ONLINE Local History: Ornithological Devotions of Celia Thaxter

In our next Local History talk online, hear about the famous poet Celia Thaxter and her love of wild birds!

Climatologists today catalogue waning songbird populations and other ecological consequences of global changes, yet if we lean down the corridors of history, we can hear warnings begin in the mid-19th century.  As industrialization drew workers to cluttered smoggy cities, sooty factories, and poorly ventilated housing, those with financial means began what we now call the rusticators movement – a steady stream of urbanites escaping the heat and congestion to sit on country porches and breathe pine or sea air. During this time frame, outdoor enthusiasts and ornithologists noticed the declining populations of migrating songbirds and shore birds, particularly along the Eastern seaboard.  A combination of over-hunting for food, sport, and newly fashionable plumed hats and accessories created a triple threat for aviary decimation.

Celia Leighton Thaxter (1835 – 1894) grew up in these two ecological tides: first, the growth of the rusticating class, many of whom became guests at her family’s Appledore Island hotel; and second the birth of the Audubon Society and environmental movement. This talk will focus on Thaxter’s advocacy as a protector of wild bird life, particularly through her poetry. As an early environmental woman writer, Thaxter deserves recognition for the role she played in raising awareness of avian habitats and their endangerment, thus raising public sympathy and contributing to political action.

No registration required. Click this link to connect via Zoom. Password: 3GWdHC

Dr. Ellen M. Taylor grew up in Hampton, NH and spent many childhood Sundays sailing out to the Isles of Shoals with her parents and siblings, on a variety of boats, from the homemade catboat the Flying Clod to the sleek Cape Dory, Interlude.  She later joined up with a colleague to coordinate Writers in the Round, a poetry and song-writing retreat every September on Star Island.  During these sojourns to the islands, she often wondered about the life of Celia Thaxter, on tiny White Isle, and later on Appledore. This wondering led to a sabbatical project where Taylor studied both the ecological writings of Thaxter, and her role in creating the first interdisciplinary art colony in the United States.

Taylor received her doctorate in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program at Harvard University, focusing on narrative development. She completed her BA in English at Tulane University, and her MA in poetry from the University of New Hampshire. Today, Dr. Taylor is a Professor of English and Coordinator of Humanities at the University of Maine at Augusta. She also teaches at the Maine State Prison. Dr. Taylor has published two collections of poetry and two chapbooks and her work has appeared in literary journals regionally, nationally, and internationally.  She’s delighted to talk about Thaxter in Portsmouth, NH.

Pictured: Edward H. Adams, “Gull standing on Driftwood, Small,” from Portsmouth Public Library’s Special Collections. For more art and photography form the library’s collection, visit portsmouthexhibits.org.