Event

CONSTITUTION vs. GUERRIERE battle Paintings

2008-05-23T04:00:00Z

The Museum recently seized an unparalleled opportunity and acquired at a Sotheby's auction one of its most significant acquisitions ever: a series of four paintings of the CONSTITUTION vs. GUERRIERE battle of August 19, 1812, painted by Salem artist George Ropes, Jr. and dated 1813. These four paintings depict the first sighting, engagement, GUERRIERE's dismasting, and burning. They are among the earliest images of this seminal battle. This is the very moment CONSTITUTION earns her nickname "Old Ironsides" and becomes the important national symbol that endures today.

The Ropes' paintings include images of sailors climbing aloft to ready the Ship for battle and the dramatic destruction of the defeated British ship. The paintings will become the Museum's signature images and will be showcased now through November 14, 2008. Following that time, they will be rotated on and off display, used as aids in educational programs, and reproduced on items in the store for years to come. We ultimately will make them part of a permanent exhibition about the War of 1812 opening next spring.

Stories in Stone: The Historic Burying Grounds of Boston

2008-08-01T04:00:00Z

Preachers, patriots and artists lie alongside pirates and slaves in Boston’s early graveyards, and their lives provide inspiration for the exhibit Stories in Stone: The Historic Burying Grounds of Boston, at the Adams Gallery at Suffolk University from Aug. 1 through Oct. 20, 2008.

Stories in Stone draws on artworks, archival records and photography to paint a picture of life and culture in Boston dating from the colony’s first settlement to today.

Bostonians of means had stones erected in memory of family members, and the images and epitaphs on these early grave markers tell individual stories while reflecting cultural changes from the 17th through 19th centuries.

The legend of Paul Revere is illustrated with the patriot’s portrait, his engraving of the “Boston Massacre,” and an excerpt from Longfellow’s poem celebrating the Revere’s “Midnight Ride.” Revere is buried in the Granary Burying Ground, as are the victims of the Boston Massacre.

The exhibit also looks at the stonemason’s art, the meaning of gravestone iconography and preservation efforts.

The stories continue today, with photographs showing neighbors who have adopted a pair of historic graveyards in South Boston. They plant flowers and feed birds in a spot seen as an oasis in their densely populated neighborhood.

The exhibit is presented by Suffolk University in partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Historic Burying Grounds Initiative.

Special Display of Rare Books and Documnets relating to 17th century Native Americans

2008-09-01T13:00:00Z

The Business of Preservation: John Phillips Reynolds, Jr. and the Restoration of the Paul Revere House

2008-09-03T22:30:00Z

"The Business of Preservation: John Phillips Reynolds, Jr. and the Restoration of the Paul Revere House" Patrick Leehey of the Paul Revere House

Boston Charter Day

2008-09-04T11:00:00Z

Native Americans in the Time Before Now: Perceptions from Boston and Beyond

2008-09-04T21:30:00Z

In the Time Before Now: Stories of Massachuset People

2008-09-04T23:00:00Z

Perspectives on the Early Conlonial Period of Massachusetts Bay Colony

2008-09-05T22:00:00Z

Boston Harbor Islands: Native American Legacies

2008-09-06T14:00:00Z

Quill Pen Writing & Drawing

2008-09-06T17:00:00Z

Dressed in colonial garb, R.P. Hale uses early American teaching techniques to instruct museum visitors in the art of writing and drawing with quills.

The Massachuset People

2008-09-06T18:00:00Z

Old State House Museum

2008-09-07T13:00:00Z

Boston's 378th Birthday Party

2008-09-07T18:00:00Z

Architect Joseph Chandler and the Restoration of the Paul Revere House: New Research and Perspectives

2008-09-10T22:30:00Z

"Architect Joseph Chandler and the Restoration of the Paul Revere House: New Research and Perspectives" Architectural historian Timothy Orwig

Colonial Basket Weaving

2008-09-13T17:00:00Z

Rather than in plastic bags or cardboard boxes, colonists stored cheese, chickens and candles in specially designed baskets. Fred Lawson weaves and sells copies of period originals.

Wallace Nutting and the Invention of Old America

2008-09-17T22:30:00Z

"Wallace Nutting and the Invention of Old America"
Tom Deneberg of the Portland Museum of Art

Captain Amasa Soper's Company

2008-09-20T17:00:00Z

Costumed members of this Revolutionary War reenactment group take on the roles of farmers, printers, and tailors who defended Boston Harbor after the seige of the city ended in March 1776.

The Restoration of the House of the Seven Gables: Historic Preservation with a Civic Mission

2008-09-24T22:30:00Z

"The Restoration of the House of the Seven Gables: Historic Preservation with a Civic Mission"
Anita D. Blackaby of the House of the Seven Gables

Salem Witch Judge book talk

2008-09-25T18:00:00Z

Eve LaPlante, author of SALEM WITCH JUDGE: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall will be at the Boston Public Library to speak about her book.

The Siege of Boston, Roxbury & Dorchester

2008-09-27T14:00:00Z

Rescuing the Revere House

2008-09-27T17:00:00Z

Revere descendants, as portrayed by Joan Gatturna and Michael Lepage, recall their valiant (and successful) efforts in the early 1900s to save the Revere House from destruction and transform it into a museum.

Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Grand Opening

2008-10-04T04:00:00Z

www.rosekennedygreenway.org

617-292-0020

Fife and Drum Tattoo

2008-10-04T16:00:00Z

Colonial Leather Working

2008-10-04T17:00:00Z

Find out how leather workers fashioned scabbards, sword belts, and harnesses to outfit the Continental Army. Fred Lawson demonstrates these methods and invites visitors to try their hands at punching holes and sewing leather.