Noted art historian Andrew Oliver will present a lecture based on his recently published book “American Travelers on the Nile: Early U.S. Visitors to Egypt, 1774-1839” at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. A reception and book signing will follow.

Oliver’s talk draws on unpublished letters, diaries and long-neglected newspaper accounts of the early American experience in Egypt and the Mediterranean.

Oliver has been a museum administrator and also directed museum programs at the National Endowment for the Arts from 1982 to 1994 in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career, he was a curator in the Greek and Roman Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is a former summer resident of Mattapoisett.

The program is part of The Purrington Lecture Series presented by the Mattapoisett Library Trust, a non-profit organization that supports the library throughout the year by providing programs and other funds for needed equipment and furnishings.

The public is invited to attend. Please make a reservation by calling the library at 508-758-4171 or emailing mfpl@sailsinc.org.