New Collections « News & Announcements

The library The Fine Arts Collection of The Winsor School

Those lazy, hazy days of August brought us some fascinating new collections. Appropriately, the Falmouth Public Library contributed over 2,000 postcards. If you’re missing the beach already, take a look. The Winsor School added close to 200 items from its Fine Arts Collection, including this Jacob Lawrence print of the school library (left).

The Brockton Public Library added 7 illustrations from the Shoe Industry in Brockton, Massachusetts. The Boston Public Library uploaded a few small collections plus over 2,000 photographs from the Richard Merrill Collection. Richard Merrill was fascinated by radio, which explains the interestingly titled photo below. Spreading New England’s Fame was a program on the old WNAC radio station in Boston.

Finally, the University of Massachusetts/Boston re-harvested over 12,000 items in 4 collections. Speaking of radio, the Lecco’s Lemma collection within the Massachusetts Hip Hop Archive is comprised of demo audio tapes for rap artists sent to the Lecco’s Lemma radio show as well as some audio tapes of the program. Not to mention the W. Arthur Garrity chambers papers on the Boston Schools Desegregation Case – always of interest to students and historians.

Accordion players on Spreading New England's Fame radio program — Accordion players, Spreading New England’s Fame Richard Merrill Collection, BPL

Boston Public Library
Carte de Visite Collection – 2 items added to existing collection
Ellen F. O’Connor Collection – 144 items
Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection – 8 items added to existing collection
Richard Merrill Collection – 2,289 items

Brockton Public Library
Illustrations from the Shoe Industry in Brockton, Massachusetts – 7 items

Falmouth Public Library
Falmouth Public Library Historical Postcard Collection – 2,296 items

University of Massachusetts Boston
Joseph P. Healey Library – 4 new collections; 12,673 new items re-harvested

The Winsor School
The Fine Arts Collection of The Winsor School – 185 items

Bradford street — Bradford St. from
Lawrence, Mass. Before Urban Renewal Photograph Collection

One of our favorite contributors, Lawrence Public Library, added to several existing collections as well as added new collections in July. One of which is the Lawrence, Mass. Before Urban Renewal Photograph Collection. Lawrence hired a photography studio to document the first area targeted for urban renewal, so we have photos like the one of Bradford Street (Right) showing what was slated for demolition.

On a happier note, the Cambridge Historical Commission added 278 items to their Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection. Sometimes the captions only add to the mystery of the photos. One of my favorites is Cambridge “Sparks” and his radio scooter. (Below left)

Cambridge Sparks and his radio scooter — Cambridge “Sparks” and his radio scooter from Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection

July also saw contributions to existing collections at the Boston Public Library, Harvard Law School Library, a major re-harvesting from Amherst College and a new collection from the South Hadley Public Library. (Below listings.) We hope all Massachusetts cultural institutions will continue to contribute new and to existing collections. It makes for a better Digital Commonwealth, which, as you can see, is already pretty amazing.

Amherst College
23 new collections re-harvested; 3,290 new items added to existing collections

Boston Public Library
The Liberator (Boston, Mass. : 1831-1865) – 261 items added to existing collection

Cambridge Historical Commission
Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection – 278 items added to existing collection

Harvard Law School Library
Sacco-Vanzetti Collections – 133 items many to existing collection

Lawrence Public Library
Ayer Mill Spinning Department – 1 item added to existing collection
Franklin Associates – 1 item added to existing collection
George P. Farrell – 1 item
Lawrence British Club, Lawrence, Mass. – 1 item
Lawrence, Mass. Before Urban Renewal Photograph Collection – 132 items
Lawrence, Mass. Engineering Department. Plans and associated papers – 39 items added to existing collection
Lawrence, Mass. Flood of 1936 – 2 items added to existing collection
Lawrence, Mass. Panorama Photographs – 4 items added to existing collection
Lawrence, Mass., Water Department – 4 items
Lawrence School Photographs – 1 item
St. Mary’s High School, Lawrence, Mass. – 1 item

South Hadley Public Library
South Hadley Postcard Collection – 101 items

Mount Holyoke, Summit House — Mt. Holyoke, Summit House from South Hadley Postcard Collection

Waltham, interior detail, stairway, Governor Gore Mansion, 1799 — Stairway, Governor Gore Mansion, 1799 from Frank Cousins Collection of Glass Plate Negatives

Digital Commonwealth uploaded several outstanding photograph collections in June. But it’s not all photos, there are maps from Phillips Academy in Andover and a painting from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

But the photos are this month’s find. Like the unusual Massachusetts Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, Quabbin Reservoir, Photographs of Cemeteries, 1928-1945 from the Massachusetts Archives. It’s sure to be a boon to anyone researching the flooded towns and their families. And the usual Boston Public Library additions to existing collections, like the Leon Abdalian Collection. If, like me, you’re a sucker for snowscapes, Abdalian’s photos, e.g. Ward’s Pond, snow view of hillside are a Christmas-in-July gift. (See below.)

The Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum makes a splash with its inaugural contributions of photographs from the glass plate negatives of Frank Cousins and Herman Parker. Cousins’ larger collection began with photographic essays on Essex County, but soon expanded across the eastern seaboard of the US. Any fan of historic buildings will appreciate his elegant photos of exteriors and interiors, like the stairway inside the Governor Gore mansion (See top left.)

Views across Marblehead Harbor with boats at sunset — Marblehead Harbor with boats at sunset from Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives

Parker also photographed Essex county, but focused on views from his home in Marblehead. I feel I could walk right in to the Views across Marblehead Harbor with boats (See bottom left.) at sunset photo – and I want to. What a great end to a summer day!

Boston Public Library
Leon Abdalian Collection – 2,065 items added to existing collection
Massachusetts Archives
Massachusetts Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, Quabbin Reservoir, Photographs of Cemeteries, 1928-1945 – 2,109 items
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Paintings – 1 item
Phillips Academy Andover
Ralph Finos Map Collection at Phillips Academy – 105 items
Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
Frank Cousins Collection of Glass Plate Negatives, 1890-1920 – 2,669 items
Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives, 1885-1913 – 81 items

Ward’s Pond, snow view of hillside from Leon Abdalian Collection, BPL

May is supposed to be the payoff for all those April showers. Only the showers kept coming in May. Digital Commonwealth was showered by harvested images from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (17,335 items), Boston TV New Digital Library (1,632 items) and the University of Massachusetts/Lowell (6,825 items).

Theophile Alexandre Steinlen is more than the cats for which he is most famous. But that didn’t stop me from using one of his sleeping cats to illustrate this post. (See left.) You’ll just have to go to the Boston Public Library’s Steinlen collection to see the rest.

Or go to the Malden Catholic High School class photos from 1936-2016. Everybody enjoys a good class photo, but let’s be honest. We enjoy the bad ones even more. Sorry, kids.

American Archive of Public Broadcasting
17,335 new items harvested

Boston Public Library
Press Photography from the Brearley Collection – 430 items added to existing collection
Paul Gavarni (1804-1866). Lithographs and Other Works – 2,389 items
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923). Lithographs, Etchings, and Other Works – 139 items

Malden Catholic High School, class of 1936 from Malden Catholic High School

Boston TV News Digital Library
5 collections, 1,632 items harvested

Malden Catholic High School
Malden Catholic High School Class Photos/Yearbooks – 73 items

University of Massachusetts/Lowell
Paul Tsongas Digital Archives – 6,601 items harvested
Center for Lowell History – Southeast Asian Digital Archive – 6 collections, 224 items harvested

1881 Lawrence High School football team from Lawrence Public Library

April was a dark and gloomy month weather-wise. Maybe that accounts for there only being three contributors this month. The Boston Public Library added 1873 items to the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee collection, bringing that collection up to over 5,000 items. Boston College re-harvested over 80 items. Lawrence Public Library contributed many small collections and one large one. The latter is the Lawrence High School Athletic Department collection of over 130 team photographs. You can see a very solemn 1881 football team on the left. Maybe it’s because they appear to have been forced to pose in their long underwear and watch caps. And that football looks more like a basketball. How things have changed…

Boston College

1 new collection; 84 new items re-harvested

Boston Public Library

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901). Prints and Drawings – 9 items added to existing collection
Press Photography from the Brearley Collection – 753 items added to existing collection
Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee – 1873 items added to existing collection

