Bøger af Anthony M. Sammarco

Inferno: The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was written to commemorate the 150th anniversary of a devastating fire that destroyed sixty-five acres of land in Boston, from Washington Street, between Summer Street and Milk Street, fanning eastward towards the wharves projecting into Boston Harbor. The fire was said to have destroyed 776 buildings in Boston's downtown, causing over $73 million in damage (or $1,682,000,000 in 2022 dollars), killing an estimated twenty people, and leading to stricter building regulations in Boston. Fires have always been a constant source of anxiety, but this inferno was cataclysmic and beyond the comprehension of many people. The city of Boston took action and appointed a city architect that would oversee all building in the city. In this well illustrated history of the inferno, well known author Anthony Sammarco takes us from the area from one of Commercial Palaces to the Burnt District that would be rebuilt "Springing Phoenix-like from the Ashes."

Valentine's Day Traditions in Boston is a fun and interesting way to recall the holiday from the exchange of Valentine cards in day school to the cards, candy, and flowers we sent or received as adults to and from our valentine. From Ancient Rome with the pagan festival of Lupercalia to the worldwide celebration of the holiday, we revel in its history and evolution through the centuries as a day of love. Today, Esther Allen Howland is honored with the nickname "Mother of the American Valentine," with many citing her small card factory as the start of a multi-million-dollar industry. Beginning in 2001, the Greeting Card Association has annually given the "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary," and they estimate that 200 million valentines are sent each year in the United States. Anthony Sammarco discusses the history of St. Valentine's Day from Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival celebrated on February 15 to ensure fertility for the people, fields, and flocks to the annual exchange of cards, candy, and flowers. Beginning with Esther Howland who produced delicate and fanciful Valentine's Day cards in the nineteenth century through to major card companies such as Hallmark, Norcross, Gibson, and Rust Craft, Americans exchange millions of cards annually. The book also discusses the more outré Sailor's Valentines, Vinegar Valentines, and Krampus Valentines.

The Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston has long been a thriving nexus of cultures, with residents of all walks of life, including numerous workers in the medical field, making it an inclusive, busy, and evolving neighborhood. Though Mission Hill is less than one square mile, it is a neighborhood constantly in transition, with not just home owners but renters, especially students, calling it home. What it lacks in land area, Mission Hill makes up in character, maintaining a small neighborhood vibe while remaining one of Boston's most diverse neighborhoods. With a variety of housing, restaurants, and pubs, it also offers green spaces such as the Iroquois Woods, the Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park, and the Back of the Hill Urban Wild, making it a small neighborhood that has evolved over the last century as a destination.