Calendar of Events

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2012

January

Saturday, January 7

In the Spirit of the Season: A Holiday Tour of Most Holy Trinity Church

1:00-3:00 p.m.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Urban Oyster is proud to host its third annual Christmas-themed tour of the beautiful church and parish grounds of Most Holy Trinity - St. Mary in the eastern part of Williamsburg. On this tour led by Father Timothy Dore and tour guide Cindy VandenBosch, you'll venture up into the towers and down into the crypt, and even take a peek into the rathskeller basement of the rectory where clergy entertained guests. You'll learn about the German and Irish heritage of the congregation, highlighting its early beginnings in the mid-1800s with stories of the origins of Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and learn about recent immigrants who have brought new holiday traditions to the church, from Noche Buena to the Three Kings Day Parade. Tickets: $20/person. All profits from this tour will be donated to the Trinity Human Service Center, a non-profit organization that provides case assistance, information, and educational training to economically disadvantaged families in the city. Advance ticket purchase is required. Visit the website or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Saturdays and Sundays, January 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29

Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours

12:30 and 3:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks, join Urban Oyster, in collaboration with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, for public bus tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Urban Oyster offers two Navy Yard Tour options: a two-hour comprehensive tour for $30 and a one-hour highlights tour for $18. These tours explore the Yard's transition from one of the nation's foremost naval shipbuilding facilities to a national leader in sustainable urban industrial parks. Tours will begin and end at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92. BHS members receive 10% off all tours. For dates, tickets, and more information, please visit www.urbanoyster.com or call Urban Oyster at 347.618.8687.

Wednesday, January 18

Literary Brooklyn with Author Evan Hughes and Scholar Edgar Garcia

7:00 p.m.

Evan Hughes will discuss his recently published book Literary Brooklyn, which examines the connection between writers and Brooklyn as a place and identity. Edgar Garcia will discuss Walt Whitman, one of the authors featured in Literary Brooklyn, particularly Whitman's role in Brooklyn’s publishing history. This event is part of BHS’s spring series, Inventing Brooklyn, which examines key people that have influenced Brooklyn’s past and present and highlights cultural trends that have roots in Brooklyn’s rich and diverse history. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, January 21

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Wednesday, January 25

Behind-the-Scenes: Tour of Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties at Brooklyn Museum with Curator Terry Carbone

6:00 p.m.

Join BHS for a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the new exhibit Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties at Brooklyn Museum led by exhibit curator Terry Carbone. Behind-the-Scenes events, a benefit for higher-level BHS members, offer exclusive access to BHS's exhibits, collections and programs. Want to attend Behind-the-Scenes events? Contact BHS’s membership coordinator Taina Sanon, 718.222.4111 ext. 246. Or go online to join BHS as an Advocate Member or higher.

Thursday, January 26

Watch & Discuss the film Something New with sociologist Erica Chito-Childs

7:00 p.m.

Kenya McQueen (Sanaa Lathan) is a successful African-American CPA, working her way to the top of the corporate ladder -- but her life has become all work and no play. Urged on by her friends to try something new and to let go of her dream of the "ideal black man," she accepts a blind date with an architectural landscaper named Brian (Simon Baker), only to cut the date short upon first sight, because Brian is white. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP required:

This event is part of Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, an oral history project and public programming series, which examines the history and experiences of mixed-heritage people and families, cultural hybridity, race, ethnicity, and identity. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Council for the Humanities, Two Trees Management, Brooklyn Brewery, Sweet ’N Low Division of Cumberland Packing, and FHL Bank San Francisco.

Thursday, January 26
Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable Cocktail Party
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Enjoy historic cocktails, beer, and wine in BHS's Othmer Library for the first Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable Cocktail Party, sponsored by MNS. Thursday, January 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets: $50 or FREE with purchase of 2012 Roundtable Series Ticket. Purchase your tickets here. Questions? Call Taina Sanon at 718.222.4111 ext. 246.

Saturday, January 28

Historic Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour with Big Onion

1:00 p.m.

Explore New York City’s first Landmark District on this special tour co-sponsored by Big Onion and BHS. Explore the neighborhood’s agricultural roots, its emergence as the country’s first suburb, and its twentieth century decline and dramatic regeneration. Stops could include: The Hotel St George, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, and sites associated with Seth Low, George Washington, Arthur Miller, WEB DuBois, and Gypsy Rose Lee. This tour ends at BHS with a behind-the-scenes tour of the building and free admission to the museum. Adults $18/students, military, seniors $15. BHS members receive $3 off all Big Onion tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Throughout January

Big Onion Walking Tours of Brooklyn

Since 1991, Big Onion Walking Tours has led locals and visitors alike on innovative and exciting tours through New York's ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts. Big Onion’s tours of Brooklyn include the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Park, and DUMBO/Vinegar Hill. Big Onion’s walking tours explore the many layers of history that make up the fabric of our city. BHS members receive $3 off all tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Throughout January

Urban Oyster Tours of Brooklyn

Urban Oyster leads a variety of tours of Brooklyn, including: Brooklyn Navy Yard by Bus or by Bike: take a bus tour or ride a bike and learn the fascinating stories of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's past, present, and future; and Brewed in Brooklyn: discover how the story of the beer brewing industry tells a larger narrative about the neighborhood of Williamsburg, the borough of Brooklyn, and even the country as a whole. Visit the Brooklyn Brewery and sample beers on tap, then step back in time to explore the heart of the old Brewers Row, once a German immigrant area known for its brew houses and beer gardens. Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.599.1842 for specific dates and ticket prices. BHS members receive a 10% discount on Navy Yard and Brewery Tours (contact BHS at 718.222.4111 for code). This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

2011

January

Thursday, January 6

In the Spirit of the Season: A Holiday Church Tour
6:30-8:30 pm


Join Urban Oyster for this special tour of the beautiful church and parish grounds of Most Holy Trinity - St. Mary in the eastern part of Williamsburg.   Led by Father Timothy Dore and Tour Guide Cindy VandenBosch, this tour will explore the history and architecture of the church, venturing up into the towers and down into the crypt, and even taking a peek into the rathskeller basement of the rectory where clergy once entertained guests. We'll also reflect on the German and Irish heritage of the congregation, highlighting its early beginnings in the mid-1800s with stories of the origins of Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and learn about more recent immigrants who have brought new holiday traditions to the church, from Noche Buena to the Three Kings Day Parade.   Desserts with coffee and tea will be provided.

All profits from this tour will be donated by Urban Oyster to the Trinity Human Service Center, a non-profit organization that provides case assistance, information and educational training to economically disadvantaged families in the city. For tickets: http://www.urbanoyster.com/holiday-church-tour.html

Saturday, January 8

Nina Talbot Artist Talk

2:00 pm

Nina Talbot, painter and curator of BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration & Survival, will talk about her process

of story collecting and studio practice. Talbot will discuss the collaborative nature of the exhibit including interviewing portrait subjects, working with NYU public historian Rachel Bernstein, and poet Esther Cohen, who both contributed their work to the exhibit.

Wednesday, January 12

Francis Morrone Booktalk at Greenlight Bookstore

7:30 pm

Francis Morrone, author of The Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Neighborhood and Architectural History Guide, will speak at the Greenlight Bookstore about the social and cultural history of these beloved neighborhoods. Greenlight Bookstore offers the Fort Greene Neighborhood guides for sale.

Thursday, January 13

Fort Greene Audio Tour Launch at LAPC

7:30 pm

Join BHS, Francis Morrone, Works In Progress, the Fort Greene Association, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church and others at the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Audio Tour Launch at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street. This audio tour accompanies BHS' recently published neighborhood guide for Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and features the voices of Nelson George and many Fort Greene residents. The audio tour will be available for download from the BHS website and through iTunes. At the launch party we will share audio from the various Fort Greene/Clinton Hill-based projects. Light refreshments will be provided.

Saturday, January 15

New York Cemeteries: Authors Panel

2:00 pm

Two recently published books explore the history and legends surrounding New York cemeteries including Green-Wood and Cypress Hills. The author's panel will include: Steve Duer and Allan Smith: Cypress Hills Cemetery and Alexandra Mosca: Green-Wood Cemetery.

Monday, January 17

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"I have a dream today!” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s declaration still resonates today, almost fifty years after his words echoed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Brooklynites reflecting on those words can also reflect on the fact that those words were spoken by Dr. King in our borough, to an interracial audience of 2,500 people at the Concord Baptist Church, as reported by Stanley Rowland, Jr. in the New York Times of March 26, 1956....MORE.

Thursday, January 20

SOLD OUT

Standing room only tickets will be available at the door after 7pm

Brewed in Brooklyn: A History of Fermenting Barley in New York’s Favorite Borough

6:30 - 8:00 pm
Join David Naczycz and Cindy VandenBosch of Urban Oyster for an entertaining, in-depth look at how beer has played a pivotal role in the history of Brooklyn. A free (with ticket purchase) beer and cheese reception precedes the talk. Beer graciously provided by Brooklyn Brewery and Kelso of Brooklyn. 21 and over only. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up.  Purchase your tickets here. Tickets: $15 BHS members/$20 non-members.

Wednesday, January 26

Painting Brooklyn Stories Panel: Telling Stories Through Painting, Oral histories, Poetry & Writing

6:00 pm-7:30 pm

This panel discussion will explore various ways of telling stories. We hope to engage the audience in dialogue to promote compassionate understanding of issues dealt with among Brooklyn immigrant populations. The panel will include:

Rachel Bernstein, Moderator, NYU Public Historian

Esther Cohen, Poet

Jennifer Scott, Director of Research, Weeksville Heritage Center

Steve Zeitlin, Director, City Lore

Nina Talbot, Painter

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Thursday, January 27

Linda Gordon: Picturing Women in the Great Depression at the Museum of the City of New York

6:30pm

The popular image of women during the Great Depression is dominated by rural themes: mothers protecting their families from fierce dust storms and greedy bank managers, Ma Joad from The Grapes of Wrath, and Dorothea Lange’s iconic “Migrant Mother.”  But as Denys Wortman’s vivid slice-of-life cartoons of New York in the depression show, urban women were also hit hard by the economic disaster. Award-winning historian Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits, discusses the role gender played in Americans’ response to the economic crisis of the 1930s. Reservations required: 917-492-3395 or e-mail programs@mcny.org. $6 MCNY museum members; $8 seniors and students; $12 non-members. $6 when you mention the Brooklyn Historical Society

Friday, January 28

Storyscape Issue 6 Celebration

7:00-9:00 pm
Storyscape Journal celebrates the publication of Issue 6 with an evening of poetry, music, and independent radio pieces. Performers include Stephen Massilla, Tom Tenney, Nate Pritts and Jennifer H Fortin, Amber Boardman, Liz Maher, Ken Cormier and The Roulettes. This event is open to the public and has a suggested donation of $3.

Saturday, January 29

SOLD OUT

Research Your House Workshop

2:00-4:00pm

Discover the amazing history of your Brooklyn house using BHS' images, records and documents. Attendees will be introduced to library collections used in house and building research and will learn to piece together the social history of a Brooklyn home or block. Advanced RSVP required as the event will fill up. RSVP here. $20 BHS members/$25 non-members.

Sunday, January 30

Book Talk with Barnet Schecter Author of George Washington’s America: A Biography Through His Maps

2:00 pm

Barnet Schecter discusses his recent biography of George Washington inspired by the maps he used throughout his life—offering new insight into the historic events of this era.

From his teens until his death, the maps George Washington drew and purchased were always central to his work. After his death, many of the most important maps he had acquired were bound into an atlas. The atlas remained in his family for almost a century before it was sold and eventually ended up at Yale University’s Sterling Library. Inspired by these remarkable maps, historian Barnet Schecter has used them to craft a unique portrait of our first Founding Father.

February

Wednesday, February 2
Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium Event
6:00-7:30pm

Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium (CBJC) will introduce its newly elected chairperson, Mr. Clarence Mosley, Jr. during an reception at BHS. Clarence Mosley is a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase and a jazz pianist. This event will feature food and live music and is free and open to the public. For information call CBJC at 718.773.2252 or e-mail, info@cbjcjazz.org.

Friday and Saturday, February 11-12

NY Creates Red Show- Valentine's Craft Fair

Friday, 11:30am-5:00pm; Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm

NY Creates in association with the Brooklyn Historical Society will hold a Valentine's Day Weekend Crafts Fair at BHS. Come pick up handmade jewelry, clothing, pottery, soaps, sweets and other treats for your Valentine at the fair. The fair will take place on the ground floor entrance of BHS. Another sweet treat: All visitors receive free admission to BHS during the Red Show. For more information about entries please contact www.nycreates.org.

Sunday, February 13
Brooklyn Storytelling

2:00 pm
Selected people featured in Nina Talbot's Painting Brooklyn Stories (an exhibit currently on display at BHS) will share stories of their life paths.
Storytellers:
Eric Newsum, son of Tuskegee Airman, Fitzroy Newsum.
Fran Onne, daughter of a 100-year-old Chinese woman who lived through the Japanese invasion of China, and one of the first Chinese woman immigrants to the US.
Daniel Rivera, Founder of the Restoration of the Taino Nation of the Antilles, Elder, Storyteller and Spiritual Leader of the Nation.
Eva Rand, survivor of Mauthausen concentration camp.

Tuwana Coggins, will read from her daughter Tanasia's notebook.

Friday, February 18

Rosie O'Donnell and BHS on "Who Do You Think You Are?"
8:00pm on NBC

BHS will be featured in an episode of the popular NBC program "Who Do You Think You Are?" this Friday, February 18 at 8:00 p.m.. The episode will feature actress, singer, author and media personality Rosie O'Donnell on her quest to learn more about her family history. Mark your calendar and set your DVR. You don't want to miss this!

Interested in doing your own family history research? BHS' Othmer Library and archival collections contain many resources for those interested in genealogy and family history research. Click here for a detailed listing of resources which are most frequently consulted by genealogists and family historians. This resource list is available as a downloadable pdf here.

