New Atlascope Tours

Explore jazz history, Boston's schools, and literary history in three new Atlascope tours, developed by former LMEC interns and co-ops. In Brenda Zhang's tour of Boston's entertainment landscape in the early twentieth century, you'll follow the footsteps of Duke Ellington as he played shows at clubs, cafes, and Boston ballrooms. Azalea Thompson's tour uses six decades of urban atlases to walk through the histories of inclusion and exclusion in the Boston Public School system. Finally, Kate Lautenbach's tour of queer literary figures in the greater Boston area provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of queer authors and writers between 1850 and 1950.

Read the overview → 

Small Grants Applications are Open

Are you working on a scholarly project that would come alive for the public through an interactive digital publication? The Leventhal Center's Small Grants for Early Career Digital Publications supports scholars through the process of producing a digital publication for general audiences. Two recent newsletter features, Prelude to a Revolution, Part I and Boston Brewin', were both supported by Small Grant awards. The grant includes a stipend to support research and development time, as well as institutional research and technical support from LMEC staff. Apply by Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET to be considered!

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In-Person: Bill Rankin on Radical Cartography · Feb 24, 1:30 pm ET

Join Yale University professor William Rankin, in discussion with Catherine D'Ignazio, for a conversation about his new book, Radical Cartography. The book—a historical, methodological, and practical exploration of data mapping—brings the last two hundred years of mapping and visualization into conversation with Rankin’s own mapping projects, which have been published and exhibited widely in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Lunch will be served and registration is required to attend. While this event is currently full, we encourage you to sign up for the waitlist.

Register for the event → 

LMEC on Channel 5

What’s so special about a map? Channel 5’s Chronicle team took a deep dive into that question this month, and they stopped by the Leventhal Center to chat with our Associate Curator Ian Spangler. They discovered a surprising story about the history—and future—of digital mapping, as well as a treasure trove of historical materials.

Watch the segment → 

Virtual Event: Giulia Taurino on AI and Photograph Collections · March 2, 2:00 pm ET

​Can AI help institutions make millions of historic photographs accessible to public users? Join Giulia Taurino in a discussion on the potential of AI image description to revolutionize how we engage with visual history during this talk, co-hosted by BPL Digital Services and the Leventhal Map & Education Center. This virtual event is free to attend; registration is recommended for a reminder and broadcast link.

Register here → 

Newsletter Trivia: Brookline, Before "Brookline"

Bordered on nearly all sides by Boston, yet proudly distinct, the town of Brookline is well-known for its historic homes and leafy streets. But before it became Brookline, what was the town's original English name?

1. King's Brook

2. Mill Creek

3. Boston Highlands

4. Muddy River

The answer to last newsletter’s question about Boston's hub of cattle trade is Allston / Brighton. Congratulations to our last winner, Estelle!

Correct answers will be included in a random drawing—the winner will receive the next three Map of the Month club postcards for free. In order to enter, make sure you follow us on Bluesky, Instagram or Facebook and direct message or email us the answer to the question. We’ll accept answers until February 24 at 9:00 am ET.

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