2006 Annual Fall O'Connor Lecture Series
What's in Your Trunk?
Did you ever wonder what someone traveling on the Titanic packed for his or her trip, or what did someone in the middle of the 1800s packed when taking a trip, or perhaps what an Irish servant girl might have packed to come to America? Well the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center has set out to answer those questions by inviting three fantastic speakers to take part in their Annual O’Connor Lecture Series, featuring the theme of What’s in Your Trunk?
Monday, October 16th, 2006 at 7pm. (Annual Membership Meeting and Lecture)
The first lecture will feature The Victorian Lady, Ms. Sue Mc Lane, on Monday October 16th at 7pm. The presentation will be part of the Annual Membership Meeting (you do not need to be a member to attend). After a brief meeting the Victorian Lady will give her presentation “PASSAGE ON THE TITANIC.” Dressed in an authentic antique traveling outfit Ms. Mc Lane will use a steamship trunk filled with antiques and artifacts to tell the tale of travel through time and across the oceans with first class, second class and steerage passengers then hear the true story about this most famous oceanic disaster.
Sunday, October 29th, 2006 at 2pm.
The second installment of the series will take place on Sunday, October 29th, 2pm at the Museum. The presentation given by N.Y.S. Historic Sites Curator, Robin Campbell, asked the questions: “What sort of clothing might a mid-19th century lady pack in her travel trunk?” This illustrated lecture examines women's clothing from the skin out and special to this talk only attendees are invited to bring in items of clothing that they would like identified.
Sunday, November 12th, 2006 at 2 pm.
“What Did the Irish Bridgets Pack to Bring to America?” will be the topic of our third lecture. On Sunday, November 12th, 2p.m. at the Museum, presenter Margaret Lynch-Brennan, Ph.D., Associate, N.Y.S. Education Department will explore the following questions. Who were the Irish Bridgets? Why did they come to America? What did they bring with them from Ireland? What was it like to work as a servant? Did Irish servant girls have any fun? She will discuss the young (as young as 13) Irish immigrant girls, those ubiquitous “Bridgets,” who came to northeastern America from 1840-1930 to work as maids, cooks and nannies in private homes.
The meeting and lecture will be at the Waterford Historical Museum, 2 Museum Lane in Waterford. For more information please call the Museum at 238-0809.
Interested in the 2005 Lecture Series? Click here.