The Mill Talks series features lectures and panel discussions on topics related to the Industrial Revolution, innovation across disciplines, and the mission of the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, which is to encourage and inspire future innovation in America.Funded by the Lowell Institute.
The field of industrial archeology (IA) is now about 70 years old and has passed through stages of life, from an exuberant youth filled with discovery – the period when the Charles River Museum of Industry was founded – to its sedate present. Interest in the field seems to be waning, judging from declining membership in IA groups, and even the name of the field confuses people. Those of us who would like to see the field survive and flourish wonder how it can be re-energized, in what direction should it go?
This presentation explains what industrial archeology is. It traces the history of the field, from its beginnings in England in the 1950s and the founding of the U.S. Society for Industrial Archeology in 1971, to the present, and describes some of its contributions, like the early surveys of historic textile mills. It covers its connections to allied history and practice fields, like history of technology and historic preservation. Sara Wermiel concludes by presenting her ideas for what the field might focus on, to have a purpose that can sustain it.
Excavated between 1639 and 1641, the Mother Brook canal in Dedham is arguably the oldest power canal in North America. The waterway connects the Charles and the Neponset Rivers by way of an inland spring-fed brook. This created a fall of water that was strong enough to power the town’s first grist mill.
Join the Charles River Museum for a talk with Judy Neiswander who discusses industrial uses of the canal and East Dedham’s evolution into a powerhouse of textile production.
Join the Charles River Museum and Henrik Broekman for a curiosity-driven discussion of what it is like to pursue your bliss and fully immerse yourself in the world of harpsichords. Throughout his decades of experience in this industry, Hendrik has found himself constantly asked about the craftsmanship behind these exquisite instruments, how they are manufactured, and more. He will be answering these questions while sharing what it is like to build and create a career centered around harpsichords.
Henrik Broekman has been a pioneering craftsman, musician, and harpsichord builder for over 50 years. He worked with both Frank Hubbard and Eric Hertz, though most of his career was spent as Technical Director in the Hubbard Shop. He took over operations after the retirement of Diane Hubbard in 2000 and still plays, repairs, and builds harpsichords.
Once a famous through-route between Boston and Northampton, by the 1970s the Boston & Maine Railroad's Central Mass Branch had seen better days. Yet there was still activity to be seen and photographed, and important history to document. This presentation will provide a visual look into the final years of railroad operations on the Central Mass Branch west of Waltham; included are photographs, documents, and some film footage.
Rick Kfoury is a railroad historian and author with an express interest in New England railroading in the second half of the twentieth century. He has authored four books on the subject, The New England Southern Railroad Volumes I and II, Queen City Rails: Manchester's Railroads 1965-1990, and Steam Trains of Yesteryear: The Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Story.
The Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization composed of people who want to share their knowledge, and learn more about, the history and operations of the Boston and Maine Railroad, its predecessors, and successors. The Society was founded in 1971 and consists of over 1,000 active members from the New England region and beyond.
250 years ago, the revolution that would lead to our country’s independence was in its early stages. The Continental Army was facing a major problem, gunpowder shortages. Join the Charles River Musuem for an exploration of how the production of saltpeter, the principal ingredient of this explosive material, changed the course of history.
This talk will explore the different ways saltpeter was manufactured by Americans, the wide variety of instructions that guided their efforts, and the motivations-both lofty and materialist-that drove them forward.
Join the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation for a talk with Luciano Bueno who explores how bold entrepreneurship is redefining the cotton industry through the lens of future-forward production.
From lab-grown breakthroughs to cutting-edge technologies, he shares how next-generation ventures are transforming the way we make things—faster, cleaner, and smarter. This isn’t just about cotton; it’s a glimpse into the industrial revolutions of tomorrow. Luciano will dive into the challenges, the untapped opportunities, and how entrepreneurial vision can lead to massive impacts.
Join the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation for a panel discussion moderated by WGBH Classical’s Laura Carlo at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation as part of our special exhibition Rediscovering Waltham’s Harpsichord History.
Harpsichordists and builders Henrik Broekman and Allan Winkler, and harpsichordist and BU Professor emeritus Mark Kroll will be discussing the legacy of Hubbard Harpsichords of Waltham. Speakers will also touch upon the manufacturing of these intricate instruments, and their role in reviving and popularizing early music.
Climate change, global disruption, and labor scarcity are forcing us to rethink the underlying principles of industrial society. How can a new generation reanimate the best ideas of our industrial forbearers and begin to build a realistic and human-centered future? Join us at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation for a conversation with David Mindell who envisions a new form of industrialism that draws upon the first principles of the Industrial Revolution that date back to the 18th Century in his recent book 'The New Lunar Society'.
While discussing new industrialism, he will tell the story of the Lunar Society, a group of engineers, scientists, and industrialists who came together to apply the principles of the Enlightenment to industrial processes. The Lunar Society included pioneers like James Watt, Benjamin Franklin, and Josiah Wedgwood whose conversations both ignited the Industrial Revolution and shaped the founding of the United States.
“Listen my children and you shall hear of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”
This talk will explore Revere’s patriotic technological service to his country, starting before his famous ride and ending long afterwards. Paul Revere pioneered new manufacturing techniques in iron casting, bronze bell and cannon making, and copperwork.
As the first American to roll copper into sheets for the young United States Navy, Revere’s innovative practices helped lead his young nation into the industrial age.
When Francis Cabot Lowell revolutionized industrial manufacturing, he could never have imagined that industrialization at scale would change everything about the way we work, live, and even eat. Join us for an eye-opening talk from NYU Professor Amy Bentley as she traces the development of the modern American diet as it became another sector of the mass manufacturing commercial economy. Food could be processed, packaged, and sold faster, more efficiently, and in huge quantities – but there were serious unintended consequences. Her case study – baby food.
By the 1950s, commercial baby food had become emblematic of all things modern in postwar America. Little jars of baby food were thought to resolve a multitude of problems in the domestic sphere, but these baby food products laden with sugar, salt, and starch also became a gateway to the industrialized diet that blossomed during this period.
Today, baby food continues to be shaped by medical, commercial, and parenting trends. Baby food producers now contend with health and nutrition problems as well as the rise of alternative food movements. All of this matters because it’s during infancy that palates become acclimated to tastes and textures, including those of highly processed, minimally nutritious, and calorie-dense industrial food products.
