Research and Collections
We are happy to assist you in your research of the Mount Desert Island area and other historical matters.
Our archival collections include many manuscripts and genealogies. We also have several thousand photographs of Mount Desert Island from the 1850s to the present. Appointments are recommended for researchers.
You may call the director, Charlotte Singleton, at 276-9323, or write us at the address below.
Collections Include:
Artifacts ~ Ship building tools, accessories from early kitchens,
children's toys, historic clothing, examples of traditional needlecrafts,
fine china and furnishings.
Archives ~ Newsclippings, letter, deeds, diaries, business records.
Genealogy ~ Information on families from all over the island. We specialize in the Somes and Richardson families as well as other early Somesville settlers.
Photographs ~ Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes of Somesville residents during the mid-nineteenth century. Historic views of Somesville and other parts of the island. Special collections include the Charles Butt collection of W. H. Ballard's photographs of yachts and working boats from the 1930s through the 1960s. We also have the LaRue Spiker Collection. LaRue Spiker was a journalist on Mount Desert Island form the 1950s through thr 1980s. She captured people at work and at play and also used her photographs to draw attention to the island's precious environment.
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Mount Desert Island Historical Society P.O. Box 653 Mount Desert, Me 04660 phone: 207-276-9323 Email: mdihistory@gwi.net |
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