Holiday Closure Notice

Please note, the MHS will be closed on Thursday, 11 November in observance of the Veterans' Day holiday. Regular hours will resume on Friday.

MHS Announces New Membership Plans

In case you don't receive @MHS, the Society's e-newsletter (and if you don't, you can sign up here), I wanted to highlight an important announcement in the new issue: some new membership plans and rates. By popular demand, we have extended the special one-year introductory membership rate of $75 for new members. In addition, we are introducing two new categories this fall: associate memberships for those age 40 and under and educator memberships for those who teach grades K-12. The student membership, now set at $35 per year, will also include access to a special annual "student members" event. To learn more or join today, visit www.masshist.org/join.

Call for Papers: MHS Graduate Student Symposium

"Collecting History: The Massachusetts Historical Society Graduate Symposium"

"I must study Politicks and War that my Sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. my Sons ought to study Mathematicks and Philosophy, Geography, natural History Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting Poetry Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelaine." - John Adams, Letter to Abigail Adams, post 12 May 1780.

Inspired by John Adams' educational blueprint and continuing a long tradition of support for emerging scholars, the Massachusetts Historical Society will host "Collecting History: The Massachusetts Historical Society Graduate Symposium," an interdisciplinary conference for graduate students, on Saturday, 4 June 2011. Researchers are encouraged to make use of the Historical Society's extensive collections, which offer an unparalleled resource for the study of American history from the colonial period through the twentieth century. Focusing on American history and related aspects of world history, the program will consist of several themed panels and a keynote address from a distinguished scholar. Papers will be substantial, pre-circulated essays and will be accessible online for attendees. Conference registration is free. Proposals from various disciplines welcome. Please key proposals to one of these topics:

--The Personal Papers of Three Presidents (John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Thomas Jefferson)

--Politics & War & Philosophy

--History of Women and Gender

-- Navigation, Commerce, & the Natural World

--Immigration and Urban History

--Painting, Poetry, & Architecture

Please email abstract (300-500 words) and biography (150-300 words) to conference coordinators Sara Georgini (sgeorgini@masshist.org) and Kathleen Barker (kbarker@masshist.org) by Tuesday, 18 January 2011. Presenters will be notified by Tuesday, 1 February 2011.

Holiday Closure Notice

Please note: the MHS library will be closed on Monday, 11 October in observance of the Columbus Day holiday. The building will be open from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. for the Fenway Alliance's "Opening Our Doors" open house (your last chance to see the current exhibit, "Precious Metals: From Au to Zn"). More info here.