Saturday, February 19

The Legacy of Charles Ebbets, Lecture by John Zinn

2:00 pm

During his more than a quarter of a century as Dodger club President and owner, Charles Ebbets built two new homes for his team.  While the first was a relatively uncomplicated wooden structure (Washington Park, 1898), the second, which bore his name, became the beloved home of the Dodgers and one of the most famous ballparks in baseball history.  Ebbets Field was an important part of the strong connection that Charles Ebbets created between Brooklyn and his baseball team.  John Zinn, lead historian for BHS' Ex-Lab exhibition, Home Base: Memories of the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, will discuss Ebbets achievement in building his new ballpark and how he developed the relationship between the ball club and the borough.

Sunday, February 20
Brooklyn Baseball Film Series
2:00pm

In conjunction with our current exhibit, Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, BHS celebrates the beginning of spring training with a film series on Brooklyn baseball. The films will be shown on three consecutive Sundays in February and March.

We begin with The Brooklyn Dodgers: An American Treasure directed by little dizzy productions (63 minutes) This film chronicles the Brooklyn Dodgers from their beginnings in the 1880's through that sad day in 1957 when they left Brooklyn. Owned by Walter O'Malley, the Dodgers appeared in 9 World Series while in Brooklyn, finally winning their only World Championship, against the Yankees, in 1955. Known for their tendency to lose the pennant on the last day of the season, the Dodgers are remembered for creating one of the most meaningful events, when in 1947 Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson, thereby breaking the color barrier in professional sports. Experience the dynamic history of the Brooklyn Dodgers through this important film featuring some of the most memorable players in baseball. This event is open to the public and is free with museum admission. No RSVP required- seats available on a first come, first serve basis.

While you are at BHS for the film, please visit our exhibit Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field and record your experiences and memories of the Dodgers at the "Post Game Wrap Up." Your contributions will then become part of the exhibit and Brooklyn Dodgers history!

Saturday, February 26
Eric Frazier Jazz Concert
2:00 pm-4:00 pm

Eric Frazier is a well known Brooklyn jazz icon. His music is aired on radio and internet streams throughout the world. His CD "In Your Own Time," was the number one Jazz CD played on radio across the country in 2006. He recently produced the first annual Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival in Brooklyn this past summer. Eric's style of music incorporates genres of jazz including swing, blues, bebop and latin jazz, as well as salsa, calypso, r&b, broadway, afro-beat and world music. In 1998 while Eric was delivering a solo performance on congas, the legendary drummer Max Roach, who was in the audience, was prompted to take the stage and tell the people that they should savor the moment because they were in the midst of a great conga player. Visit www.ericfraziermusic.com for more information. Tickets can be purchased online here or in person the day of the event. Tickets are $12 BHS members/$15 non-members.

Sunday, February 27
Brooklyn Baseball Film Series

2:00 pm
In celebration of African-American History Month and in conjunction with our current exhibit Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, BHS is showing The Jackie Robinson Story. This 1950 biographical movie tackles the racial issues that elevated and threatened Jackie Robinson, the first baseball player to break the color barrier. The Hall of Fame Dodger plays himself with dignity (holding his own against Ruby Dee as his wife). This event is open to the public and is free with museum admission. No RSVP required- seats available on a first come, first serve basis.

While you are at BHS for the film, please visit our exhibit Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field and record your experiences and memories of the Dodgers at the "Post Game Wrap Up." Your contributions will then become part of the exhibit and Brooklyn Dodgers history!

March

Wednesday, March 2

Jeffrey Kroessler, The Greater New York Sports Chronology

6:00-7:30pm

As part of BHS’ spring baseball programming, Jeffrey A. Kroessler will discuss his book, The Greater New York Sports Chronology. Jeffrey A. Kroessler's comprehensive and entertaining time line stretches from the pastoral entertainments of the Dutch to the corporate captivity of professional sports. He chronicles events ranging from the truly heroic to the heartbreaking, from moments of municipal greatness to inescapable social change. Through it all he plants the world of sport at the very center of New York's story. Suggested donation $5.

Thursday, March 3

Haitian Music from Vodou to Gospel, Rara to Hip Hop lecture by Elizabeth McAlister, Ph.D.

6:00pm

BHS partners with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD) to present one in a ten-part lecture series by leading ethnomusicologists and folklorists entitled "The Sounds of Immigrant New York." Leading scholars will discuss the continuity and development of diverse music and dance traditions in New York City's immigrant communities.

The Sounds of Immigrant New York comes to BHS on Thursday, March 3rd with "Haitian Music from Vodou to Gospel, Rara to Hip Hop," a lecture by researcher and scholar Dr. Elizabeth McAlister (Wesleyan).  McAlister earned her Ph.D. from Yale in American Studies, with expertise in Afro-Caribbean religions. Her first book is Rara! Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and its Diaspora. Her talk will consider these questions: What sets Haitian music apart from other Caribbean musics? How has Haiti's fierce politics of independence shaped its musical traditions?  How is music a part of Afro-Creole religious tradition, Christian worship, and Carnival parades? Why did so many Haitian earthquake survivors react to the disaster by singing? The presentation will include sound samples to allow listeners to hear and consider the genius and meanings of a variety of Haitian musical styles. Suggested donation $5.

Sunday, March 6

Brooklyn Baseball Film Series

2:00pm

This is the third and final film in the BHS Brooklyn Baseball Film Series. Dem Bums: The History of the Brooklyn Dodgers (75 minutes) is a moving documentary about the beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, considered by many to be the team of the ordinary man. This film consists of several episodic sections that recount the team’s early beginnings in Brooklyn, the Golden Era of New York Baseball from 1947-1957, and their heartbreaking move to Los Angeles in 1958. Throughout the documentary there is original footage, player interviews and a behind the scenes look into life in the clubhouse. Produced by the same company that made The Brooklyn Dodgers: An American Treasure, this documentary delivers a more in depth look at this treasured team. The players of the Brooklyn Dodgers were a spectacular group of athletes and are continue to be bitterly missed by their fans. Dem Bums is an excellent and entertaining documentary, worthy of being watched over and over. This event is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members. No RSVP required- seats available on a first come, first serve basis.

While you are at BHS for the film, please visit our exhibit Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field and record your experiences and memories of the Dodgers at the "Post Game Wrap Up." Your contributions will then become part of the exhibit and Brooklyn Dodgers history!

Thursday, March 10

Trivial & Convivial: Brooklyn Pub Trivia Night

7:00-10:00pm

Doors open at 6:30pm

Have you ever played trivia in a 19th-century landmark building in Brooklyn Heights? It's probably time you did. Join veteran trivia hosts Stuart Post and Chris Kelley and the rest of the team at the Brooklyn Historical Society for BHS' second pub-style trivia event featuring prizes, beer, food and, of course, competitive team trivia! Come test your wits with themed rounds about all sorts of Brooklyn ephemera including music, movies, geography and all-around general knowledge. We'll have music clues, movie clips and more! If trivia's not your thing, come by to cheer on the game and enjoy a Brooklyn Brewery beer in one of the most stunning interiors in Brooklyn. Come as a team, or come solo and we’ll find you a team. Come early to locate clues in BHS' exhibits and to ensure your seat. Prizes include tickets to Urban Oyster's Brewed in Brooklyn Tour, Brooklyn Brewery merchandise, Brooklyn Brewery Local 1, Brooklyn neighborhood guides, memberships to BHS and more. Food will be available for purchase.

Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Ticket purchase includes admission to trivia event and one free Brooklyn Brewery beer or bottled water. Advanced ticket purchase recommended. Buy your ticket.

March 12-April 3

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at Theatre at St. Clement's

Showtimes Vary

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn returns to the New York Stage for the first time in 60 years in a fully produced revival by the award-winning Peccadillo Theater Company. This classic work, hailed by the New York Times as “an inspiration” and “a star of the American musical theater,” features Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields’ finest score – a pastiche of musical comedy, Irish folk songs and Broadway razzle dazzle.   The musical retells the poignant story of the Nolan family, beginning in 1902 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There's Johnny Nolan, a ne'er do well singer with dreams of Broadway glory, his wife, Katie, struggling to make a better life for her family, and 12 year-old Francie, an aspiring writer who relies on her imagination and her love of reading to get through hard times. Relive the story from the beloved novel and classic movie in this celebrated musical!

Discount for BHS Members: March 12-19, 2011: $21.25. Use discount code: BKNHS. Regular tickets $25,  premium tickets $35* *For each premium ticket purchased $10 will go directly to the Mayor's Storm Fund to plant trees in Brooklyn. Performance calendar and tickets available at www.ThePeccadillo.com or by calling 212-352-3101.

Sunday, March 13
Sandy Miller, Unexpected New York, Book Talk

2:00pm

In his latest book on the city that never sleeps, Miller offers a glimpse into the businesses, activities, architectural structures, and hidden wonders not usually seen by visitors or even denizens of the city. This event is free and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Wednesday, March 16

Pop-Up Exhibit: Triangle Fire Open Archive

3:00pm-7:00pm

BHS is hosting a pop-up exhibit in collaboration with the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition’s and Buscada's Triangle Fire Open Archive, an online, participatory archive of community contributed stories, images and documents, each of which tell a piece of the history and impact of the infamous fire and its critical relevance for today's pressing questions about labor rights and safety from New York City to Wisconsin to Bangladesh. BHS will host a pop-up exhibit of this archive on March 16. Visitors will be able to view some of the personal stories, pictures, documents and objects that the Triangle Fire Open Archive has collected so far, including items from BHS’ archival collections. Visitors are encouraged to bring in their own items to share- stories, photos, memorabilia, etc. about the Triangle Fire, or any kind of labor or women's activism over the last 100 years. We will create digital photographs of your items and upload them to the Triangle Fire Open Archive, for the world to see. This event is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Friday, March 18

The Restoration of the Ratzer Map: Lecture by Jon Derow

6:00-8:00pm

Recently, BHS came upon an extremely rare map of New York City made by Bernard Ratzer in the late 1760s – only the fourth known copy of the map in the world. The map was in terrible condition. In order to restore it, conservator Jonathan Derow used a technique that was described by The New York Times as one that “should chill the blood of any author." Join us for a talk with conservator Jonathan Derow. He will explain his conservation process and answer questions regarding his successful efforts in restoring the Ratzer map. Carolyn Hansen, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Map Cataloger will speak of the map’s historical relevance and its importance as part our collection. Tickets can be purchased online or in person the day of the event. Tickets are $10 BHS members/$20 non-members. Purchase your tickets here.

Saturday, March 19

Research Your House Workshop

2:00-4:00pm

Discover the amazing history of your Brooklyn house using BHS' images, records and documents. Attendees will be introduced to library collections used in house and building research and will learn to piece together the social history of a Brooklyn home or block. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Purchase your ticket here. $30 BHS members/$50 non-members.

Sunday, March 20

Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour

1:45-4:00pm

From the launch of a gunboat named Shamrock to a St. Patrick's Day shutdown, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the nearby neighborhood of Vinegar Hill are steeped in Irish-American history. What better way to kick off Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours for 2011 than on St. Patrick's Day Weekend! Join us on Sunday, March 20th as we explore the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard and its transformation from being one of the nation's foremost shipbuilding facilities to becoming a model for sustainable urban industrial parks. On this tour, we'll hear oral histories of people who worked in the Yard during World War II and hop off the bus to get a closer look at an 1851 dry dock, a Navy Hospital that closed in 1948, the nation's first "green" multi-story industrial building, and much, much more! This tour is given by Urban Oyster on behalf of the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Tickets: $30/ $25 for BHS Members & BNYDC Tenants. Limited capacity. Advance tickets highly recommended as this tour does sell out. Click here for more info and tickets.

Wednesday, March 23

Multimedia Presentation on the New York City Triangle Factory Fire

6:30-8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:15pm)
On March 25, 1911, flames rapidly consumed everything within the Triangle Waist Company factory. The 146 victims, mostly young Jewish and Italian immigrant women, died due to unsafe working conditions. This event, part of the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, will feature film clips, songs and photographs related to the fire. The presenation will be made by the authors of the new book The New York City Triangle Factory Fire, prepared for the centennial commemoration of the fire in collaboration with Workers United and HBO Documentary Films’ production of Triangle: Remembering the Fire. Authors Leigh Benin (Adelphi University), Rob Linné (Adelphi University), Adrienne Sosin (Adelphi University), and Joel Sosinsky will share their research discoveries via a multimedia presentation highlighting recently uncovered historical images and artifacts. This event is sponsored by the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and is free and open to the public. Free refreshments will be served. Doors open at 6:15pm.

Saturday, March 26

Panel: Re-Examining Carl Furillo

2:00pm

Ted Reed, a veteran reporter and author of the new book Carl Furillo: Brooklyn Dodgers All-Star, will speak about Furillo’s career and two little-explored events that have shaped perceptions of the Dodgers right-fielder: Furillo's supposed opposition to Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers and Furillo's suit against the Dodgers for injuries. Judith Testa, a former college professor and author of Sal Maglie: Baseball’s Demon Barber, will speak about the twists and turns in the relationship between Furillo and Maglie. This program is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Sunday, March 27

Panel Discussion: The Growth of the Brooklyn Food Industry

2:00pm

The ultimate guide to the food scene in Brooklyn; Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn provides the inside scoop on the best places to find, enjoy, and celebrate local culinary offerings. Author Sherri Eisenberg is joined by Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis from Baked, Chef Eton Chan from Eton, and, Ben Van Leeuwen from Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream to discuss the development of the Brooklyn food scene. This event is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.  Baked will provide free samples at the event.

Tuesday, March 28

City Limits Magazine Premieres Launch Event to Celebrate Debut of Brooklyn Issue – Brooklyn: The Borough Behind The Brand

7:00pm

City Limits, an independent and investigative news organization that publishes in-depth reporting about civic affairs in New York City, is pleased to announce  the premiere of its first-ever community cocktail, to celebrate the release of our latest issue, "Brooklyn: The Borough Behind The Brand," on Monday, March 28th at the beautiful Skylight Gallery in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Center.

Guests of this event, which is free and open to the public, will experience an evening of sophisticated art and entertainment, with complimentary wine and hors d'ouevres provided for attendees, in addition to door prizes from Target, Brooklyn Historical Society and The Prospect Park Zoo. Please join City Limits as we celebrate Brooklyn in the company of the borough's most dynamic civic, business, and artistic leaders.

Thursday, March 31

Performance: The Great Divorce

6:00pm

What happened to the three Chapman children when they disappeared from a New York Shaker village in 1815? Had they been "taken captive" by the Shakers, as their mother alleged--or was their unstable father responsible, as the Shakers claimed?  Woo will discuss the central mystery and sensational custody and divorce at the heart of The Great Divorce, as well as this frequently asked question: What became of the children?  The answer involves adultery, bigamy, attempted murder, and other tabloid drama, staged in Brooklyn-- a shocking turn of events for former Shakers.

Join us for a special performance of The Great Divorce. This event will include a reenactment of the nineteenth century trial of George Chapman.  Suggested donation $5.

April

Friday, April 1

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Girl: an evening of poetry with E.J. Antonio, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Robin Coste Lewis, Kamilah Aisha Moon and Aracelis Girmay

7:00 p.m.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, BHS partners with A.I.R. Gallery and Cave Canem to present an evening of poetry in the Othmer Library, one of the most elegant rooms in all of Brooklyn and a wonderfully intimate space for a poetry reading. The collaboration marks the beginning of an ongoing series of poetry readings in the library.

Cave Canem is a home for the many voices of African American poetry and is committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets. A.I.R. (Artists in Residence) Gallery was founded in 1972 as the first artist run gallery for women in the United States. A.I.R. provides a professional and permanent exhibition space for women artists to present work of quality and diversity. This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, April 6

Film Screening and Q&A: Robert Sarnoff"s The ROMEOWS, Retired Older Men Eating Out Wednesdays

6:00 p.m.

The world is changing. Older people are running marathons, hooking up on match.com, flying planes and safely ditching them in the Hudson River. " The ROMEOWS, Retired Older Men Eating Out Wednesdays" tackles the big, murky questions of current-day American life. The film follows a group of friends who graduated from Brooklyn College together in 1959, as they meet for dinner every Wednesday. Five decades later, these monumental "everymen" view the world with humor, melancholy, and hope. Take a seat at the table where this band of Brooklyn buddies discusses everything from healthcare to the demise of The Mets. Robert Sarnoff received the First Filmmaker's Spirit of Queens Award for this film, an award given to filmmakers who display the independent spirit and vision inherent to the Borough of Queens. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the Brooklyn Band of Buddies, who star in the film. Suggested donation $5.

Thursday, April 7

Brewed in Brooklyn: A History of Fermenting Barley in New York’s Favorite Borough

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Join David Naczycz and Cindy VandenBosch of Urban Oyster for an entertaining, in-depth look at how beer has played a pivotal role in the history of Brooklyn. A free beer and cheese reception precedes the talk. 21 and over only. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Purchase your tickets. Tickets: $15 BHS members/$20 non-members.

Saturday, April 9

Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour and Studio Visit

1:45-4:00 p.m.

Urban Oyster will offer a special Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour and Studio Visit as part of Obscura Day - a world-wide event that highlights expeditions, back-room tours, and hidden treasures.  The tour will include a visit with Thomas Witte, who will share his Brooklyn Navy Yard-inspired art. Advanced ticket purchase is required. Buy your ticket here or call (347)599-1842.

Saturday, April 9

The Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

12:00-4:00 p.m.
Levy’s Unique New York will lead 4 hour bicycle tour of Williamsburgh, East Williamsburgh and Bushwick and the former brewery buildings of the most densely packed brewing neighborhoods in America, circa 1890! See historical photographs of various brewery buildings when they were built, between the 1880s and 1920s, compare them with vintage 1970s photos (in the heart of Bushwick's deep dark arson-and-gangs era) and observe them as they stand today, re-purposed but obviously the same brewery buildings. German Churches, banks and social halls will also be observed. The tour will end at Evergreen Cemetery on the Brooklyn/Queens border, where many of the Brewers are buried . . . with a surprise! 

A historical, educational, beer-drinkable adventure! BYOBike and helmet. Tickets $20 for BHS members/ $25 for non-members. RSVP Matt@levysuniqueny.com

Sunday, April 10

BaroQue Across the River presents: The John Doyle Trio

4:00-6:00 p.m.

Impossibly in demand in the studio and on the road, immensely talented and blessed with an acute ear, a wicked sense of rhythm and seemingly endless stream of magic in his playing, composing, performing and producing, John Doyle has solidly establishing himself as one of the most versatile, creative and prolific voices in folk and traditional Irish music. The John Doyle Trio featuring John Doyle, Paddy League and Duncan Wickel (Celtic Spirit) will perform as part of the BaroQue Across the River concert series. BaroQue Across the River's mission is to perform concerts on original instruments in historic settings. Tickets $15 for BHS members/ $20 non-members. Tickets can be purchased at the door. CASH ONLY. For reservations call 718.643.4608 or e-mail kathleen.mcdonald25@gmail.com.

Tuesday, April 12 - Saturday, April 16

Immigrant Heritage Week 2011

Immigrant Heritage Week, established by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2004, celebrates the experiences and contributions of immigrants to New York City. This year, Immigrant Heritage Week is from April 11 to April 17 and celebrates the vibrant life stories New Yorkers have to tell. We are partnering with StoryCorps to share the stories that make up our diverse and wonderful City.

Thursday, April 14

Book Talk: Bob McGee, The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers

7:00-8:30 p.m.

In this lively story of sports, politics, and the talented, hilarious, and charming characters associated with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Bob McGee chronicles the ballpark’s vibrant history from the drawing board to the wrecking ball, beginning with Charley Ebbets and the heralded opening in 1913, on through the storied eras that followed. McGee weaves a story about how Ebbets Field’s architectural details, notable flaws, and striking facade brought Brooklyn and its team together in ways that allowed each to define the other. The author, who puts Dodgers fans in the driver’s seat, illustrates poignant examples of how the people who came to play and those who watched and rooted both managed to inspire, endear, and captivate a nation. Ebbets Field was hallowed ground, a cherished place that continues to resonate in memory, long after the walls came down and the cheers subsided. Suggested donation $5.

Sunday, April 17

What’s the Story? Diverse Storytelling Practices in Brooklyn

2:30-4:00 p.m.

BHS hosts the opening program for the Brooklyn Arts Council’s Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn: Traditional Tales and Their Tellers.  Storytellers and folklore scholars gather to discuss the relevance of storytelling in the diverse communities of Brooklyn. In the age of memoir, Facebook, and other means for promoting personal stories, we explore the important cultural practice of telling traditional stories—folktales, ghost stories, hero legends and myths—and the role of storytellers as community artists. Introduced and moderated by Brooklyn Arts Council’s Folk Arts Director, Dr. Kay Turner, the panel includes presentations by: Brooklyn folklorist Kathy Condon, who years ago ran the storytelling tent at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn festival, and who will discuss the art of Brooklyn stories; Aeilushi Mistry, Indian classical dancer, on Hindu myths of Lord Ganesha  and narrative dance; musician Irka Mateo on the context for performing Dominican tales such as “La Ciguapa”;  and artist and curator Maxine Alexander,  discussing storytelling in the Jamaican diaspora. Engaged discussion with the audience follows these brief presentations and Dr. Turner will also video-record traditional narratives—folk tales, jokes, parables—offered by audience members.

Presented by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) in cooperation with the Brooklyn Historical Society. This event is free and open to the public.

Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn begins in April and ends in July. Once Upon A Time in Brooklyn: Traditional Tales and Their Tellers, a series of public programs featuring diverse Brooklyn raconteurs skilled in folk genres such as fairy tales, hero legends, tall tales, jokes, ghost stories, saints’ legends, narrative dance, and more.

Once Upon A Time in Brooklyn is presented by Brooklyn Arts Council with support from Con Edison, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Council.

Thursday, April 21

Lecture by Anne Rasmussen: Middle Eastern Music in Brooklyn: The New York Nahda

6:00 p.m.

BHS partners with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD) to present one in a ten-part lecture series by leading ethnomusicologists/folklorists entitled "The Sounds of Immigrant New York" in Winter/Spring 2011.  The series will educate the public about how New York City immigrant communities have adapted their music and dance traditions and have continued to keep them vital in a new home. The ten lectures will be programmed throughout the boroughs at host sites specially selected to maximize outreach to community members, other key constituents and the general public. 

Anne Rasmussen, PhD, a leading ethnomusicologist in the field of Middle Eastern Music to present a lecture on the Middle Eastern music scene in NYC.  Dr. Rasmussen is a professor at William and Mary; where she also directs a Middle Eastern ensemble.  For this presentation, Rasmussen surveys a century of dynamic Arab American music culture with a focus on New York and suggest the ways in which the last twenty years may be characterized by neo-classism and multicultural fusion. Suggested donation $5.

Wednesday, April 27
Mixed-Colonial-American-Ancestry: Are You Related to Royals?
7:00 p.m.
The museum will remain open between 5:00-7:00pm

Before you watch William & Kate’s royal wedding.…join BHS on Wednesday, April 27 as Pearl Duncan, an African-American author, shares how she used family nicknames, DNA, and genealogy to trace her lineage to families named Opare of the Akan people of Ghana, in West Africa, and to Scottish-American nobles, related to British royals. This program is part of BHS' Crossing Borders: Bridging Generations, a series of public conversations about mixed-heritage families, race, ethnicity, culture, and identity, infused with historical perspective. Funding provided by New York Council for the Humanities. Catering provided by Golden Krust of Flatbush: Caribbean Cocktail Patties and Punch plus Jerk Chicken!

This event is free with museum admission. The museum will remain open between 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Pearl Duncan will discuss how she uncovered her mixed ancestry in Colonial America including Maroons in Jamaica, enslaved people who rebelled and escaped to freedom; Scottish nobles related to the kings and queens of Scotland and England (among the nobles, one who inherited castles in Scotland); and two brothers: one a slave owner, the other an abolitionist.  These ancestors settled in Jamaica, Virginia, and New York. Duncan found mixed-ancestry birth records as far back as 1726. Join us for this exciting exploration of mixed-colonial-american-ancestry. This event is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, April 28

Annual Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame and Museum's Induction Ceremony

6:00-8:30 p.m.

The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium created the Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame to recognize the contributions to the world of Jazz by women and men who call(ed) Brooklyn their home. This event will honor the newest inductees and will feature food and live music. For information call CBJC at 718.773.2252 or e-mail, info@cbjcjazz.org.

Saturday, April 30

The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn with Author Suleiman Osman

2:00 p.m.

The gentrification of Brooklyn has been one of the most striking developments in recent urban history. Considered a “blighted” slum by city planners in the 1940s and 1950s, Brownstone Brooklyn by the 1980s had become a landscape of hip bars, yoga studios, and expensively renovated townhouses in new neighborhoods with creative names like “Boerum Hill” and “Carroll Gardens.” In The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn (Oxford, 2011), Suleiman Osman locates the origins of gentrification in the cultural upheavals of the 1960s. Starting in Brooklyn Heights in the 1940s, a new urban middle class (or “brownstoners” as they referred to themselves) began to migrate into Brooklyn’s brownstone areas. Where postwar city leaders championed slum clearance and modern architecture, "brownstoners" sought a new romantic urban ideal that celebrated historic buildings, industrial lofts and traditional ethnic neighborhoods as source of authenticity they felt was lacking in new suburbs and downtown skyscrapers. They started new reform democratic organizations, founded block associations and joined forces with long-time residents to battle urban renewal. But as brownstoners migrated into poorer areas, race and class tensions emerged, and by the 1980s, as newspapers parodied yuppies and anti-gentrification activists marched through increasingly expensive neighborhoods, brownstoners debated whether their search for authenticity had been a success or failure. This event is open to the public and free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

May

Sunday, May 1

The Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

12:00-4:00 p.m.

Levy’s Unique New York will lead a four-hour bicycle tour of Williamsburg, East Williamsburg and Bushwick and the former brewery buildings of the most densely packed brewing neighborhoods in America, circa 1890! See historical photographs of various brewery buildings when they were built between the 1880s and 1920s, compare them with vintage 1970s photos and observe them as they stand today, re-purposed but obviously the same brewery buildings. German Churches, banks and social halls will also be observed. The tour will end at Evergreen Cemetery on the Brooklyn/Queens border, where many of the Brewers are buried . . . with a surprise! A historical, educational, beer-drinkable adventure! BYOBike and helmet. Tickets $20 for BHS members/ $25 for non-members. RSVP Matt@levysuniqueny.com. Not a BHS member? Click here to join.

Sunday, May 1-Sunday, May 8

Holocaust Remembrance Week May 1-8

Sunday, May 1

BaroQue Across the River Spring Concert

3:00-5:00 p.m.

CANCELLED

Saturday, May 7

Research Your House Workshop

2:00-4:00 p.m.
Discover the amazing history of your Brooklyn house using BHS' images, records and documents. Attendees will be introduced to library collections used in house and building research and will learn to piece together the social history of a Brooklyn home or block. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. $30 BHS members/$50 non-members. Purchase your tickets here.

Sunday, May 8

Bring Your Mother to BHS

12:00-5:00 p.m.

In honor of Mother's Day, BHS is offering free museum admission for all mothers.

Sunday, May 8

The Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

12:00-4:00 p.m.
Levy’s Unique New York will lead a four-hour bicycle tour of Williamsburg, East Williamsburg and Bushwick and the former brewery buildings of the most densely packed brewing neighborhoods in America, circa 1890! See historical photographs of various brewery buildings when they were built between the 1880s and 1920s, compare them with vintage 1970s photos and observe them as they stand today, re-purposed but obviously the same brewery buildings. German Churches, banks and social halls will also be observed. The tour will end at Evergreen Cemetery on the Brooklyn/Queens border, where many of the Brewers are buried . . . with a surprise! A historical, educational, beer-drinkable adventure! BYOBike and helmet. Tickets $20 for BHS members/ $25 for non-members. RSVP Matt@levysuniqueny.com. Not a BHS member? Click here to join.

Sunday, May 15

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building!  Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time.  Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship.  On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Wednesday, May 18

Heights Chateau Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary at BHS

6:00-9:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Historical Society hosts Heights Chateau’s 25th Anniversary, a grand walk-around tasting, featuring 60 wines, amari, digestivi, and New York State spirits. Food catered by Naturally Delicious. Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 6-9PM. Proceeds benefit Brooklyn Historical Society. Tickets $50. Purchase your tickets here.

Saturday, May 21

The Skyline from the Heights Scavenger Hunt
2:00-4:30 p.m.

