“The Rescue of Guy Lowell’s Ensemble: The Landscape and Structures of the Charles River Dam, 1910.

”Karl Haglund, Project Manager for the New Charles River Basin at the Metropolitan District Commission and author of "Inventing the Charles River", will speak about the campaign for the Charles River Dam and how its design evolved into a park of five functionally important and carefully designed structures (the Upper and Lower Lock Gate Houses, the Pavilion, the Boat House and the Stable). As a researcher and author, Haglund has explored the balance between transportation planning and stewardship of the public realm.

Historic New England presents a traveling lecture exploring the life and work of William Sumner Appleton, founder of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) (now Historic New England). In 1910 when Appleton founded SPNEA, the United States preservation movement was still in its infancy. Using materials from Historic New England's extensive collections, this presentation explores Appleton's role in the context of early-twentieth-century preservation efforts and traces his legacy and influence on modern preservation efforts regionally and nationally.

'Boston's Dazzling Cliff: John W. McCormack U.S. Post Office and Courthouse". 2011. Made by the U.S. General Service Administration Center for Historic Buildings. 16 minutes long. From the GSA’s Historic Building Film Series (They have a Historic Preservation Program).
A rehabilitation project completed in 2009 preserved original features, while at the same time creating sustainable features that will ensure the building endures. The building achieved a Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design gold certification through both design and construction elements that support sustainability.

'Courthouse Girls of Farmland', Runs 51.5 minutes. Grin and Bare It Productions, 2006.
In 2005 the commissioners of East Central Indiana’s Randolph County voted to destroy the county’s historic court house and replace it with a new building. Seven senior women made a bold and controversial statement in favor of preservation and were backed by the town’s historic association. Won ‘Best Historical Documentary’ at the New York International Film Festival

'Ideas Worth Sharing: Re-Framing the Historic Preservation Conversation'- A TED talk, from the independent Cleveland TED talks in 2011. Runs 11 minutes.
Rhonda Sincavage, Associate Director for Intergovernment Affairs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, discusses why historic preservation and adaptive reuse is both a sustainable and economically viable alternative to tearing down historic structures.

Speaker: Director, Producer of 'Battle for Brooklyn', Michael Galinsky Show: “Battle for Brooklyn” , Run time: 93 minutes. Rumur, Inc. 2011.
Follows the story of reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a professional basketball arena and the densest real estate development in U.S. history. Along the way, he falls in love, gets married and starts a family while living in a vacated building located at the heart of the project site. Over the course of seven years, Daniel spearheads the movement against the development plan as he and the community fight tenaciously in the courts, the streets, and the media to stop the abuse of eminent domain and reveal the corruption at the heart of the plan. http://battleforbrooklyn.com

Families are invited to get hands-on with this historic preservation program for youth ages 8-12 and their parents! Come learn what it takes to restore old buildings at the Otis House where you will create your own architectural plaster cast. Follow this up with a visit to the West End Museum just around the corner. There you will learn how collectors preserve all kinds of history, and try your hand as a paper conservator working with old postage stamps!

The story of the rescue of Shirley Place is one that reflects the history of preservation in Boston in the 20th century. The mansion was built ca. 1746-51 by Royal Gov. William Shirley and his wife Frances Barker to a design attributed to Peter Harrison, probably with artist John Smibert. The preservation of Shirley Place, one of the few remaining royal governors’ mansions in the US, began in 1911-1913 with the purchase of the house and the formation of the Shirley-Eustis House Association. The Association was founded under the guidance of preservation pioneers William Sumner Appleton and Lillie B. Titus. Deteriorating through World War I, and condemned by the Boston Building inspector, the house underwent emergency repairs between 1919 and 1924 under the direction of Ms. Titus and architect William B. Cordingly. Throughout the 1930s to 1950s the Depression and World War II prevented any progress despite plans by several architects and Association President Mary Caner to move the house to the Fenway for use as a governor’s mansion. Finally, after the near disastrous period of the 1960s, a bi-partisan effort by John Sears and Edward M. Kennedy led to the HUD grant of 1970 that funded the initial exterior restoration of the house by architect James. H. Ballou. An historic Structure Report by SPNEA (now Historic New England) in 1979 heralded the final restoration of the mansion’s interior in 1980 to 1985. This was done under Association President David A. Mittell, Restoration Committee and Director Frederic C. Detwiller with Robert G. Neiley, Architect using measured drawings of the house done in 1895 by noted architect Ogden Codman. The Shirley-Eustis House Association efforts continue to the present day with the relocation of the Ingersoll-Gardner Coach House of 1806. The Coach House was moved from Brookline to Roxbury in 2001 to house the coach in which Lafayette rode during his visit to Gov. Eustis in 1824. Participation in programs by neighborhood organizations such as Emerson School, YouthBuild Boston, Urban Gardeners and the Food Project, as well as Allianza Hispana and the Dudley Street Initiative, have helped assure the preservation of the entire Roxbury neighborhood, of which Shirley Place is a centerpiece.

