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SPEAKERS BUREAU
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Patti Cassidy
Elephants in Rhode Island
Elephants have been a part Rhode Island's history for over 200 years. Though no artifacts of prehistoric proboscides like Mammoths and Mastodons have ever been found here, once the first modern elephant arrived in the new world (in 1797), we've been significant players in elephant history. The talk, "Elephants in Rhode Island" includes stories of the first elephant, who received visitors behind a coffeehouse in Providence on his way up to Harvard for commencement, Bette the Trained Elephant who met her tragic end in Chepachet in 1826, Baby Roger who thrilled Providence in 1893 when Rhode Island's children saved him from his devious owner, Fanny the Elephant from Pawtucket whose life turned into a fairy tale, and Ginny,Alice, and Kate, Roger Williams Park Zoos current residents. A showing of "The Ballad of Baby Roger", the first of four short documentaries about elephants in the Ocean State, is included in the presentation.
Frozen Glory: The Secret Life of War Memorials
When battles end and the din of guns and drums subside, grieving survivors raise stone and bronze monuments to remember their dead; these are Frozen Glory. This talk explores these monuments. Through stories of the generations and survivors who raised them, of the people who design and create them, from stonecutters to foundrymen and a former granite quarry owner, their secret lives come to light. Professors from the Naval War College, the University of Rhode Island, and Northeastern University have contributed their insights on the spirit of the nation during various wars and their aftermaths that led to the unique designs of memorials for each war.
Patti Cassidy is a writer and documentary filmmaker. She has been involved in historical elephant research for three years. With help from a research grant from RICH, she has unearthed a variety of fascinating stories about Rhode Islanders and their interactions with the world's largest land mammal.
Needs: Laptop projector; DVD player and TV screen (if you have a projector, don't need theDVD Player and screen.) Can get along with just the DVD player and screen.