Friends of the Irondale Public Library host speaker Jim Baggett

The Friends of Irondale Library welcome Jim Baggett to speak at their meeting in January.

Jim Baggett will present: A Woman of the Town: Louise Wooster, Birmingham’s Magdalene

One of the enduring legends of 19th-century Birmingham is the tragic madam, Louise Wooster. She became wealthy operating a brothel, claimed to have John Wilkes Booth as a lover and refused to abandon Birmingham during a cholera epidemic. Become familiar with the life of this fascinating woman, and explore why generations of people in Birmingham have embraced her in ways that she never could have imagined.

Jim Baggett is Head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and Archivist for the City of Birmingham. He has served as president of the Society of Alabama Archivists, Chair of the Jefferson County Historical Commission, and a trustee for several historical associations. Jim has lectured throughout the U.S. and in Europe and has been featured on Alabama Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, National Public Radio, and C-SPAN. He has authored two books on Alabama history, edited three others, and has written more than fifty articles. Jim lives with his wife and daughter in Birmingham and Mentone, Alabama.