2005 Events
Thursday, December
8, 5:00-7:00
Annual Holiday Party
Place: Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
Celtic and
holiday music was performed by Jeannie Donovan and friends in their eighth
annual appearance. Buffet items were prepared by members and by the following
caterers: The Basil Tree, Catering by Debby, Cuisine Chez Vous, Global
Gourmet, Kayo and Company Catering, La Bonne Maison, Riley to the Rescue
Catering, and Tables of Content.
The following local authors signed and sold their books on various aspects
of local history:
- Alan Seaburg - The Ice King: a biography of Frederic Tudor
- Sarah Boyer - All in the Same Boat: Stories of 20th Century East Cambridge
- Bonnie Hurd Smith
- The Letters I Left Behind:
The Judith Sargent Murray papers, 1796-1799
Sunday, October
30, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
A Walking Tour of Harvard Square:
"Tales of Olde Cambridge
Timothy Sawyer
led us on a fact-filled and entertaining walk though the oldest section
of our city. Its original shoreline, pattern of streets, importance as
the original capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and much more will
come to life as we wind our way through three centuries of Cambridge history
in the few square blocks of Harvard Square. Long-time Cantabrigians and
CHS members Tim and Joan Sawyer founded Lively Lore in 2005 (www.livelylore.com).
Using her expertise as a writer and producer of educational media, Joan
researched and wrote the tour script, which is called “Tales of Olde
Cambridge.” Tim, a professional actor, presented the script in an
enthusiastic and witty performance that made history fun.
Thursday, September
22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Lecture: An Ecological View of Cambridge History
Place: Hooper-Lee-Nichols, 159 Brattle Street
Urban
historian Sam Bass Warner, led us on an ecological adventure spanning
three centuries of Cambridge history, starting with our city and its inhabitants
in the 18th century and then observing how we have altered our environment
and how it has altered us.Sam Bass Warner, who lived in Cambridge for
many years, attended the Browne & Nichols School as well as Harvard
University, where he received his Ph.D. in history. Currently visiting
professor in the Department of Urban Studies & Planning at MIT, Warner
is the author of numerous books, including the groundbreaking Streetcar
Suburbs: The Process of Growth in Boston, 1870-1900 and, more recently,
Greater Boston: Adapting Regional Traditions to the Present. Refreshments
were courtesy of the Red
House Restaurant
Wednesday, August
10, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Charles River Cruise
D'Arcy MacMahon,
a founder of the Head of the Charles Regatta, narrated our cruise, which
began at the CambridgeSide Galleria and headed upstream. D'Arcy talked
about the history of the Regatta and described the challenges and quirks
of the course from the starting line to the finish, with comments on the
various boat clubs along the way. He was followed by John Page, from the
Charles River Conservancy. He gave an update of the park and building
construction currently underway in the Charles River Basin.
Saturday, July 2 and
9, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cambridge Discovery Days
Walking tours throughout the city
These city-wide tours were free and open to the public.
Under
the auspices of the Historic Cambridge Collaborative, the CHS will be
offered the following tours: July 2, 11:00 a.m.-noon"The British
Loyalists of Brattle Street" led by Ted Hansen; July 9, 10:00-11:00
a.m. "Guided Tour of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House," led by Lewis
Bushnell; and 11:00 a.m.- noon "Four Centuries of Stylish Houses"
led by Karen L. Davis.
Friday, June 17, 5:00-7:00
p.m.
Centennial Exhibition
Place: Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, 159 Brattle Street
Fee: Free and open to the public
Attendees took self-guided tours of the most significant objects collected
by the Society over the last 100 years. Displayed throughout the Hooper-Lee-Nichols
House. These objects are described in a liberally illustrated (and free)
exhibition catalog. Entitled: "100 Years of Cambridge: Highlights
from the Collection of the Cambridge Historical Society, it was written
by CHS curator Lindsay Leard Coolidge. People toured the garden and met
landscape historian Karen Falb, who has written a cultural landscape report
on the history of our grounds.
Sunday, June 5, 10:00
a.m.-4:00 p.m
The Secret Gardens of Cambridge
The Cambridge Historical Society's garden was one
of the 25 gardens on this year's tour, organized by the Friends of the
Cambridge Public Library.
Sunday, May 15, 2:30
to 5:30 p.m.
Centennial Fundraiser: From NECCO to
NOVARTIS
Place: the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research,
250 Mass. Ave.
Single ticket price: $60 Advance reservations required.
Our 100th birthday party celebrated the transformation of the NECCO building into the research headquarters of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Cambridge was the candy-making capital of the world, and the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) traces its roots to 1847, making it the oldest candy company in America. Attendees toured the six-story building's dramatic interior spaces, which were created during a major renovation that restored the exterior to its original 1927 appearance. There were presentations by Domenic Antonellis, the CEO of NECCO; and Audrey O'Hagan and Edward Tsoi, the architects who turned the building into a state-of-the-art laboratory for Novartis. Charles Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, gave the keynote address on the evolution of the industrial sector of Cambridge from a manufacturing to a biotechnology center.
We wish to thank the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research for hosting this event and for their leadership gift of $10,000.
Thursday, April 14,
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Looking Backward: Club 47
and the 1960s Folk Music Revival
Place: Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
In a talk accompanied by historic
photos and recordings, folklorist Millie Rahn discussed the history and
significance of the legenddary Club 47 - later Passim's - in 1960's Cambridge.
Thursday, March 31
Dana FellowEvent at
the Joseph Emerson Worcester House*
Place: 121 Brattle Street
Charles Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission,
discussed the architectural and social history of this extraordinary Brattle
Street residence, which was built by a 19th-century lexicograher. Attendees
toured the house and enjoyed refreshments provided by Hammond Real Estate,
sponsor of this by invitation only event.
* Dana Fellows hold CHS memberships at or above the $100 level.
Sunday, February 13,
2005, 2:00-4:00p.m.
100th Annual Meeting of
the Cambridge Historical Society
Place: Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
This
was the kick-off meeting of the Centennial Year. We transacted the business
of the Society, including the election of officers, councilors, and members
of the advisory committee, and heard brief reports from committee chairs.
Following this brief business meeting, objects conservator Barbara Mangum
will give a lecture entitled: The Conservation of the Lillie Models:
One of the Greatest Challenges of My Career.
Rupert Lillie models
gave these four models--one of which is the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House--to
the Society in 1979. Considered treasures in our collection, they depict
houses on Brattle Street that gave it the nickname "Tory Row."
Describing her work, Barbara Mangum said,
"In October of 2002, I evaluated the models for conservation. The
houses were in good condition, but the landscapes had deteriorated. For
example, the grounds of one were comparable to a field of corn flakes,
and the ponds and waterways had faded so that only small hints of their
original brilliant blue were evident. The models had been carefully constructed,
but with materials that were not durable. My research suggests that the
techniques used to create the landscapes were borrowed from the popular
model train industry. In my Powerpoint presentation, I will describe the
techniques Lillie used to create the models and the subsequent challenges
I faced in returning them to a presentable condition."