August 2026: Beach Reads
By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki It’s summertime and our thoughts have turned to the beach and, of course, light, distracting summer reads. Please enjoy this selection from our circulating collection featuring mystery, romance, and New Hampshire’s local beaches...July 2026: The Red Light District
By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki This summer and fall the Portsmouth Athenæum presents The Red Light District: Vice in Portsmouth, NH at the Turn of the 20th Century, an exhibit in the Randall Gallery which offers a glimpse at a seedier part of our city’s...Exhibit Shines the Red Light on City’s Past
By Sherry Wood “The Red Light District: Vice in Portsmouth, NH, at the Turn of the 20th Century,” opens July 10 in the Randall Gallery. It will bring a fresh perspective to Portsmouth’s houses of ill repute, which flourished after the...Portsmouth Athenæum Chamber Music 2026
The Portsmouth Athenæum presents this annual series of chamber music concerts held in historic venues around Portsmouth. This year, the public is invited to attend the following four chamber concerts: NEW ENGLAND BAROQUE SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 3 p.m. St. John’s...Athenæum Interim Director
By Board President Jeffrey W. Keefe With the retirement of longtime Athenæum Keeper and Executive Director Tom Hardiman, we are looking ahead to effect a productive transition to new leadership. Appointing an Interim Director is our first major step toward this goal....A Letter from Tom Hardiman, Keeper and Executive Director
By Keeper and Executive Director Tom Hardiman Many of you have already learned of my decision to take early retirement, effective July 31, after 26 years as your Keeper and Executive Director. We have achieved great things together, including the launch of our...June 2026: Pride Month
By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Uprising began in New York City as a series of riots and protests that are now considered the catalyst for the modern gay liberation movement. Over the following decades, annual marches...May 2026: Jewish American Heritage Month
By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki Each May, hundreds of organizations and Americans of all backgrounds connect to discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the earliest days of our nation to the present. Please join us...April 2026: National Poetry Month
By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki In 1996, the American Academy of Poets launched National Poetry Month to honor the significance of poetry within our culture. For 30 years, this celebration has worked to increase the visibility of poets and to increase poetry’s...Events Calendar
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1:30 PM - 1805 Building Tour
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5:00 PM - 33rd Annual Athenaeum Pot-Luck Picnic
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3:00 PM - 2026 PACM Series: New England Baroque
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