CHICOPEE – As an extension of their historical footprint, the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association announced a new digital archive on Nov. 29. The collection of historic remnants from author Edward Bellamy’s life joins the Edward Bellamy House as significant artifacts from the former author and Chicopee resident.

Background

Born in Chicopee, Bellamy became an internationally-renowned author for his utopian works in the 19th century. His novel “Looking Backward,” which follows a young man waking up 113 years in the future, represented a canvas for progressive social ideals of his day.

The novel inspired many to create calls of action against the era’s problematic factory culture and financial monopolies. Bellamy’s literature was even referenced as a source of inspiration for Upton Sinclair’s California gubernational campaign in 1934, which influenced some of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs during the Great Depression.

“Looking Backward” also reached the mainstream masses, ultimately becoming one of the three highest selling books of the 19th century next to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “Ben-Hur.”

Along with his novels, Bellamy worked as an attorney in Springfield and founded The Penny News tri-weekly newspaper in 1880. The news outlet eventually morphed into the Springfield Daily News, which eventually merged with The Republican, according to President of the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association Jason Amos.

Bellamy’s former homestead at 91 Church St. now stands as a memorial to his legacy. Bellamy and his family moved to the Church Street house in 1853. The home is where Bellamy lived for a majority of his life before passing away in 1898. The house currently exists as Chicopee’s only National Historical Landmark.

In the aftermath of his life, Amos shared that the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association formed in 1972. The association purchased Bellamy’s homestead in 1975 and eventually transformed the property into a museum dedicated to his influence.

“We decided to pivot towards turning the house into a historic house museum where we could be a resource to the community in terms of Chicopee’s history,” said Amos in an interview with Reminder Publishing.

Digital Archive

Amos explained that the genesis for a digital archive came from a desire for the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association to showcase more of their collection.

“We have more material … We wanted to use the digital archive to bring awareness to the other material we had, whether it was photos, documents, objects we had, as well as showcase some of the other Bellamy related material,” said Amos.

So far, the digital archive features period-era photographs of Bellamy’s home and family. Amos said the family pictures are especially rare as most historic looks at Bellamy focus mainly on his literature contributions.

“A lot of people are familiar with the one or two standard photos of him … We tried to post other photos of him that haven’t been seen, as well as photos of his family since he was a family man and people don’t usually see that side of him,” said Amos.

Amos said the archive utilizes a program that digitally preserves the photos. This allows the photos to retain their distinctive look while being maintained in the long term.

“It helps maintain the digital materials for the long term,” said Amos.

The Edward Bellamy Memorial Association is planning to update the archive with additional artifacts on a bi-monthly basis.

“It’s going to continue; we have a lot more material. We’ll be continuing to develop, grow and expand as we move forward with it,” said Amos.

The association operates entirely on a voluntary basis. Readers interested in supporting the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association or viewing the digital archive can visit https://edwardbellamyhouse.org/.