By Dan Hinchen
On the calendar this week we have a pair of seminars, a pair of public programs, and a free tour. Here’s how it all shakes out:
– Tuesday, 9 February, 5:15PM : Join us for an Environmental History seminar discussion with presenter Laura J. Martin of Harvard University, and commentor Brian Payne of Bridgewater State University. The talk focuses on Martin’s paper, “The History of Ecological Restoration: From Bombs to Bac-O-Bits,” which explores the intellectual and cultural history of ecological restoration from 1945 to 1965. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.
– Thursday, 11 February, 5:30PM : Laura Briggs of UMass-Amherst presents “All Politics are Reproductive Politics: Welfare, Immigration, Gay Marriage, Foreclosure” as part of the History of Women and Gender seminar series. The project looks at the collision of two forces – increasing unpaid care burdens, and ever more need for wage labor – and how they have radically reconfigured both families and political common sense in particularly racialized ways over the last forty years. Suzanna Danuta Walters of Northeastern University provides comment. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers. This event takes place at the Schlesinger Library, Harvard.
– Thursday, 11 February, 6:00PM : “Culture of Modernism” is the second of a four-part series on the topic of Modernism. This talk features author Alexandra Lange; Jane Thompson of the Thompson Design Group; and Michael Kubo of Collective-LOK. There will be a pre-talk reception at 5:30PM. Registration is required for this program. This program takes place at the Concord Museum.
– Friday, 12 February, 2:00PM : “Jefferson’s Journey to Massachusetts: The Origin of the Coolidge Collection at the MHS” is a free gallery talk focused on our current exhibition, The Private Jefferson. Stephen T. Riley Librarian, Peter Drummey, explains the provenance of this collection and how the largest collection of this Virginian’s private papers arrived at the MHS. This talk is free and open to the public.
– Saturday, 13 February, 10:00AM : The History and Collections of the MHS is a docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, open to the public, with no need for reservations. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org. While you’re here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibition.