“The Invention of Colonial Williamsburg”
Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 @ 1:00pm

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, is the most studied 18th-Century town in the world. This illustrated lecture will cover the founding and growth of this vast historical resource. What drove the recovery of the town? What changes have been made over the last 95 years? What sorts of insights can Williamsburg’s archaeology, architecture, material culture, and history give us? This talk is about peering into the seeds of Time.
Michael Olmert wrote the Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg (1985-2015) and has written some 50 articles for Colonial Williamsburg Magazine. A professor in the University of Maryland’s English Department, Olmert has long been interested in the connection between literature and history and architecture. His books include Milton’s Teeth and Ovid’s Umbrella (Simon and Schuster, 1996) and Kitchens, Smokehouses, and Privies (Cornell Univ. Press, 2009). His television writing has won him three primetime Emmys.  

This is presented by the Talbot Historical Society in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library and will take place at the library located at 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601. The lecture is free to the public.