author
Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
1822–1898
A nineteenth-century New England writer and local historian, remembered for turning old Boston and Salem newspapers into vivid snapshots of everyday life. His books preserve forgotten customs, curiosities, and voices from early Massachusetts.
7 Audiobooks
Handbook of the Trees of New England
by Lorin Low Dame, Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 1: Curiosities of the Old Lottery Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 5: Some Strange and Curious Punishments Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 4: Quaint and Curious Advertisements Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series: Vol. 2: The Days of the Spinning-Wheel in New England Gleanings Chiefly from old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 3: New-England Sunday Gleanings Chiefly From Old Newspapers Of Boston And Salem, Massachusetts
by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
About the author
Henry M. Brooks, or Henry Mason Brooks, was an American author born in 1822 and closely associated with Salem, Massachusetts. He is best known for The Olden Time Series, a multi-volume set of historical gleanings drawn chiefly from old newspapers of Boston and Salem, selected and arranged with brief comments.
His work has lasting appeal because it brings the past alive through small, memorable details rather than grand events alone. By collecting material on subjects such as lotteries, spinning wheels, Sunday customs, and other pieces of everyday New England life, he helped preserve the texture of local history for later readers.
Brooks also appears in historical records connected with the Essex Institute, an important Salem historical organization, reflecting his place in the region's literary and antiquarian circles. Though not widely known today, he remains a rewarding author for listeners who enjoy Americana, local history, and the rich oddments of nineteenth-century historical writing.