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Notes from the Director
Yesterday's New York Times ran an interesting article on the proposed east-west highway through Central Maine. Proponents see the private toll highway as an important economic development tool; opponents are concerned about how it might affect the identify, character, and allure of the region. The article calls to mind the story of John Poor and the effort to build the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad in the 1840s which is captured in this exhibit on Maine Memory Network. Poor's goal was to create a rail link between Montreal and Portland that would establish Portland as the winter port for Canadian grain.
Continue reading Steve Bromage's remarks on our blog.
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Current Exhibits
Museum
Wired! How Electricity Came to Maine 
Lecture Hall Gallery
They Wired Maine
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Summer Hours
Museum & Museum Store: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sundays 12-5pm.
Brown Library: Tues-Sat 10am-4pm
Wadsworth-Longfellow House:
Daily tours. Call for times: 207-774-1822.
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Spotlight On:
Laura Webb
In June, we welcomed new staff member Laura Webb as our Assistant to the Director. Laura was most recently working at the General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston as their Education Assistant. She grew up in a military family, living in places such as Bermuda, North Carolina, and Key West, FL, but spent every summer with family in Litchfield, Maine. Laura attended Davidson College and has a degree in art history.
Laura is excited to be at MHS because "it is such a wonderful and dynamic group of people here," she says. "I am thrilled to have found my work 'home' at MHS after many years of searching."
In her free time Laura enjoys painting, playing the piano and harp, swimming, and reading.
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Summer Fun Membership Contest
 Become a new member of Maine Historical Society this summer and be entered to win a $100 gift card from TD Bank.
As an MHS Member, you'll enjoy great benefits, including free admission to our museum, store and program discounts, access to our Research Library, and much more. Learn about membership perks on our website.
Friend level members and above receive free admission and other reciprocal benefits at over 500 museums nationwide. Become a member today! Sign up online, or call 207-774-1822. Contest runs through September 30, 2012. Only new members who pay dues during this time are eligible to win. |
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Annual Fund
 Please take a moment to support the MHS Annual Fund. Our fiscal year ends September 30, 2012 and we need your help to reach our goal. The Annual Fund provides critical funding for our daily operations, educational programs, the Longfellow House & Garden, Maine Memory Network, Brown Research Library, our museum exhibits, and much more. Your contribution of any size is appreciated. Thank you for recognizing the important role that MHS plays in the cultural life of Maine.
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MHS Book Group-
Get on the List!
 Now three years old, the MHS winter-spring book group has a loyal following and is known for lively, intelligent discussions. Books (non-fiction and fiction) are paired with shorter supplementary readings to make for a richer learning experience; discussion outlines are provided in advance. To get on the notification list for next year's group (tentative topic: food!), email group facilitator Larissa Vigue Picard, MHS Community Partnership Coordinator, at lvpicard@mainehistory.org. |
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Jalbert Family Orchestra, Lewiston-Auburn, ca. 1920, MMN #67540
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French Canadians who emigrated to the Lewiston-Auburn area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries faced discrimination as children and adults--such as living in "Little Canada" tenements and being ridiculed for speaking French--but also adapted to their new lives and sustained many cultural traditions.
The new grant-funded exhibit From French Canadians to Franco-Americans, created by staff from University of Southern Maine's Franco-American Collection, explores what life was life for Francos living in Maine, particularly children. Living conditions, mill work and child labor, education, religion, musical traditions, and sports are just some of the aspects of life touched upon in the exhibit. View the exhibit online.
