June 2016 Newsletter

Dear Friend of The West End Museum,

We hope you are enjoying the spring and looking forward to some hot fun in the summertime. We also hope your summer plans will include visits to the West End Museum.

In this newsletter, we feature two interesting and exciting article s. The Saturday Evening Girls: A Legacy of Life Lessons & Artistry explores the legacy of a remarkable group of women of the North End and West End, many of them immigrants of Jewish and Italian heritage. The other article details a new documentary about original West Ender Leonard Nimoy, which is written and directed by his son, Adam.

We also cover our current exhibits, introduce our Instagram and invite you to learn about renting the Museum for private functions.
If you enjoy our communications, exhibits and events, we hope you’ll 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.

And remember to keep up and stay in touch with the Museum on our website and via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you and best wishes!

Sincerely,

The Membership Team

The story of the Saturday Evening Girls (SEG) is a compelling tale of female empowerment that dates back to an age when life offered women limited opportunities. The women who founded and became members of the SEG–many of them immigrants of Jewish and Italian heritage–strengthened one another’s lives through socialization, education and artistry that spawned self-esteem, leadership qualities and wage-earning skills.

“There’s something magical about the Saturday Evening Girls that makes you want to tell their story,” said Dr. Dorothy E. King, an assistant professor of Sociology at Penn State Harrisburg who is writing a book about the women of the SEG and their descendants. “It’s a story that has to be told; the kind of thing we need to embrace today as it harkens back to a time when it didn’t matter where you came from, but that you could go somewhere positive together.”

What began in 1899 as a reading hour on Saturday nights in Boston’s North End, grew to embrace women from surrounding neighborhoods like the West End and to publish a scholarly newsletter, host cultural performances and establish the Paul Revere Pottery.

According to the Museum of Fine Arts–which hosted an installation of SEG/Paul Revere Pottery works in 2006/2007–“Because of the design and color of the wares, and the reform-minded philosophy of the Pottery, products of the Saturday Evening Girls Club have become …

By Susan Minichiello

One of the West End’s favorite sons, Leonard Nimoy, is being celebrated once again in a new film.

For the Love of Spock premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April to critical and fan acclaim. According to the film’s website, the documentary ” celebrates the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Star Trek through a personal, intimate look at the life and career of Leonard Nimoy, and his alter-ego, Mr. Spock, as told by his son, Adam Nimoy.”

For more than 45 years in television and film, Leonard played Mr. Spock, the renowned starship Enterprise’s first officer and science officer of human-Vulcan descent. For the Love of Spock features never-before-seen home video and family photos and interviews with Zachary Quinto–who plays Spock in the new film series–along with TV series originals William Shatner and George Takei as well as J.J. Abrams, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Jim Parsons and others.

On June 2nd, the announcement circulated that For the Love of Spock will get a worldwide release with Gravitas Ventures. The film will …

Did you know The West End Museum is available for functions like meetings, receptions, luncheons and lectures?
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You can hold such events in our spacious main gallery and/or smaller permanent gallery surrounded by historic displays and artifacts.

The Museum can accommodate up to 50 people seated or 100 standing, and is ADA compliant. We are conveniently located near the TD Garden, Mass General Hospital, Beacon Hill and the Charles River, and close to the North Station and Science Park/West End MBTA stops. Rental includes ..

Be sure to check out the The West End Museum on Instagram and start following @thewestendmuseum today!

Highlights include photos of Museum events and programs, artifacts and images on display, and happenings in the neighborhood and around Boston.

And please share your West End photos on your own Instagram using #WestEndMuseum.