People and Happenings
The objectives of the Historical Collections Department are to:
People and Happenings
Above: Gathering at Bigelow Chapel, stereoview, circa 1860s. Far right: Portrait of Alexander Wadsworth. Oil painting, 1889.
Records of Enduring Value
Mount Auburn Cemetery’ s Historical Collections consist of over 2,000 linear feet of records and include the business records and correspondence of the Cemetery; maps and plans; horticultural records; photographs; books and guidebooks; fine and decorative arts including painting, sculpture, artistic monuments, and stained glass owned by the Cemetery. The Historical Collections program was established in 1993 in order to collect, organize, preserve, and make accessible documentation about the Cemetery to foster scholarship and understanding of Mount Auburn and its role in the 19th century to the present.
These Collections represent a unique reference source for the study of landscape architecture, decorative arts, burial customs, horticulture, natural science, and local history. They also provide valuable material for genealogical research. Subject strengths include the rural cemetery movement, cremation, and the history of Mount Auburn since its founding in 1831.
Access to the 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.
The objectives of the Historical Collections Department are to:
• protect and preserve the Historical Collections by maintaining optimal environmental conditions for storage and exhibition, including ensuring proper handling, overseeing preservation treatments, planning for long-term care, and providing high quality collections maintenance and disaster preparedness, all at the highest level of professional standards for collections care;
• provide appropriate access to the Historical Collections for the staff and general public through standardized professional procedures and guidelines;
• collect items relating to the Cemetery in accordance with the Collecting Policy; and
• increase the staff and general public’ s knowledge of the Historical Collections by cataloguing, providing finding aids, and by encouraging research by staff and outside professionals.
Left: Gate-keeper’ s Helmet. Below: Watercolor drawing of Story Chapel and Administration Building, Willard T. Sears, 1896.
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