This Week @ MHS

Before the long holiday weekend ahead we have two events at the Society this week. On Monday, 24 November, join us for a Brown Bag lunch talk given by Nathan Jérémie-Brink, Loyola University Chicago. "'Gratuitous Distribution': Distributing African American Antislavery Texts, 1773-1850" is free and open to the public and begins at noon. And on Tuesday, 25 November, we have the next installment in our Immigration and Urban History Seminar series. Stop by at 5:15PM for "'Greetings from the Levee!': Labor and Leisure on the Streets and Docks of Postbellum New Orleans." This talk is presented by Theresa McCulla of Harvard University with Lynnell Thomas, UMass-Boston, providing comment. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.

Please note that the Society is closed on Thursday, 27 November, for Thanksgiving. The library is also closed on Friday and Saturday, 28 and 29 November. The exhibition galleries are open on Friday and Saturday, 28 and 29 November. Take a break from battling the shopping crowds and come in for some history! There is also a free tour taking place on Saturday, 29 November, at 10:00AM. 

This Week @ MHS

We are kicking things off this week with a rare Sunday event, an MHS blue moon, if you will. Beginning at 1:30PM on Sunday, 16 November, is a special screening of The Better Angels, a film about Abraham Lincoln's childhood.The screening is followed by a discussion led by Professor John Stauffer of Harvard University, current long-term research fellow at the Society. This event takes place at Landmark Theaters in Kendall Square (355 Binney Street, One Kendal Square, Cambridge, MA 02139).

On Monday, 17  November, join us at 6:00PM for an author talk given by Lindford D. Fisher of Brown University and J. Stanley Lemons of Rhode Island College. Decoding Roger Williams: The Lost Essay of Rhode Island's Founding Father documents the interdisciplinary approach to cracking Williams' handwritten code. There is a $10 fee (no charge for Fellows and Members). Please call 617-646-0560 or click here to register.

And on Tuesday, 18 November, come by for an Environmental History Seminar given by Derek Lee Nelson, University of New Hampshire. "The Ravages of Teredo: The Historical Impacts of Marine Wood-boring Worms on American Society, Geography, and Culture, 1865-1930" begins at 5:15PM and is free and open to the public. Robert Martello of Olin College of Engineering provides comment. Please RSVP if you plan to attend. Also, you can subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.

Last but not least, on Saturday, 22 November, there is another free tour at the Society. "The History and Collections of the MHS" is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free and open to the public with no need for reservations. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please first contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org. While you're here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibitions, "Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in World War I" and "The Father of His Country Returns to Boston, October 24, 1789."

This Week @ MHS

After a flurry of activity to close out last week, this one starts a little bit more slowly. Please note that the Society is closed on Tuesday, 11 November, in observance of Veteran's Day. Happy Armistice!

On Wednesday, 12 November, join us at noon for a Brown Bag lunch talk given by Johann Neem of Western Washington University and the University of Virginia. In this talk, titled "Making the Self-Made American: The Original Meanings and Purposes of America's Public Schools," Neem discusses the collective effort required to achieve American individualism. This talk is free and open to the public. 

Then, on Friday, 14 November, beginning at noon is a free author talk. Join award-winning food and drinks writer Corin Hirsch as she discusses her first book, "Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England." This event is open to the public at no cost.

And on Saturday, 15 November, we return with "The History and Collections of the MHS." This 90-minute, docent-led tour explores all of the public space in the Society's home at 1154 Boylston St., touching on the art, architecture, collections, and history of the institution. The tour is free and open to the public with no need for reservations. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org. While you're here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibitions, "Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in World War I," and "The Father of His Country Returns to Boston, October 24, 1789."

This Week @ MHS

Here we are again looking at events taking place at the MHS in the week ahead. On Wednesday, 5 November, there is a Brown Bag lunch talk beginning at noon and presented by the Society's new Director of Public Programs, Gavin Kleespies. In his talk "Choosing Challenges," Gavin will give a rough outline of his goals, as well as his plans to meet them, in his new position. This event is free and open to the public. 

Also on Wednesday, 5 November, is an author talk featuring James Redfearn. He will talk about his most recent work, "The Rising at Roxbury Crossing," a novel which centers on the true events of the 1919 Boston Police Strike. Visit www.TheRisingAtRoxburyCrossing.com to learn more about the author and his novel. There is a $10 fee for this event (no charge for Fellows and Members) and registration is required. Please call 617-646-0560 or click here to register. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30PM and the talk begins at 6:00PM.

On Thursday,  6 November, is the first in this year's series of New England Biography Seminars. Beginning at 5:30PM, Ted Widmer moderates this panel discussion, "Understanding the Presidency: Personality, Politics, and Policy." The discussion features three authors: Evan Thomas, Kathleen Dalton, and David Michaelis, and focuses on the balance between policy and politics as it affects writing presidential biography. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required.

Please note that the MHS Library is CLOSED on Friday, 7 November, as we prepare for our fifth annual Cocktails with Clio. Kicking off at 6:00PM, the evening features an elegant cocktail buffet at the Society's historic building and then continues at the nearby Harvard Club where guests will here a conversation with historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, David Hackett Fischer. Purchase tickets (tickets cost $250 per person). All net proceeds from the event will support the Society's outreach efforts. 

Finally, on Saturday, 8 November, there is a teacher workshop taking place at the Society. Painless: A Survival Guide to the Dreaded History Project is a free hands-on workshop co-sponsored by the National Archives at Boston. To register, contact the MHS Education Department at education@masshist.org or 617-646-0557. The workshop begins at 9:00AM and goes until 2:30PM. 

There is no building tour on Saturday, 8 November, but remember to stop by to check out our two current exhibitions anytime Monday-Saturday, 10:00AM-4:00PM.