The Baxter Society, in Partnership with the Maine Historical Society, is pleased to invite you to the following lectures held in conjunction with the exhibit A Riot of Words: Broadsides & Ballads, Posters and Proclamations currently on display at MHS.

These programs, which are being held at the Maine Historical Society at 489 Congress Street in Portland, are free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact the Maine Historical Society at (207) 774-1822.

Tuesday, April 11, 12pm ~~~ Graphic Communication in America: How Did We Get Here?
Eric Eaton, Graphic Designer; Co-Curator, A Riot of Words

Graphic Communication in the 21st Century is omnipresent and prolific, sometimes even revolutionary. While most people are aware of the role of design in daily life, we rarely pause to consider its DNA. Why do posters, signs, and advertisements look and function the way they do? By looking at the last 200 years of communication in America, Eric Eaton will attempt to unravel the mysteries of design, communication, noise and visual clutter, all in just 40 minutes!

Eaton is a Graphic Designer who has worked in advertising, publishing, exhibit design, and Web development for 18 years. In collaboration with MHS Curator John Mayer, Eric designed and curated A Riot of Words which is currently on display at MHS.  He is the author of  "Designwhys: Designing Web Site Interface Elements," was Design Director at Wired Magazine in the late nineties, and founded Deliberate Design in 2001.

Thursday, April 27, 7pm ~~~ A Visual Explosion: Wood Type and the 19th Century Printing Revolution
Richard Zauft, Associate Vice President, Emerson College

During the 19th century, the development of wood type for use in commercial printing had a major impact on printing, design, and the visual landscape in Maine and across America.  Wood was easy to work with, had excellent printing qualities, and could be used to create a vast range of designs and fonts.  As can be seen throughout A Riot of Words, the current exhibit at MHS, printers, designers, artists, and bookmakers took advantage of the new technology and initiated a visual explosion that shaped popular and literary culture.  Richard Zauft will explore the production, uses, and impact of wood type through the story of the Hamilton Wood Type Co., of Two Rivers Wisconsin.  By the end of the 19th century Hamilton Wood Type was one of the largest makers and distributors of wood type in the country, and helped fuel this revolution in design.  Zauft is a designer, artist, and printer whose work has been recognized and collected broadly.  He was Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee for nearly 25 years.

Special Pre-Program Gallery Walk with the Curator: Join Eric Eaton, Co-Curator of A Riot of Words, for a guided tour of the exhibit and hear in-depth stories behind many of the objects on display. 6pm.  RSVP requested.  Extended Gallery Hours: 6pm-9pm.

Tuesday, May 9, 12 pm ~~~ Master Printer Fred Anthoensen:Maine’s Quiet Giant
Bruce Kennett, Managing Director of the Anthoensen Press, 1984–86

From the 1920s until the late 1960s, Portland’s Fred Anthoensen produced scholarly books and fine printing that combined beauty, simplicity, accuracy, and practicality. Although he remained largely unrecognized among his neighbors in Maine, within the world of books and fine printing Fred was regarded as a national treasure.  Kennett will follow the rise and accomplishments of this great typographer and craftsman throughout his nearly seventy years in printing.  A former Portland resident, Bruce Kennett is a book designer, photographer and teacher.  He is a founder and past president of the Baxter Society.

Tuesday, May 23, 12pm ~~~ Joseph Wood: The Story of a 19th Century Maine Job Printer
John Mayer, MHS Curator of the Collections

Joseph Wood opened a printing shop in Wiscasset in 1866 when he was 24 years old and went on to spend his entire career as a job printer serving small Maine communities like Wiscasset, Skowhegan, and Bar Harbor.  As can be seen in Maine Historical’s current exhibit, A Riot of Words, his shop printed everything from broadsides, to public notices, to all types of stationary and forms, and even local newspapers.  Exhibit Co-Curator John Mayer will explore some of these items and the vital role that Wood and other 19th century Maine printers played in distributing information in their communities.