The Gibson House Museum

06/16/2021

Introducing Olivia Blumenshine, the 2021 summer intern at the Gibson House Museum! Olivia is double majoring in English and Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her interests in storytelling and Boston history brought her to GHM, where she plans to research the queer Boston literary scene in the time of Charlie Gibson and the Gibson family’s musical compositions. During her time with us, she will also be developing a post-tour satisfaction survey and an interactive Gibson family tree for the GHM website, as well as assisting with collections inventory. Keep an eye out for her blog posts in the coming months!

Introducing Olivia Blumenshine, the 2021 summer intern at the Gibson House Museum! Olivia is double majoring in English and Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her interests in storytelling and Boston history brought her to GHM, where she plans to research the queer Boston literary scene in the time of Charlie Gibson and the Gibson family’s musical compositions. During her time with us, she will also be developing a post-tour satisfaction survey and an interactive Gibson family tree for the GHM website, as well as assisting with collections inventory. Keep an eye out for her blog posts in the coming months!

06/16/2021

MassRealty Interview with Susan Ashbrook, Board Member of the Gibson House Museum

Thanks to MassRealty for conducting this interview about the museum and featuring it on their site.

Susan Ashbrook, former art history professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, and long-time Back Bay resident, talks to us about the history of the Back Ba...

06/11/2021

thegibsonhouse.org

Gibson House Museum founder Charlie Gibson is a fascinating character and his reasons for turning his family home into a museum are all tied up in his nostalgia for the Victorian past and his romantic heyday. To hear more, register for our upcoming virtual talk with Tripp Evans next Tuesday, 6/15. https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/
#Pride #Pride2021 #pridemonth

a time capsule of domestic life from the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries

06/07/2021

June is Pride Month! This Friday, June 11 we will hold our 'Charlie Gibson's Queer Boston' in-person tour of the museum. 6.00 to 6.45 pm, $15. Call 617-267-6338 for reservations.

June is Pride Month! This Friday, June 11 we will hold our 'Charlie Gibson's Queer Boston' in-person tour of the museum. 6.00 to 6.45 pm, $15. Call 617-267-6338 for reservations.

05/23/2021

Should a National Historic Landmark Become a Gift to the Privileged Few?

Should a National Historic Landmark Become a Gift to the Privileged Few?

Written by Jeanne Pelletier, Preservation Advisor to the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion, Inc.

05/20/2021

Thank you Bonnie of the Garden Club of the Back Bay for taking over planting our urns, now that Carlos can no longer do them. These are spectacular!

Thank you Bonnie of the Garden Club of the Back Bay for taking over planting our urns, now that Carlos can no longer do them. These are spectacular!

05/14/2021

Snag one of the remaining spots on our house tours this weekend, and peek into the Gibson House courtyard and coal shed! Learn more about the service world in Back Bay and enjoy the good weather at the same time. See you there!
https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

Snag one of the remaining spots on our house tours this weekend, and peek into the Gibson House courtyard and coal shed! Learn more about the service world in Back Bay and enjoy the good weather at the same time. See you there!
https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

05/11/2021

Announcing our new specialty tour: 'Upstairs Downstairs: Domestic Service at the Gibson House."
Saturday May 15, 1 and 3 pm
Sunday May 16, 1 and 3 pm.
$15, students and seniors $12. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.
Explore the lives of the young, Irish immigrant women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay. On this tour, we invite you to view the Gibson House from a different perspective. We will start in the back alley and move from the working quarters through the rest of the house. Using census records, domestic advice manuals, and the architecture of the Gibson House, this tour explores the work of these women (and some men) and the community they created.

Rarely seen spaces, including the coal shed (the last surviving one in Back Bay) and the fifth-floor servant bedrooms, will be on view.
Additional dates are available this summer through the link below.

*Please note that this tour includes walking up and down six flights of stairs, and that the Gibson House Museum is not air-conditioned.

https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/events.

Announcing our new specialty tour: 'Upstairs Downstairs: Domestic Service at the Gibson House."
Saturday May 15, 1 and 3 pm
Sunday May 16, 1 and 3 pm.
$15, students and seniors $12. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.
Explore the lives of the young, Irish immigrant women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay. On this tour, we invite you to view the Gibson House from a different perspective. We will start in the back alley and move from the working quarters through the rest of the house. Using census records, domestic advice manuals, and the architecture of the Gibson House, this tour explores the work of these women (and some men) and the community they created.

Rarely seen spaces, including the coal shed (the last surviving one in Back Bay) and the fifth-floor servant bedrooms, will be on view.
Additional dates are available this summer through the link below.

*Please note that this tour includes walking up and down six flights of stairs, and that the Gibson House Museum is not air-conditioned.

https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/events.

