The Object of History

Welcome To Historians & Their Histories! Dec 22, 2024

Join us on January 6, 2025 for Historians & Their Histories, the new podcast from the Massachusetts Historical Society. In this new series, we are introducing you to the historians who write the histories. In each episode, we sit down with a scholar who has received fellowship support from the Massachusetts Historical Society. We learn about their origin stories and ask them about why they became students of the past. And we get a sneak peek at their current projects, too.

1154 Boylston Street Dec 15, 2024

On this season of The Object of History, we are visiting institutions and organizations that have a connection to the MHS either through collections that we house or objects that we have loaned to them. But, first, we begin this season by discussing our very own headquarters in Boston. We sit down with various MHS staff members to learn more about the construction of the building, its maintenance, and their own experiences at 1154 Boylston Street.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-4-episode-1-1154

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Dan Sweeney is the Facility Manager at the MHS. He began working at the Society in 2010.

James P. Harrison III has been Custodian at the MHS since 1990.

This episode uses materials from:

Canoe by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Inside Andersonville Aug 15, 2024

In a recent episode of The Object of History, titled "The Mortal & Everlasting Life of Frederic Augustus James: Enduring Life Behind the Deadline of a Civil War POW Camp", we discussed Frederic Augustus James's experience in the Andersonville prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. In this bonus episode, we sit down with MHS Library Assistant Brandon McGrath-Neely. Brandon shares his impressions of James's writings and discusses his experience as a Park Ranger at the Andersonville National Historic Site and National Prisoner of War Museum.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-bonus-episode-inside-andersonville

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Listen to "The Mortal & Everlasting Life of Frederic Augustus James: Enduring Life Behind the Deadline of a Civil War POW Camp".

Episode Special Guest:

Brandon McGrath-Neely is a current student at Simmons University's dual-degree Masters of Library and Information Science and History program. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College, where we worked as a Civil War Fellow, documentary filmmaker, and a Brian C. Pohanka Intern at Andersonville National Historic Site and National Prisoner of War Museum.

This episode uses materials from:

Bald Eagle by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Eben Horsford's Nordic Nostalgia Jul 15, 2024

In a recent episode of The Object of History, titled "Events That Did Not Happen", we examined several items from the MHS collections that marked events that did not actually take place. In this bonus episode, we sit down with MHS Library Assistant Hannah Goeselt to learn more about Boston's statue of Leif Erikson and Eben Horsford's efforts to commemorate Norse discoverers of America.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-bonus-episode-eben-horsfords-nordic-nostalgia

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Listen to "Events That Did Not Happen".

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of Hannah's blog post on "Horsford's Vikings of New England".

Episode Special Guest:

Hannah Goeselt joined the MHS as a Library Assistant in October of 2023 after graduating from Simmons’ Master of Library and Information Science program. She mostly writes and thinks about manuscripts as material objects and their individual journeys through history.

This episode uses materials from:

Ginger by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

The Mortal & Everlasting Life of Frederic Augustus James: Enduring Life Behind the Deadline of a Civil War POW Camp Jun 15, 2024

In this episode, we are focusing on the Civil War and the prisoner of war experience of Frederic Augustus James and others like him. Elaine Heavey, the Director of the Library at the MHS, introduces us to James' diary and letters held by the MHS. Historian Evan Kutzler, author of Living By Inches: The Smells, Sounds, Tastes, and Feeling of Captivity in Civil War Prisons, tells us more about the prisoner of war experience. And the MHS Curator of Art & Artifacts Emerita, Anne Bentley, describes a few objects in our collection created by prisoners of war or taken from prisons during the Civil War.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-8-frederic-augustus-james

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Elaine Heavey, Director of the Library, joined the Library Readers Services team at the MHS 2006. She previously worked as a high school history teacher at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. Elaine holds a BA in History and Religious Studies from Stonehill College, and an Masters in Library Science from Simmons College.

Evan Kutzler is an associate professor of U.S. and public history at Western Michigan University. He is the author of Living by Inches: The Smells, Sounds, Tastes, and Feeling of Captivity in CIvil War Prisons (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019) and a former park ranger at Andersonville National Historic Site.

