New York Adventure Club

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

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982355974082

"Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience’s imagination and create a suspension of disbelief, by which I mean there’s no fourth wall." -Stephen Sondheim
From its accidental beginnings to the modern phenomenon which is Hamilton, musicals as an art form have dominated the performance landscape for over 150 years. How did this dynamic, innovative, and theatrical art form develop over the generations, and what were the major game changers that brought it to new heights? It's time to uncover the unforgettable performances and productions that gave musical theater a universal appeal transcending cultural boundaries.

Join New York Adventure Club for a fun, informative, and highly illustrated journey through the history of musicals, with a focus on the pivotal musical productions that transformed the theatrical art form from niche to mainstream.

Led by music historian Jamie Hayes, our unique virtual experience spanning New York City's Broadway to London's West End will include:

• The early accidental beginnings of the musical 150 years ago beginning with the Great White Way, which made the musical theatre creative art form red hot
• A discussion of brilliant playwrights, composers, and lyricists from both sides of the pond, including George M. Cohan, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rogers & Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Lerner and Lowe, Lionel Bart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, and many more!
• The legacies of the Hollywood movie studios including MGM, who became the grand masters of the film musical with movies like Meet Me In St. Louis, The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ In The Rain, and On The Town
• A focus on modern musicals that have once again changed the paradigm, such as Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables, La La Land, and The Greatest Showman
• Musical items and film excerpts from some of the most game changing shows of all time, all which are crucial to telling the story of musicals

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Jamie — 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 Jamie Hayes
After training at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, Jamie subsequently worked for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Bristol Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company, English National Opera & the BBC. He has directed many new opera and musical productions in the UK, whilst overseas productions have taken him as far away as Reykjavik, Malta and Melbourne. Jamie was Associate Director on the original production of the hit musical Miss Saigon in the West End and on Broadway.

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

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1982355966058

“This greatest of destructive forces can be developed into a great boon, for the benefit of all mankind. The United States knows that peaceful power from atomic energy is no dream of the future. That capability, already proved, is here, now, today.” -President Eisenhower, 1953

By the mid-1940s, the concept of nuclear energy had exploded onto the global landscape, beginning a remarkable journey of scientific innovation and discovery — a journey which unfolded within the interplay of its potential for both destruction and its capacity for positive applications. How did this formidable energy source shift from a symbol of fear to a promise of peace and sustainability? It’s time to unravel the complexities of nuclear energy throughout the ages, and the discoveries bringing us one step closer to a greener future.

Join New York Adventure Club as we embark on a journey through the fascinating evolution of nuclear power, from its genesis in the mid-20th century as a potential harbinger of doom to its current status as a pivotal player in the quest for sustainable global energy solutions.

Led by historian Lucy Jane Santos, author of the forthcoming book Chain Reactions: The Hopeful History of Uranium, our captivating virtual experience will include:

• An overview of the origins of nuclear energy including the groundbreaking discoveries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that paved the way for harnessing the power within the atom
• A dive into the first era of nuclear innovation, from harnessing atomic power for military purposes to the development of the first nuclear reactors
• An exploration of how nuclear technologies have shaped international relations, energy policies, and environmental considerations
• How grassroots campaigning groups and international organizations dedicated to fighting the development of nuclear energy were formed and the campaigns they focused on
• The Atomic Age in pop culture from memorabilia to the big screen
• The challenges faced by the nuclear energy industry, including safety concerns, political controversies, and the potential breakthroughs that could redefine the role of nuclear energy in addressing global challenges like climate change and sustainable energy demands

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 an expert in the history of 20th-century leisure, health, and beauty.

After completing a BA in Egyptian Archaeology and an MA in Arts and Heritage Management Lucy worked for several private members clubs and societies in London including The Arts Club, the Authors’ Club, and the International Wine and Food Society.

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 (2020). She is a founder of the Art Deco Society UK and co-founder of the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network.
Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium is Lucy’s debut book and was shortlisted for the 2021 BSHS Hughes Prize, for books that bring scholarship to new readers by capturing the public imagination while conforming to the rigorous standards of academic research. Her next book, which is a history of the element uranium, will be published in 2024.

Lucy also works as a freelance historical researcher and consultant.

Disclaimer
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Photo Credit: Main - Lukáš Lehotský
Categories: Virtual, Moments in History