Join BHS and Watson Adventures for an exciting scavenger hunt in Brooklyn Heights. For the best views of Manhattan and the harbor, you have to go to the Heights. You’ll also see movie locations, famous writers’ homes, baseball landmarks, Underground Railroad stops, a Revolutionary battleground—all in one of the city’s most beautiful neighborhood. Plus this special edition will take you inside the Brooklyn Historical Society, a magnificent building containing exciting exhibits. Starring Truman Capote, Cher, Thomas Wolfe, Henry Miller, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Norman Mailer, Jack Nicholson, Jackie Robinson, Washington Roebling, George Washington, Carson McCullers, W.H. Auden, and Walt Whitman. Tickets: BHS members $13.50/$19.50 non-members. Purchase tickets here.

Sunday, May 22

Sustainability Bicycle Tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
1:45-4:15 p.m.
Pedal along with Urban Oyster on this bicycle tour and explore the Brooklyn Navy Yard's transition from being one of the nation's foremost naval shipbuilding facilities to a national leader for sustainable urban industrial parks. You'll see landmark sites such as a the 1851 dry dock and the 1838 Navy Hospital, while also making stops at the nation's first multi-story "green" industrial building, first solar and wind-powered street lamps, and the city's first building-mounted wind turbines. Cost: $24/person (10% off for BHS members - contact BHS at 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Tickets: Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-TOUR (8687) to book public or private tours.

Saturday, May 28

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building!  Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time.  Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship.  On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Sunday, May 29

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

What would Brooklyn be without cultural diversity? The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the lives of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their life in New York. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will learn about individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into the eclectic borough it is. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.?

Sunday, May 29

Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour for Memorial Day Weekend
1:45-4:30 p.m.
In honor of the men and women who have served for this country, Urban Oyster will be focusing on the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard as it relates to the military this Memorial Day Weekend.  Join Urban Oyster on this special bus tour and explore the Brooklyn Navy Yard's transition from being one of the nation's foremost naval shipbuilding facilities to a national leader for sustainable urban industrial parks.  Along the way, you'll visit a dry dock that's been used since before the Civil War, the 20-acre former Navy hospital campus that is virtually frozen in time, the former site of a cemetery and future site of a memorial park, and much, much more!
Tickets: $30/person (10% off for BHS members - contact BHS at 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-TOUR (8687) to book public or private tours.

Sunday, May 30 to Sunday, September 4

BHS Participates in Blue Star Museums

Brooklyn Historical Society is proud to announce its participation in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families. Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through to Labor Day, September 5, 2011. The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. An admission ticket to BHS includes access to all exhibits, the use of the Othmer Library during the library’s open hours, and admittance to all public programs that are listed as “free with admission."

June

Thursday, June 2

Exhibit Opening: Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress

5:30-7:30 p.m.

See the exhibit and meet the student-curators of Inventing Brooklyn at the exhibit opening. Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress traces the evolution of Brooklyn into the place we know today. From Native American roots and Dutch colonial influences to icons such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Dodgers, Inventing Brooklyn examines how various people, places, and historical events have shaped the development of the borough.  Drawing on archival documents, photographs, prints, artifacts, and oral histories from the Brooklyn Historical Society collection, Inventing Brooklyn takes on 400 years of Brooklyn’s history. The exhibit includes items relating to the Battle of Long Island, Brooklyn's first newspapers, and Brooklyn’s diverse immigrant populations in order to capture the complexity and dynamism of the process of Inventing Brooklyn. The exhibition is curated by students in Exhibition Laboratory, BHS's after-school museum studies program. More.

Saturday, June 4

Immigrant Foodways Tour Launches
10:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" - once the heart of a Jewish community - and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era and today a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community.  By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour will take place every Saturday beginning June 4.  Tickets: $39/person (10% off for BHS members - contact BHS at 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-TOUR (8687) to book public or private tours.

Sunday, June 5

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights

2:00 p.m.
This walking tour by Claire Mirarchi, author of Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association’s Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour, will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. The tour departs from the Brooklyn Historical Society at 2pm and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Thursday, June 9

Down the Rabbit Hole: Found Objects and Forgotten Stories

7:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Brainery and Brooklyn Historical Society for this special presentation on found objects and forgotten stories. Historian, archivist, and raconteur Benjamin Feldman shares the stories of found objects and long-forgotten New York scandals from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This talk will take you on a journey that began with a simple garage sale find from Chelsea, whereby a little change purse with gilt lettering, a piece of swag, unfolded into a tale of the struggle of a Ben Katchor-esque Lower East Side saloon operator trying to survive after Prohibition shut him down (almost....). Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Your ticket includes one free water or Brooklyn Brewery beer. Advance purchase recommend as seating is limited. Purchase your ticket here. Benjamin Feldman has suggested accessing his blog for an expanded version of the course notes handed out at the talk.

Saturday, June 11

Italian Opera in Brooklyn: Celebrating Italian Culture Through Song
2:00 pm
Inside Out Tours, a Brooklyn tour company that conducts historic food and culture tours of Brooklyn and Manhattan, presents an afternoon of music celebrating Italian culture through opera at BHS. Join us for a workshop on Italian opera music, its history, and its connection to the immigrant experience. Then, enjoy a performance from an acclaimed opera singer. Reservations required. Limited seating available. RSVP to cgarza@brooklynhistory.org. This event is free with museum admission.

Sunday, June 12

Baseball, Nationalism, and the Civil War: A Lecture by George B. Kirsch

2:00 p.m.

In this lecture, professor of history and sports historian George B. Kirsch will focus on the links between early baseball and nationalism; the competition among early versions of baseball and cricket to determine which form or ball play would become the national game of the U.S; baseball in army camps and prisons of both the Union and Confederate armies and on the home front in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Boston, and Philadelphia; the Doubleday-Cooperstown myth; and the extent to which the Civil War helped to spread the New York City version of baseball across the nation during and after Reconstruction.

George B. Kirsch is a professor of history at Manhattan College and a sports historian. He is the author of Baseball and Cricket: The Creation of American Team Sports; Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime During the Civil War; and was the co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States. He has served as a consultant to Major League Baseball and to Ken Burns for his PBS series on baseball.

Thursday, June 16

The Nineteenth Century Brooklyn Kitchen with Harry Rosenblum

7:00 p.m.

This presentation will include a selection of kitchenware from Harry Rosenblum's collection and a discussion of the history of kitchen tools in America from the early nineteenth century to the present. The kitchenware on display will include nineteenth-century cast iron and copper cookware, a meat juice press and dozens of small kitchen tools from the collection.

Harry Rosenblum and his wife Taylor Erkkinen own the Brooklyn Kitchen a cookware shop that specializes in the finest new and vintage kitchenware and a cooking school that hosts 30-40 cooking classes a month. The space also holds the Meat Hook, a locally sourced whole animal custom cut butchershop that specializes in housemade sausage and charcuterie. Harry has been involved in antiques and memorabilia his whole life. The son of a collector, he grew up around fire fighting antiques, antique vehicles, a vast record collection and more. As a teenager, he worked at one of the country's finest ephemera shops and gained a love and passion for interesting and obscure items. His own collecting has moved toward kitchenware and out-of-print cookbooks, with a specific interest in the obsolete and patent variations.

Saturday, June 18

Family Friendly Scavenger Hunt (for kids 5 to 95 years old)

12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Historical Society in a Brooklyn Heights neighborhood scavenger hunt. This family-friendly activity will test your knowledge of the Brooklyn Heights area and its history. There is no time limit, but participants who have successfully completed the hunt before 5 p.m. will be eligible for a raffle to win prizes including Brooklyn hats, neighborhood guides, and postcards. The scavenger hunt is free. Come to the Brooklyn Historical Society on Saturday, June 18th between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and participate for your chance to win.

Sunday, June 19

Bring Your Father to BHS

12:00-5:00 p.m.

In honor of Father's Day, BHS is offering free museum admission for all fathers.

Wednesday, June 22

Brooklyn Cemeteries: Past and Present

6:30 p.m.
Join us for a panel discussion of two of Brooklyn’s landmarks: the Evergreens and Green-Wood cemeteries. The panel includes Rich Moylan, President of Green-Wood Cemetery, Paul Grassi, President of Evergreens Cemetery, Jeffrey Richman, author of “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery: New York’s Buried Treasure”, and, John Rousmaniere, author of “Green Oasis in Brooklyn: The Evergreens Cemetery 1849-2008”. The museum will remain open until 7pm. This program is open to the public and free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, June 23

History Through Beer

7:00-9:00 p.m.

BHS, in conjunction Urban Oyster, presents a lesson in history told through beer. Join local beer guides David Naczycz and Cindy VandenBosch as they lead a delicious beer tasting using present day versions of historical beers to tell the story of beer, its key role in our civilization and how, ultimately, beer found its way to Brooklyn where it prospered, fell, and now is prospering again. There is no better way to learn about history than by tasting it. The tasting will include six generous tastings of beer along with delicious food pairings of cured meats and cheeses. Through these tastings we’ll get a sense of how everyone from ancient Mesopotamians to Belgian monks to our Brooklyn grandfathers drank their beer and how all of our lives are different today because of beer. Limited seated. Advance ticket purchase recommended. Purchase your tickets here. Tickets: $40 BHS members/$45 non-members.

Wednesday, June 29

A Conversation with Simon Dinnerstein

7:00 p.m.

Artist Simon Dinnerstein will be joined by Herb Schapiro, playwright and author of The Me Nobody Knows, and Louis Menache, associate editor of Cineaste Magazine and professor emeritus of History at Polytechnic Institute at NYU, to discuss his remarkable and monumental painting, The Fulbright Triptych, a richly detailed composite of family portrait, still life, collage and a meditation on the creation of art. It’s widely considered a masterpiece of American art. Over time, the painting has drawn a wide array of responses from novelists, poets, composers, musicians, art historians, actors, and others, who have variously described it as hypnotic, a complex poem, a painting about what it means to be an artist, a work with the scope of a vast symphonic musical score, an artist’s attempt to slow down reality and freeze a moment in space and time, and a deeply personal visual memoir. The museum will remain open until 7 p.m. This program is open to the public and free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, June 30

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Garden at BHS

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Enjoy a cold, refreshing Brooklyn Brewery beer in BHS’s beautiful landmark building. This summer, BHS will host monthly Brooklyn Brewery beer gardens. The last Thursday of every month our friends from Brooklyn Brewery will be on hand to pour and talk beer (if you like). Brooklyn's own All City Street Art, the international graffiti app for iPhone, will be on-site projecting some of Brooklyn's finest street art and hosting trivia. Download the app and study up for a chance to win a cold beer or two. We'll also have Factory Fresh onsite and artwork from Leon Reid IV and Skewville. And BHS’s first floor galleries will be open during the event-- come explore Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field and Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival. Join us at 128 Pierrepont Street (on the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton in Brooklyn Heights). Drink tickets $5 each.

July

Saturday, July 2

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights

2:00 p.m.
This walking tour, based on Claire Mirarchi’s Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association’s Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour, will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. The tour departs from the Brooklyn Historical Society at 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Saturdays July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

Immigrant Foodways Tour
10:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" - once the heart of a Jewish community - and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era and today a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community.  By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour will take place every Saturday in July.  Tickets: $39/person (10% off for BHS members - contact BHS at 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-TOUR (8687) to book public or private tours.

Thursday, July 7

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into one of the most vibrant, changing, urban centers in the country, with 150 nationalities represented who speak 138 different languages. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Sunday, July 10

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, July 14

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into one of the most vibrant, changing, urban centers in the country, with 150 nationalities represented who speak 138 different languages. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Saturday, July 16

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights

2:00pm
This walking tour, based on Claire Mirarchi’s Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association’s Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour, will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. The tour departs from the Brooklyn Historical Society at 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Wednesday, July 20

A Link Between Two Cities: Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour

7:00-8:30 p.m.

The Brooklyn Bridge has symbolized so many aspects of Brooklyn's growth since its opening in 1883.  BHS, in conjunction with Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, will lead a tour exploring the story of the engineers and laborers who built the bridge; the political climate in which it was proposed and erected; the technological innovations that made it possible; and the cultural meanings of one of the country's most stunning structures. This tour begins at Fulton Ferry at 7:00 p.m. RSVP required. Please RSVP to rsvp@bbpc.net.

Thursday, July 21

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into one of the most vibrant, changing, urban centers in the country, with 150 nationalities represented who speak 138 different languages. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Sunday, July 24

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Wednesday, July 27

A Right of Return

7:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Brainery and Brooklyn Historical Society for this special presentation on found objects and forgotten stories. Out of an anonymous 1870 pocket-size diary bestowed on historian Benjamin Feldman, a fantastic story emerged, and a 100-year old rent in the cloth of a family's history was repaired.  Feldman will share the tale of Henry Knight Dyer (1846-1911), Brooklyn born and bred, who rose from a modest Fort Greene home and his first job as an office boy in the Dennison Paper Products Co. to become president of that multi-national enterprise at the turn of the twentieth century. Dyer's daily scribblings in a cheap paper volume, as a single 24-year old living in Brooklyn and working in lower Manhattan, inspired Feldman's lengthy journey for the truth of this man's life and his wife's sorry end after less than a year's widowhood.  Through Feldman's blog came incredible information and images from Dyer's descendants.  An incredible story unfolded, and a family was brought together to remedy wrongs, and finally put a large corpse to rest... Tickets $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Advance purchase recommended as seating is limited. Purchase your ticket here.

Thursday, July 28

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into one of the most vibrant, changing, urban centers in the country, with 150 nationalities represented who speak 138 different languages. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, July 28

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Garden at BHS

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Enjoy a cold, refreshing Brooklyn Brewery beer in BHS’s beautiful landmark building. This summer BHS will host a monthly Brooklyn Brewery beer garden. The last Thursday of every month our friends from Brooklyn Brewery will be on hand to pour and talk beer (if you like). We'll have acclaimed artist Leon Reid IV onsite with his work. The Bobbed-Haired Bandit will be performing songs from their upcoming musical, which premieres at the New York International Fringe Festival this August. At 7:30 p.m. eight singers and a pianist will perform two 1920s-style songs from this show about the real-life Celia Cooney and how she accidentally fell into a crime spree in Brooklyn. And BHS’s first floor galleries will be open during the event -- come explore Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field and Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival. Join us at 128 Pierrepont Street (on the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton in Brooklyn Heights). Admission is free and open to all ages. Drink tickets $5 each.

