ANTIQUARTO
Brenton Simons on history, genealogy, collecting, and the arts
THE ANTIQUARTO
A rare 1694 view of Boston Harbor
Above: Boston Harbor 1694. copyright 2017 by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (AmericanAncestors.org) A treasure of the New...
Our Story: a powerful view into Wampanoag tribal history
A compelling, interactive exhibit, "Our Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History," will open at the New England Historic Genealogical...
William M. Fowler, Jr., "Revered among Boston historians"
Above: Brenton Simons delivering Mayor Walsh's proclamation of "William M. Fowler Day" at the Harvard Club of Boston. On Thursday,...
Mathew Brady and Civil War-era photographs
Above: A carte de visite of the Hon. Alexander Hamilton Bailey, the gr-gr-great grandfather of Brenton Simons, as photographed by Mathew...
The contrasting fortunes of two brothers in the age of the American Revolution
Pictured: Author David Rutland, 11th Duke of Rutland One of the most interesting books I have had the pleasure to read recently was...
A visit to the Winter Antiques Show
Above: Elle Shushan at the Winter Antiques Show. Visiting with colleagues, friends, and NEHGS members -- not to mention perusing great...
A walk through The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston
I recently had the honor of writing a new foreword to Annie H. Thwing's classic, The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630-1822,...
Why is Fitz Henry Lane special?
My friend and esteemed colleague Georgia Barnhill will be presenting what I know will be a fascinating talk on Fitz Henry Lane at the...
The banyan: fashionably exotic 18th c. men's attire in America and beyond
One of the more unusual articles of clothing I have found in 18th century ancestral estate inventories found in our library at NEHGS is a...
The Van Dusens of New Amsterdam revisted
In 2011, I was contacted by Alison Leigh Cowan, who was then a writer at The New York Times, looking for leads on families that...