“Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition materials online now

Yhinny Matos and Dash Montalvo at the "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" Mass. Memories Road Show

Yhinny Matos and Dash Montalvo at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show.

 

The photographs, objects, and stories collected at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition are available online now.

Held at the Boston Public Library in May, the event was a collaboration between UMass Boston’s Healey Library and the Boston Public Library. It was part of a larger project called “Local Rappers, DJs, B-Boys, and Graff: Documenting the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Community from the 1970s to the present” and is supported by a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor and the UMass President’s Creative Economy Initiatives Fund. Learn more about this project here.

A Phi Ki in the house. Contributor: Troy Ellerbee.

‘A Phi Ki in the house, 1980s.  Spinning at Cambridge VFW.  Pictured: Malcolm (Malibu) and myself Troy Ellerbee (Terminator).’ Contributor: Troy Ellerbee.

 

The digital collection of nearly 300 items features informal snapshots and promotional publicity photographs documenting the experiences of artists and producers involved in the four elements of hip-hop–rap, DJs, dance, and graffiti–in the Boston community from the 1980s to the present.

The Robonauts, 1981. This group was the first and for months was the only dance group of its kind in Cambridge. The Robonauts ushered in the beginning of popping from this area. Contributor: Kevin Layne (Cap Nice).

‘The Robonauts, 1981. This group was the first and for months was the only dance group of its kind in Cambridge. The Robonauts ushered in the beginning of popping from this area.’ Contributor: Kevin Layne (Cap Nice).

 

Many of the photographs in the collection document artists’ and fans’ memories of notable performances and of receiving awards and other public recognition.

My moment to shine, 1996. 'At that moment the room was quiet and all focus was on me. At that moment, I knew I had a voice. I stay in deep thought.' Contributor: Michelle Hunter (Honey Bee).

‘My moment to shine, 1996. At that moment the room was quiet and all focus was on me.  At that moment, I knew I had a voice.  I stay in deep thought.’  Contributor: Michelle Hunter (Honey Bee).

 

Many contributors shared posters, flyers, and other printed matter from performing groups, production companies, venues, and concert performances. They also brought a great number of magazine and album covers from the 1980s to the present, recording the contributions of Boston graphic artists and designers to the local and national hip-hop scene. Several photographs of clothing items, including T-shirts with logos, painted jackets, performance costumes, and shoes, are included in the collection.

Guru's Jazzmatazz Streetsoul poster, 2000. This is the logo and poster I designed for . Contributor: Rob Stull.

‘Guru’s ‘Jazzmatazz Streetsoul’ poster, 2000. This is the logo and poster I designed for hip-hop legend Guru (Keith Elam).’ Contributor: Rob Stull.

 

Note to contributors: We need your help to finish processing this collection! If you see something incorrect or misspelled–names and spellings of individuals and performing groups, for example–we want to fix it.  Please email carolyn.goldstein@umb.edu with the details and our team will make the corrections as soon as we can. Thank you!

Logo for National Endownment for the Humanities

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this program do not necessarily express those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

The 60 video interviews with community members about their connections to hip-hop in Boston and Massachusetts, also collected at this event, will be added to the collection later this year.

If you have questions about the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive, please contact an archivist at UMass Boston, connect with the project on Facebook, or click here to explore the collections and learn how you can contribute materials.


University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show materials available for research

The photographs, stories, and videos gathered at the Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show are available online now for research.

'Farmer at heart, 2015. It was a tomato contest at our farmer's market. I grew these on the last colonial farm in town (Truant).' Contributor: William R. Frugoli.

‘Farmer at heart, 2015. It was a tomato contest at our farmer’s market. I grew these on the last colonial farm in town (Truant).’ Contributor: William R. Frugoli.

