Out of the Past: Items of Interest for History Lovers

By Troy Segal

Want to learn more about times gone by? Explore different eras with these upcoming NYC events, lectures and talks on everything from architecture to armaments (listed in roughly historic order).

Food journalist Laura Silver, author of Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food, discusses the history of, and her personal fascination with, the ancient savory stuffed pastry on June 11 at the Tenement Museum and June 5 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (yes, samples will be provided!).

John Quincy Adams by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1958. The White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

He’s been a bit lost in the shadow of his famous father John, but John Quincy Adams — the sixth President of the U.S. — was an influential visionary in his own right. Learn more about him in this discussion at the New-York Historical Society on June 10.

Throughout the 19th century, European artists sought to portray exotic figures from other lands, in a fanciful type that came to be known as the “Oriental African.” Art historian Adrienne Childs of Harvard gives an art talk at the Dahesh Museum of Art Gift Shop on June 5.

Could the Civil War have been averted? Was there a peaceful way to abolish slavery? A trio of period historians debates the question on June 5 at the New-York Historical Society.

The ceiling of the Elephant House of the Bronx Zoo. © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

MIT professor John Ochsendorf talks about the work of the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company, whose innovative lightweight tiles grace 250 NYC buildings, in this June 2 book signing at the Museum of the City of New York.

In 1941, the Nazis were on the march in Europe — and President Franklin Roosevelt was determined to arm the U.S. Learn how he turned for help — not to the military, but to the Detroit auto industry, in this lecture at the 92nd Street Y on June 20.

One Sunday in August 1965, when baseball’s bitter rivals, the Giants and Dodgers, vied for the pennant, a near-fatal fight broke out between two players. On May 28, at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, award-winning author John Rosengren explores how the event characterized the turmoil in American culture at the time.

A half-century on, the Vietnam War remains a potent, poignant subject. Col. Gregory Daddis, professor of history at the U.S. Military Academy, reassesses America’s military strategy in the conflict at the 92nd Street Y on June 2.