At the age of 27, Virginia Hall, the American spy featured in A Woman of No Importance, had her leg amputated after a hunting accident and had it replaced with a wooden prosthesis, which she nicknamed "Cuthbert." Later, during her career as a secret agent, she was known to the Germans as "The Limping Lady." Undeniably a significant part of gender and military history, Hall is also a part of a long heritage of people with disabilities, including the development of prosthetics. From ancient Egyptians to medieval knights to modern Paralympic athletes, humans have been innovating ways to manage disabilities for centuries. Through archaeological, literary, and medical evidence, both local and global, learn about the epic story of prosthetics!

This talk will be hybrid (in-person and virtual), stay tuned for the virtual link!

Join us for a film showing at the Fitchburg Art Museum, sponsored by the Fitchburg Public Library. We will be watching a feature film based on the life of Virginia Hall & other women working for the British Intelligence Service. Run time: 123 minutes. If you would like to know the title of the film, please call the library at 978-829-1780.

Join our collaborative book club for a special book discussion on this year’s Community Read title: A Woman of No Importance by Sophia Purnell. Brunch snacks and refreshments will be served during our book discussion, open to all. A registration link will be provided, TBD.

Drawing on archival research conducted at the Museum of Liberation in Rome, the Antonio Gramsci Foundation, and other historical sites across Italy, this presentation explores how WWII-era Italian anti-fascist movements employed rhetoric to mobilize resistance against fascism. Through strategies such as emotional appeals, delegitimization of the enemy, simplified moral dichotomies, and the reframing of national identity, anti-fascist communicators crafted messages that galvanized collective action. By analyzing these historical rhetorical approaches, this research offers insights into how contemporary social media platforms can be designed to resist authoritarian ideologies and foster democratic, inclusive communities.

A link to this virtual event will be posted when available.