Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Department of History, Harvard University

Ivan Gaskell, Professor of Cultural History and Museum Studies, Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture

Sara Schechner, David P. Wheatland Curator of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University 

Sarah Anne Carter, Curator and Director of Research, The Chipstone Foundation

Samantha van Gerbig, Photographer and Designer, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University

In a world obsessed with the virtual, tangible things continue to mesmerize. In this program, the authors of Tangible Things: Making History through Objects will conduct a lively conversation about Harvard “stuff”: the books, manuscripts, artwork, scientific specimens, ethnographic artifacts, and historical relics found in the University’s world-class collections. The speakers will share perspectives on some of Harvard’s collected items and challenge people to discover new ways of looking at, organizing, and interpreting the tangible things in our environment.