The Historical Horizons Lecture Series is set to make a return in Spring 2024, presenting a captivating lineup of four Wednesday lectures at Genesee Community College, sponsored by the GCC History Club.
The lectures, scheduled to take place at GCC's Batavia Campus in the Conable Technology Building, Room T102 at 7 p.m., promise to offer a diverse range of topics that appeal to both history enthusiasts and the general public. All lectures are free of charge, underlining Genesee Community College's commitment to providing accessible educational opportunities to the community.
Photo of Cory A. Norling, courtesy of genesee.edu.
The series kicks off on Feb. 7 with a lecture titled "'Opera Was Not Written for New York Alone': Circuit Chautauqua, English-Language Opera, and the Making of an American Middle, ca. 1910-1930." Renowned scholar Cory A. Norling, PhD Musicology, will delve into the rich history of the Chautauqua Movement and its impact on the American Midwest, exploring the role of staged opera as a cultural bridge.
Photo of Jess Maxfield, courtesy of genesee.edu.
Following this, on March 6, historian Jess Maxfield will present "The Cautionary Tale of Encephalitis Lethargica: Epidemic Disease and Historical Memory." Maxfield will shed light on the encephalitis lethargica epidemic of the early 20th century, drawing parallels with the ongoing conversations surrounding global pandemics.
Photo of Derek Maxfield, courtesy of genesee.edu.
April 3 brings us to "The Worst of the Worst: The Story of the Confederate POW Camp at Belle Isle in Richmond During the Civil War" by Associate Professor of History, Derek Maxfield. The lecture promises a compelling exploration of the Belle Isle camp, challenging popular perceptions about Civil War prisoner-of-war camps.
Photo of Victor Vignola, courtesy of genesee.edu.
The series concludes on May 1 with a book talk by Civil War Historian Victor Vignola titled "Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1, 1862." Vignola's award-winning work on the Battle of Fair Oaks offers a fresh perspective on this pivotal moment in Civil War history.
Genesee Community College invites the public to join them for these enlightening lectures, providing a unique opportunity to engage with historical topics and esteemed scholars. Mark your calendars for an enriching experience at the Historical Horizons Lecture Series this spring.
For more information, please contact the Office of Student Engagement and Inclusion at sei@genesee.edu.
The Genesee Community College History Club is excited to invite the public to the first Spring 2019 Historical Horizons Lecture Series event on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. to hear Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer, Ph.D., discuss the "Winged Jewels of the Nile."
Birds and bird imagery filled the world of the ancient Egyptians. Every fall, the arrival of millions of waterfowl in the delta marshes coincided with the Nile flood.
The Egyptians saw in these natural and cyclical events a symbolic reenactment of the moment of creation when, according to some versions of the myth, a divine goose laid an egg on the first mound emerging from the water. From this egg hatched the sun god, who flew high in the sky and created the other gods and humanity.
In addition to presenting how birds, from cradle to coffin, permeated most aspects of Egyptian society, Bailleul-LeSuer will discuss the work she has conducted and is pursuing on a selection of bird mummies held in museum collections.
Using medical imaging and scientific analyses to complement findings from ancient texts and artifacts, her research aims at shedding some additional light on the phenomenon of Sacred Bird Cults, in which these mummies played a significant role. With her expertise in this unique field of study, Bailleul-LeSuer has edited the book, "Between Heaven and Earth, Birds in Ancient Egypt," which was published by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in 2012.
The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building, is free and open to the public. The other upcoming Historical Horizons Lectures scheduled on the first Wednesday of each month during the Spring 2019 Semester include:
Wednesday, March 6: " 'Race' and the Dilemma of the New England Puritan: Intersections of Ideas and Identities" presented by Richard Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor of History at Canisius College and author of "Race and Redemption in Puritan New England" (Oxford 2014);
Wednesday, April 3: "The Shadow of Slavery: Black Women and Political Mobilization during Reconstruction" presented by Justin Behrend, Ph.D., associate professor of History, SUNY Geneseo and author of "Reconstructing Democracy: Grassroots Black Politics in the Deep South after the Civil War" (University of Georgia Press, 2015.);
Wednesday, May 1: "Military Campaigns of 1755 -- French and Indian War" presented by William Griffith, associate at the Gettysburg Foundation.
