August 11, 2014

MHS NEWS

This Week's Program Highlights

On Tuesday, we're hosting Rachel A. Snell, a Ph.D. candidate at University of Maine, who will present a Student Spotlight talk "I used to feel sometimes just like a caged lion": The Everyday Experience of Domesticity in New England, 1830-1880."

On Thursday, our Summer Garden Series continues with "Poetry of Home, Place, Community." Poets Christian Barter, Christopher Robley, and Betsy Sholl will give readings in the Longfellow Garden.

Also on Thursday, folks are invited to the Brown Library for tea and a brief presentation by Amy Ellison, a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University and our current New England Regional Fellow. Her research topic is currently titled "To Bring Liberty to the North: The Invasion of Canada and the Coming of American Independence, 1774-1776." Please reply to Jamie Rice should you plan to attend.

Donn Fendler, of Lost on a Mountain in Maine fame, will be here on Saturday, along with filmmaker Ryan Cook, to talk about his story and screen an excerpt from the upcoming documentary "Finding Donn Fendler." Join us and the Pine Tree Council's Boy Scouts of America for this family-friendly 75th anniversary event!

Best of Maine Online Auction: August 15 - September 15, 2014

The MHS Best of Maine Online Auction includes 20 specialty items reflecting a variety of Maine products, services, experiences, excursions, artwork, and more. Proceeds from the auction will support the education and public programs at the Maine Historical Society. For more information contact Elizabeth Nash at MHS 207-774-1822 ext. 206. Click here to visit our auction website (bidding does not begin until August 15).

SPOTLIGHT: Celebrating 35 years

MHS is pleased to celebrate a beloved staff member's 35th anniversary. Cindy Murphy, our Finance and HR Assistant, grew up in South Portland, worked at the South Portland Library, and joined the ranks here in 1979. There are few jobs Cindy hasn't covered, and each with grace, patience, and an unyielding willingness to serve MHS and its patrons. Her co-workers will tell you that Cindy is the heart of our office, a loyal friend, and has incredible institutional memory!

Cindy recalls, "When I first started here I was in the library basement, typing catalog cards for a back-log of books and would help cover the library desk as needed. When we computerized, I moved to working by the front door as the receptionist and oversaw the small gift shop area. Later, I moved up to the second floor of the Library and worked as the Membership and Development Secretary, and from there transitioned into the Finance and Human Resources office, where I've been now for a number of years."

"In the time I've been here there have been so many changes (digitization, for example), so it's exciting to think of all the ways we've connected people with their ties to Maine."

Cindy says she "loves working at MHS and that there's always something new to learn about Maine's history." She has worked on several transcribing projects, including transcribing a microfilm of Portland naturalization petitions from 1912-1929, of which she "hopes will help genealogists, and makes more of MHS's resources accessible to members from 'away'."

Thanks, Cindy, for 35 amazing years (although we're not sure the math adds up since you're only 29)!

DIGITAL HISTORY

"Where Hostilities Are Now In Progress":

Documents from the WWI Collection


European Map "Where Hostilities Are Now In Progress" ca. 1914	"Young Lions" Postcard, ca. 1914

We are in the process of preparing a collection of First World War documents for research, in time for the commemoration of the United States' entry into the conflict. The collection covers the entire span of World War I, from works published at the very beginning that call it "The War of 1914" to documents produced at the end that discuss the rebuilding of a devastated Europe.

Click here to read the second installment in a series of blog posts by Pamela Ruth Outwin, MLIS, Brown Library Intern.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

All our programs and events are listed online, visit us for details.


Tuesday, August 12, 12:00pm Student Spotlight Talk: "I used to feel sometimes just like a caged lion": The Everyday Experience of Domesticity in New England, 1830-1880 Speaker: Rachel A. Snell, University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Location: MHS Lecture Hall Cost: Free for MHS members; $5 for non-members Details online.	Thursday, August 14, 2:00pm New England Regional Fellow presentation: "To Bring Liberty to the North: The Invasion of Canada and the Coming of American Independence, 1774-1776." Speaker: Amy Ellison, Ph.D. candidate at Boston University Location: Brown Library Cost: Free, but RSVPs are required. E-mail Jrice@mainehistory.org.	Thursday, August 14, 5:30pm Summer Garden Series: Poetry of Home, Place, Community Poets: Christian Barter, Christopher Robley, Betsy Sholl In partnership with Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Location: Longfellow Garden Cost: Free for MHS and MWPA members; $5 for non-members (pay at the garden gate). Details online.


Saturday, August 16, 2:00 - 4:00pm Lost on a Mountain in Maine: 75th Anniversary Event Speakers: Donn Fendler and Ryan Cook, Filmmaker In partnership with Pine Tree Council, Boy Scouts of America Location: MHS Lecture Hall FREE EVENT Details online.	Tuesday, August 19, 12:00pm Book Talk: Neighborhood Heroes: Life Lessons from Maine's Greatest Generation Speaker: Morgan Rielly Location: MHS Lecture Hall Cost: Free for MHS members; $5 for non-members Details online.	Wednesday, August 20, 12:00pm Intro to MHS: Maine Memory Network & Bird's Eye Views Facilitators: Kathy Amoroso, Director of Digital Engagement; Fran Pollitt, MHS's Volunteer Map Cataloger Location: MHS Brown Library conference room Cost: Free. To RSVP e-mail kamoroso@mainehistory.org Details online.

SEEN AT MHS Junior Docent Camp

On the morning of August 8, 2014, visitors to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House arrived to participate in an activity that most people have come to expect from historic house museums: an informative tour led by a well-trained, enthusiastic docent. What they probably were not expecting, however, was that the docent would be in the fourth grade.

Graduates of Maine Historical Society's Second Annual Junior Docent Camp were stationed in the different rooms of the house that morning, greeted each guest with a smile, and eagerly shared what they had learned about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, his poetry, and his childhood in Portland.

Read more about the campers' experiences and see photos in this blog post.

SUMMER SALE at VintageMaineImages.com

Vintage Maine Images is having a huge summer sale now through August 31, 2014. Shop today and find discounts on all archival prints and digital file downloads for more than 26,000 vintage images--including the 1924 Portland Tax Records!

We have photographs, maps, letters, postcards, and other historical material dating from the Age of Exploration to the present. Our museum-quality reproductions are made here at MHS on archival photographic paper. Reproductions make fantastic gifts--it's not too early to shop for the holidays!

www.VintageMaineImages.com

ONGOING PROGRAMS & EXHIBITIONS


Wadsworth-Longfellow House Tours House tours given by friendly guides and docents offer a glimpse into the life of America's beloved poet and his family, as well as into the cultural and social history of 19th-century Portland. Click for information and tour times.	Historical Walking Tours of Portland Walking Tour Times: Daily at 1:30pm. Call for details and group bookings 207-774-1822 ext. 212.	Visit the Museum Exhibitions Home: The Longfellow House and the Emergence of Portland A Snapshot of Portland, 1924: The Taxman Cometh *Remembering Our Visit: Souvenir China and Mementos of the Longfellow House*

SUPPORT MHS

Become a MHS Member and be part of an amazing group of supporters!

Our members enjoy great benefits including free admission to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, free admission to our Museum and our many programs, unlimited access to the Brown Library, shopping discounts, and much more!

STAY CONNECTED

MHS WEBSITES

Maine Historical Society	Museum Store
Maine Memory Network	Museum Catalog
Vintage Maine Images	Library Catalog
Maine History Online	Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

207-774-1822

The MHS e-Connection is your online source for news, exhibitions & events.