Abby Epplett, Historian

In June, I took a day trip to Milton, MA, where I had previously visited Historic New England’s Eustis Estate . This town has historic houses, hikes, and quick history stops. For my first stop, I visited Forbes House Museum . I last mentioned this property during my review of its online exhibition Opium: The Business of Addition , which was crucial for writing my highly popular essay “Concerning Pipe-weed” on the history of smoking . Since this aspect of the family fortune has been extensively covered, I will instead give an overview of important family members, the architecture on the property, objects found on the first and second floors of the house, the unadvertised extended tour, and a surprise cabin in the woods.

Today, I am taking a break from the Philadelphia adventure (to return next week) and rants about hobbits (to return next Sunday) to try something different. While I have posted several reviews of books and documentaries on my blog, this is the first time I have written a game review. I received Tangram Master as a gift between fifteen and twenty years ago but I had never played through the entire game until recently. Since the set of four high-quality wooden tangrams comes with a well-researched book on the history of the game, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to explore how games can lend insight to history and culture.

At last, I arrive at the final section of the appendixes. After a hundred and fifty pages of comparing Middle-earth history to real-world history, I have an even stronger grasp of how Tolkien used his expertise as a philologist and historian to build a fantasy world rooted in fact. This will serve as a solid foundation for future research as I move into the dialog portion of the text and reveal vignettes for the hypothetical animated musical.

While researching for the Lord of the Rings: The Animated Musical installment “Prologue, 2 Concerning Pipeweed” , I came across an online exhibit hosted by Forbes House Museum , a historic house in nearby Milton, MA not far from Historic New England’s Eustis Estate , which I last visited in December 2022 and posted about exactly a year ago . This straightforward, to the point exhibit presents a candid look to one wealthy American family’s contribution to addiction and war in China during the Qing Dynasty , or late 18 th to mid-19 th century. The exhibit give a quick introduction and museum statement before diving into six topics concerning the China trade. Introduction & Museum Statement In 1784, American merchants began their trade with China in a range of products, including tea, porcelain, and opium. A long list of Boston Brahmin families — a term once used for wealthy Anglo-Americans who ran the government in colonial, federalist, and early constitutional Am...

On the same day I visited Dole-Little House, I also toured the  Museum of Old Newbury , located in Newburyport, MA. Founded as the Antiquarian and Historical Society of Old Newbury , the organization has existed since 1877 and spent its nearly 150 years “collecting, preserving, and presenting the history of Newburyport, Newbury, West Newbury, Byfield, and Plum Island”. The organization has known many locations but since 1955 has been in Cushing House , once the home to American politician and diplomat, Caleb Cushing.