An Interview with Author Anthony M. Sammarco

The Boston Public Library offers many resources, tools, and materials relating to local history; some of these materials are numerous books written by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco. 

Anthony M. Sammarco is a noted historian who has authored more than 75 books on the history and development of Boston and its surrounding areas. Over the years, Mr. Sammarco taught history at Boston University and at Urban College of Boston. He has received the Bulfinch Award, the Washington Medal, and other recognitions for his works. Several of his books have made bestseller lists including Lost Boston, Jordan Marsh: New England’s Largest Store, and Inferno: The Great Boston Fire of 1872. These titles, among his many others, are available at multiple BPL locations. Mr. Sammarco’s latest book, The Christmas Tree Shops: Don’t You Just Love a Bargain?, will be published in early 2025, with more titles scheduled for publication afterward.

I recently interviewed Mr. Sammarco:

In what ways had the Boston Public Library aided in your research for your published works?

I have always patronized the Boston Public Library; when at the age of 6, I was given a library card at the Codman Square Branch Library. I devoured books, often rereading favorites, and enjoyed the reading room overlooking Norfolk Street with the afternoon sunshine. As an adult, I have met numerous librarians and library employees who assist me in my research in not just suggesting books, but prints, photographs and painting collections. There is no more enjoyable time for me than to look through photographs of the city of Boston to find unique and unusual images that I can use in my books. The Boston Public Library is invaluable to researchers, and I have only the highest praise for both current, as well as retired, staff who have gone above and beyond their job for me and made it enjoyable.

You have led many author talks at various BPL locations over the years. What were some memorable moments during these visits?

It always amazes me when I repeatedly see some of the same people at lectures across the city. I enjoy visiting the branch libraries as they are the foundation of the library, and neighborhood residents often have great pride in the history and uniqueness of the place they call home. In my conversations with library patrons, I often get requests for certain topics. One woman at the Lower Mills Branch Library asked me to do a lecture on molasses, which evolved into a new lecture: Molasses: From the Slave Trade to the Great Flood of 1919. Another asked for something on tea, her favorite beverage of choice so I developed Tea: A Medley of History, Anecdotes and Stories. I enjoyed interacting with people but also listening to their stories and to try and connect with them.

The BPL owns many of your books, in both print and digital, for our patrons to use or borrow. Which titles are you most proud of?

It is a sense of pride when I see my books on the shelves of the library. I have been writing for over 35 years and have tried to chronicle the history and development of Boston and the neighborhoods since the 17^th century. I enjoyed researching and writing these books, but if I had to choose I would say my books Lost Boston, A History of Howard Johnson's, The Baker Chocolate Company, Inferno, and The Other Red Line are among my favorites. Each topic is very different, and some are not just locally but nationally interesting, so they seem to resonate not just with Bostonians but others as well.

Your latest book, The Christmas Tree Shops: Don't You Just Love a Bargain?, is coming out soon. How do you determine success with each new book release?`

Success of any book is in finding a topic that appeals to the broader public. The Christmas Tree Shops was established in 1970, and over the last five decades expanded to numerous states and dozens of stores that offered unique and interesting items. It was a destination for people, whether with family or friends or on rainy days during the summer when the beach was not possible. One never knew what he would find and the slogan “Don’t You Just Love a Bargain” still resonates with many of us. The Christmas Tree Shops, with a public that laments its closing in 2023, will appeal to people of all walks of life, with quotes from former customers, including all of us in the retelling of its history.

Will there be a book on the history of the Boston Public Library in the future?

It is interesting that you suggest a book on the Boston Public Library. A book (Boston Public Library by Catherine J. Willis) was published not too long ago but it has been something that I would enjoy doing, but on the branch library system that began in 1871. The first branch library in the world was opened in East Boston as a reading room in 1870, a neighborhood of the city that was rapidly developed beginning in 1833. I am a staunch advocate for the neighborhood libraries (I am president of the Friends of Brighton Library) and think a book on the reasons why the branches were opened in addition to a history of each branch library would be fascinating.