West End Museum, Local history museum in West End neighborhood, Boston, United States.
The West End Museum is a local history institution with three exhibition spaces and an archive holding photographs, documents, and artifacts from the neighborhood. The collections document how people lived and the area developed over many decades.
The museum was established in 1989 when editors of the West Ender Newsletter wanted to preserve memories of the neighborhood after major changes in the 1950s. Urban renewal programs of that era demolished many buildings and displaced communities, which inspired the creation of this institution.
The galleries tell stories of Italian, Jewish, and Polish immigrants who built strong communities in the neighborhood before urban renewal changed everything. Visitors see how these groups shaped daily life and gave the area its distinctive character.
The museum is located on Staniford Street and presents rotating exhibitions along with a collection of neighborhood photographs from the 1800s onward. Visitors can take their time moving through the exhibition spaces and exploring the extensive photo collection.
A permanent exhibition called 'The Last Tenement' shows the neighborhood as it was before major demolition in the 1950s. The exhibition uses photographs and objects to show how people actually lived in the area during that time.
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