Call for Submissions: “The Bridge: The Gaspee Affair in Context”
The Rhode Island Historical Society and the Newport Historical Society will publish the second themed “combined issue” of their respective … Continue reading Call for Submissions: “The Bridge: The Gaspee Affair in Context”
Resources on RI African American History Now on RIDE Website!
Having trouble finding resources on Rhode Island’s African American history for Black History Month? Look no further. Thanks to the … Continue reading Resources on RI African American History Now on RIDE Website!
Heritage Harbor Foundation Awards Grant to RIHS for Trusted Digital Repository
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 31, 2019) – The Rhode Island Historical Society announced that it has received a $7,000 grant from … Continue reading Heritage Harbor Foundation Awards Grant to RIHS for Trusted Digital Repository
RI African Heritage Civil Rights History Exhibit Opening, Teacher Workshop
The RIHS, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission invite you to an exhibit opening and panel discussion on Wednesday, February 13, 6pm, at Aldrich House.
Free Lecture Series Launches at Museum of Work & Culture on January 13
Valley Talks, a series of biweekly historical lectures, will take place on alternating Sundays, 1:30pm, at the Museum of Work & Culture. Free with limited seating.
RIHS to Celebrate Holidays With Open House, Santa’s Workshop at MoWC
The Rhode Island Historical Society invites the community to visit the Museum of Work & Culture on Saturday, Dec. 1, 1-5pm, for the organization’s annual Holiday Open House, offered as part of Woonsocket’s Main Street Holiday Stroll. The day will feature a variety of holiday-themed activities for adults and families alik
Join the RIHS on October 24 at Aldrich House for a free author talk and book signing with Dr. Elaine F. Crane, who will discuss her most recent book, The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport.
R.I. Historical Society Names Becca Bender as Film Archivist
After an extensive national search, the Rhode Island Historical Society has announced the appointment of Becca Bender as Film Archivist & Curator of Recorded Media, a new position that will advance the RIHS’s mission to promote and preserve its collection of more than 9 million feet of moving image film and well over 2,000 sound recordings, from oral history projects to jazz performances.
RIHS Receives IMLS Grant for Staff and Volunteer Professional Development
The Institute for Museum and Library Services announced a Museums Empowered award of $22,306 to the Rhode Island Historical Society for the purposes of training staff and volunteers across the organization to better develop, frame, interpret, and tell the histories of those who have been traditionally overlooked, marginalized, or silenced.
RIHS Welcomes Smithsonian Gardens’ Collections Manager for Goff Lecture
Since the time of the “founding gardeners,” gardeners and gardens have played an important role in shaping American culture. At the RIHS’s 2018 Newell D. Goff Lecture, attendees will discover how Smithsonian Gardens is conserving American garden history.
Volunteers Needed for Historical Tours for Children
As part of the RIHS’s Field Trip Free for All program, more than 750 school children come to Providence annually to take part in our Avi Walks – historical walking tours that use the book Something Upstairs to educate students on local history and the slave trade. With the goal of expanding the program, increasing visitation, and reaching more children, we’re looking for new volunteers!
Few Dining in the Dark Tickets Remain – 9/17 Deadline!
On September 21, explore the limits of your senses at Dining in the Dark, a culinary experience to benefit accessibility at the RIHS’s Museum of Work & Culture and John Brown House Museum.
We Didn’t Go to the Catskills: Jewish Summer Recreation in R.I.
The Rhode Island Historical Society and Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association are collaborating on a panel discussion exploring past summer recreation sites. Speakers will reflect on popular local vacation destinations – including summer camps, country clubs, and favorite beaches – that Rhode Island’s Jewish community enjoyed throughout the 20th century.
RIHS Recognizes Teachers With Week of Free Admission, Programs
“Teacher Appreciation Week is all about thanking teachers for their dedication, and showing them how dedicated we are to them,” said Geralyn Ducady, Director of the RIHS’s Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs. “This is an opportunity to learn how the RIHS can help educators through the wonderful resources we have available, from free field trips to free digital textbooks to free curricula – and, of course, our collections.”
EnCompass, Free RI History Digital Textbook, Releases Second Chapter
The RIHS and Providence College’s Phillips Memorial Library have released the second chapter of the free digital textbook of … Continue reading EnCompass, Free RI History Digital Textbook, Releases Second Chapter
Public Meeting: Documenting African American Struggle for Civil Rights in RI
On July 11 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Congdon Street Baptist Church at 17 Congdon St. in Providence, the Rhode Island Historical Society (RIHS), the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (RIBHS), and Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) will hold a public meeting to share the latest research from their collaborative project on African Americans’ struggle for Civil Rights in Rhode Island during the 20th century.
Museum of Work & Culture Announces Summer SensAbilities Program
The Museum of Work & Culture will launch its slate of summer SensAbilities programs on Monday, July 9. Made-to-Order Mondays … Continue reading Museum of Work & Culture Announces Summer SensAbilities Program
In Memoriam: William S. Simmons, 1938-2018
C. Morgan Grefe on William S. Simmons, who passed away on June 2: “He was a voice of reason, with a brilliant intellect and a sparkling sense of humor. His love of his work and his community was equaled by his tremendous compassion for humankind. He was so very kind and so very smart.”
Living History Event Will Immerse Visitors in One Night’s Revolutionary Impact
The Rhode Island Historical Society and the Newport Historical Society Present “What Cheer Day: Life After the Gaspee Affair” on June 2 as Part of History Space Series
The Private Side of One of America’s Most Powerful 18th-Century Families
When the sun sets in 18th-century Providence, what happens at the mansion on the hill? Find out Thursday, April 19, when the Rhode Island Historical Society and Newport Historical Society present After Dark: Browns, Bad Boys, and Boudoirs.
Undressing History: Women’s Clothes & Unmentionables from the 19th Century
The Newport Historical Society and the Rhode Island Historical Society will partner for their first joint History Space event since 2015 when they present “Undressing History: Women’s Clothes & Unmentionables From the 19th Century.” During this program, which will be offered in Providence on March 6 and again in Newport on May 3, historical costumer Carrie Midura will share some of the secrets (and stuffing) that were hidden beneath the leg-o-mutton sleeves and shelf-like bustle gowns of the 1800s.
William Greene Roelker (1886 – 1953)
“Live by faith and not on figures” William Greene Roelker, Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society from 1940 – … Continue reading William Greene Roelker (1886 – 1953)
The Benefit on Benefit: Isn’t It Romantic at the Barker
We hope you will join us at the Barker Playhouse, “America’s Oldest Little Theatre,” for a special presentation of Wendy Wasserstein’s “compulsively funny” Isn’t It Romantic. All proceeds benefit the RIHS.
The RIHS Presents Tomaquag Director Lorén Spears on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
On Tuesday, July 18, 5:30pm, at the Aldrich House (110 Benevolent St.), the Rhode Island Historical Society will host Dr. Lorén Spears, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum, to speak about indigenous peoples and the issue of food sovereignty. This event is presented as part of Relishing Rhode Island, the RIHS’s 2017 programming theme, as well as the statewide initiative A La Rhody.
Helping History & Heritage Happen: Communications + Social Media
Learn the ins and outs of effective communication and social media strategies to apply to your organization’s outreach efforts. Join Shawn Badgley, Communications & Digital Outreach Manager at the Rhode Island Historical Society as he shares some tips and best practices.
Our History Crawl Premieres on June 13
This new tour, taking place Tuesday, June 13, 5:30pm, will look at the intersection of downtown Providence’s vibrant restaurant scene and the city’s engaging history of preservation. Presented as part of the RIHS’s 2017 programming theme, “Relishing Rhode Island,” as well as the statewide A La Rhody initiative.
Women’s History Month: In the Mills
This year’s National Women’s History Month celebrates trailblazing women in labor and business. As the month winds down, here’s a look at some important contributions from women in Rhode Island’s organized labor movement during the 1920s and ’30s.
After Dark at the Museum Returns April 27
On April 27, the Rhode Island Historical Society’s “After Dark at the Museum” will give visitors the rare opportunity to tour the John Brown House Museum by (battery-operated!) candlelight and discover what went on during private evenings – and late nights – at home in the 18th century.
Press Release: The 2017 Newell D. Goff Lecture to Feature Susan Evans McClure
Can we use beer as a way to track immigration trends? Or a recipe card to examine agricultural development? What are the most significant advances in the evolution of cookware? Susan Evans McClure, Director of Food History Programs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, will address questions like these at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s 2017 Newell D. Goff Lecture, a free event taking place at the Aldrich House in Providence on Wednesday, April 19, 6pm. A reception will follow.
“No MAN Ever Would Have Been Treated So”: Elleanor Eldridge
Celebrating Women’s History Month by way of an entrepreneur’s 233rd birthday
“Dolores Huerta: Daring to Lead” With Taína Caragol
As part of the Women’s History Talk Lecture Series with Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), we are pleased to present a talk from Dr. Taína Caragol, Curator of Latino Art and History at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, who will discuss Civil Rights activist Dolores Huerta, a founder of the American Farm Workers movement, at CCRI’s Lincoln Campus on March 23.
Lovecraft Walking Tour Returns (March 18 Postponed – New Date April 8)
Each year, the Rhode Island Historical Society marks the anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft’s death in March of 1937 with a walking tour of spaces and places in Providence that were important to his life and work. Recent editions of the tour have also coincided with the release of Narragansett Beer’s latest Lovecraft-themed brew, which for 2017 is the Unnamable Black Lager. We’re excited to announced that ‘Gansett is back and will host a nearby afterparty for tour participants, details on which will be announced ASAP.
Volunteer With Our ‘Avi Program’
The Rhode Island Historical Society runs a robust elementary school walking tour called the “Avi Program” every spring and fall. This tour is based on Avi’s book Something Upstairs, set in the Fox Point area. As this program grows annually, RIHS is looking for guides to fill our walking tour guide roster.
Museum of Work & Culture Launches French-Language Film Series
Beginning Saturday, March 4, the Museum of Work & Culture will host Cinema Saturdays, a weekly presentation of a French-language film produced in Québec. All films will be screened at 1:30pm and are subtitled in English. The films are included with the price of museum admission, purchased at the door ($8/adults, $6/students & seniors, free/children under 10).
Traditional Maple Sugaring at Coggeshall
Sure, we’ve all had French toast on a Saturday morning. But have you ever truly experienced your French toast on a Saturday morning? The Rhode Island Historical Society and Coggeshall Farm Museum are offering food lovers, history lovers, and food history lovers alike that opportunity on Saturday, March 4, 10am-noon, when the public is invited to learn about the process of maple sugaring and making maple syrup … and then to enjoy pouring it over some delicious hearth-cooked French toast.
Press Release: Ambitious (and Delicious) “Relishing Rhode Island” Programming Announced
Each year, the Rhode Island Historical Society features a new programming theme, allowing the organization to explore a compelling aspect of the state’s history through its events, lectures, partnerships, and initiatives. In 2016, it was fashion. The year before, design. Today, the RIHS officially announced 2017’s theme: Relishing Rhode Island, serving up plenty of events to go around, with dozens plated already and many more on the burner.
Learning From ‘The American Frugal Housewife’ Cookbook
American Frugal Housewife is part life guide, home helper, and receipt collection. On February 28, Katy O’Neill-Day discusses etiquette, recipes, and lessons from the bestseller of its time as part of our yearlong Relishing Rhode Island programming theme.
Press Release: NPS Awards Grant to RIHS, Partners for Civil Rights Project
The National Park Service (NPS) announced on Thursday, Jan. 12, a $49,557.76 grant to the Rhode Island Historical Society, working in partnership with the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (RIBHS) and Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC), for the purposes of a multi-phase project focusing on African Americans’ struggle for Civil Rights in Rhode Island during the 20th century.
In Memoriam: Albert T. “Al” Klyberg, 1940-2017
C. Morgan Grefe’s statement on former RIHS Executive Director Al Klyberg, who has died at 76. All of us here offer our deepest condolences to Al’s family and friends. In the coming days, we will share more about his life and times, as well as provide memorial service information when and if it becomes available to the public.
MoWC Embarks on Moveable Feast at Chan’s Restaurant
You’re invited to join the Museum of Work & Culture as it celebrates Chinese New Year by recognizing Rhode Island institution Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining’s legacy of jazz with its premiere “Moveable Feast” event.
RIHS Names Geralyn Ducady New Education & Public Programs Director
The Rhode Island Historical Society has named Geralyn Ducady Director of its Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs after a two-month search.
RIHS, Partners Officially Launch Effort to Digitize Seminal Architect’s Plans
Kickoff Party at Arcade Providence Open to Public, Will Feature New Harvest Cash Bar
What Cheer Day Returns With Focus on 18th-Century Fashion, Scandal
Beloved living history event offers afternoon of costumes, conversation, activities, and food
Photos From Museum Day Live!
Thank you to the hundreds of visitors who joined us at three different sites – the John Brown House Museum, Museum of Work & Culture, and Aldrich House – for Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live on Saturday, as we celebrated the grand opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture with presentations from Keith Stokes and Sylvia Ann Soares, while also hosting a kickoff party for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society – RIBHS’s 40th anniversary year.
Please enjoy these photos from a truly inspiring day!
