Nancy Carlisle, curator of the exhibit "Cherished Possessions," examines the history of New England furniture and decorative arts objects and the lives of the people who owned them. Carlisle covers objects and people from the 17th to the late 20th century. Her presentation includes slides.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Du Bois Institute at Harvard, discusses the African and African-American experience from W.E.B. Du Bois to John Coltrane in a comprehensive study, with an emphasis on Du Bois's concept of the "Encyclopedia Africana"—an encyclopedia of all Black culture and history—as a weapon against racism.
Art historian Abaigeal Duda looks at the work of African-American artist Lucy Cleveland (1780-1866), whose textile sculptures provide a record of the abolition movement prior to and during the Civil War.
PhD candidate Margot Minardi discusses Boston abolitionist activity, particularly its use of Revolutionary War resonances in its propaganda and oratory. The presentation includes slides.
Audio and video options are available.
Curator Sally Pierce and associate curator Catharina Slautterback review the history of the Boston Atheneaum's collections of prints and photographs, beginning with the Atheneaum's founding in 1807. They look at the contents of the collections; how the items were obtained, collected, and exhibited; and what they indicate about changes in tastes and available materials over time. The presentation includes slides.
The lecture's audio is also available for download.
Curator Erica Hirshler introduces the Bostonians who collected and supported the work of French Impressionist painters including Jean-Francois Millet, Jean-Baptiste Corot, and Claude Monet. Hirshler examines the basis for this enthusiasm for Impressionism. Her presentation includes slides.
Audio and video options are available.
Biographer Charles Calhoun looks at the life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the society he encouraged and kept at his Craigie House, which included many major writers and intellectuals of the day.
The audio of this lecture is available independently as an mp3 file.
Athenaeum program director and librarian Richard Wendorf looks back over the 200-year history of the Boston Athenaeum, using objects from the Athenaeum's collection to illustrate this history and focusing on points of change in that history.
Musicologist Steven Ledbetter talks about his research into Boston's music life between 1875 and 1925, focusing on individuals who are now buried in Boston's historic Mount Auburn Cemetery. His presentation includes some recorded performances of works by composers buried at Mount Auburn.
A downloadable mp3 version of this lecture is also available.
Boston Public Library president Bernard Margolis and Athenaeum librarian and program director Richard Wendorf discuss ownership of cultural property and the question of whether the Boston Athenaeum should have become the Boston Public Library. The presentation outlines the early history of the Athenaeum and the history of the debate over whether the institution should become a public library.
An mp3 version of the lecture is also available for download.