Lawrence R. Samuel, a Long Island native and cultural historian, will explore regional history in a lecture on November 13 at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum – based on his book Making Long Island: A History of Growth & the American Dream (Arcadia Publishing, 2023). His talk will be in the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium Theater from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
Samuel’s book tells the fascinating story of the development of Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk counties between the 1920s and 1950s. Long Island served as a primary site of the pursuit of the American dream, as it offered affordable home ownership for the middle class that most compellingly expressed the nation’s core mythology.
“Beginning in the 1960s, however, that dream began to dissolve, as the postwar economic engine ran out of steam and as Long Island became as much urban as suburban,” Samuel said. “Despite all its current economic and social challenges, a new and improved American dream appears to be emerging on Long Island, and the place unarguably remains one of the beautiful places on the planet.”
Samuel holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota and was a Smithsonian Institution Fellow. His other books include The End of the Innocence: The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair (Syracuse University Press, 2007) and Queens: A History of the Most Diverse Place on Earth (State University of New York Press, 2025).
Support for the Vanderbilt lecture series, established in 2022, is generously provided by a grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
Us and Floyd will return to the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium on Saturday, November 15, for two dazzling live performances – in sync with two stunning Pink Floyd laser light shows: The Vision Bell at 7:00 pm, and Dark Side of the Moon at 9:00 pm.
Advance tickets online: adults $35, members $30; ages 15 and under $30. At the door: adults $40, members $30; ages 15 and under $30.
This tribute band strives to perform accurate recreations of the timeless music of Pink Floyd. These nine professional musicians grew up as avid Floyd fans and incorporate their knowledge of the band and its history into every live show. Their collective appreciation for Floyd is evident in the passion and precision of their performances.
Us and Floyd has been playing in New York area music venues and throughout the Northeast for many years. The band has performed at venues that include Mauch Chunk Opera House in Pennsylvania, The Space at Westbury, the Great South Bay Music Festival, New York State Fair, Citifield, and Foxwoods Casino.
Join us for the fifth annual Strings Under the Stars, featuring the world-class musicians of Long Island Chamber Music. This year, due to popular demand, there will be two live performances in the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium on Sunday, November 9, at 5:00 and 7:00 pm.
Relax and unwind as these talented musicians perform an immersive program of introspective classical music for string quartet paired with planetarium visuals of the cosmos projected onto a sixty-foot dome.
Each year features newly added music and visuals.LICM musicians are world-class professional artists drawn from Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Astral Artists, and several other of the country’s most prominent musical institutions.
Tickets are available now.
$30 for advanced ticket purchases and $35 at the door. Members are $25 for advance and at the door.
