May 2003

May 2: Monthly Meeting

The Todd's in Rhode Island

David Peck Todd was Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Observatory at Amherst College from 1881 to 1914. He traveled the world - frequently accompanied by his wife - to observe solar eclipses, including Texas, Portuguese West Africa, the Dutch West Indies, Russia, and twice each to Japan and Tripoli. In 1907, funded by Percival Lowell, he took Amherst College's 18 inch Clark telescope to an Andean mountaintop to observe the opposition of Mars. He was the author of standard textbooks on astronomy as well as numerous articles.

Mabel Loomis Todd (1856 - 1932) accompanied her husband David on most of his astronomical expeditions, assisting with collecting data as well as collecting artifacts for the Peabody Museum in Salem, MA. She helped write her husband's textbooks and penned several books documenting the expeditions, and was in demand across the country as a lecturer. Mrs. Todd was an accomplished musician and artist, and was the first editor of Emily Dickinson's poetry, but she gained a notorious reputation in Amherst for having a long-standing love affair with Emily's married brother Austin Dickinson.

Ann Maggs and Walter Carroll have been portraying the Todd's and other historical characters for many years. Both have been active with the Hampshire Shakespeare Company in Amherst, where they have played Gertrude and Polonius, Antony and Cleopatra, Mistress Ford and her jealous husband, and many other characters. They have done voiceover work for public television documentaries, museums and computer games. Walter Carroll hosts classical music programs on the public radio station WFCR and is webmaster of wfcr.org. Ann Maggs is a music librarian at Amherst College and a professional singer.

May 3: Monthly Meeting

The Todds in Rhode Island

Walter Carroll, Ann Maggs

May 7: Monthly Meeting

untitled

Dr James Lowenthal of Smith College Massachusetts will be speaking before us. Topic to be determined.