Massachusetts bears the nickname “The Bay State” proudly, as bays have played significant roles in the state’s history starting long before the Massachusetts Bay Company and the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1600s. The exhibition features maps, publications, and artifacts from the State Library to illustrate both actual bays in Massachusetts and uses of the term “Bay State” in commerce, art, and design.Included are items from a collection of Bay State “souvenirs,” such as plates, mugs, magnets, and articles of clothing, books about the various bays in the state, and a wide selection of publications with the term “Bay State” in the title, selected from the State Library holdings.
The exhibition is now open and will remain on view outside the State Library—Room 341 of the State House—through May 29, 2015.Special thanks to Special Collections Department interns Sarah Jennette and Victoria Zimmer, who helped with the selection, organization, description, and installation of the materials in the exhibition.