05/11/2021

Curious about how 19th century houses worked? This hot water heater stored water, heated by the brick-set range next to it, to be used throughout the house. Learn more on our tour about the domestic staff and work of the house - book your spot for this weekend! https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

Curious about how 19th century houses worked? This hot water heater stored water, heated by the brick-set range next to it, to be used throughout the house. Learn more on our tour about the domestic staff and work of the house - book your spot for this weekend! https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

05/09/2021

Visitors have often asked what a high chair is doing in the kitchen. Did the servants bring their children to work? In actuality, live-in servants were expected to remain single. Domestic staff often were young, immigrant women who did not start their own families until after leaving service.
The high chair that is sometimes on display in the kitchen is similar to one that would have been used by the Gibson children. It is an oak Renaissance Revival-style high chair, and it is believed to have been crafted in the vicinity of Boston between 1855 and 1885. The main nursery was on the fourth floor, but the children might have been brought down to the kitchen by staff and kept safe in a high chair such as this one. Learn more about the lives of women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay during our new specialty tour launching later this month!
#HappyMothersDay

Visitors have often asked what a high chair is doing in the kitchen. Did the servants bring their children to work? In actuality, live-in servants were expected to remain single. Domestic staff often were young, immigrant women who did not start their own families until after leaving service.
The high chair that is sometimes on display in the kitchen is similar to one that would have been used by the Gibson children. It is an oak Renaissance Revival-style high chair, and it is believed to have been crafted in the vicinity of Boston between 1855 and 1885. The main nursery was on the fourth floor, but the children might have been brought down to the kitchen by staff and kept safe in a high chair such as this one. Learn more about the lives of women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay during our new specialty tour launching later this month!
#HappyMothersDay

05/09/2021

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day!

05/04/2021

This dark corner cabinet is filled with the chambermaid's tools - a rug beater, a lighter for the gas fixtures, and a carpet-sweeper. Sign up for our new tour and hear the stories of Delia Diamond and Nora Redican, two of the chambermaids who made the Gibson House run.
https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

This dark corner cabinet is filled with the chambermaid's tools - a rug beater, a lighter for the gas fixtures, and a carpet-sweeper. Sign up for our new tour and hear the stories of Delia Diamond and Nora Redican, two of the chambermaids who made the Gibson House run.
https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/

05/01/2021

New House Tour! Upstairs, Downstairs: Domestic Service at the Gibson House.
Saturday, May 15 & Sunday, May 16, tours at 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.
$15/$12 students & seniors; space is limited
Pre-registration is required.
The Gibson House Museum is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new tour which explores the lives of the young, Irish immigrant women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay. Using census records, domestic advice manuals, and the architecture of the Gibson House, the tour explores the work of these women (and some men) and the community they created.
On this tour, we invite you to view the Gibson House from a different perspective. We will start in the back alley and move from the working quarters through the rest of the house. Rarely seen spaces, including the coal shed (the last surviving one in Back Bay) and fifth-floor servant bedrooms, will be on view.
Additional dates are available throughout the summer; register now to reserve your spot.

New House Tour! Upstairs, Downstairs: Domestic Service at the Gibson House.
Saturday, May 15 & Sunday, May 16, tours at 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.
$15/$12 students & seniors; space is limited
Pre-registration is required.
The Gibson House Museum is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new tour which explores the lives of the young, Irish immigrant women who worked in domestic service in the Back Bay. Using census records, domestic advice manuals, and the architecture of the Gibson House, the tour explores the work of these women (and some men) and the community they created.
On this tour, we invite you to view the Gibson House from a different perspective. We will start in the back alley and move from the working quarters through the rest of the house. Rarely seen spaces, including the coal shed (the last surviving one in Back Bay) and fifth-floor servant bedrooms, will be on view.
Additional dates are available throughout the summer; register now to reserve your spot.

04/25/2021

On this day in 1898, the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of an American ship in Havana’s harbor. While fighting only lasted for a few months, America’s military presence in Cuba continued for years. Dr. Freeman Allen, future husband of Mary Ethel Allen, spent fourteen months on the island following the war as an assistant surgeon for the U.S. Army. Dr. Allen and Mary Ethel wrote many letters to each other during their long courtship, some of which were during his station in Cuba. In this 1900 letter from Cuba, Dr. Allen writes to “Ethel” asking why she hasn’t written to him--is she ill, has she abandoned him? She did not abandon him; the letters continued and the couple eventually married in 1911.

On this day in 1898, the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of an American ship in Havana’s harbor. While fighting only lasted for a few months, America’s military presence in Cuba continued for years. Dr. Freeman Allen, future husband of Mary Ethel Allen, spent fourteen months on the island following the war as an assistant surgeon for the U.S. Army. Dr. Allen and Mary Ethel wrote many letters to each other during their long courtship, some of which were during his station in Cuba. In this 1900 letter from Cuba, Dr. Allen writes to “Ethel” asking why she hasn’t written to him--is she ill, has she abandoned him? She did not abandon him; the letters continued and the couple eventually married in 1911.