Smithsonian Museum Day Live! at RIHS
The Rhode Island Historical Society will open its doors free of charge on Saturday September 24, 2016, as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 12th annual Museum Day Live! On this day only, participating museums across the United States emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities, which offer free admission every day, and open their doors for free to those who download a Museum Day Live! ticket.
What Cheer Wednesdays
What Cheer Wednesdays will bring you behind the scenes with free museum admission and pop-up programming. It’s a series featuring rotating weekly offerings – as well as chats with curators, docents, and educational staff – all intended to give visitors a unique look at a day in the life of our museums.
Community Care Alliance: Human Services in Rhode Island, A 125 Year History
The exhibit traces the history of human service organizations in the city, including the name changes, mergers, and community partnerships that have led to the formation of the agency as it exists today. Displayed artifacts include photographs, daily log books, expenditure ledgers, and board manager journals dating from the organization’s founding in 1891.
RIHS Partners With Mount Vernon to Host Teacher Appreciation Week
The Rhode Island Historical Society is proud to announce the full schedule of programming for Teacher Appreciation Week, presented in partnership with George Washington’s Mount Vernon and taking place August 15 through August 19 at various RIHS sites in Providence and Woonsocket. During Teacher Appreciation Week, educators can enjoy free workshops and museum admission; info sessions about the resources that the RIHS offers in and out of the classroom; as well as special discounts on membership, gift shop purchases, and walking tours.
RIHS News: ‘Colonial Justice’ Digital Archive Launches With 1729-1812 R.I. Court Records
The Rhode Island Historical Society has launched the digital archive “Colonial Justice: Preserving and Digitizing Early Rhode Island Court Records.” These specific collections were selected by RIHS curators for digitization based on their rarity, as well as their unique documentation of the colonial justice system in Rhode Island.
From a single online location, users can now access selected 1729-1812 records from the courts of Providence County, Kent County, and what was known as Kings County (now Washington County). The online archive is free and open to the public.
After Dark at the Museum: Shedding (Candle) Light on 18th-Century Nights at Home
On April 21, the Rhode Island Historical Society’s “After Dark at the Museum” will give visitors the rare opportunity to tour the John Brown House Museum by (battery-operated!) candlelight and discover what went on during private evenings – and late nights – at home in the late 18th century.
Dear Howard
The collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society have their own storied past and the current curators walk through the … Continue reading Dear Howard
Symposium: America’s Shakespeare
This April 16 symposium exploring the place of Shakespeare in American culture, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Historical Society, features three distinguished scholars who will discuss how Shakespeare has shaped American social life, culture, and politics. This will be followed by a collage of scenes from films set in the U.S.
March 12 Is Museum Day Live! at the RIHS
Held during Women’s History Month, this special edition of the Smithsonian’s signature Museum Day Live! event will encourage all people – and particularly women and girls of color – to explore their nation’s museums, cultural institutions, zoos, aquariums, parks, and libraries, which will offer free admission for the day.
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the RIHS is thrilled to take part in Museum Day Live!, and we’ll be offering free admission at the John Brown House Museum and the Museum of Work & Culture on Saturday, March 12.
Announcement: The RIHS Removes Four Dead Elm Trees From John Brown House Museum Property
Of interest to our members, friends, and supporters: We regret to announce that the Rhode Island Historical Society was forced to remove four more dead elm trees from the John Brown House Museum property. The RIHS hired TF Morra Tree Care, Inc., to handle the removal (as well as, potentially, a replanting strategy of more varied and disease-resistant trees in the coming months and years), and as this stage of the project draws to a close, we present Executive Director C. Morgan Grefe’s official statement on a painful decision that wasn’t really a decision at all:
Valley Talks: Albert Klyberg on the CCC
Historian & former Rhode Island Historical Society Director Albert Klyberg (pictured) will explore the origins and accomplishments of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which employed more than 10,000 young men in Rhode Island from 1932 to 1941. The CCC, a branch of FDR’s New Deal, tasked these individuals with conserving natural resources on government land, including seven Rhode Island-based camps focused on forestry projects and state parks.
Museum of Work & Culture’s Valley Talks Kick Off This Month
Beginning January 10, the Museum of Work & Culture will be hosting Valley Talks, a series of free, bi-weekly historical lectures. All talks take place on Sundays at 1:30pm at the Museum of Work & Culture, 42 S. Main St., Woonsocket.
‘Tis the Season for Reciprocity!
Today, we announce our participation in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association, Time Travelers Reciprocal Program, the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums, and the Rhode Island Attractions Marketing Alliance.
