Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show materials now online

I have dozens of photographs taken out my back door because I live in the most beautiful place in the world. Location: Sengekontacket, 2013. Contributor:Bonnie Stacy.

“I have dozens of photographs taken out my back door because I live in the most beautiful place in the world.” Location: Sengekontacket, 2013.
Contributor: Bonnie Stacy.

The photographs and stories gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show are available online now for research.

Held at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on October 25, 2015, the event was organized by the Vineyard Haven Public Library in association with the five other town libraries on the island. The event was made possible by additional support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Twin Oaks Inn, Mansion House on Martha’s Vineyard, and the Steamship Authority. Two dozen local volunteers collaborated with a team of UMass Boston staff members and “Roadies” from past Mass. Memories Road Shows to welcome nearly 100 adults and children with connections to the island.

'My sister and her husband, Richard and Vivian Mitchell of East Orange and Morristown, New Jersey first came to Martha's Vineyard in 1942. One of the young African American families who gave up the New Jersey shore and Jones Beach in New York for a love of Martha's Vineyard. In spite of the 8-hour drive, a prefab cottage was built over many weekends, and the summer residence for three generations was set. They bought into Waterview Farm community at its inception in 1968. Their heirs, Roger Mitchell, Claire, Ray, Kendall, Christopher Walker (along with many family and friends) continue the love affair every summer that Richard and Vivian began with Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Submitted by Claire Walker. Pictured: Vivian Mitchell, Richard Mitchell. Contributor: Joseph Campbell.

“My sister and her husband, Richard and Vivian Mitchell of East Orange and Morristown, New Jersey first came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1942. One of the young African American families who gave up the New Jersey shore and Jones Beach in New York for a love of Martha’s Vineyard. In spite of the 8-hour drive, a prefab cottage was built over many weekends, and the summer residence for three generations was set.” Pictured: Vivian Mitchell, Richard Mitchell. Contributor: Joseph Campbell.

Many participants shared photographs and stories of themselves and their families at home or at play around the island. Other individuals contributed memories of attending school concerts, theater performances, and other community gatherings. Life at work on the island– in fishing fleets, fire departments, public schools, and on the set of “Jaws” in 1974–is also documented in the collection. Several images document local businesses such as the S.M. Mayhew Co. store and C.B. Stark jewelers.

Several people brought materials documenting creative and artistic endeavors on Martha’s Vineyard over the decades. In addition, a significant number of items in the collection portray residents enjoying and exploring the natural beauty of the island landscape: playing on the beach, circumnavigating the island with friends and colleagues, or just taking in the view outside their doors.

'This is a photo of the original Gayhead Fire Department in 1959. My father is second from the left. In 1978, I became the first female on the island to become a volunteer fireman. My father gave me his badge, number 16. In 1988 I became the first woman assistant fire chief on the island. The man in the headdress is Napoleon Madison, medicine man of the Wampanoag tribe in Gayhead. His son, Luther Madison, 3rd from the right, eventually became the next medicine man. Donald Malonson, 3rd from the left, was the fire chief. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: Horation Malonson, Jeff Madison, Bill Ryan, Larry Spitz, Donald Malonson, Napoleon Madison, Joe Horiagon, Luther Madison, Grover Ryan, Jesse Smalley. Location: Gayhead.' Contributor: Barbara Bassett.

“This is a photo of the original Gayhead Fire Department in 1959. In 1978, I became the first female on the island to become a volunteer fireman. My father gave me his badge, number 16. In 1988 I became the first woman assistant fire chief on the island. The man in the headdress is Napoleon Madison, medicine man of the Wampanoag tribe in Gayhead. His son, Luther Madison, eventually became the next medicine man. Donald Malonson was the fire chief. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: Horation Malonson, my father Jeff Madison, Bill Ryan, Larry Spitz, Donald Malonson, Napoleon Madison, Joe Horiagon, Luther Madison, Grover Ryan, Jesse Smalley.” Contributor: Barbara Bassett.

The video interviews collected at this event are still being processed; a separate notice will be posted when they are available.

Browse the Martha’s Vineyard 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 8,000 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 action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show photographs and stories now online

Hingham town employees participating in the Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show. Eileen McCracken, Andrea Young, Anne Dalton, Dorothy Galo, Jennifer Williams, Scott McMillian, Stephanie McBain, David Basler, Mary Savage-Dunham, Barbara Farnsworth, Doreen Newcomb. Contributor: Patricia Basler.

Hingham town employees participating in the Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show. Eileen McCracken, Andrea Young, Anne Dalton, Dorothy Galo, Jennifer Williams, Scott McMillian, Stephanie McBain, David Basler, Mary Savage-Dunham, Barbara Farnsworth, Doreen Newcomb. Contributor: Patricia Basler.