04/13/2021

We are re-opening for tours this weekend, and busily working behind the scenes to prepare to welcome you back! The dining room table is newly set for spring - we can imagine Rosamond Gibson and her friends enjoying dessert on these French flower plates. Book your tour now!

We are re-opening for tours this weekend, and busily working behind the scenes to prepare to welcome you back! The dining room table is newly set for spring - we can imagine Rosamond Gibson and her friends enjoying dessert on these French flower plates. Book your tour now!

04/12/2021

On this day 76 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died. World War II was nearing its end, and the president died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Upon learning the news, Charlie Gibson penned a short poem to express his sorrow surrounding the passing of such a revered man. Like he often did, Charlie mailed a copy of his poem to the recipient, in this instance to Harry Truman, who was newly sworn in as President.
The first stanza reads:
Let the bells peal, if there be bells to tell;
They sing so seldom in this rubbled war,
Even with full Victory in store.
Let the drums’ ruffled roll
Accompany his soul.
Martyr to freedom and the cause of peace,
He died to save the world, with war’s surcease,
Rose to new heights on wings of adverse fate,
Turned to prosperity the sinking of the state.

#NationalPoetryMonth

This image is FDR’s grave in Hyde Park, New York, courtesy of the Griffin Museum of Photography.

On this day 76 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died. World War II was nearing its end, and the president died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. Upon learning the news, Charlie Gibson penned a short poem to express his sorrow surrounding the passing of such a revered man. Like he often did, Charlie mailed a copy of his poem to the recipient, in this instance to Harry Truman, who was newly sworn in as President.
The first stanza reads:
Let the bells peal, if there be bells to tell;
They sing so seldom in this rubbled war,
Even with full Victory in store.
Let the drums’ ruffled roll
Accompany his soul.
Martyr to freedom and the cause of peace,
He died to save the world, with war’s surcease,
Rose to new heights on wings of adverse fate,
Turned to prosperity the sinking of the state.

#NationalPoetryMonth

This image is FDR’s grave in Hyde Park, New York, courtesy of the Griffin Museum of Photography.

04/02/2021

1898 Mangle: Laundry Is the Mother of Invention

Planning to do laundry this weekend? At least we can be thankful we don't need to wring clothes dry with a mangle. http://thegibsonhousemuseum.blogspot.com/2021/04/1898-mangle-laundry-is-mother-of.html

Have you ever wondered what doing laundry was like in the 1800s? Today, most laundry routines consist of shifting clothes between washing ma...

03/30/2021

Today is Take a Walk in the Park Day, and Boston has many great parks to choose from. In fact, the Gibson House is just a few minutes walk from the Public Garden! Rosamond Warren Gibson could watch from her house as her grand nieces and nephews, who lived nearby, walked to and from the Public Garden. If they were misbehaving, she would be sure to tell her sister, their grandmother, straight away.

Interestingly, the Gibsons summered in Nahant and likely missed much of the nearby park in full bloom. It was the practice of many upper class Boston families to spend their summers away from the city.

Pictured below is a photograph of the Public Garden circa 1880 from the Boston Public Library’s collection.

Today is Take a Walk in the Park Day, and Boston has many great parks to choose from. In fact, the Gibson House is just a few minutes walk from the Public Garden! Rosamond Warren Gibson could watch from her house as her grand nieces and nephews, who lived nearby, walked to and from the Public Garden. If they were misbehaving, she would be sure to tell her sister, their grandmother, straight away.

Interestingly, the Gibsons summered in Nahant and likely missed much of the nearby park in full bloom. It was the practice of many upper class Boston families to spend their summers away from the city.

Pictured below is a photograph of the Public Garden circa 1880 from the Boston Public Library’s collection.

03/23/2021

The Gibson House Museum updated their info in the about section.

The Gibson House Museum updated their info in the about section.

03/23/2021

Gibson House Museum Non-Member Survey

We need your feedback! Please fill out the short survey (non-member link is below; member link is in the comments). Your thoughts are essential to helping us plan for re-opening and beyond. Thank you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dKLY5vY8Ffdf4IMfVxJsOQtSKs0wmMIi7pxo-aaHSx8/viewform?edit_requested=true

Your response helps us improve the museum experience. Thank you for your time!

03/22/2021

Milk for Floors, Bread for Walls: 19th-Century Cleaning Tips for the Modern Era

I wonder if the laundress who did the washing for the Gibson family used urine (see the very end of this article)!
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/21/world/europe/spring-cleaning-victorian-era.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

Just in time for spring cleaning, a conservation group in England has delved into the past for how to clean in the present.