<

Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History with Ryan Lintelman

  • November 4, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

  • Aldrich House

    110 Benevolent Street
    Providence, Rhode Island 02906
This event is not available
Description

Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Wednesday, November 4th, at 6pm for a presentation on the new book Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History by Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

The National Comedy Center and Smithsonian Institution hold unparalleled collections of artifacts that illustrate the vitality and importance of comedy in American life, from vaudeville, silent films, and TV sitcoms to stand-up, sketch, and cartoons. In the new book, Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History, these collections are brought together in vibrant photographs and illuminating essays that tell the story of how comedy shaped American history. Hear from Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, as he reveals the stories of rarely exhibited artifacts and recounts the lives of famous, infamous, and unknown comics and their influence on American culture.

Ryan Lintelman is a public historian and historian of American entertainment with a special interest in the history of film, television, and comedy. In his scholarship, Lintelman explores how people living in the United States have interacted with popular entertainment, and how popular culture shapes and reflects historical debates and developments. By probing the production, exhibition, reception, and cultural conversations about entertainment performance and products, Lintelman strives to engage a broad public in discussing Americans’ understandings of themselves and their place in the world throughout the nation’s history.

Date & Time

Wed, Nov 4, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Venue Details

Aldrich House

110 Benevolent Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02906 Aldrich House
Rhode Island Historical Society

The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state's oldest and only statewide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting and sharing Rhode Island's past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st  -century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center and the Aldrich House.


Find more Rhode Island Historical Society Events