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Jean Kilbourne, internationally recognized author, filmmaker, and pioneering critic of advertising, gave a compelling and thought-provoking talk about the importance of telling women's stories — and what happens when those stories are distorted, erased, or forgotten.

Best known for her groundbreaking Killing Us Softly film series, which has challenged the portrayal of women in advertising for more than five decades, Jean began by exploring how the media shape our perceptions of women, often reducing them to narrow stereotypes and unrealistic ideals of youth and beauty. But the problem is not only how women are portrayed; it is also how often they are missing altogether. For example, although women make up half the population, only 26% of the people seen, heard, or spoken about in the news are women.

The presentation then turned to a particularly timely concern: the erasure of women from American history. Jean described recent efforts to remove references to women's achievements from government websites and military records, including those of pioneering women who served their country. These examples illustrated how easily history can be rewritten when women's contributions are treated as expendable.

Jean also discussed the implications of efforts to restrict language relating to women and gender in federal scientific and medical research. These developments raise fundamental questions about who controls our history and whose experiences are considered worthy of recognition.

As President of the Board of the National Women's Hall of Fame, Jean is especially committed to preserving and celebrating women's accomplishments. She described the Hall's mission and pointed out that, despite its name, only about 10% of its inductees are actually famous. The overwhelming majority are women who have done groundbreaking work but whose contributions have often been overlooked or erased.

One striking example is Virginia Hall Goillot, an American spy who played a crucial role in the French Resistance during World War II. Although she was one of the most important Allied intelligence operatives of the war, Hall remains largely unknown to the American public.

A lively and enthusiastic Q&A followed, reflecting the audience's engagement with the issues Jean raised.

Author and avid fly fisherman Steve Woit, also our very own BHS member,  shared some stories from his new limited edition book "Mary Orvis Marbury: A Life in Flies" and the history of the Orvis Company, one of the leading outdoor sporting goods companies in the world, based in Manchester, Vermont. Steve walked us through the Orvis family history, and Mary Orvis Marbury (1856–1914), the daughter of Charles F. Orvis, who was a remarkable person and the founder of the Orvis fly tying operation. The ornate and intricate flies, which are an outstanding art form in and of themselves, were all handcrafted by a group of closely-knit women called the owl, because they got together at the end of the day, after having completed their daily family and societal duties. Steve showed gorgeous images from his book which includes over 200 color photographs of the original Orvis flies featured in Mary's landmark book "Favorite Flies" from 1892, as well as those from Charles Orvis's book "Fishing with the Fly" from 1883 and from the famous World's Columbian Exposition fly panels created by Mary and her tiers for the first World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. Steve also described some of the discoveries and revelations that resulted from the research and writing of the book.

This topic unearthed quite a few fly fishing enthusiasts who had been clandestinely hidden in our midst to date! Q&A unearthed the intricate construction of fishing rods and mechanisms; the material being used migrating from native VT Ash to imported Bamboo (more costly but lighter); to what extent the fishermen cared about the ornateness of their flies; the incredible expense of the fly fishing salmon permits up north due to near extinction;  the quest for hidden streams and banks to find solitude and mediation; the resourcefulness of many fish species; Patagonia being Steve's next dream frontier to fish; and how the fly fishing enthusiasts and anglers in general (together with hunters) are the leading voices and financial contributors to nature conservation, stopping toxic projects in New England, and building fish ladders from the Pacific deep into California's inland Nappa Valley!

The book is limited to 275 numbered editions, with all the copies appearing at the event sold out!

Steve is the author of "Fly Fishing Treasures", the leading book on collecting antique fly tackle, and is a member of the Anglers' Club of New York City and of the Flyfishers' Club in London.