Maria Mitchell’s Attic is a blog written on a weekly basis by the MMA’s Deputy Director and Curator, Jascin Leonardo Finger. While its focus is mainly on Maria Mitchell, the Mitchell family, and life at 1 Vestal Street, the blog also highlights the archives, collections, MMA properties, the history of the MMA and its people, and aspects of the MMA that are lesser known.  

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 18 Mar, 2024
March 21. {1855} I have held to tears just behind my eyelids for a month, not being able to cry because of the danger of affecting mother and being ready to do so, at every moment. I felt when this year came in, a sinking of the heart, as if it had more duties for me, than I could well go through with. I did not think of the many trials to which in less than three months I must be subjected. Maria started off 1855 with heartache and fear. Several of her close friends died – two of them within four days of one another. Her mother’ Lydia, in failing health went through a very serious bout which caused Maria “great anxiety” as she served as her nurse and caregiver. Happily, Lydia made it through though her health continued to decline over many years. I assume she may have had some form of dementia or possibly even Parkinson’s Disease or perhaps a stroke to start that then kept her in a state of deterioration as years went on. But those things were not as defined, or in some cases, well known or understood then. Lydia would die in 1861, so her family’s care of her, especially Maria’s, must have been some help in keeping her with them. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 11 Mar, 2024
I have posted this during Women’s History Month before but because it is March and again Women’s History Month, I think it’s worth repeating. It’s clever and helps to tell an important story in women’s history while giving it a bit of a 21st century twist. It comes via the National Women’s History Project. http://soomopublishing.com/suffrage/ JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 04 Mar, 2024
I wrote this several years ago but this year, I have had a “flood” of juncos all winter at my feeder and I decided to post this again. We all know I am not an ornithologist. I would liken myself to a very amateur birder. While I worked a great deal with my friend and mentor, Edith Andrews, over the years, particularly on her book, I still am TERRIBLE at shorebirds and warblers. Even harriers and hawks.  I grew up watching birds – my parents are birders. My Dad had a primo seat at the bird venue in his study – close to the feeders and the hummingbird feeder right outside the shop keeper’s style window of his study. But (as I tend to do), I digress. What are corn niblets and birds doing in the same blog you wonder? Well, that’s what I think of when I see Dark-eyed Juncos. Their beaks remind me of a piece of a corn kernel – and thus the niblets term. Believe it or not, I had never really seen – or maybe noticed – a Junco until I was in my early 20s and my husband and I were living outside Washington, DC where he was an officer stationed with the US Coast Guard. We had a large second story deck and I was feeding the birds. It was November or December and all these little birds with white-greyish breasts and black backs with little beaks showed up. I called my Mom who said, “That’s’ a Junco!’ And probably also then thought, “Duh.” If you haven’t seen a Junco, they’re absolutely adorable and a harbinger of cold weather around these parts. Last year, I never seemed to glimpse one at all. We seem to have waves from year to year where we have a lot or they are few and far between. But in any case, I was rather excited to see one under my feeder the other day. I went back to look in my bird list and realized I never saw one in 2020 nor in 2021! Now, identification books state they have a pink-ish beak but I always see them more as a yellowy color – maybe it’s my eyes – but it’s really the size that reminds me of a kernel of corn! But take a look and let me know what you think. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 20 Feb, 2024
1873. Feb. I found in Indianapolis a gushing hospitality which was very pleasant to receive if you did not accept all its offers. I was asked to spend a week in several different families. Then I found an interest in science and was amazed to find that they readily paid me $100 and asked me for another Lecture at the same price. Maria would travel to Indianapolis, making what was likely a long and cold journey by train. She took one of her Vassar College students, Helen Marshall. While there, Maria would be able to visit with her brother, Francis and his wife, Ellen, who came from Chicago to spend a few days with her. Not as much is known about Frank as he was called. We have one image of him in the collection – likely from a fair given the background – or cutout – he is mugging for the camera in. Given the distance, I am sure many of the siblings did not see Frank as he lived the furthest from everyone. He may have been the connection for Maria to meet and become the chaperone for a young Prudence Swift whom Maria would travel with throughout the southern United States and for a time, in Europe, until Prudie, as she was known, was called home and Maria continued on in Europe. Prudie’s family lived in Chicago. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 12 Feb, 2024
As I zip around on my computer, downloading attachments from emails, copying them into document folders, cutting and pasting documents from one folder to another, I am constantly amazed. I mean, look how far we have come. When I was in elementary school, there was ONE student computer for the entire public school I attended. Mr. G – the sixth grade teacher who must have had some sort of tape worm as he was always walking around with HUGE sub sandwiches in his hand – was in charge of it. He wheeled it around on a giant cart and my class maybe used it a few times a year. We were allowed to go out in the hall in groups and, basically, we sort of just touched it – I kid you not – especially because it’s hard to share a computer with 6 children gathered around. My Dad, when he was first in the US Air force during Vietnam, was in charge of a massive computer at the air base before he was sent overseas. What I am doing on my computer now, my little work laptop, was done on a computer that filled a HUGE room. I imagine it was something like a UNIVAC1050 or some such thing and he would often be called in late at night when it was having issues.  Funnily – or ironically – enough, Maria Mitchell was a computer herself. It was her official title as she calculated the ephemeris of Venus for the US Nautical Almanac. What she did was mathematical computations – computations that took quite a bit of time and that today would take less than a second for a computer. Her work for the Nautical Almanac also made her one of the first women to work for the US federal government. So the next time you are zipping about your computer whether it be crunching numbers, dealing with equations, moving documents around, writing . . . remember what it was like in Maria’s day before such a thing existed – or when computers first came into more public use and took up a huge room – or many huge rooms! And give thanks for this modern marvel we all take for granted whether it be on our desk of an iPhone in hand. (Can you imagine Maria Mitchell and an iPhone?) JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 05 Feb, 2024
