The Beehive: the official blog of the Massachusetts Historical Society

"[Otters] Are Your Principall Object": Fur Trade in the Dorr Family Papers, Part I

Series: From Our Collections
By Andrea Cronin, Reader Services
"...perhaps you will find that you are to far up the Country for otters," Boston merchant Ebenezer Dorr advises his son Ebenezer Dorr, Jr. who served as the supercargo onboard the schooner Amelia in a 10 December 1787 letter contained in the Dorr Family Papers. The elder [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 25 September, 2013, 1:00 AM

This week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
During this last week of September, as we edge closer to the unveiling of our next major exhibition, there is a spate of public programs here at the MHS for you to come in and enjoy. Kicking things off on Monday, 23 September, is "City Water, City Life: The Infrastructure [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Monday, 23 September, 2013, 7:12 AM

Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch, Post 25

Series: Civil War  , From Our Collections
By Elaine Grublin
The following excerpt is from the diary of Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch. Bridgewater, Tuesday, Sept 1. 1863 I have received to-day a very pleasant letter from Maria....She writes pleasant intelligence also, of my brother-in-law and former assistant, George [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 18 September, 2013, 1:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It is time, once again, for the roundup of events to come this week here at the MHS. First up, on Wednesday, 18 September, is a Brown Bag lunch talk, presented by Lindsay Schakenbach of Brown University. "Manufacturing Advantage: Boston Merchant-Industrialists and the Federal [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 15 September, 2013, 7:00 PM

Return from RBS

Series: From Our Collections
By Dan Hinchen
During the last week of July I attended a course at Rare Book School, housed at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. The class was an introduction to bibliographic description or, basically, the physical description of books created during the hand-press period, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Monday, 9 September, 2013, 12:05 PM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
With the summer fading out, we closed two exhibitions here at the Society last week as preparations begin for the next major installation. In the meantime there are a few public programs to fill the void. Kicking off the week on Monday, 9 September, is an author talk presented [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 8 September, 2013, 5:00 PM

“There is not moments in a day but I think of home:” The Letters of Civil War Sharpshooter Moses Hill, Part 5

Series: Civil War  , From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collection Services
Unfortunately we’ve come to our last installment on the letters of Moses Hill here at the MHS. After the devastating fighting around Richmond that I described in my previous post, Robert E. Lee drove the Union army south to Berkeley Plantation on the shores of the [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 4 September, 2013, 8:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
As you come back from a long weekend refreshed and ready to take what the city throws at you, why not catch an easy lob and come into the MHS on Wednesday, September 4, for a Brown Bag lunch talk. This installment features Noam Maggor, Vanderbilt University, presenting "Brahmin [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Monday, 2 September, 2013, 5:00 PM