Lectures by Joe Laufer
For an updated version of this page on our new server, click below:
NEW COUNTY HISTORIAN WEBSITE
In June, 2003, Joe Laufer was appointed official "Burlington County Historian", by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Even independent of this assignment, Joe has been in demand as a public speaker on a variety of topics and is listed in "Who's Who in Professional Speaking." Over the past thirty years he has delivered hundreds of lectures to local, regional and even national groups. He has been a member of the National Speakers Association, the Liberty Bell Speakers Association and the International Platform Association. Most of his lectures deal with historical subjects. Mr. Laufer is also President of the H.B. Smith Industrial Village Conservancy and Vice-President of the Historic Rancocas Valley Tourism Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the Burlington County Historical Association and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Burlington County Department of Culture and Heritage. For a schedule of Joe's scheduled lectures over the next several months, click below.
Program Chairpersons who need background information to introduce Joe when he appears before their group will find a suggested introduction by clicking below.
Listed below are Joe's most popular lecture topics. Wherever an appropriate link exists that provides additional information on one of the topics, it has been included in the description. In some cases, the names have been highlighted so that you only have to click onto the name for the link; in other cases, it is simply listed as a "Related Link".
LOCAL HISTORY
BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY: CROSSROADS OF AMERICAN HISTORY
An illustrated lecture which focuses on the role played by Burlington County at different times in the evolving history of the Republic. Mr. Laufer makes a case for the fact that the seeds of American Liberty which grew into the American Constitution were first sewn in Burlington County through William Penn's "Concessions and Agreements" and other actions taken by early Quaker Settlers. Also, the seeds for the liberation of slaves were planted in Burlington County long before the Civil War by patriots like John Woolman of Mount Holly. As a natural crossroads between Philadelphia and New York, by water, by rail and by highway, many pivotal events of the Revolutionary war took place in Burlington County. In the history of farming and industry, Burlington County also played a major role, with its model industrial towns, such as Smithville and Roebling, and its cranberry and blueberry industry, housed at Whitesbog and surrounding areas. This stimulating lecture will provide new insights into the roots of American Liberty planted so firmly in the soil of Burlington County, New Jersey.
BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY: TERCENTENARY - 1694-1994
An illustrated lecture designed to trace the 300-year history of Burlington County, which Mr. Laufer calls the true "Cradle of U.S. Liberty." Special attention is given to the role of William Penn in the establishment of West Jersey, the Quaker influence on the development of the area, and the unique county historic sites open to the public. This lecture broadens the scope of the "Crossroads of Liberty" lecture, to include other historic elements in the county.
Related Link: History of Burlington County
NOTABLE WOMEN IN THE HISTORY OF BURLINGTON COUNTY
Patience Lovell Wright (1725-1786)
In addition to the six women included in the lecture, I have prepared a list of 9 other Burlington County women who merit special mention for their significant contributions to society. Click here for 9 other "Notable Women" of Burlington County.
Click Here for Lecture Summary
QUAKER MEETING HOUSES OF BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
An illustrated lecture based on a self-guided auto tour created by the author. The lecture covers the 20 past or present Quaker or "Friends" Meeting Houses in Burlington County. Through Mr. Laufer's personal collection of pictures of these best-preserved colonial buildings in the county, you are given an insight into the period and the Quaker influence on the development of Burlington County.
Related Link: Quaker Meeting Houses
HISTORIC BURLINGTON COUNTY SCHOOLS
This is a bicentennial reproduction of a typical Burlington County one-room school house from the early 1800's modeled on the Moorestown Friends School. Painted by Greg McHenry for the cover of the 1976 Burlington County College Catalogue
An illustrated lecture about 14 historic schools in Burlington County, most of them restored one-room school houses.
THE HISTORIC COMPANY TOWNS OF BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
An illustrated lecture which describes the 6 unique company towns of Burlington County:
-
Batsto and Atsion
, which were created around the Bog Iron industry which flourished for approximately 100 years between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
- Florence, which was created by an investment company based in New York and which flourished around the Wood Iron Works on the Delaware at Florence.
-
Smithville
in Eastampton Township which was created first as a company town for the Shreve Cotton Works and was succeeded by the H.B. Smith Woodworking Machine Company after the Civil War.
-
Whitesbog
, a community in present-day Pemberton Township which grew up around the Cranberry and Blueberry industry of the J.J. White Company.
- Roebling, a town created in 1905 by Charles Roebling in order to house workers for the new John Roebling Iron Foundry, established to support the production of wire rope for bridges and other industrial uses as support for Roebling's Trenton factories which were inadequate to keep up with the demand at the time.
In this, the newest of his lectures, Mr. Laufer will compare Burlington County's company towns with those in other parts of the country generally founded in conjuction with mining, railroading and other similar industries. He will also point out the similarities in planning, services, and overall philosophy for the several Burlington County towns, as well as their differences.
