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Explore It’s a Wonderful Life not just as a beloved holiday film, but as a powerful work of public history. Using Frank Capra’s story of George Bailey, it examines how movies shape popular understanding of the past—often unintentionally. From the 1918 flu pandemic and the Great Depression to World War II, immigration, gender roles, race, and capitalism, the film offers a revealing snapshot of mid-20th-century American values and anxieties. By reading the movie historically, Wilson invites audiences to consider how storytelling, memory, and myth influence what we think we know about history—and why those lessons still matter today.Presented by Christopher Wilson, Curator and Chair, Division of Home and Community Life, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Join us in-person or online!
If you plan to attend in person at the Museums, tickets are available on the day of the lecture in the Welcome Center.
Members: FREE
Springfield residents: $4
Nonmembers: $4
To attend via ZOOM, please register in advance.
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Event Venue
21 Edwards St, Springfield, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01103
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