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Notes from the Director
Maine Historical Society is about people, as is Maine history itself. That's a theme you'll hear regularly as we move forward. I want to recognize and thank a particular group here: Maine Historical's long-time members.
Let me share an incredible statistic: more than 300 people have been members of MHS for 20 plus years. (MHS currently has about 2,500 members.) Last week we held a reception for this remarkable group, and about 35 of our long-time members were able to attend. Continue reading Steve'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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October 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
Bob Carroll
MHS member for 52 years
On September 20, MHS hosted a tea for long-time members of 20 years or more. (Photos in the Seen at MHS section of this issue). Among the loyal group of attendees was Bob Carroll, a member of MHS for 52 years, and resident of Bar Mills.
Bob fondly recalled being a high school senior and visiting the MHS Library where Elizabeth Ring, then Director, "literally moved a bean from one side of her desk to the other," to track
patron attendance. He noted that MHS even sent him a membership renewal
notice in Paris when he was a student there! Bob wrote his senior paper on H.W. Longfellow. MHS was central to fostering his lifelong love of history.
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MHS Annual Fund Finishes Strong
 Maine Historical Society's 2011-2012 fiscal year ended on September 30th. While we continue to receive some last minute gifts, we want to take this moment to say thank you. Thank you to our members and supporters for recognizing the importance of the Annual Fund to the fiscal health of the organization. The unrestricted monies represented by the Annual Fund underwrite daily maintenance and operations, programming and salaries. It is at the heart of what we do and your support is indispensable. Our mission of keeping history meaningful, accessible and enjoyable for all is made possible through your generosity. Again, our thanks. Learn more about our Annual Fund online. Curious about who won the Annual Fund Red Sox tickets giveaway? Click here. |
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Become a Member
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.
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Save the Date!
CELEBRATE THE SEASON with MHS kicks off Friday, November 23, with special programs, sales, and festivities. Stay tuned for details.
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MMN #14729
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Branding and marketing Maine products is a serious business. In the 1940s, potato farmers took to packaging the fruits of their labor in distinctive bags to stand out among competitors. Color pictures brightened up the otherwise bland packaging, and showcased company names and logos more prominently. Some bags promoted special farming-related events and associations, pictured other iconic Maine items like lobsters, or featured seasonal scenes.
This 10 pound autumnal bag, produced more than 30 years ago by Harold Fitzpatrick & Sons, and contributed to Maine Memory by the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, evokes the peak of the harvest.
To see other examples of these bags, visit this page on Maine Memory. And be sure to visit the exhibit, Blueberries to Potatoes: Farming in Maine.
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MHS News
Ten new Maine Memory grants awarded
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Monson slate quarry hoist, ca. 1910, MMN #9180
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Maine Historical Society recently awarded 10 new Maine Memory Network Community Mobilization grants in the categories of Digitization Projects and Online Exhibits. Awards range from under $500 up to $1,500, and support equipment purchases, staff time, and supplies.
Read about the new grantees and their projects in this blog post.The image above is a sample of the collections from Monson Historical Society. This contributing partner received a Digitization Grant to add more items to Maine Memory, including a number of images related to the town's slate mining industry.MHS & MHC Partner on Three Year
Civil War Project
Maine Historical Society and the Maine Humanities Council recently received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for "Maine in the Civil War: Making Connections through the Humanities and Digital History." This three-year project allows our two organizations to partner with 10 Maine communities as they explore and share local experiences and connections to the Civil War. Participating communities, modeled on the teams in MHS's successful Maine Community Heritage Project, will read and discuss texts related to the Civil War with scholars, host a variety of activities in their communities, and create exhibits on Maine Memory Network related to their community's experience in the Civil War. Communities will be invited to apply to participate in the program beginning January 1, 2013. The project also includes a public symposium on April 27, 2013, at the University of Southern Maine, that explores Maine's experience during the Civil War. For the full press release on the project, click here. |
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October Programs
Speaker: Author James S. Leamon
Join us for a special return engagement by author and Maine resident, Jane Brox, whose presentation last year on her critically-acclaimed book, Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light, was a crowd-pleaser. As part of an ongoing series of talks related to our current museum exhibit Wired: How Electricity Came to Maine, Brox will focus specifically on the topic of rural electrification, the process that brought electricity to America's countrysides and farm families in the early part of the 20th century. In addition to the extensive research on the topic that she did for Brilliant, Brox brings a personal angle to the subject, based on her trilogy of memoirs about her family's farm in Massachusetts, and the evolution of the American farm in general. Read more online. |
Seen at MHS
Long-time Member Tea
On September 20, MHS hosted a tea for about 35 of our dedicated members of 20 years or more. Guests enjoyed meeting Executive Director Steve Bromage and listening to Curator John Mayer's perspective of the symbiotic relationship between a museum's collections and its members. Continue reading about our long-time members on Steve's blog post, here.
Thank you for your continued commitment and generosity to MHS.
 Members and Friends of MHS spent two weeks visiting Russia in mid-September. MHS Trustee Eric Baxter hosted the group which visited St. Petersburg and Moscow. Baxter Day Celebration
Friends of Baxter State Park partnered with MHS on August 22 to celebrate Governor Baxter Day: Wilderness Legacy's Golden Anniversary. A full-day of hikes, lectures, and programs marked the 50th anniversary of Percival P. Baxter's final gift of land to Baxter State Park. |
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Museum Store
Get Cozy!
These 11 oz. white ceramic mugs features colorful images of the iconic Adirondack chair. Curl up with a mug of something warm and watch the leaves change.
$9.95 each. Available in the Museum Store, and the Online Store.
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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Tuesday, October 23, 12:00pm
Tuesday, October 30, 12:00pm
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