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FEATURED ITEM

Marquis de Lafayette Portrait

In July 1824, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), one of the great heroes of the American Revolution, returned to the United States, kicking off a triumphant farewell tour of America.


Lafayette visited Boston in August 1824 and again in June 1825 to lay the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill monument. This portrait was painted by Henry Cheever Pratt (1803–1880) in 1825, at the time of Lafayette’s second visit. The artist also depicted part of a granite-block monument as part of the portrait’s background. The artist added names, including Washington and Warren, that can be seen on a few of the blocks.


View the painting up close and learn more about the Marquis de Lafayette.

Several of the Residents in the Neighbourhood came to pay their respects to General La-Fayet[te].

—John Quincy Adams Diary, 6 August 1825

NEWS

Whats On?

Back-to-School Archives Crawl


The MHS is part of a collaboration among Massachusetts archives presenting a Back-to-School Archives Crawl this September.


As part of the Archives Crawl, the MHS has put together a display of girls school samplers, and the quill pen used by Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The Scarlet Letter. The display will be on view until 17 September. The MHS is hosting an Open House on 10 September from 5 to 7 PM. Learn more here.

CALENDAR

Upcoming Events

RECEPTION

Tuesday, 10 September

3:00 PM–5:00 PM

Graduate Student Reception 2024

Register

OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday, 10 September

5:00 PM–7:00 PM

Back-to-School Archives Crawl

Register

SPECIAL EVENT

Thursday, 12 September

3:30 PM–4:30 PM

MHS Honorary Fellows Meeting

In-person reception begins at 2:30 PM.

Register

Tuesday, 17 September, 5:30 PM: Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotton Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science with Catherine McNeur, Portland State University, in conversation with Andrew Robichaud, Boston University. This is an author talk.


Wednesday, 25 September, 6:00 PM: Women & Children First: The Trailblazing Life of Susan Dimock, M.D. with Susan Wilson, in conversation with Jackie Jenkins-Scott. This is a program.


Friday, 27 September, 9:00 AM–6:30 PM: Racial Histories of Higher Education in New England: A Symposium Co-Hosted by the New England Quarterly with a keynote address by Pulitzer Prize—winning historian David Blight, Yale University. This is a conference.


See full calendar.

EXHIBITION

On View

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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