

The following are Worcester publications available at Worcester Historical Museum, but please note that there are many more books available at the gift shop:
From the Worcester
Bicentennial Commission's
"Worcester People and Places" series:
Wish You Were Here By Anne Morse Lyell ©1998 "Wish You Were Here." is a nostalgic compilation of more than 150 postcards from both the collections of Anne Morse Lyell and Worcester Historical Museum. Accompanied by brief descriptions, these scenic color postcards of the city's buildings and monuments, as well as its parks, schools and factories, provide the reader with a panoramic glimpse of early 20th century Worcester. Beautifully formatted, this book would enhance the library of anyone who is interested in Worcester's past. |
Price: $29.95 soft cover (8x12), 95 pages |
ga till AmerikaCharles W. Estus Sr. and John F. McClymer ©1994 Like so many immigrants, they would arrive in this country with everything they treasured packed in the family trunk. For many Swedes, their dream to "ga till Amerika" would lead them to a bustling Union station in Worcester which they had been told was a city of opportunities. They would secure employment in one several industries like Washburn & Moen's, Norton Company or Reed & Prince and establish a unique world for themselves in Quinsigamond Village. Connect with the Swedish experience in Worcester in "ga till Amerika." |
Price: $22.95 soft cover (8x11), 157 pages |
Abby
Kelley Foster and Stephen S. FosterBy Nancy H. Burkett ©1976 Abby Kelley Foster once wrote to her husband asking if something couldn't be done "to give Worcester a good shaking!" Both Abby and her husband Stephen were advocates for abolition and equality for women. Their home on Mower Street in Worcester called "Liberty Farm" was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Read about their fascinating lives and you will come to appreciate the dedication it took for them to live the lives they did and the courage that it required for them to be part of the unpopular minority. |
Price: $5.00 soft cover (6x9), 40 pages |
Esther
Forbes By Margaret Erskine ©1976 Unlike her brothers and sisters, she was indifferent to education. She had problems paying attention in school and constantly broke the rules. Her teachers were exasperated with her "atrocious spelling." Yet, Esther Forbes would go on to prove her true potential by becoming a Pulitzer Prize winning author and Newberry Award recipient. She would also be the first woman every elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society. Learn about the life and works of this accomplished Worcester author and scholar in this biography written by Margaret Erskine, wife of Esther Forbes' nephew. |
Price: $5.00 soft cover (6x9), 40 pages |
The Journals of Stephen C. Earle Supplement your knowledge of Stephen C. Earle by reading his boyhood journals (1853-1858) found in an attic in Leicester, MA. His entries, edited by his grandson, Albert Southwick, will give you insight into what it was like to grow up in Worcester in 1850s. |
Price: $5.00 soft cover (6x9), 40 pages |
The following are exhibit catalogs:
B.H.
Kinney (1821-1888): Gravestone Carver and SculptorBy William D. Wallace ©1985 Visit Hope Cemetery and you will find there on Sycamore Avenue a monument in marble engraved "Dear Little Cora" Sherman, aged 4. It is only one of the many gravestones fashioned by B.H. Kinney, a relatively unknown nineteenth century Worcester gravestone carver whose life accomplishments are chronicled in this catalog by William Wallace, executive director of Worcester Historical Museum. Well documented also are Kinney's sculpted works which include beautifully executed busts, statues, medallions and cameos. Discover for yourself B.H. Kinney, the man and his legacy. |
Price: $5.00 soft cover (8x11), 56 pages |
Stephen C. Earle, Architect All Saints Church, People's Savings Bank, Boynton Hall, Boynton Hall, Bancroft Tower and the Worcester Art Museum-what do they have in common? They were all designed by Stephen C. Earle, 19th-centuiry Worcester architect, "a man of his eclectic time." Known for his versatility of styles and variety of buildings, Stephen Earle has contributed to the city more than 30 structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Become acquainted (in this illustrated catalog) with Earle's life and his achievements spanning a fifty year career. |
Price: $10.00 soft cover (8x11), 80 pages |
Water
Street: A World Within a World*By Norma Feingold with Appendix by Nancy Sadick ©1983 Back by popular demand! This catalog-first printed in 1983-was reprinted in 2001. Prepared for the museum's very popular and successful 1984 exhibition, it tells the story of eastern European Jewish immigrants in Worcester between 1880 and 1945. The 64-page catalog contains more than seventy photographs of Water Street and its vicinity. |
Price: $10.00 soft cover (8x9), 64 pages |
Shaarai Torah: Life Cycle of a Synagogue*By Norma Feingold ©1991 The study of Shaarai Torah from 1904-1991 is a significant contribution to the comprehensive study of Jewish life in Worcester. |
Price: $14.95 soft cover (8x10), 64 pages |
| * Special Offer Water Street: A World Within a World and Shaarai Torah: Life Cycle of a Synagogue are available packaged together at a special price for the set. Together these books make a wonderful gift for those interested in the story of Worcester's Jewish community. | Price: $20.00 |
A fascinating Worcester pictorial in postcards:
Discover Worcester neighborhoods:
Worcester's
Architectural Neighborhoods By Anthony R. Taylor ©1984 Explore the city's oldest and most historic residential neighborhoods and come to appreciate Worcester's rich architectural history. In his 57 page book, Anthony R. Taylor explains the various types of architecture popular in Worcester, from the earliest Federal and Greek Revival styles to the three decker, and correlates these to areas in the city where these individual styles are exemplified and define the district. It is the author's hope that a growing appreciation of Worcester's architecture will help preserve and restore many of its neighborhoods. |
Price: $7.50 soft cover (8x11), 57 pages |
Learn more about
the Salisbury Mansion:
Connect with the past by exploring three generations
of the Salisbury family and the houses they lived in. Located in the heart
of Worcester, the Salisbury Mansion was constructed by Stephen Salisbury I
in 1772. Preserved family letters, journals and business records along with
portraits, furniture and household objects still extant make the museum one
of the best documented historic houses in New England. The Salisbury House,
built in 1838 and owned by Stephen Salisbury II, became an architectural landmark
of nineteenth century Worcester. These three WHM publications, complete with
the history, sketches, photographs and floor plans of both buildings, make
the Salisburys and their homes with "the most pleasant rooms to live in" come
to life.
The Salisbury Mansion A history of the Salisbury family and the story of Mansion occupants following the death of Elizabeth Salisbury in 1851. |
Price: $3.00 soft cover (6x9), 17 pages |
The
Salisbury HousesBy Charles H. Sawyer and Louisa Dresser ©1946, (reprinted in 1980)An architectural history of the two Salisbury residencesmansion and houseand the store house. |
Price: $3.00 soft cover (9x11), 19 pages |
most
pleasant rooms to live inBy Ann Keck-Henderson ©1982 A catalog exploring the tastes of the Salisburys, written by then-curator of Salisbury Mansion. It was a result of her expensive work in the Salisbury Family Papers at the American Antiquarian Society and the collections of Worcester Art Museum. |
Price: $7.50 soft cover (7x9), 20 pages |

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The City of Worcester
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