FRIENDS of UMAINE LIBRARIES NEWSLETTER | |
In This Issue:
- Salon event: “Mary and Molly” — Film Screening and Discussion
- The Mystery Writer from Whitneyville: Unearthing a Local Story
- New from Special Collections and Projects: John William Bailly Exhibit; Homecoming; and the annual Maine Archives & Museums Conference
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Salon event: “Mary and Molly” — Film Screening and Discussion
Fogler Library’s 2025–26 Salon Series kicks off on Wednesday, November 5 with “Mary and Molly,” a 20-minute animated film directed by Donna Loring and David Camlin, based on Loring’s 2016 play. The film follows Mary, a young woman who discovers her Penobscot ancestry and connects with her ancestor Molly Molasses to explore identity, heritage, and belonging.
Following the screening, Darren Ranco, chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine and a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, will moderate a discussion between Loring and Camlin, joined by writer/anthropologist Bunny McBride, and the audience.
Everyone is welcome to attend what promises to be an exciting and thought-provoking event, either in person in the Salon, Fogler Library, or via Zoom.
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The Mystery Writer from Whitneyville: Unearthing a Local Story
As part of the UMS Research and Innovation Speaker Series, Professor Bernie Vinzani, Director of the Art Gallery and longtime Professor of Art, Book Arts, and Papermaking at the University of Maine at Machias, will present “The Mystery Writer from Whitneyville, Maine: Ongoing Research with Possible Ties to the Abolitionists of the Underground Railroad.”
Monday, November 3
Noon–1 p.m.
On Zoom
(Open to all UMS students, staff, and faculty — no registration required.)
What began as a primary source lesson for book arts students has evolved into a fascinating research project uncovering local stories that stretch far beyond our region. Through a collection of addressed envelope artifacts, historical drawings, and family connections across Whitneyville, Attusville, Machias, and East Machias, Bernie and his students have begun to trace potential links to Civil War communications and the Underground Railroad.
The project is part historical research, part art practice, and part storytelling —reminding us how creative inquiry can illuminate the past in unexpected ways.
It’s a perfect example of how research, art, and local history intertwine to tell stories that might otherwise remain hidden.
Join the talk to explore how a “mystery writer from Whitneyville” is helping uncover new perspectives on Maine’s connections to the abolitionist movement —and how archival discovery continues to shape our understanding of history.
| | New from Special Collections and Projects: John William Bailly Exhibit; Homecoming, and the annual Maine Archives & Museums Conference | | |
Fogler Library, in collaboration with the Zillman Art Museum (ZAM), is pleased to present the exhibition Shared Vistas in the first floor reading room through December 13. Along with John William Bailly’s graphite drawings in the reading room are photographs from the Sewall Aerial Photographic Collection held by Fogler and maps from the federal government illustrating and amplifying the locations in the drawings.
The drawings on display at Fogler are part of Bailly’s larger exhibition “Nomadic” at ZAM, which includes a range of diverse sites ranging from European landmarks to Southeast Asian landscapes. Visitors are encouraged to explore the Fogler installation and then visit ZAM to view the full breadth of “Nomadic.”
| | Special Collections & Projects archivists welcomed alums back on campus on Friday and Saturday with tours of Special Collections. University Archivist Matthew Revitt also exhibited artifacts from the University Archive at the Annual Alumni Reception held at Buchanan Alumni House (see photos), with a special focus on classes celebrating reunions. | | Revitt also exhibited items from the University Archive related to women’s sports at the Pioneers in Women’s Sports ceremony held at the Dexter Lounge this past Friday. The ceremony was held to recognize female student-athletes who competed in six different varsity sports during the 1971–74 era and officially recognize those athletes with their varsity letters. | | |
On Friday, Oct. 3, archivists Matthew Revitt and Herb Dittersdorf attended the annual Maine Archives & Museums Conference “Rooted in Place: Exploring the Power of Local History in Community Identity,” hosted by our UMS colleagues at the University of Farmington. The plenary speaker for the conference was UMaine alumna Maulian Bryant (Class of 2006).
UMaine was well represented at the conference with Professor Liam Riordan and students from the History Department attending. In addition to attending the conference both Lincoln Tiner and Finnegan Christian presented posters based on their research in Special Collections and Projects.
Photos:
Top: Maulian Bryant
Bottom left: Finnegan Christian with his poster
Bottom right: Lincoln Tiner discusses his poster with a group of attendees
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Raymond H. Fogler Library