This episode uses materials from:

Bald Eagle by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Events That Did Not Happen May 15, 2024

On this episode, we take a look at events that never happened and are yet commemorated in some fashion. We find the monument to one such event on Boston's Commonwealth Avenue Mall. We also take a look at a token that marks the presidential election of an American politician and a set of medals struck to mark a great naval victory, neither of which happened.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-7-events-that-did-not-happen

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Learn more about the Lusitania Medal here.

Episode Special Guest:

Mary Yacovone, Curator of Rare Books & Visual Materials, has been at the MHS since 1994, after beginning her library career at the Essex Institute in Salem, Mass. She holds a B.A. in English from Tufts University and a Masters in Library Science from Simmons College.

This episode uses materials from:

Ginger by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Relics, Part 2: One of a Kind Apr 15, 2024

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Prof. Matthew Dennis, author of the book American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory. Prof. Dennis discussed corporeal relics with us in Part 1 of this discussion. In Part 2, we talk about natural specimens as well as objects that are given significance by the connection they have to an historic event or figure. MHS Curator of Art & Artifacts Emerita, Anne Bentley, and Chief Historian & Stephen T. Riley Librarian, Peter Drummey, also return to help us look at the remains of a Blackburnian warbler and a pair of epaulets that belonged to General George Washington.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-6-relics-one-of-a-kind

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest:

Matthew Dennis is Professor of History and Environmental Studies Emeritus at the University of Oregon and now lives in New York City. His books include Cultivating a Landscape of Peace: Iroquois-European Encounters in 17th-Century America; Red, White, and Blue Letter Days: An American Calendar; Riot and Revelry in Early America; Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations, 3 vols.; Seneca Possessed: Indians, Witchcraft, and Power in the Early American Republic; and American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory.

This episode uses materials from:

Yellow-rumped Warbler by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Relics, Part 1: Corporeal Remains Mar 15, 2024

In this episode, we speak with historian Matthew Dennis about his book, which looks at relics in American memory. With Peter Drummey, the Chief Historian & Stephen T. Riley Librarian, and Anne Bentley, the Curator of Art & Artifacts Emerita at the MHS, we examine two pieces of a blood-soaked towel and a fishhook made from human bone.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-5-relics-corporeal-remains

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest:

Matthew Dennis is Professor of History and Environmental Studies Emeritus at the University of Oregon and now lives in New York City. His books include Cultivating a Landscape of Peace: Iroquois-European Encounters in 17th-Century America; Red, White, and Blue Letter Days: An American Calendar; Riot and Revelry in Early America; Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations, 3 vols.; Seneca Possessed: Indians, Witchcraft, and Power in the Early American Republic; and American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory.

This episode uses materials from:

Monday by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Egyptomania and the Art of Egyptian Revival Feb 15, 2024

On this episode, we are investigating the phenomenon of Egyptomania, a "fascination with the style of Egypt, but also the people, and the landscape, and antiquity". We sit down with Lea Stephenson, a PhD Candidate in Art History at the University of Delaware, to examine Egyptomania's second wave during the Gilded Age. Lea helps us examine two collections by Americans who documented their travels to Egypt through various media. We also discuss these American travelers and their relationship with the landscape.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-4-egyptomania

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest:

Lea Stephenson is a PhD Candidate in Art History at the University of Delaware, where her dissertation considers Euro-American artists and collectors in Egypt during the Gilded Age. Currently, she is the Luce Foundation Curatorial Fellow in American Paintings & Works on Paper at Historic Deerfield.

This episode uses materials from:

Box Canyon by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

The Branded Hand Jan 15, 2024

On this episode, learn more about abolitionist Jonathan Walker, known as the “Branded Hand”, because of a punishment he received for attempting to rescue 7 enslaved laborers in 1844. Hannah Elder, the Associate Reference Librarian for Rights and Reproductions at the MHS, and Katherine Fein, a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History & Archaeology at Columbia University, join us as we discuss how abolitionists harnessed the new technology of photography to showcase the brutality of the system of slavery.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-3-branded-hand

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Katherine Fein is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History & Archaeology at Columbia University. Her article about the daguerreotype of Jonathan Walker's branded hand was published in Oxford Art Journal.

