There is a lot going on at the MHS this week. Here is a look:
On Tuesday, 24 September, at 5:15 PM: Fifty Shades of Green: Sexing Economics with Bethany Moreton, Dartmouth College, and comment by Nancy Cott, Harvard University. From the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship to the Chicago School, thinkers on the Right have vigorously theorized the foundational connections between sexual and economic ideologies, even while self-identified partisans of labor democracy scold radicals for “trying to persuade people on the left that gay issues, black issues, feminist issues and so on are all really about capitalism.” What happens when we consider economic “science” as a chapter in the history of sexuality? This is part of the Boston Seminar on Modern American Society and Culture series. Seminars are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, 25 September, at 12:00 PM: Suffragists of Scituate with Lyle Nyberg, Scituate Historical Society. A hundred years ago, several nationally prominent suffragists spent summers in Scituate, which had become a popular seaside destination. They included Inez Haynes Irwin, who wrote the history of the National Woman’s Party, and Judith Winsor Smith, who wrote for the Woman’s Journal and gave public speeches into her 90s promoting a woman’s right to vote. This talk examines their little-known stories and unique relationship to Scituate. This is part of the Brown-bag lunch program. Brown-bags are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, 25 September, at 6:00 PM: The Arts & Crafts Houses of Massachusetts: A Style Rediscovered with Heli Meltsner, Cambridge Historical Society. At the opening of the twentieth century, Massachusetts architects struggled to create an authentic new look that would reflect their clients’ increasingly informal way of life. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement in England, the result was a charming style that proved especially appropriate for the rapidly expanding suburbs and vacation houses in the states. Through meticulous research, Heli Meltsner brings this distinctly New England architectural style the attention it deserves. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30 PM; the speaking program begins at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
On Thursday, 26 September, at 5:15 PM: Toward the Sistercentennial: New Light on Women’s Participation in the American Revolution with Woody Holton, University of South Carolina, and comment by Mary Bilder, Boston College Law. This essay offers new insight on some of the iconic stories of women’s involvement in the American Revolution. For example, it documents disputes among the Patriot boycotters of 1769 and 1770 (male vs. female, enslaved vs. free, and northern vs. southern) and describes the male-on-male conflicts that led to and resulted from Esther Reed’s famous Ladies Association of 1780. This is part of the Pauline Maier Early American History Seminar series. Seminars are free and open to the public.
On Saturday, 28 September, at 2:00 PM: Primary Sources for Fashion & Costume History Research with Kimberly Alexander, University of New Hampshire, and Sara Georgini, MHS. Antique textiles, images of historical figures, and material culture hold a wealth of information that can enrich personal stories, explain relationships, and contextualize the world that people occupied. However, these sources can seem daunting to explore. Two experts on fashion and material culture will guide you through unraveling the stories woven into history’s fabric. This workshop is part of our Remember Abigail programming.
Abigail Adams: Life & Legacy Pop-Up Display begins on 27 September
Abigail Adams urged her husband to “Remember the Ladies” and made herself impossible to forget. But Abigail is memorable for more than her famous 1776 admonition. This final Remember Abigail display uses documents and artifacts through the ages to consider the way Abigail viewed her own legacy and to explore how and why we continue to Remember Abigail. Join us for gallery talks on 25 October and 22 November at 2:00 PM.
Fenway Connections, an exhibition by the MHS and the Fenway Studios, opens on 3 October
The Fenway Studios is the only purpose-built structure in the United States designed to provide work and living space for artists that is still used for its original intent. It was modeled after 19th-century Parisian atelier studios but took the additional step of encouraging studio-design suggestions from the founding artists. This temporary exhibition will celebrate the history and evolution of Fenway Studios by shining a light on contemporary work produced by current members alongside rarely shown paintings from the MHS collection created by past Fenway Studios artists. An opening reception will take place on 3 October at 5:30 PM. It is free and open to the public.