By Dan Hinchen

And here we are again for the weekly round-up of events to come. Keeping with the pattern established in previous weeks, we have two Brown Bag lunch talks on offer this week, as well as a free tour. 

First up, on Monday, 18 August, drop by the Society at noon for “Operating Outside of Empire: Trade and Citizenship in the Atlantic World, 1756-1812.” In this Brown Bag talk, Mark Dragoni of Syracuse University talks about his examination of merchants operating at the edge of empire and the competing discourses on trade, cosmopolitanism, and neutrality that statesmen, philosophers, and merchants mobilized. Specifically, this project looks at the participation of Samuel Cabot and John & Jonathan Amory in an often illicit, yet highly profitable transatlantic trade during the foundational period for modern citizenship and increasing state regulation. This talk is free and open to the public.

Then, on Friday, 22 August, come in again at noon for “Ten Years of Winter: The Cold Decade and Environmental Consciousness in the Early 19th Century.” Come listen as Sean Munger, University of Oregon, discusses his research which attempts to understand ohow people in the English-speaking world understood and evaluated anomolies in global weather ad climate, and what their reactions tell us about the state of scientifid thinking, environmental consciousness, and how their worlds – both global and local – were constructed. This Brown Bag talk is free and open to the public. 

On Saturday, 23 August, stop by the Society for a free tour, The History and Collections of the MHS. This 90-minute docent-led tour explores all of the public spaces in the Society’s home at 1154 Boylston Street, touching on the art, architecture, history, and collections of the MHS. The tour begins at 10:00AM and is free and open to the public. No reservations necessary for individuals or small groups. For parties of eight or more, please contact the MHS in advance. For more information, please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org. 

Finally, remember to come by and see our current exhibition “Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in World War I.” Exhibit is on display Monday-Saturday, 10:00AM-4:00PM, free of charge. 

*Please note that the Society is closed 30 August – 1 September in observance of Labor Day.*