July 21, 2003
ANNE FRANK EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 12 AT UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
International Agreement Extends First-Ever Loan of Anne Frank’s Original Writings
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 21, 2003 — Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story has been extended through December 12, 2003, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Due to the enthusiastic public response to the exhibition, the Museum’s partners – the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation in Amsterdam and the ANNE FRANK-Fonds in Basel, Switzerland – have agreed to extend the loan of Anne’s original writings for an additional three months.
The exhibition, developed in honor of the Museum’s 10th Anniversary, marks the first time any of Anne Frank’s original writings – in her own hand – have been on display outside of the Netherlands. First Lady Laura Bush officially opened Anne Frank the Writer on June 11. The exhibition opened to the public on June 12, which would have been the extraordinarily gifted writer’s 74th birthday.
Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story presents a young woman discovering—under very difficult circumstances—a growing desire to be a writer or journalist. Many people know Anne’s diary, but few know that she began an edited version with the hope of publication or that she wrote essays, fairy tales and other works of fiction. The exhibition includes her photo album, and her last diary notebook as well as some of her other writings, with which the public may be less familiar. Anne began her diary on June 12, 1942, her 13th birthday. After she filled up the red-plaid diary, she began using school notebooks and later edited her diary on loose sheets of paper, some of which are on view. This first diary is permanently on display at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Tickets for the exhibition are free and available at the Museum. Advance tickets can be ordered from www.tickets.com (service charge applies). Complete information on planning a visit to the exhibition is on the Museum’s web site (www.ushmm.org).
A comprehensive online exhibition is available at www.ushmm.org. The site contains the only known film footage of Anne Frank, close-ups of her writings, interviews with the exhibition curators, historical film footage, and more.
Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story was made possible by generous support from Eric and Lore Ross and Arthur and Toni Rock, with additional support from the Gonda Family Foundation and the Nathanson Family Foundation.
