You are invited to this
the first of the free public history talks presented by the Ministry of Culture
and Heritage and the National Library of New Zealand. The monthly talks are at
lunchtime 12.15pm – 1.00pm on the first Wednesday of each month until November.
Our new venue will be Te Ahumairangi (ground floor), National Library Building,
corner of Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington. This is a
free public event but please RSVP to events.natlib@dia.govt.nz with Big Smoke
in the subject line.
Reflections
on the Big Smoke - A talk by Ben Schrader
In this talk Ben Schrader
offers some reflections on the writing of his recent book The Big Smoke: New Zealand Cities,
1840-1920 (Bridget Williams Books, Wellington, 2016).
Why did he write the book
and how did he go about it? What were the challenges and rewards of
writing a broad story in a narrowly researched field? He then reveals
some of the most important findings from the project and suggests ways they
increase our understanding of New Zealand’s past. Finally, he ponders how the work might shape future
research. Might, for example, his focus on the lived experience of city
dwellers suggest social history is making a long-awaited comeback?
These public history talks
are a collaboration between the National Library of New Zealand and the
Ministry for Culture and Heritage and thanks to this partnership we’re now able
to resume recording the talks and making them available online http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/handsonhistory/downloads-and-podcasts
for anyone who misses out or who wants to listen again.
We look forward to seeing
you at the Library on Wednesday 5 April at 12.15pm.
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