Elizabeth Reese
@elizamreese.bsky.social
Public historian of grief and public memory. Writing about the grief of Edwin Booth as an evolution of American theatre and celebrity. Author of 'Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America's National Capital Region.'
www.elizabethmreese.com
www.elizabethmreese.com
Pinned
Elizabeth Reese
@elizamreese.bsky.social
· Jul 14
I've gotten quite a few new followers recently so I guess it's time to introduce myself!
I am a public historian who has spent 15 years at historic sites. I currently oversee interpretation at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, a site of radical transformation from plantation to free-labor colony.
I am a public historian who has spent 15 years at historic sites. I currently oversee interpretation at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, a site of radical transformation from plantation to free-labor colony.
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
Plus you’ll hear about @katecarp.bsky.social’s favorite pens (and mine)! We shared a lot of excellent nerdy joy here about thinking and writing history.
What a pleasure to talk with @kawulf.bsky.social about her love of all aspects of her work for this episode! You'll hear about the making of her new book, Lineage (@oxfordunipress.bsky.social), and how she keeps writing as director of the @jcblibrary.bsky.social. draftingthepast.com/podcast-epis...
Episode 76: Karin Wulf Keeps Her Brain Humming Along - Drafting the Past
In this episode, Kate is joined by Karin Wulf, the director and librarian of the John Carter Brown Library, to discuss her new book, Lineage, and her research and writing process.
draftingthepast.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Plus you’ll hear about @katecarp.bsky.social’s favorite pens (and mine)! We shared a lot of excellent nerdy joy here about thinking and writing history.
The number one piece of advice I can give people starting major research projects is to do your own transcriptions.
There is no better way of understanding your subject, their lives, and who they were than looking at their handwriting and using your brain to figure out what they're saying.
There is no better way of understanding your subject, their lives, and who they were than looking at their handwriting and using your brain to figure out what they're saying.
November 26, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The number one piece of advice I can give people starting major research projects is to do your own transcriptions.
There is no better way of understanding your subject, their lives, and who they were than looking at their handwriting and using your brain to figure out what they're saying.
There is no better way of understanding your subject, their lives, and who they were than looking at their handwriting and using your brain to figure out what they're saying.
I fully understand I am in the throes of my thesis deadline BUT....Morgan Spector please answer my calls
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I fully understand I am in the throes of my thesis deadline BUT....Morgan Spector please answer my calls
I've been feeling a lot of woo-woo signs from the universe lately but none more than today when I passed a set of street signs that were "LAFAYETTE" "ELIZABETH" "WOODLAWN" & "BOOTH"
November 19, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I've been feeling a lot of woo-woo signs from the universe lately but none more than today when I passed a set of street signs that were "LAFAYETTE" "ELIZABETH" "WOODLAWN" & "BOOTH"
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
Just in case you'd rather listen to the American Revolution then scramble to find the login for your PBS app, may I offer you something that will leave your Worlds Turned Upside Down?
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5OfU87p...
Website: www.r2studios.org
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5OfU87p...
Website: www.r2studios.org
Worlds Turned Upside Down
History Podcast · Monthly Series · Worlds Turned Upside Down tells the story of the American Revolution as a transatlantic crisis and imperial civil war through the lives of people who experienced it....
podcasts.apple.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Just in case you'd rather listen to the American Revolution then scramble to find the login for your PBS app, may I offer you something that will leave your Worlds Turned Upside Down?
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5OfU87p...
Website: www.r2studios.org
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5OfU87p...
Website: www.r2studios.org
It Happened to Me: American Airlines cancelled my flight while I was at the airport. 🫠
November 8, 2025 at 2:10 PM
It Happened to Me: American Airlines cancelled my flight while I was at the airport. 🫠
I'll be speaking about my research on Edwin Booth, celebrity, and grief in Alexandria, VA next week and tickets are almost gone! If you're looking for something to do next Saturday, I can promise that you'll learn something new!
www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
Brother to the Assassin: Edwin Booth and the Rebirth of American Theatre
This lecture will explore the career of Edwin Booth, whose work was overshadowed by the infamous act of his brother, John Wilkes Booth.
www.eventbrite.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:19 AM
I'll be speaking about my research on Edwin Booth, celebrity, and grief in Alexandria, VA next week and tickets are almost gone! If you're looking for something to do next Saturday, I can promise that you'll learn something new!
www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
My thesis deadline is a month away. This is about how I'm feeling right now.
a little girl is hanging upside down on a swing in a park
ALT: a little girl is hanging upside down on a swing in a park
media.tenor.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:37 PM
My thesis deadline is a month away. This is about how I'm feeling right now.
