Speaker Series

Experts, writers, and educators speak about a variety of topics related to Cleveland’s past, present, and future.

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Vintage Cleveland

This presentation offers a tour of the city in days of yore. Its 120 images, from the extensive Bruce Young Collection, cover such prominent Cleveland scenes as Public Square, the waterfront, Euclid Avenue, the Detroit-Superior Bridge subway, Euclid Avenue, East Ninth Street, the area amusement parks, and the historic food markets.

Vintage Cleveland II

Vintage Cleveland II makes another visit to historic Cleveland. Its 120 photos review an ever-changing downtown, the twists and turns of the Cuyahoga River, and the bridges which bind the city together. It explores the city’s former grand hotels and favorite restaurants, its vanished movie theaters, and the supermarkets of the past.

Cleveland's Short Vincent

While police raided Short Vincent’s seedy bars, celebrities like Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, and Judy Garland gravitated to the legendary Theatrical Grill for dinner or drinks. Perry Como and Dean Martin launched their careers there. Resident bookies, career gangsters, and wide-eyed tourists roamed the infamous street. This presentation highlights the history of this unique Cleveland hotspot.

East Fourth Street

Short in distance but long in memories, East Fourth Street’s story has mirrored downtown Cleveland’s dynamic rise, decline, and rebirth. Once the home to Cleveland’s opera house, central markets, and five and dime stores, Fourth Street fell into disrepair in the second half of the 20th Century. Relive the stories and follow its renaissance as one of the city’s most popular destinations.

The Stadiums of Cleveland

This program opens with a look at Cleveland’s League Park, home to the Cleveland baseball team until 1946. It then moves on to Municipal Stadium, from construction to demolition, and covers the events held there: baseball, football, concerts, civic pageants, and religious celebrations. The 116-image talk closes with a brief look at Progressive Field and Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Euclid Ave: Cleveland’s Sophisticated Lady

This talk, illustrated by 125 images, covers downtown Euclid Avenue during its days as the premier shopping venue in Cleveland. It covers the avenue’s department stores, the specialty shops, the theaters, and the restaurants. Covering roughly the years 1920-1970, it highlights the golden age of downtown shopping and entertainment.

Public Square: The Heart of Cleveland

From the city’s founding, Public Square has been the place where Clevelanders gather to mark important events in the life of the city. This program, illustrated with 116 views of the Square, shows the dramatic changes which have transformed the community square from an open pasture to a skyscraper-wrapped civic and commercial hub.

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