May 5, 2020
I never got the chance to meet Peter Anastas. And from what I’ve seen, heard, read, and watched, it’s unfortunate that I didn’t. During my first few months as the Librarian & Archivist at the Cape Ann Museum, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t come across something that he either wrote, studied, worked on, or influenced. His scope and knowledge really seemed endless. As I began work on launching our CAM Video Vault Lecture Series, I took the time to watch one of the lectures he gave about his experience of growing up on Rocky Neck. I've read some of his writing and searched through his massive archival collection held in the Library & Archive (seriously, it’s 663 items!), but it wasn’t until I saw him speaking in this video, that I understood how everyone felt about him. He is missed by those who knew and loved him, but now also by those who never did.

Each week I will be selecting five featured videos to share with you. This week, we’re honoring the late Peter Anastas, seeing how residents of Cape Ann endured during the Great Depression and World War I, learning about the incredible works of art made by women on Cape Ann, and ending the week with a beautiful performance that takes us through and around the Museum that we all miss so much.   

While you can watch all 60 videos in this series at once, it is my hope that we can all retain our sense of community and join together each day and watch as one, like we have  and will again, at the Museum. On each video, there is the ability to comment, so share your thoughts, knowledge, and memories with us! Also, if you’re so inclined, and are Social Media savvy, feel free to continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtag: 

#CAMVideoVault

New video will be released weekly — be sure to check the CAM Video Vault for a full list of all videos released to date!