Hannah Elder, Associate Reference Librarian for Rights and Reproductions, has been with the MHS since 2018. She holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Maine and an MLIS from Simmons University. Her historical interests include the history of the book, queer history, and the lived experiences of ordinary women.

This episode uses materials from:

Belted Kingfisher by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Gouverneur Morris and the History of Disability Dec 15, 2023

In this episode, we discuss the field of Disability History and how it relates to several items at the MHS. Jenny Reiss, a Ph.D. candidate at University of Pennsylvania, introduces us to Gouverneur Morris, a founding father of the United States who lived with disabilities. We then take a look at several 19th and 20th century objects in the collection that relate to the history of disability.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-2-gouverneur-morris-and-history-disability

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Jennifer W. Reiss is a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in History at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is working on a dissertation, tentatively titled "Undone Bodies: Women and Disability in Early America", exploring the relationship between gender and disability in colonial America and the early Republic. She holds a B.A. in History and Political Science, also from Penn, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and two Master's degrees, in Law and in History, from the University of Cambridge.

Mary Yacovone, Curator of Rare Books & Visual Materials, has been at the MHS since 1994, after beginning her library career at the Essex Institute in Salem, Mass. She holds a B.A. in English from Tufts University and a Masters in Library Science from Simmons College.

This episode uses materials from:

Across The River by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

“Holding the Atlantic World In His Mouth”: George Washington, an MHS Portrait, and the Culture of Teeth in the 18th Century Nov 15, 2023

In this episode of The Object of History, we closely examine a portrait of George Washington in which he does not resemble the familiar face on the one-dollar bill. We discuss how this might be related to President Washington’s longtime struggle with his dental health and the cultural significance of teeth in the 18th century.

Episode transcript

Learn more about episode object here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-1-washingtons-teeth

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Lucy Smith is a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan in the joint History and Women & Gender Studies program. Her dissertation examines the cultural history of human teeth in the early American Republic and has taken her to 34 archives in 21 cities nationwide. Prior to graduate school, Smith worked nearly a decade in the museum field, most recently as the Education Specialist at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

This episode uses materials from:

Lens Flare by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

The Roots of Liberty?: An MHS Mystery Jul 15, 2023

In 1860, a historically-minded donor presented the MHS with tree roots, which he claimed belonged to Boston’s famous Liberty Tree. The tree, an American elm, served as a rallying point and important symbol for protesters and rebels in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Were the roots actually from that hallowed tree? Are they even from an American elm? In this episode, we set out to solve the mystery.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-9-roots-liberty-mhs-mystery

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Dr. William (Ned) Friedman is the eighth director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and the Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard. He is deeply interested in the evolutionary history of plants as well as the intellectual history of evolutionary thought.

Dr. Jacqueline Reynoso is a historian of Early America whose research explores processes of geopolitical imagining in eighteenth-century North America. She is an Assistant Professor of History at CSU Channel Islands.

This episode uses materials from:

Peas Corps by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Illuminating Illuminated Manuscripts Jun 15, 2023

In this episode, we are taking a close look at some of the oldest items in the Society's collection. W. Dean Eastman Undergraduate Resident, Erin Olding, takes us along as she examines manuscripts from the Middle Ages that are illuminated with gold and silver.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-8-illuminated-manuscripts

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Erin Olding was one of the two interns for the MHS's innagural W. Dean Eastman Undergraduate Library Residency, working with the Library and Research departments. She is going on to study History at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Dr. Agnieszka Rec is the Early Materials Cataloger at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. She is working on the collecting habits of Boston bibliophile Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston.

This episode uses materials from:

All the Ways by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

To Live Like John Quincy Adams May 15, 2023

In this episode, we find out what it takes to live like a historical figure and how collections like the Adams Papers can help us rethink daily life in both the past and the present. We sit down with Gwen Fries, the Production Editor of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society, to discuss an experiment she conducted during the lockdown of 2020. Gwen spent a week of her life living like John Quincy Adams. We discuss what daily life was like for the sixth president of the United States and what it was like to emulate him.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-7-to-live-like-john-quincy-adams

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Gwen Fries is the Production Editor of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Fries holds degrees in history and corporate communications from Elizabethtown College and has been with the Adams Papers since 2016.

