Speaking Engagements
Hudson River Maritime Museum staff are available for virtual and off-site speaking engagements for libraries, historical organizations, maritime organizations, and more. Virtual programs start at $100 and in-person programs start at $200. Each speaking engagement is between 45-60 minutes long. To make a request, please use the contact form below.
Lectures Available
"Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson River Steamboats"
The Hudson River once teemed with steamboats, the first place on earth to offer regular steamboat traffic. But one steamboat stood out from the crowd: the Mary Powell. Learn about the economic and social conditions that led to her construction, the lives of her owners and captains, and why she was “Queen” from the beginning. From the beginning of the Civil War to the U.S. entrance into World War I, the Mary Powell oversaw it all. Hosting famous passengers like President Ulysses S. Grant and Walt Whitman, leading national events like the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty in 1886, and fending off multiple challenges to her throne. Beloved until the end, the post-WWI “death” of the Mary Powell inspired eulogies and poems from fans locally and around the world, and she continued to represent the golden age of steamboating on the Hudson River long after she was gone.
The Hudson River once teemed with steamboats, the first place on earth to offer regular steamboat traffic. But one steamboat stood out from the crowd: the Mary Powell. Learn about the economic and social conditions that led to her construction, the lives of her owners and captains, and why she was “Queen” from the beginning. From the beginning of the Civil War to the U.S. entrance into World War I, the Mary Powell oversaw it all. Hosting famous passengers like President Ulysses S. Grant and Walt Whitman, leading national events like the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty in 1886, and fending off multiple challenges to her throne. Beloved until the end, the post-WWI “death” of the Mary Powell inspired eulogies and poems from fans locally and around the world, and she continued to represent the golden age of steamboating on the Hudson River long after she was gone.
“Rescuing the River: The Storm King Decision”
In 1962, Consolidated Edison announced plans to build a hydroelectric pumped storage power station into the face of Storm King Mountain. Over the next nineteen years, local citizens organized to try to stop them. The “Storm King Decision” was the result of ordinary people working to protect the natural resources in their own backyards. Learn about the landmark Supreme Court case that set legal precedent and changed environmental activism, and the nation, forever.
In 1962, Consolidated Edison announced plans to build a hydroelectric pumped storage power station into the face of Storm King Mountain. Over the next nineteen years, local citizens organized to try to stop them. The “Storm King Decision” was the result of ordinary people working to protect the natural resources in their own backyards. Learn about the landmark Supreme Court case that set legal precedent and changed environmental activism, and the nation, forever.
“Keepers of the Light: Women Lighthouse Keepers of the Hudson River”
Women have kept the lights since the earliest days of the Hudson River lighthouses. Starting in the 1830s until automation in the 1950s, nearly a dozen women were official lighthouse keepers on the Hudson River, several with careers of over forty years. Others were unjustly turned out from their posts. Some weren’t official keepers at all, but did the duties nonetheless. Learn about the careers and personal lives of these female keepers, what it took to be a lighthouse keeper, and why the Hudson River had more women lighthouse keepers than most places in the United States.
Women have kept the lights since the earliest days of the Hudson River lighthouses. Starting in the 1830s until automation in the 1950s, nearly a dozen women were official lighthouse keepers on the Hudson River, several with careers of over forty years. Others were unjustly turned out from their posts. Some weren’t official keepers at all, but did the duties nonetheless. Learn about the careers and personal lives of these female keepers, what it took to be a lighthouse keeper, and why the Hudson River had more women lighthouse keepers than most places in the United States.
“Lost Lighthouses of the Hudson River”
Stuyvesant, Coxsackie, Rockland Lake, Danskammer Point, Esopus Island, Crossover Dike - these are just a few of the “lost” lighthouses and lights of the Hudson River. From humble temporary beacons to permanent structures with live-in keepers and everything in between, dozens of navigational lights once dotted the shores of the Hudson River between Troy and New York City. But today, just seven Hudson River lighthouses remain. What happened to the others? Learn about lost lighthouses familiar and new, why they were constructed, and what ultimately happened to them in this engaging illustrated lecture. Was there once a lighthouse in your community? Find out with “Lost Lighthouses of the Hudson River.”
Stuyvesant, Coxsackie, Rockland Lake, Danskammer Point, Esopus Island, Crossover Dike - these are just a few of the “lost” lighthouses and lights of the Hudson River. From humble temporary beacons to permanent structures with live-in keepers and everything in between, dozens of navigational lights once dotted the shores of the Hudson River between Troy and New York City. But today, just seven Hudson River lighthouses remain. What happened to the others? Learn about lost lighthouses familiar and new, why they were constructed, and what ultimately happened to them in this engaging illustrated lecture. Was there once a lighthouse in your community? Find out with “Lost Lighthouses of the Hudson River.”
“The Changing Mouth of Rondout Creek”
Although most people don’t realize it today, the Hudson River and its port cities have been shaped by industrialization and the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, the mouth of Rondout Creek features parks, but historically, there was just open water. Learn how the Army Corps shaped the mouth of Rondout Creek and how this affected mariners, its three lighthouses, canals, and so much more. The effects of those actions are still being felt in how ordinary people use the Rondout Creek today.
Although most people don’t realize it today, the Hudson River and its port cities have been shaped by industrialization and the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, the mouth of Rondout Creek features parks, but historically, there was just open water. Learn how the Army Corps shaped the mouth of Rondout Creek and how this affected mariners, its three lighthouses, canals, and so much more. The effects of those actions are still being felt in how ordinary people use the Rondout Creek today.
“The History and Future of Grain Races”
The Hudson River has a long history of using sail freight to move goods from place to place. In the 18th century, New York and Pennsylvania were the breadbaskets of the colonies, and millions of tons of grain moved down the Hudson River and across the ocean on sailing vessels. Grain was one of the primary foodstuffs moved by sail around the world throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Well into the 20th century, grain was still being moved economically by sail. What started as an effort to reach port the soonest and receive the best prices for their cargoes, by the 1930s grain races became a matter of honor and sport. Learn about the windjammers who raced, the economic factors behind sail freight, and why windjamming eventually declined in the Western world.
The Hudson River has a long history of using sail freight to move goods from place to place. In the 18th century, New York and Pennsylvania were the breadbaskets of the colonies, and millions of tons of grain moved down the Hudson River and across the ocean on sailing vessels. Grain was one of the primary foodstuffs moved by sail around the world throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Well into the 20th century, grain was still being moved economically by sail. What started as an effort to reach port the soonest and receive the best prices for their cargoes, by the 1930s grain races became a matter of honor and sport. Learn about the windjammers who raced, the economic factors behind sail freight, and why windjamming eventually declined in the Western world.