November 10, 2014

MHS NEWS

Free Admission to Veterans All Week

We are offering free museum admission to all Veterans Monday, November 10 - Saturday, November 15. We have three terrific exhibitions on display. Our galleries and store will be open on Veteran's Day, stop by after the parade (begins at Longfellow Square at 10:30am and concludes with a wreath-laying ceremony at City Hall at 11:00am).

Lincoln Exhibition Opens Friday, Followed by Lecture

Please join us on Friday, November 14 for the opening reception of Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, a nationally traveling exhibition which focuses on Abraham Lincoln's struggle to meet the constitutional challenges of the Civil War.

5:30 - 6:45pm
Opening Reception

Brown Library, Second Floor Reading Room

7:00pm
Lecture: "Free and Responsible Government: The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address" with speaker Jared Peatman
Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. Lecture Hall

This exhibition is on view in the second floor reading room of the Brown Library, and is open to visitors free of charge on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am-4pm, between November 13 and December 20, 2014.

Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War is being co-sponsored by Maine Irish Heritage Center, and was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. It has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the National Constitution Center.

November & December Hours at MHS

Gallery & Store
November: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm
December: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Closed November 27, December 24 (closing at 2pm), December 25, and December 31 (closing at 2pm).

Brown Library
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Closed for the holidays November 27 - December 2, and December 21 - January 6.

Wadsworth-Longfellow House
During this holiday season, special themed tours will be offered Thursday through Sunday on the hour 12:00pm to 4:00pm between November 28 and December 28. Visit us online for more information about our Celebrate the Season programs and events!

NEW MHS PUBLICATION

We are excited to announce the publication of our newest book, Maine in the Civil War, A Bibliographic Guide, 2nd edition. Compiled by Jamie Kingman Rice, Director of Library Services, and William B. Jordan, this book offers a comprehensive list of published works on Maine during the War of the Rebellion.

This bibliography provides researchers with an exhaustive list of printed works including biographies, compilations, specialized studies, and regimental histories that specifically focus on or highlight Maine during the Civil War era. Originally published in 1976, the second edition includes works published since, as well as items not appearing in the original publication.

A special unveiling and book launch is on Friday, November 14 in conjunction with the exhibition opening for Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War.

Maine in the Civil War, A Bibliographic Guide, 2nd edition is available for $29.95 at the MHS Store and will be available through the online store starting November 24, 2014.

DIGITAL HISTORY

The Song of Hiawatha


Hiawatha Story Card 3 By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis. (from part III)	Hiawatha Story Card 2 And she called her name Wenonah, As the first-born of her daughters. And the daughter of Nokomis Grew up like prarie lilies. (from part III)	Hiawatha Story Card 20 Then uprose the Laughing Water, Brought forth food and set before them, Water brought them from the brooklet, Gave them food in earthen vessels. (from part X)

On this day in 1855, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha was published. Longfellow wrote the poem over 15 months with an introduction and 22 parts. It was an immediate success, selling 50,000 copies that year. Longfellow used Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's telling of the legend of Manabozho as a source for his epic, and changed the Native American hero's name to Hiawatha.

In 1922, the A. Flanagan Company of Chicago published a set of 20 coloring cards for children depicting scenes from Longfellow's poem, called Hiawatha Pictures to Cut, Color & Paste. Designed and illustrated by Leonard J. Cronin, each image is accompanied by a few lines of verse. All 20 cards, and an introduction sheet, can be seen here on the Maine Memory Network. The cards are selections from different parts of the poem.

View all parts of The Song of Hiawatha in our poems database on our website www.HWLongfellow.org. Listen to Garrison Keillor read some of the poem's introduction in this audiocast from The Writer's Almanac.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

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


Monday, November 10 - Saturday, November 15 Free museum admission all week to Veterans! The MHS museum and store will be open on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11. Visit us after the Veterans Day parade on Congress Street! We're open 10am - 5pm.	Tuesday, November 11, 3:30pm The Children's Hour: Weekly Story & Craft Activity for Kids For kids ages 4-9 and their caregivers. Book: The Wall by Eve Bunting. Craft: TBD. Location: Meet at the MHS Store, 489 Congress Street, Portland. Free and open to the public. Details online.	Friday, November 14, 5:30 - 6:45pm Opening Reception for Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War Exhibition Presented in partnership with the American Library Association and the Maine Irish Heritage Center Location: Second Floor Reading Room, Brown Research Library Free and open to the public. Details online.


