With all the news about the demise of shopping malls, it’s interesting to look back at the history of one of Maine’s malls. This aerial photograph from the Sewall Company Aerial Photographs Collection shows the Bangor Mall construction site on November 1, 1977. The Mall opened the following year in October of 1978. Access and […]

As photography seems like a great activity to pursue this fall, our books on photography are Desiree’s new favorite.  Our collection includes books on the history of photography, travel guides on scenic places, guidebooks on improving techniques, artist collaborations that may serve as models for similar projects, and books about renowned Maine photographers Berenice Abbott, […]

Books on the topic of fairy houses are definitely one of Elaine’s favorites. Stories differ on how the tradition began of building fairy houses in the woods of Maine, an activity associated particularly with Monhegan Island and other coastal islands. Some sources speculate that Irish, British, and German folklore and settlement patterns may have sparked […]

While working on the Maine Women’s History Collection, Paul noticed that the newsletters of the League of Women Voters of Maine covered an impressive variety of topics to help voters make informed choices, including topics in the 1980s on nuclear disarmament.  These included the details of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in January, 1988, […]

As many businesses, schools, and organizations moved activities outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, photographs began appearing in the media showing similar efforts during the influenza pandemic of 1918, a time when hospitals, classrooms, and even some court proceedings were moved outside. Efforts to treat tuberculosis during the first half of the 20th century also recognized […]

Beth’s recent favorite is this copy of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a book published as a promotional piece by the department store Montgomery Ward. Our library’s namesake, Raymond H. Fogler, was president of the New York-based company when the first edition of the book was published in 1939.  Fogler was instrumental in the selection of […]

Several recent articles have highlighted the history of wearing face masks to prevent the spread of disease, particularly during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919.  This brought to mind a photograph in our Eastern Maine General Hospital School of Nursing Collection of an unidentified patient wearing a face mask, seated with two women, one of them […]

Paul’s new favorite is an image that highlights Cold War air defense in Maine. He explains, “This aerial photograph from the Sewall Aerial Photographs Collection dated July 11, 1955 shows Charleston Air Force Station, an air defense radar site located atop Charleston Hill in Charleston, Maine. The dome housing the radar antenna is seen at […]

A favorite from the WLBZ Radio Station Records is a program titled, The Man from Maine: a Special WLBZ Documentary on Edmund S. Muskie.  The 37 minute program covered the life and career of Edmund S. Muskie and his rise to become one of the most prominent politicians in the United States.  The program included […]

Paul’s new favorite is this image from the Sewall Company Aerial Photograph Collection of the Boston Massport Area in 1992.  He says, “I made this comparison between 1992 and 2020 which shows the dramatic changes, especially those brought about by the Big Dig. On the 2020 image just to the upper right of North Station […]