This Week @MHS

FEATURED ITEM

Jackson-Warner Brooch & Earrings, Mourning Jewelry

This demi-parure, or partial set of matching jewelry, consists of a brooch and a pair of earrings. The earrings are constructed in a style known as day and night, and they include a removable bottom section. Worn alone, the smaller top piece was considered appropriate daytime jewelry; combined, the two sections created a look more in keeping with evening dress. The dark gems are melanite garnets, which appear black but have a deep red tint when held to the light.

Although the earrings and brooch clearly function as a set, they were used to commemorate different individuals. The earrings bear the inscription “J. Jackson Obt Nov. 16th-1824 Aged 62 Yrs.” The deceased was Johnson Jackson. The engraving on the back of the brooch, “W.A. Warner Obt Dec. 21st 1830 Æ 34 Yrs[,]” is for William Augustus Warner.

View brooch and earrings up close. Read more about the tradition of mourning jewelry.

Monday, 14 October, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM: Opening Our Doors with MHS staff. This is a special event.

Tuesday, 15 October, 5:00 PM: Shovels & Shoes: Cement Sidewalks’ Influence on New Cultures of Civics & Fashion in the Urbanizing United States, 1890–1930 with Kirke D. A. Elsass, Montana State University-Bozeman, with comment by Sara Jensen Carr, Northeastern University. This is a seminar.

Tuesday, 22 October, 5:00 PM: The Stroke of Midnight: The Emergence of New Year’s Eve in America with Alexis McCrossen, Southern Methodist University, with comment by Matthew Dennis, University of Oregon. This is a seminar.

Tuesday, 29 October, 5:00 PM: The War for Liberty & Union: Contesting Daniel Webster’s Memory in the Civil War North with Michael J. Larmann, University of Montana, with comment by Matthew Mason, Brigham Young University. This is a seminar.

Wednesday, 13 November, 5:00 PM: Environmental Change in the 19th Century-A Panel Discussion with Hayden L. Nelson, University of Kansas, and Karl Nycklemoe, Stony Brook University, with comment by John William Nelson, Texas Tech University. This is a seminar.

See full calendar.

Boston Views: Through the Lens of Arthur A. Shurcliff

Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870–1957), a landscape architect, created a collection of 1,295 glass lantern slides that depict cityscapes and buildings in Boston and other locations during the first decades of the 20th century. View a selection of Boston scenes reproduced at large scale and learn more about Shurcliff.

Learn more about the collection of glass lantern slides by reading this blog post. Visit our hours and admissions page for gallery hours.

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