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

Held at Hingham Town Hall, the event was organized by the Town of Hingham and the Hingham Public Library. Two dozen local volunteers collaborated with a team of UMass Boston staff members and “Roadies” from past Mass. Memories Road Shows to welcome adults and children with connections to this South Shore Massachusetts town.

Many contributors shared photographs and stories of themselves and their relatives gathering informally at home, coming home from war, or attending larger social gatherings. Other photographs document community members participating in town-wide events–high school graduation ceremonies and parties, scouting activities, sports competitions, and religious occasions. Several people brought materials documenting the 4th of July parade over the decades.

Hingham High School prom, 1966. Joyce Barber and Ronald Wright. Contributor: Joyce Barber.

Hingham High School prom, 1966. Joyce Barber and Ronald Wright. Contributor: Joyce Barber.

Together, the items in the collection portray residents joining together to enhance the quality of life in a changing South Shore town: restoring historic buildings, conserving land, and planting public gardens. Contributors shared memories and images of police and fire departments, local businesses, churches, summer camps, and natural landmarks.

The video interviews collected at this event are still being processed; a separate notice will be posted when they are available.

Leavitt Bros. Trucking, 1944. My dad, William Carlbon Leavitt, had a trucking business in the town Hingham since 1937. This truck was used to pick up cheese and butter to deliver to residents of Hingham during WWII. Contributor: Sandra Jean Leavitt Kentel.

Leavitt Bros. Trucking, 1944. My dad, William Carlbon Leavitt, had a trucking business in the town Hingham since 1937. This truck was used to pick up cheese and butter to deliver to residents of Hingham during WWII. Contributor: Sandra Jean Leavitt Kentel.

Browse the Hingham 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 8,000 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 action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

University Archives & Special Collections hosts resident from National Digital Stewardship Residency program

ndsr-bostonGuest post by Jeffrey Erickson

I’m Jeffrey Erickson, a recent graduate of Simmons College’s School of Library and Information Science and a former IT professional. I am currently a resident with the National Digital Stewardship Residency program working on digital preservation for University Archives & Special Collections (UASC) in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston.

The National Digital Stewardship Residency program (NDSR) places five information professionals in cultural heritage institutions in the Boston area to gain instruction and hands on experience in digital stewardship issues by working on real-world projects. This is the second year that the NDSR program has hosted projects in the Boston area. NDSR programs are also taking place in New York City and Washington D.C. For more on the NDSR Boston program, please visit the NDSR Boston web site.

As a digital archivist, I am interested in combining my technical skills with my training in archival practices and methods and applying them to digital stewardship issues to ensure our digital cultural heritage remains available for access and use to future generations. The NDSR program and the project here at UMass Boston are providing a platform for me to pursue this interest.

The project I am working on examines the current practices in place at UMass Boston for capturing and managing the assets in digital collections and developing workflows and procedures aimed at providing the long-term preservation of these materials using cloud-based storage services. University Archives & Special Collections at UMass Boston has a growing collection of digital materials. I will be applying the digital preservation workflows to the materials in the Mass. Memories Road Show collection as a pilot program for preserving all the department’s digital collections.

MMRS_filmstrip_long_greyThe Mass. Memories Road Show (MMRS) is an ongoing community-based digital humanities project conducted by UMass Boston since 2004. The goal of the project is to collaborate with Massachusetts cities and towns to organize community-building events where images and stories that document the history of Massachusetts through the eyes of its residents are collected one town at a time. To learn more about the Mass. Memories Road Show project, click here.

Last month I attended the most recent MMRS event on Martha’s Vineyard to gain an understanding of how the digital objects in this collection are captured and created. Preserving digital materials begins with their creation so I was fortunate that a Road Show event was scheduled to take place during the early part of my residency. You can read more about my MMRS experience on the NDSR Boston blog.

dp-word-cloudSo, why should you be interested in my project? The answer is two-fold:

  1. Because the success of my project will develop a foundation of understanding and practice that will ensure that the digital resources of this university will remain accessible and useful for years to come.
  2. Because everyone has personal digital assets that require preservation. And, everyone can benefit from developing an understanding of the issues that affect digital materials and some best practices that address these issues.

I encourage you to check back to this site from time to time, as well as the NDSR Boston blog. I will keep you up-to-date on the progress of my project, discuss some digital stewardship issues, and maybe pass along some information that will help you preserve your own digital assets.

Photographs, stories, and interviews from West End Mass. Memories Road Show now available

West End Irregulars shirt. Worn picketing the developments in the West End during the 1990s. Contributor: Jim Capano.

West End Irregulars shirt.
Worn picketing the developments in the West End during the 1990s. Contributor: Jim Campano.

