Frederic L. Thompson on 'Mary Neal Richardson'

When considering 19th-century New England painters, certain names frequently come to mind: Winslow Homer, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Thomas Cole—the list goes on.

Frederic L. Thompson’s new book brings attention to Mary Neal Richardson, a Maine artist whose work has largely been forgotten, despite exhibiting alongside familiar figures like John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam.

Mary Neal Richardson (1859–1937), of Canton, Maine, studied on scholarship at the Boston Museum School (now the MFA) and had her work featured in the Paris Salon Exhibition in 1897. Her talent quickly gained recognition throughout the Boston area. From 1905 until 1934, she lived in Boston's iconic Fenway Studios, where she painted portraits of many prominent politicians, judges, professors, and families. No image of Richardson had been published since 1937—until now.

This FREE program includes a slide presentation highlighting Richardson’s significant contributions to the New England art scene.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frederic L. Thompson, a retired broadcasting executive, spent his entire career in the field of communications and marketing. However, his hobby was writing and publishing local history books with over 20,000 of his books sold. Fred spent more than four years researching this book that took him on a journey through archives, museums, and hidden corners of some of Boston’s major institutions. He lives in southern Maine with his wife Quinby.

PARKING/TRANSPORTATION

The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.

Parking is available at the Arts District Garage, which has entrances on Casco and Brown Street, with a rate of $5 per hour. Metered street parking is available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and other nearby streets. Free hourly street parking is available between Parris and Alder Street.

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