The Beehive: the official blog of the Massachusetts Historical Society

Margaret Russell's Diary, March 1916

Series: From Our Collections
By Anna J. Clutterbuck Cook, Reader Services
Today, we return to the line-a-day diary of Margaret Russell. If you have missed previous installments of the diary you can find January (along with a brief introduction to the series) and February in the blog archive. In contrast to her busy travel schedule in February, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 30 March, 2016, 12:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
After a lack of programming last week, we are back this week with a slew of public events to satisfy your hunger for history. Be sure to keep an eye on our monthly calendar in the coming weeks as April has a lot going on! Here's what's on as we leave March behind: - Tuesday, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 27 March, 2016, 11:24 AM

This Island, Cuba

Series: From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collections Services
After President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some MHS material related to the island and its history. We hold a number of collections touching on the subject, including the papers of Boston-area merchants engaged [...] read more

comments: 1 | permalink | Published: Friday, 25 March, 2016, 4:42 PM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
The calendar is empty this week with the exception of our Saturday tour: - Saturday, 26 March, 10:00AM : The History and Collections of the MHS is a docent-led walk through the public spaces in the Society's home on Boylston Street. The tour is free, open to the [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 20 March, 2016, 12:00 AM

Archivist as Detective, Part II: The Mysterious Woman in John Albee’s Life

By Susan Martin, Collections Services
I hadn’t expected to have the opportunity to indulge in another “investigation” so soon after my last one, but I caught a lucky break. Just a few weeks ago, the MHS acquired a diary of John Albee (1833-1915) that contained an intriguing mystery—the [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 16 March, 2016, 11:20 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It's time for the weekly round-up of events. Here is what is on the schedule: - Wednesday, 16 March, 6:00PM : "Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency" Join us for this author talk in which David Greenberg is interviewd by Robin Young, co-host of [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 13 March, 2016, 12:00 AM

Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange in History: Massachusetts History Day 2016

Series: From the Reference Librarian 
By Anna J. Clutterbuck Cook, Reader Services
Massachusetts History Day 2016, on the theme of “exploration, encounter, and exchange in history” is in full swing across the state of Massachusetts with the MHS as its official sponsor. In recent years, over 7,000 middle and high school students from across [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 11 March, 2016, 9:47 AM

Summer Professional Development for Teachers: FAQ

Series: Education Programs
By Kathleen Barker, Public Programs & Education
Summer is right around the corner, which means the MHS education department is busy organizing another round of exciting, hands-on learning opportunities for K-12 teachers. Read on to learn more about what the MHS can offer you (or your favorite teacher) in the coming months! Does [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 9 March, 2016, 1:35 PM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
So, you're looking for some history? Well, you came to the right place then. Take a look at what we have to offer this week at the Society: - Tuesday, 8 March, 5:15PM : "How to Police Your Food: A Story of Controlling Homes and Bodies in the Early Age of Manufactured Foods" [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 6 March, 2016, 12:00 AM

The New Look of Science....260 Years Ago

Series: From Our Collections
By Dan Hinchen, Reader Services
Between 1752 and 1756 in Paris, Jaques Fabien Gautier, or Gautier d'Agoty (1717-1785) published a six-volume, 18-part set titled Observations sur l'histoire naturelle, sur la physique et sur la peinture... While such publications were not uncommon at the time, what set this [...] read more

comments: 1 | permalink | Published: Saturday, 5 March, 2016, 3:45 PM

“The most exquisitely drawn tragical character in the whole compass of the drama”: John Quincy Adams’ love of Hamlet

Series: From Our Collections
By Emily Ross, Adams Papers
In an 1839 letter, John Quincy Adams stated his view that Shakespeare’s Hamlet was “the Master Piece of the Drama ... I had almost said the Master Piece of the Human Mind.” He then gave an analysis of the play sufficiently scholarly and insightful that [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 2 March, 2016, 12:00 AM

Second to None: Secondary Sources and a Well-Rounded Research Process

Series: From Our Collections
By Kittle Evenson, Reader Services
I usually like to employ my blog space to share newly discovered (by me) primary sources from our manuscript, pamphlet, photograph, or artifact collections. I focus heavily on visually  intriguing or mysterious pieces, striving to draw connections  between discoveries, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Tuesday, 1 March, 2016, 9:41 AM