LENOX, Mass. — Historic New England Fellow Eleanor Martinez Proctor, will talk about about the lives of estate workers during the Gilded Age at Ventfort Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 4 pm. 

 

A tea will be served after the presentation.

 

She will discuss the diverse staff of the Eustis Estate, a Gilded Age mansion in Milton, Mass. Her research revealed stories of the staff and their families, both at the estate and beyond, that reflect many fascinating aspects of the Progressive era. 

 

Eleanor Martinez Proctor has an M.A. in Public History from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Martinez Proctor has worked for three years as a Research Fellow at Historic New England, uncovering the lives of workers and women at the Eustis Estate. From this research, she helped create several new programs including a regular tour that explores Gilded Age working-class life, as well as the David Chesnut Jazz Festival which brought together musicians, historians, and the local community to honor the musical traditions of one working family. She also co-curated the exhibition, Music and Motion: The Chesnut Family Legacy at the Eustis Estate in 2023. Martinez Proctor’s work focuses on finding new perspectives within established narratives to broaden and enrich the histories we share.

 

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 us at (413) 637-206. Note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.