Browse Items (1954 total)
Sort by:
Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci Inauguration
On January 3, 1983, Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci was inaugurated as Providence’s mayor for his third term. Having held office for more than 21 years, Buddy is the longest serving mayor of Providence, including during the city's, “Renaissance phase.”…
Bridgham Junior High School
Built in 1915, the Bridgham Junior High School at 10 Pierce Street has a granite entrance and granite string courses in brick walls. The school had severely been in need of construction at the time of Parents for a New Bridgham's petitioning for a…
Garibaldi Park
Garibaldi Park was developed following the demolition of a public bathhouse organized by the Bradford Street block club on Federal Hill.
Letter to John C. Bundy, 1889-02-02
Letter describing the use of a water divining "wand" to find a stream.
Are Spectres with Us? 1887-12
Clipping describing "psychical research" related to dreams, hallucinations, and spirits.
Letter to James Angell, 1891-02-21
Letter describing how Hazard scored eleven points in a billiards game through spiritual intervention.
Notes on Spirit of George Washington, 1890-12
Description of "Spiritual Manifestation" of George Washington at the Philadelphia World Exhibition in 1876.
Letter to Hamilton, Hancock Co., 1891-03-03
Incomplete letter describing an Irishman's account of the Banshee.
Letter to Sir, 1891-01
Description of spirit intervention which protected Hazard from a potentially dangerous encounter with a bull.
Notes on Vernon spirit, no date
Describes Hazard's experience hearing and feeling the ghost of his friend's deceased father, who advised Hazard on how best to help his friend.
Notes, 1889-07-25
Description of visit in June, 1857, to English windmill haunted by a female ghost.
Notes, 1890-02
Notes on Henry Olcutt and other mediums, who have traveled to India and "passed into a sphere beyond."
Stray Thoughts on Spiritualism, 1880.
Booklet with account of Spiritualist practices around the world. Includes instructions for conducting a seance, as well as listing of different kinds of mediums. Medium specialties include: clairvoyant and test medium, physical manifestations,…
Rules to be Observed when Forming Spiritual Circles, 1870
Booklet with instructions for conducting seances at home.
Seven Months of Spirits, 1890-11
Clipping describing experiences in Phelps household, including bells ringing, spoons bending, objects flying through the air. Quotes Phelps’s description of phenomena as “visitation from God.”
Mysteries of Hypnotism, 1889
“Mysteries Of Hypnotism” 1889
Clipping describing Dr. Henry S. Drayton’s lecture on “The Evolution of a ‘Sixth Sense’” and experiments involving duplicating unseen drawings. Includes this description of the dual perception of…
Clipping describing Dr. Henry S. Drayton’s lecture on “The Evolution of a ‘Sixth Sense’” and experiments involving duplicating unseen drawings. Includes this description of the dual perception of…
Remarkable Spiritual Manifestations, 1887-07-15
David Harrower’s Letter to the Editor, describing spiritual painting session. Harrower cites Joseph Peace Hazard’s recommendation of Mrs. Debar, who is responsible for “wonderful spiritual manifestations” in New York City.
A Straightforward Statement, 1890-03-15
Clipping from “The Banner of Light,” sent by Luther Colby to Joseph Peace Hazard. Quotes another publication which refers to “the fraud-condoning concern known as the Banner of Light”; includes defense of the “The Banner of Light” as “slow to…
How to Try Remarkable Experiments at Home, ca. 1870
Leaflet describing how to conduct a séance at home. Describes how to set up the room and prepare for the sitting, as well as the “symptoms” of spiritual communication. Originally published in "The Spiritualist" newspaper, ca. 1870.
Notes, Peacedale, 1889-05-02
Description of “Spiritual Sittings” with Edward Clark, during which “the table began to move, and before the close of the evening, it would not only rock most vigorously; and on the following evening, this Table would frequently run all about the…
Notes on "Modern Spiritualism"
Notes discussing the history of “Modern Spiritualism,” including “rapping Mediumship” of Kate Fox, the “Cock Lane Ghost”, the “Salem Witches”, and Church’s suppression of mediums and seers. Includes description of Hazard’s early visions of children…
Letter to Abby Quincy, 1891-02
Incomplete letter regarding tour of Scotland, including sitting with former servant of Sir Walter Scott and encounter with the ghost of Robert Burns.
Notes, Bologna, 1860-05-27
Notes on an encounter with the spirit of the recently deceased Theodore Parker , who attributed Hazard’s “difficulty as a medium” to his “unwillingness to be led by others.”
Letter to Luther Colby, with Reply to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1890-04-13
Request from Joseph Peace Hazard for recommendations for materializing mediums in the Boston area. Includes response from Luther Colby with names and addresses of materializing mediums.
Bill from Colby & Rich, 1890-02-24
Bill listing books Joseph Peace Hazard ordered from Colby & Rich, publishers of "The Banner of Light." Titles include:
Ghosts & Other Lect.
Ingersoll's Field Dis.
Ingersoll on Blasphemy
Orthodoxy
Prose Poems Selections
Gods Other…
Ghosts & Other Lect.
Ingersoll's Field Dis.
Ingersoll on Blasphemy
Orthodoxy
Prose Poems Selections
Gods Other…
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-11-19
Letter regarding mediums in Boston, including a healing medium who cured Colby of pneumonia while 100 people died in the care of "'regular' medical practitioners".