Neal Millikan is the Series Editor for Digital Editions with the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society. She is currently editing the John Quincy Adams Digital Diary, part of the Mellon-sponsored Primary Source Cooperative at the MHS.

Laura Rocklyn is an award winning actress, writer, and first person historical interpreter who has performed with regional theaters across the country and worked at museums up and down the East Coast. She is currently an Acting Company Member with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and a museum educator at the Paul Revere House Museum.

This episode uses materials from:

Cases to Rest by Blue Dot Session (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Stories Told in Wax Apr 15, 2023

In this episode, Danny Bottino, a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University, explains the importance of studying wax seals, objects that accompany but are often overlooked when historians focus on the text of historical documents. As key components of deeds, letters, and other types of papers, wax seals tell important stories that we are just beginning to understand. Dr. Sara Georgini, the Series Editor of The Papers of John Adams, also shows us one of the most remarkable documents in the entire MHS collection.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-6-stories-told-in-wax

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Daniel Bottino is a doctoral candidate in early American and early modern European history at Rutgers University. His dissertation analyzes the interaction of oral and literate culture in the creation of landscapes of colonization in seventeenth-century Maine.

Dr. Sara Georgini is the series editor for The Papers of John Adams, part of the Adams Papers editorial project based at the Massachusetts Historical Society. She is the author of Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family and Our Library in Paris, coming soon from Oxford University Press.

This episode uses materials from:

Retrograde by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Small Objects Mar 15, 2023

In this episode, we are taking a close look at some of the smallest objects in the MHS collection. Inspired by a visit from Dr. Madeline Zehnder, a postdoctoral fellow in the Literary and Epistemic History of Small Forms Research Training Group at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, we first examine small copies of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In addition, Curator of Art & Artifacts Anne Bentley shows us some of her favorite small artifacts from the collection.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-5-small-objects

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest:

Madeline Zehnder is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Her current book project investigates relationships between pockets, small print formats, and fantasies of spatial and population control in the nineteenth-century United States.

This episode uses materials from:

Burned by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Furnishing Foreign Relations: Benjamin Joy’s Sea Chest Feb 15, 2023

In this episode, we examine an object from the first diplomatic mission between the United States and India. We learn more about an unassuming but truly marvelous piece of furniture that once accompanied the United States’s first consul, Benjamin Joy, back from India. MHS Reading Room Supervisor, Rakashi Chand, joins the conversation to discuss Joy’s role and this unique item.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-4-benjamin-joys-sea-chest

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest:

Rakashi Chand is a member of the Reference Staff at the Massachusetts Historical Society and oversees the Society’s Reading Room. She served two terms as the President of the United India Association of New England and is a member of Attorney General’s Advisory Council for New Americans representing the Indian Community in Massachusetts. Rakashi takes pride in advocating for her community and promoting Indian culture, heritage and traditions in America.

This episode uses materials from:

Blue Blanket by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Thunderbolt: A World War II Bomber Pilot’s Canine Companion Jan 15, 2023

In this episode, we explore the story of Thunderbolt, a dog who served as a companion to an American bomber pilot and POW, Lieutenant Robert Payne, during World War II. Research Department Intern Ian Morrison guides us through this story by highlighting the letters and photos that he discovered in the MHS collection.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-3-thunderbolt

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

Ian Morrison, a Boston-area native, is a Junior at Bowdoin College where he is studying History and Francophone Studies. He first interned with us to learn more about curation and library science, and has since confirmed his desire to continue on in the field.

Lorien Foote is the Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor of History at Texas A&M University.

This episode uses materials from:

Cloudbank by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Who Were the Bucks of America? Dec 15, 2022

In this episode, we closely examine one of the most noteworthy items in the MHS collection: the Bucks of America flag. The flag is one of the only remaining artifacts of the Bucks of America, an African American militia based in Boston during the Revolutionary era. There is very little known about the unit with no official military record of their service. We discuss the few pieces of evidence that we have including the flag presented by Governor John Hancock after the end of the Revolutionary War.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-2

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guests:

J. L. Bell is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and proprietor of the Boston 1775 blog. An MHS Fellow, he helped to design the society’s online exhibit “Thomas Nast: A Life in Cartoons.”

