The Beehive: the official blog of the Massachusetts Historical Society

The Lynn Shoemakers’ Strike of 1860

Series: From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collection Services
The MHS just acquired a letter written by an eyewitness to the historic shoemakers’ strike in Lynn, Mass. in 1860. I decided to dig into the story and, as usually happens, learned much more than I anticipated. It’s remarkable how much history can be represented [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 29 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It is a quiet week here at the Society as we approach the holiday. Here's what's happening: - Wednesday, 29 June, 6:00PM : "A New Perspective on the 19th Century Rivalry Between New York and Boston" is a talk about how changing technology introduces tools that can change [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 26 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

Retail and Romance: Boston's First Department Store

Series: From Our Collections
By Grace Wagner, Reader Services
Behind this façade
lies a story – the romance of a great
New England institution
It is worth telling. It should be
worth reading
In the hope that the public 
may find it so, it is
here set [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 24 June, 2016, 10:28 AM

#BSS16! A Second Year of the Boston Summer Seminar @ MHS

Series: From the Reference Librarian 
By Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
Tomorrow night will be the final celebration for 2016 participants in the GLCA Boston Summer Seminar, a three-week program offered by the Great Lakes Colleges Association and hosted at the Massachusetts Historical Society. After a successful inaugural year, we had a competitive [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 22 June, 2016, 12:34 PM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It's time for our programs round-up. On the slate this week, we have :  - Monday, 20 June, 6:00PM : "The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America." Drawing on dozens of interviews and extensive archival research, author Ethan Michaeli constructs [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 19 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

Transcription Challenge, Round 2

Series: From Our Collections
By Dan Hinchen, Reader Services
A few weeks ago here on the Beehive I posted an image of a medieval document (here and here) with the hope that someone out there would be able to make sense of it and provide us with some information. What I thought would be a longshot turned out to be a wonderful display [...] read more

comments: 1 | permalink | Published: Friday, 17 June, 2016, 11:46 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It's time again for the weekly round-up of events coming your way. Here's what's on tap at the Society this week: - Wednesday, 15 June, 12:00PM : The first of two Brown Bag lunch talks this week is given by Zach Hutchins of Colorado State University and is titled "Briton [...] read more

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

Commemorating War, Promoting Peace

Series: From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collection Services
What is the best way to remember our wars? What kinds of public commemorations are appropriate after peace has been achieved? What effect do such commemorations have on our relations with allies who were once our enemies? These were questions that concerned Noah Worcester [...] read more

comments: 1 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 8 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
There is a new exhibit on the way this week, as well as a couple of public programs for you. Here is what's lined up: - Monday, 6 June, 6:00PM : When Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 it revolutionized the way Americans mourned the dead by offering a peaceful space [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 5 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

Margaret Russell’s Diary, June 1916

Series: From Our Collections
By Anna J. Clutterbuck Cook, Reader Services
Today, we return to the line-a-day diary of Margaret Russell. You can read previous installments here: January. February. March. April. May. June begins with the Russell household’s seasonal relocation from Boston’s Back Bay to Swampscott. Between 1870-1940, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 3 June, 2016, 12:00 AM

Pondering Paleography and Soliciting Transcriptions, p. II

Series: From Our Collections
By Dan Hinchen
When I published a post last week here on the Beehive (see here) about a medieval document in our collections, I thought that it would be quite some time before we got to the bottom of it. Boy, was I wrong! By chance, my post was picked up by Steve Annear at the Boston Globe and, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 1 June, 2016, 12:00 AM