Monthly Archives: March 2023

From Harper’s Young People of 1886.

The Museum is located at 1840 Front Street, Scotch Plains, NJ  07076. Admission to the museum is free but donations are always welcome. 

For more information email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908-322-6700 Extension 230.

The March meeting of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood will feature the return of popular storyteller Carol Simon Levin with a new program called “Mothers of Invention.” Levin will tell the stories of women who overcame the combined barriers of gender and race to create inventions that changed our world. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, at the Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Rd. (at the corner of Plainfield Avenue) in Scotch Plains.

Portraying Lillian Moller Gilbreth, motion study pioneer and the mother of 12 children in the semi-autobiographical novel, Cheaper by the Dozen, Levin will share the stories of overlooked women innovators, including many women of color. From Margaret Knight, known as the 19th century’s “female Edison,” to Hollywood superstar Hedy Lamarr, these “mothers of invention” changed our lives, yet their accomplishments were all too often ignored, discounted or credited to others.

In addition to performing lively historic portrayals, Levin is the author of Remembering the Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates, which profiles 69 women—well-known and unknown—who worked tirelessly for women’s rights in America. She holds a bachelor’s degree focusing on women’s history and history of technology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in library services from the University of Arizona. She is also the founder of the website tellingherstories.com.

The upcoming meeting is free and all are welcome. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the presentation. For questions, please email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908/322-6700 Extension 230.