 

Hosted and organized by the Ventress Memorial Library on Saturday, October 28, 2017, the event was the result of a collaboration with numerous community organizations including the Marshfield Historical Society, the 1699 Isaac Winslow House and Cultural Center, and the Marshfield Council on Aging. Over twenty local volunteers joined a team of UMass Boston staff members, public history graduate students, and “Roadies” to welcome nearly 100 adults and children with connections to the town on Boston’s South Shore.

The Kiley girls and friends at Ocean Bluff Beach.

‘The Kiley girls and friends at Ocean Bluff Beach.  A fun day swimming at Ocean Bluff Beach, c. 1910s. Pictured, from left to right: Edith Dow, Mary M. Kiley, Evelyn W. Kiley, Katherine (Kittie) Driscoll Kiley, (in Kittie’s arms) my mother Marguerite Kiley Driscoll, and Marion Rogers.’ Contributor: Marguerite Krupp.

 

Participants contributed images of everyday life in the seashore community in the 20th and 21st centuries. Family gatherings swimming at the beach and exploring the town’s natural beauty are well documented in the collection.

Little Rams, 1973. Friends in high school cheering on girls' Powder Puff football game. Pictured, from left to right: myself Ned Bangs, Contributor: Ned Bangs.

Little Rams, 1973. Friends in high school cheering on girls’ Powder Puff football game. Pictured, from left to right: Donny Roche, myself Ned Bangs,  John Taylor, Matt Harris, Tom Sousa, Joe Kelly, and Mike Robinson.’ Contributor: Ned Bangs.

 

Many contributors chose to share images of casual times at school, as well as formal class photographs. Other images feature Marshfield residents coming together for community service projects and at work in the Police Department, the Fire Department, and in family businesses.

'When we arrived, 2016. The first day we arrived in Marshfield from Puerto Rico. We loved to be near the ocean since we came from an island. Pictured: my husband Edward Sanchez and myself Ana Delgado. Location: Green Harbor."

‘When we arrived, 2016. The first day we arrived in Marshfield from Puerto Rico. We loved to be near the ocean since we came from an island. Pictured: my husband Edward Sanchez and myself Ana Delgado. Location: Green Harbor.”

 

Browse the Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show collection.


The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 10,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

“Boston and the Irish Language” oral history interviews available now

Mike Newell interviewing Johnny Joyce the morning of May 21, 2016, at the Irish Cottage, Irish Cultural Centre 200 New Boston Drive, Canton, MA. Two men seated. Man on left wearing purple sweater over white collared shirt and gray pants, man on right wearing blue polo shirt and khaki pants.

Mike Newell interviewing Johnny Joyce the morning of May 21, 2016, at the Irish Cottage, Irish Cultural Centre 200 New Boston Drive, Canton, MA.

The first video interviews from “Boston and the Irish Language: Fifty Years of Cultural Connection in Oral History” are now available for research. The project documents the life stories of recent immigrants from Ireland to greater Boston whose first language is Irish. The interviews explore shared experiences of emigration, assimilation, employment, and the challenge that Irish-speaking Americans experience in maintaining cultural memory and contact with communities in the homeland and in the United States. Each interview in the collection is presented with a brief biographical summary, Irish-language transcriptions, and English translations.

Screenshot from interview with Johnny Molloy, 2017 . Man wearing maroon shirt, seated on floral couch.

Screenshot from interview with Johnny Molloy, 2017

Researchers can access the first two video interviews of “Boston and the Irish Language.” Johnny Joyce (born in 1936) of Inis Bearachain (Inishbarra) and Dorchester, describes his experiences as a former pressman for the Boston Globe who organized local dances and music sessions as well as currach races on Carson Beach. Johnny Molloy (born in 1938) of Bantrach Ard, South Boston and North Easton, recalls his days working as a Boston police officer, teaching Irish, and participating in local music sessions. View the interviews here.

