February 2015 Newsletter
This winter seems to go on and on with no end in sight. In the meantime, however, we can take our minds off the cold weather with some exciting happenings at The West End Museum! We have a great new exhibition premiering today called Walls of Stone: The Leverett Street Jail. It focuses on the oft-overlooked and controversial history of said jail during the 1800s. A special reception for the show takes place on February 21st at 4pm. Read more about our exhibit below and don’t miss it!
Also in this newsletter, find out about our special guest, author David Kruh, and his upcoming talk and slide show on April 16th. Mark your calendars for Always Something Doing & Scollay Square, a program on the evolving part of Boston where everyone went – but few admitted it!
One more time, The West End Museum would like to also thank everyone who took part in our Beatles 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend. Whether you were able to attend all events or just one, and missed out on our Beatles Weekend T-shirts, they are still available in all sizes, but not for much longer! Click here if you wish to order a T-shirt. They are available with a $25 donation to the Museum.
If you enjoy our upcoming roster of events, we hope you will consider becoming a West End Museum member. If you’re already a member, please help us spread the word about supporting our ongoing mission to highlight the history and culture of the neighborhood for visitors and residents of our City alike. Corporate and individual members are always welcome (special rates for students and seniors) as are donations. Membership and donations are tax deductible, and members receive discounts on paid Museum programs.
Thank you and best wishes!
Sincerely,
The Membership Team
Exhibition: Walls of Stone: Leverett Street Jail
By Sue Minichiello
All but forgotten in the narratives of Boston and the West End, the Leverett Street Jail has an important story that merits examination and remembrance. From February 17 through April 18, a new exhibit in the Members Gallery of The West End Museum–Walls of Stone: The Leverett Street Jail-reveals a notable and controversial history. The show reception takes place on Saturday, February 21 from 4 to 6 p.m., when attendees can tour the exhibit and enjoy light refreshments. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
“The Leverett Street Jail was the epicenter of some of the most contentious social and legal issues of the day,” said Duane Lucia, West End Museum Board President and Curator. “Sadly, its history has been eclipsed by the Charles Street Jail and the loss of Leverett Street to urban renewal.”
Walls of Stone: The Leverett Street Jail explores the institution’s connections to such hotbed issues as capital punishment, slavery and abolitionism, blasphemy, and women’s rights. The Jail was infamous for overcrowding…
Talk: Always Something Doing & Scollay Square
On Thursday, April 16th at 6:30pm, author David Kruh will be presenting at The West End Museum. Based on David Kruh’s two books on Scollay Square (Always Something Doing and Scollay Square) this slide show describes the evolution of the part of Boston where everyone went – but few admitted it! From John Winthrop, (who settled here in 1630) to Sally Keith (who entertained here in the 1940s and 1950s) to Government Center today, this show will surprise you with tales of Revolutionary War heroism, scientific breakthroughs, and Civil War courage – all in the same place where a hot dog stand and a burlesque theater made truants of all New England. (Jack Thomas of the Boston Globe wrote that David has a “…a fascinating slide show…full of splendid anecdotes…”)