Calendar of Exhibits & Events 2005 - 2006

Each afternoon, the Flagler museum presents a Gilded Age Tea. Served in the Museum’s Whitehall Café overlooking the scenic Intracoastal Waterway, the lunch menu features an array of delicacies and refreshments reminiscent of the elegance of entertaining during the Gilded Age. The price for a Gilded Age Tea is $18, all inclusive for members, $28 for non-members (includes museum admission).

To celebrate the grand opening of the Flagler Kenan Pavilion, the Flagler Museum is mounting an exhibition of great railway stations of the Gilded Age. The exhibition will feature photographs, portraits, stock certificates, maps and artifacts related to the railway palaces of the Gilded Age. William Henry Vanderbilt’s Grand Central Station in New York; Alexander Cassatt’s Union Station in Washington, D.C. and E.H. Harriman’s Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri are among the great surviving railway palaces of the Gilded Age featured in the exhibition. The Flagler Kenan Pavilion, which houses Henry Flagler’s private railcar, No. 91, has been designed in the style of a Beaux-Arts railway palace, in keeping with the historic architecture of adjacent Whitehall.

Whitehall Lecture Series - Richard F. Bales, Attorney and Author

Throughout history, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 has been blamed on Mrs. O’Leary and her cow. Although many books have been written about the fire in the 130-plus years that followed this disaster, no one has ever written a book devoted solely to examining the fire’s cause. Richard F. Bales, Assistant Regional Counsel of Chicago Title Insurance Company, had access to the only set of land records that survived the fire. Using his knowledge of legal descriptions, he mapped out the O’Leary neighborhood and determined the ownership of all the land parcels. Bales then spent two years transcribing all 1,168 pages of the handwritten testimony of fifty witnesses who testified at an 1871 Chicago Fire Department inquiry into the fire’s cause. When Bales examined this testimony through the lens of his diagram, he discovered new evidence that led him to the person who he feels really did start the Chicago Fire. Tickets are $12 per person or $55 for the series, and include a reception with the speaker following the lecture.

Whitehall Lecture Series - Richard A. Burkert, Executive Director, Johnstown Area Heritage Association

On May 31, 1889, a neglected dam and a phenomenal storm led to a catastrophe in which 2,209 people died. It's a story of great tragedy, but also of triumphant recovery. In addition to the incredible loss of life, 1,600 homes were destroyed and $17 million in property damage was done. Public response to the disaster was immediate and generous. Within the U.S. and 18 foreign countries, almost $4 million was collected for the Johnstown Flood relief effort. The American Red Cross, organized in 1881 and led by Clara Barton, arrived in Johnstown on June 5, 1889 – it was the first major disaster relief effort for the Red Cross. Historian Richard A. Burkert will outline the conditions that led to the tragedy, the horrific event itself, and the aftermath which led to the heroic recovery efforts. Tickets are $12 per person, and include a reception with the speaker following the lecture.

Auréole’s unique and colorful instrumental combination of flute, viola, and harp has captivated audiences around the world. The Washington Post calls Auréole’s performance "exquisite," and says "Their performance is, as chamber music should be, like a conversation among friends." The trio has appeared on National Public Radio’s "Performance Today." Auréole’s first compact disc on Koch International Classics, was short listed for three Grammy nominations, and received international acclaim from Fanfare Magazine, FonoForum, American Record Guide, Gramophone, and the Washington Post. Tickets are $50 per person, and include a champagne and dessert reception with the performers following the concert.

Whitehall Lecture Series - James Dalessandro, Novelist, Screenwriter and Film Maker

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 was one of the great natural disasters of American history. The quake and ensuing fire left a city known as the "Paris of the West" in ruins. Then human venality made things worse. Looters were out in full force, picking damaged businesses clean. Federal troops, given license to shoot and kill thieves, fired on many people who were simply trying to save their own property. And members of the security force also joined in the looting. After the smoke cleared, politicians who had been the target of a massive corruption investigation before the disaster were left in power and painted a false picture for the world. They declared that fewer than 500 people had died, a figure that is now believed to be less than 10 percent of the actual toll. Author and screenwriter James Dalessandro tells the epic story in his novel 1906 and uses both fiction and historical fact to set the record straight. Tickets are $12 per person, and include a reception with the speaker following the lecture.

