“
Surely it is best to look on the bright side of every subject, and there are none that will not admit of some Consolation
”
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#GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of unity, is today, 5 May 2020, in response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.
In these uncertain times, one thing we know for sure is that history is a survivor! As a keeper of its enduring lessons, the MHS too marches on. We are dedicated to serving the community throughout the COVID-19 disruption, while innovating with new ways to connect.
Please
support the MHS
during this transitional time and help the Society continue to share the stories that shape us all.
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Featured Item from the MHS Collection
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"
We are going out to make calls
"
This colorful image is just one of many from the seven volumes of drawing books of Bertha Louise Cogswell. Throughout the 155 pages of pencil and crayon sketches, the young artist depicts her life in Cambridge, MA, including games, parties, holidays, social calls, and
travel
. The pictures, captioned in pencil, unfold as a kind of illustrated diary in several sequential panels per page. Assuming Cogswell was between the ages of 8 and 12 when she illustrated her books, they date from sometime between 1876 and 1880. What makes Cogswell's drawings unique is not just the insight they provide into the life of a young girl in late 19th-century Massachusetts but that they also depict her aspirations and expectations for the future. The diaries contain many details of Victorian fashion (at 11, she gets her ears "bored," or pierced) and recreation (including sledding, beachcombing, and playing croquet). In volumes 4 through 7, she draws herself at the ages of 17, 20, 23, and 26. She imagines herself marrying; raising four children named George, Mabel, Arthur, and Alice; and participating in charitable work.
Read more about Cogswell and her diary.
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On
Friday, 8 May, at 2:00 PM
, join us for an online talk and virtual tour with Jonathan Lane, Revolution 250.
This year marks the 400th Anniversary of the settlement of Plymouth Colony. On Friday, 8 May, join Jonathan Lane for a tour of the original settlement without leaving your armchair. Using a Google tour, Lane will examine the resources and topography that convinced the Mayflower passengers to build their settlement in Plymouth. Learn how that site aided in building a rapport with the indigenous peoples. Discuss why the decision to settle there ultimately doomed Plymouth as an independent colony and why the Pilgrim story still remains an iconic part of American history.
Register for the online event.
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On
Wednesday, 27 May, at 5:30 PM
, join us for an online talk with Ted Widmer, Macauley Honors College (CUNY), about his new book,
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Share Your COVID-19 Experience(s)
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The MHS invites you to contribute your COVID-19 experience(s) to our collection. Record your experiences on a daily, weekly, or intermittent basis by:
- Keeping a journal and donating it to the MHS. For more information, contact collections@masshist.org.
- Contributing your thoughts and images online. Visit our COVID-19 web display to learn more and to share your thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who has shared so far. If you have not yet done so or would like to contribute again, please visit:
www.masshist.org/projects/covid/index.php.
You can also read what others have shared.
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Previously scheduled for 5 May, the Making History Gala featuring Jon Meacham in conversation with
Emily Rooney will take place on
Tuesday, 17 November
5:30 sponsor reception | 6:00 cocktails and dinner
Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston
Tickets are $500 per person
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