Ben Remillard is a PhD candidate at the University of New Hampshire. His research interests include the study of war and society, memory, and digital pedagogy. His dissertation examines the lives of New England's Revolutionary War soldiers of color.

This episode uses materials from:

Great Egret by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Daniel Webster's New England, Daniel Webster's Union Nov 15, 2022

In this episode, we examine the career of Daniel Webster, a 19th century political figure and nationalist from New England. We look at objects that give a glimpse into the rural and political life of this legendary individual. We shall also learn about Webster’s connection to the MHS, his understanding of the term “Union,” and consider why some view him as a controversial figure.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-1

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Michael Larmann is a PhD student in the History Department at the University of Montana and a 2022-2023 Benjamin F. Stevens Fellow at the MHS.

This episode uses materials from: Big Feelings by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Treasures Within: The Recovered Letters of Margaret Fuller Jun 15, 2022

In this episode, we are exploring the life of Margaret Fuller, the extraordinary 19th century intellectual who played a central role in the transcendentalist movement. We’ll learn about a recovered parcel of Fuller’s letters to her close friend, James Freeman Clarke. The letters had been lost for more than a hundred years before they were discovered carefully preserved in an ornate folio in the home of Clarke’s descendants.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode-11

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Megan Marshall is the Charles Wesley Emerson Professor at Emerson College and is the author of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life.

This episode uses materials from: Pounded Piano by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

The Letters of Phillis Wheatley May 15, 2022

In this episode, we are examining a group of letters written by the poet Phillis Wheatley to her friend Obour Tanner. These documents provide a window into a relationship between two young Black women during the age of the American Revolution. In Phillis’ letters to Obour, we catch a glimpse of their spiritual lives, their joint efforts to publish Wheatley’s books of poems, and the support they provided one another through hardship.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode-10

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Tara Bynum is an Assistant Professor of English & African American Studies at Iowa University. Dr. Bynum is the author of Reading Pleasures: Everyday Black Living in Early America.

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Curious Nature by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Relinquish by Poddington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

The Many Lives of the Lusitania Medal Apr 15, 2022

In this episode, we are examining several medals produced when a German U-boat torpedoed a civilian British ocean liner during the First World War. The medals became the center of a propaganda campaign that spanned the Atlantic. Originally created by a German artist, the medals quickly became tools for the Allied propaganda machine and a nightmare for the German government.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode-9

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: David Silbey is Adj. Associate Professor at Cornell University and Associate Director Cornell in Washington.

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Curious Nature by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Small Bummer by Poddington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License)

The Ledger Art of Ft. Marion Mar 15, 2022

The Casket of Hair Feb 15, 2022

In this episode, we are taking a close look at an artifact known as the casket of hair. Join us as we speak with MHS president Catherine Allgor about this little wooden box displaying the hair of First Lady Dolley Madison and Presidents George Washington, James Madison, and John Quincy Adams. We’ll also learn about the larger collection of hair held at the MHS and explore what is like to encounter hair in the archive.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode-7

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Catherine Allgor is the president of the Massachusetts Historical Society and is the author of Parlor Politics: In Which the Ladies of Washington Help Build a City and a Government (University Press of Virginia, 2000) and A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation (Henry Holt, 2006).

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Curious Nature by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Exlibris by Kosta T (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike)

Bonus: The Witch’s Bureau Jan 25, 2022

In today’s bonus episode, we are introducing you to another object in our collections related to the Salem Witch Trials – the so called Witch’s Bureau. You’ll hear from Chief Historian Peter Drummey and MHS Curator Anne Bentley as they explain how the bureau came to the MHS, the documents that link the furniture to the 1692 trials, and the clue that led them to unravel the bureau’s mysterious origins.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/bonus-witchs-bureau

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

This episodes uses materials from: By the Pond (Instrumental) by Chad Crouch, (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

A Petition for Rebecca Nurse Jan 15, 2022

In this episode, we are looking at the documentary record of the Salem Witch Trials. This disturbing tale of early America has fascinated generations and become a familiar story to many. But what it was like to witness this history firsthand? We’ll take a close look at the story of Rebecca Nurse, a respected woman in her 70s who was accused of witchcraft. Through original petition documents and printed trial records held in the MHS collections, we’ll explore Rebecca’s individual experience and the role her community played in both persecuting and defending her.

Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode-6

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Elyssa Tardif is the Director of Education at the MHS and an early American literary scholar.

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Curious Nature by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Nocturne by Kai Engel (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International)

Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the "Lowly Hotdog" Oct 04, 2021

In this episode, we are examining a few 20th century political campaign objects from the remarkable, but little known career of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Chances are that if you have heard of Lodge, Jr., you likely remember his involvement in the Vietnam War. But in today’s episode, we’re exploring Lodge’s earlier political career. We’ll look at an undelivered speech drafted for Senator Joseph McCarthy, an unusual pair of campaign mugs, and a peculiar bronzed hot dog paperweight.

Learn more about episode objects here: http://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode6

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode Special Guest: Luke Nichter is a Professor of History at Chapman University and the author of The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Curious Nature by Ketsa (Commercial non-exclusive license through Ketsa) Elephant Walk by Poddington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

A Miniature Portrait of Elizabeth Freeman Oct 04, 2021

In this episode, we are looking at the story of Elizabeth Freeman, a woman born into slavery in the 18th century who successfully sued for her freedom and helped bring about the end of slavery in Massachusetts. Leaving the house of her enslavers John and Hannah Ashley, Freeman took up paid work within the household of the lawyer who represented her in court, Theodore Sedgewick. We’ll take a close look at a miniature portrait of Freeman, a gold bead bracelet that once belonged to her, and a brief biography of Freeman, written by Catherine Maria Sedgewick.

Learn more about episode objects here: http://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode4

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

Episode special guest: Felicia Thomas, Assistant Professor at Morgan State University

This episode uses materials from: Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Theme in G by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

The Relics of Nora Saltonstall Oct 04, 2021

In this episode, we’re looking at the papers and artifacts of Nora Saltonstall, an adventurous young American who volunteered with the Red Cross in France during the First World War. As a driver for a mobile hospital unit, Nora transported supplies and taxied wounded soldiers across the war front. For her services she received the Croix de Guerre – the highest honor given by the French government to volunteers. After returning safely to Boston in 1919, Nora embarked on a camping tour of national parks in the American West, where she met an unexpected fate.

Learn more about episode objects here: http://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode3

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

This episode uses materials from: Out Notes (Instrumental) by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

The Lost Sword of the MA 54th Oct 04, 2021

In this episode, we’re exploring a set of items related to the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first African American regiment raised in the North during the American Civil War. We’ll learn about the once lost sword of Robert Gould Shaw – the young white colonel who died leading the 54th into battle. We’ll also look beyond this famous artifact at the ordinary men who served in the 54th. In remarkable numbers, they answered the nation's call to service. Despite unequal pay, discrimination, and the threat of enslavement and death, they fought for the hope of building a better, freer, and more just republic.

Learn more about episode objects here: http://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode2

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

This episode uses materials from: New England is Interesting by BOPD (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License). Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

A Letter from Paul Revere Oct 04, 2021

Welcome to The Object of History – a podcast where we unravel the stories behind historical objects held at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Join us as we take a close look at a letter written by Paul Revere, the revolutionary patriot famous for his "midnight ride." We’ll learn how Revere authored his account of that pivotal night at the request of MHS founder, Jeremy Belknap. We’ll explore how this letter was lost for decades before its rediscovery, and how it ultimately became a precious artifact in the MHS collections.

Learn more about episode objects here: http://www.masshist.org/podcast/episode1

Email us at podcast@masshist.org.

This episodes uses materials from: By the Pond (Instrumental) by Chad Crouch, (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License) Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk) Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)

Welcome to The Object of History! Sep 03, 2021

Join us Oct 4 for The Object of History - a podcast produced by the Massachusetts Historical Society. The extraordinary collections of the MHS tell the story of America through millions of rare and unique documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable national treasures. Each episode of the podcast takes you on a behind the scenes tour of that vast collection.

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