Personal life of Maine opera icon Emma Eames opens town history series
Emma Eames, who grew up in Bath, pictured around 1895. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
Get a glimpse into the personal life of one of Maine’s most prolific opera singers from the turn of the century as a Bath library kicks off a new year in its local history lecture series.
The Town History Series, in its 22nd year, enters 2026 with a lecture on the personal relationships of Emma Eames, a prolific opera singer from Bath, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Community Room at Patten Free Library.
Speaker and naval historian Claude Berube will speak about Eames’ life and career, along with seldom-told details about her relationship with U.S. naval officer Philo McGiffin, according to Jack Martin, archivist and special collections librarian at Patten Free Library.
The lecture will focus on the personal relationships Eames had during her decades of celebrity status as “America’s first great soprano,” as well as what her life was like touring the globe as an opera singer.
After Eames, the next Town History Series topic is the shipwreck of the Stephen Whitney off the coast of Ireland and its connection to Georgetown’s William Riggs, presented by Darice Birge on Feb. 7. The Town History Series wraps up with Mark Lincicome speaking on West Bath’s history of settlements along the New Meadows River on Feb. 21.
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Tagged: local history, Times Record, Times Record News
Paul Bagnall got his start in Maine journalism writing for the Bangor Daily News covering multiple municipalities in Aroostook County. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's... More by Paul Bagnall
Source: Press Herald
Locations: Bangor, Bath
Region: Central