Daily Archives: October 13, 2024

Saturday, October 19, 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm, and 7:30 pm – Whispers from the Veil: A Victorian Séance Experience

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Join The Gibson House Museum on Beacon Street on October 19 for a séance reenactment exploring the history of spiritualism and guided by renowned Boston medium Mina “Margery” Crandon (1888-1941), as portrayed by actress Laura Rocklyn. Crandon’s séances captivated audiences, sparking controversial and heated debates about the existence of paranormal abilities. This hour-long journey delves into the world of Harry Houdini, the legendary escape artist and illusionist who dedicated his life to exposing fraudulent mediums, and the dual persona of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, acclaimed author of Sherlock Holmes and a staunch advocate for spiritualism. As you tour the Gibson House Museum, you’ll experience the rituals and practices that intrigued and confounded Crandon, Houdini, and Doyle, unravelling the intertwined lives and beliefs of these three extraordinary individuals. You may choose from four time slots, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, or 7:30. $28. Register through Eventbrite HERE.

Monday, October 28, 6:45 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Julia Child’s Kitchen

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Julia Child’s kitchen in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home was a serious workspace and recipe-testing lab that exuded a sense of warm mid-century comfort. On display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for most of the past 20 years, museum goers have made it a top destination.

The kitchen contains more than 1,000 parts and pieces—tools, appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knick-knacks, books, and bits of whimsy—all reflecting Child’s status as an accomplished chef, gastronome, delightful cooking teacher, television trailblazer, women’s advocate, mentor, and generous, jovial friend.

Drawing on her new book, Julia Child’s Kitchen, curator Paula Johnson, one of the original collectors and keepers of the 20′ x 14′ kitchen, provides an intimate portrait of Child at home and remembrances of cooking with her and examines how the kitchen’s layout, design, and contents reflect Child’s philosophy of cooking as well as a period of social and cultural change in the United States.

Hear Johnson, curator of food history and director of the museum’s American Food History Project, discuss the beloved cookbook author and television star’s favorite place in the world—her home kitchen. In conversation with Jessica Carbone, a food writer and historian, she also examines how the legacy Child created in this iconic room continues to influence the ways we cook today.

This Smithsonian Associates Zoom presentation takes place October 28 at 6:45 pm Eastern. $20 for Smithsonian Associates members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/julia-childs-kitchen