Explore the Sour Side of Sugar at the Brooklyn Historical Society

There’s a not-so-sweet side to the story of sugar.

Explore the complicated saga of the sweet substance, including its historic role in the slave trade and its contemporary connection to health issues with a talk at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Social historian James Walvin, author of “Sugar: The World Corrupted, From Slavery to Obesity,” will be delving into the story on Tuesday, October 16.

Brooklyn is no stranger to the sugar industry. It was once home to vast sugar-refineries, with sugar kings Henry Osborne Havemeyer and John Arbuckle alone transforming swaths of the Williamsburg and Dumbo waterfronts with their industrial complexes.

Walvin’s discussion is presented in connection with the exhibition “Waterfront,” currently on view at BHS Dumbo. The multimedia exhibit explores the history and future of Brooklyn’s waterfront through the sights and sounds of its workers, families and activists.

The talk will take place at BHS at 128 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for BHS Members. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

Related Stories

• Dumbo’s Historic Arbuckle Sugar Refinery
• The Arbuckle Coffee Company’s Sugar and Coffee War
• The Washington Avenue Confection Built for a Sugar Baron

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