The Rise and Fall of the Sugar King: Author Talk with Geoffrey Cobb

Join us for an evening with historian Geoffrey Cobb and get the scoop on the sugar empire that helped build Williamsburg as we know it. 

The history of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the rise of the American sugar industry are inextricably linked. The Havemeyer family built the world's largest sugar refinery, American Sugar Refining Co., whose flagship brand is the still-highly-recognizable Domino Sugar.  It also constructed an empire that made Henry Havemeyer one of the richest and most powerful men in America. Cobb's book chronicles Henry Havemeyer's ascent and reign as the "Sugar King" of the United States. It is a tale of greed, crime, wealth, power and corruption, but it is also the story of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The Rise and Fall of the Sugar King, based on extensive historical research, recounts the lives of a half dozen Williamsburg residents between 1844 and 1909.

About the Author: 

Geoffrey Cobb is a Brooklyn high school history teacher with more than two decades of experience. He is also the author of two other histories of Brooklyn, Greenpoint Brooklyn's Forgotten Past and The King of Greenpoint. Mr. Cobb also writes for the Irish Echo, Irish America Magazine, and the blog Greenpointers.com. His research has been featured in the New York Times. 

Part of Food Fit for Kings County: The Culinary History of Brooklyn. Exhibition on view in the Brooklyn Collection September 17, 2019 - January 3, 2020.

Reception starting at 6:30pm. Discussion will begin promptly at 7pm.