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Notes from the Nichols House
Fall Edition
In This Issue
Community Embroidery
Project
Garden Volunteer
Spring Fête
Summer Interns
Winterthur Interns
Lectures
Object of the Month
New App
Upcoming Events
Book Sale
Visit the museum
for 50% off select
books in our gift
shop!
October 2015
From the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
I am so happy to be here at the
Nichols House Museum. I spent much
of the summer getting to know our
neighbors, and this beautiful neighborhood.
I could not be more grateful to the
museum's Board, staff and supporters for
such a warm and friendly welcome. My
previous experience of the Nichols House
Museum had been as a visitor, like you,
touring the beautiful rooms and learning
the fascinating story of the Nichols family.
I look forward to seeing many of you this Fall. Our slate of
programs promises to stimulate lots of conversation and delight.
Our Fall lecturers include: local author
Stephen Puleo (October 19), the Chair of European Art at the
MFA, Frederick Ilchman (November 9), and this summer's
Linsdell Intern Danielle Rabinowitz (November 12). All of
these lectures are happening at new locations, so please be sure
to check our Events page for details. Our inaugural Book Club
Meeting (October 29) is sold out, but do be sure to check back
and sign up for the January meeting early. In addition to these
events, this Fall we are launching a Docent program ­ a first
for us! ­ and testing an early version of a digital app we hope
will enhance our visitors' experience and find a long term
manifestation here ­ another first! Finally, be sure to visit us with
your young friends and loved ones during Thanksgiving weekend,
when we will give special Family themed tours, geared
towards our younger guests. I hope to see you at our events or touring the house this Fall,
enjoying our innovative programs, exploring the house and
collections, and getting inspired by the remarkable family that
lived here. And, if you see me walking around the Hill, I hope
you'll stop to say hello.
Victoria Glazomitsky
Executive Director
Try Your Hand at our Community Embroidery Project
Rose, Marian, and Margaret learned
both academic subjects and fine hand skills
throughout their schooling. The three sisters
attended Mrs. Shaw's School, a progressive
co­educational program where they learned
reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as
sewing, pottery, and carpentry. Rose and
Margaret carried these skills throughout their
Rose Nichols' original
lives and used them to build careers in the
embroidery pattern.
design and craft fields.
This fall, the Nichols House Museum examines the craft practices
of the Nichols sisters through a small exhibition entitled "The
Useful in the Ornamental: Craft in the Nichols Family." The
exhibition includes a hands­on community embroidery project
for all ages and skill levels to learn about one of Rose's favorite
techniques and help recreate a pattern seen on her beautiful
crewel bed hangings.
The Community Embroidery Project was a
popular stop at the Beacon Hill Block Party!
Thank you to our Garden Volunteer, Susan Bomba!
Thanks to Susan Bomba's
help throughout the
spring, summer, and fall
seasons, the museum's
front garden won the
recognition of the Beacon
Hill Garden Club's
Beautify Beacon Hill
Summer Contest. Susan is an avid gardener,
whose favorite flower is
the hydrangea. She moved
to Beacon Hill with her
husband, Frank, eight
years ago and is currently
a member of the Rose
Brigade with the Friends
of the Public Garden.
Thank you, Susan!
Susan with a rosebush in her home garden.
Winning photo of the museum's front garden.
A Spring Fête to Remember
The Spring Fête was held the evening of June 4 at the elegant
Boston Athenaeum, this year in honor of long­time director
Flavia Cigliano. Friends of the museum, new and old, enjoyed the
evening catching up with friends and wishing Flavia well in her
retirement.
Spring Fete co­chair Tiverton McClintock, with Maggie
Begley and Mary Winn Hearle
Heidi Legg, Tim Cook, Eric and Sofia Ikauniks
Chris Legg and Beth Johnson
Gregory Van Boven, incoming Executive Director Victoria
Glazomitsky, and David Beck
David and Christine Root and William Sherden
Co­chairs Kate Enroth and Tiverton McClintock with
retiring Executive Director Flavia Cigliano (center)
Help us to honor Flavia's legacy and achieve our goals for the
future­ donations to The Directors' Fund are being accepted
through the end of the year. Please call the museum for more
information at 617­227­6993. Thank you!
