Jack Bauman will present an informal talk at the Boothbay Region Historical Society’s popular speakers series at noon on Friday, July 13.

The event, part of the society’s brown-bag lunch and discussion series, will take place at the society’s museum at 72 Oak St. in Boothbay Harbor.

Bauman will talk about his newly published book on the history of Portland, Maine’s largest and arguably most important city. Entitled “Gateway to Vacationland: The Making of Portland, Maine,” the book explores the city’s history from its founding in 1632 to the present, highlighting its evolving role in the state.

At the society’s brown-bag lunch gatherings, guest speakers and audiences share a common space while eating their lunches. Guest speakers open the event with a few remarks before inviting questions and comments from the audience. Lively discussions are the order of the day.

Bauman, currently a visiting research professor at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service, is a professor emeritus at California University of Pennsylvania and has also taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Bowdoin College. Past president of both the Pennsylvania History Association and the Society for American City and Regional Planning History, Bauman is the author of numerous books and articles on cities and on the history of urban housing and urban planning.

Seat reservations are strongly recommended. Please call the museum at 633-0820 or email brhs@gwi.net to reserve seats.