Saturday, July 30

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

August

Tuesday, August 2

Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable

Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable is a quarterly luncheon series dedicated to examining, analyzing, reviewing and predicting the critical issues in Brooklyn real estate. It's the only event where all of Brooklyn's real estate professionals gather to discuss timely and important issues affecting the industry. Attend the Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable and join participants from firms such as Muss Development, Toll Brothers, Thor Equities, Hudson Companies, Brody Group, Forest City Ratner, Two Trees Management and Douglaston Development. All Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable proceeds benefit the Brooklyn Historical Society. Purchase your tickets today for the 2011 Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable. For the full 2011 schedule, or to register by mail, please see our registration form.

Wednesday, August 3

Sauce for the Goose

7:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Brainery and BHS for this special presentation about strange cases in history. Join historian Benjamin Feldman as he tells of the crowds that gathered at the City Hall courthouse to witness the trial of George Barnard vs. Mary Power. Barnard, an impoverished painter, sued a wealthy steamboat captain's daughter for having jilted him for a wealthier man. Tickets $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Advance purchase recommended as seating is limited. Your ticket includes one free water or Brooklyn Brewery beer. Purchase your ticket here.

Wednesday, August 3

Brooklyn's Industrial Waterfront Walking Tour

7:00-8:30 p.m.

Please see the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy website for more information. RSVP required. Please RSVP to rsvp@bbpc.net.

Thursday, August 4

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into the eclectic borough it is. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Saturday, August 6, 13, 20 and 27
Immigrant Foodways Tour
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico," once the heart of a Jewish community. We will take an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, which was built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era and now stands as a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour will take place every Saturday in July. Tickets: $39/person (10% off for BHS members - contact BHS at 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-TOUR (8687) to book public or private tours.

Sunday, August 7

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Wednesday, August 10

Butchery on Bond Street

7:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Brainery and BHS for this special presentation by historian Benjamin Feldman as he recounts the gruesome 1857 death of Dr. Harvey Burdell. The Burdell scandal dominated newspapers in New York for most of the year. The arrest of his ex-lover, Vinegar Hill born and bred Emma Hempstead Cunningham, and her trial for his murder fascinated the town. Emma's tale and her sorry end will sicken and enthrall you. Tickets $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Advance purchase recommended as seating is limited. Your ticket includes one free water or Brooklyn Brewery beer. Purchase your ticket here.

Thursday, August 11

Painting Brooklyn Stories Exhibit Tour

2:30 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration and Survival by Nina Talbot explores the stories of several immigrants, focusing on how their homeland experiences have shaped their lives in Brooklyn. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss individuals who have shaped Brooklyn into the eclectic borough it is. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, August 11

Artist Talk with Crown Heights Gold Artists

7:00 p.m.

Dexter Wimberly, curator of this summer's Crown Heights Gold exhibition, will moderate a lively, unscripted Artist Talk featuring  Fiona Gardner and Kenya (Robinson). With Wimberly as host, these two dynamic artists will be interviewed simultaneously in an unrehearsed, spontaneous "talk show" format. They will discuss their artistic practices and their new performance piece, which was created collaboratively for the Crown Heights Gold exhibit. This program will take place in BHS's first floor program space and is free and open to the public.

Fiona Gardner is a New York based artist/photographer. She received a BFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design in 1999, studied at the New England School of Photography, and graduated with an MFA in photography from Columbia in 2004. Since 2006, she has worked at The New York Times Magazine. Her work focuses on the lives and experiences of women. Her work has been exhibited in New York at the Black & White Gallery, Rush Art Gallery, and Sean Kelly Gallery. Her work has also been shown in the Young American Artists of Today show in Moscow. Her photographs have appeared in The New York Times. She won the Agnes Martin Award for Outstanding Work in Columbia’s Graduate Arts Program and a Vermont Studio Center fellowship in 2003.

Kenya (Robinson) is a self-taught artist from Gainesville, Florida. A past resident of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's WorkSpace Program (2009-2010) and the 2010 Triangle Arts Workshop, her sculptural work has been exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Arts, The Jersey City Museum, The Aljira Center for Contemporary Art and The 60 Wall Street Gallery of Deutsche Bank. In addition, her performances have been featured at The Kitchen, Rush Arts Gallery, MoMA PS1, The DUMBO Arts Festival, Recess Activities Inc., Cabinet Space and in the Home Section of The New York Times. She lives and works in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and New Haven, CT.

Saturday, August 13

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights

3:00 p.m.
This walking tour, based on Claire Mirarchi’s book Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association’s Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour, will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. RSVP required as space is limited. RSVP here. The tour departs from the Brooklyn Historical Society at 3:00 p.m. and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Sunday, August 21

Family Friendly Scavenger Hunt (for kids 5 to 95 years old)

12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Join Brooklyn Historical Society in a Brooklyn Heights neighborhood scavenger hunt! This family-friendly activity will test your knowledge of the Brooklyn Heights area and its history. There is no time limit, but participants who successfully complete the hunt before 5:00 p.m. will be eligible for a raffle to win prizes including Brooklyn hats, neighborhood guides, and postcards. The scavenger hunt is free. Come to the Brooklyn Historical Society on Sunday, August 21st between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and participate for your chance to win!

Thursday, August 25

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Garden at BHS

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Enjoy a cold, refreshing Brooklyn Brewery beer on the patio of Brooklyn Historical Society’s beautiful landmark building. Our friends from Brooklyn Brewery will be on hand to pour and talk beer (if you like). BBox Radio will be onsite spinning tunes and talking about its new community-powered platform and internet station broadcasting from NYC's creative center: Brooklyn. The Get Down Boys, a Santa Monica-based string band who perform traditional and original Bluegrass music, will also play a set of songs. BHS’s first floor galleries will also be open during the event -- come explore Home Base: Memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Join us at 128 Pierrepont Street August 25th. Admission is free and open to all ages. Drink tickets $5 each.

Saturday, August 27

BHS Building Tour

2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, the Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Saturday, August 27

The Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

12:00-4:00 p.m.

Levys' Unique New York!, in partnership with BHS and Transportation Alternatives, will lead a four-hour bicycle tour of Williamsburg and Bushwick focused on former brewery buildings. See historical photographs of brewery buildings from the 1880s and 1920s, compare them with vintage 1970s photos, and observe the buildings as they stand today. German Churches, banks and social halls will also be observed. The tour will end at Evergreen Cemetery on the Brooklyn/Queens border, where many of the brewers are buried. Join this historical, educational, beer-drinkable adventure! BYOBike and helmet. Tickets $25 for BHS and Transportation Alternatives members/$30 for non-members. RSVP Matt@levysuniqueny.com. Not a BHS member? Click here to join.

Wednesday, August 31

The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens: Author Reading and Q&A with Brooke Hauser

7:00 p.m.

Some walked across deserts and mountains to get here. Others flew in on planes. One arrived after escaping in a suitcase. And some won’t say how they arrived. These are “the new kids.” They attend the International High School in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, which is like most high schools in America, except for the fact that there are no native English-speaking students in attendance. Students come from more than 45 countries, speak more than 28 languages, and are all recent immigrants. Join author Brooke Hauser for a reading from The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens followed by a discussion about the changing face of the Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and America. This event is free and open to the public.

The New Kids will be published by Free Press/ Simon & Schuster on September 20th.

September

Thursday, September 1

Timeline of Taste with Historic Gastronomist Sarah Lohman

7:00 p.m.

Have you ever noticed that the names of Greenpoint's streets bring to mind exotic locales? From Java to India, these Brooklyn roadways took their names from the distant countries that brought spices from the Far East to America's shores. Once a major port for trading ships, Greenpoint can be used as a guidebook to explore the history of American food through flavor. When did American palates favor one spice over another and why? When did ships stop bringing mace and start carrying vanilla beans? In A Timeline of Taste Sarah Lohman will take you on a journey from 1800-1950, making a pit stop every fifty years to explore the tastes of a particular time. You'll get to smell and sample the spices, fruits, extracts, and other ingredients that defined the flavors of each time period. From rosewater to vanilla, nutmeg to cinnamon, citron to Reddi-wip, Sarah Lohman will discuss why these flavors were popular and how they were used in day-to-day cooking. This event is part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Purchase your ticket here.

Sarah Lohman has more than a decade of museum experience with a specific focus on culinary history. Lohman is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she began working in a museum at the age of 16, cooking historic food over a wood-burning stove. She graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2005. For her undergraduate thesis, she opened a temporary restaurant/installation that reinterpreted food of the Colonial era for a modern audience.

Fridays and Saturdays, September 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, and 30

Eat Like a Local Tour: Carroll Gardens

2:00-5:30 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for a strolling lunch through one of Brooklyn's premiere culinary neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens. This tour will include both old-school haunts and new culinary entrepreneurs in an exciting menu of traditional flavors and daring dishes. We'll stop at Italian and Middle Eastern shops that have long been staples of the neighborhood and explore the growing scene of cafes and restaurants specializing in artisanal foods. As we enjoy their delicacies, local business owners and residents will tell us about the neighborhood's rich history and changing character. Tickets: $49 (10% off for BHS members -- call 718.222.4111 for discount). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturday, September 3

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights
3:00 p.m.

This walking tour based on Claire Mirarchi's book Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association's Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. RSVP required as space is limited. RSVP here. The tour departs from BHS at 3:00 p.m. and will last approximately 45 minutes. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Saturdays, September 3, 10, 17 and 24

Immigrant Foodways Tour

11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for this Immigrant Foodways Tour. Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" -- once the heart of a Jewish community -- and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era. Today the market is a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour takes place every Saturday. Tickets: $39 (10% off for BHS members-- call 718.222.4111 for discount). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturday, September 10

Compagnia de’ Colombari in More or Less I Am: Walt Whitman

2:00 p.m.

Join BHS for this special performance by Compagnia de’ Colombari as part of BHS’s programming for the tenth anniversary of September 11th. More or Less I Am is a music-theater piece drawn entirely from Walt Whitman’s 1855 Song of Myself. Conceived and directed by Karin Coonrod with original music by Colin Jacobsen, Kyle Sanna, Eric Jacobsen, and Alex Sopp, the piece involves seventeen performers from the Americas. More or Less I Am embodies the voice of Walt Whitman, who, in Song of Myself announced: “Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” More or Less I Am represents Whitman’s call to us, then and now, to live interdependently. The performance begins at 2:00 p.m., will last approximately 45 minutes, and will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.

Compagnia de’ Colombari is an international collaborative of performing artists generating theater for a new century. Celebrating the kinship of humankind alongside its variety, Compagnia de’ Colombari is dedicated to old and new works from a world of traditions and cultures that bring performers and audience members together -- transforming strangers into community.

Saturday, September 10

Research Your House Workshop

2:00-4:00 p.m.

CANCELLED

Discover the amazing history of your Brooklyn house using BHS's images, records and documents. Attendees will be introduced to library collections used in house and building research and will learn to piece together the social history of a Brooklyn home or block. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. $30 BHS members/$50 non-members. Purchase your tickets here. This workshop is part of BHS's fall Library Workshops, a monthly program series that utilizes the collections at BHS to provide hands-on training and research opportunities to explore your family, neighborhood, and borough history.

Sunday, September 11

Doing Good in a Post-9/11 World, with Julie Salamon, author of Rambam’s Ladder

2:00 p.m.

BHS proudly presents Brooklyn Community Foundation’s first program of Why We Do Good, an ongoing exploration of philanthropy’s role in our daily lives. Author Julie Salamon’s response to the evil that unleashed 9/11 was to explore the motivations for doing good. The result was Rambam’s Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It Is Necessary to Give, her 2003 book which uses the teachings of Maimonides, the twelfth century rabbi, physician, and philosopher, to explore several levels of giving, from purely self-interested at the bottom of the ladder, to purely altruistic at the top. On the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Salamon and interviewer Marilyn Gelber, President of Brooklyn Community Foundation, will use Rambam’s Ladder to discuss personal philanthropy in a turbulent and changing world. Following the discussion, we will walk to the Promenade, where NYC-based poet Dave Johnson will read brief selections from his work as well as Galway Kinnell’s When the Towers Fell. RSVP encouraged. The event is free and open to the public.

Salamon is author of Wendy and the Lost Boys: The Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein, a book published in August 2011. Salamon is also author of several other books, including Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God, and Diversity on Steroids from 2008, which provides an unvarnished, insider’s view of one year in the life of Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park.

Monday, September 12

Brooklyn’s Health: Past, Present, and Future

6:00-8:30 p.m.

Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus,

1 University Plaza, Room HS 121, Brooklyn

BHS Public Historian Julie Golia and Outreach and Public Services Archivist Robin Katz will be featured panelists at this event presented by Long Island University's Masters in Public Health program. This event is free, with RSVP required. Visit http://tiny.cc/cljkt to RSVP.

Thursday, September 15

Rewriting Recipes with Historic Gastronomist Sarah Lohman

7:00 p.m.

Perhaps you found a box of ancient handwritten recipes cards at the Brooklyn Flea. Maybe you have your grandmother's cookbook, gathering dust on the shelf. Or perhaps you simply enjoy browsing Google books to page through cookbooks from 100 years ago. Why aren't you cooking from these recipes? These treasures from the past are valuable resources to draw inspiration for a contemporary kitchen. Sarah Lohman is here to help you negotiate the difficulties of translating historic recipes. In Rewriting Recipes, she'll use BHS’s historic Lefferts Family cookbook to teach how to interpret historic recipes. Lohman will unveil tricks to modernize these recipes for today's kitchen: how to interpret amounts, flesh out directions, and find comparable ingredients. Most importantly, she’ll show how to pull inspiration from these recipes to create unique contemporary dishes. Feel free to bring your own vintage and historical recipes to share. This event is part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Purchase your ticket here.

Sarah Lohman has more than a decade of museum experience with a specific focus on culinary history. Lohman is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she began working in a museum at the age of 16, cooking historic food over a wood-burning stove. She graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2005. For her undergraduate thesis, she opened a temporary restaurant/installation that reinterpreted food of the Colonial era for a modern audience.