Lawrence Public Library

A.W. Stearns – 1 item
Americanization Poster – 1 item
Antebellum Citations – 5 items
Civil War Women, Summer Institute 2008 – 3 items
Donovan Park – 1 item
Franklin Associates – 22 items
Lawrence High School Athletic Department – 132 items
Lawrence High School Classes – 2 items
Lawrence State Armory – 1 item
Lawrence, Mass. Board of Health, Records – 10 items
Lawrence, Mass. Engineering Department – 7 items
Lawrence, Mass. Flood of 1936 – 76 items
Lawrence, Mass. Glass Plate Negatives – 14 items
Lawrence, Mass. Textile Strike of 1912 – 13 items
Leonard Bernstein Poster – 2 items
Massachusetts Mayors’ Club – 1 item
New Deal Seminar, April 2008 – 3 items
Religion in Massachusetts Seminar, May 2008 – 12 items
Revolutionary War, Summer Institute 2008 – 1 item
Schenk Family – 1 item
Southern Slavery Seminar, November 2008 – 7 items

The grand panorama of a whaling voyage ‘round the world from the New Bedford Whaling Museum

The best, totally unique item added to the Digital Commonwealth in March was the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s The grand panorama of a whaling voyage ‘round the world. The section above does not do it justice. The full panorama is divided into four sections. To get the full affect, you need to click on each section and then click on the image again to enlarge and use your cursor to travel the entire panorama. Believe me, the effort is worth it. It’s easy to understand why it was a popular exhibition when it toured the country from 1849-1851.

But, if whaling voyages aren’t your thing, there are more of those wonderful Medford Historical Society & Museum Civil War photos, pre-presidential photos of John F. Kennedy from the Rocco Paoletta Collection at the Boston Public Library, photos and maps from the Sharon Public Library and historical town records from the Wayland Town Clerk. As always, a little something for every taste.

Boston Public Library
John Copley (1875-1950). Lithographs – 297 items
Rocco Paoletta Collection – 480 items

Harvard Law School Library
Sacco-Vanzetti Collections – 468 items added to existing collection

Medford Historical Society & Museum
The Medford Historical Society Civil War Photograph Collection – 273 items added to existing collection

New Bedford Whaling Museum
New Bedford Whaling Museum Panoramas – 1 item

Sharon Public Library
Sharon Public Library Image Collection – 146 items added to existing collection
Sharon Public Library Map Collection – 5 items

University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries
No new items, re-harvested to add new URLs

Wayland Town Clerk
Wayland Massachusetts Historical Town Records – 24 items

Bagpipe Performance 1988 from Gebbie Archives Image Collection

In February, the Boston Public Library was in an artistic frame of mind, adding to the American Artists collection as well as adding two new collections: Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Prints and Drawings and Joseph Pennell (1857-1926) Prints and Drawings.

If you’re not in an artistic mood, the Harvard Forest Archives has added hundreds of maps. Holyoke Community College has uploaded the Frank N. Fowler Postcard Collection. The largest addition this month was the harvest of 1,230 items from Wheaton College’s Marion B. Gebbie Archives Image Collection, including the bagpipers at left.

Parade season is right around the corner. Time to get your kilts from the dry cleaners.

Boston Public Library
American Artists – 23 items added to existing collection
Frank W. Benson (1862-1951). Prints and Drawings – 677 items
Joseph Pennell (1857-1926). Prints and Drawings – 529 items

Harvard Forest Archives
The Harvard Forest Map Collection – 648 items

Holyoke Community College
Frank N. Fowler Postcard Collection – 24 items

Wheaton College
Marion B. Gebbie Archives Image Collection – 1,230 items harvested

Frank Lewis with baleen bundles from New Bedford Free Public Library

January was a busy month for Digital Commonwealth, in no small part due to the New Bedford Public Library adding 4 new collections and substantially increasing two existing collections. All six include photographs that depict New Bedford’s varied history. The photo of Frank Lewis with baleen bundles (left) from the Earl D. Wilson Collection Photographs speaks to New Bedford’s whaling history.

Another substantial collection is the Barnstable Patriot Photograph Collection from Cape Cod Community College. This collection spans nearly 50 years of Barnstable and nearby Cape towns. The charming windmill (below) is one of many Cape views you can find in this collection.