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-11-04
Letter in which Colby describes divided state of Spiritualism:
"We are being kicked, as usual, by Spiritualists, who want to boss us, but can't - as well as by enemies of the Cause. I am getting tired of this sort of life. Do you…
"We are being kicked, as usual, by Spiritualists, who want to boss us, but can't - as well as by enemies of the Cause. I am getting tired of this sort of life. Do you…
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-05-09
Letter defending medium Miss Debar, who is accused of "swindling" Judge Marsh. Includes note regarding "ascended brother Thomas":
"Whenever your ascended brother Thomas reports, I will send you whatever he communicates. He is somewhat annoyed…
"Whenever your ascended brother Thomas reports, I will send you whatever he communicates. He is somewhat annoyed…
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-05-01
Letter regarding persona article Hazard sent, which Colby does not wish to print. Includes message from "Spirit brother Thomas":
"While answering your note, I get this communication from your Spirit brother Thomas. He says, (which I copy below)…
"While answering your note, I get this communication from your Spirit brother Thomas. He says, (which I copy below)…
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-04-09
Letter responding to inquiry regarding Mrs. Hull, who holds private sittings in Boston. Includes post-script regarding Dr. Slade, a "drunk" medium in Maine: "What a pity it is that our psychics, after - like an unruly cow - giving plenty of milk,…
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-02-16
Letter acknowledging Hazard's donation to "God's Poor Fund" and relaying message from Hazard's brother Thomas, "now a resident of the Spirit World" who "would like to communicate privately" through Colby's office's new medium, Mrs. Smith.
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1889-02-12
Letter describing "needy and sick Spiritualists and mediums" and recommending working mediums. Includes instructions to send lock of hair to a healing medium if medical treatment is needed.
Letter to Joseph Peace Hazard, 1886-04-20
Letter relaying message from Joseph Peace Hazard's recently deceased brother Thomas. Includes query regarding $600 Thomas had put up to bail out a medium.
Letter to Luther Colby, 1889-05-03
Letter regarding eulogy for Mr. Ayer, builder of "The Spiritual Temple" in Boston. Includes Hazard's thoughts on the Christian Church's beliefs in "the reality of Spiritual Manifestations of today, though most of them are opposed to them"; and notes…
Letter to Mrs. F.W. Masters, 1891-02-08
Letter attesting to Hazard's personal experiences and belief in Spiritualism--that Hazard "never felt any apprehension of fraud at any of the thousands of Spiritual Seances" he had attended--and notes that the presence of skeptics at authentic…
Letter to Luther Colby, 1890-11-11
Letter regarding the "Haunted house" in Wilmington, Delaware, which Hazard had mentioned to the Seybert Commission. Mentions Hazard's friendship with Henry Seybert. Includes account of John Ladd, a Newport carpenter-turned-"Spiritual Medium" who…
Letter to Henry Bede, 1890-09-20
Letter in which Hazard, at 83 1/2 years of age, expresses a "wish to be on the other side, so soon as I can arrange my affairs." Includes account of the "Palatine Ship", a ghost ship apparition around Block Island.
Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel G. Ward, 1890-07
Letter discussing Spiritualism within the Hazard family, including employment of healing mediums by Rowland G. Hazard. Includes account of "the Banshee" and Hazard's travels in Italy and Ireland.
Letter to Luther Colby, 1889-11-14
Letter asking for recommendations for "Healing Medium" in Boston. Mentions Sarah Rockwood, a healing medium who attended Rowland Gibson Hazard at the end of his life, and Mary Hull, who was employed as a medium by Thomas R. Hazard.
Letter to John C. Bundy, 1889-03-14
Letter in which Hazard comments on "The Fox Girls" who have "in their old age - disavowed Spiritualism" and confessed their fraud. Hazard notes that because the women have become "intemperate" that their confessions are suspect. Includes mentions…
Holy Ghost Church
Holy Ghost Church (alternatively, The Church of the Holy Ghost) was built between 1889 and 1901. Bishop Harkins' intent for the Holy Ghost was to allot space for the presence of Italian Catholics migrating to the Federal Hill area. Where it faced…
Garibaldi (Omni) Park
Garibaldi Park was established by the Bradford Area Neighbors block club in 1975. Previously, the location had been a community bathhouse, but at this time the bathhouse had seen much deterioration in its abandonment and had become a host to vermin.…
Empire Furniture
This was a landmark at the corner of Atwells Ave. near Holy Ghost Church when Empire furniture was originally known as "Empire Mattress and Furniture Co."
Processions
Religious procession (St. Anthony) of Our Lady of Mt. Caramel Church 1938. Location was Spruce and Brayton Ave.
Where it all began
Tony Marocco stands at on the spot where he was born at the corner of Cedar and Crout Sts. 80 years ago. He was one of six children and in 1977, when he was 77 years old, he was discouraged over the future of Federal Hill and believed urban renewal…
John Dilorio (Undertaker and Embalmer)
John Dilorio shown with horse-drawn hearse, when his place of business was next to 216 Atwells Ave...White hearse were in common use in 1910 and later until the miracle drugs were developed, as there were so many children that died that children's…
The Cheese Man
Cav. S. Francis Basso, Proprietor of the Providence Cheese and Delicatessen on Atwells Ave...Cav. Basso was one of the pioneer businessmen, who in 1969 purchased a normal cheese store and...transformed it into a unique[ly] Italian Specialty Cheese,…
Federal Hill House (Collage)
This photo is comprised of three separate photos relating to Federal Hill House, a nonprofit settlement house that originated on Federal Hill to serve its growing Italian population with social services. The left photograph is of Frank Trifacante, a…
Colombus Day Parade, 1913
This elaborately decorated Hubmobile was owned by Dr. Antonio E. Fidanza. In 1913, it participated in one of the earliest Colombus Day parades. Shown in the photograph are Benny (Dr. Fidanza's driver) and Italia Mendozzi (who is wearing the large…