SHGAPE Blog

Minding the GAPE – October 2026

November 5, 2026

Minding the GAPE – October 2026

By Dr. Andrew Varsanyi

Presidential campaign buttons, the origins of American football clubs, the legacy of anti-literacy laws, Black motherhood and reproductive loss, ghostly sea songs, Indigenous wage work and sovereignty, Houdini’s collection of spiritualist writings, and much more.

Field Notes: Lauren Henry and Biltmore

October 26, 2026

Field Notes: Lauren Henry and Biltmore

By Emily Parrow

In the fifth installment of “Field Notes: Public History in the GAPE,” Curator of Interpretation Lauren Henry discusses Biltmore, the historic estate of George W. Vanderbilt and the largest privately-owned home in America. Located in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, the estate is 8,000 acres in size, including 75 acres of gardens, an expansive trail network, and numerous shopping, lodging, and dining options that collectively host more than 1.4 million visitors annually. It is a major economic driver for Western North Carolina.

Field Notes: Marcus P. Smith and the Du Bois Freedom Center

September 10, 2026

Field Notes: Marcus P. Smith and the Du Bois Freedom Center

By Emily Parrow

In the fourth installment of “Field Notes: Public History in the GAPE,” Marcus P. Smith shares how the Du Bois Freedom Center interprets the life of author, scholar, and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) in his hometown of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The region, known as the Berkshires, is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. As Smith explains, the Du Bois Freedom Center helps ground visitors of all ages in the Berkshires’ Black cultural heritage using the places that shaped Du Bois’s upbringing.