Saturday, September 17

Family-Friendly Scavenger Hunt (for kids 5 to 95 years old)
10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

During Brooklyn Book Festival weekend, join BHS in a Brooklyn Heights neighborhood scavenger hunt. This family-friendly activity will test your knowledge of the Brooklyn Heights area and its history. There is no time limit, but participants who successfully complete the hunt before 5:00 p.m. will be eligible for a raffle to win prizes including Brooklyn hats, neighborhood guides, and postcards. The scavenger hunt is free. Come to BHS on September 17, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and participate for your chance to win. This hunt is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Sunday, September 18

Brooklyn Book Festival

10:00 - 6:00 pm (BHS events)

The Brooklyn Book Festival is a huge, free public event presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today. BHS is pleased to Book Festival events. Free admission to BHS 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on September 18, in honor of Brooklyn Book Festival.

BHS Line Up

First Floor Main Hall

10:00 a.m. Notes From Underground. Susan Choi (A Person of Interest), Jonathan Dee (The Privileges) and Anders Nilsen (Big Question) read from their books and discuss themes of individual alienation and existential dilemmas.  Moderated by Donald Breckenridge.

11:00 a.m. Presented by Housing Works Bookstore Cafe: Radical Fictions. A family confronts the end of the Cold War in Washington, DC, 1979. A group of drunk punks await their prophet as the millennium looms in Gainesville, Florida, 1999. A beautiful eco-terrorist bombs an office building in New York, New York, 2010. Jennifer Gilmore (Something Red), David Goodwillie (American Subversive), and Justin Taylor (Gospel of Anarchy) read from their work and discuss the extremist ideologies and cultish communities their characters find themselves entangled in.  Moderated by Marcela Landres.  

12:00 p.m. The Poetry of Loss. Poets Mary Jo Bang (The Bride of E, Elegy), Michael Dickman (Flies), Meghan O’Rourke (The Long Goodbye, Halflife), and Kevin Young (Dear Darkness, editor of The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing) will examine the ways poems help us cope with and understand losses in our lives. Moderated by Robert Casper of the Library of Congress.

1:00 p.m. Fact, Memory and the Evolution of a Story. Three NYC writers, David Rakoff (Half Empty), Sigrid Nunez (Sempre Susan) and Adrian Tomine (Scenes from and Impending Marriage) reflect on the context that inspires their work.   Moderated by Michael Miller.

2:00 p.m. Politics and Poetry. Poets Timothy Donnelly (The Cloud Corporation), Nick Flynn (The Captain Asks for a Show of Hands), Thomas Sayers Ellis (Skin, Inc: Identity Repair Poems) and Evie Shockley (The New Black) explore poetry's capacity for social change role and the role of poetry in public life. Moderated by Camille Rankine of Cave Canem Foundation. 

3:00 p.m. Changing Lenses. Poet Ben Lerner (Leaving the Atocha Station), editor of philosophy books Simon Van Booy (Everything Beautiful Began After), and blogger and political analyst Keli Goff (The GQ Candidate) change their focus to the novel.  Readings and short discussion.  Moderated by Marcela Landres. 

4:00 p.m. Memories and Wayfinding. Binyavanga Wainaina (One Day I Will Write About This Place), Paula Fox (News From the World), Phillip Lopate (At the End of the Day) read from their work and share their memories, experiences and thoughts in memoirs, poetry and essays will read from their works. Q & A follows.  Moderated by Pat Mulcahy.

5:00 p.m. Media Representations and Reality. The debate continues over whether the media reflects reality or has a hand in shaping it.  Like Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, the act of presenting the news can very often alter it.  No one knows this better than Brooke Gladstone of "On the Media," whose new book The Influencing Machine with Josh Neufeld examines the role of the media in American society. Patrice Evans, (Negropedia), examines media representations of African-Americans, and Jennifer Pozner (Reality Bites Back) looks at the completely unreal world of reality television. Moderated by Juan Gonzalez (News for All the People).

BHS Library

10:00 a.m. Librarian Reception. The Brooklyn Book Festival invites librarians to a special morning event hosted by the Brooklyn Historical Society.  Special guest appearance by Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth, the classic tale of a bored boy whose life transforms through the magic of words and ideas, and author Leonard Marcus (Golden Legacy). RSVP required. Doors open at 9:45 a.m.

1:00 p.m. Editorial P.O.V.  Top editors of leading magazine Tom Matthews of Wine Spectator and Rosemary Ellis of Good Housekeeping discuss the nexus of literature, magazine writing and home and hearth.

2:00 p.m. Pulitzers Notwithstanding.  Pulitzer Prize-winners from Brooklyn, Jake Bernstein and Jesse Eisinger from ProPublica, who won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for their story on Wall Street bankers, and Clifford Levy from the New York Times who wrote on the justice system in Russia, in conversation.  Moderated by Anthony Crowell.

3:00 p.m. Lifestyles of the Rich and Richer. We are living in an almost comic enactment of Marx’s predictions about class and labor: the rich get richer, the poor are getting, well, you know… Marx foresaw the decline of small business and the middle class at the hands of unrestrained capitalism more than 100 years ago. With a gimlet eye and wry outlook, Chris Lehmann (Rich People Things) and David Graeber (Debt: The First 5,000 Years...) discuss the current state of our economy and where we’re headed.

4:00 p.m. City Life. Eminent urbanists Marshall Berman (All That Is Solid Melts into Air), Sharon Zukin (Naked City), and Elijah Anderson (The Cosmopolitan Canopy) assess the contemporary urban experience. Greg Lindsay (Aerotropolis) previews our Blade Runner-esque future.  Moderated by Theodore Hamm, The Brooklyn Rail.

5:00 p.m. New Works: A Poetry Reading. Poets Albert Mobilio (Touch Wood), Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Lucky Fish), and Matthew Rohrer (Destroyer and Preserver) will read from their recently published volumes of poetry. Introduced by Joseph O. Legaspi of Kundiman.

Sunday, September 18

Montague Street Walking Tour

2:00 p.m.

On Sunday, September 18, BHS will lead a tour down Montague Street in historic Brooklyn Heights as part of Montague Street BID's Summer Space, when Montague Street will be car-free between Clinton Street and Hicks Street. See the place where Jackie Robinnson signed his major league contract, learn which site was the former home of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and much more. Meet Todd Florio, BHS Head of School Programs, your tour guide, at Montague and Clinton Streets at 2:00 p.m. No reservations required. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Wednesday, September 21

SOLD OUT

Brooklyn Bounty Cocktail Party and the First Brooklyn Food Recognition Awards

6:30-9:30 p.m.

Brooklyn Bounty Cocktail Party and the First Brooklyn Food Recognition Awards will include tastings of food and drink from Brooklyn growers, chefs and purveyors; historic cocktails in our beautiful library; storytelling by local people from neighborhoods far and wide across Brooklyn; viewings of historical and new maps and materials related to local food and agriculture; a creative silent auction of unique Brooklyn prizes and experiences; and music by The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn. All funds raised at Brooklyn Bounty will be used to support BHS's nationally-recognized education programs. Purchase your ticket here.

Saturday, September 24

BHS Building Tour
2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Saturday, September 24

Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day

10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

BHS participates in the Smithsonian magazine museum day, offering free admission all day. Each year, museum day offers people throughout the United States the opportunity to enjoy and share our country’s dynamic heritage and cultural life for free. Free admission for participating museums and cultural venues is granted to visitors presenting the official museum day ticket, found on smithsonian.com. Read more here.

Sunday, September 25

The Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

12:00-4:00 p.m.

Levys' Unique New York!, in partnership with BHS and Transportation Alternatives, will lead a four-hour bicycle tour of Williamsburg and Bushwick focused on former brewery buildings. See historical photographs of brewery buildings from the 1880s and 1920s, compare them with vintage 1970s photos, and observe the buildings as they stand today. German Churches, banks and social halls will also be observed. The tour will end at Evergreen Cemetery on the Brooklyn/Queens border, where many of the brewers are buried. Join this historical, educational, beer-drinkable adventure. BYOBike and helmet. Tickets $25 for BHS and Transportation Alternatives members/$30 for non-members. RSVP to Matt@levysuniqueny.com. Not a BHS member? Click here to join.

Monday, September 26

What Are You? Mixed-Heritage Brooklyn

7:00 p.m.

Participate in this discussion at BHS about mixed heritage co-sponsored by Loving Day, a global network fighting racial prejudice through education and building multicultural community. This conversation will be facilitated by Jen Chau of Swirl, a multi-ethnic, anti-racist organization that promotes cross-cultural dialogue; with Suleiman Osman, author of The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification, Race, and the Search for Authenticity in Post-War New York; performance artist Judith Sloan, co-author and co-creator with Warren Lehrer of Crossing the BLVD: strangers, neighbors, aliens in a new America; and writer and actress Katrina Grigg-Saito, whose documentary and installation FishBird is titled for the saying “a fish can love a bird but where would they live?” This event is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

This event is part of Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, a public programming series and oral history project about mixed-heritage families, race, ethnicity, culture, and identity, infused with historical perspective. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Council for the Humanities, Two Trees Management, Brooklyn Brewery, Sweet ’N Low Division of Cumberland Packing, and Con Edison.

Tuesday, September 27

Brooklyn Food Stories: Farms, Markets, and Shops that have Shaped Brooklyn Appetites and Communities

7:00 p.m.

Hear the stories behind Brooklyn farms, markets, and shops, and how their individual efforts have shaped neighborhoods and Brooklynites' appetites over time. Based on recorded interviews and historical research that Urban Oyster has conducted for its Brooklyn-based tours, this presentation will include stories about Wallabout Market, Moore Street Market, shops in Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, farmers currently growing food in Brooklyn, and more. David Naczycz and Cindy VandenBosch, co-founders of Urban Oyster, will be the presenters. This event is part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Complimentary Brooklyn Brewery beer or bottled water included with ticket price. Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Purchase your ticket here.

October

Saturday, October 1

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights
3:00 p.m.

This walking tour based on Claire Mirarchi's book Enjoying Brooklyn Heights: The Brooklyn Heights Association's Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tour will take participants through the small architectural details of Brooklyn Heights including gargoyles, boot scrapers, griffins, pineapples and more. The tour is free and fun for all ages. RSVP required as space is limited. RSVP here. The tour departs from BHS at 3:00 p.m. and will last approximately 45 minutes. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Fridays and Saturdays, October 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29

Eat Like a Local Tour: Carroll Gardens

2:00-5:30 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for a strolling lunch through one of Brooklyn's premiere culinary neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens. This tour will include both old school haunts and new culinary entrepreneurs in an exciting menu of traditional flavors and daring dishes. We'll stop at Italian and Middle Eastern shops that have long been staples of the neighborhood and explore the growing scene of cafes and restaurants specializing in artisanal foods. As we enjoy their delicacies, local business owners and residents will tell us about the neighborhood's rich history and changing character. Tickets: $49 (10% off for BHS members -- call 718.222.4111 for discount). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturdays, October 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29

Immigrant Foodways Tour

11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for this Immigrant Foodways Tour. Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" - once the heart of a Jewish community - and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era. Today the market is a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour takes place every Saturday. Tickets: $39 (10% off for BHS members-- call 718-222-4111 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Sunday, October 2

The Atlantic Antic

10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Join BHS at The Atlantic Antic, a true Brooklyn event that includes more than a mile of food, festivities, and fun through the heart of Brownstone Brooklyn, from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue. Atlantic Antic brings together local merchants, artisans, musical acts, and not-for-profits, Brooklyn food, and more on a ten-block stretch of Atlantic Avenue. The BHS booth will be located between Clinton and Henry Streets. Free admission to BHS during regular museum hours, 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., in honor of Atlantic Antic.

Tuesday, October 4

Emmy-Award Winning Talk-Show Host Phil Donahue
Interviews Retiring Pastor of Historic Church, Rev. David Dyson

7:00 p.m.

This event takes place at the Irondale Center
BHS is proud to co-present this program with Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church and Irondale Center. Journalist and Emmy-award winning talk-show host Phil Donahue will interview Reverend David Dyson, leader of Brooklyn’s historic Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. This public event celebrates and honors Reverend Dyson as he prepares to retire after almost two decades as a central figure to the church, the community and beyond. Only the seventh pastor in Lafayette Avenue’s 150 years, Rev. Dyson has spent eighteen years leading an inclusive congregation long identified with the abolitionist and civil rights movements through present day struggles for justice, both in the community and within the national church. Lafayette Avenue’s story goes far beyond its walls and is embedded in the living history of Brooklyn. Tickets $30 at irondale.org.

Wednesday, October 5

Tour of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

7:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join us for a tour of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm that includes a lesson on urban farming and green roofs, seasonal planting, harvest and composting–as well as a visit to see the bees, chickens and rabbits! Tickets $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Purchase your ticket here. Eagle Street Farm is located at 44 Eagle St., Greenpoint.

Thursday, October 6

Opening Reception Context\Contrast: New Architecture in Historic Districts, 1967 to Present

6:00-8:00 p.m.

Members only preview 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Join us for the opening of the Context\Contrast: New Architecture in Historic Districts, 1967 to Present. Focusing on the areas of Brooklyn Heights, South Street Seaport, and SoHo, this exhibition explores how new buildings and historic districts have learned to coexist in New York, the country’s most culturally and architecturally diverse city. This exhibit opening is free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 8

Inventing Brooklyn Exhibit Tour

2:00 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress traces the evolution of Brooklyn into the place we know today. From Native American roots and Dutch colonial influences to icons such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Dodgers, Inventing Brooklyn examines how various people, places, and historical events have shaped the development of the borough. Join us for a tour of this exhibit where we will discuss items relating to the Battle of Brooklyn, Brooklyn's first newspapers, and Brooklyn’s diverse immigrant populations in order to capture the complexity and dynamism of the process of Inventing Brooklyn. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Sunday, October 9

Volunteer Day at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

2:00-4:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, BHS will lead a volunteer day at the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint. Join BHS as we help weed, dig, harvest, and plow. The farm is open to the public from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Sundays from April through November. Visitors are welcome to shop at the farm's fresh-picked-produce market; help plant, compost and do farm chores; or simply visit the nation's first organic greenroof-turned-vegetable farm and admire the view. Eagle Street Farm is located at 44 Eagle St., Greenpoint.

