November Programs and Events
click each listing for more information
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Spotlight On:
Barbara Thompson, Library volunteer retiring after 22 years of service Barbara Mildram Thompson (who turns 95 this month!) began her work at Maine Historical Society in the late 1980s shortly after returning to Maine following a career in education. Every Wednesday for more than 20 years, Barbara volunteered at our library. She worked on genealogy, cataloging, and countless other projects. For a time, she filled in as our Registrar.
In 1999, Barbara was the 21st honoree of the annual Elizabeth Ring Service Award. When asked her reason for volunteering, she said: "Being around smart young people."
Thank you, Barbara, for your invaluable service and dedication, and for making our lives all the richer. With love and gratitude from your family at Maine Historical Society.
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Support Your History
For more information please contact the Development Office at (207) 774-1822,
ext. 206 or email info@mainehistory.org
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Stories from Maine Memory Network
Elections in Maine have often been contentious, providing the public an opportunity to express its views about taxes, the size and role of state government, and contemporary social issues like Prohibition. The debate over women's suffrage was fought for more than 75 years before Maine women were finally granted the right to vote in 1919. Read the story!
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MHS News
Cruise Ships Galore!
 | | Sayde and Harriet Waterman on the S.S. Rotterdam, 1936. |
October was an exceptionally busy month for MHS: 17 cruise ships brought 33,000 passengers to Portland. That helped bring 2,200 visitors to MHS. On busy cruise ship days, as many as 12 tours and 140 visitors passed through the Longfellow House--double our regular traffic. All of this translates to big crowds, much activity in our store, and many new friends from around the world. A special thanks to our tireless docents, guides, and store staff!
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From the Collections
Historians in Hardhats
Not all archival work at MHS happens in the archives! Frequently, MHS staff are on the road, visiting donors, reviewing collections, and making connections between a new MHS collection and the place, family, or company it comes from. Recently, archival staff have visited the Merrill Transportation Company on the South Portland waterfront, the Weston Family Homestead in Madison, and a former Robinson Manufacturing Company mill in Oxford. Thanks to MHS archivist and cataloger Nancy Noble for this story and photo.
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Featured Program
Tuesday, 11/9, 12:00 PMCloth for Ease:The Battle Between Comfort and ChicSpeaker: Edward Maeder
 | The Ale House Door, c. 1790,
John Singleton,
Victoria & Albert Museum |
Join us for a fascinating look at the historic battle between comfort and fashion. Maeder, curator of textiles at Historic Deerfield and currently a fellow at Portland's Quimby Colony, will discuss the historic concept of comfort, a modern term that was virtually unknown in the 18th century! More...
This program is a partnership with Quimby Colony.
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New Exhibit!
The Art of December: Original Holiday Cards by Maine Artists from the Mildred Burrage Collection
 | | Stell and William Shevis, Christmas Card, 1963 |
Join us on December 3rd for the First Friday Art Walk and opening reception for The Art of December. This selection of holiday cards demonstrates the wide range of artists who have called Maine home--such as Dahlov Ipcar, Stell and William Shevis, and Waldo Pierce--and exemplifies the personal connections of Mildred Burrage, whose love for the holidays is seen throughout her collection.
The Art of December is exhibited in the Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. Lecture Hall, November 17, 2010 through January 3, 2011.
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Bill's MythbustersFact Checking with William David Barry, Maine Historian Extraordinaire
CLAIM: The Old Gaol (jail) in York, Maine was builtin 1653. 
REALITY: Though still the earliest surviving stone building in Maine, York's Old Gaol has now proven to date physically from 1719. The 1653 date refers to a previous county structure. Sadly, there are no documented 17th century structures still standing in Maine. For further reading, check out Maine's First Buildings: The Architecture of Settlement, 1604-1700 by Robert L. Bradley or visit the Museums of Old York, where the Old Gaol still stands.
"Off with his head!" Correction: Last month, we featured a Mythbuster about Queen Marie Antoinette, and we mistakenly recalled the year of her death as 1795, when in fact it was 1793. Bill Barry can be reached at rdesk@mainehistory.org
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Save 20%
A must-read for the apple
(or Maine) enthusiast!
$5 from each sale of this book will be donated to the Palermo Historical Society. |
Bring this coupon to the MHS Museum Store in Portland, or use the coupon code "Apples" at our online store and receive 20% off this great book.
| Hurry In...Offer Expires November 30, 2010
Discount not valid without coupon or coupon code. |
MHS e-Connection is your online source for news and events at MHS, e-mailed monthly
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street Portland, ME 04101 (207) 774-1822
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