Maine Historical Society - Programs Podcast

Speaker: Ian Saxine, Ph.D. Candidate, Northwestern University; Recorded July 23, 2013 - In 2012, thanks to a Graduate Research Grant from Northwestern University, Ph.D. candidate Ian Saxine spent six months at the MHS library researching how different ideas about land ownership between Indians and colonists led to decades of violence in frontier Maine. In this "Student Spotlight" presentation, Ian shares the fruits of his research.

Speaker: Carter Stevens, 2013 Colby College Graduate; Recorded July 9, 2013 - Recent Colby College graduate Carter Stevens presents a talk based on his thesis about the 1863 Confederate raid on the city of Portland. While the maritime battle ended with the Confederates surrendering, a U.S. Revenue Cutter was sunk. Stevens's research covers the details of the battle, how it was reported in local and national media, the reactions of Mainers to the raid, and how this small incident fits into the larger picture of the Civil War.

Speaker: Ernest Freeberg, Distinguished Professor of Humanities, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Recorded March 28, 2013 - Ernest Freeberg, author of Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern America , which Publishers Weekly calls "illuminating," delivers the keynote talk related to the 2012-13 museum exhibit, Wired! How Electricity Came to Maine . Dr. Freeberg shares his research on the inventor and the Menlo Park laboratory environment, the history of electric light generally, and how that technology shaped American culture.

Speaker: Brenda Gilchrist; Recorded November 13, 2012 - Author Brenda Gilchrist talks about her memoir, Waltzing with Bracey: A Long Reach Home , about her journey back to Maine, and to the Deer Isle cottage of her ancestors, to claim her place in the world. The cottage, coincidentally, was designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry's nephew. Joining her on the adventure is Bracey, her Corgi, who helps her negotiate the rambling pile of a house, the ghosts that live there, and this unique place on the Maine coast. Gilchrist was Senior Editor in Charge of the Art Books Division at Praeger Publishers, and General Editor of The Smithsonian Illustrated Library of Antiques series.

Speaker: Jane Brox; Recorded October 25, 2012 - As part of an ongoing series of talks related to the 2012-13 museum exhibit Wired: How Electricity Came to Maine , Jane Brox focuses on the topic of rural electrification, the process that brought electricity to America's countrysides and farm families in the early part of the 20th century. In addition to the extensive research on the topic that she did for her acclaimed 2010 Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light , Brox brings a personal angle to the subject, based on her trilogy of memoirs about her family's farm in Massachusetts and the evolution of the American farm in general.

Speaker: James S. Leamon; Recorded October 2, 2012 - What were the reasons for--and the price of--loyalism during the American Revolution? James Leamon, Bates College professor of history emeritus, explores the complexities of the Loyalist stance in his new book, The Reverend Jacob Bailey Maine Loyalist: For God, King, Country, and for Self . Bailey, a former Congregational preacher, converted to the Church of England and became an Anglican missionary in Pownalborough (now Dresden). There he refused to renounce allegiance to King George or to publicize the Declaration of Independence from his pulpit. He and his family eventually were forced into exile in Nova Scotia for his beliefs, where Bailey wrote obsessively about the trauma of opposing the Revolution. Leamon relies on much of that writing--particularly journals and correspondence--to reveal how Bailey came to feel the way he did, and how revolutionary ideas clashed with more traditional convictions of order and hierarchy.

Speaker: Monica Wood; Recorded September 27, 2012 - Maine author Monica Wood presents her latest book, When We Were the Kennedys which the Maine Sunday Telegram calls "a marvel of storytelling." Subtitled A Memoir from Mexico, Maine , the story takes place in 1963, beginning with the April morning when Wood's father, a foreman at Oxford Paper Company, died on his way to work. From there, the book follows three deeply entwined threads: grief and renewal; the assassination of JFK; and the paper mill's first protracted labor strike. Wood's talk highlights that bygone era: the mill's founding, its impact on the region, and a moment in time when everything started to change. In addition to When We Were the Kennedys , Wood is the author of four works of fiction.

Speaker: Storyteller John McDonald; Recorded July 26, 2012 - Professional storyteller John McDonald, author of the now-classic A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar , offers up his unique take on Maine trivia. John delivers an educational and hilarious mix of basic and fun facts about the Pine Tree State, including, of course, more than a few wicked funny stories, and the illustrations by Mark Ricketts add spice to the stories. Readers are sure to learn a lot about both the Pine Tree State and the United States, as well as have a few laughs in the process.

Speaker: Historian William David Barry; Recorded July 12, 2012 - A concise, solid, and surprising overview of 500 years of Maine history, Maine: the Wilder Half of New England , ranges from first contact between Native Americans and European explorers to the achievement of a Down East identity, national political power, and worldwide cultural identification. Historian and MHS staff member Barry explorers how changes in the economy, religion, ethnicity, arts, leisure, and education have all shaped Maine and Mainers, with some intriguing results.

Recorded May 15, 2012 - Development and use of the Portland waterfront is an ongoing policy balancing act, and has significant implications for Portland's economic development, harborside landscape, and the city's identity and heritage. This panel presentation explores the issues that the city, developers, business and property owners, fishermen and lobstermen, preservationists, and city residents face and think about when they consider development along the waterfront. In Partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks.

Recorded April 24, 2012 - The bridges and roadways that connect Portland to the interstate and surrounding communities play an essential role in the life of the city and are a defining characteristic of its landscape. This panel presentation explorers the rebuilding of the Veterans Memorial and Martin's Point bridges which mobilized diverse stakeholders, and raised issues ranging from cost to traffic efficiency, to the impact on local neighbors. In Partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks.

Speaker: Dr. Alan Taylor, Professor of History, University of California, Davis; Recorded April 19, 2012 - The year 2012 marked the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a formative moment in both Maine and U.S. history and the subject of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor's new book. Taylor tells the riveting story of a war that redefined North America--an often brutal and sometimes comic war--and helps illuminate the tangled origins of the United States and Canada. Taylor, a Portland native, is one of the foremost historians of early America.

Speaker: Rosamond Purcell, Photographer; Recorded April 5, 2012 - Rosamond Purcell speaks about her 2003 book Owls Head: On the Nature of Lost Things in which the unique 13 acres mounded high with scrap, antiques, and historical ephemera owned by William Buckminster. One day, in passing "Bucky" mentioned that the only person he would like to have acquire his two-centuries-old brass foundry would be the former Director of Maine Historical Society, Richard D'Abate, who, he said "seems like a decent sort of fella." On Bucky's behalf, Purcell took up the song.

Recorded March 20, 2012 - A panel of presenters examines Portland's downtown corridors, how they help define Portland's urban landscape, and what future development might look like. While roadways like Congress and State Streets are defined by architecture, travel patterns, business and residential development, pedestrian routes, and landscape features, certain corridor--like Franklin and Spring Street--are the source of much dissatisfaction. In Partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks.

The Richard D'Abate Lectures: Conversations About History, Art, and Literature (Program 1 of 7) Series details.; Recorded March 6, 2012 - Readings by two Maine Poet Laureates. The poets' readings will reflect themes in Longfellow's poetry, his stance as a poet, and his attitude toward social issues of his time.

Moderator:Terrence DeWan, Landscape Architect, Panelists: Bill Brownell, Fort Williams Advisory Commission; Lynn Shaffer, Arboretum at Fort Williams; and Dick Gilbane, Friends of Goddard Mansion; Recorded February 21, 2012 - Fort Williams, a town-owned park in Cape Elizabeth, is one of Greater Portland's gems. A former military base and home to the iconic Portland Head Light, the seaside park is one of the region's favorite and most heavily-used recreation sites. However, the cost of maintaining the park and providing access is significant. This panel presentation explorers current initiatives seek to find sustainable funding models, preserve the park's history, character, and architecture, and to define and provide appropriate visitor amenities. In Partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks.