Pilgrim Hall Celebrates Spring

2013 April Lecture Series
Coffee at 9:30 a.m., lectures begin at 10 a.m.

Join us each Wednesday morning in April for lectures inspired by the “I’ve Been There”: Souvenirs of Pilgrim Plymouth exhibit. Each program will last about an hour, including time for questions. All lectures are included with museum admission; no charge for Plymouth residents or members of Pilgrim Hall Museum.

April 3 – Souvenirs of the Old Colony Katie MacDonald, The Ruby Winslow Linn Curator, Old Colony Historical Society

As symbols gathered from personal, local, and national experiences, souvenirs are often overlooked glimpses into what people have found important at different moments in history. Examples drawn from the collection of the Old Colony Historical Society bring to life historical events from throughout the region, explain how museums collect and interpret both historical artifacts and souvenirs, and question just exactly what the difference is between the two.

April 10 – Rambles in Pilgrimland: Tourist Memories of the Old Colony Town James W. Baker, Plymouth Historian and Guest Curator of “I’ve Been There”

Technological advances in travel made tourist visits to Plymouth much easier by the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries. With the increase in visitors, the market for souvenirs, guide books, and accommodations took off. Join Jim Baker as he reviews the changes which brought new visitors to Plymouth and the tangible memories they took home.

April 17 – Sterling Silver Mementoes: American Memory in Souvenir Spoons Stephen O’Neill, Associate Director & Curator of Collections, Pilgrim Hall Museum

Sterling silver spoons originated during the 1890s when they were sold as souvenirs, and today they are highly valued collectors’ items. This illustrated lecture will explore their creation and popularity through the depictions of historical subjects like Salem, Plymouth, and St. Augustine, and Victorian artistic movements like the Viking Revival to understand why they were so popular and what they meant to Americans of the late 19th century.

April 24 – Teawares to Tiles: Pilgrim Souvenir Dishes Karin Goldstein, Curator of Collections and Library, Plimoth Plantation

Dishes and other ceramics including tea wares and tiles have been a favorite type of souvenir for more than a century. Pottery with images of the Pilgrims were made as early as 1819 in England, when blue and white dishes featuring the Landing of the Pilgrims were made by the Staffordshire firm of Enoch Wood. Since then, Pilgrim souvenir dishes were made in other English towns, in Germany and Austria, and in America. Karin Goldstein presents an overview of dishes with Pilgrim images, including an examination of illustrations/motifs, form and importers' marks.

For more information about the April Lecture Series see pilgrimhallmuseum.org.

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