The Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit will hold a cocktail reception on April 30 at 5:30 pm at the Boston Athenaeum for a milestone moment. The Park Rangers need our support as facility improvements are underway. This transformation will be the most ambitious endeavor to the organization’s history. Tickets $175 for “under 35” and $300 general public. Purchase tickets at https://friendsofthebprmountedunit.org/events
“There is no record so true as the good photographic study; as we see the conditions of plant life eternally changing everywhere, the value of these permanent authentic records to future generations cannot be overestimated.” — Edwin Hale Lincoln, 1916
Photographs of daisies, lilies, ferns, milkweed and other plants welcome visitors to Wild Flowers of New England. The exhibit at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street in Boston, is on view now through September 5. Centering around the work of Massachusetts-based photographer Edwin Hale Lincoln, this exhibition explores his photographic effort to document and preserve New England’s wildflowers.
Over three decades, Lincoln explored the forests around his Berkshire home, studying the lives of native wildflowers, and photographing the plants in his studio. Lincoln created a unique photographic language, blending scientific specificity and artistic expression, producing portraits that celebrate the ephemeral beauty of native plants.
Wild Flowers of New England places Lincoln’s work in conversation with botanical printers and photographers of the past and present and contextualizes his practice within larger preservationist movements. Through Lincoln’s lens, visitors will see the timeless allure of New England’s wildflowers and the enduring power of botanical artistry.
You have probably heard that diversity is good for the environment, but have you ever wondered how exactly plant diversity benefits ecosystems and the life (including yours) that these ecosystems support? Join CEO of Native Plant Trust Tim Johnson at the Boston Athenaeum on June 17 for a wide ranging talk about the history of the conservation movement in the United States, the tools plant conservationists use to protect plants from extinction, and what plant ecology can teach us about how to resist, endure, and adapt when the things we hold dear come under attack.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tim Johnson grew up fishing public waterways and hunting the county forests, state natural areas, and his neighbors’ fields in Wisconsin. There, he learned that science can teach us how ecosystems work, but conservation is all about changing hearts and minds. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MS and PhD in environmental horticulture from the University of Florida, where he researched methods for conserving rare orchids on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. After completing his doctorate, Johnson worked as the Head of Preservation and Seed Bank Manager for Seed Savers Exchange and the Director of the Botanic Garden of Smith College. He joined Native Plant Trust in January of 2024.
TICKETS & TICKET POLICIES
Tickets are required for this event. Members and their guests are at no cost. Visitor tickets are $20 and include first floor admission. Tickets are refundable if canceled up to 48 hours before the event. To purchase online visit www.bostonathenaeum.org
The Boston Athenaeum welcomes people of all abilities. If you have questions regarding accessibility, please email events@bostonathenaeum.org.
For over fifty years, acclaimed illustrator Frank M. Costantino provided the world’s leading architects, designers, and developers with hand-drawn project designs from his studio in Winthrop, Massachusetts. This Boston Athenaeum exhibition of his work features over 80 drawings and watercolors. The exhibit will be on view February 3 – May 3.
Focused on Boston and New England projects, the exhibition showcases key landmarks such as the Hynes Convention Center, Esplanade 2020 Vision, and the Old State House renovation. Costantino’s meticulous detail and vibrant depictions, from finished renderings to preparatory sketches, reveal his creative and collaborative process.
This exhibition not only celebrates Costantino’s unparalleled skill but also highlights the Athenaeum’s dedication to local artists and architectural heritage.
Chris Morgan’s goal as a photographer is to evoke the emotions he feels when he views patterns and textures in nature, in the shapes of trees, and in the movements of birds. He brings details to life. The Arnold Arboretum, with its rich collections of flora and fauna, has been a major interest of his for over fifteen years, especially during blizzards, when dramatic photo opportunities appear. Digital photography, which offers a happy marriage of the arts and the sciences, lets him explore larger-format photography in creative ways through digital panorama techniques.
Morgan has photographed on five continents for over forty years; however, is currently to be found, year-round, photographing in the Arboretum.
In addition to his photographic work, Morgan appraises rare, early computers, is a computer consultant, an author, puzzle designer, musician, and magician. He is also a Lewis Carroll scholar, and has written five books. He has spoken extensively about Lewis Carroll at Harvard University’s Houghton Library, the Boston Athenaeum, and other libraries and universities around the country.
