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.

Mass. Memories Road Show heads to Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday, Oct. 25

Martha's Vineyard MMRS final flyerWhen: Sunday, October 25, 2015 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Location: Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center | 130 Center Street | Vineyard Haven, Mass.

Do you have a connection to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts? Do you live or work in Martha’s Vineyard? Are your roots in Martha’s Vineyard? Do you spend summers in Martha’s Vineyard or do you vacation there? Share your memories and take your place in Massachusetts history at this free, public event.

Please bring 1-3 photos 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 images back to you. All images will be added to the online collection at openarchives.umb.edu. Preserve your memories of this wonderful island!

Read more about this 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.

The Mass. Memories Road Show is produced by the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston and is co-sponsored by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund.

Local funding for the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show is provided by Friends of Island Libraries, and a grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council. Additional support provided by The Mansion House Inn and Twin Oaks Inn.

For more information, contact Amy Ryan at 508-696-4211 (ext. 11) or by email at amyryan@clamsnet.org. Or visit the the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show planning committee’s informational website at www.vhlibrary.org/MMRS.shtml.

Download the flyer for the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show here and remember to share it with your friends and family members!

UMass Boston archivist discusses Mass. Memories Road Show at Society of American Archivists annual meeting

UMass Boston archivist Jessica Holden (center) with (from left to right) Caitlin Christian-Lamb, Anne Morgan, Kelsey Duinkerken, and Caitlin Brennecke.

UMass Boston archivist Jessica Holden (center) with (from left to right) Caitlin Christian-Lamb, Anne Morgan, Kelsey Duinkerken, and Caitlin Brennecke.

Last week, Jessica Holden, the reference archivist in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston, headed to Cleveland, Ohio, for the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). On Friday of this year’s conference, Jessica was a co-presenter in a session focused on nontraditional outreach methods used by archives and museums and “how archivists and museum curators can forge connections with a wide variety of communities and grow our profession via new and creative approaches to outreach programs.” See the full listing in the online conference schedule here.

In her presentation – titled “Forging Connections and Building Collections: The Mass. Memories Road Show at UMass Boston” – Jessica discussed the Healey Library’s successful statewide digital history project, the Mass. Memories Road Show, and described aspects of the project that are of unique interest to archivists and museum professionals. In particular, Jessica described how the project brings archival resources out into communities (rather than expecting communities to come to an archives) and how this outreach model helps us reach new audiences and establish richer partnerships within those communities.

In addition to Jessica, other presenters in this session were Caitlin Brennecke from Troy Historic Village, Caitlin Christian-Lamb from Davidson College, Kelsey Duinkerken from Thomas Jefferson University, and Anne Morgan from the Imperial Valley Desert Museum. The session was moderated by Michelle Ganz from Lincoln Memorial University.

View Jessica Holden’s presentation 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. 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 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 Hingham on Sunday, May 17

Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show final flyerWhen: Sunday, May 17, 2015 –  10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Location: Hingham Town Hall, 210 Central Street, Hingham, Mass. Click here for directions.

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

Please bring 1-3 photos 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 images back to you. All images will be added to the online collection at openarchives.umb.edu. Preserve your memories of this wonderful neighborhood! Read more about this 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.

The Mass. Memories Road Show is produced by the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston and is co-sponsored by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund.

For more information call 781-741-1492 or visit the Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show planning committee’s website at www.hingham-ma.gov/events/MAMemories/index.html.

Download the flyer for the Hingham Mass. Memories Road Show here.