All upcoming Lectures

Tour guide and author Christopher Skutela leads you off the beaten path in Krakow, revealing sites where tourists don’t tend to go. Explore historic neighborhoods, one of the hidden health resorts in Poland, and a former socialist utopia district. Then get a breath of fresh air at Kosciuszko Mound and Bielany Hermitage and Woods.

In March 1945, the Rhine River was the last natural barrier left open to Germany’s heartland. As Allied troops advanced, the only bridge still spanning the river was the Ludendorff railroad bridge at Remagen. Military historian Mitch Yockelson examines how the 9th U.S. Armored Division took control of the strategically vital bridge only minutes before German forces had planned to destroy it and how this pivotal action ultimately shortened the war in Europe.

Long before royal exploits were splashed across the tabloids, England’s ruling clan played out their dramas on the national stage during the mid-to-late 15th century. The houses of Lancaster and York brawled through a series of family battles known as the Wars of the Roses, marked by enough drama, betrayals, and intrigue to fill a television series. Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger looks at the conflict from the inside out, finding truth in the warning “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

Blues music goes back over 100 years and remains a vital genre of music today—and women blues musicians have been there since the start. Learn about that rich history through conversation and performances as Krystal Klingenberg, curator of music at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, is joined by blues and soul vocal legend Bettye LaVette and a sparkling newcomer, singer/songwriter Adia Victoria, for a discussion of their work in the field and the legacy that they share. (Free program; registration required.)

Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president, has been called the architect of American democracy. Yet his legacy has been questioned in large part because he owned over 600 slaves during his lifetime. Historian John Ragosta examines the question of what a white slave-owning aristocrat has to teach us about the nature of American leadership.

From their intricate social structures to their remarkable hunting techniques, otters captivate observers with their cleverness, charisma, and resilience. Erin Whatley and Paul Bradenburger, animal keepers with Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, reveal fascinating details about the natural history of these furry, semi-aquatic mammals—and reveal secrets of otter care at the zoo.

In 1943, the people of Denmark—led by King Christian X—dared to stand up for their Jewish citizens in one of the largest actions of collective resistance to aggression in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany. To keep the population of 8,200 Jews safe from arrest and deportation, the Danes hid, protected, and then smuggled most of them out of the country. Historian Ralph Nurnberger recounts this extraordinary act of courage on the part of a nation.

Forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs is known for her crime novels chronicling the adventures of Temperance “Bones” Brennan, a forensic anthropologist at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute. Her latest thriller, Fire and Bones, finds Brennan at the center of a Washington, D.C., arson investigation that produces deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence—and a surprising link to the notorious Depression-era Foggy Bottom Gang. Join Reichs as she discusses the inspiration behind the novel and how she staged the thriller in the Smithsonian’s­—or the Jeffersonian’s­­­­—backyard.

Dancing has provided some of the most ecstatic moments in film history—whether it’s Fred Astaire gliding on the ceiling in Royal Wedding, Moira Shearer pirouetting through the dreamscape of The Red Shoes, or John Travolta burning up the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever. Sharing more than 75 video clips, media historian Brian Rose surveys 130 years of thrilling movie dance performances.

The history of art forgery is packed with stories of tricksters who, while more pranksters than gangsters, succeeded in fooling the art world and profiting while doing so. Art historian Noah Charney uncovers the "provenance trap," a methodology that has most often and most successfully led to forgers fooling experts. He illustrates with intriguing, quirky, and enlightening case studies involving five famous forgers. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)