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Virtual Program Archive

We are pleased to offer an archive of MCHC’s free virtual public programs, ranging from lectures about food and fashion history, to a webinar about collecting in the digital age. Check our Program Calendar for more information about upcoming virtual programs.

Talking Charm City Theaters with John Waters, the Baron of Bad Taste (September 2022)

Virtual Program Recordings

Sea Change in the Chesapeake’s Black Maritime World

Original Air Date: Thursday, February 1

Join panelists from throughout the Chesapeake’s contemporary maritime world as they explore the evolving legacy of African Americans on the water. From watermen to oyster farmers and recreational sailors to tall ship crewmembers, panelists will share their experiences of a changing Chesapeake and celebrate their modern-day presence on the Bay. Moderated by Kate Livie, the panel features Imani Black, founder of Minorities in Aquaculture; Marcus Asante, founder of the Universal Sailing Club; and Darius Johnson. The virtual discussion will highlight excerpts from the recent MPT film Water’s Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake.

Maryland Emancipation Day: A Vote of the People

Original Air Date: Wednesday, November 1

Similar to Juneteenth–a national celebration of emancipation and the end of enslavement in areas of the former Confederacy–Maryland celebrates Emancipation Day on November 1. This marks the date when a new state constitution ended the institution of slavery in 1864. Join David Armenti, MCHC Vice President of Education & Engagement, in conversation with Marcus “Sankofa” Nicks, Founder of History Heals Consulting, and Maya Davis, Director of the Riversdale House Museum.

Virtual Object Dive—The Dark Crystal: The Tools of Thra

Original Air Date: September 30, 2023

In The Dark Crystal (1982), the world of Thra launches viewers into lush bioluminescent forests, dank dungeons, and airy throne rooms brimming with fantastical details. Look closer and explore some of the tools and belongings used by the many characters of Thra, and create your own prop right at home. The program is suitable for all ages, including adults.

Images and artwork from The Dark Crystal courtesy of The Jim Henson Company. The Dark Crystal ™ & © 1982 The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.

Partnerships with puppetry

Original Air Date: August 17, 2023

Drew Barker, UMD Performing Arts Librarian, and Schroeder Cherry, Curator of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art at MSU, come together virtually to share and compare how puppetry and performing arts have played a role in their career paths. Hosted by Chloe Green, MCHC’s Public Programs & Outreach Manager, educators and creatives discuss the ways performing arts and community engagement align.

The Impact of Sesame Street on Early Childhood Education in Maryland

Original Air Date: July 20, 2023

Sponsored by PNC, tune into a virtual conversation of Henson-loving educators to discuss Jim Henson’s influence in Maryland. Moderated by Danny LaBrecque, creator and host of Danny Joe’s Tree House, learning professionals from Maryland Public Television and Ebony Sonshine Puppets will explore the importance of establishing a strong love for learning early on in life, and how Sesame Street’s multi-generational legacy impacts innovations in early childhood education.

Styling Miss Piggy: A Conversation with Creator Bonnie Erickson and Costumers Polly Smith and Calista Hendrickson

Original Air Date: June 8, 2023

What is it like to style a fashion icon? Join Victoria Pass, PhD, Associate Professor of Fashion and Design History at The Maryland Institute College of Art as she sits down with Miss Piggy Creator Bonnie Erickson, Miss Piggy Costume Designers Calista Hendrickson and Polly Smith to discuss the most fashionable Muppet’s style evolution. From an aspiring ingenue in the chorus to a megawatt star, Miss Piggy’s fashion has both followed and set trends, but also harkened back to classic Hollywood glamor. From her iconic purple satin gloves, to her everchanging hairstyles, this panel will explore what we can learn from Miss Piggy’s style about the enigmatic starlet herself and about the history of fashion on film. 

Making and Learning Environmental History in Maryland

Original Air Date: April 20, 2023

What is environmental history, and why does it matter in Maryland? Join this virtual discussion with Sophie Hess, MCHC’s 2022-23 Lord Baltimore Research Fellow and University of Maryland History PhD candidate, to learn how humans have both exploited the environment and used it to survive and resist over the course of this land’s long history. From plantation enslavement and freedom-seeking, to labor organizing within iron and steel manufacturing, to Indigenous claims for land and water rights, Hess draws the connections between Maryland’s ecological past and the present-day struggles for justice in surrounding communities. Martina Kado, MCHC Director of Publications & Interim Library Director, joins Hess in discussion.

Harry S. Cummings and his Impact on Black Political Participation in Post-Reconstruction Baltimore

Original Air Date: February 23, 2023

Harry S. Cummings was one of the first Black lawyers in the state of Maryland prior to his role in politics and in 1890 became the first Black council member for Baltimore City. His historic election dramatically increased the political participation of Black citizens as he fought for reform and greater civil rights.

Follow Domonique Flowers, MCHC 2022–23 Lord Baltimore Research Fellow, as he virtually showcases Cummings’ integral role as a community leader and political advocate for educational and civic issues in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Martina Kado, MCHC Director of Publications & Interim Library Director, joins Flowers in discussion.

Climate Anxiety and Eco-Grief: A Psychological Response

Original Air Date: February 9, 2023

As our climate crisis grows, feelings of anxiety, grief, depression, and hopelessness are on the rise. Too often these feelings result in burnout or despair and can lead to inaction. This virtual discussion explores the mental health dimensions of a planet in distress and ways to build emotional resilience in face of deep grief and anxiety about the future.
Panelists include Joe Tropea, MCHC Director of Artist Engagement & Curator, Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan, Founder and Director of the Center for Nature Informed Therapy, and speakers from Visible Hands Collaborative: Dr. Kenneth Thomson, Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Community Therapy, North America, and Brigit Hassig, Chief of Staff. The panel will be moderated by Lynn Cazabon, artist and creator of Losing Winter. The MCHC exhibition will be on view through February 19.

Object Dive—Paper Dolls and American Fashion: Art-Making Virtual Workshop

Original Air Date: December 3, 2022

Used as a marketing tool in the 19th and 20th centuries, paper dolls helped to sell clothes and commodities, especially to the female buyer. They remained affordable and popular during and after World War II. Today, paper dolls provide a glimpse into past cultures, improve fine motor skills, and encourage creativity in story-telling and fantasy.

American fashion designer Claire McCardell created a paper doll book in 1956 featuring her designs. The book is currently on view in our newest exhibition, Claire/McCardell. McCardell designed using paper dolls as a child growing up in Maryland, cutting her mother’s fashion magazines into silhouettes. Take a closer look at McCardell’s paper doll fashions and create your own paper doll art form from home.

Afro Charities at Work: Building Bridges through the AFRO American Newspaper Archives

Original Air Date: December 1, 2022

The AFRO American Newspaper Archives represent one of the best preserved Black newspaper archives in the country, including approximately 3 million photographs, thousands of letters, rare audio recordings, and other ephemera related to the publishing business. Tune into this conversation between Savannah Wood, Executive Director of Afro Charities, and David Armenti, MCHC Director of Education, to learn more about how this nonprofit shares and preserves Black stories through artistic and educational projects, from exhibitions and educational resources at MCHC, to regional and national publications, youth journalism fellowships, and more. 

Fashion’s Unsung Hero: A Conversation about Claire McCardell’s Lasting Influence

Original Air Date: November 10, 2022

Join MCHC as we explore what attracts contemporary fashion designers, historians, and writers to the legendary Maryland designer, Claire McCardell. This virtual conversation will include guests Tory Burch, American Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur; April Calahan, co-creator/host of the podcast Dressed: The History of Fashion; and Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, a Baltimore-based storyteller who writes about architecture, design, cities, culture, and of course, Claire McCardell. Victoria Pass, PhD, Associate Professor of Fashion and Design History at The Maryland Institute College of Art will moderate. Speakers will discuss how they personally connect with Claire and her work, and what happened in their personal journeys when they found Claire’s designs.

Francis Scott key lecture series — Poetry in Stone: Horatio Greenough’s Medora and Baltimorean Robert Gilmor Jr.’s role in the Rise of an American School of Sculpture with Lance Humphries, PhD

Original Air Date: November 3, 2022

In 1828 Baltimore art patron and collector Robert Gilmor Jr. (1774–1848) met the young American sculptor Horatio Greenough in Washington, DC. Inviting Greenough to Baltimore, Gilmor commissioned a bust of his wife Sarah R. L. Gilmor, and soon thereafter funded Greenough’s return to Italy to continue his artistic training, commissioning the first ideal sculpture in American art history—Medora—depicting a character from a tale by Lord Byron. Join historian Lance Humphries, PhD as he discusses the newly loaned sculpture on view at MCHC and its importance as the finest sculpture of the era in North America. Joining Lance will be, Mark B. Letzer, Executive Chairman. Together Lance and Mark will discuss Gilmore’s involvement in the creation of an American form of art and his role in fostering the careers of artists like Horatio Greenbough who could depict historic heroes on canvas and in stone.

Francis Scott key lecture series — Claire McCardell: WWII and The American Look with Robyn Levy, Tory Burch Claire McCardell Fashion Fellow

Original Air Date: October 13, 2022

World War II brought Frederick, Maryland-born fashion designer Claire McCardell to a turning point in her career. Already established in the fashion industry but not quite a household name, McCardell was commissioned to design uniforms for the Office of Civil Defense Corps. Using non-rationed materials such as weather balloon cottons, aprons, and mattress ticking, McCardell embraced the opportunity for uniqueness, ultimately leading to the embedded American Look for women. Dive deeper into McCardell’s WWII experience and get a behind-the-scenes look into the upcoming Claire/McCardell exhibition with Robyn Levy, recipient of the Tory Burch Claire McCardell Fashion Fellowship at MCHC, and Victoria Pass, PhD, Associate Professor of Fashion and Design History at The Maryland Institute College of Art. 

Black Activism in Maryland

Original Air Date: October 6, 2022

MCHC welcomes members of the Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists exhibition curatorial panel for a conversation about civil rights activism in Maryland and the behind-the-scenes journey in helping to create the exhibition. David Taft Terry, PhD of Morgan State University, Joshua Clark Davis, PhD of the University of Baltimore, Linda Day Clark, visual artist and scholar, share their expertise and personal experiences regarding Civil Rights in Maryland.

Talking Charm City Theaters with John Waters, the baron of bad taste

Original Air Date: September 21, 2022

Reminisce with Baltimore’s iconoclastic writer, director, and artist John Waters. Using Baltimore as the setting for his counter-culture movies, he has also immortalized some of his favorite Baltimore cinemas on film. Join John Waters, Amy Davis, author of Flickering Treasures, and Joe Tropea, MCHC Director of Artist Engagement & Curator, for a virtual stroll down memory lane.

Object Dive—Material Activism: Art-Making Virtual Workshop

Original Air Date: September 17, 2022

Dive into photography presented in Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists with community artists and MCHC staff. Virtually examine and discuss the use of photography as activist art historically and in contemporary forms. Together, working with local artist Deyane Moses of Blackives, use photography to create your own form of activist art. This program is suitable for all ages, including adults. 

A COnversation about Oral HistoryThe What and Why

Original Air Date: August 11, 2022

The practices at the heart of the oral history discipline comprise the oldest form of historical inquiry—the passing of knowledge and memory through spoken word. But oral history is also very much a modern methodology. It’s a practice that can yield unique insight on historical events, build empathy, and help document a more inclusive representation of our world. Tune in to this dialogue to discover what oral history provides that the written word does/cannot, and why this practice is needed, among other questions.

Lifestories of the Baltimore student protest movement

Original Air Date: June 30, 2022

The students from local high schools and of the historically Black, Morgan State College were some of the first in the nation to organize student led direct action against desegregation. Learn about one influential civil rights leader that had his start in the 1950s and 1960s, Chief Judge Robert M. Bell in discussion with Simone Renee Barrett, PhD Researcher for the Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education at Morgan State University. Judge Bell and Dr. Barrett will provide insight about students’ key roles in the national civil rights movement at Morgan State and other local schools.

Contextualizing juneteenth in Maryland

Original Air Date: June 16, 2022

On June 19, 1865, Union troops in Texas announced news of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was issued. Today, Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday, but what did emancipation look like for enslaved individuals in Maryland? This virtual program discusses Maryland’s Emancipation Day (November 1, 1864) and the unique history of the end of enslavement in the Free State.

Catch Me Who Can: The Design & Deployment of the Famed Baltimore Clipper

Original Air Date: May 5, 2022

Presented by the MCHC Maritime Committee

During the War of 1812, the famed Baltimore clippers proved highly successful as privateers. The speed and maneuverability that made them a favorite for privateers had developed out of the merchant industries of Maryland in the decades before the War of 1812. When war on Britain was declared in 1812, these merchants saw privateering as a new business opportunity. Maritime historian and author, Fred Leiner; lifelong sailor, scientist, and guest crew member of the Pride of Baltimore II, Pierre Henkart; and retired naval architect and marine engineer, Karl Kirkman, join moderator Alexander Lothstein, MCHC Museum Learning Manager & Associate Curator, as they unpack the Baltimore clipper legacy. 

REVEALING THE PAST: GOUCHER COLLEGE HALLOWED GROUND PROJECT

Original Air Date: April 20, 2022

Learn about Goucher College’s Hallowed Ground Project which is unearthing the history of slavery on the grounds of its Towson campus. Using material in MCHC’s H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Associate Professor of History, James Dator PhD, Education Archivist Debbie Harner, and Kalman Bokow and Joseph Reisberg (both Goucher Class of 2022) present findings from their research on John Robert Holliday, one-time sheriff of Baltimore County, and his relationship with enslavement.

building community-based archives

Original Air Date: March 10, 2022

For generations, communities have gathered, collected, and shared their own collective histories. These archives play an essential role in documenting shared heritage around places, experiences, and identities. In this virtual webinar, learn about developing, building infrastructure for, and maintaining successful community-based archives.

Francis Scott key lecture series — The Material World of Eyre Hall with Carl R. Lounsbury PhD

Original Air Date: March 3, 2022

Join architectural historian and editor of The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History, Carl R. Lounsbury PhD, as he dives into the four-year process of investigating the history of one family and its material legacy. Go behind the scenes with Mark Letzer, MCHC President & CEO, as he and Lounsbury talk about the collective research project, the rich decorative arts, architectural gems, individuals, and stories that enrich our understanding of the history of Eyre Hall and the Chesapeake region. 


Virtual Curator Tour: New Voices of The Unfinished Revolution

Original Air Date: February 22, 2022

Join Museum Learning Manager & Associate Curator Alexander Lothstein on a virtual tour of MCHC’s newest exhibition, The Unfinished Revolution: Maryland in the Wars for Independence. This tour explores America’s early fight for economic and political independence and highlights the narratives of lesser-known individuals—those who fought alongside the war heroes but who are often not celebrated.

Sailing to freedom: A Maritime History of Maryland’s Underground Railroad

Original Air Date: December 9, 2021

In coastal regions such as Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay provided an extensive waterway system that served as a crucial passage to freedom. Although most of the published accounts of enslaved fugitives describe the use of boats or ships as a means of escaping from slavery, until recently, the maritime dimension of the Underground Railroad has been neglected.  

Moderator Richard Bell, PhD, author of Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped Into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home, joins Timothy D. Walker, PhD, editor of Sailing to Freedom Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad, and contributor Cheryl Janifer LaRoche, PhD, as they discuss where and how enslaved Marylanders made their way to freedom using the water.

Let’s talk about weather: changing patterns in maryland

Original Air Date: November 10, 2021

How have your memories of winter changed throughout your lifetime? Watch this discussion about changing weather patterns over time and the impact of the earlier onset of spring on plant species in Maryland with Lynn Cazabon, the featured artist of MCHC’s exhibition Losing Winter, as well as Dan Barrie, Modeling, Analysis, Predictions & Projections Program Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Erin Posthumus, Outreach Coordinator at the USA National Phenology Network. Plus a special appearance by WJZ-TV weatherman Bob Turk.

Francis Scott key lecture series — Blue, Gold, and Buff: The Recreation of Tench Tilghman’s Uniform with Historic Tailor Neal Hurst

Original Air Date: November 4, 2021

Go behind the scenes to learn how the rare surviving uniform of Revolutionary War hero, Lt. Colonel Tench Tilghman (1744-1786), was reproduced for MCHC’s latest exhibition, The Unfinished Revolution: Maryland in the Wars for Independence. Allison Tolman, Vice President of Collections & Interpretation at MCHC, will dive into discussion with Neal Hurst, historic tailor and Associate Curator of Costume & Textiles at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

colonial market virtual tavern trivia

Original Air Date: October 28, 2021

Join in 18th-century fun as we bring you the best of our annual Colonial Market, and also celebrate the opening of The Unfinished Revolution: Maryland in the Wars for Independence. Trivia topics include themes from this new exhibition that explore the tension, conflict, and turmoil of America’s emergence onto the world stage between 1775 and 1815 and how Marylanders were at its forefront.

Miller history fund grantee spotlight

Original Air Date: October 21, 2021

The Thomas V. “Mike” Miller Jr. History Fund, administered by MCHC, supports long-term resiliency and efficacy of museums, historic sites, and other organizations that make up Maryland’s vibrant heritage community. This virtual program spotlights three recent Miller History Fund grantees and their respective projects: Preserving a Local Legacy Collection, by Blacks of the Chesapeake; Lexington Market Public History Program, by the Market Center Merchants Association; Focusing on the Future of Maryland’s Multimedia Archive, by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Archive (MARMIA).

Francis Scott key lecture series from slave to “self-taught genius”: Joshua johnson the fells point portraitist

Original Air Date: October 14, 2021

Joshua Johnson is recognized as one of the first professional African American portraitists in the United States. An interesting aspect of his work in the early Republic was the patronage he received from the newly emerging merchant class in Baltimore during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In this behind-the-scenes conversation with Mark Letzer, MCHC President & CEO, learn more about the people Johnson painted in his Fells Point community, and explore the nationally significant collection of Joshua Johnson portraits at MCHC. David Taft Terry, PhD, Associate Professor of History at Morgan State University, and Daniel Fulco, PhD, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Curator join as guests.

Unlocking the Exhibition: Creating Losing Winter

Original Air Date: September 16, 2021

This virtual program offers an inside look at one of MCHC’s newest exhibitions, Losing Winter. Featured artist Lynn Cazabon, Joe Tropea, MCHC Curator of Films & Photographs, and Beth Saunders, Curator and Head of Special Collections & Gallery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, discuss the concept behind this participatory project and how the photograph collections at both MCHC and UMBC and the virtual reality app complement and juxtapose collected memories of winter.

Coffee klatch: questions with mchc

Pre-Recorded

Listen in on this recorded Q&A session with MCHC staff leaders. Hilary Chiang, MCHC Director of Individual Giving, leads this coffee klatch with some of MCHC’s directors and vice-presidents as they share their personal experiences and field questions posed by MCHC members.

self-care meditation series

Original Air Date: May 17-21, 2021

Meditation is the practice of focused attention on an image, sound, or feeling that can help quiet the mind and body. It can regulate emotions, lower pain and stress, ease depression and insomnia, create clearer awareness and insight, and improve spirituality, compassion, and quality of life. In our current exhibition, Wild and Untamed: Dunton’s Discovery of the Baltimore Album Quilts, Dr. William Rush Dunton Jr. used the Baltimore album quilt tradition in his work as he developed the basic tenets of occupational therapy. 

Francis Scott key lecture series eubie Blake: a conversation about rags, rhythm, and race

Original Air Date: May 6, 2021

Join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Eubie Blake’s 1921 musical Shuffle Along. Co-authors Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom, with Martina Kado, PhD, MCHC Director of Publications, explore how they used Baltimore-born composer and pianist James Herbert “Eubie” Blake’s personal collections—housed in the MCHC’s H. Furlong Baldwin Library—to write their biography, Eubie Blake: Rags, Rhythm, and Race. Richard and Ken discuss their discoveries about Eubie’s impact on American culture, the racial roadblocks, and how his Baltimore roots shaped his identity.

virtual teacher workshop: lynching in maryland

Original Air Date: April 24, 2021

K-12 educators face particular challenges when addressing the painful history of lynching and racially motivated violence with young learners. Together, MCHC Education Department staff and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum will highlight instructional resources and primary source material to support these discussions in the classroom. Participants will gain access to oral history interviews, photographs, newspapers, and manuscripts, and investigative lesson plans about lynching in Maryland. MCHC and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum are both designated members of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

the new death of cinema: shifting landscapes of theatrical presentation

Original Air Date: April 22, 2021

Throughout its 120+ year history, the industry of filmmakers and exhibitors have adapted to, and taken chances on, technology. From COVID-19, to the conversion to digital projectors in the early 2010s, to the loss of audience attendance due to television in the 1950s, to theaters converting to sound 90 years ago, the movie (theater) industry has constantly re-invented, re-structured, and re-organized to become a staple of modern life. Joe Tropea, MCHC Curator of Films & Photographs, and Christy LeMaster, Artistic Director at the SNF Parkway Theatre, join author and Wall Street Journal Film Comment critic, Scott Eyman, and Karin Chien, an independent producer and distributor, in conversation about the shifting landscape of theatrical presentation, from the early 20th century to today.

finding truth, healing, and reconciliation: the history of lynchings in maryland

Original Air Date: April 8, 2021

Between 1865 and 1950, more than 4,000 black Americans were lynched in the United States; at least 40 were in Maryland. The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC), established by state legislation in 2019, is the first of its kind in the nation and is tasked with researching, acknowledging, and commemorating these violent historical events. As a designated member, the Maryland Center for History and Culture hosts Commissioners Dr. David Fakunle and Maya Davis along with Will Schwarz, filmmaker and founder of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, to discuss the commission’s ongoing charge to find truth and reconciliation.

Francis Scott key lecture series – Saving America’s Treasures: Preserving Daguerreotypes in the MCHC Collection

Original Air Date: April 1, 2021

Learn about our work to preserve more than 300 daguerreotypes that document regional and national history in the MCHC collection, funded by a Save America’s Treasures grant. Zach Long, Photograph Conservator at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, and Catherine Mayfield, France-Merrick Director of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library at MCHC, will dive deep into the art and craft of these first photographic images, highlighting narratives that have emerged through extensive research and the conservation challenges these historic images present.

virtual trivia: maryland day edition

Original Air Date: March 25, 2021

Celebrate Maryland Day with an all-ages virtual trivia exploring our newest exhibition: Discover Maryland. Test your knowledge of how the last 400 years have shaped Maryland and its people. From indigenous peoples and the founding of Maryland, to the landscape and how it has driven the economy and inspired innovation, to the arts and culture that exist in the state today. What comes to mind when you think of Maryland and the people who live here? Join us for four rounds of questions and conversation with MCHC staff.

pandemics, pirates, and prose: the barbary wars and the u.s.

Original Air Date: March 10, 2021

At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, corsairs from Barbary States seized merchant ships, cargo, and enslaved crews off the North African coast and demanded high payment for safe passage across the Mediterranean. In addition to this crisis, U.S. sailors battled the deadly enemy of yellow fever that swept over ships and ports in the Mediterranean and the U.S. Those who lived to tell the tale wrote about the experience in narratives of Barbary captivity, influencing well-known American sea authors, including Richard Henry Dana Jr. and Herman Melville. Join our virtual peek into an often-overlooked span of U.S. history—the Barbary Wars—and its impact on American culture.

virtual teacher workshop: confederate monuments and memorialization

Original Air Date: March 6, 2021

In recent years, monuments, songs, and other efforts to commemorate the Confederacy have come under intense scrutiny. Perspectives vary about the meaning of these symbols and their role in public spaces. Many teachers struggle with addressing these issues in their classrooms—we are here to help. During this free workshop, the MCHC Education Department highlights instructional resources and primary source material to support discussions on this topic.

Francis Scott key lecture series – painting an american grace, mary anne caton patterson

Original Air Date: March 4, 2021

Join us as we unveil a newly acquired portrait of one of “the American Graces”—Mary Anne Caton Patterson (1788–1853), painted by leading British portrait painter of the time, Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830). Learn what this acquisition reveals about early Baltimore and Mary Anne’s life as Mrs. Robert Patterson, before she became an international celebrity. Presented by Lance Humphries, PhD, Executive Director of Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, with Mark B. Letzer, MCHC President & CEO.

Monuments, memory, and memorialization

Original Air Date: February 25, 2021

As symbols of collective memory, monuments, memorials, and even song lyrics, have had very different meanings to those who create them and those who inherit them. In this virtual program, historians Dr. Renée Ater, associate professor emerita of American art at the University of Maryland, and Dr. Billy Coleman, postdoctoral fellow in early American history at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, University of Missouri, join Ada Pinkston, multimedia artist and 2020 Monument Lab fellow in a discussion about national identity, changed significance, and reinterpretation.

mchc core conversations: community with porchia moore, phd, and nina simon

Original Air Date: December 10, 2020

The MCHC Core Conversation Series celebrates our newly crafted core values: Discovery, Dialogue, Authenticity, and Community. Dr. Porchia Moore and Nina Simon join MCHC’s Vice President of Education & Strategic Engagement, Katie Caljean, in a conversation about how museums can be useful, relevant, and responsive to their communities.

Francis Scott key lecture series – discovering benjamin henry latrobe

Original Air Date: December 3, 2020

In 1796 a 32-year-old, Moravian-educated Benjamin Henry Latrobe arrived in America with eclectic interests, financial difficulties, and a reputation for extravagance. As the “builder of America,” Latrobe never really understood America and came to find an America that never really understood him. Dr. Jean Baker and Dr. Martina Kado, MCHC’s Director of Publications, join in conversation to discuss the life and work of Latrobe, a man who was constantly thwarted but remained a shaping figure of American habits and beliefs. FSK from Home is our virtual program alternative to our Francis Scott Key Lecture Series.

the dichotomoy of dr. dunton: occupational therapy and the baltimore album quilt

Original Air Date: November 19, 2020

As a 20th-century occupational therapist, Dr. William Rush Dunton Jr. saw potential in a popular tradition of needle crafts dating back to mid-19th-century Maryland women. The “wild and untamed” examples of self-expression through the Baltimore album quilt tradition married the therapeutic benefits of community and occupational therapy’s goal of assisting patients’ successful transition back into society. Allison Tolman, the MCHC’s Vice President of Collections & Interpretation and curator of the new exhibition, Wild and Untamed: Dunton’s Discovery of the Baltimore Album Quilts, and Margot Kopera, MCHC’s Public Programs Manager, along with Sheppard Pratt staff, Lisa Illum, librarian and archivist, and Vaune Kopeck, occupational therapist, explore Dunton’s journey to understand the Baltimore album quilt tradition in this virtual program.

MCHC core conversations: authenticity with aaron henkin & wendel patrick

Original Air Date: November 12, 2020

The MCHC Core Conversation Series celebrates our newly crafted core values: Discovery, Dialogue, Authenticity, and Community. Aaron Henkin and Wendel Patrick, producers of the WYPR podcast “Out of the Blocks,” join MCHC’s director of education, David Armenti, in a conversation about authentic ways to collect stories and oral history.

Found in Collection: How Maryland’s New Abandoned Cultural Property Law Can Help Your Museum

Original Air Date: November 10, 2020

Though Maryland’s 2020 Legislative Session was cut short by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s museum community won a major victory with the passage of Senate Bill 88, governing the stuff of a museum registrar’s nightmares: abandoned cultural property. But what does this mean for your institution? How can you make sure you are following the right steps to navigate abandoned property and what is exempt from the bill? This professional development webinar, featuring Allison Tolman, MCHC’s Vice President of Collections & Interpretation, Maryland Assistant Attorney General, Paul Cucuzzella, who represents the Maryland Historical Trust, and Dr. Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware, answers these questions and more, helping you and your Maryland museum or library navigate the new legislation responsibly.

Francis Scott key lecture series – the golden age of annapolis

Original Air Date: November 5, 2020

The period leading up to the American Revolution was one of great wealth, prosperity, and sophistication in Maryland’s colonial capital. In this lecture, Mark B. Letzer, President & CEO of the Maryland Center for History and Culture, explores 18th-century Annapolis architecture, decorative and fine arts in this period, and its appellation “Golden Age.” FSK from Home is our virtual program alternative to our Francis Scott Key Lecture Series.

Blocking the Vote: Voter Suppression, Then and Now

Original Air Date: October 29, 2020

55 years after the Voting Rights Act, voter suppression efforts range from the seemingly unobstructive, like voter ID laws and cuts to early voting, to mass purges of voter rolls and systemic disenfranchisement. But how did we get here? Elaine Weiss, award-winning journalist and writer, author of The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, Dennis Patrick Halpin, PhD, professor of history at Virginia Tech, author of A Brotherhood of Liberty: Black Reconstruction and Its Legacies in Baltimore, 1865–1920, and Nicole Hanson-Mundell, Executive Director of Out for Justice, Inc. discuss the enduring barriers to voting in America, from the 15th and 19th Amendments to today. Moderated by Allison Tolman, MCHC’s Vice President of Collections & Interpretation.

MCHC Core conversations: dialogue with david simon

Original Air Date: October 22, 2020

Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties and a recording of the program is unavailable.

spectrum of fashion symposium: sustainable fashion discussion

Original Air Date: October 21, 2020

This virtual discussion brings together local fashion leaders in conversation about various topics including efforts to reimagine a more regional textile economy, how historical fashion can inform sustainable initiatives today, and global problems with fast fashion culture. Featuring Dr. Victoria Pass as moderator with her guests Valeska Populoh, Janice Wallace, Caprece Ann Jackson, and Allison Tolman.

spectrum of fashion symposium: designing the modern woman: Couturieres of the Early 20th Century

Original Air Date: October 20, 2020

Couturieres ushered in a new era of fashion at the turn of the 20th century, providing new designs and fashion innovations for the “modern woman.” April Calahan of the Dressed Podcast takes a deep dive into the work and influence of three of these designers: Jeanne Paquin, Jeanne Lanvin, and Madeleine Vionnet in this virtual program.

spectrum of fashion symposium: a stain on an all american brand: how brooks brothers once clothed slaves

Original Air Date: October 19, 2020

In this virtual program, Dr. Jonathan Michael Square presents his research on Brooks Brothers’ role in producing elaborate uniforms for enslaved coachmen, footmen, and chauffeurs in wealthy American households, known as livery. Learn about how this “all-American” brand profited from the institution of slavery and what research methods were used to uncover this connection.

Baltimore’s golden age of movie theaters

Original Air Date: October 15, 2020

Take a trip down memory lane with Joe Tropea, MCHC’s Curator of Films & Photographs, Eric R. Cotten, founder of the Baltimore Filmmakers Collective, Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun photographer and author of Flickering Treasures Robert K. Headley, motion picture exhibition historian and author of Motion Picture Exhibition in Baltimore, and activist Ralph Moore as they muse on Baltimore’s golden age of movie theaters.

tracing the life of frederick douglass

Original Air Date: October 6, 2020

During this live, interactive distance learning program, children and families will learn about the life of Frederick Douglass. By examining primary sources from the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s collections, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the living and working conditions experienced by enslaved Africans and African Americans. From slavery to freedom, participants will gain a better understanding of Douglass’ incredible life and legacy.

Francis Scott key lecture series vanguard: how african american women led the movement for voting rights

Original Air Date: October 1, 2020

Dr. Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, discusses her new book: Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All in this virtual program. Learn about the black women who built this movement and how it continues to impact politics today. FSK from Home is our virtual program alternative to our Francis Scott Key Lecture Series.

MCHC Core Conversations: Discovery with carla hayden, phd

Original Air Date: September 24, 2020

The MCHC Core Conversation Series celebrates our newly crafted core values: Discovery, Dialogue, Authenticity, and Community. Dr. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress, joins MCHC’s France-Merrick Director of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Catherine Mayfield, in a conversation about how we can make library and museum collections relevant today and the importance of “discovery.”

Francis Scott key lecture series emanuel leutze: myth and memory

Original Air Date: September 10, 2020

Tune in to this virtual program, presented by independent museum educator, Alice W. Schwarz. This deep-dive presentation discusses how German-born artist Emanuel Leutze romanticized the past in two of his most well-known paintings: “Washington Crossing the Delaware” and his other work owned by the Maryland Center for History and Culture, “Settlement of Maryland by Lord Baltimore.” FSK from Home is our virtual program alternative to our Francis Scott Key Lecture Series.

unlocking the exhibition: the women in forgotten fight

Original Air Date: August 20, 2020

Watch this virtual program for an inside look at MCHC’s upcoming virtual exhibition, Forgotten Fight: The Struggle for Voting Rights in Maryland, launching September 9, 2020. You’ll meet a few MCHC staff members and learn about how several suffragists’ stories were uncovered and brought to light through our collections.

Historic Amusement Parks in Maryland: Separate but not Equal

Original Air Date: August 12, 2020

This virtual program recalls Maryland’s amusement parks of a bygone era, with special consideration to Gywnn Oak Park. MCHC proudly welcomes Jason Rhodes, author of Images of America: Maryland’s Amusement Parks, and Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan, co-authors of the recently published children’s book about Gwynn Oak, A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story, whose story is told in more detail in Nathan’s earlier book for teens and adults, Round and Round Together, to our virtual program stage. 



Two Sides of the Redline: How Policy Shaped a City of Neighborhoods

Original Air Date: July 30, 2020

Across the United States, patterns of racial and economic segregation can be directly attributed to the systematic denial of mortgage and bank lending to African Americans, known as redlining. These nationwide discriminatory practices continued legally until 1968, when the Fair Housing Act banned racial discrimination in housing. But 50 years after that law passed, the lingering effects of redlining are clear. In this virtual program experts outline the practice of redlining in Baltimore and discuss the historical, demographic, economic, and traumatic impact these policies continue to have on Black communities today.

Moderated by David Armenti, MCHC Director of Education with special guests Dr. Corey J. Henderson, historical trauma healing expert; Eric Holcomb, Executive Director of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP); Antero Pietila, journalist, writer, and author of Not in My Neighborhood; and Delegate Stephanie Smith, District 45, Baltimore City.

Colonial Market Virtual Tavern Trivia

Original Air Date: July 23, 2020

Join in the 18th-century fun as we go virtual to offer you the best of our annual Colonial Market. Play along with us in a four-round tavern trivia game on topics all-things Colonial Maryland. You’ll meet some of our favorite Colonial Market living history interpreters along the way!

Unlocking the Exhibition: Between the Seams of Spectrum of Fashion

Original Air Date: July 16, 2020

Close examination of a historic garment can reveal undiscovered stories about its wearer(s). In this virtual program, Ashlee Anderson, Digital Learning Specialist, and Emily Bach, Curatorial Assistant, take a deep-dive into 10 of the pieces on view in the Spectrum of Fashion exhibition at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, providing insight into provenance, fashion trends, and Maryland’s social history.

Virtual Teacher Workshop: African American History and the Freedom Struggle in Maryland

Original Air Date: July 14, 2020

MCHC Director of Education, David Armenti, and Museum Learning Manager, Alex Lothstein, demonstrate the value of MCHC collections for instruction about African American history in this unique virtual workshop. Geared toward K-12 and university-level educators, David and Alex model analysis and classroom instruction strategies for complex topics like enslavement, freedom struggles, and civil rights activism. Please contact Alex Lothstein at alothstein@mdhistory.org for supplemental material.

The Black Freedom Struggle in Maryland, a Discussion with the University of Maryland Department of History

Original Air Date: July 14, 2020

MCHC welcomes the University of Maryland, Department of History in this virtual program about Maryland’s Black Freedom Struggle. Presentations by Dr. Christopher Bonner, Dr. Michael Ross, and Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown address the Colonization Movement, African American soldiers in the Civil War, and racial terror during the Jim Crow era in Maryland. Dr. Richard Bell moderates.

Quarantine Fashion: A Love Letter to Baltimore Vintage

Original Air Date: July 2, 2020

Learn all about the worldwide phenomenon of quarantine fashion. Alexandra Deutsch, vintage collector and fashion historian, sheds light on how fashion—particularly vintage clothing—creates community, in Baltimore and beyond. Cara Ober, Editor-in-Chief of Bmore Art, joins her in conversation.



Let’s Talk About the Constitution: The Three-Fifths Clause

Original Air Date: June 24, 2020

Professor Richard Bell from the University of Maryland provides a fascinating look into the text of the 1787 federal Constitution and demonstrates how the Three-Fifths Clause wove slaveholder power into the fabric of each of the three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—shaping every aspect of federal policy regarding slavery for decades to come.


Cocktails & Conversation with Mark Letzer, President & CEO

Original Air Date: June 17, 2020

Have you ever wondered how the Baltimore Oriole got its name? Or maybe you are curious about upcoming exhibitions? You’ll learn the answers to these questions and more when you watch this recording of the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s 176th annual meeting (and first ever virtual annual meeting). President and CEO, Mark Letzer, and Vice President of Education and Strategic Engagement, Katie Caljean, talk about where MCHC is headed and answer questions about the organization from our members. You’ll also hear from outgoing Board Chair, Louise Lake Hayman, and incoming Board Chair, Clinton Daly.


Bay to Table: Rethinking Tradition

Original Air Date: June 11, 2020

Historically, Maryland’s seafood industry has heavily relied on a wholesale system for delivering product to the consumer. With restaurants and oyster bars closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local oystermen are finding new ways to bring those salty bi-valves to your table. Watch this recording of “Bay to Table: Rethinking Tradition” to learn more about why the oyster industry has been so hard hit and how they are reshaping their way of doing business. Moderated by Kate Livie, Chesapeake educator, writer, and historian with special guests Dylan Salmon, Co-Owner of Dylan’s Oyster Cellar, Scott Budden, Partner of Orchard Point Oyster Co., and Tim Wheeler, Associate Editor and Senior Writer at Bay Journal.


Partners In Sensuality: A Wine & Chocolate Virtual Date Night!

Original Air Date: May 28, 2020

Treat yourself to a virtual date night and join food historian Joyce White as she walks participants through an 18th-century chocolate recipe from her kitchen. Learn about Maryland’s connection to chocolate history and create a decadent modern adaption of a historical recipe. Recipes can be found on Joyce’s blog. Some adult content.


Fashion and Crisis: Looking to the Past to Understand How Fashion Might Change in the Future

Original Air Date: May 20, 2020

Learn about shifts in fashion trends throughout history and how they tend to happen in the wake of crisis with Dr. Victoria Pass. By looking back at how fashion changed during the two World Wars, we can see how significant shifts in fashion have often been pushed forward in the wake of crisis. From the use of protective clothing for factory work and air raid shelters, to rationing and women wearing trousers, fashion has responded to and reflected the changes in people’s everyday lives.


Collecting in Crisis: Responsive Collecting in a Digital Age

Original Air Date: May 14, 2020

Museums and libraries are at the forefront of collecting and documenting history. But what do you do when history is happening all around you and you can’t get out and do the collecting? How do you document history as it happens in a digital age? This COVID-19-focused webinar led by the Maryland Center for History and Culture aims to provide a roadmap for cultural institutions on crowd-sourced collecting of born-digital materials. MCHC, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Salisbury University, and DC Public Library share their approaches to developing, building infrastructure, and conducting outreach to create successful responsive collecting initiatives in a digital age.


Marvelous Style: How Fashion Defines Characters in the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Original Air Date: May 7, 2020

MCHC’s Allison Tolman takes a retro deep-dive into the iconic looks, derived from historical designs, that evolve with the characters of the Amazon Prime video series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Along the way, you’ll learn more about how Maryland native Claire McCardell served as the go-to inspiration for modern women in postwar America.


One More (Virtual) Return to Hutzler’s and Howard Street

Original Air Date: April 29, 2020

Take one more (virtual) trip to Howard Street. Hear the stories of Hutzler’s, Hochschild’s, Hecht’s, Stewart’s, and the other establishments that comprised Baltimore’s former bustling commercial district. Noted department store historian, lecturer, BSO oboist, and author Michael Lisicky explains why Baltimoreans still hold Hutzler’s, and many similar institutions, dear to their hearts.