Maine Memory Network

Picturing Henry

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's popularity in the 19th century is reflected by the number of images of him -- in a variety of media -- that were produced and reproduced, some to go with published works of his, but many to be sold to the public on cards and postcards.

Home: The Longfellow House & the Emergence of Portland

The Wadsworth-Longfellow house is the oldest building on the Portland peninsula, the first historic site in Maine, a National Historic Landmark, home to three generations of Wadsworth and Longfellow family members -- including the boyhood home of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The history of the house and its inhabitants provide a unique view of the growth and changes of Portland -- as well as of the immediate surroundings of the home.

Longfellow: The Man Who Invented America

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a man and a poet of New England conscience. He was influenced by his ancestry and his Portland boyhood home and experience.

Drawing Together: Art of the Longfellows

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is best know as a poet, but he also was accomplished in drawing and music. He shared his love of drawing with most of his siblings. They all shared the frequent activity of drawing and painting with their children. The extended family included many professional as well as amateur artists, and several architects.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth Era: 1786-1807

"… Elizabeth Wadsworth (1779-1802) Elizabeth (Eliza) Wadsworth was the second daughter of Peleg and Elizabeth Wadsworth."

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music features captivating covers of original sheet music along with stories about Maine connections to the songs. Before people had easy access to popular music from records, radios, and the internet, they played songs of the day on instruments at home, using sheet music purchased at music stores. Iconic Maine subjects like lobsters, pine trees, and winter were perfect for lyrics sung by luminaries like Rudy Vallée of Westbrook, and intricate artwork of Maine’s landscape graced the sheet music covers.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Privy

"… rebuilding the garden wall along the original Wadsworth property line, workers noticed broken glass and ceramics in the soil."

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… Society Born in Portland in 1807, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spent his childhood in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, nurtured by family…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"John Ford, movie director, ca. 1920Maine Historical Society John Ford ca. 1920 Collections of Maine Historical Society, Gannett Glass Plate…"

Selections from the Collections

Maine Historical Society staff come across unique and unforgettable items in our collections every day. While it's difficult to choose favorites from a dynamic collection, this exhibit features memorable highlights as selected by members of the MHS staff.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Acknowledgements

"… assistance from Elizabeth Hogan Reproductions: John Allen and Tony Taylor, Prostyle Design Thank you to Our Generous Donors Exhibition…"

Prisoners of War

Mainers have been held prisoners in conflicts fought on Maine and American soil and in those fought overseas. In addition, enemy prisoners from several wars have been brought to Maine soil for the duration of the war.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Drinking Implements

"1775 Belonging to John Coburn (1725-1803), Boston Silver Courtesy of the The First Parish in Portland, Maine Unitarian Universalist This mug was…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Drinking: Elegance and Debauchery

"… and Maine State Museum Hampden House Bar, 1840 John Martin (1823-1904) Watercolor and pen and ink hand-illustrated journals Collections of…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Neal Dow

"1865 Published by John Russell Hand-colored lithograph Collections of Maine Historical Society; purchased with funds from the Edward Foley Memorial…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Taverns, People, and Scenes

"1758 John Greenwood (1727-1792) Oil on bed ticking Collections of The Saint Louis Art Museum This vision of Yankee mariners in various states of…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

"Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Craigie House, Cambridge, 1881NPS, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Henry Wadsworth…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Temperance Membership

"Sons of Temperance certificate for John Gunnelsen, Hallowell, 1848Maine Historical Society Certificate of Sons of Temperance Hallowell, 1848…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret

"In Maine's Richmond's Island in 1639, settler John Josselyn wrote admiringly of Captain Thomas Wannerton, "who drank to me a pint of kill-devil Rhum…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Women Leaders and Temperance

"… W.T.P.A., 1887 Chromolithograph Courtesy of John Matzke X The Little Water Girl Bronze replica from a sculpture by George E. Wade, ca."

Music in Maine - B-flat fife, ca. 1860

"… Description This fife was used by John Robbins when he was a drummer in the Civil War."

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"John Susep at the Maine Centennial, Portland, 1920Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media John Francis Susep (1880-1964) was a member of the…"

Northern Threads: Silhouettes in Sequence, ca. 1780-1889

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring a timeline of silhouettes from about 1775 through 1889.

Music in Maine - Rock and Roll, Punk, and Elvis

"… of punk music, they did so with satire. With John Etnier’s graphic design and doodle drawings by Mike Laskey, The Same Band produced humorous…"