| |
Over 130 years of preservation and study of
Kennebec County history (1891-Present)
________________
KHS and the Maine State Library present:
"The Maine Roadshow"
.jpg)
After spending five years traveling thousands of miles around Maine, here are
a few things writer Tim O’Brien has learned, according to a summary of his recent book, The Maine Roadshow: A Roadside Tour of the State’s History, Culture, Food, Funk & Oddities: “There’s a one-ton replica of the Liberty
Bell on the grounds of the Maine State Capitol. The seeds for the Space
Shuttle Pines, now growing in Augusta, travelled 2.4 million miles before being planted. Our state has more moose per mile than any of the other lower 48 states. Maine’s oldest town was incorporated 125 years before the birth of the United States. There’s a building in Columbia Falls that looks like a blueberry and one in Wells that looks like a hunk of cheese.”
O’Brien, the Kennebec Historical Society’s speaker for July, has captured
these and other Maine highlights in his illustrated book. His lecture, supported
by a PowerPoint presentation, will be about the book. A resident of Belgrade and Nashville, Tennessee, he is a photojournalist with 18 books to his credit.
He has worked for decades as a communications specialist in the entertainment industry chronicling theme parks, amusement parks, roadside attractions, circuses, carnivals, and sideshows.
.jpg)
The lecture, co-sponsored by the Maine State Library, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 17, 2024, at the library’s temporary location, 242 State Street in Augusta. Donations are gladly accepted. If you have any questions about the event, please call the society at (207) 622-7718.
________________
The Kennebec Historical Society Tennis Tournament
On Saturday, August 3rd, from 8am until mid-afternoon, the Kennebec Historical Society is planning to host the Sixth Annual Kennebec Classic Tennis Tournament to encourage membership, publicize the importance of what KHS does, and have a little fun.
Special thanks to our sponsors:
McKee Morgan, LLC, PA (formerly McKee Law)
Quality Copy, Inc.
Oakes & Parkhurst Glass
A1 Seamless Gutters
Shaw & Son Outdoor Maintenance, LLC
If you would like to participate in the tournament, please contact Billy Noble,
the tournament director at 313-6976 or by email at centralmainetennis@gmail.com.
________________
KHS August Program:
"Silent Films in Maine"
.jpg)
Edna Sperl & Edgar Jones in "Caught in the Rapids" (1921)
From 1919 to 1921, Augusta was home to a movie production company
founded by Edgar Jones and local businessmen. His goal was to make
“North Woods” films. He chose the Augusta area because of the Kennebec River, surrounding lakes and forestland, and its four seasons. Jones brought
in a company of actors and a film crew, who all lived together at 129 Sewall Street. Jones used locals as extras in the films. The films premiered at the Colonial Theater in Augusta.
Jones worked with local writer Holman Day to adapt many of Day’s
stories for the films. In 1921 Day and local businessmen took over the
company, ousting Jones. Day soon bankrupted the company.
Six of the dozens of two-reel films from this era are known to survive.
Four are archived at the Library of Congress in various collections, and
British Film Institute donated a pair to Northeast Historic Film in Bucksport. Digital scans of the original 35-millimeter films, with new music scores added, were screened in June 2023 at the Colonial.
KHS presenter Ed Lorusso will show two of the films, Caught in the
Rapids and Cupid, Registered Guide, roughly 20 minutes each. He also
will provide commentary, then answer questions after the viewing.
Lorusso has been restoring silent films since he retired. Six of his
projects have been licensed by Turner Classic Movies, including The
Enchanted Cottage (1924), which will air later this year. His projects have
been screened at various theaters and silent film festivals across the country. He’s also the author of The Silent Films of Marion Davies and is working
on a book about filmmaking in Maine during the silent era.
The Kennebec Historical Society presentation is free to the public
(donations are gladly accepted) and will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 21, at Augusta City Center, located at 16 Cony Street in Augusta.
If you have questions about the program, call Scott Wood, executive director,
at 622-7718.
________________
|
|
Discovering, preserving, and disseminating
Kennebec County history
.jpg)
KHS is located in Maine's Capital City ... in
historic Kennebec Valley at
Henry Weld Fuller, Jr. House
107 Winthrop Street
Augusta, ME
Click the "donate" button below to join KHS or make a donation. Please be sure to explain what the amount is for in the "Add special instructions to seller" section.
Thank you!
READING ROOM
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
10am-3pm
Tuesday through Thursday
APPOINTMENTS PREFERRED
If unable to visit during our open hours, please call for an appointment.
Phone:
(207)
622-7718
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5582
Augusta, Maine 04332-5582
Those unable to visit us may send questions to our email:
kennhis1891@gmail.com
|