June 14 - 16, 2007 ~~~ Livermore
The topic for the 14th Annual Humanities Seminar Seminar, which runs June 14-16, 2007 at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore, is “Mysteries of Northern New England.” Participants will explore people, events, stories, and legends that defy logical explanations. Among the presenters are mystery authors, established historians, young scholars, journalists, biographers, and folklorists. As a collaboration between Norlands, the University of Maine at Farmington, and the North Livermore Community, the seminar brings scholars and independent researchers together with the general public. To learn more or to join the “History Lovers” mailing list to receive information about future conferences, please contact Norlands at (207) 897-4366.
Back to the TopJune 14, August 10, September 13, October 11, and November 8, 2007 ~~~ Bethel
The Bethel Historical Society’s 2007 Summer Lecture Series, Maine Character and “Characters,” got underway on May 10 with a lecture on Maine-Hawaii connections by Paul Burlin of the University of New England. On June 14, Earle Shettleworth will speak on “A Painter’s Progress: The Life, Work, and Travels of Harrison Bird Brown of Portland.” Vandall T. King of Rochester, NY, will explore Oxford County mines and miners on August 10. On September 13, William B. Krohn of the Maine Fish and Wildlife Research Unit will address “Joshua Gross Rich: Western Maine Pioneer and Wildlife Writer. David Fuller of Farmington will lecture on the spruce gum industry in Maine on October 11. Finally, Bethel Historical Society Director Stanley Russell Howe will present on the life and times of Elizabeth Mason Carter, one of Bethel’s most famous “characters,” on November 8. For details, please call (207) 824-2910 or visit www.bethelhistorical.org.
Back to the TopJune 15, 2007 ~~~ Portland
The first formal exhibit of the Trust for the Preservation of Maine Industrial History and Technology (familiarly known as the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum) opens June 15, 2007. This quasi-permanent exhibit tells the story of the Portland Company, founded in 1846 by John Poor. The company built boilers and engines for over 300 vessels, including steamships, tugboats, ferries, and fireboats. It also built locomotives and created the first railroad connector line between Portland and Canada (later known as The Grand Trunk). For information on viewing the exhibit at 58 Fore Street in Portland, please call (207) 828-0814.
Back to the TopJune 30, 2007 ~~~ Jefferson
Jefferson celebrates its bicentennial in 2007 with a series of events and publications supported by several public education projects. In May, a Living History encampment with accompanying school programs showed what life was like for early 19th-century Jeffersonians. This summer, the Jefferson Historical Society will host five open houses at the 1869 Old Jefferson Town House. The open house dates are June 30, July 14, July 28, August 11, and August 25. Look for other bicentennial events using this online calendar: www.maine.gov/local/lincoln/jefferson/news.php.
Back to the TopJuly 2 - August 25, 2007 ~~~ Yarmouth
New to the Merrill Memorial Library in Yarmouth is this summer’s Teen Read program, which begins on July 2, 2007. Residents in grades 7-12 who keep a log of their summer reading can enter to win a prize. Other special efforts to make Merrill more welcoming to teens include movie nights, craft events, author visits, and a monthly book group. To learn about upcoming events, call children’s librarian Melissa Madigan at (207) 846-4763.
Back to the TopJuly 9 - 20, 2007 ~~~ Peaks Island
Peaks Island Children’s Workshop, the only child care center on Peaks Island in Casco Bay, sees its school-age population double during the summer months. To accommodate these children, the Workshop runs a summer camp called Island Rovers. In 2007, the camp program will offer a different theme each week. Two of the themes are notable for their arts and humanities content. During the week of July 9, staff from the Maine Historical Society will facilitate “Now and Then: Exploring Peaks Island History.” The campers will visit the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum, view the Eighth Maine Regiment Memorial, and talk with senior residents of the island. They will end the week with a visit to the Portland Harbor Museum’s “Then and Now” exhibit. The following week, photographer Craig Davis will work with the children to create a “Then and Now” book. The book will be shared with seniors at the Peaks Island Senior Center and housed at the Peaks Island Library. To learn more, please call (207) 766-2854.
Back to the TopJuly 12, 2007 ~~~ Rockland
On July 12, 2007, Coastal Senior College presents Mahmud Faksh, professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, at Rockland Town Hall, starting at 7 pm. Dr. Faksh will speak on U.S./Middle East relations as part of the John Syrett Distinguished Lecture Series, held each year in honor of a beloved volunteer professor for Coastal Senior College. For more information, please call (800) 286-1594.
