Issues → September/October 2008 → Travel →
Concord, MA: Sophia Thoreau Leaves
Henry David Thoreau's poetry inscribed on leaves
by Justin Shatwell
The symbiotic link between nature and literature is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in Concord, Massachusetts. With just enough forest between Concord’s tree-lined streets and Boston’s bustling avenues, this village remains a place of solace for writers and vacationers alike.
In one shady corner of town you’ll find the cozy Concord Museum. Its unobtrusive frame sits just across the street from Emerson’s home and blends seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood. Its impeccably preserved collection—presented in a straightforward, unpretentious fashion—contains a handful of must-see exhibits, including Thoreau’s writing desk and the lantern that signaled Paul Revere. Still, Sophia Thoreau’s leaves may be the pieces most indicative of the understated tone that makes this museum so appealing to visitors from around the world.
Pressed and inscribed in ink by Sophia Thoreau, these leaves bear lines from the poetry of her famous brother, Henry David, and of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Simple and concise, they’re a fitting testament to the Transcendentalists’ philosophical movement, which eschewed glamour and thrived in the peaceful, verdant places of the world.
Concord Museum
200 Lexington Road
Concord, MA
978-369-9763
concordmuseum.org
Fall hours Mon.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. noon–5
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