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
Normal People Don’t Want This Shit is running away with the vote tonight
November 5, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Normal People Don’t Want This Shit is running away with the vote tonight
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
ulysses s grant
who won virginia
November 5, 2025 at 12:24 AM
ulysses s grant
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
What's the future hold for public historians? In our latest digital history column, Rich Condon reflects on where things stand—and the challenges going forward—for those on the front lines of historical interpretation. Read it here: bit.ly/4qGcyNA @richcondon.bsky.social
The Future of Public History
Rich Condon ponders the future of public history in today's environment of division and anti-intellectualism.
bit.ly
November 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM
What's the future hold for public historians? In our latest digital history column, Rich Condon reflects on where things stand—and the challenges going forward—for those on the front lines of historical interpretation. Read it here: bit.ly/4qGcyNA @richcondon.bsky.social
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
HBD 🎂 (290?!) to the one and only John Adams! From the #archives: I wrote about how the descendant of a Puritan maltster raised a glass… 🗃️ earlyamericanists.com/2015/10/30/a...
A Toast to John Adams
Happy 280th birthday to President John Adams: lawyer, statesman, and…wine connoisseur?
earlyamericanists.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:24 PM
HBD 🎂 (290?!) to the one and only John Adams! From the #archives: I wrote about how the descendant of a Puritan maltster raised a glass… 🗃️ earlyamericanists.com/2015/10/30/a...
The latest edition of my newsletter "The Ties of Time" is out today. My current research has personal roots, and this issue was a very special one to write. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
elizabethmreese.substack.com/p/flesh-of-y...
elizabethmreese.substack.com/p/flesh-of-y...
“Flesh of your flesh, and blood of your blood”
After my brother died in 2017, my family received a landslide of condolences.
elizabethmreese.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The latest edition of my newsletter "The Ties of Time" is out today. My current research has personal roots, and this issue was a very special one to write. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
elizabethmreese.substack.com/p/flesh-of-y...
elizabethmreese.substack.com/p/flesh-of-y...
October 30, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
History pals! Do you know someone majoring in American history as an undergraduate or graduate student? DAR just announced it will award 10 scholarships, at $25,000 each, in honor of America250. Application portal opens on Nov 1st - happy to answer questions via DM!
www.dar.org/discover/med...
www.dar.org/discover/med...
DAR America 250! Scholarships - $25,000 Each for Ten Students - Accepting Applications Nov. 1 Through Jan. 31
www.dar.org
October 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
History pals! Do you know someone majoring in American history as an undergraduate or graduate student? DAR just announced it will award 10 scholarships, at $25,000 each, in honor of America250. Application portal opens on Nov 1st - happy to answer questions via DM!
www.dar.org/discover/med...
www.dar.org/discover/med...
A few days ago I pulled Charles Clarke's manuscript on his observations of Edwin Booth's Hamlet. Clarke saw Booth perform several times and wrote each inflection, gesture, and movement. It's the closest thing we have to watching Booth perform his most famous role in lieu of a recording.
October 27, 2025 at 1:43 AM
A few days ago I pulled Charles Clarke's manuscript on his observations of Edwin Booth's Hamlet. Clarke saw Booth perform several times and wrote each inflection, gesture, and movement. It's the closest thing we have to watching Booth perform his most famous role in lieu of a recording.
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
My inbox was full of questions and requests for more information about the history and architecture of the White House.
Naturally, I focused this week’s History Behind the Headlines newsletter on answering these questions.
You can read the full issue and subscribe here:
Naturally, I focused this week’s History Behind the Headlines newsletter on answering these questions.
You can read the full issue and subscribe here:
Ben Franklin's World
Ben Franklin's World is an award-winning podcast about early American history hosted by historian Liz Covart, Ph.D. It's for people who love and enjoy history and want to know more about the people, p...
ben-franklins-world.kit.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:12 PM
My inbox was full of questions and requests for more information about the history and architecture of the White House.
Naturally, I focused this week’s History Behind the Headlines newsletter on answering these questions.
