The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
Second Floor
This floor was the principal entertaining area in the house, with two large rooms: the Music Room and the Library. The Music Room, also known as the drawing room in many Victorian houses, is the largest room in the house, and would have been the primary space for entertaining. Family and friends from the neighborhood retired here after dinner for musical or theatrical entertainment, often put on by the Gibson children themselves. This was the space designed to best show off the family’s wealth and sophistication.
The Library served many functions: as an office for Charles Gibson, Sr., a family room, and an entertaining space. After a meal, the men in the party might gather in the library for drinks and conversation. The stereopticon—a nineteenth-century slide projector—was a popular way to tell stories with images, typically of natural wonders or notable historic places, before movies were invented.
