The Boston Athenaeum in Massachusetts is one of the oldest independent membership libraries in the US. Members pay a subscription fee annually in order to access its collections.
In 1847, the Trustees started moving the collections into their newly designed space on 10 1/2 Beacon Street - it was the first space specifically tailored to meeting Athenaeum needs.
The Strange Story of a Mysterious Guard
Nathaniel Hawthorne found solace in the Boston Athenaeum's reading room during the mid-1800s as an enjoyable place to immerse himself in books - but one day was shaken to discover he had encountered the ghost of an officiant who had died years earlier while reading an incongruous text! Hawthorne wrote about this encounter in his short story The Ghost of Dr. Harris.
The Boston Athenaeum, founded in 1807 as an independent membership library with yearly subscription fees, boasts one of the nation's finest collections, from rare books to modern art. Research books offer expertise on Boston and New England history, Massachusetts state and local history, biography, American and British literature as well as fine arts - making this institution truly exceptional in every respect. Their mission is to engage all who seek knowledge while stimulating reflection, discourse, creativity and joy!
Athenaeum's collection spans five galleried floors and numerous reading nooks. It boasts one of the largest manuscript collections in America. Alongside books and manuscripts, its holdings also include historical maps, photographs, decorative arts pieces and decorative arts from throughout history; furthermore it houses significant Boston and New England related artwork such as paintings, sculptures, water colors prints and drawings that make up part of its holdings.
This year, the Boston Athenaeum's website received 191,166 visits; most visitors came from within the US (mostly) followed by Canada and finally Britain. Most popular pages visited were Home Page, Electronic Resources, Membership Information Calendar & Directions with November-February peak periods followed by March and May peak moments.
Rare books and manuscripts in the Athenaeum's collection are among the most intriguing items in its collection, most notably one bound with human skin which belonged to John Fenno Allen - it contains notes on his life and career as well as personal data that researchers have determined contain notes about him personally. We are currently in the process of purchasing another copy of this remarkable book for our own library collection.
The Groping Guard’s Inappropriate Touches
Though the Boston Athenaeum has undergone considerable expansion and restoration over time, many of its original architectural features still exist - helping ensure that it retains its integrity as an institution dedicated to education and culture rather than serving as a mere collection of material possessions.
Coldstream Guards veteran David Browne escaped jail after groping a teenage recruit during a whisky-fuelled battalion party. Apparently drinking an entire bottle of Jack Daniel's, and demanding that the teenager expose herself in order to receive more alcohol before then groping the recruit's breasts while doing so.
An ex-security guard at a San Diego music venue has been accused of inappropriately touching a female concert-goer without her consent, then pushing outward her breasts. The woman filed a civil suit against the company that employed this individual as well.
The Groping Guard’s Disappearance
Since 1807, The Boston Athenaeum has been one of the oldest libraries in America. Over time its collection grew exponentially as well as multiple relocations before finally landing at its current building on Beacon Street in 1849. Renowned for its New England history and literature collections as well as providing information to an eager public, it continues to flourish to this day.
Though its history is rich and vibrant, the Boston Athenaeum currently faces numerous difficulties. Internal controversies that have strain relationships among staff members as well as significant staff departures has caused problems at this library and caused it to struggle in drawing younger members and improving fundraising activities.
Boston Athenaeum's troubles go beyond its groping guard. These include an ongoing disagreement regarding its proposed storage of special collections at a facility in Somerville. This proposal angered some trustees of the Athenaeum, leading to two resignations of board members and ultimately leading to two resignations of board members themselves.
No matter these controversies, the Athenaeum continues to expand its collections and engage in other activities. In 2013, for example, they acquired numerous Boston and Massachusetts-related photographs and chromolithographs from Vale Press printed on Vellum: Hand and Soul by Dante Gabriel Rossetti published by London in 1899.
The Athenaeum also continues to preserve its nineteenth-century collections. The Archive, which houses primary records for each department at the library, expanded by fourteen linear feet during 2013. Perhaps its most valuable piece is an 1875 scrapbook assembled by local historians which contains architectural images, illustrated ads and news articles about Boston.
The Athenaeum offers its members a vibrant discussion group program to allow for lively literary discourse in an informal environment. In 2013 alone, sixteen different discussions groups took place ranging from single author discussions to Massachusetts history and world history topics. Members can join as many or as few of these discussion groups as desired; it's a great way of meeting like-minded Bostonians as well as learning more about Athenaeum holdings!
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