2 varsity jackets, one red, one blue, with the word Storrows (on red) and a large B (on Blue).

Spotlight from the WEM Archives

By Leigh Blander
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The West End Museum archives are stored in a 20 x 30-foot room one floor above the Museum on Staniford Street. The room is filled with relics of the old West End neighborhood, including more than 1,500 photographs, thousands of letters, as well as items like trophies, shoeshine boxes and even plumbing from old West End buildings. Moving forward, the Museum will spotlight different items from the archives on a regular basis. Here is our first:

2 varsity jackets, one red, one blue, with the word Storrows (on red) and a large B (on Blue).
Club jackets from the West End House Storrow and Brenner Clubs (The West End Museum)

This set of varsity jackets, worn by members of the recently demolished West End House, dates back to the 1950s, according to WEM Archivist and Curator Bob Potenza.

The West End House, which opened on Blossom Street in 1906, was a hub for newly arrived immigrants and offered clubs, classes, sports teams and more to families in the neighborhood. (The building was sold in 1962 and the West End House moved to a new building in Allston.)

These jackets are from two West End House clubs, the Storrows (named after benefactor James Storrow) and the Brenners (named after a popular West End House coach).

“To me, these jackets represent the pride West Enders felt in their neighborhood and institutions, despite others’ view that the West End had become a slum,” Potenza said.

“In clubs like the Brenners and Storrows, boys learned leadership, communication and organizational skills,” he added. “The impact the West End House had on city youth from mainly working-class families cannot be overlooked.”

The jackets will be featured in an exhibit when the Museum reopens after renovations later this year.

Learn more about the WEM archives HERE.