Throughout the years, I have showcased history to the public as a historian, archaeologist, museum content creator, and television presenter. My passion for this field drives my enthusiasm, helping me connect deeply with the subject and the audience. Alongside offering a diverse array of lectures aimed at the general public, I am eager to partner with your organization to create a customized presentation that your staff can deliver to both your members and visitors.

These informal lectures are a good way to attract people to your space without requiring a long-term commitment. They also provide a unique experience for the public and museum members.

Current List of Lecture Subjects

Each educational lecture or talk is available in a 60-minute or 90-minute format, based on the requirements of the host.

  • The Victorian Apothecary: Deadly Home Remedies
  • Madness, Melancholy and the Wandering Womb: Woman & The Asylum
  • Death Rituals of Bygone Eras
  • All Hallows Eve & The Supernatural Cult of Love
  • Corsets: Beautifully Deadly
  • Widows Weeds: A Woman’s Life After a Husband’s Death
  • Victorian Back Alley Sexcapades
  • Dark Secrets: Freemasons, Egyptomania, and the Occult
  • The Ripper Chronicles: From Whitechapel to Cheapside
  • Western Esotericism
  • Apothecary in North America
  • Folkways: Medicinal Plants and Maladies
  • Unraveling Local History Through Genealogy
  • Hair, Wigs, and Makeup: A Lady’s Guide to Beauty Through the Ages
  • What’s Cooking In the Kitchen?
  • Love Potion #9: Creating Perfumes from a Bygone Era
  • The Art of Romantic Letter Writing
  • Learning to Pen a Penny Dreadful

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Monument Restoration & Conservation Workshops

There is science to stone restoration. Learning to evaluate the effects of weather, pollution, mould, mildew, and other natural and non-natural factors that can damage gravestones takes years. Environmental damage can be irreversible. The purpose of this workshop is to teach the basics of cleaning and restoring. The aim is not to make the headstones look brand new, but to learn how to remove dirt, stains, and biological growth from them at a volunteer conservator level.

Monuments, despite their sturdiness, are still vulnerable to the elements, constantly engaging with the environment by absorbing moisture from the ground, and subsequently releasing it back into the atmosphere through evaporation. Drawn onto and in some cases, into the stone, the water carries dissolved salts and minerals present in the surrounding soil. Attendees will learn how to determine these sources along with others such as biological mosses, moulds, and mildew. This knowledge will help in selecting the right cleaning techniques and tools.

This workshop also discusses the importance of cleaning and how it should be done prior to other treatments or resetting.

Attendees will learn how to work with an aqueous antibacterial solution that aids in the removal of algae, fungi, and other organisms. The proper application and procedures and tools used. The workshop lasts about 2 hours and is best conducted during seasons where wet cleaning can be performed without the temperature going above 30C or when there is no risk of freezing within 48 hours.

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Cemetery Mapping & Cataloguing Workshops

Creating a cemetery map is helpful for historical and genealogical records. It allows for cataloguing grave sites, including names, dates, symbols, and other important information. Additionally, it enables the documentation of historical technical explanations and photographic evidence.

This workshop is designed for those at a volunteer conservator level. Participants will have the opportunity to discover and explore the techniques employed in the comprehensive mapping of a cemetery. A current site map will be selected and tailored specifically for the workshop to provide a base to work from. Additionally, the techniques employed can be used to create maps that may be filed with both the cemetery, the town/city, and local historical organizations.

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Historical Consultancy

With our extensive knowledge and passion, we excel as historical consultants in a wide range of fields. Our expertise spans across museums, historical sites, theatre, television, film, as well as both fiction and non-fiction publications.

We offer the following services:

  • Historical research, source material & resources
  • Develop historical & folklore storylines for TV, film and theatre.
  • Historical character research & development
  • Period clothing, interiors, & props
  • Script read-through and evaluation of historical accuracy
  • Deportment & dialogue

I look forward to working with your facility or organization to bring history to life!

The Mummy Unwrapping was an unforgettable experience like no other. [Ms. Groves] truly becomes the character of Dr. Mooney and takes you back in time. The evening is unique, cultural, educational, immersive, and interactive, including a touch of humour and creepiness.
Tami Nail
Assistant Curator, Welland Museum