Gilded Age: Then and Now
This series starts with the 1893 Columbian Exposition and continues through the Gilded Age. Three novels and a narrative history illustrate that spectacular time period in ways that in turn illuminate our own era.
“The humanities made my small world much bigger”
Longtime Vermont Humanities supporter Lisa Schamberg and board member Liz Fenton discussed the importance of the humanities during an afternoon chat at Lisa’s home.
Aiming High from the Start
Vermont Humanities was founded 45 years ago in 1974. We recently sat down with Victor R. Swenson, the organization’s first Executive Director, to hear his recollections of our early years.
Read with Me Helps Build Skills in Fathers and Children
A storyteller’s visits to the Munt Family Room are supported by our Read with Me program, in which facilitators share the importance and the joy of reading picture books with young children.
Female Veterans Book Group Inspires Deployed Play
Valley News writer Nicola Smith attended two sessions of a Veterans Book Group for women. “I knew there were women in the military, but I hadn’t really met any or listened to them talk about their experiences,” said Smith, who lives in Tunbridge. “I thought the stories were so compelling that they would make a great theater piece.”
Before Your Time: The Power of the Press
A massive wooden printing press made in the mid-17th century has a place of pride in the Vermont History Museum, and not just because it’s old. It represents both the history of written law in the state, and the crucial role that journalism—the press—plays in a democracy.
“Students learn more when they are engaged”
Morgan Moore, a humanities teacher at Burke Town School, received the 2018 Victor R. Swenson Award. Named after the Council’s first Executive Director, the award recognizes a Vermont educator who exemplifies excellence in the teaching of the humanities.
Before Your Time: Built To Last
Plenty of Vermont’s historic buildings are traditional homes, churches, and meeting houses. But as the state changed in the 20th century, its architecture did too. Now experts are looking more closely at buildings that look nothing like what came before.
Boxing Day, St. Stephen, and the Wrens
You may know that December 26 is known as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries. But what is the origin of Boxing Day?
Before Your Time: Tales Behind the Tombstones
Many of Vermont’s cemeteries date back multiple centuries. They’re filled with worn-down stones that may only offer glimpses of the personal histories of the dead. But these cemeteries still hold lessons for the people who visit them today.