This Week @ MHS

- Tuesday, 25 July, 9:00AM : America in World War I is a two-day teacher workshop put on by the Center for the Teaching of History at the MHS. Participants will immerse themselves in the letters, diaries, and photographs created by soldiers, Red Cross volunteers, and relief workers, among others. In addition, the workshop examines the role of government propaganda campaigns in recruiting volunteers, financing war efforts, and promoting national unity and nativism. This program is open to all K-12 educators with a registration fee of $35 per person. For more information, or to register, contact the Center for the Teaching of History at the MHS by e-mailing education@masshist.org or calling 617-646-0557. [N.B. - This workshop takes place on non-consecutive days, with the second session on Thursday, 27 July.]

- Thursday, 27 July, 6:00PM : Come in for a public author talk with Mark Robert Schneider, whose recent book is titled Gerry Studds: America's First Openly Gay Congressman. Studds fought in Congress to allow gays to serve in the military, fund AIDS research, and enact marriage equality. He was also a champion of coastal and ocean environmental issues and helped to protect the American fishing industry. In composing the first biography of this important leader, Schneider consulted a vivid unpublished memoir and other items from the collection of the MHS (see an earlier post on the Beehive about the Gerry Studds papers to learn more). This talk is open to the public and registration is required with a fee of $10 (no charge for MHS Members or Fellows). A reception, beginning at 5:30PM, precedes the talk, followed by the speaking program at 6:00PM.

- Saturday, 29 July, 3:00PM :  Join us on Saturday for a special walking tour, "Fabricated Fenway: The Mixed Legacy of our Invasive Urban Environment." Co-sponsored by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, this tour provides an overiew of urban invasion by every species of good intentions. From the early 19th-century Mill Dam to landmarks like Kenmore Square, Boston's made environments have been riddles with surprising and sometimes perplexing consequences, for both physical and social spaces. This tour is open to the public at no cost, though registration is required. 

This Week @ MHS

Here we are again with a round-up of events in the week ahead:

- This weeks teacher workshop, "The American Revolution in Art & Artifacts" is SOLD OUT.

- Wednesday, 19 July, 12:00PM : Join us for a Brown Bag lunch talk with Judith Harford of University College Dublin. "Women's Education Networks" explores the role of the Central Association of Irish Schoolmistresses and the Woman's Education Association of Boston in advancing the cause of women's admission to Trinity College Dublin and Harvard University. This talk is free and open to the public. 

- Wednesday, 19 July, 6:00PM : There is no “Boston Historical Society,” but the metro area does have a wealth of history organizations. Boston and surrounding towns are steeped in local history and the inhabitants are proud of their local identity. The MHS is pleased to hold a reception for history buffs and representatives of local organizations to mingle, share recent accomplishments, and talk about the great projects on which they are working. Registration is required at no cost for this Boston Historical Reception. Reception begins at 5:30PM and the formal conversation begins at 6:00PM. 

- Saturday, 22 July, 10:00AM : The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society Tour is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, 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 exhibition: The Irish Atlantic: A Story of Famine Migration and Opportunity.

This Week @ MHS

This week we have just two events on the calendar, featuring JQA and Old Ironsides. Here are the details:

- Wednesday, 12 July, 6:00PM : "The USS Consitution & the Massachusetts Historical Society" is a talk with Margherita Desy, Historian of the USS Constitution, which describes some of the hidden trasures uncovered in the recent restoration of the ship and highlights resources at MHS that help tell the story of the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. This talk is open to the public, registration required with a fee of $10 (no charge for MHS Members or Fellows). A reception precedes the talk at 5:30PM followed by the speaking program at 6:00PM. 

- Saturday, 15 July, 10:00AM : Join the Massachusetts Historical Society’s first transcribe-a-thon! Held in celebration of JQA’s 250th birthday, the purpose of the JQA250 Transcribe-a-thon is to help the Adams Papers editorial project make more of the 15,000-page JQA Diary available online. While the ability to read handwriting is necessary, no transcription experience is required. Bring your laptop or use one of ours. Come for the day or pop in for a little while. All are welcome! Lunch and light refreshments will be provided. Registration is free and open to the public. For more information, or to register, contact Gwen Fries: gfries@masshist.org; 617-646-0556. 

And as always our current exhibition, the Irish Atlantic, is open to the public free of charge, Monday-Saturday, 10:00AM-4:00PM. 

This Week @ MHS

The Society is CLOSED on Monday, 3 July, and Tuesday, 4 July, for Independence Day.

We return to the Society after a long holiday weekend with a couple of public programs on offer. Here is what's coming up:

- Wednesday, 5 July, 12:00PM : Come on in for a Brown Bag lunch talk with Lyle Nyberg of the Scituate Historical Society titled "Rivermoor: A Summer Colony in Scituate." This talk looks at the upper class Bostonians of a century past who spent summers in Rivermoor on Third Cliff in Scituate, including the first American to provide prefabricated houses. Through his Colonial Revival houses, George Welch helps turne what had been farmland since Native American times into a select summer colony. This talk is free and open to the public. 

- Thursday, 6 July, 6:00PM : Stephen Kurkjian is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Boston Globe and was the newspaper's lead reporter on the Gardner art heist. Join us for an author talk with Kurkjian who will discuss his latest book, Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled off the World's Greatest Art Heist, share details on the investigation, and offer a possible missing motive. This talk is free and open to the public, though registration is required. A reception will precede the talk, starting at 5:30PM, followed by the program at 6:00PM. 

- Saturday, 8 July : This is your last chance to catch our current short-term exhibit, "Impossible Dreamers: The Pennant-Winning 1967 Red Sox." View rare photos of the 1967 season taken by retired Boston Globe photographer Frank O’Brien, a collection of 1967 artifacts including Carl Yastrzemski’s jersey. The exhibition is free and open to the public June 24 through July 8th.

While you are here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibition: The Irish Atlantic: A Story of Famine Migration and Opportunity.