Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Getting around in Cambridge: what do you want to know?

In the coming weeks, I will be posting about the history of transportation, particularly public transit, in Cambridge, from toll roads to the horse-drawn street railway to the Red Line.


There are many routes this post could go in (pardon the pun), from the 1830's legal controversy over the right to build toll bridges to the 1960's origin of young people hanging out in "the pit" surrounding Harvard Station. Depending on what I decide to cover, this may be one post or a series.


Do you have any questions about the history of transportation in the area? Are there subjects in particular you want to know more about? Please let me know in the comments!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Guest blog posts at The Uncataloged Museum

February 9 update -- my second guest post is up!

January 18 --
For those of you interested in art or in museums, please check out my three guest posts at The Uncataloged Museum, about my experiences as a docent at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (Gardner herself is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery... I'll keep you updated if I find any more Cambridge connections). Here's an excerpt from the first post:

As a museum professional, I believe that working directly with visitors should be a lifelong practice for me.  I had thought for a long time that I might want to volunteer at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a small, beautiful Boston institution full of art from all time periods. Until recently, I had too many other things going on in my life, including being a tour guide at two history museums, but this fall, after starting a desk job, I realized now might be the time. It’s also a very exciting time to be at the Gardner, because they just completed a new wing, opening to the public on January 19. They recruited a large group of new volunteers, and I applied just in time. In November and December, I attended a series of trainings to get oriented to the museum’s story, the collection, and how to help visitors have a great experience.

While I’m excited to get involved at the Gardner, I’m a historian, and there’s a voice in my head asking,  “What do I know about art?

read on in my post, Learning to Talk About Art.