Summer Lecture Day

June 25, 2019 - 10:00am to 2:15pm


Join us on Tuesday, June 25 for two outstanding speakers. Between the two speakers there will be a 45 minute break. OLLI will provide ice tea, coffee, and a light dessert. Bring your lunch and use the time to meet and catch up with your OLLI friends.

10-11:30 a.m.
English Landscape and Gothic Architecture: “Ovid Among the Goths”

In this presentation, we will examine the cultural forces that formed the English landscape, and its relationship to the monumental buildings within it. As well as images and paintings, we will also look at some of the texts associated with their construction. We will analyze the development of English buildings and landscape through the predominant form and styles which shaped them. Highlights will include the development of the English Country House; the various stages of English ecclesiastical Gothicism; and the evolution of the (estate) Garden from the Tudors to the influence of Capability Brown.

John Twyning is Professor of English and Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies. He received his PhD from the University of East Anglia in 1992. His current research focuses on various formations of English historical and national consciousness through the interconnections between architecture, literature, and landscape.

11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. 
Break

Bring your lunch.  OLLI will provide coffee, ice tea, and dessert.

12:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Civil War Era Pittsburgh

Before the first shots of the Civil War were fired, there were incidents in Pittsburgh that helped ferment the crisis. The class will examine neglected events dating back to 1856 through more recent years. We will look at the early training camps, Confederates in Pittsburgh, heroism, scandals, industrial contributions, and how the war impacted the city long after the conflict ended. While there have been vast amounts of materials written on the American Civil War, Pittsburgh’s contributions have often been overlooked. For persons interested in the Civil War, this is an excellent way to examine our local heritage.

James Wudarczyk is the author of Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Allegheny Arsenal and Until the Morning Cometh: Civil War Era Pittsburgh. He is a frequent lecturer and tour guide for various historical societies, Civil War Round Tables, genealogical societies, universities, and colleges.

Register online, at the office or by calling 412-624-7308. Register for one or both lectures.