Burns Library
@burnslibrary.bsky.social
Boston College Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books. Irish studies, Jesuitica, British Catholic authors, Boston history, and more
Study days are here! Are you looking for a study spot ? Check out your options for library study spaces in Boston College Libraries http://bit.ly/3RtdDc7
December 9, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Study days are here! Are you looking for a study spot ? Check out your options for library study spaces in Boston College Libraries http://bit.ly/3RtdDc7
Solitude is where we hear ourselves think, where we befriend ourselves, and where we connect with the Divine. But solitude has been a difficult to find. Our new exhibit explores natural spaces as locations of creativity, solidarity and connection through solitude. bit.ly/flourishing_together
December 8, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Solitude is where we hear ourselves think, where we befriend ourselves, and where we connect with the Divine. But solitude has been a difficult to find. Our new exhibit explores natural spaces as locations of creativity, solidarity and connection through solitude. bit.ly/flourishing_together
Before we had out of office replies, we had these postcards from playwright and activist (George) Bernard Shaw. Shaw used these pre-printed postcards to deal with the egregious amount of mail he received and when we look at our inboxes, we feel inspired.
December 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Before we had out of office replies, we had these postcards from playwright and activist (George) Bernard Shaw. Shaw used these pre-printed postcards to deal with the egregious amount of mail he received and when we look at our inboxes, we feel inspired.
Interested in researching at Burns? Apply for a New England Regional Fellowship Consortium (NERFC) grant now thru 2/1 Unsure if we have materials that support your project? Reach out to us and we can give you feedback. We are happy to help!
More info +application: www.masshist.org/fellowships/...
More info +application: www.masshist.org/fellowships/...
December 2, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Interested in researching at Burns? Apply for a New England Regional Fellowship Consortium (NERFC) grant now thru 2/1 Unsure if we have materials that support your project? Reach out to us and we can give you feedback. We are happy to help!
More info +application: www.masshist.org/fellowships/...
More info +application: www.masshist.org/fellowships/...
MGH treated 114 burn victims. Prior to the fire, MGH had researched new burn treatments including preventing infections by immediately covering a burn. This volume, published in 1943 by MGH dr Joseph Aub, was one of the 1st works to tell the story of the treatments tested in the wake of the fire.
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM
MGH treated 114 burn victims. Prior to the fire, MGH had researched new burn treatments including preventing infections by immediately covering a burn. This volume, published in 1943 by MGH dr Joseph Aub, was one of the 1st works to tell the story of the treatments tested in the wake of the fire.
#onthisday in 1942, the deadliest fire in Boston’s history ignited at the Cocoanut Grove night club. The fire took 492 lives and left many survivors with severe burns.🧵 @universalhub.com @hubhistory.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM
#onthisday in 1942, the deadliest fire in Boston’s history ignited at the Cocoanut Grove night club. The fire took 492 lives and left many survivors with severe burns.🧵 @universalhub.com @hubhistory.com
Still putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving menu? Maybe you’ll find some inspiration in Newton native Eleanor Early’s New England Cookbook. According to Eleanor, New England is the country’s “famous pie belt," making not only the most pies per capita, but also the best!
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Still putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving menu? Maybe you’ll find some inspiration in Newton native Eleanor Early’s New England Cookbook. According to Eleanor, New England is the country’s “famous pie belt," making not only the most pies per capita, but also the best!
As we say farewell to a sweet BC institution, we’re remembering their beginnings in 1983.
Share your White Mountain Creamery memories in the comments.
Share your White Mountain Creamery memories in the comments.
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
As we say farewell to a sweet BC institution, we’re remembering their beginnings in 1983.
Share your White Mountain Creamery memories in the comments.
Share your White Mountain Creamery memories in the comments.
On November 22, 1963, an assassin shot and killed JFK. Over 1,700 miles from the site of the shooting, BC freshman Philippe Thibodeau documented his reaction to the assassination and in his journal. That journal now lives at Burns Library. Read an excerpt here and visit us to see the entire journal.
November 22, 2025 at 3:02 PM
On November 22, 1963, an assassin shot and killed JFK. Over 1,700 miles from the site of the shooting, BC freshman Philippe Thibodeau documented his reaction to the assassination and in his journal. That journal now lives at Burns Library. Read an excerpt here and visit us to see the entire journal.
We've digitized the commonplace book of American Baptist, Hetty Gillison Lincoln. Born in PA in 1789, Hetty lived in Boston from 1838 to 1867. In it, she reflects on faith and loved ones and kept transcriptions of poetry & letters, news clippings, and dried plants. library.bc.edu/iiif/view/BC...
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We've digitized the commonplace book of American Baptist, Hetty Gillison Lincoln. Born in PA in 1789, Hetty lived in Boston from 1838 to 1867. In it, she reflects on faith and loved ones and kept transcriptions of poetry & letters, news clippings, and dried plants. library.bc.edu/iiif/view/BC...
Today’s pick from Library Graphic Designer Kate Edrington is a 1940 volume entitled “How to Draw Birds.” Before Pinterest and Youtube tutorials, there were still ways to learn to draw your favorite things!
Visit us to take a look at the entire book.
Visit us to take a look at the entire book.
