New York Adventure Club

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982788626156

The mansions built during America’s Gilded Age came in all shapes and sizes, but a significant number were inspired by — and some may say copied from — a varied selection of classic English mansions. They were dismantled, resurrected, and in one case even dredged from the ocean floor by an eclectic mix of American millionaires, each with their own diverse aims and ambitions staked within. Told through the splendor of the mansions on both sides of the Atlantic, it’s time to open the page on this lesser-known chapter in American architecture with a deep dive into the stories behind these truly international treasures.

Join New York Adventure Club as we bring to life the history and stories behind the iconic English homes erected during the American Gilded Age, and the quirky and frequently amusing characters who brought them to fruition.

Led by Mark Meredith — founder of HouseHistree.com — our virtual showcase of these mansions and their creators, both in the States and the UK, will include:

• An overview of the millionaires and their architects including those now enshrined in classics of both English and American literature
• Details surrounding the “American Prince of Wales” who — although quite oblivious to the fact —shared an extraordinary affinity with the man whose house he replicated 300-years before
• A deep dive into the incredible, and often overlooked, stories surrounding how these mansions came to be
• An intimate look at the interiors and exteriors of these iconic American mansions, all of which still survive intact today, which include: one of Newport’s most elegant and renowned private homes; a sprawling Elizabethan-Revival spectacular that was the first house in America to feature “museum rooms”; and an estate in Virginia that is constructed with materials that date back to the 12th century
• A collection of rare, archived and carefully selected photos of these American gems and their counterparts back in the UK

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Mark — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser
***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!

About Mark
Mark grew up and was educated in the UK at Stowe School – where it would be hard not to gain a respect for eye-opening architecture – before working for twenty years in the building industry. However, his real passion has always been history, and particularly US history and the stories, legends, and people behind houses. He is an accredited lecturer in both the United States and Europe and the founder of HouseHistree.com.

Testimonials
"I learned the background on some of my favorite houses. Fascinating histories on all of them." -David
"Mark Meredith is one of our favorite presenters: interesting information, wonderful photographs and fascinating history told in an entertaining manor. We also appreciate the humor!" -Karen
"The concept was fantastic, presenting the similarities and connections between the English and American mansions. Even very similar stories around the people. I thought that Mark was a great presenter. He was very organized and spoke very clearly. I will look for other webinars by him. I know that they will be fantastic." -Mark
"Interesting subject matter and the presenter was well-versed and made it fun!" Martha
"Interesting new take on the great houses of America." -Lucy
"Loved the historical & family backgrounds." -Lana
"The information about the architects and the historical connections between the families were all fascinating." -Charles
"Content was interesting and the speaker had a clear and organized presentation." -Elizabeth

Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: Virtual, Gilded Age

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1981352238883

From red sandstone castles to soaring modern landmarks, the museums of the National Mall have always been more than just places to house objects — they’re monuments to what America chooses to value, preserve, and celebrate. What can the architecture of these iconic institutions, built over a span of more than 170 years, tell us about changing ideas of progress, national identity, and public memory? It's time for an in-depth exploration of the Smithsonian museums as a living timeline of American architecture — and a mirror of the country’s evolving ideals.

Join New York Adventure Club for a two-part virtual journey through the Smithsonian Institution and its neighboring museums, which together trace the evolution of American architecture, culture, and identity along the National Mall. In Part Two: The Post-WWII Era, we’ll explore how newer museums on the Mall broke away from tradition — and how their bold forms, innovative materials, and symbolic designs reflect a broader, more inclusive American narrative.

Led by Carolyn Muraskin, architectural historian and founder of DC Design Tours, this unique experience will include:

• National Museum of American History – A clean-lined modern building designed to showcase everything from presidential artifacts to everyday objects that shape American life
• Hirshhorn Museum – A massive concrete cylinder that shocked critics when it opened, announcing that modern art and architecture had arrived on the Mall
• National Air and Space Museum – A large, light-filled modern complex designed to make aviation and space exploration accessible to millions of visitors each year
• National Gallery of Art, East Building – I. M. Pei’s striking geometric design, which introduced high-modern architecture to the Mall and reimagined how art could be displayed
• The Smithsonian Quadrangle – An innovative vast underground complex that allowed the Smithsonian to expand without adding more large buildings to the Mall’s surface
• Museum of the American Indian – A curving, stone-clad building shaped by wind and water rather than straight lines, inspired by Indigenous landscapes and traditions
• National Museum of African American History and Culture – A striking modern design whose tiered bronze form references African art and craftsmanship, designed to stand out while remaining connected to the Mall
• Future Museums – A look ahead at planned new museums, including the National Museum of American Women’s History and the National Museum of the American Latino, and what they may mean for the Mall’s next chapter

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Carolyn — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay through one week after the entire series concludes.
See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser
***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week after the series finale
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week since the series finale, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!

