WLA/WHS Scholarly Series: Connecticut Creativity: Vision + Imagination + Inspiration - Kathleen Maher

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Event Details

The Greatest Showman – Fiction vs Fact! The REAL Story Behind the REEL Story! – Kathleen Maher

In the 14th year of the collaboration between Wilton Library and the Wilton Historical Society, the scholarly lecture series will focus on the theme of “Creativity in Connecticut”. In this lecture, Kathleen Maher will captivate guests with an engaging journey through key elements in the P.T. Barnum movie The Greatest Showman and will share numerous bits and pieces of history that will “set the record straight.”

The program is sponsored by Rebecca Lin. The moderator is Steve Hudspeth. Online registration is required in order to receive the Zoom invitation link.

This program is being hosted by the Wilton Historical Society. No charge but a $10 donation to the hosting institution is suggested. Click here to donate.

If you are curious about P.T. Barnum, excited about watching the movie again [or for the first time] or just want to learn more about the Barnum Museum, this presentation will have you looking at Hollywood and P.T. Barnum in a new way. From the depiction of Barnum’s childhood in Connecticut to his final bow with the Greatest Show On Earth, she will expand on the tales set in the screenplay and reveal the truth to the remarkable stories of struggle and triumph that are even more fantastic.

A gifted speaker and noted authority on all things related to Phineas Taylor Barnum, Kathy has 33 years of experience working at museums and is celebrating 22 years at the historic Barnum Museum where she is Executive Director. Throughout her career, she has envisioned, authored and implemented numerous award-winning exhibitions and programs that explore a variety of 19th-century social historical themes and events, but she is most known for her disaster recovery efforts, saving the historic Barnum Museum from the ravages of an EF1 tornado, and both Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy. She is regularly sought for on-air appearances and research information as a guest historian for media outlets such as The History Channel, A&E, Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), British Broadcasting Company (BBC), CT Public Television (CPTV), and National Public Radio (NPR). She has also presented a TEDx Talk. She holds gubernatorial appointments to the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Council, the State Library, and the Museum of Connecticut History.

The remaining lecture is April 8 on Gillette and Holmes: Theatrical Innovation from Connecticut to London and Back Again with Emily Gifford.


Event Type(s): Online Event
Age Group(s): Adults

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