The Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) will be hosting an opening ceremony for a photo exhibit of historic Chinese restaurants in New England. The opening ceremony will include a brief presentation by Heather Lee and Amy Johnson, co-curators, and comments by John Eng-Wong, visiting scholar from Brown University’s Center for the Study of Race & Ethnicity in America. The event is free and open to the public.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 5:00-7:00 pm
WHERE: Chinatown Storefront Library, 640 Washington St (between Essex and Beach Street), Boston
INFO: Contact Chinese Historical Society of New England at 617-338-4339 or email info@chsne.org
Chow Mein, Chicken Wings, and Cheeseburgers: Recalling Downcity Chinese in the Postwar Era revisits the world of Chinese restaurants in downtown Providence from its heyday in the wake of World War II through its decline in the 1980s. This exhibit remembers Ming Garden, Mee Hong, and Luke’s Restaurant through the families that owned and ran them. It also explores the consumption of Chinese food and culture by the greater Downcity Providence community.
During the month of December, The Chinese Historical Society of New England brings to Boston an exhibit that originally was on display at the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. The exhibit will also feature historic restaurant photos from the CHSNE collection, including a page from CHSNE’s Chinese restaurant matchbook albums, a mock-up of an old Chinese restaurant menu with hand-drawn illustrations showing how to use chopsticks, and a 1961 calendar from insurance & real estate broker Madeline C. Wong listing client restaurants in Providence and Boston.