The Working Class Movement Library is celebrating the bicentenary of the death of revolutionary writer and radical political thinker Thomas Paine with an exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
Paine's ideas have inspired radicals and shaped government policies for over 200 years.
Barack Obama quoted him in his presidential inauguration speech,stating:
"At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: 'Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]'."
The line is from Paine's The Crisis, which George Washington had chosen to be read to the troops in the most difficult days of the revolutionary struggle.
Many of the reforms which Paine advocated such as universal suffrage, the abolition of slavery, retirement pensions and free education have been put into place, while others such as a written constitution for Britain are still being hotly debated.
The exhibition, 'Thomas Paine: Voice of the Common People', tells the story of Paine's adventurous and eventful life, his narrow escapes from death and his involvement in both the American and French Revolutions.
The main focus of the exhibition however is the very modern ideas in his three key publications, Common Sense, Rights of Man and Age of Reason, original early editions of which will be on display. The exhibition also contains political cartoons, radical pamphlets and rare editions of books by and about Paine and his followers. The exhibition is based on the Library's holdings of Paine material, which has been called 'the finest private collection of books by and on Paine in Britain' by the Thomas Paine Society.
Although Thomas Paine has been dead for 200 years, his ideas are still very much alive and his writings are still an inspiration to anyone who wishes to change society for the better. As Veronica Trick, volunteer co-ordinator at the Library, says: "If our Library had a patron saint it'd be Thomas Paine. He's so much the starting point, both chronologically and ideologically, for working class history."
The Library has been awarded a grant from the Lottery scheme 'Awards for All' for a film-making project, working with local school students studying media, politics or citizenship to produce short multimedia works looking at the modern relevance of Paine's ideas. The results will be presented as part of the exhibition.
The Museum where the exhibition takes place is situated in Peel Park, an ideal setting to celebrate a man who dedicated his life to making complex ideas accessible to ordinary people. This is where, almost fifty years after Paine's death, people flocked to enjoy the country's first free public library.
For more information contact Lynette Cawthra, Library Manager on
0161 736 3601 or email [mailto]enquiries@wcml.org.uk[/mailto]