This Week @ MHS

After a shortened holiday week and a brutal cold spell, we have a nice line-up of public events at the MHS this week. Come in for one or all and buff up on your history.

First on the list is the next installment in our Immigration and Urban History Seminar series. On Tuesday, 29 January 2013, join us for "Pretended love of personaly liberty: Antislavery, nativism, and deportation policy in antebellum Massachusetts." In this seminar, Hidetaka Hirota of Boston College examines the implementation of deportation policy in the 1850s, paying special attention to the contradiction between the defense of African Americans' personal liberty and the seizure of Irish immigrants. Comment provided by Lucy Salyer, University of New Hampshire. RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.The seminar begins at 5:15pm.

On Wednesday, 30 January 2013, join us for "Dumb Witnesses: Relics of George Washington at the Massachusetts Historical Society."  In this latest installment of our "Object of History" series, MHS Librarian Peter Drummey leasds a conversation which looks at the Society's early collection of Washington artifacts and documents to see what they say about the founding of the MHS and the image of Washington in the early Republic. There will be a pre-talk reception at 5:30pm and the program will begin at 6:00pm. Registration is required for this event and there is a fee. Free for MHS Fund Giving Circle members. Contact 617-646-0557/education@masshist.org for more information.

Saturday, 2 February 2013, come in for a free tour of the Society's public rooms. "The History and Collections of the MHS" is a 90-minute, docent-led tour that touches on the history, art, and collections of the MHS. The tour is free and open to the public. While no reservation is required for small groups, parties of 8 or more should contact the MHS prior to attending. The tour will assemble in the lobby and begin promptly at 10:00am.

Finally, we still have three great exhibits on view. This is the final week for our extremely popular main exhibitition, "In Death Lamented: the Tradition of Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry." The final day for this show is Thursday, 31 January 2013, so be sure to come in before it is gone! In addition, we also have two smaller exhibits commemmorating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. "Forever Free: Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation" and "Lincoln in Manuscript & Artifact" are both on view until 24 May 2013. All exhibits are available for viewing 10:00am-4:00pm, Monday - Saturday.

This Week @ MHS

It is a shortened week at the MHS but there are still some excellent programs to take part in. And with only two more weeks left to see our current exhibition, In Death Lamented: The Tradition of Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry, there are plenty of reasons to make a visit!

On Thursday, 24 January 2013, the next installment of our Biography Seminar series will take place. Join us at 5:30pm for Biographer's Round Table: A Conversation with Stacy Schiff. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff will discuss her career as a writer and biographer with Susan Ware moderating the conversation. Stacy Schiff's most recent book is Cleopatra: A life (2010), which was named one of the top ten books of the year by the New York Times Book Review. Susan Ware is an independent scholar who specializes in 20th century U.S. History, women's history, and biography, and her most recent book is Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the revolution in women's sports (2011). Seminars are free and open to the public. RSVP required. .

Then, on Friday, 25 January 2013, Stephen T. Riley Librarian, Peter Drummey, will present The Real Gettysburg Address. This Exhibition Spotlight will focus on orator Edward Everett, the "other" speaker at the commemoration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, and will examine who said what, and why, on that famous day. The talk is free and will begin at 2:00pm.

And, in addition to our main exhibit, do not forget that we also have two exhibits commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. Forever Free: Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lincoln in Manuscript & Artifact are both on view until 24 May 2013. Visit our website and take a look at our events calendar to see what other great programs are down the road!

This Week @ MHS

It is another fairly quiet week here at the MHS but we still have two programs that should not be missed.

On Tuesday, 15 January 2013, join us for the next installment from our Environmental History Seminar Series. John Spiers, Boston College, will present " 'Whither Have All the Forests Gone': A Case of Land Preservation in Suburban Washington." The seminar addresses the issues and obstacles associated with suburban land preservation in the late 20th century. Comment provided by James Levitt, Harvard Forest. The talk will begin at 5:15pm and is free and open to the public, RSVP required.

Then, on Saturday, 19 January 2013, Len Gougeon, Distinguished University Fellow at the University of Scranton, will present "America's Second Revolution: New England, Old England,& the Civil War." Co-sponsored by the New England Quarterly and the MHS Eduation Department, this event will look at the cultural conflict that arose between New England intellectuals and their British counterparts during the Civil War. The talk will begin at 2:00pm and is open to the public at no cost, RSVP required.

And do not forget about our three current exhibitions. "In Death Lamented: the tradition of Anglo-American mourning jewelry" is our main feature and will only last until 31 January so come in soon! In addition, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Procalamation, we are happy to present "Forever Free: Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation" as well as "Lincoln in Manuscript & Artifact." Both of these exhibits will be available until May.

Finally, the MHS will be closed on Monday, 21 January 2013, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Remember to check our calendar to find out more information about upcoming events. We hope to see you at one of our programs soon!

This Week @ MHS

With only two events on the calendar, this will be a quiet week at the MHS but there is still plenty to see if you step in from the cold!

Join us at 12:00pm on Wednesday, 9 January, for a Brown Bag lunch. Greta LaFleur of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa will present "American Insides: Popular Narrative and the Historiography of Sexuality, 1675-1815." All of our Brown Bag discussions are free and open to the public so grab a snack and come on in!

On Saturday, 12 January, stop by for a tour of the MHS. "History and Collections of the MHS" is a 90-minute, docent-lead tour which explores all of the public spaces in the MHS, with comments on the art and architecture of the building. These tours are free and open to the public and depart the lobbby promptly at 10:00AM.

And along with these two events we currently have three exhibits on display. "In Death Lamented: the tradition of Anglo-American mourning jewelry" is our main feature and will only last until 31 January so come in soon! In addition, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Procalamation, we are happy to present "Forever Free: Lincoln & the Emancipation Proclamation" as well as "Lincoln in Manuscript & Artifact." Both of these exhibits will be available until May.