Sandy Spring Museum welcomes and inspires history lovers and museum aficionados with engaging, fun, and, at times provocative, discussions as part of its History Happy Hour programs.
This monthly series, which is generously sponsored by Therrien Waddell Construction Group, offers individuals the opportunity to network and mingle over happy hour drinks and refreshments while enjoying a topic-specific talk. Topics range from Maryland food and beer history to book signings and everything in between.
Upcoming Programs Include:
Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County
Friday, April 15
6:30-8pm
Montgomery Modern explores mid-century modern buildings and communities that reflect the optimistic spirit of the post-war era in Montgomery County. From International Style office towers to Googie style stores and contemporary tract houses, Montgomery Modern celebrates the buildings, technology, and materials of the Atomic Age, from the late 1940s through the 1960s. A half century later, we now have perspective to appreciate these resources as a product of their time. Claire Lise Kelly, a preservation planner and architectural historian with the county’s Planning Department and Historic Preservation Office, will speak on her many years of research, documenting Montgomery Modern, which led to the publication of the eponymous book.
Writing Historic Fact and Fiction
Friday, May 6
6:30-8 pm
Acclaimed author David O. Stewart writes “straight” histories about the American past, as well as historical novels. In this talk, Stewart will discuss the different research processes that apply to fiction and nonfiction writing and how the digital revolution has changed research for both.
Following a career in law, Stewart published his first book, The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution, which was a Washington Post bestseller and won the Washington Writing Award as Best Book of 2007. Since then, Stewart’s has written Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy, which was called “by all means the best account of this troubled episode,” by Professor David Donald of Harvard. The Society for the Cincinnati awarded Stewart its 2013 History Prize for American Emperor, Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America; The Lincoln Deception, released late 2013, was called the best historical novel of the year by Bloomberg View; and the Washington Post called Stewart’s most recent publication, Madison’s Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America, a portrait “rich in empathy and understanding,” by “an acknowledged master of narrative history.”
Lost and Found Montgomery County
Friday, June 10
6:30-8 pm
Join us as we explore Montgomery County’s forgotten history! Award-winning former Washington Post reporter and Editor Eugene L. Meyer will engage our audience with discussions on the County’s Confederate legacy, recent racial and demographic changes, and its transitions from rural to suburban to urban, as revealed by his explorations of hidden nooks and crannies.
Meyer has written extensively about local history for the Washington Post, Bethesda Magazine, and Maryland Life, in which he wrote the “Hidden Maryland” column. Meyer is the author of Maryland Lost and Found and Chesapeake Country.
To purchase tickets for one or more of these programs, visit History Happy Hours online. Tickets are $15 for museum members and advanced sales; $20 at the door.
About Sandy Spring Museum
The Sandy Spring Museum is located at 17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860. Sandy Spring Museum is a gathering place where people can develop meaningful connections by exploring community history through the visual, literary, and performing arts. The museum is open to the public Wednesdays – Saturdays from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information, call (301) 774-0022 or visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org.