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Special Event
Event
HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL: Rendering the obscured and concealed history of slavery at Christ Church Cambridge
This event has already occurred. This page is provided for reference only.
Fee:
Free.Dates & Times
Date:
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Time:
6:00 PM
Duration:
1 hour
Type of Event
Talk
Description
Presented in partnership with Christ Church Cambridge
Nicole Piepenbrink, recipient of the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s 2022 Design Studies Thesis Prize, will discuss her award-winning HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL project on October 27. Piepenbrink’s work examines the perceived invisibility of slavery in New England through the lens of Christ Church, the final resting place of Darby Vassall. The inaccessible, largely unknown Vassall Tomb in the basement of Christ Church is shared with the public via a looped video projection telling the story of this church’s collusion with, dependency on, and profit from the slave trade that provided economic foundations for the establishment and growth not only of this church, but also of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New England.
Vassall, with his family, was enslaved at 105 Brattle Street as an infant and became a prominent local abolitionist as a free adult. This program will conclude with a 10-minute walk to Christ Church to view the installation.
Join Longfellow House staff at 5:00 PM for a tour on the history of slavery & freedom at 105 Brattle Street. Tour space is limited to 8 people; sign up using the event registration link.
Nicole Piepenbrink, recipient of the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s 2022 Design Studies Thesis Prize, will discuss her award-winning HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL project on October 27. Piepenbrink’s work examines the perceived invisibility of slavery in New England through the lens of Christ Church, the final resting place of Darby Vassall. The inaccessible, largely unknown Vassall Tomb in the basement of Christ Church is shared with the public via a looped video projection telling the story of this church’s collusion with, dependency on, and profit from the slave trade that provided economic foundations for the establishment and growth not only of this church, but also of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New England.
Vassall, with his family, was enslaved at 105 Brattle Street as an infant and became a prominent local abolitionist as a free adult. This program will conclude with a 10-minute walk to Christ Church to view the installation.
Join Longfellow House staff at 5:00 PM for a tour on the history of slavery & freedom at 105 Brattle Street. Tour space is limited to 8 people; sign up using the event registration link.
The Longfellow Fall Lecture Series takes place annually and is free and open to the public. As we mark the 50th anniversary of Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, this year's series explores the site's connections to art, scholarship, stewardship, and community. Please visit https://www.nps.gov/.../planyourv.../fall-lecture-series.htm for complete listing of fall events at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS.
Reservation or Registration: Yes
Free, but space is limited. Registration required at https://forms.office.com/g/DtYsYP0nah.