Category: Talks

Our 2026 Spring Lecture Series at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion

Join us for an exciting lecture series this spring at the historic Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, also known as the Engineers Club. One Sunday afternoon each month from March through May, join us for an in-depth talk by a subject matter expert all the while sitting in a gorgeous Gilded Age mansion. Learn more and sign up for each lecture below! And don’t forget to check out our calendar to see all of our upcoming tours and events.

–Johns Hopkins, Executive Director

Immigrants at Locust Point, 1904 (Image courtesy of the Maryland Center for History and Culture)

Building Baltimore: A Talk on Immigration and Opportunity by Jack Burkert

March 1, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15

For almost two million people, Baltimore was the destination that promised a new life, hope and opportunity. Beginning in earnest in the 18th century, accelerating through the 19th, immigrants provided the labor force necessary for Baltimore to become an industrial powerhouse. Early arrivals endured often tortuous Atlantic crossings under sail. Later steam powered ships sped the trip, but steerage accommodation offered little improvement to time spent at sea. Who were these people? Where were they from? Why did they abandon their homes? On March 1, join Baltimore historian Jack Burkert to explore immigration into Baltimore.

 

American Revolution and the Fate of the World: A Talk by Dr. Richard Bell

April 12, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15

The American Revolution was not only the colonies’ triumphant liberation from the rule of an overbearing England; it was also a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and threw the entire world order into chaos. The “War of Independence” manifested itself as a sprawling struggle that upended the lives of millions of people on every continent and fundamentally transformed the way the world works, disrupting trade, restructuring penal systems, stirring famine, and creating the first global refugee crisis. On April 12, join acclaimed University of Maryland history professor and author Dr. Richard Bell as he upends much of what we thought we knew about the American Revolution.

 

The Making of America’s Greatest Classical Architect: A Talk by Charlie Duff

May 24, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15

John Russell Pope designed the National Gallery, the National Archives, the Jefferson Memorial, and dozens of other buildings of national importance. He was arguably the greatest master of classical architecture in American history. So how did this New Yorker get his start in Baltimore? He wasn’t from here. He didn’t go to school here. But it was a Baltimorean who gave him his first independent commission, and it was Baltimoreans who gave him the chance to build his first museum. On May 24, join Baltimore historian and architecture buff Charlie Duff to investigate Pope’s work in Baltimore and his lasting impact on America.

Announcing Our Spring Lecture Series at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion

Join us for an exciting lecture series this spring at the historic Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, also known as the Engineers Club. One Sunday afternoon each month from March through May, join us for an in-depth talk by a subject matter expert all the while sitting in a gorgeous Gilded Age mansion. Learn more and sign up for each lecture below! And don’t forget to check out our calendar to see all of our upcoming tours and events.

–Johns Hopkins, Executive Director

 

Baltimore Mid-Century: A Talk by Jack Burkert

On March 30, join historian Jack Burkert to discover how the 1950’s made lasting changes to the way people lived, how they moved in and around the Baltimore region, and where they found employment. From the early “crisis” in absorbing returning veterans and new families, to the way those new families would seek entertainment and recreation, Baltimore would be a far different place in 1959 than it was in 1950. Automobiles and the highways they rode on took over. The “Red Scare” went local, labor strikes sparked unintended consequences while hula hoops, poodle skirts and fast food became modern trends. A decade many recall, but few realize how much of Baltimore’s 21st century had roots in the 1950’s. March 30, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here!

 

Below Baltimore: An Archaeology of Charm City by Adam Fracchia

Join us on April 6 to hear archaeologist Adam Fracchia discuss his work in Baltimore and his new book, Below Baltimore: An Archaeology of Charm City. Join Dr. Fracchia to explore the layers of the city’s material record from the late seventeenth century to the recent past by focusing on major themes around Baltimore’s growth into a mercantile port city, the city’s diverse immigrant populations and the history of their foodways, and the ways industries—including railroads, glass factories, sugar refineries, and breweries—structured the city’s landscape. April 6, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here! 

 

Sites of the Baltimore Slave Trade: A Talk by Richard Messick

Join us on May 18 to hear Baltimore researcher Richard Messick discuss the growth of the domestic slave trade in Baltimore, the various methods and locations of sale, and some of the more notorious traders in the business of selling people. After its incorporation in the late 18th century, the population of Baltimore grew very quickly along with the expansion of the new country. The market for the sale of people that grew up in the Mid-Atlantic region was also extensive. Although many of the associated buildings no longer exist, Richard Messick’s research and mapping project show the deeply interwoven relationship between the trade of human beings and our streets of Baltimore. May 18, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15. Register here!