Virtual Author Talk: Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson
Tuesday, August 04
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Explore the legacy of Julia Child's kitchen in this Smithsonian Institution collaboration.
Join us for a conversation that is 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 Child well, commentary on her favorite culinary tools and kitchen gadgets and a stunning array of photos.
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 the better part of 23 years, and museum goers have made it a top destination.
The kitchen contains more than 1000 parts and pieces (e.g., tools, appliances, utensils, furniture, artwork, knick‑knacks, books and bits of whimsy), all reflecting Child’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 Child fan. Register now to enter the discussion and learn more about how Child continues to influence food today!
About the Author
Johnson 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 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. She received the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar in the Humanities Award in 2020.
Johnson began her museum career at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Md., 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.
If you have any questions about this program, including accommodations, please contact Amy at csprograms@cc-pl.org. Please see all our program offerings in our online newsletter at cc-pl.org/connections.
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Virtual/Digital | Cooking | Author Talk |