Anne Strain was a longtime member of the Maria Mitchell Association’s Honorary Board and served on the MMA’s Board of Directors for many years. Anne passed away on January 15, 2024. An avid birder and a garden and plant enthusiast, Anne was a quiet and lovely woman who brought her long knowledge of Nantucket to the MMA. Nantucket was a part of her life from a young age and in later life she owned a wonderful house that overlooked Prospect Hill cemetery called “High Spirits.” While I did not know Anne well, we shared a commonality besides gardening, birding and our love of the MMA and Nantucket, we are both women’s college graduates – Anne having graduated from Vassar College and myself, from Mount Holyoke College. During a small event for the MMA, I spent much of it on the deck on a bench speaking with her and I enjoyed getting to know her better and watching the events unfold from our perch in the shade. It was in that conversation that we had that it became less of a board member and staff member and more of a sister of a shared experience. Even if different schools, we shared a similar college “upbringing” having attended women’s colleges – and each one us at one of the Seven Sisters. What I did not know about Anne was her accomplishment as a fly fisherwoman – but I could see that – she had a quiet patience about her. I am sure she was a tremendous fly fisherwoman – just wish I had the chance to learn from her! JNLF The step, however small, which is in advance of the world, shows the greatness of the person, whether that step be taken with brain, with heart, or with hands. – Maria Mitchell
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 29 Jan, 2024
I love to walk in the cemetery. The stones are quite beautiful, as is the landscape. Is it sad? Yes, but its not creepy or scary. Many of these people have been forgotten. Though at the time of their death, their family did not think they would be – nor did those people before they died. I find it sad to come across fallen or broken stones, stones that have been overgrown with weeds or a well-intended shrub that has now taken over the space after 100 years or so, or stones covered so heavily in lichens that you cannot read the name of the person buried there. The young children, infants, teenagers, and young adults – that is all the more painful – as they were short-changed on life. But the old people – those who lived a full and very long life – they got all the time. This time of year when it’s cold and raw – and it was COLD for my walk – makes the loneliness feel stronger.  I have talk about cemeteries before. I have noted that I clean stone monuments (gravestones) and run a workshop once a year to teach people how to properly clean stones. There is a bit of a movement afoot – especially with Instagram and TikTok – where people record themselves cleaning stones and showing people how to do it. Please be careful – some people are not trained and are doing it the wrong way. The sound of a metal scraper sets my teeth on edge – that is NOT how you clean historic gravestone. So, until you have some in-person training by someone who is qualified, do not do it! JNLF This year’s stone cleaning workshop will be Saturday, June 15 from 10-Noon. You will be able to register online for the class in the early spring. There is a small fee – it covers the cost of the supplies.
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 22 Jan, 2024
I am sitting and listening to my son’s piano lesson. Other children and teenagers are taking lessons in separate rooms. I am awash in a myriad of musical notes, scales and compositions, all flowing from different rooms. It’s pleasing and relaxing albeit a cacophony of different sounds. It’s lovely but also, it makes me feel sad for I begin to think of how much Quaker’s missed because music was forbidden by the meeting for so long. It also makes me realize why William Mitchell loved it. As I have noted before, Maria Mitchell’s father was a bit of a wayward Quaker. He loved bright colors, music, singing – everything that was frowned upon by Quakers (well, he did not smoke or drink – or at least I have not seen anything about that!). And, because of this, he found himself in trouble quite a bit. A very intelligent and clever man, he did manage to find his way out of this dilemma – he was very good at talking his way out of trouble. Another check mark for his intelligence. But for the rest of the people deprived, just think of what music does for you – it calms you, makes you happy or sad, energizes you, brings joy. For the most part, they missed that. Yes, they could hear it coming from other churches and spaces, but they could not sit and enjoy it themselves – or play an instrument. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger 08 Jan, 2024
In 1987, the MMA added what was referred to as the Seminar Room Addition. It attaches to the Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO) on the west side of the MMO and abuts what we have referred to as the Astronomer’s Cottage since we acquired the ca. 1830 structure in about 1922. Since 1987, the Seminar Room – so named as it provides lecture and work spaces for our astronomy interns and astronomy staff and others – has seen really no updates or changes. That is about thirty-six years – and it’s in need. We did add new work areas but it was minor changes. Now, with a gift from a descendant of Maria Mitchell’s younger brother, William Forester Mitchell, we are embarking on some updates to bring the Seminar Room into the 21 st century – as we work to conserve the historic MMO. On January 2, 2024, we began the demolition work (I hate the word demolition but this is a 1987 building so I feel a bit more comfortable.) We will be making some much needed office spaces, expanding the meeting and study space for the astronomy interns, making climate updates, improving the lighting and flooring, and making a small astronomy library space. Reminder that this is just to the 1987 space and only its interior – the historic observatory is having its own conservation focused work completed and we hope to begin to work on the interior of that portion next fall now that the exterior work was all completed this past spring. But what you are seeing in this image is the backside of the plaster and lath that makes the backside of the wall of the Astronomer’s Cottage – and the sill and other supporting timbers – pretty fun to see. It was first exposed when they added the Seminar Room addition in 1987 and removed the shingles and sheathing at that time – not something that was done this time and I wish they could have saved the sheathing boards and put the insulation between sheathing and the lathe! Stay tuned! JNLF
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