On May 7, 1915, the ocean liner Lusitania was struck by a terrifying new weapon – and became a casualty of a terrible new kind of war. Diana Preston’s book, Lusitania – An Epic Tragedy, offers a vivid picture of the event that shocked the world; a view of the heyday of the luxury liner and the first days of the modern submarine; a critical chapter in the progress of World War I; and a remarkable human drama. With first-person survivor accounts, original translations of German documents, and a cast of characters ranging from Winston Churchill and Alfred Vanderbilt to the crew of the German U-boat that torpedoed a ship full of civilians, this is a true tale of terror and tragedy, of heroism, and miraculous survival. Tickets are $12 per person, and include a reception with the speaker following the lecture.

Besides suffering both natural and accidental tragedies, Gilded Age Americans suffered through a financial disaster as well. The Gilded Age period, which began at the end of the Civil War in 1865, ended with the collapse of America's booming economic structure in 1929. The Crash made significant changes in the Gilded Age economy, particularly in the areas of consumer spending, banking laws, investment habits, home ownership, and dozens of other areas that were impacted by the national financial tragedy. Its repercussions were vast and reached a very personal level for most Americans. Their lives and the country's future would never be the same, resulting in marked differences between the Gilded Age economy and the economy during the 1930s. Foremost economic historian, John Steele Gordon, shares his insights into this nationwide tragedy and its ramifications for one of the world's greatest economic powers. Tickets are $12 per person, and include a reception with the speaker following the lecture.

The Boston Globe calls the Lark Quartet, "dynamic, accomplished and imaginative musicians." Now in its nineteenth concert season, the Lark Quartet enjoys a reputation as an ensemble of the highest artistic integrity and versatility. This season the quartet embarks on a two year Beethoven Cycle sponsored by the Beethoven Society at Hunter College, New York City. The concerts will culminate in recording the complete Beethoven cycle. The Lark Quartet has served as ensemble-in-residence at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre, Dartmouth College, Ohio University, Florida State University, San Diego State University, and Florida Atlantic University. Tickets are $50 per person, and include a champagne and dessert reception with the performers following the concert.

The Flagler Museum Music Series will conclude with a performance by Trio Solisti. The trio brings together three of the most sought after artists of their generation, violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach, and pianist Jon Klibonoff. Performances by the members of the newly formed ensemble have been called "crisply lean, warmly lyrical, unexpectedly sensuous" by the New York Times. The members of Trio Solisti have performed throughout the United States as well as in 23 countries around the world. Members have been frequent guests of the Chamber of Music Society of Lincoln Center. The trio is the resident ensemble at Adelphi University in New York. Tickets are $50 per person, and include a champagne and dessert reception with the performers following the concert.

In honor of the Museum’s founder, Jean Flagler Matthews, the Flagler Museum is open free-of-charge throughout the day. Tour the completely restored interior of Whitehall, view the Flagler history and lace exhibits and visit Flagler’s private railcar inside the Flagler Kenan Pavilion.

Cultural aspects of nineteenth-century America vividly come to life in The Games We Played, an exhibition with 150 board games, card games, puzzles, and blocks dating from 1870 to 1910. These games are rich and playful examples of Victorian-era graphic design, as well as a revealing look at our nation’s attitudes towards religion, wealth, technology, education, gender, and race as it recovered from the Civil War, absorbed new immigrants, and became a world power.

 Flagler Museum Tree Lighting

The Flagler Museum celebrates the holiday season with the Grand Hall Christmas Tree lit by Henry Flagler’s youngest descendants. Guests will enjoy holiday music played on the Museum’s original 1902 pipe organ, seasonal refreshments, and a choir performance.

Holiday Evening Tours are presented for six nights in December. Guests will be treated to a guided tour of Whitehall and an enchanting view of Whitehall in all of its seasonal splendor, illuminated by the golden glow of the home’s original electric light fixtures. Following the tour, light holiday refreshments and carolers complete the festive evening. Tickets are $20 for adults and $6 for children (ages 6-12). Advance ticket purchase in required.