History Bites
Letters & Diaries
All lectures are at noon on Thursdays.
Bring your lunch. Beverages and desserts are provided.
Please contact the hosting organization for directions and more information.
Reservations requested; but not required.
Suggested donation: $2 per lecture
March 25, 2010
Life on the Farm
Joe Shupenis, town historian
Uncover the daily lives of Bethlehem farmers in the early 1900s through an exploration of their journals.
Old Bethlem Historical Society
(203) 266-5188, www.ci.bethlehem.ct.us
LECTURE SITE: Johnson Memorial Hall of Christ,
Episcopal Church, Main Street South, Bethlehem, CT
April 1, 2010
A First Archaeological Expedition to Afghanistan
Henry Hart, local Woodbury resident
Memories of the 1949 American Museum Of Natural History expedition to Afghanistan.
Old Woodbury Historical Society
(203) 263-2446
LECTURE SITE: Woodbury Senior Center, Woodbury, CT
April 8, 2010
Fred and Jennie: A Civil War Love Story
Ernest Barker, local author
This living history performance features readings from the Civil War letters between Frederick A. Lucas, who served in the 2nd CT Heavy Artillery and his future wife, Sarah Jane Wadhams.
Torrington Historical Society
(860) 482-8260, www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org
192 Main Street, Torrington, CT
April 15, 2010
A 19th Century Love Affair
John Alter, Gunnery teacher & Sarah Griswold, assistant curator
Explore the life & times of Gunnery School founder, Frederick Gunn, & his fiancé Abigail Brinsmade through their personal correspondence during his exile in Towanda, PA
Gunn Memorial Library & Museum
(860) 868-7756, www.gunnlibrary.org
5 Wykeham Road, On the Green, Washington, CT
April 22, 2010
Reading Between the Lines
Julie Frey, curator, Litchfield Historical Society
Reflections on the craftsmen's advertisements of early nineteenth
century Litchfield.
Litchfield Historical Society
(860) 567-4501, www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org
LECTURE SITE: Litchfield History Museum, 7 South Street,
Litchfield, CT
April 29, 2010
Personal Writing, Public Events
Gerald Geci, educator and guide, Topsmead
Discover how the journal entries, letters & other correspondence of Edith Morton Chase intersect with worldly affairs.
Topsmead State Forest
(860) 567-5694, www.dep.state.ct.us/rec/parks/ctforests.htm
LECTURE SITE: Litchfield Community Center, 421Bantam
Road, (US 202), Litchfield, CT
May 6, 2010
Letters from Paris...and Naugatuck
Ann Y. Smith, past curator and director of the Mattatuck
Revelations on the personal insights that letters can bring to larger historical narratives, specifically revealed through the personal letters of the art collecting Whittemore family.
Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center
(203) 753-0381 ext. 10 www.mattatuckmuseum.org
144 West Main St., Waterbury, CT
May 13, 2010
Making A Personal Connection to the Lives of Our Forefathers
Timothy Beard, genealogist and author
Explorations on family roots of New Englanders from journals, letters & diaries.
Glebe House Museum & The Gertrude Jekyll Garden
(203) 263-2855 www.theglebehouse.org
LECTURE SITE: Woodbury Senior Center, Woodbury, CT
May 20, 2010
Natalie Van Fleck
Marc Chabot, archivist Flanders Nature Center
Reflections on artist, farmer and environmentalist, Natalie Van Vleck, from the perspective of her diaries and oral histories.
Flanders Nature Center & Pomeraug River Watershed Coalition
(203) 263-3711, www.flandersnaturecenter.org
LECTURE SITE: Sugar House at Flanders Nature Center
May 27, 2009
Revelations Through Letters
Kristin Havill, site administrator, Bellamy-Ferriday
Discover the life and times of the Reverend Joseph Bellamy through an examination of his letters.
The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden
(203) 266-7596, www.ctlandmarks.org
LECTURE SITE: First Church of Bethlehem, Bethlehem, CT
History Bites is an Annual Lecture Series Offering Glimpses of History & Culture from the Greater Litchfield Hills Area.
LOOK FOR SPECIAL OFFERS AT MEMBER SUPPORTED SITES!
For more information about the History Bites Series, contact: historybites@gmail.com
