It's said to be as Bostonian as the Common. Ralph Waldo Emerson's father was among the original trustees who launched the place in 1807. It's where Nathaniel Hawthorne blew off editing work at the American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge so he could discover the books, paintings, and sculptures that stoked his writerly imagination. The 19th-century intellect Margaret Fuller spent untold hours there with the goal of alleviating her "poverty of knowledge" and succeeded wildly. Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded the all-black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, was a shareholder. After achieving celebrity status with Little Women, Louisa May Alcott borrowed piles of books that fed her subsequent novels. When you visit today you can look over Alcott's "charging records" and then ask a librarian to point you to the actual volumes that Alcott savored. They remain on the shelves, part of a collection of more than 600,000 books and objects at the venerable, beloved, and utterly indispensable Boston Athenaeum.
"Alcott was very into trashy novels, Leah Rosovsky noted at the Athenaeum (which is generally pronounced Ath-a-NEE-um), on a recent sunny morning. Since May 2020 she has been the Stanford Calderwood Director of this neo-Palladian jewel of a private library near the apex of Beacon Hill at 10% Beacon Street, a half-block from the gold-domed Massachusetts State House. The two institutions make a natural pairing, the one being the seat of Massachusetts politics since 1798 and the other being a kind of greenhouse where New England's cultural life sprouted more than 200 years ago.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2022-utgaven av Town & Country US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Jersey, JE ΤΙΜΕ
Nearly 50 years ago a museum opened in Paris.
THE HUNGER GAMES
Two former bons amis grew up in the same expensive suburb and cut their teeth together in the Paris nightclub scene. Then they launched competing restaurant empires, and the gloves came off. Now one of them is facing a suspended prison sentence and a huge fine. Welcome to the city's most delicious grudge match.
HIDDEN in Plain Sight
T&C was invited into the private archives and secret workshops of Paris, to glimpse the treasures that have made this city famous for its style and craftsmanship. It's a reputation worth fighting for.
GUARDIAN of Objects
Laura Kugel is the go-to art dealer for the world's most discerning clients, but her family's Paris wonderland is open to all. Come inside, won't you?
Ecole! Elysée! SCANDALE!
The path to the French White House requires a political education at one of the country's elite universities. As controversy swirls around Sciences Po-class treason, #MeToo à la française, creeping le wokisme-will its grip on power finally slip?
Are There Still Mysteries in Paris?
Surely not, in the world's most visited city! And yet: Why is the Louvre called the Louvre? Why do the upper stories of its 17th-century buildings tilt in? Why do even familiar streets feel so enticing, unknown? One thing is clear: So many of us return because the City of Light is really one of mesmerizing shadows.
High SEAS
How seductive is a cruise on an ultraluxury ship (yes, that's a category) like the new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur? So much so that a 132-day sailing sold out in three hours. It was time to investigate.
The Cruise Cure
One definition of bliss at sea is padding down a ship's hallway from your suite to the spa in a robe and slippers. Here's what awaits.
Only a Day to Spare?
These hotel spas-mini-me's of destination, health retreats punch way above their weight. So, if you're in the neighborhood...
So, Where Do You Ride in Paris?
A fancy equestrian's guide to the best of Gallic galloping.