Garland and his city to be celebrated anew Saturday
July 25, 2018
Staff, Gloucester Daily Times
Garland and his city to be celebrated anew Saturday
The late Joseph Garland wrote “The Gloucester Guide: A Stroll through Place and Time” in 1973 for the 350th anniversary celebration of the nation’s oldest seaport.
As the city prepares for the celebration of its 400th anniversary in a few years, the Cape Ann Museum has updated and published the fifth edition of the book in association with the Garland Legacy Project. The 192-page book contains 90 photographs and maps out many local walks, all salted with history and Garland’s personal perspective.
The museum is hosting a free public book launch party on Saturday, July 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the museum. There will be walking tours from the museum, including guided walking tours downtown and to the waterfront that follow Garland’s suggestions in the book. There also will be a trolley that can take people with accessibility issues.
Garland, Gloucester’s consummate historian, storyteller and sailor, died in 2011 at the age of 88. But his work lives on in the 24 books he authored.
Garland, a graduate of Harvard University, was a journalist and a Gloucester Daily Times columnist. Nearly half the books he wrote were about Cape Ann history and its colorful characters. He also became a community activist, championing myriad causes from saving the working waterfront to protecting Addison Gilbert Hospital.
Richardson said there is much excitement about the latest edition of “The Gloucester Guide” and this event.
“Joe Garland has these stories and adventures to bring people in closer contact with their community to learn more about Gloucester as we are on the verge of celebrating our 400th anniversary,” she said. “It’s as if you are having a conversation with him. In a way, he is taking you on these tours and you are getting anecdotal as well as factual materials.”
In this “retrospective ramble,” Garland maps out nine walking tours through West Gloucester and Magnolia, West Parish, Lanesville to Annisquam, Annisquam and the Mill Rivers, Dogtown, the Farms to Little Good Harbor, East Gloucester to Bass Rocks, downtown, and the waterfront.
“The walks traverse alleys, parks, rivers, and bridges in every corner of Gloucester. Along the way, he muses about the history and people that shaped the culture and legends of Cape Ann. The book contains descriptive historic photos and updated maps to guide the user on each tour,” according to a book synopsis.
The book will be on sale during the celebration and also available at the Museum Shop as well as local bookstores and gift shops around Cape Ann.
“The idea is that residents and visitors can buy the book and do these walks on their own,” Richardson said.