Charles Sumner read the papers here when he was in Boston. Henry Williams waited tables around the corner. John Albion Andrew was a regular. I’ve spent some time in this glorious archive, and this lecture will focus on the Boston chapters of Mary’s story. Their slogan: “Sweet are the fruit of letters”

Be like the antebellum intellectuals: take a lunch hour at 10 1/2 Beacon St, attend a lecture at the Athenaeum, and spend the afternoon in the magical stacks. The talk will take place in the Bayard Henry Long Room on the Athenaeum's first floor. 

Free with admission ($10). Register here. A book signing will follow.