“History Talks” is a new series of speakers in 2017 presented by the New Providence Historical Society covering topics relating to New Providence, Union County and New Jersey.
On November 16th, Linda Barth will give a presentation on “A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone.” Many people are familiar with Edison’s “invention factory” in Menlo Park, where he patented the phonograph, the light bulb, and many more innovations. Yet many other ideas have grown in the Garden State, too. New Jerseyans brought sound and music to movies and built the very first drive-in theater. In addition to the first cultivated blueberry, tasty treats like ice cream cones and M&M’s® are also Jersey natives. Iconic aspects of American life, like Bubble Wrap®, the boardwalk, the Band-Aid®, and even professional baseball itself started in New Jersey. Life would be a lot harder without the vacuum cleaner, plastic, and air-conditioning, and many other important advances in medicine and surgery were developed here.
Join author Linda Barth as she explores groundbreaking, useful, fun, and even silly inventions and their New Jersey roots.
Linda Barth has been a fan of New Jersey for a long time. As a fourth-grade teacher, she tried to focus students’ attention on the positive aspects of our state: its diverse geography, history, agriculture, industry, and famous firsts and inventions. A lifelong resident of the Garden State, Linda has written two books on the D&R Canal for Arcadia Publishing and two children’s picture books: Bridgetender’s Boy, published by the National Canal Museum in 2005, and Hidden New Jersey, from Charlesbridge Publishing in 2012. A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone, published by the History Press, was released in 2013. With her husband she has published The Millstone Valley Through Time and Somerville Through Time. She has also contributed to the Encyclopedia of New Jersey. She is just completing a second book on New Jersey inventions. In 2016 Linda received the Spirit of Somerset Award for Culture and Heritage.
The presentation is free to the public and will be held in the Conte Room in the New Providence Memorial Library, 377 Elkwood Avenue, New Providence, 6:30 – 8:45 p.m. on November 16.
This presentation of “History Talks” is being sponsored by The Murray Hill Hotel and Suites and Moe’s Bistro (located at 535 Central Avenue, New Providence).
The New Providence Historical Society is a volunteer organization dedicated to recording and preserving the history of New Providence, NJ. The society maintains the Salt Box Museum and the Mason Room Archives. For more information about the Historical Society call 908-665-1034.
