Wednesday, March 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM (ET)

King George IV: The Worst Ruler in British History?

British historian, Sir Spencer Walpole, described King George IV (1762-1830) as “a bad son, a bad husband, a bad father, a bad subject, a bad monarch, and a bad friend.” The Duke of Wellington was more charitable of the king, “[King George IV] was indeed the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy, and good feeling–in short, a medley of the most opposite qualities–with a great preponderance of good–that I ever saw in any character in my life.” King George IV was known for his manners and charm but also for his drunkenness, spendthrift ways, and scandalous love life.

Learn more about King George III’s son, who left the Crown weaker and less popular, but immeasurably richer in architecture, the fine and decorative arts, in this ESU Happy Hour hosted by James C. Kelly, Ph.D., of ESU’s Richmond Branch, who recently retired after a half-century-long curatorial career. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Richmond VA Branch.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

Why I Started World Elephant Day

Filmmaker and conservationist, Patricia Sims, talks about her journey to create the annual global awareness campaign, World Elephant Day, which she founded in 2012. Through her photography of Asian and African elephants, Patricia portrays her conservation work with elephants, her documentaries about elephants, and her recent trip to Kenya to see how the impact of World Elephant Day has helped numerous conservation organizations protect these animals for more than a decade by creating a global movement to save elephants.

This is a Happy Hour for the whole family. All ages will enjoy learning about Patricia’s quest to save and protect elephants, the largest land mammals on earth. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Kansas City Branch.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM (ET)

I Stole a Monet for My Client

Join this fascinating Happy Hour with guest speaker Debra Rhodes Smith who has written a memoir of anecdotes during her 34-year career as a certified arts appraiser and Fine Art Advisor. Many experiences are shared while amassing the art collections for some of the largest corporations and luxury hotels worldwide. In her book, “Tales of Art Beyond the Frame,” Smith describes one of her most interesting assignments involving the acquisition of a Monet for a client and through some quirky circumstances at a Sotheby’s auction, she was able to obtain a million-dollar Monet for well under the valued price. All of Smith’s tales are true, witty, poignant, intelligent, informative, sophisticated, and a fresh perspective of the often-mysterious world of art. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills, NC Branch.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

Churchill’s Citadel

Katherine Carter, longstanding curator of the Churchill family’s country home, will present her pivotal new account of Churchill’s activities during the 1930s, highlighting how Chartwell, his rural residence, became the epicenter of his anti-Nazi endeavors. During the 1930s, as Europe edged closer to conflict, Winston Churchill was politically sidelined. However, it was during this period that his home, Chartwell, in Kent, transformed into the command center for his crusade against the rise of Nazi Germany. He convened with esteemed colleagues and sources, such as Albert Einstein and T.E. Lawrence, who bolstered his efforts while he diligently warned of the looming war.

In her newly published book, Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm, Carter narrates the compelling tale of these significant yet obscure gatherings at Chartwell. She introduces an intriguing ensemble of individuals—from renowned figures to political heavyweights, envoys to intelligence agents—who influenced Churchill’s insights and tactical approach. Utilizing Chartwell as his stronghold, Churchill collected critical information on Germany’s militaristic advancements, positioning himself to alter history’s trajectory.

This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charlottesville, VA Branch.