A Busy Summer Season
My name is Collins Warren, and I'm a
second­year master's student in history
and museum studies at Tufts. When
looking for a summer internship last
spring, I decided to apply to the Nichols
House Museum because the museum
interprets such a rich and interesting
story about Rose and the Nichols family
that resonates far beyond Boston. I also
knew from a friend who had previously
interned at the museum that behind that
story was a dedicated staff who love what
they do. I have certainly found that to be the case during my time
as an intern! They have been valuable guides as I have worked
with collections research and management. I have particularly
enjoyed working with Danielle Cournoyer on exhibit panels for a
new orientation space, which you will hopefully be able to see at
the museum soon!
I am Danielle Cournoyer, a history
graduate student at the University of
Massachusetts Boston on the public
history track. I have spent my summer
internship at the Nichols House
Museum working on several public
outreach initiatives, as well as learning
about the Nichols family and giving
tours of their home and collection. I
was drawn to the Nichols House
Museum because of my interest in
progressive era Boston and the unique
life and personality of Rose Nichols. I
am interested in visitor engagement at museums and historic
sites and am thrilled to have had the opportunity to spend my
summer interning at a small but distinguished historic house.
Winterthur Cataloging Project
The Nichols House hosted three Winterthur Museum interns
over the course of two weeks this summer as part of the Boston
Furniture Archive Project. Forty objects from our collection will
be included with other area institutions' Boston furniture in one
easy to use database. Professor of American Decorative Arts, Brock Jobe, of the Winterthur Museum, explaining the construction of a
Queen Anne style chair in the parlor.
Two Upcoming Lectures
Join us October 19 for a lecture by author
Stephen Puleo on his newest book, The
Caning: The Assault that Drove America
to Civil War. Stephen's last lecture on
Dark Tide: The Molasses Flood of 1919
was sold out, so get your tickets soon!
On November 9 Frederick
Ilchman, Chair, Art of Europe at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will
present "Viewing 18th­century Venice
with Canaletto and Casanova." Tickets for both lectures are available on our website or by calling
617­227­6993. Hope to see you there!
Object of the Month
For October, intern Collins Warren
investigated Rose Nichols'
embroidery techniques on various
pieces throughout the museum,
including her crewelwork bed
hangings detailed on the left. Visit the museum to see these
handmade objects in person,
and visit the blog to learn more!
New "App" in Development for Museum Visitors
The Nichols House Museum is continually questioning what it
means to be an historic house museum in the 21st century. As
part of this effort, we have partnered with Cuseum to develop a
new app that offers visitors the opportunity to have a self­guided
visit of the museum with an audio tour of the house and featured
objects from the collection. Look out for invitations to join our
focus groups to test out the app throughout October.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 19
Lecture and Book Signing­ The Caning: The Assault That Drove
America to Civil War by local historian Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide
Time: 5:30 pm
NEW LOCATION: Moseley Hall at the Church of the Advent, 30
Brimmer Street, Boston
Tickets available here
October 29
SOLD OUT Inaugural Book Club Meeting
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Nichols House Museum, 55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston
Read Herland (1915) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and join a
discussion led by Professor Virginia Drachman.
October 31
Trick or Treat at the Nichols House!
Time: 5:00­'til the candy runs out
Stop by the museum for some old­fashioned candy generously
donated by Yankee Doodle Candy Company of the North End.
November 9
Lecture­ Viewing 18th­century Venice with Canaletto and
Casanova by Frederick Ilchman, Chair, Art of Europe at the
MFA
Time: 5:30 pm
NEW LOCATION: New England Historic Genealogical Society:
99­101 Newbury Street, Boston
Tickets available here
November 12
Lecture­ With Bells on His Toes: Dr. Arthur Nichols, physician
and expert change­ringer (1840­1923) by the 2015 Linsdell
Intern Danielle Galler Rabinowitz
Time: 5:30 pm
NEW LOCATION: MGH Russell Museum, 2 North Grove Street,
Boston
Free admission­ please contact the museum to reserve a seat!
December 1
Annual Beacon Hill Eggnog Party
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Nichols House Museum,
55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston
Tickets available in early November
December 13
Holiday House Tour
Time: 12:00 ­ 4:00 pm
Location: Nichols House Museum,
55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston
Tickets available in early November
December 18
Open House­ free admission to the museum all day
Location: Nichols House Museum,
55 Mount Vernon Street, Boston
Notes from the Nichols House edited by Ashley Bannon, Head of Stewardship and
Interpretation
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Nichols House Museum | 55 Mount Vernon Street | Boston | MA | 02108