The images, stories, and video interviews gathered at the West End Mass. Memories Road Show on November 15, 2014 are now available for research.

Organized by the West End Museum and held at its location at 150 Staniford Street, the event was also sponsored by the Boston Public Library West End Branch, the West End Civic Association, and the Vilna Shul. Nearly twenty local volunteers collaborated with a team of UMass Boston staff members and “Roadies” from past Mass. Memories Road Shows to welcome adults and children with connections to the Boston neighborhood.

Both my parents are in this pictured. The club taught Yiddish. They had plays. Jewish "almost Communist" club. Contributor: Arthur Geller.

Social club on Causeway Street, 1930s. Both my parents are in this picture. The club taught Yiddish. They had plays. Jewish “almost Communist” club. It was above a cafeteria. Contributor: Arthur Geller.

Approximately 50 individuals contributed 76 photographs and 24 video interviews documenting personal memories of life in the West End. Most of these materials relate to late 19th and early 20th century when the neighborhood was home to a wide range of immigrant families–and before the it was completely razed in the late 1950s. A large number of contributors shared photographs of themselves and their relatives engaged in the neighborhood’s vibrant community life–attending social club meetings, participating in sports and other youth activities at the West End House, and celebrating first communions and other religious milestones. In addition, the collection includes photographs of families relaxing at home and at Charles River Park, and attending informal gatherings.

Several individuals contributed images and stories of the West End’s more recent history. These materials provide a record of efforts to remember the past and revive community as new residential developments were constructed in the 1990s.

Barcyn family on Charles River, 1956. Storrow Drive in background between Revere and Pinckney Streets (across from boat house). My family was part of the Ukrainian community in the West End. Contributor: Linda Barczyn.

Barczyn family on Charles River, 1956. Storrow Drive in background between Revere and Pinckney Streets (across from boat house). My family was part of the Ukrainian community in the West End. Contributor: Linda Barczyn.

Browse the West End 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 8,000 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 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 action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities, including the Boston Harbor Islands. To learn more about University Archives & Special Collections, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

Allston Brighton Mass. Memories Road Show collection now available

This is an annual spring clean-up of the Penniman Road Community Garden in Union Square. It was a former paved parking lot, converted into a community garden by the Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. in 1985, and contains 28 plots gardened by Boston residents. Gardeners reflect the diversity of the Allston community. Contributor: Robert J. Pessek.

This is an annual spring clean-up of the Penniman Road Community Garden in Union Square, 2012. It was a former paved parking lot, converted into a community garden by the Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. in 1985, and contains 28 plots gardened by Boston residents. Gardeners reflect the diversity of the Allston community. Contributor: Robert J. Pessek.

The images, stories, and video interviews gathered at the Allston Brighton Mass. Memories Road Show on October 26, 2014 are now available for research.

Held at the Veronica B. Smith Multi-Service Senior Center, the event was organized by the Brighton-Allston Historical Society, Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation, Allston Village Main Streets, Boston Public Library Faneuil Branch, and Brighton Main Streets. Two dozen local volunteers collaborated with a team of UMass Boston staff members and “Roadies” from past Mass. Memories Road Shows to welcome adults and children with connections to the Boston neighborhood.

Some of the 1956 graduating girls of St. Columbkille High School. Soon to graduate, we were allowed to go off campus for lunch. This photo was in front of Fitzie's Diner (now Citizen's Bank) in Brighton Center. Contributor: Anne Mahoney.

Some of the 1956 graduating girls of St. Columbkille High School. Soon to graduate, we were allowed to go off campus for lunch. This photo was in front of Fitzie’s Diner (now Citizen’s Bank) in Brighton Center. Contributor: Anne Mahoney.

Approximately 80 individuals contributed nearly 150 photographs documenting personal memories of friends and relatives in Allston, Brighton, and beyond. A large number of contributors shared photographs of themselves and their relatives relaxing at home and attending informal family gatherings and milestone events. The collection also includes images documenting graduation ceremonies, sports competitions, and musical performances.

Many photographs and stories portray residents at work enhancing the quality of life in a changing Boston neighborhood: preserving and renovating historic structures, eliminating invasive plants from Chandler Pond, and campaigning to save the local library. Contributors further shared memories and images of school days, the transportation system, and local businesses.

20 years later my first community involvement in Brighton was working to save this school, which led to my current involvement with many Allston-Brighton civic groups. Contributor: Charlie Vasiliades

Me in Oak Square, first grade, 1964. Twenty years later my first community involvement in Brighton was working to save this school, which led to my current involvement with many Allston-Brighton civic groups. Contributor: Charlie Vasiliades.

Browse the Allston Brighton 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 8,000 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 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 action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities, including the Boston Harbor Islands. To learn more about University Archives & Special Collections, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.