About Carolyn
Founder and Owner, DC Design Tours
Carolyn Muraskin founded DC Design Tours in 2015 to share her passion for Washington DC’s design through walking, driving, bike, boat and virtual tours that uncover the city’s architectural secrets and surprising stories. A University of Maryland architecture grad and former designer, Carolyn worked on projects ranging from historic restorations to mixed-use developments.
Carolyn and her team lead architecture-focused tours across DC’s diverse neighborhoods—including Embassy Row, Capitol Hill, U Street, Georgetown, and Anacostia—designed for curious visitors of all backgrounds and interests. She has collaborated with institutions like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Smithsonian and has appeared on the Discovery Channel. Carolyn lives in Northwest DC and has a serious passion for all things brick, mortar, and design.

The Smithsonians, America’s Architectural Story Series
Part 1: Founding to WWII (Monday, February 23 @ 8:00pm ET)
Part 2: The Post-WWII Era (Monday, March 2 @ 8:00pm ET)

Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: Virtual, Landmarks

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982296092976

From battlefield wounds to beauty clinics, the story of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is as much about healing as it is about reinvention. How did a medical response to war injuries evolve into a billion-dollar industry promising perfection? It's time to peel back the layers of science, culture, and aesthetics in the ever-shifting world of body transformation.

Join New York Adventure Club as we uncover the evolution of plastic surgery — what began as a lifesaving wartime practice has grown into a global phenomenon that both reflects and challenges society’s perceptions of beauty, identity, and confidence.

Led by historian Lucy Jane Santos, our unique virtual experience will include:

• The early pioneers of reconstructive surgery and how their work during the world wars laid the foundation for modern techniques
• The role of plastic materials in medical innovation and how they transformed outcomes in both functional and aesthetic procedures
• The evolution of cosmetic surgery, from niche enhancements to mainstream makeovers that mirror changing beauty standards
• The influence of film, fashion, and celebrity culture, and how media continues to shape ideals of the “perfect” body
• A glimpse into the future of aesthetic medicine, including developments in regenerative treatments and 3D bioprinting

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A session with Lucy — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week.
See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser
***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!

About Lucy
Lucy Jane Santos is a writer, presenter and consultant who seeks out the surprising stories that sit at the edges of familiar history. Her work ranges across beauty, science, technology, popular entertainment and nightlife, uncovering fresh angles and new insights into the moments that have shaped the modern world.

This expertise has led to historical consulting roles for film and television and to on-screen contributions in documentaries as seemingly diverse as Makeup: A Glamorous History (BBC2) and Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America (Discovery +). Her research and commentary have also appeared in publications including History Today, BBC History Revealed, Vogue and the New York Post and in the London Transport Museum’s exhibition Art deco: the golden age of poster design.

She has been a judge for the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown, the recipient of the Stephen Joseph Research Award and was the Non-Fiction Writer In Residence for the Stay-at-Home! International Literature Festival. She is a co-founder of the Art Deco Society UK and the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network.

Lucy is the author of the critically acclaimed Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium and Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium, which explore the unexpected ways radioactivity entered everyday life. Her forthcoming work, Nobody’s Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot, will be published in 2026 to coincide with global celebrations of Marilyn Monroe’s centenary, and uncovers the layered story behind one of Hollywood’s most iconic movies.

Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: Virtual, Moments in History

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982386414129

Long before petroleum pipelines crisscrossed the continent, another form of energy fueled America’s rise—whale oil. But what drove generations of sailors to the sea in pursuit of these ocean giants, often at great personal risk and for years at a time? From perilous global voyages to once booming port towns, it's time to uncover the true story of American whaling that lit the world and shaped the country's early identity.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the dramatic rise and fall of the American whaling industry, from its Indigenous origins and economic boom to its cultural legacy and eventual decline.

Led by presidential historian Louis L. Picone, our unique experience will include:

• A look at the origins of whaling, beginning with Native American practices and its rapid expansion in colonial New England through the 1700s and 1800s
• An exploration into why whales were so valuable, including the use of oil for lighting and heating, and other body parts for products like corsets, soap, art, and perfume
• An overview of life aboard a whaling vessel, detailing the global routes, multi-year expeditions, and daily hardships endured by whalers chasing leviathans from the Arctic to Japan
• A deep dive into the true story of the Essex, the doomed ship that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and helped mythologize the industry
• A discussion around how major American conflicts, like the Revolutionary War and Civil War, influenced the industry and helped lead to its ultimate downfall

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Louis — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week.
See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar
**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser
***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week
****If the event has already passed, but it's been less than a week, you can still register for it on our website's active replay section!

About Louis
Louis L. Picone is the award-winning author of Grant's Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon, The President Is Dead! The Extraordinary Stories of the Presidential Deaths, Final Days, Burials, and Beyond and the forthcoming (Spring 2026) Ulysses’s Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant’s World Tour at the Dawn of American Empire.
Louis is a member of the White House Historical Association, the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Association, and is also committee Chairman for the Grover Cleveland Presidential Library & Museum in Caldwell, NJ. He holds a Masters in History and also teaches at William Paterson University.
Louis has spoken widely on the topic of the presidents and the places we commemorate them, including the Presidential Sites Summit in Dallas; James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Ohio; Ulysses Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, and the international conference "U.S. Presidents and Russian Rulers" at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. He has appeared on various media outlets including C-Span, Time Magazine, BBC, NPR, and the Washington Post. Louis was also featured on the television program "American Mystery" on the Travel Channel to discuss the mystery of JFK's missing brain.

Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: Virtual, Moments in History