History Events: Overview

Many Nuevomexicanos do not speak Spanish today. How and why was the ability to speak Spanish lost, and how does this effect future generations?  Judy Alderete Garcia, an Albuquerque writer with deep roots in New Mexico, has edited and published many books to preserve and educate about the Nuevomexicano experience.  Judy has an MA in Hispanic Southwest Studies from the University of New Mexico and degrees in Spanish, Women's Studies and Chicano Studies.

An American actor (Bob Hope), impersonating an English butler, is hired by a rich woman from New Mexico to refine her husband and headstrong daughter (Lucille Ball). The complications increase when the town believes the actor/butler to be an earl and President Roosevelt decides to pay a visit. Filmed in part in Lamy & Santa Fe. Fancy Pants has a runtime of 1 hour 32 minutes and is rated approved.

Please be advised that attendance at all movies is at the viewer’s discretion, and some material may be unsuitable for some individuals. Individual responsibility is recommended for attendance. For full description on rating advice please refer to the Motion Pictures Association of America. Views expressed in the film are not those of the City of Albuquerque nor the Public Library Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

When presenter Ronald R. Paneboeuf enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1967, he had to make the statement “I am not now nor have ever been a member of the Communist Party.”  The Cold War – which had led to the Berlin Wall,  nuclear weapons in Cuba, red scares, atomic escalation, Military Intelligence “listening posts” worldwide, wars in Asia - was still raging.  Ron will talk about the history of the Spy House, its place in Cold War history, and whether or not the Cold War actually ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Ron is a native of Albuquerque, a graduate of Manzano High School and the University of New Mexico, a former teacher with Albuquerque Public Schools with further experience in public affairs and marketing, a former U.S. Army Intelligence specialist, and an educational docent for the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park Foundation.

This workshop is designed for participants 14 years of age or older. who have never used a wooden letterpress. Participants will select an image or graphic design element to accompany their text; lay out text, images, and design elements on the bed of a letterpress; and print multiple copies of their single sheet.  Afterwards, participants will clean and resort the type and design elements they have used.  Each participant will take home two copies of their printed sheet. Bring a text of not more than 150 characters (spaces included) to set and print. Experienced shop assistants will guide you through the process. Registration is required. Limited to 4 participants. 

This program is funded by the Friends of the Public Library.

If you have ever found yourself unsatisfied with the lack of perspectives taught in history classes, or are simply curious about the peoples and topics that are left out, this is the program for you! Each month there will be a presentation on a different niche history topic, followed by a discussion. Add your own thoughts, ask questions, make new connections, and broaden your horizons!

Do you live in Albuquerque? Have you ever wondered who lived in your house or building before you?  Do you think maybe your house has historical significance? Register for a one-on-one session with a library staff member who will walk you through the process.  We will show you the resources and tools and help you started researching!

David Montoya, a longtime resident of Los Ranchos, is a farmer, community activist, and business owner who loves agriculture.   He was the youngest person interviewed for the most comprehensive history of Los Ranchos in Shining River, Precious Land: An Oral History of Albuquerque’s North Valley.  David inherited his grandfather's love and respect for the land.  He will share stories about early Los Ranchos history including floods, agriculture, acequias and adventures with his grandfather who helped raise him.  He recalls visiting nearby pueblos when he was young and remembered his grandfather spoke Tewa and told him he was proud his family had "Indian blood.”  David recalls “When my grandfather came and saw the land, he fell down on his knees, and he was lifting up the dirt.  He loved it…the land was so good - he raised so much he was able to feed all his family."    

A radio advertising executive (Clark Gable) just returned from World War II sours on the phoniness of Madison Avenue, but he takes over a soap account nonetheless, which leads him to a romance and more professional frustration. According to M-G-M studio publicity material, the train station sequence was filmed at the Santa Fe station in Albuquerque, NM. The Hucksters has a runtime of 1 hour 55 minutes and is rated approved.