Wednesday, October 12

Big Eyed Blues Festival Opening Event

7:00-9:00 p.m.

BHS partners with Big Eyed Productions for the sixth annual Brooklyn Big Eyed Blues Festival. The opening event will be a presentation of Dinah's Blues, a one-woman show depicting the life and times of blues and jazz vocalist, Dinah Washington. This show was written by Beareather Reddy and has been performed at the 14th Street Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia and various venues in the Brooklyn community.

The Brooklyn Big Eyed Blues Festival, an annual event that takes place throughout Brooklyn, presents blues music to community youth and neighboring boroughs and cities. This year’s Blues Festival will be a four-day event, October 12-15 at various venues. Tickets $25. Proceeds support Big Eyed Blues Project Youth Program. Refreshments will be served and tickets may be purchased in advance at 800.838.3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com.   

Thurday, October 13

The Nineteenth-Century Kitchen with Harry Rosenblum

7:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join us on October 13 as Harry Rosenblum explores the everyday lifestyle of nineteenth-century Brooklynites through the exploration of their kitchen tools. This presentation will include a selection of kitchenware and cookbooks from Harry Rosenblum's collection and a discussion of the history of kitchen tool patenting and manufacturing in America. Harry Rosenblum and his wife Taylor Erkkinen own the Brooklyn Kitchen, a cookware shop that specializes in the finest new and vintage kitchenware and a cooking school that hosts thirty to forty cooking classes a month. Harry has been involved in antiques and memorabilia his whole life. The son of a collector, he grew up around fire fighting antiques, antique vehicles, a vast record collection and more. His own collecting has moved toward kitchenware and out-of-print cookbooks, with a specific interest in the obsolete and patent variations. This program is free and open to the public.

Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16

OpenHouseNY: BHS Building Tours

Both days at 2:00 pm

Come and explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. Admission to BHS is free both days for OpenHouseNY. These tours are part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks series.

Wednesday, October 19

Inner Circle Event: Sam Sifton, Former Restaurant Critic for The New York Times
6:30 p.m.

This event for Inner Circle members is part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, public programs focused on food culture in Brooklyn, which examine the role of food past and present in our borough. Please join us for a private conversation with Sam Sifton, former restaurant critic for The New York Times. Inner Circle events, a benefit for higher-level BHS members, offer exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to BHS's exhibits, collections and programs. Want to become part of the Inner Circle? Contact BHS’s membership coordinator Taina Sanon at 718.222.4111 x246. Or go online to join BHS as an Advocate Member or higher. This event will take place in BHS’s Othmer Library. Refreshments will be served. RSVP required.

Thursday, October 20

The Big Apple: Historic Cocktails with Regional Apple Alcohols

7:00 p.m.

Apple cider, apple brandy, and applejack are complex alcohols that are infinitely mixable. Sarah Lohman, historic gastronomist, will inspire you to add them to your liquor cabinets with a night of nineteenth-century cocktails. The evening will begin with a cup of Apple Punch, which features slices of crisp New York apples steeped in wine. While sipping drinks, guests will hear a short talk on the history of apple alcohol in New York. Afterward, participants will learn how to make three historic apple cocktails: the refreshing, spicy Jersey Cocktail; the warm and comforting Apple Toddy; and the sweet, meringue-like Tiger's Milk Punch. These drinks will feature local apple alcohols made from traditional recipes. Participants will work with educators in small groups, learning about the history of each drink as they imbibe their handmade cocktails. Additionally, local apple alcohol producers will be on hand to talk about their products and the state of the apple industry today. This event is part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. Ticket: $30 BHS members/$40 non-members. Purchase your ticket here.

This event is part of Glynwood's Cider Week, which seeks to cultivate an appreciation for hard cider. Glynwood preserves apple orchards in the Hudson Valley by promoting the production of hard cider and apple spirits. Learn more at www.glynwood.org.

Sarah Lohman has more than a decade of museum experience with a specific focus on culinary history. Lohman is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where she began working in a museum at the age of 16, cooking historic food over a wood-burning stove. She graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2005. For her undergraduate thesis, she opened a temporary restaurant/installation that reinterpreted food of the Colonial era for a modern audience.

Saturday, October 22

Broken Land: Poems of Brooklyn

10:30 a.m.

Poets and editors Julia Spicher Kasdorf and Michael Tyrell of Broken Land:  Poems of Brooklyn will discuss their work on the anthology and share samplings from the book that express the borough's rich and diverse literary history. This event is jointly sponsored by the Center for American Literary Study at Pennsylvania State University and is free with museum admission.

Saturday, October 22

CANCELLED

Preserve Your Family Documents Workshop

2:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 23

20 Years Since the Crown Heights Riot of August 1991

2:00-5:00 p.m.

This event is free and takes place at Medgar Evers College, Auditorium, 1650 Bedford Avenue

Listen as historians and community members respond to oral history interviews with Crown Heights residents recorded in the 1990s and 2010. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? The panel will include the following guests: co-curators of the Crown Heights History Project, 1993-1994 Craig Wilder, professor of American History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of A Covenant with Color: Race and Social Power in Brooklyn, and Jill Vexler, anthropologist and curator of exhibitions about cultural identity and social history; Dexter Wimberly, curator of the Crown Heights Gold exhibition at the Skylight Gallery (July 28-Oct 31, 2011); Rabbi Eli Cohen, Executive Director of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council; and Alex Kelly, organizer of Crown Heights Oral History - Listen To This, and the student interview team from Paul Robeson High School. This program is co-sponsored by the Center for Women's Development and the President’s Office at Medgar Evers College. This event is free and open to the public.

This event is part of Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, a public programming series and oral history project about mixed-heritage families, race, ethnicity, culture, and identity, infused with historical perspective. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Council for the Humanities, Two Trees Management, Brooklyn Brewery, Sweet ’N Low Division of Cumberland Packing, Con Edison, and FHL Bank San Francisco.

Sunday, October 23
Historic Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour with Big Onion

11:00 a.m.

Explore New York City’s first Landmark District on this special tour co-sponsored by Big Onion and BHS. Explore the neighborhood’s agricultural roots, its emergence as the country’s first suburb, and its twentieth century decline and dramatic regeneration. Stops could include: The Hotel St George, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, and sites associated with Seth Low, George Washington, Arthur Miller, WEB DuBois, and Gypsy Rose Lee. Adults $18/students, military, seniors $15. BHS members receive $3 off all Big Onion tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Tuesday, October 25

Museums and the Common Core: What's Your Role?

5:00-7:30 p.m.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are reshaping how schools and cultural organizations can work together. How do they apply to you? Join us for a roundtable discussion about the changes underway. Become more familiar with ways in which museums can develop and adapt programs and professional development offerings that support teachers and schools as they work toward aligning curriculum and instructional priorities with CCSS.

This event is free for members of the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable (NYCMER) and $5.00 for all others. Join us before the program for coffee/tea and light snacks from 5:00-5:30 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP by emailing: info@nycmer.org

Thursday, October 27

Film Screening: Vanishing of the Bees

7:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, BHS, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Bridge CSA, will present a film screening of Vanishing of the Bees. This 2009 documentary explores the phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD) and its global economic and ecological impact. Join us after the screening for an exploration of the local implications of the CCD phenomenon, led by the CSA's core members and an NYC beekeeper. This event is co-sponsored by Pursue: Action for a Just World – a project of American Jewish World Service and AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sunday, October 30

BHS Building Tour
2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Throughout October

Big Onion Walking Tours of Brooklyn

Since 1991, Big Onion Walking Tours has led locals and visitors alike on innovative and exciting tours through New York's ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts. Big Onion’s tours of Brooklyn include the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Park, and DUMBO/Vinegar Hill. Big Onion’s walking tours explore the many layers of history that make up the fabric of our city. BHS members receive $3 off all tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS'sBrooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Throughout October

Urban Oyster Tours of Brooklyn

Urban Oyster leads a variety of tours of Brooklyn, including: Brooklyn Navy Yard by Bus or by Bike: take a bus tour or ride a bike and learn the fascinating stories of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's past, present, and future; and Brewed in Brooklyn: discover how the story of the beer brewing industry tells a larger narrative about the neighborhood of Williamsburg, the borough of Brooklyn, and even the country as a whole. Visit the Brooklyn Brewery and sample beers on tap, then step back in time to explore the heart of the old Brewers Row, once a German immigrant area known for its brew houses and beer gardens. Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.599.1842 for specific dates and ticket prices. BHS members receive a 10% discount on Navy Yard and Brewery Tours (contact BHS at 718.222.4111 for code). This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

November

Tuesday, November 1

Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable

12:00-2:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable is a quarterly luncheon series dedicated to examining, analyzing, reviewing, and predicting the critical issues in Brooklyn real estate. It's the only event where Brooklyn's real estate professionals gather to discuss timely and important issues affecting the industry. Attend the Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable and join participants from firms such as Muss Development, Toll Brothers, Thor Equities, Hudson Companies, Brody Group, Forest City Ratner, Two Trees Management, and Douglaston Development. All Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable proceeds benefit the Brooklyn Historical Society. Purchase your tickets today for the final luncheon of the 2011 Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable series. To register by mail, please use our registration form.

November 2-6

5 Dutch Days

5 Dutch Days is a five-day cultural event that takes place in New York City every November. 5 Dutch Days celebrates the continuous influence of Dutch arts and culture in New York City and brings together arts and cultural organizations from across the city. This year as part of 5 Dutch Days, BHS will display archival materials from the Lefferts Family Collection. The Lefferts family traces their roots back to 1660, making them among the oldest landowners in Brooklyn. Using letters, cookbooks, maps, bills of sale, and other rich artifacts, this display will explore Brooklyn’s deep Dutch roots, the role of slavery in Brooklyn’s economy, and the labors of men and women when Brooklyn was a small agricultural hamlet. The display is on view November 2-6 during regular museum hours, Wed-Fri 12-5 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun 12-5 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2

Forum on the Architecture of Appropriateness

7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

This event is part of programming for BHS’s newest exhibit Context\Contrast: New Architecture in Historic Districts, 1967 to Present. Focusing on the areas of Brooklyn Heights, South Street Seaport and SoHo, this exhibit investigates how new buildings and historic districts have learned to coexist in New York, the country’s most culturally and architecturally diverse city. Richard Olcott, FAIA, FAAR, Partner, Ennead Architects, will moderate with panelists Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Founder, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture; Otis Pratt Pearsall, Preservationist; Thomas F. Schutte, President, Pratt Institute; Yolande Daniels, Founding Partner, Studio SUMO; and Paula Scher, Principal, Pentagram Design. This event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, November 3

Wine in New York: A History in the Tasting

7:00 p.m.
This event will take place at Brooklyn Winery

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, BHS in conjunction with Brooklyn Winery, presents a history of wine culture in New York, examining several wines produced by New York wineries. Celebrate harvest season by joining Executive Wine Director of Food and Wine Magazine, Ray Isle; Wine Columnist of Eater NY, Talia Baiocchi; wine maker, Conor McCormack; and Urban Oyster founder, David Naczycz, as they share their perspectives on the qualities and history of New York wines. Tickets include a tasting of each of the wines discussed by the panelists. Tickets available here: $15/13 BHS members. This event will take place at Brooklyn Winery, 213 North 8th Street, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Winery is a fully-functioning urban winery and winemaking center in the Williamsburg neighborhood, with a beautifully appointed wine bar, a large courtyard, and several unique spaces that can be rented for private events, corporate meetings, film shoots, and more.

Fridays and Saturdays, November 11, 12, and 18

Eat Like a Local Tour: Carroll Gardens

2:00-5:30 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for a strolling lunch through one of Brooklyn's premiere culinary neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens. This tour will include both old school haunts and new culinary entrepreneurs in an exciting menu of traditional flavors and daring dishes. We'll stop at Italian and Middle Eastern shops that have long been staples of the neighborhood and explore the growing scene of cafes and restaurants specializing in artisanal foods. As we enjoy their delicacies, local business owners and residents will tell us about the neighborhood's rich history and changing character. Tickets: $49 (10% off for BHS members-- call 718.222.4111 for discount). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturday, November 5

BHS Building Tour
2:00 p.m.

Come explore our beautiful landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and built in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time. Using the latest technology, Post created a magnificent structure with amazing craftsmanship. On this guided tour you’ll learn not only about the building as an architectural gem, but you’ll also find out the “more than meets the eye” history of one of Brooklyn’s premier cultural institutions. This tour is free with museum admission and open to the public. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Saturdays, November 5 and 19

Immigrant Foodways Tour

11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for this Immigrant Foodways Tour. Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" - once the heart of a Jewish community - and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era. Today the market is a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour takes place every Saturday. Tickets: $39 (10% off for BHS members -- call 718.222.4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.618.8687 to book public or private tours.

Tuesday, November 8

Inner Circle: The Lefferts Collection with BHS Public Historian Julie Golia

6:30 p.m.

This event for Inner Circle members of BHS. Join BHS Public Historian Julie Golia for this behind-the-scenes look at the Lefferts Family Collection. The Lefferts family traces its roots back to 1660, making the family among the oldest landowners in Brooklyn. Using letters, cookbooks, maps, bills of sale, and other rich artifacts, we will explore Brooklyn’s deep Dutch roots, the role of slavery in Brooklyn’s economy, and the labors of men and women when Brooklyn was a small agricultural hamlet. This event will showcase rare seventeenth-century cookbooks, slave bills of sale and indentures, detailed and beautiful real estate maps, and personal recollections from Lefferts family members. Inner Circle events, a benefit for higher-level BHS members, offer exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to BHS's exhibits, collections and programs. Want to become part of the Inner Circle? Contact BHS’s membership coordinator Taina Sanon at 718.222.4111 x246. Or go online to join BHS as an Advocate Member or higher. This event will take place in BHS’s Othmer Library. Refreshments will be served. RSVP required.

Friday, November 11

Veteran’s Day

12:00-5:00 p.m.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, all veterans receive free admission to BHS on Friday, November 11, 2011 from 12:00-5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 12
Historic Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour with Big Onion

1:00 p.m.

