Maine Historical Society - Programs Podcast

Mar 06 2025 137 ep. 55 mins 565
Maine Historical Society - Programs Podcast artwork

Listen to recordings of lectures, book talks, panels, and other programs on Maine, New England, American history from Maine Historical Society. These podcasts allow everyone to enjoy, learn from, and reflect on history and its relevance today.

  History  Society & Culture
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Public Parks: Care and Cultivation of Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth

Jul 29 2014 89 mins  
Moderator:Terrence DeWan, Landscape Architect, Panelists: Bill Brownell, Fort Williams Advisory Commission; Lynn Shaffer, Arboretum at Fort Williams; and Dick Gilbane, Friends of Goddard Mansion; Recorded February 21, 2012 - Fort Williams, a town-owned park in Cape Elizabeth, is one of Greater Portland's gems. A former military base and home to the iconic Portland Head Light, the s

Longfellow's Shadow: A reading of poems by Wesley McNair and Betsy Sholl

Aug 05 2014 57 mins  
The Richard D'Abate Lectures: Conversations About History, Art, and Literature (Program 1 of 7) Series details.; Recorded March 6, 2012 - Readings by two Maine Poet Laureates. The poets' readings will reflect themes in Longfellow's poetry, his stance as a poet, and his attitude toward social issues of his time.

Hold On: The Privilege of Keeping Old Things Safe

Apr 18 2015 66 mins  
Speaker: Nicholson Baker, Author; Recorded March 15, 2012 - In 2001, writer Nicholson Baker published Double Fold , a book about libraries, paper science, and lost history. In it he documented his efforts to save a large collection of beautiful and exceptionally rare newspaper volumes, which were being scrapped in favor of microfilmed replacements. Baker's forceful case served as a

Downtown Corridors: Franklin and Spring Streets

Aug 12 2014 60 mins  
Recorded March 20, 2012 - A panel of presenters examines Portland's downtown corridors, how they help define Portland's urban landscape, and what future development might look like. While roadways like Congress and State Streets are defined by architecture, travel patterns, business and residential development, pedestrian routes, and landscape features, certain corridor--like Frank

The Nature of Lost Things

Aug 19 2014 45 mins  
Speaker: Rosamond Purcell, Photographer; Recorded April 5, 2012 - Rosamond Purcell speaks about her 2003 book Owls Head: On the Nature of Lost Things in which the unique 13 acres mounded high with scrap, antiques, and historical ephemera owned by William Buckminster. One day, in passing "Bucky" mentioned that the only person he would like to have acquire his two-centuries-old brass

The Civil War of 1812

Aug 26 2014 72 mins  
Speaker: Dr. Alan Taylor, Professor of History, University of California, Davis; Recorded April 19, 2012 - The year 2012 marked the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a formative moment in both Maine and U.S. history and the subject of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor's new book. Taylor tells the riveting story of a war that redefined North America--an often brutal and so

Gateways to Portland: Rebuilding Veterans Memorial and Martin's Point Bridges

Sep 02 2014 78 mins  
Recorded April 24, 2012 - The bridges and roadways that connect Portland to the interstate and surrounding communities play an essential role in the life of the city and are a defining characteristic of its landscape. This panel presentation explorers the rebuilding of the Veterans Memorial and Martin's Point bridges which mobilized diverse stakeholders, and raised issues ranging f

On the Waterfront: Heritage, Re-use, and Economic Development

Sep 16 2014 72 mins  
Recorded May 15, 2012 - Development and use of the Portland waterfront is an ongoing policy balancing act, and has significant implications for Portland's economic development, harborside landscape, and the city's identity and heritage. This panel presentation explores the issues that the city, developers, business and property owners, fishermen and lobstermen, preservationists, an

Book Event: Maine: The Wilder Half of New England

Sep 23 2014 61 mins  
Speaker: Historian William David Barry; Recorded July 12, 2012 - A concise, solid, and surprising overview of 500 years of Maine history, Maine: the Wilder Half of New England , ranges from first contact between Native Americans and European explorers to the achievement of a Down East identity, national political power, and worldwide cultural identification. Historian and MHS staff

Book Event: John McDonald's Maine Trivia: A Storyteller's Useful Guide to Useless Information

Sep 30 2014 67 mins  
Speaker: Storyteller John McDonald; Recorded July 26, 2012 - Professional storyteller John McDonald, author of the now-classic A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar , offers up his unique take on Maine trivia. John delivers an educational and hilarious mix of basic and fun facts about the Pine Tree State, including, of course, more than a few wicked funny stories, and the illustrat