Last Lecture in Old Dartmouth Lyceum Series; Historian, linguist and writer, Kenn Harper & William Bradford’s artwork

Historian, linguist and writer, Kenn Harper will present an illustrated lecture titled “Inuit and Whaling in the Bradford Era”, the final program of the 2013 Old Dartmouth Lyceum lecture series, on Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m., Cook Memorial Theater, New Bedford Whaling Museum.

The Lyceum has focused on the many local connections to nineteenth century Arctic exploration with emphasis on the work of Fairhaven artist William Bradford as seen in the exhibit “Arctic Visions: Away then Floats the Ice-Island” in the museum’s Wattles Family Gallery. The exhibit runs through October 24, 2014.

Kenn Harper will examine how the whaling industry had a profound effect on the culture of Inuit in both Canada and Greenland and he will discuss this impact, its effect on Inuit life, and Inuit adaptation to the stresses and demands of change. He will recount epi­sodes from the lives of particular Inuit who used the whaling industry to their own advantage.

Harper has lived in the Arctic (both Greenland and Canada) for the past 47 years. He writes a weekly column under the name “Taissumani” for Nunatsiaq News, the newspaper of record for Nunavut, Canada, and is the author of “Give Me My Father’s Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo.”

The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a reception in the Jacobs Family Gallery followed by the lecture at 7:00 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater. Admission: $15 (non-members, $20). The Wattles Family Gallery will be open during the reception.

Sponsored by Nye Lubricants and Bruce and Karen Wilburn, the Old Dartmouth Lyceum is the region’s old­est public forum for “the advancement of popular education.” Tweet hashtag: #ODLyceum2013

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the world’s most comprehensive museum devoted to the global story of whales, whaling and the cultural history of the region. A cornerstone attraction within New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and a Park partner, the Museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill in the heart of the city’s historic downtown. Winter hours of operation, November through March: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on holiday Mondays. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Wheelchair accessible. For more information: www.whalingmuseum.org.