Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • May 10, 2014

April 6, 1882.


Last night I went to Champney’s to a Reception . . . . My little namesake is lovely . . . .The weather is dismal in the extreme. Lydia Dame arrived this morning. Miss Herschel called yesterday. She is very pleasing. She will probably go back to Vassar when I go . . .


Maria Mitchell’s journals are a mixture of small daily events, her deepest thought, and discussions of science, math, and astronomy. They also show the breadth of her world – meaning the people she came into contact with and the friendships she maintained for life. This little piece is interesting because within the span of twenty-four hours so many portions of her life came together. To start with, Maria Mitchell was close to the Champney family. Lizzie Champney had been a student of Maria Mitchell’s. A prolific author, especially of adventure storied for children, Lizzie and her husband J. Wells “Champ” Champney, an artist, named their daughter after Maria. Lizzie also dedicated a book on constellations to Maria, a book which Champ illustrated. I blogged about this some time long ago. We have a portrait of maria which was painted by Champ and was given to the MMA in 1905 by Maria Mitchell Wells Champney Humphrey, Maria Mitchell’s namesake.




Rose Herschel, daughter of Sir John Herschel, was just a small child when Maria Mitchell spent time with her famous astronomical family at the family home Collingwood during her trip to Europe in the 1850s. Maria Mitchell maintained a lifelong connection to the Herschels – who you may recognize, as John Herschel’s father was the famous William Herschel and his aunt was the astronomer Caroline Herschel. When visiting them in England, Maria was the recipient of a page from Caroline’s notebook from her nephew John Herschel. I have blogged about this before. The page is in the Archives here at MMA.


And Lydia Dame is one of Maria Mitchell’s nieces. She is the daughter of Katherine Mitchell Dame, the youngest child (the tenth) of William and Lydia Mitchell. Kate, as she was referred to, married Owen Dame, a school principal and they lived in Lynn, Massachusetts. The Dame family is one of several reasons why Maria and her father moved to Lynn in 1861 after her mother passed away. Lynn also had a large Quaker population and was close to another sister of Maria’s, Phebe Mitchell Kendall, who lived in Cambridgeport. Additionally, Lynn was close to the Harvard Observatory – Maria and William were close friends of the Bonds who ran its observatory and William served on the observatory’s Board of Overseers for many years. The Mitchells and Bonds collaborated and shared research. Maria would pass away in Lynn in 1889.


JNLF

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August 1, 2025 marks Maria Mitchell’s 207 th Birthday! Since just about the founding of the Maria Mitchell Association – way back in 1902 – the MMA has hosted some celebration or marked the occasion of our namesake’s birth. From 3-5PM FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025 , Vestal Street will be close to traffic and our Vestal Street properties will be open free to the public. We will have activities, games, art projects, live music with Susan Berman and Ray Saunders, and refreshments will be served. So, stop by and say hello! JNLF P.S. If we actually get rain, we will move our celebration to Saturday, August 2 - so keep your ears out! We will decide Wednesday.

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Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Kike Calvo as Featured July Presenter.

July 14, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces Kike Calvo, award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, as its featured presenter for its July Speaker Series. Calvo’s presentation, "The Power of Creativity: A Journey Through Storytelling, Exploration, and Hope," will take place on Wednesday, July 23 at 7pm at the Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall. This event is free. Join the MMA for an engaging evening with award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, Kike (Kee-Keh) Calvo. A Fellow of both the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, he has traveled to over 120 countries, photographing everything from belugas in the Arctic to traditional dances in Vanuatu. His work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and more. In this engaging presentation, Calvo explores how creativity can be a catalyst for connection, storytelling, and meaningful change. From documenting remote villages to diving with great white sharks, from defying the odds as an author to inspiring thousands of children in the Amazon, Calvo shares the invaluable lessons he has learned along the way. As a National Geographic Certified Educator and Safina Center Fellow (2020-2023), Calvo combines his passion for photography with teaching, having lectured at prestigious institutions such as Yale University. A pioneer in drone photography for art and conservation, he founded the “Little Explorer, Big World” initiative, which brings education to remote communities and has donated over 35,000 bilingual books. Described by anthropologist Wade Davis as, "a fresh voice in visual anthropology," Calvo has a gift for capturing the intersections of human existence. Calvo’s new book, Luminous: A Field Guide for Visual Explorers and Storytellers, isn’t just a book—it’s an invitation to slow down, look deeper, and photograph with soul. It’s a roadmap where photography meets presence, anthropology meets art, and storytelling becomes a path to connection.  Discover how creativity can illuminate pressing global issues—such as plastic pollution—and empower each of us to make a difference. This presentation is free and open to the public, graciously hosted for the MMA by the Nantucket Atheneum in the Great Hall. No registration required. About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
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