Virtual Author Talk w/ Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson
Virtual
Tuesday, August 04
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Join us as we delve into the legacy of cooking icon Julia Child with Smithsonian curator and public historian Paula J. Johnson, author of Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space.
Join us for a conversation that’s sure to warm your heart (and make your stomach rumble), as we delve into the legacy of cooking icon Julia Child with Smithsonian curator and public historian Paula J. Johnson, author of Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space. The book includes interviews with chefs who knew Julia well, commentary on her favorite culinary tools and kitchen gadgets, and a stunning array of photos.
Julia Child's 20’ x 14’ kitchen was a serious workspace and recipe‑testing lab that exuded a sense of mid‑century homey comfort. It has been on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., for most of the past twenty-three years, and museum goers have made it a top destination.
The kitchen contains more than one thousand parts and pieces—tools, appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knick‑knacks, books, and bits of whimsy—all reflecting Julia’s status as an accomplished chef, gastronome, delightful cooking teacher, television trailblazer, women’s advocate, mentor, and generous, jovial friend.
Julia Child’s Kitchen (and this online conversation) is a must‑have for every serious home cook and Julia Child fan. Register now to enter the discussion and learn more about how Julia Child continues to influence food today!
About the Author:
Paula J. Johnson is a curator and public historian at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. She conducts research and collects objects relating to the history and culture of American food and serves as the Director of the Smithsonian’s Food History Project. Johnson was one of the curators who collected Julia Child’s home kitchen in 2001 and led the team that created FOOD: Transforming the American Table, a multi-layered exhibition that explores the major changes in food production, distribution, and consumption in the United States since the 1950s. She has shaped and contributed to many public programs on food history and leads the annual “Food History Weekend.” Johnson is the author of many articles and three books, including Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space (2024). She received the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar in the Humanities Award in 2020.
Johnson began her museum career at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, and has worked at the Smithsonian since 1991. She is a member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society and Les Dames d’ Escoffier. She serves on the editorial collective for Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Author Talk |
Bridgeport Public Library
The Bridgeport Public Library is located in Bridgeport, WV. The City of Bridgeport began providing financial support for the library in the mid-1970s. The library was then located on the top floor of the Benedum Civic Center on Main Street. In 1994 the citizens and businesses of Bridgeport raised over 1.3 million dollars to purchase and renovate the Allstate Insurance building on Johnson Avenue. It then became the Bridgeport Public Library. The library offers a variety of services and resources including books, eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music, magazines, online databases, and more!