Please be advised that attendance at all movies is at the viewer’s discretion, and some material may be unsuitable for some individuals. Individual responsibility is recommended for attendance. For full description on rating advice please refer to the Motion Pictures Association of America. Views expressed in the film are not those of the City of Albuquerque nor the Public Library Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

This workshop is designed for participants 14 years of age or older who have never used a wooden letterpress. Participants will select an image or graphic design element to accompany their text; lay out text, images, and design elements on the bed of a letterpress; and print multiple copies of their single sheet.  Afterwards, participants will clean and resort the type and design elements they have used.  Each participant will take home two copies of their printed sheet. Bring a text of not more than 150 characters (spaces included) to set and print. Experienced shop assistants will guide you through the process.  Registration is required. Limited to 4 participants. 

This program is funded by the Friends of the Public Library.

Do you live in Albuquerque? Have you ever wondered who lived in your house or building before you?  Do you think maybe your house has historical significance? Register for a one-on-one session with a library staff member who will walk you through the process.  We will show you the resources and tools and help you started researching!

If you have ever found yourself unsatisfied with the lack of perspectives taught in history classes, or are simply curious about the peoples and topics that are left out, this is the program for you! Each month there will be a presentation on a different niche history topic, followed by a discussion. Add your own thoughts, ask questions, make new connections, and broaden your horizons!

Take a tour of Albuquerque's oldest public library. The Special Collections Library houses research collections on Albuquerque history and New Mexico history and culture. The 1925 Pueblo/Spanish Revival-style building is a registered Albuquerque Historic Landmark in the historic Huning Highlands Historic District, on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. Our bimonthly tours are on the 4th Saturday of every other month at 11:00 a.m.. You are also welcome to call us at 505-848-1376 or to email us to schedule a tour if the regularly scheduled tour is not convenient.

Join us for a special observance of National Ernie Pyle Day.

The ABQwerty Type Writer Society will be joining us to give a demonstration of the magic of mechanical writing from the predigital era.  Try out typewriters from the 1920s to the 1970s, including examples of the typewriters Ernie Pyle used throughout his journalism career.  Typewriter experts will be on hand to get you started.

There will also be displays of Ernie Pyle memorabilia and cake to celebrate the beloved Pulitzer Prize winning author’s birthday.

After accidentally happening upon some loot money, a New Mexico drifter starts a ranching business with a partner but runs into a ruthless land-grabbing clan of neighboring cattlemen. Filmed in Albuquerque. Short Grass has a runtime of 1 hour 22  minutes and is rated approved.

Please be advised that attendance at all movies is at the viewer’s discretion, and some material may be unsuitable for some individuals. Individual responsibility is recommended for attendance. For full description on rating advice please refer to the Motion Pictures Association of America. Views expressed in the film are not those of the City of Albuquerque nor the Public Library Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

Join us on "the world's most distinctive motor cruise service".  We will discover the origins of a new kind of tourism, one that revolutionized the industry and altered the economic and cultural trajectory of the Southwest. This talk will delve into the beginning of the Fred Harvey Company's Indian Detours, including Erna Fergusson and her Koshare Tours. Meet the drivers and couriers, and enjoy the first public showing of recently discovered archival motion picture filmed during 1926, the Detours' inaugural year.

Kathleen Dull is a librarian and archivist at the New Mexico History Museum and serves on the New Mexico Historical Society Board.

Do you live in Albuquerque? Have you ever wondered who lived in your house or building before you?  Do you think maybe your house has historical significance? Register for a one-on-one session with a library staff member who will walk you through the process.  We will show you the resources and tools and help you started researching!

If you have ever found yourself unsatisfied with the lack of perspectives taught in history classes, or are simply curious about the peoples and topics that are left out, this is the program for you! Each month there will be a presentation on a different niche history topic, followed by a discussion. Add your own thoughts, ask questions, make new connections, and broaden your horizons!

A drifter (James Cagney), appointed sheriff, finds his embittered deputy causing him more trouble than outlaws. Nicholas Ray directed. Filmed in part in Aztec, NM. Run for Cover has a runtime of 1 hour 33 minutes and is rated approved.

Please be advised that attendance at all movies is at the viewer’s discretion, and some material may be unsuitable for some individuals. Individual responsibility is recommended for attendance. For full description on rating advice please refer to the Motion Pictures Association of America. Views expressed in the film are not those of the City of Albuquerque nor the Public Library Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.