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MHS News
New Maine Community Heritage Project Teams & Grant Deadlines
Last month, the fourth cohort of the Maine Community Heritage Project teams began their year-long journey to build their local history website on Maine Memory Network. Whereas in the past teams have consisted of organizations from a single town or city, the 2012-2013 program year features two broad-based regional groups: one from Mount Desert Island, and one from RSU#10, the Western Foothills Region. That region consists of 12 cities and towns, three-quarters of which will be participating in some way. Participants from both teams gathered at MHS on July 18 and 19 for a celebratory kick-off and orientation, where a good time and lots of hard work was had (and done) by all. The teams begin their work in earnest later this month and continue through the academic year; the unveiling of their websites is scheduled for May 2013. See more photos from the kick-off event, and learn more about the new teams, on our Maine Memory Network blog. Photo credit: Nick Waugh
Grants Available
Interested in applying for a Maine Memory Network digitization grant (up to $1,000) or online exhibit grant (up to $1,500)? The next deadline is Tuesday, September 4, 2012. Details and application information online. Questions? Contact Community Partnership Coordinator Larissa Vigue Picard by e-mail, or 207-774-1822 ext. 215. |
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August Programs
Friends of Baxter State Park hosts an all day celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Percival P. Baxter's acquisition of the final parcel of his 201,018-acre Baxter State Park. Events conclude with a special reception at MHS.
Admission is $25, and reservations are required. Contact Friends of Baxter State Park at 207-763-3014 to register for this event. Visit their website for details on the day's events happening throughout Portland and Falmouth.
Featured Program: Family Fun at MHS
Looking for something to do in Portland that the whole family will enjoy? We have several programs designed specifically for families with children. The Children's Hour is our family-friendly tour of the Longfellow House, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's boyhood home. If you're up for walking, The Longfellow Trail is an excellent way to learn the history of Portland. Our museum exhibit, Wired! How Electricity Came to Maine, captivates patrons of all ages. Walk through the restored Children's Gate to the Longfellow Garden, the perfect place for a picnic, to explore plants and butterflies, or to just unwind. We look forward to seeing your family soon! |
From the Collections
Longfellowiana As you can imagine, we have quite of a bit of material in our library related to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, given that the Maine Historical Society maintains his boyhood home. A gem has recently been acquired and catalogued: a framed item which contains a portrait of Longfellow, as well as one of his friend Louis Agassiz, a Swiss-American zoologist, glaciologist, and geologist.  | |
Coll. 2637
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Between the portraits of Longfellow (left) and Agassiz (right) are their letters to one another; both are invitations to dine. In this age of social networking, it's refreshing to read simple, hand-written notes between friends, no matter how famous they were in their day, as well as in the years to come. Continue reading this story by MHS Archivist/Cataloger Nancy Noble on our blog. |
Seen at MHS
Sailing on Casco Bay: August 4
 MHS members and friends enjoyed an afternoon aboard Portland Schooner Company's historic windjammer, Bagheera. MHS's annual summer sail is narrated by Maine maritime historian and former MHS Trustee, Jim Millinger.
Junior History Docent Camp: July 9-13
As participants in our first ever Junior Docent camp program, 10 students explored every historic and physical inch of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. The Junior Docents examined a sword that may have belonged to Peleg Wadsworth with curator John Mayer, searched for George Washington's signature with reference librarian Jamie Rice, and handled historic objects with registrar Holly Hurd-Forsyth. At the end of the week, the junior docents gave house tours to staff and family members; here, Erich Chase poses in the parlor chamber after his tour. For a more detailed recap and additional photos, visit our blog.
Meeting Place: July 24, 25, 31 & Aug. 1  Former and current Portland residents shared their memories of life in their respective neighborhoods: Bayside, East Bayside, West End, and Libbytown, during MHS storytelling workshops led by Art At Work's Meeting Place project. Their stories will be incorporated into photography, block carvings, and poetry displayed throughout the city in September, encouraging pride and awareness of Portland's diverse neighborhoods. For more information about Meeting Place, visit their website. 1822 Founders Circle Gathering: July 11
The MHS Board and Members of the 1822 Founders Council enjoyed the annual summer gathering at the home of Board Chair Katherine Pope and her husband Chris Harte in Cumberland Foreside.
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Museum Store
Flashlight Fun!
Every child needs a flashlight for camping, exploring, and flashlight tag. We have ladybugs, turtles, owls, bumblebees, and fireflies! Each flashlight comes with 2 AA batteries.
Suitable for kids ages 3 and up. $7.95 each.
Available in the MHS Museum Store only.
Visit us at 489 Congress Street in Portland. Museum store hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm. 207-774-1822 ext. 208. |
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