Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

Telling History is a manual for creating well-researched and engaging historical presentations. As museums and other informal learning institutions work to create new and appealing programs, many are turning to dramatic impersonations accompanied by informed discussions to educate their audiences. This book guides the performer through selecting characters, researching and writing scripts, performing for various kinds of audiences, and turning performance into a business. For museums, historic sites, and community organizations, it offers advice on training and funding historical performers, as well as what to expect from professionals who perform at your site.

The Chautauqua Institution was started in 1874 by the Normal Department of the Methodist Episcopal Church as a two-week program to instruct Sunday school teachers of all Protestant denominations. The program proved to be a popular combination of worship, education, and recreation and each year brought thousands of visitors to the beautiful shores of Chautauqua Lake. As Chautauqua became a model of for lifelong learning and the good use of leisure time, hundreds of similar sites were built across the continent. The Chautauqua program included lectures, classes, symphony concerts, opera, theater, art, and recreations such as golf, tennis, swimming, and sailing. In time, the movement embraced all denominations and faiths. Today Chautauqua offers a vacation filled with many opportunities in a setting that could be from a century ago.

This is the story of New York Lt. Governor George W. Patterson. Raised in Londonderry, New Hampshire he came to the Genesee Valley in New York in 1818 and rose to assembly speaker before moving to Westfield in Chautauqua County as a Land Agent. He was a friend of William Seward and Thurlow Weed and in 1848 was elected Lt. Govenor with Hamilton Fish as governor. In 1876 he was elected to the House of Representatives.