His photographic exhibit Transitions: Winter Into Spring will be displayed in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum February 8 – May 5, and there will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 16 from 1 – 3. Free and open to the public. For hours, visit https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/art-shows/
Greater Boston boasts a number of art museums, each of which, naturally, has galleries for the display of art. These galleries are constructed of walls and floors and ceilings. Even more naturally, however, the city has another art museum, whose floor is the earth, whose ceiling is the sky, and whose walls are the trees. This special museum has three major galleries: the Boston Common, the Boston Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. These galleries display an impressive collection of public sculpture that is free and accessible 24/7, 365 days a year. In this free public illustrated lecture, David Dearinger, PhD will give a brief overview of Boston’s “museum without walls” and the role that sculpture plays in its history and aesthetics. The talk will take place at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street, on Tuesday, November 29, and registration is not required. For complete details visit http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/events/4142/museums-without-walls-sculpture-collection-boston-common-public-garden-and-commonwealth
David B. Dearinger is Director of Exhibitions and Susan Morse Hilles Senior Curator of Paintings & Sculpture at the Boston Athenæum. He holds a PhD in art history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York with a specialization in nineteenth century American art. He became a member of the curatorial staff at the National Academy of Design in New York in 1985, where he served as Chief Curator from 1995 until 2004, when he joined the Boston Athenæum. He has taught art history at a number of institutions, including the State University of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, where he taught for over twenty years. He has lectured and published widely in the field of American art and has curated and organized a number of exhibitions in New York and Boston.
“Speak Out” is a series of public lectures and presentations designed to inform, inspire, connect and engage audiences in the protection and preservation of the environment. The 2016 series features notable individuals with a broad range of experiences and perspectives and whose work has contributed to a better understanding of our changing environment. “Speak Out” is made possible through generous seed funding from the Caroline Loughlin Fund. The final lecture of 2016 will be given by Lauren Meier on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 pm at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street in Boston, on Frederick Law Olmsted’s Legacy of Public Parks. A historic preservationist, Meier is the co-editor of the recently-published Supplemental Series Vol 2 of the Olmsted Papers, Frederick Law Olmsted: Plans and Views of Public Parks. Co-hosted by the Boston Athenaeum. Register online at www.emeraldnecklace.org, or call 617-522-2700.
You are cordially invited to the 46th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden on Wednesday, April 13 at 5 pm at First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough Street. A presentation will be made by David Dearinger, Curator of Paintings & Sculpture at the Boston Athenaeum, entitled Museums Without Walls: The Sculpture Collection of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Reception will follow. Kindly respond by April 6 by calling 617-723-8144, or emailing info@friendsofthepublicgarden.org. To view the 2015 Annual Meeting minutes, bylaws, and nominating slate visit www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.
Stanley Cushing, curator of rare books and manuscripts at the Boston Athenaeum, will welcome a small group from the Garden Club of the Back Bay on Thursday, January 14 in the Vershbow Special Collections Reading Room for a viewing of botanical images in the rare books collection. This special opportunity will be preceded by a docent-led tour of the building, beginning at 1 pm. If you are a member and plan to attend, please email info@bostonflora.com no later than Friday, January 8. Due to space limitations, the number of attendees is limited to 12, so responses will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Please indicate if you would like to be on a waitlist, should a vacancy occur. You will be contacted with a confirmation upon receipt of your rsvp. We are sorry but nonmember guests cannot be invited to this event. We will meet at the Athenaeum at 1 pm. There is no cost for this meeting.
Last week we shared a solicitation letter from the Committee of Beacon Street Residents from 1910, looking for funds to plant trees on Beacon Street between Arlington Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Here is the follow up, the original residing at the Boston Athenaeum:
“The fund has now reached $6,257, of which $5,275 is paid in and $982 is promised. We must have $8,500 before work can be started. Part of the promised money is conditional on the work being done this summer. Therefore the deficit of $2,243 must be wiped out during this month or the plan given up. Will you not help to complete the fund?”
The letter is signed by the Committee of Beacon Street Residents, the Committee of Metropolitan Improvement League, and the Secretary of the Massachusetts Forestry Association. Fundraising then, as now, is always difficult. One wonders whether someone made a $2 pledge? Every $2 helps.