Back to the TopJuly 13, 2007 ~~~ Hinckley
The Central Kennebec Heritage Council consists of seven museums and historical societies working together to promote the cultural richness of their section of the Kennebec-Chaudière corridor. Drawing on the exhibit development and oral history workshops made possible by the Maine Humanities Council over the last two years, the member museums have organized the Central Maine Works project for the summer of 2007. Each site will examine an aspect of central Maine labor from a perspective that suits its location and collections. For example, Victor Grange in Fairfield Center will present “The Work of the Grange in Building Community.” The project kick-off, a lecture and slide presentation by Whitefield writer Bill Bunting, is scheduled for July 13 at Good Will-Hinckley. Member museums will host open houses on the following day, and most exhibits will run through the fall. For details, please contact the individual sites or call the L.C. Bates Museum at (207) 238-4250.
Back to the TopJuly 18; August 11 and 15, 2007 ~~~ Lovell
Among the many educational programs of the Greater Lovell Land Trust are a summer lecture series and an annual educational forum. These programs support the mission of the Trust: to protect the ecosystems of the Kezar Lake and adjacent watersheds. On July 18 at 7:30 pm, Martin Engstrom, longtime forecaster at the weather station on Mt. Washington, will recount his experiences. On August 15, anthropologist Alvin Morrison will speak about the famous 1725 conflict between Lovell settlers and Pigwacket Natives. This local stalemate-skirmish became an epic myth of American jingoism with the help of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Both of these lectures will take place at the Charlotte Hobbs Library. The forum is planned for the morning of August 11 at the Lovell VFW Hall, with keynote speaker Tom Wessels addressing the topic of “Reading the Forested Landscape.” Wessels is the author of Reading the Forested Landscape and The Myth of Progress. For more information, please call (207) 925-1056 or visit www.gllt.org.
Back to the TopJuly 20 - August 12, 2007 ~~~ Lewiston
In conjunction with the 25th Anniversary Bates Dance Festival, Dr. Suzanne Carbonneau will conduct a residency from July 20-August 12, 2007. She will contribute program notes and present scholarly “Inside Dance” lectures for public performances by David Dorfman Dance, Bridgman Packer Dance, and Pearson Widrig Theater. She will also design and moderate “Global Exchange,” a panel discussion with choreographers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, on July 26. For tickets and other details, please visit www.bates.edu/dancefest.
Back to the TopJuly 27, 2007 ~~~ Camden
On Friday, July 27, 2007, the Camden Philosophical Society will present a one-day conference called “Philosophy at the Edge.” This free program, hosted by the Camden Public Library, will feature talks on diverse mainstream topics in contemporary philosophy by leading academic philosophers, with the goal of making these topics comprehensible to a non-academic audience. Topics will include environmental ethics, the philosophy of time, medical ethics, and the philosophy of work. The Society, which was founded in 2005 and regularly attracts audiences of 25-50 people for its lectures and book discussion groups, intends to make this summer conference an annual event. For details, please visit www.philosophyedge.com.
Back to the TopJuly 31 - August 2, 2007 ~~~ Presque Isle
The Historical Pavilion is an annual event at the Northern Maine Fair, bringing items from more than twenty regional historical societies and family collections together for an exhibition of local history. The Pavilion is in the Forum, the largest building on the Northern Maine Fairgrounds in Presque Isle. The 2007 Fair runs from July 27-August 4; the Historical Pavilion will open July 31-August 2. This year, the Fair is working especially hard to increase participation from the St. John Valley. For the Historical Pavillion, that means covering transportation costs and providing special outreach to historical societies from these northern communities. For more information, contact Kevin McCartney at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, (207) 768-9482.
Back to the TopJanuary 15 - August 1, 2007 ~~~ Rockland
As the town of Swan’s Island restores the historic Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station (built in 1872), residents hope to simultaneously restore an understanding of how the buildings were used. With the help of a 2006 planning grant from the Council, island resident Donna Wiegle began conducting oral history interviews with the surviving children of 1930s lighthouse keeper Roscoe Chandler. The oral histories, combined with photos and explanatory text, were presented at the March 5 town meeting, and a related exhibit will be on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland from January 15 through August 1. A permanent outdoor exhibit will be established on Hockamock Head, adjacent to the lighthouse station. To learn more about this project, please visit www.swansisland.org and click on “Lighthouse.”
Back to the TopApril - November, 2007 ~~~ South Portland
The Portland Harbor Museum’s 2007 exhibit is entitled Picturing Portland: A Century of Change. This exhibit will employ the concept of “rephotography” (pairing old photographs with current ones) to explore the many aspects of Portland Harbor that have changed or remained the same. Many of the old photographs will come from the museum’s Angell Collection of glass plate negatives from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The contemporary images will be taken by members of the Bakery Photographic Collective. The exhibit opens April 27 and runs through November 25, 2007. An accompanying series of lectures, events, and activities will include photography workshops and a scavenger hunt for children. For event listings and museum information, please visit www.portlandharbormuseum.org or call (207) 799-6337.
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Notes from an Open Book welcomes feedback from its readers. Please contact Diane Magras by email at diane@mainehumanities.org or by phone at (207)773-5051 ext. 208 (toll-free 1-866-637-3233, ext. 208) to respond.