Valley Talks, a series of biweekly historical lectures, begins Sunday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the Museum of Work & Culture. This year, all Valley Talks will be presented in a hybrid format, meaning guests have the option of joining the speaker in person at the Museum or online through Zoom.
The series will begin with a talk on The Photo Angel Project presented by Kate Kelley a.k.a. The Photo Angel. It all began with a pile of labeled photos of non-relatives mixed in with Kate Kelley’s grandparents’ old family pictures. Were they friends? Classmates? War buddies? Neighbors? After poking around genealogy websites, Kelley was able to begin connecting with relatives of those in the photographs, and the Photo Angel project was born. Join Kelley (a.k.a The Photo Angel) as she shares stories from her quest to reunite labeled photos from antique stores with family members.
Admission to the Valley Talk is free, but registration is required. Guests can register online here.
The Photo Angel Project has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, Family Tree Magazine, The Boston Globe, WCVB’s Channel 5 Boston’s “Chronicle,” The Mayflower Society’s “Mayflower Quarterly,” The Daughters of the American Revolution’s “American Spirit” and several other news media outlets. Kelley is currently in her 22nd year of teaching as a highly qualified, professionally licensed (Pre-K-8), special education teacher and certified Wilson Reading instructor in the Plainville Public Schools.
Other Valley Talks will include:
January 26: Author and curator Madalyn Shaw will share from her upcoming book Fleeced: A History of Wool and War (co-authored with Trish FitzSimmons) and demonstrate how not all about wool is warm and fuzzy.
February 9: Genealogist Bonnie Wade Mucia will explore the 100 year history of the Bonin Spinning Company Mill in Woonsocket, detailing its rise, fall, and eventual demolition.
February 23: Learn about the lives of textile workers with a talk by photographer Steve Dunwell based on his exhibit, With These Hands, which will be open in the Museum’s rotating gallery from February 21st until April 26th, 2025.
March 9: Celebrate the beginning of Francophonie month with University of Rhode Island Professor Linda Welters as she presents quilts from the French-Canadian immigrants who came to Rhode Island to work in the textile mills.
March 23: Join Paul Bourget as he takes a closer look at “America’s Sistine Chapel,” St. Ann’s Church in Woonsocket, and explores its artistry, history, and community.
The Museum’s 2025 Valley Talks series is presented by the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation and the RI AFL-CIO.