On Display in the State Library

Photo credit Louis Oliveira,
Wikimedia Commons.

If you visit Boston during the holiday season and walk by the Common you can’t miss a large, brightly lit Christmas tree on display – this is the Boston Christmas Tree, Massachusetts’ official Christmas tree. In 1918 and from 1971 onward, the tree has been donated to the Commonwealth from Nova Scotia as thanks for the assistance that the Boston Red Cross and the Massachusetts Public Safety Committee provided in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion. This month in our library display case, we’re exhibiting a selection of materials related to those relief efforts.

Halifax is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, and its largest city. The Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917 when two ships, the SS Mont-Blanc and the SS Imo, collided in its harbor. The Mont-Blanc was transporting munitions from New York to France, and though the damage from the collision was not too severe, the Mont-Blanc caught fire. This led to a devastating explosion and subsequent tsunami that caused a large loss of life and structural damage to the city. When news of the explosion reached Massachusetts Governor Samuel McCall, he offered the mayor of Halifax unlimited assistance. In the immediate aftermath, a train of Massachusetts doctors, nurses, and medical supplies were dispatched to Halifax. In the weeks following, the Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Committee raised money to assist residents of Halifax who had lost their homes and all their belongings. More information about the explosion and aftermath can be found in a previous post on our blog.

This month’s display focuses on the efforts of the Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Committee. The State Library’s holdings include the Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Committee Records, 1917-1919 (Ms. Coll. 90), which was acquired from the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety in March 1921. Through photographs, blueprints, reports, and meeting meetings, the collection documents the relief efforts undertaken by the committee to aid the residents of Halifax in the wake of the destruction caused by the explosion. The goal of the committee was to raise money for the replacement of homes and furnishings, as well as provide care for individuals who had been injured in the explosion. The Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Committee ultimately raised over $500,000 in donations from Massachusetts citizens.

We’ve chosen to display just two of the many pages of transcribed “thank you” notes that are part of this collection. The relief committee had determined that one of the best uses of the donated funds was to provide furniture to individuals who had lost their homes. The notes of appreciation are in response to that aid and are addressed to members of the Halifax Branch of the committee, meaning men and women who resided in Halifax and who represented Massachusetts in disbursement of the donated funds. Of note are the letters addressed to Mr. Pearson, as he was the chairman of the Halifax Branch. The notes are dated throughout 1918, showing the speed in which the funds were raised and distributed. The men and women who wrote the letters expressed extreme gratitude to the committee for replacing items lost in the explosion and helping them to feel as though they had a home again.

Also on display are two images of the Governor McCall Apartments, which were erected by the Halifax Relief Commission and are located on Massachusetts Avenue in Halifax. They are named after Massachusetts Governor McCall, as he was so quick to offer aid to Halifax immediately after the explosion. The group photograph was taken on November 8, 1918 on the occasion of Gov. McCall’s visit to Halifax – he is shown standing in the second row, second from the left. To his right is Fred Pearson, to whom many of the “thank you” notes described above were addressed. The children in the front row are all residents of the apartments. In total, the apartments housed 325 families or nearly two thousand people who had been displaced by the explosion. The full size of the apartment complex can be seen in the bird’s-eye view photograph, which shows the apartments when they were “roofed in” on January 28, 1918. Construction of the apartments began on Christmas Day 1917 and were completed in 320 working hours. Note the American, British, and French flags flying from the rooftop in recognition of the aid received. You can see many other photographs from this collection in our digital repository.

            

If you are in town to see the Christmas tree, head up Park Street to stop in and visit us and see some of the materials that shed light on the significance and meaning behind the tree. These materials are on display in our main library reading room through January 4.

Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian