UT exhibit features city’s original charter

The original "Charter and By-laws of the City of Toledo. Several historic documents of early Toledo, including a handwritten copy of the city's charter, all found in the attic of Toledo's Safety Building, at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio on September 19, 2017.

The original charter of the city of Toledo is on display for the first time at the University of Toledo’s Ward M. Canaday Center as part of a special exhibit that runs through July 27 on the fifth floor of the William S. Carlson Library.

“Preserving Yesterday for Tomorrow: The Best of the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections” will include items documenting Toledo’s glass industry, a copy of “Common Sense” printed in 1776 and signed by Benjamin Franklin, a white shirt worn by President John F. Kennedy in 1958, an autographed photo of Katharine Hepburn, and Toledo native Jamie Farr’s “M*A*S*H” scripts, among others items.

Since its dedication Sept. 26, 1979, the center has grown from a collection of small rare books into a modern special collections department, preserving thousands of feet of material.

The free, public exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.