Recovering New England’s Voices Update

Historic New England’s Study Center welcomed two community liaisons, one new and one returning fellow to continue the work done on the Recovering New England’s Voices project.

Dr. Alissa Butler, Ph.D., the manager of the Study Center, states: “With each passing year, I grow more excited about the new cohort of researchers coming into the Study Center. Although it comprises almost an entirely new group engaged in different research projects, their work builds upon the preceding year’s efforts and contributes to our expanding body of knowledge. Their research introduces fresh insights into our tours and programs, allowing visitors to encounter a more comprehensive, improved, and authentic representation of all individuals associated with our sites, rather than just a select elite few. Stories that had been consigned to the annals of time have resurfaced as we delve deeper, concentrating on giving a voice to marginalized and forgotten groups. It is a privilege for me to witness the evolution of this research, and I eagerly anticipate the elements we will incorporate into next summer’s tours. So, stay tuned and plan to visit us next summer to discover our latest discoveries!”

Indigenous Community Liaisons

Kimonee Burke is a Ph.D. Candidate in the History Department at Brown University and a citizen of the Narragansett Indian Tribe. She received her BA in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and her MA in U.S. History from the University of Oxford. Burke studies Indigenous History in New England and the impact of federal policies on tribes in the region.

Danikah Chartier (Mi’kmaq) is a fine-art photographer whose work centers around mindfulness, self-cultivation, and social liberation. Danikah obtained her BFA in Photography and Related Media from the Fashion Institute of Technology with minors in Art History; Fashion History, Theory, and Culture; and Film and Media Studies. Prior to joining our team, Chartier served as a Fashion History and Photography Archive Researcher at the Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation and was the Photography Director of Blush Magazine.

Research Fellow – History of Technology

Justin Kedl is an artist and scholar, originally from the mid- and southwest, and now living in Beverly, Mass. He holds a BA in Sculpture and Graphic Design from Gordon College, and an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory, and Criticism from Azusa Pacific University. Kedl has worked for several art museums and studios in the Boston area. His interest in twentieth-century modernism—particularly Surrealism, the Bauhaus school, and Abstract Expressionism—informs both his scholarship and the creation of his own artwork. His work can be found online at www.justinkedl.com.

Research Fellow – Women’s History

Eleanor Martinez Proctor joins the Study Center this year to examine women’s history within the Eustis family and at the Eustis Estate in Milton, Mass. Martinez Proctor has an M.A. in Public History from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Prior to this fellowship, Martinez Proctor worked as a Research Fellow at Historic New England uncovering the lives of workers at the Eustis Estate. From this research, she helped create several new programs including a regular tour that explores Gilded Age working-class life, as well as the David Chesnut Jazz Festival which brought together musicians, historians, and the local community this August to honor the musical traditions of one working family. She also co-curated the new exhibition, Music and Motion: The Chesnut Family Legacy, which is currently on view at the Eustis Estate. Martinez Proctor’s work focuses on finding new perspectives within established narratives to broaden and enrich the histories we share.