HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

Arthur Kingsley Porter was a celebrity professor, who worked in the shadow of the Harvard secret court that purged the campus of gay students and faculty. He grew up in wealth and privilege, expecting to follow his brother into the family law firm, before experiencing an epiphany that drove him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on medieval European art and architecture. After a midlife revelation led to an unconventional lifestyle, his family sought refuge at their Irish castle and their offshore cottage, until Porter disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the summer of 1933.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/232/

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• “The Secret Court of 1920,” Amit Paley, part 1, part 2
• Arthur Kingsley Porter joins Harvard in 1920
• Porter on Greek Sculpture as the idealization of male sex
• Read more of Porter’s work on the Internet Archive
• Elmwood steward Angiolo Madrulli’s 1972 obituary
• The Boston Globe reports on the disappearance
• Harvard Crimson obituary
• American Academy of Sciences obituary
• Speculum obituary

This week, our friends at the Paul Revere House are hosting the chair of African Lodge No. 459, Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Masons will be presenting a talk called “Who was Prince Hall: An Introduction to an Extraordinary Man” at Old North Church on Tuesday, September 28th. He’ll be talking about the founder of Prince Hall masonry, and a tireless activist for the rights of Black Bostonians in the late 18th and early 19th century. Their description of the event says, “This lecture introduces Prince Hall as an historical figure, with an emphasis on his achievements and contributions in supporting the argument that Prince Hall should be considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Mr. Pires will argue that Prince Hall, an unsung Patriot and forgotten Founding Father, should receive his long overdue recognition.”

The lecture will be held both in-person at Old North and virtually, and both versions are free to attend. Not only that, but all the lectures are being recorded and will be available to stream for free at a later time.