Upcoming Events at the Maine Historical Society
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These programs are made possible through membership and support from the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust, H.M. Payson & Co., DownEast, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
March Programs
Book Event: Mountains of Maine
Tuesday, March 16, 12:00 pm
Steve Pinkham, Outdoorsman and Author
Join us for a talk and slideshow based on Pinkham’s entertaining new book. Steve has researched the history, place names, and stories behind many of Maine’s mountains. As he hiked all over the state, Steve became fascinated with the unique names of mountains and features and wanted to learn their real stories. He talked with local historians and combed the libraries of the Maine Historical Society, Maine State Archives, the University of Maine, Brown, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and the Library of Congress. In the process, he found intriguing stories and local legends about Maine mountains and features, including some of the historical events and colorful mountain folk that led to their naming. Steve Pinkham is an avid hiker who has climbed more than 170 Maine mountains and hills and has also completed the New England 100 highest.
Free and Open to the Public.
Earle G. Shettleworth Lecture Hall, MHS, 489 Congress Street, Portland
April Programs
Book Event: Making Haste From Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World: A New History
Thursday, April 22, 7:00 pm
Nick Bunker, Author and Journalist
Join us to celebrate the publication of this probing new history of the Mayflower. Using a wealth of previously untapped or neglected evidence—from archives in England, Ireland, and the United States, including the Maine Historical Society—British author Nick Bunker gives a vivid, strikingly original account of the Mayflower project. From the rural kingdom of James I to industrial Holland and the beaver ponds of Maine, Bunker will share a rich narrative that combines religion, politics, money, science, and the sea. Nick Bunker, formerly an investment banker, has worked as an investigative reporter for the Liverpool Echo and as a writer for the Financial Times.
Free and Open to the Public.
Earle G. Shettleworth Lecture Hall, MHS, 489 Congress Street, Portland
May Programs
Save The Date!
MHS "The Mad Hatter Affair"
Saturday, May 1, 5:30 pm
At The Woodlands
Join MHS for our annual spring fundraiser - always the first Saturday in May! Dust off your dancing shoes and sport your Derby attire for a fun night out while supporting your favorite cause! Invitations will be mailed in mid-March. For more information, contact Elizabeth Nash at MHS at 207-774-1822 ext 206, enash@mainehistory.org. Check back to www.mainehistory.org for an updated list of auction items.
An Excursion to Boston: Genealogy Research, or The Secrets of Tomb 10A
Thursday, May 13, 07:30 am – 7:30 pm
Join us for a day of genealogical research at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) and Massachusetts State Archives at Columbia Point. Or, for those who would simply like to take an excursion to Boston, visit The Secrets of Tomb 10A exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts (www.mfa.org/tomb) which richly explores the discoveries made in the 4,000 year old tomb of Djehutynakht, an Egyptian governor.
NEHGS, which was established in 1845, boasts a collection of more than 200,000 genealogical and historical volumes, over one million manuscripts, as well as census records, vital records, deeds, probates, military records, plus the latest resources in print, microtext, and CD-Rom.
The Massachusetts State Archives includes Massachusetts vital records (1841-1910), 19th century passenger lists for the port of Boston, census records, state military and judicial records, Plymouth Colony records and papers pertaining to the early settlement of Maine.
Individuals who would like to take the MHS bus to Boston for a day of sightseeing but who do not plan to do research are welcome.
Registration required by May 3. $40.* Members $35.* *Does not include admission to NEHGS Library (NEHGS Admission: NEHGS Members: Free; non-NEHGS members: $15).
Book Event: Looking Astern: An Artist's View of Maine's Historic Working Waterfronts
Tuesday, May 18, 12:00 pm
Loretta Krupinski, Maritime Artist
Join us to explore Krupinski’s wonderful new collection of maritime paintings. Krupinski’s paintings, each based on an historic photograph, capture and bring to life moments in Maine history when shipbuilding, fishing, quarrying, and the cargo trade were the backbone of the coastal economy. Loretta Krupinski is a Fellow in the American Society of Maine Artists, an author, and fine artist. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in museums across the country and locally she exhibits at the Gleason Gallery in Portland.
Free and Open to the Public.
Earle G. Shettleworth Lecture Hall, MHS, 489 Congress Street, Portland
Family & Ongoing Programs
Please check back soon for Family and Ongoing Programs.
Annual Cruise
CRUISE - Danube River Cruise From Vienna to the Black Sea, October 6 - October 20, 2010
Join other history enthusiasts from the Maine Historical Society as we trace the millennia-old timeline along the Danube River from Vienna to the Black Sea for a trip of a lifetime! You’ll cruise through seven countries: Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania, seeing sights that you won’t forget, immersing yourself in new cultures, meeting new friends, and delighting in new types of food and drink. Celtic fortifications, medieval tours, Turkish baths, 19th-century neoclassical architecture, Roman ruins, and modern resorts make this one of the most extraordinary voyages in the world. Get Details.
Exhibits
Re/Collected: Great Works and New Discoveries from the Brown Library
June 26, 2009 through May 30, 2010
Heralding MHS's commitment to the history and heritage of Maine and its people, this original exhibition celebrates the breadth and depth of the Brown Library collections at Maine Historical Society. Re/Collected reveals the range found in this unparalleled collection, the State's most comprehensive source for the study of Maine history. Unusual Maine riches abound, ranging from official boundary maps to intimate family correspondence. Special highlights include items relating to 17th-century Maine settlements, the Civil War, and Portland's Abyssinian Meeting House. More info.
Maine Memory Network
Offers online access to numerous Web–based exhibits and a constantly growing collection of nearly 20,000 historical documents, images, and objects contributed by more than 200 organizations around Maine. New exhibits added regularly. Go to www.mainememory.net.
Registration
All events, unless otherwise noted, are held at the Maine Historical Society. Click here for Directions or Parking.
For more information or to sign up for any of the events listed below, call (207) 774–1822 or email info@mainehistory.org. Support our efforts and become a member today.