legation Museum, by Diana Wylie, on sale for $14.99 (regularly $35) in our web store, powered by Amazon. All the proceeds from the sale of … Read more Enchantment On Sale through the New Year

TALIM, Tangier

Remembrance Sunday

November 10, 2014November 10, 2014 Leave a comment by John Davison

I was honored this morning to represent the Tangier American Legation at a Remembrance Sunday ceremony at historic Saint Andrews Church. British Ambassador Clive Alderton traveled from Rabat for the event, as did a military and police honor guard from Gibraltar. On Wednesday, the French Consul-General in Tangier will host a similar Armistice Day reception.

Morocco, Museum, TALIM

Hassan El Glaoui at the Legation

November 2, 2014October 20, 2014 Leave a comment by John Davison

El Glaoui water colors in the McBey Gallery

Dear Friends of TALIM (Version française ci-dessous),

Some very exciting news. We have just transferred several paintings from one of Morocco’s most famous artists, Hassane El-Glaoui, from our library to our museum. Please visit us between Monday and Friday for an unforgettable opportunity to view many of this beloved artist’s works!

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Chers amis de TALIM,

Cultural Diplomacy, Historic Landmark, Museum, Research Center, TALIM

Circles: Meet the New Director

November 2, 2014July 15, 2014 Leave a comment by Michael Toler

Last Roll - 3 — Former Director Loftus opened the Legation to Zankat America

Thirty-one years ago last month, a group of sixty-plus Peace Corps trainees arrived in Rabat, following a nearly 24-hour trip from Philadelphia via Paris. It was already night as we drove in from the airport, and it was Ramadan. The streets were packed, but our bus eventually made its way to the Bulima Hotel in the center of Rabat. Unable to sleep, I wandered down Blvd Mohammed V to the medina, and entered a new world of sights, sounds and smells. Thus began my own “beautiful friendship” with Morocco.

After spending two years teaching English at Lycée Laymoune in Berkane (and also visiting the American Legation in 1984), I began a diplomatic career that took me from Guinea-Bissau to Singapore, Madagascar to Tunisia, Cairo to New York City, and finally Niger and New Delhi. Working subsequently for the United Nations also allowed me to work in lovely, lyrical Cape Verde. Now I’ve come full circle and will begin a new adventure as Director of the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies.

Can’t Stop Curating

November 2, 2014June 26, 2014 2 Comments by Michael Toler

New “name cloud” exhibit listing literary & artistic friends of Paul Bowles who were drawn to Tangier

Can’t stop curating?

Well, I do have to stop – we’re getting on the ferry to Spain Friday morning! Friends have joked that I’ll still be at it tomorrow morning, mounting yet more exhibits while my wife waits in the car. Not true; I stopped this afternoon.

At the French Consulate’s 14 Juillet reception after we arrived in 2010, a Moroccan friend introduced me as the “nouveau conservateur” in what people in Tangier only knew then as the “Musée de l’Ancienne Légation Américaine.” I joked that I was no conservative… I was a Democrat!

But the point is that conservateur or curator was the way people thought of this position in this city. I thought that was a bit limiting – how about our research library? Our seminars? The Arabic literacy program? Etc. I also didn’t like that ancienne thing – made it sound like we were closed.

Introducing the New Mudir – John Davison

November 2, 2014June 22, 2014 1 Comment by Michael Toler

Almost four years to the day, I wrote about my predecessor Thor Kuniholm and his long tenure at the Legation. Next week, it will be my successor, John Davison, who will be coming in after Marie Hélène and I head off to greener pastures.

I was an early and strong supporter of John’s candidacy, among a very competitive field of applicants for this job. He had visited us at the Legation after learning of the job opening, and we were impressed with his enthusiasm, imagination, and his knowledge of Morocco.

Cultural Diplomacy, Music, TALIM, Tangier

The First Farewell

December 10, 2014June 15, 2014 1 Comment by Michael Toler

Drawing by Lawrence Mynott, graphic design by Anthea Pender

The eagle – hats off to artist Lawrence Mynott and his American eagle balloon on our invitation cards – has taken off, or almost. Actually, we’re still here for a couple more weeks, so last night’s farewell was the biggest but not the last farewell.

Thanks to the generosity of Madison Cox, we were sent off with full flying colors by our Tangier friends, a cross section of this multidimensional city, with donors, staff members, artists, artisans, academics… everyone who has helped us make this place a livelier, more open venue for our wide range of activities.

TALIM Library Catalog Finds an Online Home

December 10, 2014June 5, 2014 Leave a comment by Michael Toler

Grecia Álvarez has written the following guest post.

Grecia Álvarez (MLIS) is a librarian and an EFL instructor who specializes in Cataloging and Information Literacy Instruction. Her first encounter with Morocco was in 2010-2011, when she was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tetouan. She has been working on various projects at the Legation since her arrival in Tangier last September, including volunteering as an English teacher in our Arabic literacy program for the women of the medina.

Her librarian work at the Legation has been possible thanks to a generous grant provided by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat.

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We librarians lead pretty exciting lives. We come into daily contact with objects of incalculable value, like books and papers that have played a role in furthering relations between peoples and nations.