LENOX, Mass. – Louise Levy, a lifelong student of American history, will talk about the life of Mary Todd Lincoln at the first Tea & Talk of Ventfort Hall's summer series on Tuesday, June 11 at 4 pm. 

 

This is an encore presentation from her popular, sold out talk last summer. A tea will be served after her presentation and will include recipes based on Miss Leslie's Instructions for Cookery as well as other Civil War era treats, including some of President Abraham Lincoln's favorites.

 

According to a press release:

 

Mary Todd Lincoln went from western belle to frugal housewife to First Lady of the United States, enduring grief, war and illness along the way. She learned to manage her own household, consulting the latest ladies' magazines and cookbooks, while her husband was gone for months at a time riding the circuit as an aspiring lawyer and politician. As a girl she predicted she would someday marry the President of the United States, and she did everything she could to help get her husband elected.  

 

The talk will touch upon the stories of people close to the Lincolns, including Elizabeth Keckly, Mary's dressmaker, a former slave who acted as informal advisor to Abraham during the Civil War years. Our speaker will also discuss the Spiritualist Movement that was gaining popularity at the time, and how Mary Todd Lincoln sought comfort by reaching out to her loved ones through séances and mediums. And finally how Robert Todd Lincoln stepped in to navigate the family legacy through the Gilded Age, including having Mary briefly committed to a sanatorium for the insane, and how a female attorney/activist stepped in to help her regain her freedom.

 

Levy is a 1990 graduate of Syracuse University with a BA in Art History. She grew up in New Jersey and has made the northwest corner of Connecticut her home for over 30 years. Levy worked as a tour guide at Chesterwood for over a decade and gave specialty talks there on Abraham Lincoln as well as American Art History. She has recently joined the staff at Ventfort Hall. Her talks range from cemetery symbolism to the civil rights movement. She has a lifelong fascination with Abraham Lincoln and loves to read anything she can on him and his life. She likes to spend her spare time either hiking in the woods or visiting museums and historic sites. 

 

Tickets are $40 for members and with advance reservation; $45 day of; $22 for students 22 and under. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. 

 

All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.