Citybuilding in the 21st century is a recognition of the value of citizen participation, historic preservation, and human-scaled neighborhoods. But cities cannot also be expected to be frozen in time. How can the walkable, mixed-use neighborhood co-exist with economic innovation, regional planning, and redoubled urban infrastructure? With a guiding vision that blends Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, says Anthony Flint, fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and author of Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took on New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City (http://www.lincolninst.edu) (Random House), which won a Christopher Award.

Preserving and Caring for Burlesque Costumes

Costumes, whether you make them or collect them, deserve great care. Burlesque costumes have special needs, as do vintage pieces: they are frequently fragile, made of unusual materials, and subject to hard use. Learn tips and tricks for cleaning, storing, maintaining, and transporting your costumes to make them last and last.

"Burlesque Basics" is a class for those of you who have always wanted to try burlesque but didn't know where to start! Taught by the experts from The Boston Academy of Burlesque Education, New England’s only dedicated burlesque school, this class will have you doing some good, old-fashioned burlesque in no time! No previous experience is necessary. This one-hour class was designed and created with the novice burlesque performer in mind. Burlesque is a terrific form of expression for any woman. It builds confidence, comfort with your own body - and it’s great exercise too!

(Ladies only / Must preregister / Class size limited to 20 participants)

When Thomas Raphael became aware that Federal money was available for canal restoration and preservation he accepted Chairmanship of the Middlesex Canal Commission. Through the ISTEA program (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) ten percent of all highway construction money is appropriated as enhancement funds for beautification along highways and to restore antique modes of transportation such as light houses, railroads and canals. This has been a fifteen year effort for which Tom deserves enormous credit

Fascinators (hair ornaments) are all the rage, worn by burlesque dancers and royal wedding guests alike! In this workshop which combines hands-on practice with discussion and display, you'll create glamorous hair ornaments in the form of flower clips and feather fascinators! They're great for holiday presents too. You'll construct both a hair flower fit for a pin-up and a fascinator any showgirl would sport while we discuss and apply different techniques for building them on any budget. Decorate your creation with an array of materials, including glitter, trim, rhinestones and everything glitzy in between. Learn tricks to wearing hair ornaments and keeping them in place.

All of the supplies needed are provided in class. But please feel free to bring any materials you'd especially like to use or works in progress for guidance, too!

'Behind the Burly Q' reveals theatricality, history of burlesque - Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Reader: "this enthralling 2010 doc opens a wider window on forgotten world of burlesque shows than anything I've previously seen. Director Leslie Zemeckis weaves together naughty vintage strip-show footage and interviews with chipper old grannies who spill the beans on their pulchritudinous pasts. . ."

"This playful and extremely thorough documentary from director Leslie Zemeckis covers the Golden Age of burlesque and gives the most detailed account of the era and the practice that I've ever seen. Naturally, the bulk of the film is devoted to the beauties that took off most or all of their clothes as part of their often-complex routines, but Zemeckis doesn't let us forget the countless musicians, comedians (including Abbott and Costello), and behind-the-scenes participants who made up an entire day's entertainment. There are countless interviews with one-time performers, and every once and a while a name pops out that I recognize, such as Blaze Starr, Sally Rand, Gypsy Rose Lee, or Tempest Storm. It's actually kind of remarkable how many of these great artists are still around and were willing to go on camera (although Blaze only did phone interviews). What also floored me was the bevy of archival photos and footage that was available, every bit of which enhances this previously dark, but highly popular, corner of American entertainment.