The NOTL Museum’s virtual lecture series is back this February, offering participants a chance to expand their minds and learn more about the history of women’s roles in espionage in the world wars, the concept of time in the 18th century and how an all-Black militia was formed during the War of 1812.
This month features four speakers over four consecutive weeks. Participants can attend all talks online from home.
The lectures begin Feb. 4 with Dr. Helen Fry, an author who has written or edited 25 books on social history during the Second World War. Her lecture, titled “Women in Intelligence: A Hidden History from World War I to World War II,” will draw on her research into women’s wartime roles.
“She is an expert on women in intelligence,” the museum said in a press release. “Her research reveals the ingenuity and courage of women whose wartime contributions were essential—and often deliberately erased.”
On Feb. 11, the museum will continue to mark Black History Month with a lecture by author, entrepreneur and public speaker Jaqueline Dixon. Her talk, “Black History Uncovered: From Enslavement to Land Ownership,” will focus on Richard Pierpoint.
Dixon will discuss Pierpoint’s journey as an escaped enslaved person who came to Canada, became a landowner and later urged the British to create an all-Black militia during the War of 1812. She will also explore his experiences in Simcoe County.
The Feb. 18 lecture will feature “Lightning History Talks,” presented by nine Brock University graduates sharing their original research. The museum describes the event as “truly ‘history in the making,’ with subjects ranging from ‘American Enlightenment’ to ‘How time was understood in the 18th century.’” A question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.
The lectures conclude Feb. 25 with Ottawa-based historian Kerry M. Abel, who will discuss his newest biography, “Mrs. Simcoe: A Life in the Age of Revolution.” The talk will examine the life of Elizabeth Simcoe, wife of John Graves Simcoe, the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada known for initiating the end of slavery.
Elizabeth Simcoe was a diarist and artist and is considered an “underappreciated historical figure,” according to the museum.
All virtual lectures begin at 11 a.m. Registration is required and available at notlmuseum.ca/whats-on.
