We call him Hi Hat Guy, at the Lowell Historical Society, after the name of roller skating rink that is lettered across his red tie. To the modern eye, Hi Hat Guy looks a little like Phil Dunphy, at least at first glance. He's the father figure played by Ty Burrell on ABC's Modern Family. Hi…Read more Among the Artifacts: Remembering Lowell’s Hi Hat Rollaway
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We made the Lowell Sun! A Look at the Art and Artifacts of the Lowell Historical Society
We've been active lately, at the Lowell Historical Society. Among the responsibilities of my role as curator of the society's art and artifacts is not only to figure out and document what we have, but also to share this information with the public, many of whom have parents and grandparents (and maybe great-grandparents too) who…Read more We made the Lowell Sun! A Look at the Art and Artifacts of the Lowell Historical Society
Among the Artifacts: The Licensed Newsboy Badge
My fingers first brushed across the small metallic oval a few weeks ago. It was right next to Officer Lee's Lowell PD badge. This very different badge was light, too old to be plastic. I figured it was probably aluminum. As I slid out the drawer at the Lowell Historical Society's archive, the flourescent…Read more Among the Artifacts: The Licensed Newsboy Badge
From the Curator’s Desk: Odd Old Things – The Box of Cinders
At the Lowell Historical Society, we sometimes get the question: "Hey, what's the strangest thing you have in your collection?" That's a tough question to answer. The Lowell Historical Society has been around for a long time. I'm reminded of this each time I visit our archive. Just this morning, I found a book, one…Read more From the Curator’s Desk: Odd Old Things – The Box of Cinders
Forgotten Stories behind the Artifacts of the Lowell Historical Society
Check out this badge. I came across it in the Lowell Historical Society's vast archive, located in the city's Boott Mills complex. As the society's newly-appointed Curator of Art and Artifacts, I got to spend some time with the badge, recently, and other items that came with it. The badge, it turns out, comes from…Read more Forgotten Stories behind the Artifacts of the Lowell Historical Society
An Early History of ‘Wild Wigginville’: Why Concord Heights isn’t a Lowell Neighborhood today
Recently, I've been following some really interesting discussion on the "You Know Your from Lowell When" Facebook group. It's been about Wigginville, the South Lowell neighborhood that's probably better known for its local landmarks: the Six Arch bridge, Riverside School, and the Dizzy Bridge - that ancient footbridge that doubles as a teenage dare/deathtrap and…Read more An Early History of ‘Wild Wigginville’: Why Concord Heights isn’t a Lowell Neighborhood today
The Controversial First Days of Roller Skating Rinks, Lowell – 1885
In the years following the US Civil War, roller skating really came into its own. As the design of the roller skate improved over the second half of the 19th century, so did its popularity. Many became fans of the new hobby. Many others viewed it as immoral and a threat to the order of…Read more The Controversial First Days of Roller Skating Rinks, Lowell – 1885