Happy Hanukkah!: A Lunar Calendar
In celebration of Hanukkah, here’s an important item of Rhode Island Judaica from the R.I.H.S. Collections
#GivingTuesday Gives You the Opportunity to Help the RIHS!
We realize that ours is not the first appeal you’ve received today, but we believe it to be among the most important.
Small Business Saturday, #BuyLocalRI, and More at RIHS Museum Gift Shops
On Saturday, Nov. 28, the John Brown House Museum (52 Power St., Providence, 1-4pm) and the Museum of Work & Culture (42 S. Main St., Woonsocket, 10am-4pm) will offer free admission. What’s more, patrons can shop at our RIHS museum gift shops with a 20% discount on all purchases!
“Rhode Island’s Forgotten Power Broker and the Founding of the Federal Reserve”
In America’s Bank (Penguin Press), journalist and author Roger Lowenstein tells the drama-laden story of how the United States created … Continue reading “Rhode Island’s Forgotten Power Broker and the Founding of the Federal Reserve”
Expansion of All-Ability Program at the Museum of Work & Culture
The Museum of Work & Culture is proud to announce that it will be extending its hours of operation one … Continue reading Expansion of All-Ability Program at the Museum of Work & Culture
What Is #ReCollectingRI? [UPDATED]
We’re asking all Rhode Island Facebook users to play a statewide game of show & tell by posting a treasured photo, artifact, heirloom, video, recipe, sound file, or anything else you value most from the past and sharing why you picked it, along with the hashtag #ReCollectingRI. Then, we’re asking you to tag three friends to do the same.
“514 Broadway: A&L Tirocchi Gowns and the American Dream”
To mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Tirocchi sisters’ shop on Broadway in Providence, we’re honored to welcome Museum of Fine Arts Boston Curator Pamela Parmal to discuss her work with the Tirocchi collection on Sunday, Sept. 20, 3:30pm, at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Aldrich House (110 Benevolent St.).
Help Us Celebrate American Girl’s Girl of the Year®!
Each year, American Girl debuts a new character whose story captures what it means to be a modern American girl. This year’s girl, Grace Thomas, is from the Blackstone Valley and is passionate about French, baking, and her dog Bon-Bon.
Commemorating a Cataclysm
On a Saturday morning in 1815, 11-foot-plus storm surges blasted the coast of Rhode Island, driven by what experts believe was a Category 4 hurricane originating in the West Indies and making landfall in New England.
Two hundred years later, join us for two events in September presented in partnership with Historic New England!
A Major Announcement: The RIHS Is Now a Smithsonian Affiliate!
In an exciting development years in the making – and thanks to the dedication of our Board of Trustees, members, supporters, partners, friends, and staff – the state will now have a conduit to the Smithsonian and its countless resources, as the Institution has designated the Rhode Island Historical Society as an Affiliate. In turn, Smithsonian patrons will gain greater access to collections and programs reflecting Rhode Island’s own history.
Let’s Celebrate This WaterFire Weekend!
To celebrate the Saturday, July 18, full WaterFire lighting, the John Brown House Museum (52 Power St.) will be open from 10am until 7:30pm, and will reopen on Sunday, July 19, at 1pm, closing at 4pm.
Woody Spring, Rhode Island Astronaut!
Space Shuttle missions began in 1981, a year after Rhode Island’s own Sherwood “Woody” Spring was selected as an astronaut. Spring, raised in Eden Park in Cranston and Harmony village, graduated from Ponaganset High School in 1963.
Talk About a WaterFire Lighting …
Happy Gaspee! Thanks to one well-placed sandbar at Namquit Point off the coast of Warwick, the movement toward American Revolution really heated up 243 years ago today when the HMS Gaspee ran aground and was later boarded and burned by rebel colonists under the direction of John Brown and Abraham Whipple. Guess what? We have a walking tour for that!
Historical Research in Rhode Island Will Never Be the Same …
For the first time in more than 50 years, historians, students, authors, and genealogists from across New England – and around the world – will no longer be visiting the Rhode Island Historical Society Library to pursue their work.
Object Thursday: Brunoniana
This week in Providence there is music in the air. That and tens of thousands of parents and alumni of … Continue reading Object Thursday: Brunoniana
Object Thursday: Linen Corsets and Leather Pants
It’s not your typical Casual Friday, but it was a Wonderful Wednesday morning. Dana Signe Munroe, Justin Squizzero and I … Continue reading Object Thursday: Linen Corsets and Leather Pants