Friday, November 14, 7:00pm Lecture: Free and Responsible Government: The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Speaker: Jared Peatman Location: Shettleworth Lecture Hall Free and open to the public. This program relates to the traveling exhibition, Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War. Details online.	Tuesday, November 18, 12:00pm Lecture: Maine During the Civil War Speaker: Lee Webb Location: Shettleworth Lecture Hall Free and open to the public. This program relates to the traveling exhibition, Lincoln: The Constitution & the Civil War. Details online.	Monday, November 24, 5:30pm Lecture: The History and Significance of the Portland Company Complex Location: Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library Speaker: Scott Hanson Presented in partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks, Portland Public Library, Friends of the Eastern Promenade, and the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization. Free and open to the public. Details online.

CELEBRATE THE SEASON at MHS

This holiday season, Maine Historical Society explores the friendship between the man who is said to have "invented America" and the man who is said to have "invented Christmas"--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens. Guests who tour the Wadsworth-Longfellow House will learn about both men, Dickens's visit to Portland, Christmas traditions of the Longfellow family, and the enduring effects of A Christmas Carol on our modern understanding of the holiday.

Celebrate the Season at MHS

November 28 - December 28, 2014

Guided Holiday Tours of the
Wadsworth-Longfellow House
Thursday - Sunday, 12pm - 5pm.
Last tour leaves at 4pm

MHS Store Holiday Bazaar
Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm
Sunday, 12pm - 5pm
November 28 - December 28
Shettleworth Lecture Hall

Holiday Music In The House
Pianist David Maxwell plays during House tours.
Sundays November 30, December 7 & 14, 1pm - 3pm
Wadsworth-Longfellow House

MHS Members Holiday Party
With Violinist Hope Hoffman
December 4, 5pm - 7pm
Shettleworth Lecture Hall

First Friday Art Walk
With Deering High School carolers
December 5, 5pm - 8pm
MHS Galleries, Brown Library & Wadsworth-Longfellow House

Blacksmith Demonstrations
With Master Blacksmith Sam Smith
December 6 and 13, 11am - 3pm
Wadsworth-Longfellow House front lawn

An Evening with Longfellow and Dickens
Presented in partnership with Portland Stage Company
December 11, 7pm - 8:30 pm
Shettleworth Lecture Hall

Portland Stage Company affiliates Daniel Noel and Andrew Harris bring Longfellow and Dickens vividly to life in this special performance. A reception follows. Advance registration required. Cost: $12 MHS members; $15 non-members. Reserve your seat online.

Give the Gift of Membership

This holiday season give friends and family a gift that will last all year long: membership in Maine Historical Society.

Benefits include:

* Invitations to our holiday party, exhibit openings, trips, and special programs

* A 10% discount in the MHS Museum Store and online store, and online at Vintage Maine Images

* Free Admission to the MHS Museum and Wadsworth-Longfellow House

* Free access to the Brown Library and its resources

* Subscriptions to Maine History and to our quarterly newsletter

Buy memberships online, or call us at 207-774-1822 ext. 216.

ONGOING PROGRAMS & EXHIBITIONS

Exhibitions

MHS Gallery
Home: The Longfellow House and the Emergence of Portland

Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. Lecture Hall

Wholesome Habitations: Architectural Collections of the Maine Historical Society

Showcase Gallery

Remembering Our Visit: Souvenir China and Mementos of the Longfellow House

Brown Library, Second Floor Reading Room

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War

Ongoing Programs

The Children's Hour, an after school story and craft program

Upcoming dates: November 11, 18, and 25 at 3:30pm

Children ages 4-9 (with their caregivers) are invited to celebrate reading and literature at Longfellow's childhood home with a new program called The Children's Hour. The hour-long program includes a read-aloud of a favorite children's book in Wadsworth-Longfellow House, and a fun craft-making activity inspired by the story. The program is led by Kathleen Neumann, Manager of School and Interpretative Programs. Details online.

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.