In celebration of Boston's 375th anniversary, a panel of authors discuss the lives of Massachusetts Bay colonists between 1630 and 1710. The panelists focus on the daily lives and stories of particular colonists.
Photographer and writer Susan Wilson outlines the "Literary Trail" of Boston—tracking the history of significant writers in Boston through the historical sites related to their lives remaining in the city. Wilson focuses specifically on female writers.
Historian Eve LaPlante examines the life of Judge Samuel Sewall, who condemned over 30 people to death for witchcraft in 1692 and publicly apologized in 1697, spending the rest of his life in penitence and social action. The presentation includes slides.
New England Victorian Society president Ed Gordon explores the history of Charlestown in the Victorian era, looking at the many Victorian structures that remain today. The presentation includes slides.
The lecture audio can be downloaded separately.
Curator Erica Hirshler looks at the contributions of Boston women artists to the world of painting and sculpture, focusing on little-known artists throughout the city's history. The presentation includes slides.
The lecture audio can be downloaded separately.
Professors Wlliam M. Newman and Wilfred E. Holton look at how environmental crises and urban crowding led to the massive project for filling Boston's Back Bay tidal marsh in the 19th century. The presentation includes slides.
The lecture audio can be downloaded separately.
Crime historian Karen Elizabeth Chaney examines the case of Lizzie Bordan, accused of killing her father and stepmother with an ax in Fall River, MA, on August 4, 1892. Chaney focuses on the journalistic coverage of the case and the gender issues and sensationalism it dealt in.
Audio and video options are available.
As a part of a bicentennial series celebrating Boston Athenaeum writers, J. Frederick Marchant presents Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882); Jill McDonough presents Amy Lowell (1874-1925); and Rosanna Warren presents Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).
Professor Alan Rogers describes the historical context of the 13 killings by the Boston Strangler from June 14, 1962 to Jan. 4, 1964 and details the crimes; the investigation; and the arrest, conviction, and sentencing of Albert DeSalvo.
Scholar Nancy Seasholes looks at the history of land creation in Boston over its 375-year history. She focuses on the Central Waterfront area. Her presentation includes slides.
An mp3 of the lecture audio can be downloaded.