Lunch & Learn Series
Bring a bag lunch and learn during these informative talks on popular topics of history, culture, science and the arts. Lunch & Learn programs are offered both LIVE at the Cape May Lutheran Church Hall, 509 Pittsburgh Ave., Cape May, and by ZOOM. You may bring your lunch and beverage but no food or drink is provided. The hall is accessible and free parking is available. No registration is needed if you plan to attend in person.
2024 schedule and lecture topics listed below.
The Music of Mendelssohn
May 1st: 12 pm
Embark on a musical journey through the life and works of the Romantic-era prodigy Felix Mendelssohn with Dr. Brenda Leonard. We’ll consider all he accomplished in his short life and preview some of his works that will be appearing on the Cape May Music Festival in the next few weeks.
Shipwrecks of Cape May: True Stories of Death & Survival
May 15th: 12 pm
Rusty Cassway, Captain of the Cape May-based Explorer, will discuss the history of several historical shipwrecks located near Cape May. His tales will chronicle the explorers who visit these wrecks and those who faced death and survival as shipwrecked souls.
Slavery in Cape May County
June 19th: 12 pm
Slavery was “baked into” New Jersey from its very beginnings. The 1664-65 Concession and Agreement of the Lords Proprietors of the Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey was meant to jump start a new agricultural community. Rick Geffkin talks about how this provision nonetheless made chattel slavery foundational.
The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum
July 3rd: 12 pm
Susan B. Anthony played a pivotal role in the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Carol Crossed, President and owner of the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, will discuss the history, acquisition, and exhibits of the museum, which honors one of America’s great human rights advocates.
Victorian Vice
August 7th: 12 pm
Where did our attitudes on sexual behavior come from? What about drugs and alcohol?What was morality and when did it change? What was the Christian view of good behavior? Join us as Elan Zingman-Leith talks about sex, drugs, and rock and roll in the nineteenth century!
Sousa in Cape May
August 21st: 12 pm
John Philip Sousa is known as the “March King,” and many of his compositions are still performed today. In August 1882, Sousa and his band played a series of concerts on the lawn of Congress Hall. Ben Ridings talks about Sousa’s life, his music, and his time in Cape May.
Past Lectures
Marvels and Missteps: Medicine During the Victorian Era
Presented by Ben Ridings
04/19/23
The Impact of Immigration on America
Presented by Ted Bryan
03/15/23
Yes, nice Victorian women DID use that 4-letter word: MATH
Presented by Dr. Donna Szemcsak
03/01/23
Why Does Modern Art Look So Weird?
Presented by Dr. John Curtis
02/15/23
The Maritime History of Cape May
Presented by Mal & Dottie Knapp
02/01/23
The Stories behind the Mother Goose Rhymes
Presented by Maryetta Dorricott of the Endicott Reardon Family Museum
01/18/23
A History of New Year’s Resolutions
Presented by Mary Stewart
01/04/23
A History of Christmas Carols
Presented by Brenda Leonard
12/21/22
Nonprofits: They’re Not all the Same!
Presented by Jody Alessandrine
12/07/22
A Closer Look at Veterans Day
Presented by Mike Urbanski
11/16/22
“The Lenape Nation and the Virtues of the Seven Grandfathers”
Presented by eri Hislop, also named Xeli Otaesak Pilsit Xkw, of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania
11/02/22
“Discovering Cape May’s Role in the Underground Railroad”
Presented by Theodore Bryan
10/19/22
Victorian Email: And Other Communications in the Late 1800s
Presenter: Ben Ridings, Cape May MAC Curator
10/05/22
Two Women, Two Worlds
Presented by Mary Stewart
09/21/22
“Six Centuries of Cello “
Presented by cellist Brenda Leonard
09/07/22
“Vintage Tweets: Suffrage Era Postcards”
Presented by Carol Crossed
08/17/22
“What does a Symphony Conductor Do Besides Wave a Baton? “
Presented by Jed Gaylin of Bay Atlantic Symphony
08/03/22
“Impressionist Art: How Do You Paint Light?”
Presented by John Curtis
07/20/22
“History of Independence Day”
Presented by Mary Stewart
07/06/22
“Tools of the Trade”
Presented by Ben Ridings
06/16/22
“Let’s Play Ball: A Century of Baseball History.”
Presented by Mary Stewart
05/18/22
History of Gardens from Eden to Present
Part 1
Presented by Elan Zingman-Leith
04/20/22
Emerald Cape May
Presented by Ben Ridging
03/16/22
Shocking Secrets of Victorian Christmas
Presented by Elan Zingman-Leith
12/15/21
A History of Thanksgiving in America
Presented by Mary Stewart
11/17/21
Guardian at the Point – Life as a Cape May Keeper
Presented by Ben Ridings
10/20/21
History of Bicycling
Presented by Tom Carroll
9/22/21
A Feeling of Community
Presented by CCA, Hope Gaines and Rachel Dolhanczyk
6/16/21
The Roaring Twenties
Presented by Mary Stewart
5/19/21
The Great Fire of 1878
Presented by Ben Ridings
4/12/21
The First Ladies Part 2
Presented by Mary Stewart
3/17/21
The Doo Wop Experience
Presented by Mike Urbanski
2/12/21
The Presidents in Cape May
Presented by Ben Ridings
1/21/21
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: Decking the Hall
Presented by Mary Stewart
12/16/20
YULETIDE AUTHORS: How Charles Dickens & Washington Irving Transformed Christmas
Presented by Ben Ridings
12/9/20