Friday, February 27th, 6.45 pm
Denny Daniel from the Museum of Interesting Things will do a presentation using items from his collection on Victorian stage effects, photographic equipment, and magic lanterns. Adah Isaacs Menken was one of the first celebrities to seize upon the potential of the then-new medium of photography to further her career.
Saturday, February 28th, 6.45 pm
Scholars Kim Marra, Joe E. Jeffreys and Karen Karbiener will examine Adah Isaacs Menken’s theatre and literary practices. This lively discussion will focus on the intersection of queer female bodies and horses; women cross-dressing as male characters in American popular entertainment; and the bohemian literary scene around Pfaff’s Cellar of the 1860s that Menken and Walt Whitman were part of.
Sunday, March 1st, 2:45 pm
Authors Michael and Barbara Foster will be doing a presentation on the fascinating life of Adah Isaacs Menken. They wrote the book on her. Literally. From the pages of their biography Dangerous Woman: The Life, Loves, And Scandals Of Adah Isaacs Menken, they will shed light on the elusive story behind “America's Original Superstar.” As part of their talk, they will show images from their extensive collection of Menken photographs—one of the most photographed personalities of her time.