No city can be spared the devastating effects of fire, but Lynn has seemingly experienced more than its share. More than most communities, Lynn measures its epochs in terms of these catastrophes. From the Christmas night blaze of 1868 to the conflagration of 1981, generations of Lynn residents have witnessed major fires that have changed the face of the city. Many of the significant fires have occurred in the very heart of the city, the downtown area. While some of these great fires have been more tragic and debilitating than others, each has in its own way contributed to the evolution of the...

The Victorian Era was a period of rapid industrialization and technological advancement for Lynn. A rise in manufactured goods, increased commercialism, and the building of a large labor force transformed the city at an unprecedented rate. Taken mainly from a newly acquired collection of glass-plate negatives, Lynn in the Victorian Era provides a unique snapshot of the city, frozen at one moment in time. The images in this collection were taken as Lynn celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1879. It was a time when Lynn was just entering into the period of its greatest economic prosperity and...