Anthony M. Sammarco Books

Brighton and Allston Through Time outlines a neighborhood of the city of Boston which was once known as Little Cambridge before it became an independent town from Cambridge in 1807. With contemporary photographs by Peter B. Kingman, Anthony M. Sammarco has created a fascinating book of 19th- and 20th-century images that chronicles the history and development over the last hundred years. Once renowned throughout New England for its cattle industry as well as its horticultural gardens, Brighton and Allston became a well-known town. With prosperity, an ever-increasing population and proximity to the city of Boston, Brighton and Allston was annexed to the city in 1874 and henceforth became known as Ward 25. Over the century that followed, the neighborhood saw new places of worship, public and parochial schools, and housing ranging from one-family and two-family houses which were quickly augmented by three deckers and the largescale building of apartment buildings. During the first three decades of the 20th century, Brighton and Allston saw its population double, from 27,000 residents in 1910 to 47,000 residents by 1925 and today, with a population of 75,000 people, Brighton and Allston has a rich and ever evolving history, with demographics which are constantly in flux.

"In his new book East Boston Through Time, Anthony Sammarco outlines a neighborhood of the city of Boston which was once known as Noddle's Island, one of the five islands that had been used for grazing livestock since the 1630s. Development of the two larger islands -- Noddle's and Breed's Islands -- began in the 1830s under the direction of the East Boston Company, making this one of the city of Boston's first neighborhoods to utilize a formal urban plan. East Boston's harbor location also enabled it to become a center for shipbuilding and some of America's most famous clipper ships were built here ..."--Back cover

Noah Webster described Thanksgiving as "The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies," and it has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789. Governors of Massachusetts would proclaim a local holiday of Thanksgiving, but it was Sarah J. Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book , who promoted a national day of Thanksgiving. It was during the Civil War under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln that Thanksgiving became a federal holiday in 1863. By the late nineteenth century in Boston--now a thriving nexus of ethnic, religious and racially diverse residents, and far more diverse than the early Pilgrims could ever have expected--Thanksgiving began to include ethnic foods and traditions which their ancestors brought to the New World. Each group broadened the meaning of Thanksgiving and food became a way of preserving one's background while assimilating into the "Pilgrim culture." Though Thanksgiving today often is celebrated with food, football and parades, it replicates the first thanksgiving held by the Pilgrims in 1621. In Boston, there was the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, held from 1929 to 1943. Thanksgiving Traditions in Boston is a compilation of more of Boston's shared traditions and anecdotes, both traditional and created.

In Kenmore Square and the Fenway of Boston Through Time, Anthony Sammarco, with contemporary photographs by Peter B. Kingman, chronicles the history and development of an area of the city of Boston that only began in the early nineteenth century -- from back cover

Anthony Sammarco revisits the long-held traditions of decorating Easter eggs, decorating an egg tree, choosing an Easter bonnet, children's Easter egg hunts, and many more

Author and historian Anthony Sammarco reveals the fascinating history of Boston's beloved Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh opened its first store in 1851 on Milk Street in Boston selling assorted dry goods. Following the Civil War, the store moved to Winthrop Square and later to Washington Street between Summer and Avon Streets. The new five-story building, designed by Winslow & Wetherell, unveiled the novel concept of department shopping under one roof. It attracted shoppers by offering personal service with the adage that the customer is always right, easy credit, art exhibitions and musical performances. By the 1970s, it had become a regional New England icon and the largest department store chain in the nation.

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.

Trolleys Under the Hub, a fantastic collection of photographs and captions documenting the history of Boston’s Green Line, commemorates the 100th anniversary of America’s first subway system. Through a remarkable series of over two hundred unique images, authors Frank Cheney and Anthony M. Sammarco document the development of this active and diverse system over the years. In September of 1897, the first trolley emerged from Park Street under the Boston Common. The transportation system that developed from this early foundation connected Boston with its suburbs, providing a convenient mode of travel for commuters in Roxbury, Charlestown, Dorchester, West Roxbury, and Brighton. Through rare—and in some cases unique—images, authors Cheney and Sammarco develop a portrait of this life-changing and city-building force that will surely delight both trolley buffs and modern-day riders of the MBTA.