Meghann Mahoney, Public Programs Administrator
Dr. Meghann Mahoney lives in Baltimore with her husband, Yannick, 2 ½ year old daughter, Isabelle, and her two cats, Albator and Demona. She has just celebrated her one year anniversary at Historic London Town & Gardens.
She earned her Masters and PhD in Archeology from the University of Leicester in England. She has a bachelors in Anthropology and Psychology with a minor in Classical Languages from the University of Iowa.
Talk about some of the jobs you’ve had that led you to working at Historic London Town & Gardens.
My first “grown-up” job was at the Museum of Natural History in Iowa City. My desk was directly under a huge taxidermy walrus head that I was always afraid would fall on me! I’ve also worked at the Maryland Science Center, helping develop their educational programming.
What drew you to work at London Town?
The job combined two of my favorite things: history research and public programs. There are so many compelling people and stories. Plus, there is so much you can touch and connect with. Also, the gardens make it a beautiful place to work.
Who is a historic figure here you find compelling?
Margaret Brown, the daughter of William Brown. The more I chased her story and what events she witnessed in her lifetime, the more engaged I became. She was a teenager when the Declaration of Independence was read. She married a patriot privateer of the American Revolution and then a very famous furniture maker. Her first husband imported books- did she get to read any of them? I saw her tombstone while visiting Annapolis; it’s the only gravesite of the Brown family that we know about. I can’t help but wonder what she was like as a person.
Can you talk about your upcoming presentation “Counting Bones and Making Bones Count” on Tuesday, February 28th at 10:30am?
I have always loved fossils and bones. As I young girl, I spent weeks digging up a tree root convinced it was a fossil, (it was not, but that didn’t deter me). Just like history records reveal stories about people like Margaret, bones tell their own stories. Some of them tell murder mysteries, some tell more personal stories. During my PhD research on Roman Britain, some bones I unearthed turned out to be from a small breed of dog and most likely a pet. I’m looking forward to sharing these stories at the lecture. People can sign up for it online at http://www.historiclondontown.org/events.
The Public Programs Department is in the middle of a major reinterpretation of the William Brown House, with new exhibit pieces. What have you learned?
I have developed a whole new set of opinions. For instance, I have learned that I have several thoughts on what the back of a pewter spoon needs to look like. Who would have thought? Getting things as period correct as possible is a fun challenge for our team.