November 18, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Today’s pick from Library Graphic Designer Kate Edrington is a 1940 volume entitled “How to Draw Birds.” Before Pinterest and Youtube tutorials, there were still ways to learn to draw your favorite things!
Visit us to take a look at the entire book.
Visit us to take a look at the entire book.
Last week, we welcomed Dr. Vincent Portillo’s class “True Crime: Scoundrels, Villains, and Vice.” We had a lot of fun combing through our collections for murder and mayhem. Contact us for our reading list!
November 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Last week, we welcomed Dr. Vincent Portillo’s class “True Crime: Scoundrels, Villains, and Vice.” We had a lot of fun combing through our collections for murder and mayhem. Contact us for our reading list!
Foch’s trip to Boston and his stop at Boston College is documented in our digitized “Father Rector” scrapbook. library.bc.edu/iiif/view/BC...
November 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Foch’s trip to Boston and his stop at Boston College is documented in our digitized “Father Rector” scrapbook. library.bc.edu/iiif/view/BC...
Foch addressed BC students stating, “If we would make our countries great, more glorious, let both America and France take up the great work together and carry it through to a magnificent finish.” Students responded by singing both La Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner
November 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Foch addressed BC students stating, “If we would make our countries great, more glorious, let both America and France take up the great work together and carry it through to a magnificent finish.” Students responded by singing both La Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner
At BC, students dressed in cap and gown lined present-day Linden Lane to greet the Marshall, while thousands of others stood in the background waving French and American flags.
November 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
At BC, students dressed in cap and gown lined present-day Linden Lane to greet the Marshall, while thousands of others stood in the background waving French and American flags.
#onthisday in 1921, Marshall Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front during World War I visited Boston, making a special stop at Boston College where he received an honorary degree. @hubhistory.com @universalhub.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
#onthisday in 1921, Marshall Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front during World War I visited Boston, making a special stop at Boston College where he received an honorary degree. @hubhistory.com @universalhub.com
This issue lives in the Ellerton J. Brehaut Boston history collection, which includes other contemporary sources about the fire! Check out the finding aid and visit us to take a look for yourself: findingaids.bc.edu/repositories...
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This issue lives in the Ellerton J. Brehaut Boston history collection, which includes other contemporary sources about the fire! Check out the finding aid and visit us to take a look for yourself: findingaids.bc.edu/repositories...
While Illustrated Police News had a sensational tone, many of the illustrations align with accounts from fire survivors.
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
While Illustrated Police News had a sensational tone, many of the illustrations align with accounts from fire survivors.
A little over a week late, the The Illustrated Police News, Law-Courts and Weekly Record published a special edition documenting the fire. These illustrations of the fire and its aftermath helped readers visualize the destruction and chaos.
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
A little over a week late, the The Illustrated Police News, Law-Courts and Weekly Record published a special edition documenting the fire. These illustrations of the fire and its aftermath helped readers visualize the destruction and chaos.
On November 7, 1872, the Great Fire of Boston ignited in the basement of a downtown warehouse. By November 10, the fire had destroyed 776 buildings over an area of 65 acres and killed between 20 and 30 Bostonians. 🧵 @universalhub.com @hubhistory.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
On November 7, 1872, the Great Fire of Boston ignited in the basement of a downtown warehouse. By November 10, the fire had destroyed 776 buildings over an area of 65 acres and killed between 20 and 30 Bostonians. 🧵 @universalhub.com @hubhistory.com
Everett Henry drew these illustrations for a 1934 edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A copy of the edition lives in Burns Library. Intrigued and want to browse it yourself? Visit us! #Frankenstein #MaryShelley
November 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Everett Henry drew these illustrations for a 1934 edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A copy of the edition lives in Burns Library. Intrigued and want to browse it yourself? Visit us! #Frankenstein #MaryShelley
These photos were pasted into Sally’s journal and were likely taken during her stay in Hong Kong. Read her entire journal here: library.bc.edu/iiif/view/bc...
November 6, 2025 at 7:40 PM
These photos were pasted into Sally’s journal and were likely taken during her stay in Hong Kong. Read her entire journal here: library.bc.edu/iiif/view/bc...
“Peking was reported in Revolutionary hands. And Hong Kong went quite mad with joy,” she wrote. Sally felt that “all the race barriers” were down as the city celebrated. “The whole stay in Hong Kong was happy and exciting,” she recorded.
November 6, 2025 at 7:40 PM
“Peking was reported in Revolutionary hands. And Hong Kong went quite mad with joy,” she wrote. Sally felt that “all the race barriers” were down as the city celebrated. “The whole stay in Hong Kong was happy and exciting,” she recorded.
On November 6, 1911, American Sally Fairchild wrote about her front row seat to the Xinhai Revolution, a revolution marking the end of China’s last imperial dynasty.🧵
November 6, 2025 at 7:40 PM
On November 6, 1911, American Sally Fairchild wrote about her front row seat to the Xinhai Revolution, a revolution marking the end of China’s last imperial dynasty.🧵
Take a look at some excerpts from the ledgers and then explore them yourselves and let us know what you find! findingaids.bc.edu/repositories...
November 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Take a look at some excerpts from the ledgers and then explore them yourselves and let us know what you find! findingaids.bc.edu/repositories...