People and Happenings
Growing Collections, Planting Ideas
People and Happenings
Mount Auburn Unveils its Interactive Kiosk
The next time you happen to visit Mount Auburn, please make sure to stop at the Egyptian Revival Gatehouse and explore our newly unveiled interactive kiosk. The kiosk, housed inside the eastern alcove of the Gatehouse, is designed to introduce visitors to Mount Auburn’ s many interesting facets. Through text, images, sound clips, and even video, the kiosk speaks about the Cemetery’ s horticultural collections, its art and architectural collections, the wildlife that calls Mount Auburn home, and it also shares the stories of those buried and commemorated here. A feature that we predict will be extremely useful is the ability for visitors to look up the locations of those buried here and then print out a map highlighting the exact location within the Cemetery. In addition to the permanent kiosk exhibit, regularly updated information within the interactive tool will be of particular interest to our regular visitors, who will be able to use the kiosk to quickly get a sense of current horticultural highlights, learn about upcoming events, and read about a current person of interest – an interesting, digital reprisal of our“ Person of the Week” program. With generous support from the Anthony J. and Mildred D. Ruggiero Memorial Trust and an amazing design team headed by the Small Design Firm( of Cambridge) we are now able to share an amazing wealth of information with the public in ways never before possible. Please stop by and try the kiosk for yourself.
The Lynch Foundation Matches Gift for Story Chapel Entrance
The Lynch Foundation has joined Cambridge Savings Bank in helping to match the gift of $ 132,000 awarded to Mount Auburn in 2009 by MassDevelopment through their Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund( MCFF), donating $ 30,000 for a proposed new entry into Story Chapel. The new entry is designed for increased energy efficiency and visitor accessibility.
“ We are so pleased to be able to help in Mount Auburn’ s effort to reconstruct the historic porte-cochere as a new entry into Story Chapel. The Lynch Foundation is extremely interested in both culture and historic preservation, and Mount Auburn Cemetery has a foundation in both of these areas in addition to its community outreach and enriching public programs,” said Katie Everett, the Foundation’ s Executive Director.“ We are excited that the new entry will not only resonate with historic integrity, but that it will be more energy efficient and accommodate visitors of varying levels of mobility. This project very much so resonates of Mount Auburn’ s enduring message of inclusivity in welcoming everyone.”
Mount Auburn has until May 2011 to match the original MCFF grant of $ 132,000 or else we will miss out on this wonderful opportunity.
Preservation Hosts Community Groups
Preservation and Facilities Planner Natalie Wampler led a tour for Red Fire Farm CSA members on July 11 in addition to giving a tour to a Big Sister and Little Sister match on July 17. She also co-led a tour on July 24 with Docents Helen Abrams and Ginny Brady for 16 Little Sisters, 16 Big Sisters, and two social workers. The tour focused on some of the many inspirational women interred here from the socialite and philanthropist, Isabella Stewart Gardner to the freedom-seeker, Harriet Jacobs.
Growing Collections, Planting Ideas
Mount Auburn, along with the Cambridge Historical Society and the Longfellow National Historic Site, hosted the Second Annual Cambridge Archives Tour on July 14 as part of a joint program. The public program, entitled“ Growing Collections, Planting Ideas,” focused on the changing landscapes and horticultural diversity of our sites and the many connections between our institutions.
Mount Auburn’ s Curator of Historical Collections Meg L. Winslow, Archivist Brian A. Sullivan and Cemetery Trustee and Volunteer Caroline Loughlin gave presentations and showed examples of original materials from the Cemetery’ s collection of horticultural records. Highlights included 19th-century photographs, a collection of gold medals from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and original hand-drawn planting plans for the Cemetery and individual family lots. Over 40 people in four separate groups attended this special opportunity to see our collections. We look forward to next year’ s program!
Access to Mount Auburn’ s Historical Collections is by appointment only. For further information please contact Curator of Historical Collections Meg L. Winslow at mwinslow @ mountauburn. org or by phone at 617-607-1942.
18 | Sweet Auburn