Film Screening & Director Q&A - The Leatherman with Jon Scott Bennett at Scarsdale Library
Tuesday November 18, 6-7:30 pm
Join local filmmaker and historian Jon Scott Bennett for a fascinating look into a true tale from Westchester history!
In the second half of the 19th century a strange, unkempt man dressed head to toe in leather began traveling the roads of New York and Connecticut, and the people of the region immediately took notice. Despite his rough appearance, the wanderer was quite gentle and communities often looked out for his visits. The traveler hardly spoke, only ever engaging in conversation in broken English (though he could speak fluent French) to ask for food, water, and tobacco. Local fascination grew as it was realized the circuit he followed repeated every 34 days. Yet his name, origins, and reasons for wandering were never fully explained. This created an air of mystery around the figure who has come to be known as “The Leatherman”.
We'll screen the documentary and host Mr. Bennett for questions and answers regarding the history of Westchester and The Leatherman as well as the filmmaking process. Don't miss this deep dive into a unique moment in local history.
About the presenter
Jon Scott Bennett is a documentary filmmaker and local historian. He has been fascinated with history his entire life; reading books, attending lectures, viewing films, and visiting preserved sites like Gettysburg, Saratoga, Antietam, and Forts Montgomery and Clinton since he was a young boy. The Leatherman was produced as part of his undergraduate studies in history. Other local history projects include documentaries on The Pound Ridge Massacre in 1644 and the Peekskill Riots in 1949.