The project is coordinated by Brian Frykenberg of Cumann na Gaeilge imBoston (The Irish Language Society of Boston), with assistance from Assistant Professor Natasha Sumner and doctoral student Greg Darwin in the Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University. At UMass Boston’s University Archives & Special Collections, Carolyn Goldstein, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager, and Andrew Elder, Interim University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections, serve as general advisors.

Screenshot from interview with Johnny Joyce, 2016. Head and shoulders image of man wearing purple sweater over white collared shirt.

Screenshot from interview with Johnny Joyce, 2016

By February 2019, the “Boston and the Irish Language” team plans to conduct and record a total of ten interviews with speakers of Connemara Irish living in the Boston area. In addition to the two interviews currently available, two further interviews—with Peggy Cloherty of Brookline and Mary O’Toole of Hanover—have been conducted and are currently being transcribed and processed. Project coordinators are actively seeking further narrators for the initial phase of this project, and they welcome interviewees from throughout New England, and from every Irish-language speaking area in Ireland, as the scope of this project broadens.

A public presentation on the project themes will be delivered during the coming academic year. Check this site for future updates.

The project is sponsored by Cumann na Gaeilge imBoston (The Irish Language Society of Boston) and supported by a grant from Mass Humanities.

For more information, contact Brian Frykenberg: 978-289-7060 (cell), frykenberg@comcast.net.


University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

“Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition travels to the Boston Public Library this Saturday

hip hop flyerTime: Saturday, May 19, 2018 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Boston Public Library | Central Library in Copley Square| 700 Boylston Street | Johnson Building | Boston, Mass. | Click here for directions.

Are you a member of the Massachusetts hip-hop community? Artists, producers, DJs, and fans from 1970s through the present day are invited to share photographs, objects, and memories at the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show: The Hip-Hop Edition. Record your memories and take your place in Massachusetts history at this free, public event.

Bring three items (photos, flyers, posters, or clothing) that tell your hip-hop story! We will scan photos, copy digital images, and record your story. All images will be added to the online collection at openarchives.umb.edu.

Download the flyer for the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” Mass. Memories Road Show and remember to share it with your friends and family members! View the event listing on Facebook.

This event is supported by a Common Heritage grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor. It is part of a larger project called “Local Rappers, DJs, B-Boys, and Graff: Documenting the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Community from the 1970s to the present.” In addition to enabling UASC and project partners at the Boston Public Library to work with the local hip-hop community and scholars to host this thematic Mass. Memories Road Show, the grant will further support four public programs at the BPL showcasing the four original elements of hip-hop culture—music, dance, DJs, and graffiti–to be held later in 2018 and in 2019. Read more here

Logo for National Endownment for the Humanities

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this program do not necessarily express those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

 

Questions? Email Carolyn Goldstein, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager, UMass Boston, at carolyn.goldstein@umb.edu.


The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 10,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

Mass. Memories Road Show heads to Amesbury on Saturday, April 21

Time: Saturday, April 21, 2018 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Location: Amesbury High School  | 5 Highland Street | Amesbury, Mass. | Click here for directions.

Do you have a connection to Amesbury, Massachusetts? Do you live or work in Amesbury? Are your roots in Amesbury? Share your memories and take your place in Massachusetts history at this free, public event.

Please bring 2-3 photographs in their original format (digital or print photographs) and your stories to be recorded. We will scan unframed pictures and copy digital images and return the pictures back to you. All images will be added to the online collection at openarchives.umb.edu.

Local support for the Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show is provided by the Amesbury Carriage Museum and the Amesbury Council on Aging.

For more information about the Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show, contact Doreen Brothers at (978) 388-8138 x 546 or brothersd@amesburyma.gov, or John Mayer at (978) 834-5058 or jmayer@amesburycarriagemuseum.com. Read more about the event here.

The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places, and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. It is produced by the Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston and is co-sponsored by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund.

Download the flyer for the Amesbury Mass. Memories Road Show and remember to share it with your friends and family members!

Questions? Email carolyn.goldstein@umb.edu.


The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 9,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.