H.B. SMITH, THE SMITHVILLE EXPERIMENT AND THE STAR BICYCLE
An illustrated lecture which higlights the contributions of H.B. Smith to the history of Burlington County, with particular emphasis on the H.B. Smith Industrial Village he created beginning in 1865 and expanded through the 1880s.
Click here for Smithville Chronology
Descendants of H.B. Smith occupied the Smithville Mansion until 1962. It is now owned and operated by Burlington County as an historic site, museum and exhibit center.
Joe Laufer in front garden of Smithville Mansion
In addition to the mansion, the county has restored several other buildings on the grounds and has designated the surrounding property as a County Park facility. Mr. Laufer is President of the H.B. Smith Industrial Village Conservancy.
Related Links:
The Iron Grave - Part I
The Iron Grave - Part II
Star Bicycle Photo 1
Star Bicycle Photo 2
Smithville Brochure
About Smithville
H.B. Smith Congressional Biography
HISTORICAL TOPICS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCOPE
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE QUINCENTENARY (1492-1992).
Mr. Laufer spent the period from 1990 through 1992 traveling the world researching the contributions of Christopher Columbus and the controversy surrounding his expeditions and then sharing this information with audiences of all ages. He has impersonated the discoverer in costume, and has tackled a variety of subjects dealing with him, including his nationality, where he landed, his treatment of the Native Americans, his Catholicism, the details of his four voyages, and his legacy.
Related Link: Christopher Columbus
THE LONGEST DAY: D-DAY, THE SIXTH OF JUNE, 1944
Joe Laufer was only nine year's old when the Allies landed at Normandy. However, in 1984 and again in 1994, Joe visited the Normandy landing beaches in France during the 40th and 50th anniversary years of the historic event. Using a unique comparison of the coast of Normandy with the Atlantic coast of New Jersey, and his own slide collection, Joe provides the audience with clear insights into the strategies, timing and heroism of the undertaking.
Related Links: D-Day Museum . . . and . . . Normandy-60th Anniversary 2004
Normandy Tourism
HALLEY'S COMET: THE THIRTIETH RECORDED RETURN
Halley's Comet returns to the vicinity of Earth every 75 years. When it returned on its 30th recorded visit (Winter,1985-Spring, 1986), Joe Laufer put together a chronology of its visits throughout history and the reaction of earthlings to each return. Not a lecture on Astronomy (but it does include astronomical data), it delves more into the historical and human dimensions of the phenomenon.
Related Link: Halley's Comet
ARTIST FOR A DEMOCRACY: EMANUEL LEUTZE - 1816-1868
Emanuel Leutze is best known for his painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware. But Joe Laufer discovered him through his interest in Christopher Columbus. Leutze created eight masterpieces dealing with Columbus. Another of his famous works appears as a mural in our nation's Capital in Washington, D.C.: "Westward Ho!" Laufer uses a 10' x 12' mural of Leutze's The Departure of Columbus From Palos in 1492" and other illustrative material in this fascinating lecture which blends art and history.
Related Link: Emanuel Leutze
TIPS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER
After September 11, 2001, the travel industry was hit very hard. Many people cancelled their travel plans, basically because of the fear of flying and the uncertaintiy of conditions overseas. Joe has travelled extensively during the past 15 years, and has put together a lecture which crystalizes all of the experience he has gained during his trips with groups to almost 50 countries worldwide. Topics include: Calming the Fear after 9/11; Top Ten Travel Secrets; The Ten Commandments of Travel; The sequel: Ten More Travel Secrets; Packing Light and Right; The three rewards of travel: Anticipation, Realization and Remembrance.
Related Link: Joe's International Travel Page
THE HOLY SHROUD OF TURIN: AFTER THE TESTING
In 1988, Carbon-14 dating showed that the cloth on which the scorched image of a crucified man appears was made between 1260 and 1390 A.D. Many thought that this would put an end to the speculation that the shroud was the burial cloth of Christ and that the image on the cloth was indeed the image of Christ Himself. However, despite the dating, the mystery remains -- how did the image get on the cloth? Is there still a spiritual message associated with the Shroud of Turin? Can anyone still believe it is authentic? Joe Laufer has studied the shroud and its mysteries for over 45 years and has visited Turin Italy, where the shroud is kept rolled up in a narrow silver casket behind the main altar of a major church there.
Related Link: Shroud of Turin Website
TRAVEL AND TOURISM
Joe Laufer has travelled extensively over the past 15 years. He can provide travelogues on a number of international venues, since he has visited 48 countries world-wide to date. He has concentrated, however on one particular area, because of his personal interest in its history:
PUERTO RICO: THE CARIBBEAN'S BEST KEPT SECRET
Joe has been to Puerto Rico several times on educational research projects and has prepared a visually stimulating lecture which focuses on the history, culture and people of Puerto Rico. In 1990 he was an exchange professor at The Catholic University of Ponce. As the author of a college course on Puerto Rican Heritage, he has much to share with his audience on the subject.
Related Links: Welcome to Puerto Rico . . . Escape to Puerto Rico . . . Puerto Rico Magazine
Return to Home Page
Joe Laufer's Speaking Schedule: 2005