Boston Athenaeum, explore a library for the glory of "Goddess of Wisdom and Arts" -- Athena (Part-1)

Hello my friends. Welcome to Library Hunter. This is Kathy. Guess which city we are visiting this time. It's a city rich with history and lore that sits on the Charles. Obviously, it's no other than Boston. And our first stop is the Boston Athenaeum. It's evident that the Athenaeum isn't any ordinary library. An Athenaeum is defined as a membership library dedicated to Athena. Are you ready? Let's go. The Boston Athenaeum is one of the oldest private library institutions in America. With its extensive history dated back to 1807, the Athenaeum was preserved as an intellectual palace for future generations to become part of history simply by walking in the door. This mysterious building on 10 and a half Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts demonstrates why Boston was and still is sometimes considered the most European city in the United States. Tourists like us and locals in search of literary culture always get satisfied at the As promised by journalist John Clare Minow in 1928, for 120 years the Athenaeum has been the embodiment of cultural and social Boston at its best. The Athenaeum provides lockers where visitors can keep their belongings because large bags are not permitted beyond the vestibule. Folks can carry around smaller person items in a clear plastic bag also provided by the Athenaeum. The Boston Athenaeum is an independent membership library, the largest in the United States. Other notable membership libraries include the New York Society Library and the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. These date from the days before public library systems were established. 16 of them still exist today in the United States. The Boston Athenaeum's membership tradition used to be deeply Boston Brahmin style but nowadays anybody can join. In 1839 an annual membership went for $10 and in 2023 the individual membership runs $480 a year. This annual fee might seem a bit high as compared to many libraries free to the public but trust me after watching this video and the part two any book enthusiast would agree it's worthwhile. In this video I will focus on the first floor including the art galleries, exhibitions, and their new addition. The Athenaeum's new acquisition books are also located on the first floor. The library receives about 3,000 new books each year. This entire first floor is open to visitors with a general tour $10 admission. There are so many fantastic art pieces to enjoy on this floor. The library's galleries and exhibition spaces regularly showcase rotating exhibits of art, artifacts, and manuscripts from its collections highlighting different aspects of the Athenaeum's rich history. And of course I'm not going to be satisfied by just exploring the artworks. I paid for the $40 day pass at the front desk which allows me to take a whole day to explore this wonderful library and it's totally worth it. I will compile my adventures on the upper floors and underground collections in my next video and I guarantee that you don't want to miss it. This re-reading special collections involves several permanent collection installations within the historic building covering a spectrum from long-term reinstallation of paintings and sculpture to short-term focused exhibitions of light sensitive items. The project aims to reinterpret the National Historic Landmark building's publicly accessible first floor offering a more expansive perspective on American art and history across various media. The focal point is the Henry Long Room, a versatile space used for permanent collection displays, lectures, events, and tour starting points. Utilizing archive-driven historical research and theoretically informed interpretive frameworks, re-reading presents collection items with a critical eye toward the past. The installation showcases a diverse range of rare books, works on paper, paintings, and sculptures providing a fresh perspective on both lesser known and cherished materials. The project has been made possible through the support of a re-envisioning permanent collections grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art. Recently renovated and expanded, the Athenaeum operates as a museum with some 100,000 rare books, an expansive art collection, relics from the American Civil War in which Massachusetts fought on the side of the Union, exhibition galleries, and auditoriums for public concerts and lectures. Thanks to the recent 17 million dollar renovation and expansion in 2021, the re-hanging of the paintings here was thoughtfully rearranged. Now the artwork exhibitions tell a much fuller story with the re-hanging about the country's art and history, including so much that has been neglected or ignored. The Athenaeum is in the process of digitizing their expansive collection. All the art pieces displayed in this room have already been digitized and are available to the public on their website. I will put the link to the description box, so if you are interested in one specific artwork here, feel free to learn more about it on their website. As a member or a day pass holder, you get access to the Athenaeum's robust collection, vast digital offerings, teeming stacks, invaluable rare books, including the largest portion of George Washington's collection in the country, and a book bound with human skin. In addition, there's a constant flow of new acquisitions and non-pareil public events, such as book launches, lectures, and recitals. The Athenaeum also offers family and youth memberships, as well as day passes, which is what I got today. I learned from the librarian that their current membership roster is over 3,000. If I were a local Bostonian, I would love to become a member. The Boston Athenaeum was the brainchild of ambitious Harvard graduate Phineas Adams, who, with his business associates, decided to rent a set of rooms to host the meetings of their Anthology Society and print their miscellaneous magazine, the monthly Anthology and Boston Review. They wanted to continue the free-thinking, scholastic atmosphere of Harvard outside of the university's campus. The Athenaeum, which gradually rose in popularity among Boston's elite, changed locations several times before finally settling on Beacon Street, which, true to its name, signaled intellectualism and economic prosperity in the rapidly developing city. The library became a social gathering place for local scholars, men of business, and members of the upper classes with self-education agendas. Its list of famous members could be mistaken for a university course syllabus. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., John Quincy Adams, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who practically resided in the reading room. The Boston Athenaeum houses a nationally recognized collection of prints, photographs, and drawings dating from the 18th century to the present. Primarily a historical documentation collection, the holdings provide a unique visual record of New England's cultural and political life. It is particularly strong in prints, photographs, and architectural drawings depicting the built environment and topography of Boston and New England in the 19th century. In addition to its New England material, the department also has a fine collection of prints and photographs of the Civil War, as well as political cartoons, portraits, and historical prints that chronicle American national history. The collections are also a significant resource for the study of American art. Specializing in works by Boston artists, photographers, and printmakers, the collection traces the development of printing and photographic techniques in the 19th century. The drawing and watercolors collection encompasses works of art on paper by such professional artists as Isaac Sprague, Thomas Edwards, Edward Clark Cabot, Ellen Day Hale, Arthur Roche, and Alan Rohan Kreit. The work of amateur or anonymous artists is also collected and provides context for understanding the development of the graphic arts in 19th century America. You can pore over original Cartier drawings from the 1920s, illustrating designs for gold lipstick holders, cigarette cases, and powder boxes. You can leaf through a collection of books published in Native American languages, such as a cheap and concise Ojibwa Dictionary. You can peruse a database of the free Black citizens of Boston covering the years 1820 to 1863. In this gallery, Developing Boston, Berenice Abbott, and Byrene Schwachman, photograph a changing city. You can sift through the eerily depopulated photographs that Berenice Abbott took of Boston streets in 1934. Boston in the 21st century, as in the 19th century, is still filled with bibliophiles, as the oldest private library institution in America, since founded in 1807, grew out of its original institution, as I mentioned earlier, called the Anthology Society. This organization had been formed in 1805, as the society began to grow in members. Its founders were many of the wealthiest and most influential people in Boston at the time, including John S.J. Gardner, the best known and leading Episcopal clergyman in Boston, William Smith Shaw, who was the secretary of John Adams during his presidency, and became the first head librarian of the Athenaeum. Peter Oxenbridge Thatcher, who was a Congregationalist minister and helped draft the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780, William Tudor, a lawyer and well-respected citizen of Boston, as well as many other of the high-class men in Boston. The Athenaeum has known many places to be its home, from Joy's building on Congress Street, to the Perkins House, and to Scully's building on Tremont Street, it has seen many places house its collections. Currently, the Athenaeum resides in a building located at 10 1⁄2 Beacon Street, almost directly across from the State House. Beacon Street in Boston is indeed a historic district, renowned for its significance in the city's history and architecture. Lined with elegant brownstone buildings, tree-lined sidewalks, and historical landmarks, Beacon Street reflects the charm and character of Boston. As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston proudly owns a diverse urban landscape, combined with its cultural events and architectural marvels, offers an inspiring canvas for photographers. With its intricate layout and layers of historical development, Boston has been extensively mapped throughout its existence. Historical maps of the city provide valuable insights into its evolution. During my trip to Boston, I also visited the special map exhibition in Boston Public Library, dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of historical maps, further emphasizing the city's connection to cartography. Another interesting exhibition that we visited in Boston was dedicated to fictional maps, displayed at Harvard University's Pusey Library. Curious to know more about those mysterious maps? I will make a separate video on that topic as well. Just subscribe to my channel and stay tuned. As the Athenaeum grew, it began to voraciously acquire books, art, and artifacts. One thing the Athenaeum and its board have always sought was to join intellectual and social pleasures to be clubbable. One of their chief aims was to find the right physical environment to read, so trustees hung art, placed statues, and carefully choreographed chairs around fireplaces to encourage better reading spaces. This led to the Athenaeum picking up and collecting artwork as its collection expanded. It houses over 100,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, and decorative arts. Besides the extensive history of the Athenaeum, its iconic building, and its remarkable collections, there are also all kinds of programs at the library. Members, visitors, and the community enjoy a year-round schedule of cultural programming. Author talks, book clubs, exhibitions, concerts, social gatherings, and opportunities for connection, and virtual events have opened the Athenaeum to a global audience. For example, an upcoming photographing program will present different times in Boston's history, exploring ways of viewing, dissecting, and preserving Boston. Another interesting program at the library, they call it speed dating, but with objects from the collection. Set in the cozy ambiance of the newly established study center, attendees will move around the room, getting to know other members of the Athenaeum community, and enjoy a selection of whimsical items from the special collections. At the end of the hour, everyone will have had a chance to chat with different people and get up close with rare materials. Isn't it romantic? The Boston Athenaeum is apparently a haven for bookworms and bibliophiles, but can you imagine it's also a great place for parties? From lively strolling receptions to corporate dinners and milestone tributes, the Athenaeum was awarded by Boston magazines as the best place to throw a party in 2023. It can house up to 250 seats, or 300 guests standing and enjoying champagne. For a 100 person event, for example, the website gives a rough estimate of $395 per guest, and that includes food, beverage, fees, and taxes. Imagine this, inside this mysterious and beautiful library with high ornate shelves filled with ancient books, dimly lit by vintage chandeliers. The ambiance is enhanced by the warm glow of reading lamps scattered throughout the space. Guests dressed in a mix of contemporary and vintage attire, engaged in lively conversations, surrounded by the intoxicating scent of old books. Soft music adds to the enchanting atmosphere as guests enjoy a sophisticated and lively party in this unique and magical setting. That feels like a magical combination, isn't it? Can you imagine this Boston Athenaeum is said to be haunted by the ghost of Reverend Harris, first witnessed in the reading room almost two centuries ago, and still being witnessed in recent years? In the next video, I will share the story of Dr. Harris's spirit, and you will see that this is not your typical paranormal sight, and instead it is overtaken by feelings of calm enlightenment that walk the Boston Athenaeum. In my next video, I will show you more magical pieces, book collections, and history stories on the upper levels, including the second floor reading room that holds a couple of beautiful statues and over 500 periodicals. We will also explore the famous fifth floor reading room with high ceilings and large windows, which is a completely silent space. The Athenaeum's fifth floor terrace is an outdoor space for members, which boasts views of the old granary burying ground, the Park Street Church, and the Millennium Tower. We will also see the mechanical assist mobile storage systems underground. Okay, that concludes our first floor walking tour, and spoilers for part two. I hope you all enjoyed this first part of our journey. Subscribe now and let's explore the wonderful world of libraries together. Bye.