Bass River Windmill from Cape Cod Community College

Boston Public Library
Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection – 869 items added to existing collection

Cape Cod Community College
Barnstable Patriot Photograph Collection, 1931-1978 – 624 items

Coast Guard Heritage Museum
Coast Guard Heritage Museum General Collection – 20 items
Dalton Collection – 3 items

Holyoke Public Library
Milan P. Warner Photograph Collection – 339 items added to existing collection

New Bedford Free Public Library
Photograph Collection – 84 items added to existing collection
Rotogravure Collection – 433 items added to existing collection
Earle D. Wilson Collection – 337 items
Joseph G. Tirrell Photograph Collection – 99 items
Gilbert D. Kingman Photograph Collection – 54 items
Oliveira Photograph Collection – 37 items

Truro Historical Society
Truro Massachusetts U.S. Coast Guard and Life Saving Service Collection – 4 items added to existing collection

Digital Commonwealth added a lot of new items to existing collections in December, but only Lincoln Public Library and the Massachusetts Archives added wholly new collections. The Archives added a small collection of photographs of founders and commissioners of the Metropolitan Park Commission. Lincoln uploaded the Isabelle Peirce Collection, which consists mainly of 19th century letters to Isabelle Peirce as well as some Peirce family documents.

Wrapping up the centennial of the end of World War I, Massachusetts General Hospital added scrapbooks to its World War I collection, one of which included the news clipping of the headline announcing the end of the war. (Below.) More than 500 MGH employees wound up serving in Europe. These scrapbooks document their wartime experiences.

Dorothy Tarbox scrapbox — Scrapbook of Dorothy Tarbox, RN, World War I from MGH Archives and Special Collections and the MGH School of Nursing Collection

Annisquam Historical Society
Annisquam Historical Society’s Collection of Historical Documents – 2 items added to an existing collection

Boston Public Library
Early, Rare, and Exceptional Items from Special Collections, Rare Books – 1 item added to an existing collection
Medieval and Early Renaissance Manuscripts (Collection of Distinction) – 9 items added to an existing collection
Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection – 762 items added to an existing collection
Press Photography from the Brearley Collection – 474 items added to an existing collection
Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee (Collection of Distinction) – 2,127 items added to an existing collection

Lincoln Public Library
Isabelle Peirce Collection, 1766-1994, bulk 1840-1920 – 170 items

Massachusetts Archives
Massachusetts Metropolitan Park Commission, Founders and Commissioners, Photographic Portraits, ca. 1892 to ca. 1907 – 15 items

Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital World War I Collection – 7 items added to an existing collection

SAILS Library Network
47 new items harvested

University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries
39 new collections – 21, 161 new items harvested

End the debt! Decolonize! Liberate Puerto Rico! Scroll from AgitArte’s Collaborations

This month we welcome AgitArte, an organization of working class artists and cultural organizers, who added the scroll, one of their community art projects, at left. Almost unbelievably, the Medford Historical Society & Museum has added several hundred more Civil War photos and the Chicopee Public Library has allowed the harvest of two more collections.

As last month, I want to highlight one of Digital Commonwealth’s mainstays, the Boston Public Library. The Press Photography from the Brearley Collection has grown exponentially. The 1,222 items added this month nearly double the size of the collection. The BPL also added a new collection of 394 items, the Edmund Blampied (1886-1966) Prints and Drawings collection, which includes the exquisite crayon drawing, Beach Scene (10) below.

Agitating for the community or a virtual beach visit may warm you up this December. Happy holidays to all!

Beach scene (10) from BPL’s Edmund Blampied (1886-1966). Prints and Drawings

AgitArte
Collaborations – 1 item

Boston Public Library
Edmund Blampied (1886-1966). Prints and Drawings – 394 items
Press Photography from the Brearley Collection – 1,222 items added to an existing collection

Chicopee Public Library
2 new collections, 710 new items harvested

The Medford Historical Society & Museum
The Medford Historical Society Civil War Photograph Collection – 851 items added to an existing collection

News & Announcements – Digital Commonwealth

Category Archives: New Collections

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in August

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in July

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in June

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in May

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in April

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in March

New Collections added to Digital Commonwealth in February

New Collections Added to Digital Commonwealth in January

New Collections Added to Digital Commonwealth in December

New Collections Added to Digital Commonwealth in November