Maine Memory Network

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"John Susep played the bass horn in the Penobscot Band and the Indian Island Orchestra, gaining the nickname Johnny Basshorn."

Music in Maine - Bluegrass Music

"The Maine Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Cox in 2000 and the International Bluegrass Music Museum of Owensboro, Kentucky recognized him as a…"

Music in Maine - Community Music

"… entertained audiences throughout the state from the 1980s through the early 2000s, I've continued to regularly lead dance workshops at Maine’s…"

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

"It is made of brown spun wood with brass rings attached at the ends. Six smaller holes tone towards end and larger blow hole opposite."

Music in Maine - Kimball Drum, ca. 1860

"Kimball/Co.F 5th Maine Regt./Dec. 1861-July 1864." Frank Kimball was a drummer in Co. F of the 5th Maine Infantry Regiment."

Music in Maine - Drum, Stockton Springs, ca. 1840

"A label inside the McGilvery’s drum notes the maker, Frederick Lane, suggesting it might pre-date the Civil War."

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"Paine of Portland owned the music store where the Longfellows purchased the piano, published sheet music, and founded the Portland Band—later called…"

Music in Maine - Music and Television

"The program often included series regulars and weekly guests from area high schools. Series regular Tina Warming of Brunswick excelled at acrobatic…"

Music in Maine - Drumsticks, 1861

"Regulation drumsticks were normally made from rosewood, and were 16 to 17 inches long. View additional information about this item on the Maine…"

Music in Maine - Drum, Portland, ca. 1854

"They specialized in making maple drums during the Civil War for Union Regiments. Civil War drums were generally sixteen inches in diameter, smaller…"

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"… to be easily Separated." The reverse highlights instrument makers with, "Our Chords of earthly Harmony lead to the regions of the Golden Harp.""

Music in Maine - Music stores

"The series included Regina Spektor, Ani DiFranco, The Decemberists, and Mumford & Sons. Brett Wickard sold 100% of Bull Moose to the employees in…"

Most Inconvenient Storm

A Portland newspaper wrote about an ice storm of January 28, 1886 saying, "The city of Portland was visited yesterday by the most inconvenient storm of the season."

Giving Thanks

Cultures from the ancient Greeks and Chinese to contemporary societies have set aside time to give thanks, especially for the harvest. In 1941, the United States set a permanent date for the observance.

Maine's 20th Regiment

The War was not going well for the Union and in the summer of 1862, when President Lincoln called for an additional 300,000 troops, it was not a surprise to see so many men enlist in an attempt to bring proper leadership into the Army.

Designing Acadia

For one hundred years, Acadia National Park has captured the American imagination and stood as the most recognizable symbol of Maine’s important natural history and identity. This exhibit highlights Maine Memory content relating to Acadia and Mount Desert Island.

Making Paper, Making Maine

Paper has shaped Maine's economy, molded individual and community identities, and impacted the environment throughout Maine. When Hugh Chisholm opened the Otis Falls Pulp Company in Jay in 1888, the mill was one of the most modern paper-making facilities in the country, and was connected to national and global markets. For the next century, Maine was an international leader in the manufacture of pulp and paper.

Enemies at Sea, Companions in Death

Lt. William Burrows and Commander Samuel Blyth, commanders of the USS Enterprise and the HMS Boxer, led their ships and crews in Battle in Muscongus Bay on Sept. 5, 1813. The American ship was victorious, but both captains were killed. Portland staged a large and regal joint burial.

Margaret Chase Smith: A Historic Candidacy

When she announced her candidacy for President in January 1964, three-term Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to seek the nomination of one of the two major political parties.

Washington County Through Eastern's Eye

Images taken by itinerant photographers for Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company, a real photo postcard company, provide a unique look at industry, commerce, recreation, tourism, and the communities of Washington County in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Hermann Kotzschmar: Portland's Musical Genius

During the second half of the 19th century, "Hermann Kotzschmar" was a familiar household name in Portland. He spent 59 years in his adopted city as a teacher, choral conductor, concert artist, and church organist.

Umbazooksus & Beyond

Visitors to the Maine woods in the early twentieth century often recorded their adventures in private diaries or journals and in photographs. Their remembrances of canoeing, camping, hunting and fishing helped equate Maine with wilderness.

CODE RED: Climate, Justice & Natural History Collections

Explore topics around climate change by reuniting collections from one of the nation's earliest natural history museums, the Portland Society of Natural History. The exhibition focuses on how museums collect, and the role of humans in creating changes in society, climate, and biodiversity.

One Hundred Years of Caring -- EMMC

In 1892 five physicians -- William H. Simmons, William C. Mason, Walter H. Hunt, Everett T. Nealey, and William E. Baxter -- realized the need for a hospital in the city of Bangor had become urgent and they set about providing one.