This Week @MHS

FEATURED ITEM

The Tragedy of Zara, performed at Faneuil Hall During the Siege of Boston

On Saturday 2 December 1775, during the Siege of Boston, British soldiers sought to entertain themselves with a production of The Tragedy of Zara. The play was performed at Faneuil Hall, and the proceeds were “apply’d to the Benefit of the Widows and Children of the Soldiers.”

Since plays had long been banned in Puritan Boston, only the British occupation allowed a theatrical performance to take place, which perhaps explains the first line of the prologue excerpt, below.

View this broadside up close.

“Say then Ye Boston Prudes, if Prudes there Are | Is this A Task unworthy of the Fair? | Shall Form, Decorum Piety Refuse | A Call on Beauty to Conduct support the Muse?”

— John Burgoyne, Prologue for opening the theatre at Boston, December 1775

Fellowship Deadlines in January & February 2025

The MHS offers multiple fellowship opportunities for scholars to use its library and archival collections. Please take note of the following upcoming deadlines:

MHS Long-Term Fellowships: 15 January 2025

MHS Short-Term Fellowships: 15 January 2025

New England Regional Fellowship Consortium: 1 February 2025

Suzanne and Caleb Loring Fellowship: 15 February 2025

Two long-term NEH fellowships are awarded annually. Applicants research at the MHS for a minimum of four months and a maximum of twelve months on their proposed project. The MHS also awards 15 short-term fellowships annually and helps to provide approximately 24 New England Regional Fellowship Consortium grants for projects that draw on the resources of 31 participating research and cultural institutions. Learn more and apply here.

Monday, 3 February, 6:00 PM: We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance with Kellie Carter Jackson, Wellesley College, in conversation with MHS Director of Research Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai. This is a program.

Tuesday, 18 February, 9:00 AM: Boston to Gongzhou & Back: Perspectives & Legacy of the U.S.-China Trade, 1790-1850s. This is a teacher workshop.

Tuesday, 11 March, 6:00 PM: Making History Gala with Nathaniel Philbrick. This is an event.

See full calendar.

Boston Views: Through the Lens of Arthur A. Shurcliff

Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870–1957), a landscape architect, created a collection of 1,295 glass lantern slides that depict cityscapes and buildings in Boston and other locations during the first decades of the 20th century. View a selection of Boston scenes reproduced at large scale and learn more about Shurcliff.

Learn more about the collection of glass lantern slides by reading this blog post. Visit our hours and admissions page for gallery hours.

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Our Members Are a Vital Resource

Support from MHS Members makes it possible for us to fulfill our mission and expand access to historical knowledge. Thanks to our Members, we offer free admission to our research library and exhibitions; provide history and civics education resources to students and teachers; support leading historical research fellowships and publications; and more. Membership begins with a fully tax-deductible contribution of $250 or more to the MHS Fund. All Members enjoy a full year of social, cultural, and educational experiences, including invitations to our annual Holiday Party, FREE program registration, and Member Week perks. Learn more and join today!

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