Uncovering Boston's history videos
We launched a video series highlighting Boston’s history.
In our new video series, “Boston Uncovered,” we’ll be taking a look at different, unique pieces from Boston’s history and getting the perspective from the City’s resident experts. Thanks to a wealth of records and artifacts, we hope to showcase compelling stories that would otherwise have remained hidden.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Digital Services Team
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1 City Hall Square, Room 703
Boston, MA 02201
2019 videos
Public Transit in the 1930s
Ever wonder what happened to the Green Line "A" branch?
Tourism in the 1960s
In the 1960s, the City of Boston released a comic book for tourists visiting the city.
Elections scrapbook from the 1890s
From tallying votes by hand to limiting folks to 5 minutes at the polls, we're taking a look at an elections scrapbook from the 1890s.
The First Church in Roxbury
The First Church in Roxbury sits on soil that hasn't been disturbed for thousands of years.
The road to suffrage
A look through voting records in Boston and a 1915 vote for whether women should gain suffrage in Massachusetts.
How to dig a proper hole (archaeology-style)
"It's kind of like playing battleship." Take a look at a fundamental aspect of archaeology: strategically digging holes.
The future of archaeology
The way we discard of trash has evolved. What's next for archaeology?
The history of trash
Archaeology is the history of trash -- the studying of people through what they leave behind.
Digging in Chinatown
Going back into time to learn about the different immigrant communities that called 6 Hudson Street home.
Charlesgate Park
The Community Preservation Act and Charlesgate Alliance are working to revitalize the 13-acre historic park.
Westland Avenue Gateway
Built in 1902, the Westland Avenue Gateway served as a grand entrance and anchor to the Back Bay Fens portion of the Emerald Necklace.
Franklin Park Bears Frieze
Community Preservation funds will help us restore a historic image found in an old Franklin Park Zoo exhibit.
Olmsted Park
Olmsted Park, part of the Emerald Necklace, is being restored by Community Preservation funds.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Thanks to a community grant, we'll be able to conserve more than a hundred grave stones at Copp's Hill.
Emerson College’s Colonial Theatre
In the 1940s, the Colonial Theatre helped a production team turn a struggling show into a hit.
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston but had a lifelong feud with its residents. 165 years after his death, Poe returned.
Thermal imaging at the Old State House
Students take thermal images help identify potential issues such as heat loss and water damage.
The Great Molasses Flood
A tank full of molasses ruptures, sending a wave of molasses through the North End.
2018 videos
Boston Blue Clay
How Boston Blue Clay can help us trace pottery back to the city.
Documenting and digitizing artifacts
Here's a look at how the Archaeology Team documents and digitizes artifacts from a dig.
Findings at the Shirley-Eustis House
The team was at the The Shirley-Eustis House in October digging up hundreds of artifacts. Here's a look at what they found.
Digging at the Shirley-Eustis House
The City's Archaeology Team completed a dig at the Roxbury mansion, searching for the original foundation.
Documenting a dig
When digging an archaeological site, you're destroying it as you go.
Fishweir stakes from Native American times
Buried 30 feet below the mud of Back Bay is an enormous fishing structure built by Native Americans.
Pin from the 1912 World Series
A blast from the past: this baseball pin is from the 1912 World Series – the first year the World Series was held at Fenway Park.
Civil War records from Dorchester
In the 1860s, many of Boston's residents joined the Union Army. Here's a look at Civil War recruiting records from Dorchester.
Record found at Malcolm X's house
The City's Archaeology Team discovered a completely intact record at Malcolm X's house. Naturally, they played it.
Broken dolls at the Industrial School for Girls
Smashed dolls found at the school indicate the girls were rebelling against being trained as domestic servants.
Spike shot cannonball found in Charlestown
It's small but powerful – believed to have taken part in some serious damage during the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Eustis Street Fire House
The Eustis Street Fire House was built for the Town of Roxbury in 1859 – it's now the oldest remaining firehouse building in Boston.
No taxation without representation
In 1850, Mary Littlehale wrote to Boston's Board of Alderman wondering why she should have to pay taxes when she can't even vote.
The Learned and Industrious Fleas
In the 1830s, a request is made to put on a show in Boston called The Learned and Industrious Fleas.
Roxbury Puddingstone
Roxbury Puddingstone underlies most of Roxbury. It inspired a poem from Oliver Wendell Holmes about its fantastical origin.
Digitizing history
The Boston Public Library is digitizing around 8,000 negatives taken by Boston press photographers from the 1930s through the 1960s.
Benjamin Franklin, Boston native
Before Before Benjamin Franklin was a Founding Father of the United States, he was living and learning in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sifting through history
The archaeology team was at the Pierce-Hichborn site in May, digging up dirt and sifting through artifacts.
Revolutionary War artifacts
A look at Boston artifacts from the Revolutionary War, including a brick from the powder house, musket ball, gunflint, and cannonball.
Native American artifacts
A look at Native American artifacts from 400 to 1,000 years ago.
Seaport shipwreck
Unraveling the mystery of a shipwreck found in the Seaport.
Tax records
A look at one of the biggest collections in the City of Boston Archives: tax records.
Abandoned subway tunnel under City Hall
For the first time since it closed in the 1960s, the abandoned subway tunnel under City Hall Plaza was opened to the public on May 21, 2018.
300 years of artifacts found in the North End
The City's Archaeology team spent some time at the Pierce-Hichborn site, digging through 300 years of artifacts. From bones to buttons, here's a look at what they found.
Rare find at the Pierce-Hichborn house
An artifact with King William III's face on it found during a dig in the North End.
City Hall groundbreaking
A look back at the 1963 groundbreaking of City Hall.
Dorchester School for Girls
For much of its history, the Dorchester School for Girls was occupied by up to 30 girls age 6-15. On this week's Boston Uncovered, take a look at artifacts from the 1800s that were uncovered during an archaeological dig.
North Street petition
Paul Revere and North Street residents band together to fight a sewer issue.
Ceramics from Puritan Boston
A look at ceramics from around the world uncovered in Boston.
Women's voting registry
A look at the voting records from 1920, when women were granted the right to vote.
300-year-old gravestone found
Hear the story of a 300-year-old gravestone found during a construction project in Boston.
Uncovering Boston's history
It’s no secret Boston is rich with history. From the American Revolution to the site of the very first public school, it’s a city with stories to tell.
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