Maine Historical Society News...

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

September 23, 2008

CONTACT: Jane Foden, Maine Historical Society, 207-774-1822, jfoden@mainehistory.org

Free October 2008 Events at Maine Historical Society

Tuesday, October 7, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

If By Sea: The Founding of the U.S. Navy

George Daughan, Historian and Author, will talk about the founding and first forty years of the United States Navy, the subject of his new book. From the Battle of Lexington in 1775 to Yorktown in 1781; from the Quasi-War with France and the War with Tripoli, and from the great naval battles of the War of 1812 to New Orleans, Daughan charts the false starts, political battles, failures, and triumphs that shaped the fledgling republic’s effort to establish its place in the world. Daughan received his Ph.D. in history and government from Harvard University. Free.

Thursday, October 9, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Search and Seizure: Neal Dow, Prohibition, and the Maine Connection

Wesley Oliver, Widener University Law School, will talk about Maine’s key role in establishing one of the bedrocks of the American justice system: search and seizure law. Maine crafted innovative laws to allow liquor searches in homes, creating one of the cornerstones of modern policing, the probable cause standard. Free.

Tuesday, October 14, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

The Swan’s Island Library Fire: A Community Responds

The threat of fire is a specter that haunts the keepers of historic buildings and collections throughout Maine. In late July, just such a fire destroyed the Swan’s Island Library. The loss was devastating: the historic library building was the center of the small island community and housed important circulating and historic collections, all of which were lost. But in the wake of this tragedy, the community has responded with grace, humor, perspective, and a commitment to rebuild. Join Candis Joyce, Director, Swan’s Island Educational Society; Rosamond Rae, Woodlawn Museum; and Julia Clark, Abbe Museum, to hear more about the fire and its aftermath, and to begin a conversation about how Maine communities might think about emergency planning and protecting their historic assets. Free.

Tuesday, October 28, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Rug Hooking in Maine

Renowned expert Mildred Cole Peladeau will explore Maine’s rich rug hooking history, the subject of her new book. From the 1830s-1940s, Maine rug hooking evolved from a utilitarian—yet colorful and expressive—craft, to a cottage industry, to fine art. Peladeau will trace this evolution from its roots in several Maine communities to Marguerite Zorach’s designs, and share slides of notable examples. Mildred Peladeau organized an exhibit on hooked rugs for the America Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA and spoke on the topic at the American Folk Art Museum in New York. Free.

Thursday, October 30, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

A Gay History of Maine?

Howard M. Solomon, Professor Emeritus of History, Tufts University, will talk about capturing and telling Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender History in Maine. While Maine has been relatively progressive in providing equal rights and protections for its gay citizens, historians are only now beginning to look for, find, and record the historic experience of gay Mainers, a history marked in turns by progressive action, discrimination, and the normalcy of everyday life. Solomon, an historian of sexuality and a leader in the effort to establish a GLBT archive at USM, will share his perspectives on the field and promising opportunities for new research. Solomon is former Scholar in Residence, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity, USM. Free.

For More Information:
Free October 2008 Events at Maine Historical Society
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
207-774-1822, www.mainehistory.org

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

September 23, 2008

CONTACT: Jane Foden, Maine Historical Society, 207-774-1822, jfoden@mainehistory.org

Portland Chinese-American Walking Trail Offered by Maine Historical Society
Saturday, October 18, 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Portland Chinese-American Walking Trail

Historian Gary Libby will explore the history of Chinese-Americans in downtown Portland. While Portland has never had a “Chinatown,” the area around Congress Street used to be home to a small but thriving Chinese community and many Chinese-owned businesses including “deluxe” restaurants, laundries, groceries, and gambling dens. Gary Libby—who has been a leader in recent efforts to re-discover and document Maine’s rich Chinese heritage—will give a brief talk at Maine Historical Society and lead a half-mile walking tour that points out and describes these key sites. Lunch at the Oriental Table restaurant on Exchange Street will follow the program (not included in program fee).

Registration required; call 207-7784-1822: $15.00

For More Information:

Portland Chinese-American Walking Trail
Saturday, October 18, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
$15.00
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
207-774-1822, www.mainehistory.org