American history will be presented through the eyes of those who lived it through words, music and photography Friday.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is sponsoring “First Person: Seeing America,” a mixture of readings, compositions and photography from the start of the Civil War to the Great Depression.

The period that will be discussed spans years from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.

The members of this group will present American history through forms that will let the audience see what took place.

Dan Crews, the director of patron services for the Doudna Fine Art Center, said Neal Conan, Lily Knight, and members of the Ensemble Galilei will add life to the history.

Together these groups present different elements that show what people saw during the time period, Crews said.

“It’s just a wide variety that will capture the senses, you’ll see and hear a really fascinating look at a snapshot of American history,” Crews said.

Knight and Conan will read literary works from authors of the time such as Langston Hughes, Frederick Douglass and Damon Runyan.

Photography from the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be displayed during the readings.

Crews gave an example of a picture of a slave family being shown while someone reads a excerpt from Langston Hughes

Dwight Vaught, the assistant dean of programming for the College of Arts & Humanities, said each of the elements allows the audience to see these events from the eye of the people who were there.

“It really brings history to life, because you hear what people were experiencing in their own words,” Vaught said. “Then you add to it the pictures and the words jump off the page and you see the people they are talking about.”

Vaught said the show will let the audience see the changes that took place during that time period.

“It’s a good snap shot of how this country came to be how it is,” Vaught said.

Crew said this is a way of learning about our history and what shaped our country.

“Some of these things, it’s hard to imagine what people were faced with during the Great Depression… all of those things have strengthened and added to the fabric of our culture,” Crews said.

Vaught said he felt this show would connect with many different fields that are important to Eastern’s campus. He said there is something from English, photography, history, art and theater.

Performer Conan is a host for the National Public Radio and has won many awards during his career. Lily Knight is an actress and has performed in movies like “My Sister’s Keeper.”

The Ensemble Galilei includes: Hanneke Cassel, fiddle; Ryan McKasson, fiddle and viola; Kathryn Montoya, recorders, whistle, oboe; Jackie Moran, percussion; Sue Richards, Celtic harp; Carolyn Anderson Surrick, viola da gamba; and Ginger Hildebrand, violin.

“First Person: Seeing America” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Dvorak Concert Hall. Ticket are $7 for students, $12 for faculty, staff and people over 62, and $15 for the general public.

Vaught said students can learn about our history and its affects on us today.

“It’s more than a history lesson, it’s the story of us,” Vaught said. “We are shaped by these events.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.