State Street Marshall Fields

Harper College: Chicago’s Golden Age of Department Stores

For decades, Chicago was home to some of the nation’s grandest department stores. Clustered mostly along a mile-long stretch of State Street, generations of Chicagoans trekked to stores like Marshall Field’s, Carson, Pirie, Scott, Sears, Wieboldt’s and Goldblatt’s, which set new standards for retail innovation, customer service, and visual display.

This nostalgic lecture uses photographs and memorabilia to revisit Chicago’s fabulous retail emporiums and explore their rise and fall. Instructor Leslie Goddard earned her Ph.D. in US History and Women’s Studies from Northwestern University. She is a former museum director and the author of the book Remembering Marshall Field’s.

Kate and Prince William Wedding

Harper: Royal Weddings with Leslie Goddard

Few events thrill us like royal weddings — both as public ceremonies and as personal milestones. These occasions feel like living fairytales. In this illustrated lecture, historian Leslie Goddard explores the history of ten royal marriages, including those of Queen Vic-toria, Queen Elizabeth II, and Princes Charles, William, and Harry. You’ll get beyond their glamour to develop an understanding of how these occasions strengthen notions of national identity. You will also consider how royal couples negotiated the balance between a significant personal occasion and powerful national pressures from Victoria and Albert to Harry and Megan.