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.

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.

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.

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.

Lock of George Washington's Hair

Correspondence between Elizabeth Wadsworth, her father Peleg Wadsworth and Martha Washington's secretary about the gift of a lock of George Washington's hair to Eliza.

People, Pets & Portraits

Informal family photos often include family pets -- but formal, studio portraits and paintings also often feature one person and one pet, in formal attire and pose.

Liberty Threatened: Maine in 1775

At Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775, British troops attempted to destroy munitions stored by American colonists. The battles were the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Shortly, the conflict would erupt in Maine.

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 - People of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House

"… house to be a memorial to the popular poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who had died in 1882. View: The Wadsworth Era, 1786-1807 View: The…"

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

"The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was named in his memory. Alexander Scammell Wadsworth (1790–1851) was the ninth child of Peleg and Elizabeth…"

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

"This site explores the history of the Wadsworth and Longfellow families who, from 1785 to 1901, inhabited the the house Peleg Wadsworth built, and…"

Samplers: Learning to Sew

Settlers' clothing had to be durable and practical to hold up against hard work and winters. From the 1700s to the mid 1800s, the women of Maine learned to sew by making samplers.

Northern Threads: Civil War-era clothing

An exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads, Part 1," featuring American Civil War civilian and military clothing, 1860 to 1869.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The House, 1786-1960

"… anchor in the peaceful haven of home." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to his parents, 1826 When Peleg and Elizabeth Bartlett Wadsworth built their…"

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.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Longfellow Era: 1807-1901

"1851Maine Historical Society Henry (Hen) Wadsworth Longfellow (1839-1874) Henry (Hen) Wadsworth Longfellow was the son of Stephen and Marianne…"

Northern Threads: Mourning Fashions

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring 18th and 19th century mourning jewelry and fashions.

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… is the universal language of humankind.” --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Outre Mer, 1835 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and family, Italy, 1869Maine…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

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

Music in Maine - Civil War drum, ca. 1861

"… by Maine Historical Society Description Henry Green (1832-1901) of Portland carried this military style side drum in the 10th and 17th…"

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

"1845 Charles Henry Granger (1812-1893) Oil on canvas Collections of the York Institute Museum, Saco Saco painter Charles Henry Granger created this…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Women Leaders and Temperance

"Parade Bangor, September 15, 1909 Courtesy of Henry Gartley, original from the Herbert Cary family A view of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"… the major figures of American industrialization, Henry Ford (born John Feeney in Portland), was an advocate for Prohibition in the States."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1865 to 1919: The Drys Gain New Adherents and Leaders

"Osgood, and Bangor physician Dr. Henry Reynolds were all instrumental in founding reform groups known for using red or blue ribbons as their symbols."