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Updates and Reminders:
- Museum exhibit closing: Zoom In closes at the end of May. Don't miss it if you haven't seen the show yet!
- New gallery show opens this week: Join us during First Friday Art Walk for the opening of
Images of the Longfellow Garden.
- Program Change: The Boston Genealogy trip on May 14 will not be visiting the MA State Archives.
- Visit our Blog!
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Spotlight On:
 Volunteering in the Longfellow Garden
Join Longfellow Garden Club members as they weed, prune, deadhead, and maintain the Longfellow Garden. No experience necessary, just a willingness to get your hands dirty! Tools and guidance will be provided.
Contact Imelda Schaefer at 781-4093 or e-mail
fschaef1@maine.rr.com. The following dates have been scheduled but may be changed due to rain. All work sessions are Tuesday mornings from 9 to 11 AM. May 3, 17, 31; June 7, 21; July 5, 19; August 2, 16, 30.
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Current Exhibits Museum
Zoom In: New Approaches to Maine History (through 5/29/11)
Images of the Longfellow Garden (through 6/30/11)
Showcase Gallery
Student art work from the Local History/Local Schools Project
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Bill's Mythbusters
Fact Checking with William David Barry,
Maine Historian Extraordinaire
CLAIM: Sir Francis Drake's grandson (or great-grandson) is buried on Outer Heron Island, Maine.
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Sir Francis Drake
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THE STORY GOES:
Numerous versions of this story have circulated for years. Typically, the details are that the grandson or great-grandson of Sir Francis Drake (English Sea Captain of Spanish Armada fame) was captain of the H.M.S Belgrade in 1680. Upon leaving Falmouth he had a heart attack and was buried on Outer Heron Island.
REALITY: In his excellent book, Islands of the Mid-Maine Coast: Pemaquid Point to the Kennebec River, Charles B. McLane found this tale was based on l960s newspaper accounts and finds it "utterly fabricated." Journalist Jeff Clark traced this claim to an item in Down East magazine (April, l955) reprinted from The Rockland Courier-Gazette. Perhaps an alert reader will find an earlier source. Nevertheless, this is another Maine myth and not to be believed!
Bill Barry can be reached at rdesk@mainehistory.org.
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Stories from Maine Memory Network
Online Exhibit: May Day Amok: May Baskets, A Dog, and A Party for Children  For many years the images in this exhibit, from McArthur Public Library in Biddeford, were believed to capture a party held to raise funds for World War I relief. In reality, the party was held by summer residents of Biddeford Pool to make amends to a group of local children who had been chased away as they tried to hang May baskets several months earlier. View the exhibit.
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MHS News
First Maine Memory Network
Grants Awarded
Nine communities were recently awarded grants for projects related to Maine Memory Network. All will receive extensive training and support designed to help them develop the capacity to share collections and stories online. Awards are made to organizations in three categories: Digitization projects: Winslow Historical Preservation Committee; Online Exhibits: Cary Library (Houlton), New England Electric Railway Historical Society (Kennebunkport), L.C. Bates Museum (Hinckley), Maine's First Ship (Phippsburg), and Maine Island Trail Association (Little Chebeague Island); and Maine Community Heritage Projects: Surry, Strong, and Swan's Island. The next grant deadline is September 1. Encourage organizations in your community to apply! For full details on the program, click here.
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From the Collections
May Baskets
The image pictured here is one of seven May baskets in the MHS museum collection made by Sarah Owen of Cape Porpoise, circa 1980. Traditionally, May baskets are filled with flowers and sweets and left on the doorsteps of friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate spring. Owen made these May baskets for children in her neighborhood. They were a gift from Joyce Butler. To view these May baskets and others in our online museum catalog, click here.
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Featured Program
Thursday, May 19, 7pm
The Annual Olmsted Lecture The Longfellow Gardens: The Evolution of Two LandmarksSpeaker: Lauren Meier, Pressley Associates, Cambridge, MA  This evening will celebrate the rich history and recent rehabilitation of the Longfellow Garden at MHS and the garden at the Longfellow National Historic Site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Meier, a landscape architect who contributed to the rehabilitation of both, will share their history and describe the challenges and opportunities of maintaining the spirit, character, and horticultural integrity of these beloved landmarks. Held in partnership with the Longfellow Garden Club.
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May Programs
The Longfellow House and Garden
are open for the season!
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10:30am-4pm and
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
(Tours leave on the hour. First tour Mon.-Sat. at 10:30am; first tour on Sun. at 12pm.)
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Friday, May 6, 5 - 8pm
First Friday Art Walk: Opening for our new Lecture Hall Exhibit, Images of the Longfellow Garden. Details.
Saturday, May 7, 5 - 11pm
The Mad Hatter Affair: Dress up and enjoy the Kentucky Derby at MHS's gala fundraiser. Details.
Saturday, May 14, 7:30am - 8pm
Genealogy Research Trip to Boston: Join us for a day of research at New England Historic Genealogical Society. Details.
Saturday, May 14
Maine Member Day: Your MHS membership provides free admission to museums across Maine. Details.
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 4 MHS Annual Meeting and Dave Astor Reunion Show!
Additional programs added regularly. Visit our website for the latest! |
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Save 20%
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| Offer Expires June 1, 2011. Discount not valid without coupon or coupon code.
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