Explore New York City’s first Landmark District on this special tour co-sponsored by Big Onion and BHS. Explore the neighborhood’s agricultural roots, its emergence as the country’s first suburb, and its twentieth century decline and dramatic regeneration. Stops could include: The Hotel St George, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, and sites associated with Seth Low, George Washington, Arthur Miller, WEB DuBois, and Gypsy Rose Lee. Adults $18/students, military, seniors $15. BHS members receive $3 off all Big Onion tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Saturday, November 12

Research Your House Workshop

2:00-4:00 p.m.

Discover the amazing history of your Brooklyn house using BHS's images, records and documents. Attendees will be introduced to library collections used in house and building research and will learn to piece together the social history of a Brooklyn home or block. Advanced ticket purchase recommended as the event will fill up. $30 BHS members/$50 non-members. Purchase your tickets here. This workshop is part of BHS's fall Library Workshops, a monthly program series that utilizes the collections at BHS to provide hands-on training and research opportunities to explore your family, neighborhood, and borough history.

Sunday, November 13

The Phantom Tollbooth 50th Anniversary with Norton Juster and Leonard Marcus

2:00 p.m.

It has been fifty years—and millions of readers—since the world was first introduced to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond with Tock, the Humbug, and the captive princesses Rhyme and Reason. Join BHS for the celebration of The Phantom Tollbooth’s fiftieth-anniversary. Author Norton Juster will be joined by Leonard Marcus, whose book, The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth is being released this October along with the fiftieth anniversary edition of The Phantom Tollbooth, which includes Jules Feiffer’s classic illustrations and features essays from acclaimed children’s writers including Philip Pullman, Suzanne Collins, Jeanne Birdsall, and Mo Willems. Norton Juster wrote The Phantom Tollbooth while living in Brooklyn Heights. The book was published in 1961 and won the George C. Stone Centre for Children's Books Award. It is recognized as a classic and continues to be treasured by children and adults throughout the world. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis. RSVP required.

Saturdays and Sundays, November 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours
1:45-4:15 p.m.
As part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks, join Urban Oyster, in collaboration with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, for public bus tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Saturday and Sunday afternoons starting on Sunday, November 13th through the end of the month. These tours explore the Yard's transition from one of the nation's foremost naval shipbuilding facilities to a national leader in sustainable urban industrial parks. On this guided tour, attendees explore some of the Yard's most intriguing sites, including a landmark dry dock that's been in use since before the Civil War, the 24-acre former Navy hospital campus that is virtually frozen in time, the nation's first multi-story LEED Gold-certified industrial building, BLDG 92, and more. Tours will begin and end at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92. Tickets: $30/person (10% off for BHS members -- call 718.222.4111 for discount code). Space is limited. Advance reservations strongly encouraged. For tour dates, tickets, and more information, please visit www.urbanoyster.com or call Urban Oyster at 347.618.8687.

Tuesday, November 15

Jungle Fever 20 Years Later: Screening and Discussion

7:00 p.m.

This event will take place at BAMcinématek, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene

Watch Spike Lee’s iconic 1991 movie about mixed-heritage relationships, Jungle Fever, and hear how three panelists respond to the movie 20 years later. With historian Renee Romano, author of Race Mixing: Black-White Marriage in Postwar America and co-editor of The Civil Rights Movement in American Memory; Michele Wallace, film critic, daughter of artist Faith Ringgold, and author of Black Macho and The Myth of The Superwoman; and Imani Perry, author of Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop and More Beautiful and More Terrible: The Embrace and Transcendence of Racial Inequality in the United States. This event is co-presented by BAMcinématek.

This event is part of Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, a public programming series and oral history project about mixed-heritage families, race, ethnicity, culture, and identity, infused with historical perspective. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Council for the Humanities, Two Trees Management, Brooklyn Brewery, Sweet ’N Low Division of Cumberland Packing, Con Edison, and FHL Bank San Francisco.

Thursday, November 17

Trivial & Convivial: Brooklyn Pub Trivia Night

7:00-10:00 p.m.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join veteran trivia hosts Stuart Post and Chris Kelley and the rest of the team at the BHS for our third pub-style trivia sponsored by Urban Oyster and Brooklyn Brewery. Come test your wits with themed rounds about all sorts of Brooklyn ephemera including music, movies, geography, and all-around general knowledge. We'll have music clues, movie clips, and more! If trivia's not your thing, come by to cheer on the game and enjoy a Brooklyn Brewery beer in one of the most stunning interiors in Brooklyn. Come as a team, or come solo and we’ll find you a team. Prizes include tickets to Urban Oyster's Brewed in Brooklyn Tour, where you and your friends will explore the past and present of Brooklyn’s beer brewing Industry and the people behind it; Brooklyn Brewery Local 1; Brooklyn neighborhood guides; memberships to BHS; and more. Food will be available for purchase. Tickets: $8 BHS members/$10 non-members. Ticket purchase includes admission to trivia event and one free Brooklyn Brewery beer or bottled water. Advanced ticket purchase recommended. Buy your ticket.

Saturday, November 19

Inventing Brooklyn Exhibit Tour

2:00 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress traces the evolution of Brooklyn into the place we know today. Join us for a tour of BHS that explores the development of Brooklyn by examining several objects from the Inventing Brooklyn exhibit as well as artifacts in BHS's permanent collection. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Sunday, November 20

Civil Rights in Brooklyn: Stories of Struggle and Protest

2:00-4:00 p.m.

Fifty years ago the freedom riders rode interstate buses into the segregated South to test the Supreme Court ruling against Jim Crow laws. Those riders traveled the roads of Mississippi and Tennessee, but how did the civil rights movement play out on the streets of Brooklyn? How did freedom ride into local neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, government, and arts and culture? A panel of activists will address Brooklyn as a site of struggle and protest, followed by audience “talk back” with more stories and Q&A. Attendees will be invited to tell their own stories about the civil rights movement, past and present. This program is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members.

Thursday, November 24

Holiday: Thanksgiving

BHS will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 24.

Throughout November

Big Onion Walking Tours of Brooklyn

Since 1991, Big Onion Walking Tours has led locals and visitors alike on innovative and exciting tours through New York's ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts. Big Onion’s tours of Brooklyn include the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Park, and DUMBO/Vinegar Hill. Big Onion’s walking tours explore the many layers of history that make up the fabric of our city. BHS members receive $3 off all tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Throughout November

Urban Oyster Tours of Brooklyn

Urban Oyster leads a variety of tours of Brooklyn, including: Brooklyn Navy Yard by Bus or by Bike: take a bus tour or ride a bike and learn the fascinating stories of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's past, present, and future; and Brewed in Brooklyn: discover how the story of the beer brewing industry tells a larger narrative about the neighborhood of Williamsburg, the borough of Brooklyn, and even the country as a whole. Visit the Brooklyn Brewery and sample beers on tap, then step back in time to explore the heart of the old Brewers Row, once a German immigrant area known for its brew houses and beer gardens. Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call 347.599.1842 for specific dates and ticket prices. BHS members receive a 10% discount on Navy Yard and Brewery Tours (contact BHS at 718.222.4111 for code). This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

December

Thursday, December 1

From Earplugs to Warships: Exploring the History of Business in Brooklyn

6:00-7:30 p.m.

This event takes place at Brooklyn Public Library's Business Library, 280 Cadman Plaza W. at Tillary St.

Brooklyn’s business history is as quirky as it is diverse. Come learn about the Brooklyn people and institutions that produced everything from warships to earplugs. BHS Special Collections Librarian Elizabeth Call will showcase items from some of the library’s vibrant collections. BHS Public Historian Julie Golia will discuss how these artifacts can provide new insights on the growth of Brooklyn, and on the history of gender, race, class, and popular culture. This event is part of BHS's fall Library Workshops, a monthly program series that utilizes the collections at BHS to provide hands-on training and research opportunities to explore your family, neighborhood, and borough history. This event is free and takes place at Brooklyn Public Library's Business Library, 280 Cadman Plaza W. at Tillary St.

Fridays and Saturdays, December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17

Eat Like a Local Tour: Carroll Gardens

2:00-5:30 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for a strolling lunch through one of Brooklyn's premiere culinary neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens. This tour will include both old school haunts and new culinary entrepreneurs in an exciting menu of traditional flavors and daring dishes. We'll stop at Italian and Middle Eastern shops that have long been staples of the neighborhood and explore the growing scene of cafes and restaurants specializing in artisanal foods. As we enjoy their delicacies, local business owners and residents will tell us about the neighborhood's rich history and changing character. Tickets: $49 (10% off for BHS members-- call 718-222-4111 for discount). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturdays, December 3, 10, and 17

Immigrant Foodways Tour

11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

As part of BHS's Brooklyn Food Stories, join Urban Oyster for this Immigrant Foodways Tour. Based on oral histories with residents and business owners in East Williamsburg, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn's "Avenue of Puerto Rico" - once the heart of a Jewish community - and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era. Today the market is a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end of the tour, you'll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home. This tour takes place every Saturday. Tickets: $39 (10% off for BHS members-- call 718-222-4111 x250 for discount code). Advance ticket purchase is required. Go to www.urbanoyster.com or call (347) 618-8687 to book public or private tours.

Saturday, December 3

BaroQue Across the River: Sortilège d’Amour! the French Cantata

7:00pm

Warm up your holiday season with a spirited French program from BaroQue Across the River. Enjoy timeless stories of the legendary enchanting musicians, Orpheus and Arion, Rameau’s Rossignols amoureux, harpsichord Pièces de Clavecin en concert #3 and Sonatas of Michele Mascitti. Tickets $20/$15 BHS members. Ticket price includes reception following the concert. Purchase your tickets here.

BaroQue Across the River returns to BHS for its ninth year. Dedicated to performing in historical settings, the group brings unique programming of eighteenth-century masterpieces to a twenty first-century audience. BAR was among a select group of artists chosen as New York’s finest early music ensembles performing at the New York Times Center, as part of GEMS Early Music/Early Season series; for ARTEK’s Midtown Concert Series, held at St. Bartholomew’s Church; and currently at Immanuel Lutheran Church. The group’s 2011-12 season will include concerts at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music; the Columbarium in Queens; Drew University in Madison; New Jersey; and our new Manhattan home, Church of the Transfiguration.

Sunday, December 4
Historic Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour with Big Onion

11:00 a.m.

Explore New York City’s first Landmark District on this special tour co-sponsored by Big Onion and BHS. Explore the neighborhood’s agricultural roots, its emergence as the country’s first suburb, and its twentieth-century decline and dramatic regeneration. Stops could include: The Hotel St George, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, and sites associated with Seth Low, George Washington, Arthur Miller, WEB DuBois, and Gypsy Rose Lee. Adults $18/students, military, seniors $15. BHS members receive $3 off all Big Onion tours. Visit http://bigonion.com/schedule/ for a complete schedule. This tour partnership is offered as part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Sunday, December 4

Inventing Brooklyn Exhibit Tour

2:00 p.m.

The BHS exhibit Inventing Brooklyn: People, Places, Progress traces the evolution of Brooklyn into the place we know today. Join us for a tour of BHS that explores the development of Brooklyn by examining several objects from the Inventing Brooklyn exhibit as well as artifacts in BHS's permanent collection. This tour is free with museum admission. Admission is always free for BHS members. This tour is part of BHS's Brooklyn Walks and Talks program series.

Tuesday, December 6

Inner Circle: Hidden Collections and Recent Acquisitions

6:30 p.m.

BHS’s library staff provides an exclusive look at hidden collections discovered during BHS’s recent survey project titled, Uncovering the Secrets of Brooklyn’s 19th Century Past: Creation to Consolidation. Featuring everything from diaries and letters to photographs and architectural drawings, these collections offer new and interesting perspectives on many aspects of Brooklyn history, including politics and activism, the development of Brooklyn’s public infrastructure, family and social life, business and industry, life during times of war, and many other topics. Inner Circle events, a benefit for higher-level BHS members, offer exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to BHS's exhibits, collections and programs. Want to become part of the Inner Circle? Contact BHS’s membership coordinator Taina Sanon at 718.222.4111 x246. Or go online to join BHS as an Advocate Member or higher. This event will take place in BHS’s Othmer Library. Refreshments will be served. RSVP required.

Wednesday, December 7-Sunday, December 11

NY Creates Holiday Craft Festival

Weekdays 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Weekend 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The NY Creates Holiday Craft Festival is free and open to the public. You’ll find an array of unique craft items to suit any taste at the NY Creates Craft Festival at BHS. The crafts festival features high-quality and creative hand-crafted gifts: ceramics, jewelry, apparel, plush toys, organic cosmetics, glass works, photo art and home goods at affordable prices. Many of these items were created by Brooklyn artists. BHS’s museum is open with free admission during craft festival hours. For more information visit www.nycreates.com. Weekdays 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Weekend 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 8

The Hapa Project: A Discussion with Kip Fulbeck

6:30 p.m.

This event will take place at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) 215 Centre Street

Join a discussion about what it means to be Hapa. Once a derogatory label derived from the Hawaiian word for “half,” Hapa has since been embraced as a term of pride by many whose mixed racial heritage includes Asian or Pacific Island descent. Kip Fulbeck photographed more than 1,200 people from all walks of life who identify as Hapa – from babies to adults, construction workers to rock stars, engineers to comic book artists. The project is featured as a part of MOCA’s core exhibition, With A Single Step: Stories in the Making of America. Join Kip Fulbeck in conversation with Ken Tanabe, founder of Loving Day, a global movement for a new holiday to celebrate the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage in the United States, in this program co-sponsored by BHS and MOCA. Loving Day fights racial prejudice through education and builds multicultural community. This event is free and open to the public, thanks in part to Target’s Free Thursday program at MOCA. This program is full. Email programs@mocanyc.org to join the waiting list.

This event is part of Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, a public programming series and oral history project about mixed-heritage families, race, ethnicity, culture, and identity, infused with historical perspective. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Council for the Humanities, Two Trees Management, Brooklyn Brewery, Sweet ’N Low Division of Cumberland Packing, Con Edison, and FHL Bank San Francisco.

Saturday, December 24

Christmas Eve

The Brooklyn Historical Society museum, library, and offices, will be closed on Saturday, December 24.

Sunday, December 25

Holiday: Christmas

The Brooklyn Historical Society museum, library, and offices, will be closed on Sunday, December 25.

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