What's new this month?

Oxford’s golden spires have long doubled as the perfect setting for murder—at least on the page. Mystery writers from Dorothy L. Sayers to Colin Dexter have turned the city’s colleges, quads, and traditions into fertile ground for ingenious crimes and eccentric detectives. The same atmosphere has fueled beloved TV dramas like “Inspector Morse,” “Endeavour” and “Inspector Lewis.” Author Daniel Stashower dives into this rich tradition of Oxford mysteries, while actor Scott Sedar brings classic scenes to life through dramatic readings. The evening promises locked-room puzzles, cryptic clues, and enigmatic detectives. As Lord Peter Wimsey might have said, it promises to be “a bally good time.”

Thoughts of Mount Desert Island off the coast of Downeast Maine often conjure up rugged granite cliffs rising above the Atlantic, fishing boats in rocky harbors, and the sweeping landscapes of Acadia National Park. But beyond these familiar images, it is a place where dramatic scenery and human history are deeply intertwined. Historian Ralph Nurnberger traces the island’s story from its Native inhabitants and early exploration by Samuel de Champlain through centuries of settlement and change.

As he examines Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, Paul Glenshaw is joined by Revolutionary War scholar Iris de Rode, whose groundbreaking discoveries of the eyewitness accounts of one of the top French generals depicted from life in the painting bring a fresh perspective to the French­–American alliance and the French contribution to the American side of the war. Glenshaw and de Rode unfold the story of Yorktown and Trumbull, from the painting’s unveiling in the U.S. Capitol’s Rotunda in 1826 to how the creator’s unusual career as soldier, diplomat, and artist shaped this iconic work. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In a fascinating four-part series, curators and historians from the National Air and Space Museum trace the history of flight, from humanity’s early aspirations for aerial transit, to 12 breathtaking seconds at Kitty Hawk, to the advances that came with global combat, and how jet engines and digital technology are opening a new future for aviation. This session focuses on early flight.

The range of emotions evoked by the sound of ringing reflects a deep connection with the human spirit, one that operates on different levels in different faiths, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Native American traditions. This free program illuminates the power of bells, chimes, and jingles to connect us to the divine—and even to heal—as we celebrate faith in harmony.

Seventeenth-century Europe faced war, rebellion, plague, famine, and natural disasters, all unfolding during the Little Ice Age, a long period of colder temperatures whose influence on global crises remains debated. Historian Ariel Hessayon of the University of London examines evidence from ice cores, pollen, tree rings, stalactites, manuscripts, and art to show how climate affected Northern Europe and looks at the ways in which people living at that time adapted.

The Nazis didn’t steal just art, says author and prosecutor Adena J. Bernstein: They also stole identity, history, and memory. Decades later, thousands of those artworks hang in museums and private collections not because their histories are unknown but because laws permit institutions and third parties to retain them. Drawing on research covering 13 nations, Bernstein describes how coerced sales were later treated as legitimate transactions and how survivors and their families have been asked to meet heavy evidentiary burdens.

Nearly intact, and as vibrant today as it was when new, the Bayeux Tapestry was produced in the immediate aftermath of the Norman Conquest of 1066, when the fates of the kingdoms of England and France were altered ever after. Historian Samuel Collins explores the agenda and arguments laid out on the tapestry and what the latest scholarship reveals about the strategies its makers employed for rendering a biased account of the months leading up to the Battle of Hastings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Step beyond the monuments and virtually explore one of D.C.’s most dynamic neighborhoods with Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours. Journey east of the Anacostia River through a rich visual narrative of historic homes, cultural landmarks, and powerful stories that reveal a neighborhood defined by resilience and reinvention. Trace Anacostia’s evolution from its early roots through its transformation into a center of Black culture, activism, and civic life. Along the way, encounter preserved 19th-century rowhouses, ambitious preservation efforts, and a thriving arts scene that continues to shape the neighborhood today.

In a fascinating four-part series, curators and historians from the National Air and Space Museum trace the history of flight, from humanity’s early aspirations for aerial transit, to 12 breathtaking seconds at Kitty Hawk, to the advances that came with global combat, and how jet engines and digital technology are opening a new future for aviation. This session focuses on flight developments up to and including World War I.