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September Hours
Longfellow House & Garden
Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm; Sundays 12 - 5pm. Call for tour times: 207-774-1822
Museum & Store
Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm; Sundays 12 - 5pm
Brown Library
Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm
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Spotlight
Wadsworth Longfellow House Site Coordinator and Guide, John Babin
John Babin has worked as a guide since 2007, and recently became the Site Coordinator. John plans events that take place in the Longfellow House (stay tuned for a Halloween event), and schedules staff for public, private, and school tours of the Longfellow House. "The most fun part of my job is giving tours to school children and teaching the next generation about the poet and Portland's history," says John. John is also a realtor at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Cape Elizabeth. He donates 5% of his commission to MHS when he is hired by a member of our organization.
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Support the Annual Fund: What can your dollars do?
What will your MHS Annual Fund gift do?
$100 provides for "Local History, Local Schools" project supplies.
$250 subsidizes a bus for two classes to visit Longfellow House and Garden.
$500 restores one historic artifact from our museum collections.
$750 underwrites two evening lectures.
$1,000 upgrades a computer for the education department.
$2,500 creates an interactive display in our gallery.
$3,000 archives a library collection.
$5,000 underwrites a genealogical database subscription in the Brown Research Library.
$7,500 curates an online exhibit on Maine Memory Network fueling civic engagement and community pride across the state. Every dollar counts. Please help us reach our goal before September 30th. Please make your gift today. Visit us online or call 207-774-1822.
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Online Exhibit: Back to School
 | | Chemistry class, Fryeburg Academy, ca. 1906 MMN #17500 |
Yes, it's that time already--back to school. Since the first compulsory education law was passed in Maine in 1887, round about Labor Day has meant leaving behind the sun and fun of summer and returning to academic pursuits.
This online exhibit focuses on early 20th century public education in Maine with photographs of schoolhouses, classrooms, and extracurricular activities from around the state.
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September Programs & Events
Click on the event title for details
Wednesday, September 4, 12:00pm
Intro to MHS: Library Tour This 45-minute tour of the Brown Research Library, fully renovated in 2009, takes participants throughout the first floor reading room and behind-the-scenes into the archive, normally closed to the public. Head of Library Services Nicholas Noyes covers the history of the building, architectural details, the basics of doing research in the library, and even shares a few treasures from the collection. Three spaces left! Call 207-774-1822 to sign up.
Wednesday, September 4, 6:00 - 8:00pm
War of 1812 Historians' Roundtable
Four historian-authors discuss the causes and effects of the Battle of the HMS Boxer and USS Enterprise within the context of the War of 1812. David Hanna (Knights of the Sea) moderates a panel that includes Vice Adm. (Ret.) George Emery (In Their Own Words), James Nelson (George Washington's Secret Navy), and Joshua M. Smith (Battle for the Bay: The Naval War of 1812).
This event is part of a week-long series of activities in Portland commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of the Boxer and the Enterprise. The panelists' books will be on sale in the museum store and a book signing will follow the talk.  Friday, September 6, 5:00 - 8:00pm First Friday Art Walk & Opening ReceptionJoin us for the opening of Thundered Over the Tide: 200th Anniversary of the Battle of the Boxer and the Enterprise. MHS stays open late during the Art Walk and provides refreshments. Also on view is This Rebellion: Maine in the Civil War. 
Thursday, September 19, 12:00pm Book Event: The Last of the DoughboysNext year marks the beginning of the World War I Centennial. Join us for a talk by Richard Rubin, author of the acclaimed The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World, about this sometimes overlooked war and the men who served in it.
 Thursday, September 26, 7:00pm Maine's Heirloom Apples: An Evening with Pomologist John Bunker Join us for this informative and delicious program about Maine's heirloom apple varieties with John Bunker, of Fedco Trees in Clinton. John will talk about the history of Maine apples and orchards, as well as the value and challenge of reintroducing and cultivating rare heirlooms. You'll also hear about Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) in Unity, which houses the only collection of apple varieties originating in Maine, and how you can get involved in the project. If you have apples to identify, bring them along. An apple tasting of rare Maine varieties will follow the talk.
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From the Collections
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Menu from the Egyptian Dining Room
at the Eastland Hotel, 1939
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If you're any kind of food history buff, the Maine Historical Society Library is the place for you. The menus at MHS are a fascinating resource to show us what people ate in times past, whether fancy dinners or comfort food for travelers. Some of the offerings are more familiar to us, or at least within nostalgic memory, but others perplex and mystify. All will definitely make you either hungry or thankful that such items are no longer served.
Continue reading this blog post by MHS Archivist/Cataloger Nancy Noble.
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Seen at MHS
Historians Forum, August 16
 MHS hosted our first-ever Historians Forum on Friday, August 16. About 75 academics, graduate students, and independent scholars attended this private event, which included behind-the-scenes library tours, lectures by scholars, and a collegial reception in the Longfellow Garden. View photos from the event on our blog.
Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic, August 21
 We are so grateful for all the people who contribute their time and energy into making Maine Historical Society a wonderful place. Many of these folks are volunteers, and each year we hold a cookout in their honor. See more photos from the event on our Facebook page.
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Museum Store
War of 1812 Books
This week marks the 200th anniversary of the battle of the HMS Boxer and the USS Enterprise that took place during the War of 1812!
Learn more about the role Maine played during that war from these books and many others available now in our museum store and online.
1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan $32.50 Details
In Their Own Words: The Navy Fights the War of 1812 by George W. Emery $30 Details
MHS Members receive a 10% discount on all store orders!
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