Located on Beacon Hill, the Boston Athenaeum is a distinguished private membership society that celebrates history and a myriad of other matters. This particular nook of its site brings together selections from its retrospective exhibition entitled, "Acquired Tastes: 200 Years of Collection for the Boston Athenaeum.â The in situ exhibit included paintings, sculptures, maps, prints, photographs, and decorative arts and this complementary site offers visitors insights into the remarkable collection. Highlights include dramatic early views of Boston, a wonderful portrait of John Adams by Gilbert Stuart, and a view of Boston from 1848 as rendered from East Boston. Each view contains detailed bibliographic information, along with a few paragraphs of the significance of each item. Visitors may peruse three dozen items that offer insight into the collecting preferences of the Athenaeum over time.