Since 1985 David Kruh has been presenting slide shows (now PowerPoint) on subjects of interest to historical societies, libraries, civic groups, and other organizations, including: the Boston Public Library, Carleton-Williard Village in Bedford, Concord Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Old South Meeting House in Boston, Society of Colonial Wars in Boston, and the Sweetster Lecture Series in Wakefield, among many others...
BRAND NEW FOR 2022! The amazing true story of the 1962 Alcatraz escape which inspired David's novel. Email David to book an in-person or Zoom presentation.
GREAT BOSTON FIRES
A look at the devastating fires and their
impact on Boston, from the many "great" fires of the 17th,
18th, and 19th centuries (including the truly Great Fire of
1872,) the Cocoanut Grove tragedy of 1942 (which killed
492,) and the Hotel Vendome fire of 1972 (which resulted in
the deaths of eight fire fighters.) How did these
fires happen? What was learned from these events?
What, if anything, was done to try and prevent similar
catastrophes? David's newest slide show, filled with
images from these events, answers these and other questions.
SCOLLAY SQUARE
Based on David's two books on Scollay Square (Always
Something Doing and Scollay Square) this
rollicking slide show takes the audience to the part of
Boston where everyone went - but few admitted it! From John
Winthrop, (who settled here in 1630) to Sally Keith (who
entertained here in the 1940s and 1950s) to Government
Center today, this show will surprise you with tales of
Revolutionary War heroism, scientific breakthroughs, and
Civil War courage - all in the same place where a hot dog
stand and a burlesque theater made truants of all New
England. (Jack Thomas of the Boston Globe wrote that
David has a "...a fascinating slide show...full of splendid
anecdotes...")
BUILDING ROUTE 128
Based on David's 2003 book, Building
Route 128 (co-written with author and speaker Yanni
Tsipis) this program presents the complete story of Route
128, from its beginning in the 1920s as an ad hoc collection
of two-lane roads that formed a rough arc 15 miles from
Boston through the construction of the divided highway in
the 1950s, and then how one man’s vision became the catalyst
for the fantastic growth around the highway. Building
Route 128 will appeal not only to those with an interest in
Route 128 itself but also to those curious about the history
of Boston’s suburbs and the fundamental changes Route 128
brought to the region over the past four decades.
NO MORE CURSE!
It finally happened, the Red Sox won the World
Series. Not once, but three times in ten years!
Now go back 100 years to the roots of Boston baseball, when
the team (just like today) captured the heart and soul of
its citizens and was also (like today) inexorably
intertwined with politics and politicians. See and
hear the real story behind Harry Frazee, his purchase of the
Red Sox, and later of a young Babe Ruth. Fans will
derive extra pleasure (or agony) out of reliving the saga of
the Boston Red Sox and their ultimately successful struggle
for a World Series championship, but even those who don't
know the difference between a home run and pop fly will
enjoy the story.
WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE?
The doubts have been around for over 300
years. How could William Shakespeare - a man who never
sailed - have written with such accuracy about sailing in
The Tempest? Or how - without studying law - written with
such insight about lawyers, courts and legal issues in plays
such as Henry IV? Or how - without ever serving in the
military - written so splendidly of the rigors and technical
aspects of war as he did in Hamlet? That he couldn't and
didn't is a fascinating concept that has amused many,
tantalized others, and consumed the lives of a few,
including a Boston man who, in 1916, went to court to prove
that someone other than Shakespeare wrote all those great
works. Before you laugh… he won the case. Hear the
story of one man's search for the "real" author of the works
attributed to William Shakespeare and how - in a stunning
piece of historical irony - that search played a role in the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor!
THE PONZI SCHEME
Everyone knows the name Bernie Madoff, but not
many know of Charles Ponzi - the man who engineered perhaps
the greatest pyramid scheme of them all, one that was so
great that from that time forward it bore his name. And he
did it here in Boston, right under the noses of suspicious
Yankees and normally inquisitive newspapermen. Relive the
days of Boston's most outrageous rogue in this slide show
lecture.
PRESIDENTIAL LANDMARKS
IN NEW ENGLAND
Based on David's book, which was co-written
with his father Louis.
Do you know where in New England...?
• The oath of office was taken by a President
of the United States?
• A plaque commemorates a Presidential visit
to a bar?
• You can see a coconut that saved a
President's life?
• A former President, accused of being a
traitor, was almost lynched?
In this slide show, audiences will take a
50-minute trip through 200 years of the U.S. Presidency,
focusing on the native New Englanders who called the White
House home. Together, we will visit most of the sites in New
England dedicated to the United States Presidents, including
birthplaces, homes, libraries, and yes, even bars. Its a
great combination history and travelogue will be of interest
to both the historically minded and tourist alike.
BOSTON'S WEST END
Whether you are a former resident looking to
relive a memory of a forgotten street corner or a student
who wants to know how 17,000 people could be thrown out of
the homes they loved, this is a fascinating 45-minute slide
show. (Look closely at this picture and you'll see
former West End resident Leonard "Spock" Nimoy!)
Construction on the Big Dig may be over, but the controversy
isn't. In this illustrated slide show talk David, a former
Big Dig spokesperson, will show how Boston has changed over
the past 400 years, from the reduction of Beacon Hill,
through the filling in of the Back Bay, ending with the
country's most expensive construction job - the Big
Dig. You'll go deep inside the project's tunnels and
soar high above the towers of Boston's stunning new bridge
over the Charles River. You'll also learn about the amazing
technological advances that were used to build this
monstrous project in a working city, and how the price
climbed to a reported $22 billion!!! Whether you're
interested in Boston history, a fan of technology, or just
an angry taxpayer who wants to see the actual hole into
which the government dumped your money, this is a must-see
show.