You can read the full issue and subscribe here:
Naturally, I focused this week’s History Behind the Headlines newsletter on answering these questions.
You can read the full issue and subscribe here:
Just thinking about this soliloquy today...
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
October 24, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Just thinking about this soliloquy today...
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
I’m very excited to announce my new venture, LincolnAssassinationTours.com. We offer an all day guided bus tour covering the escape & manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. Experience history firsthand as we hunt down John Wilkes Booth in the comfort of an air conditioned motorcoach. #skystorians 🗃️
A President murdered. His assassins on the run. A nation in mourning.
Join us for a historic, true crime bus tour like no other as you become part of the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. We are now booking tours for Spring 2026.
LincolnAssassinationTours.com
Join us for a historic, true crime bus tour like no other as you become part of the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. We are now booking tours for Spring 2026.
LincolnAssassinationTours.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I’m very excited to announce my new venture, LincolnAssassinationTours.com. We offer an all day guided bus tour covering the escape & manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. Experience history firsthand as we hunt down John Wilkes Booth in the comfort of an air conditioned motorcoach. #skystorians 🗃️
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
“If People See the Capitol Going On, It Is a Sign That We Intend the Union Shall Go On.”
open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
“If People See the Capitol Going On, It Is a Sign That We Intend the Union Shall Go On.”
Lincoln completed the construction of the Capitol Building during the Civil War. Trump is tearing down "The People's House" during a federal shutdown.
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:17 PM
“If People See the Capitol Going On, It Is a Sign That We Intend the Union Shall Go On.”
open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
Thank you so much for Madeline at Emerging Civil War for highlighting my current research in this interview. I'll never turn down an opportunity to talk about Edwin!
emergingcivilwar.com/2025/10/22/e...
emergingcivilwar.com/2025/10/22/e...
Edwin Booth & American Grief: An Interview with Elizabeth Reese - Emerging Civil War
Tragedy is frequently a family affair. Madness can be generational, trickling down the family tree and affecting individuals in similar ways. In the Booth family of thespians, the 19th Century stage b...
emergingcivilwar.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Thank you so much for Madeline at Emerging Civil War for highlighting my current research in this interview. I'll never turn down an opportunity to talk about Edwin!
emergingcivilwar.com/2025/10/22/e...
emergingcivilwar.com/2025/10/22/e...
DC-area friends! I'll be presenting some.of my research on Edwin Booth, celebrity, and grief at Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria on November 15!
A perfect way to (belatedly) celebrate Edwin's birthday!
More information: www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
A perfect way to (belatedly) celebrate Edwin's birthday!
More information: www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
Brother to the Assassin: Edwin Booth and the Rebirth of American Theatre
This lecture will explore the career of Edwin Booth, whose work was overshadowed by the infamous act of his brother, John Wilkes Booth.
www.eventbrite.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:48 PM
DC-area friends! I'll be presenting some.of my research on Edwin Booth, celebrity, and grief at Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria on November 15!
A perfect way to (belatedly) celebrate Edwin's birthday!
More information: www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
A perfect way to (belatedly) celebrate Edwin's birthday!
More information: www.eventbrite.com/e/brother-to...
I have not been keeping up with my substack, but this changes tomorrow morning!
substack.com/@elizareese?...
substack.com/@elizareese?...
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I have not been keeping up with my substack, but this changes tomorrow morning!
substack.com/@elizareese?...
substack.com/@elizareese?...
Reposted by Elizabeth Reese
I made a Ralph Ingersoll and Martha Gellhorn appreciation meme.
October 9, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I made a Ralph Ingersoll and Martha Gellhorn appreciation meme.
I have a few lectures and interviews about my project-in-progress lined up and it's the most motivating thing.
If you're interested in learning more about Edwin Booth and the impact of celebrity, grief, and memory on American theatre, let me know!
If you're interested in learning more about Edwin Booth and the impact of celebrity, grief, and memory on American theatre, let me know!
October 5, 2025 at 11:39 PM
I have a few lectures and interviews about my project-in-progress lined up and it's the most motivating thing.
If you're interested in learning more about Edwin Booth and the impact of celebrity, grief, and memory on American theatre, let me know!
If you're interested in learning more about Edwin Booth and the impact of celebrity, grief, and memory on American theatre, let me know!