Category: History

Where Would You Find These Neatly Folded Hands?
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen it around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- The hands are on a statue of a woman that was created by a woman.
- The statue is of a Quaker and was created by a Quaker.
- It is located next to a famous building.
- It was installed in 1959.
Ready? Click through for the answer.

(more…)
April 20, 2017
Where Would You Find These Neatly Folded Hands?
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen it around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- The hands are on a statue of a woman that was created by a woman.
- The statue is of a Quaker and was created by a Quaker.
- It is located next to a famous building.
- It was installed in 1959.
Ready? Click through for the answer.

(more…)
April 20, 2017
Another Way to Explore History, Follow a Historic Recipe for Bread Pudding

For our Friday Link today, we're sending you over to the Massachusetts Historical Society's blog as they follow a recipe for bread pudding that was found in their collection.

Now you know we love bread pudding, so this caught our attention.

Bread Pudding: an experiment with Mary Channing Eustis’ recipe book

If you've ever read an early cookbook, you'll see that measurements, as we know them today, were scarce. At least this one called for weights of some ingredients.

While you're there visiting this page, take a look at this blog. You may find that you'll want to add this organization's social media updates to your own collection.

Here's a link to the blog's main page. We get updates on our RSS feed.

Here's their facebook page.

And, their twitter feed.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshots: Courtesy of Massachusetts Historical Society.

April 14, 2017
Another Way to Explore History, Follow a Historic Recipe for Bread Pudding

For our Friday Link today, we're sending you over to the Massachusetts Historical Society's blog as they follow a recipe for bread pudding that was found in their collection.

Now you know we love bread pudding, so this caught our attention.

Bread Pudding: an experiment with Mary Channing Eustis’ recipe book

If you've ever read an early cookbook, you'll see that measurements, as we know them today, were scarce. At least this one called for weights of some ingredients.

While you're there visiting this page, take a look at this blog. You may find that you'll want to add this organization's social media updates to your own collection.

Here's a link to the blog's main page. We get updates on our RSS feed.

Here's their facebook page.

And, their twitter feed.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshots: Courtesy of Massachusetts Historical Society.

April 14, 2017
Lucy Stone’s Wisdom for Women’s History Month

The next time you walk by the Boston Women's Memorial, think about the words of wisdom these and other women of Boston have left behind for us.

Ed took this great photo of Lucy Stone with Abigail Adams in the background at the beginning of one of last month's snowstorms. We saved it to remind our readers that March is National Women's History Month.

Here are three quotes from Lucy Stone (1818-1893):

"I expect to plead not for the slave only, but for suffering humanity everywhere. Especially do I mean to labor for the elevation of my sex."

"I think, with never-ending gratitude, that the young women of today do not and can never know at what price their right to free speech and to speak at all in public has been earned."

"Now all we need is to continue to speak the truth fearlessly, and we shall add to our number those who will turn the scale to the side of equal and full justice in all things."

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

March 3, 2017
Lucy Stone’s Wisdom for Women’s History Month

The next time you walk by the Boston Women's Memorial, think about the words of wisdom these and other women of Boston have left behind for us.

Ed took this great photo of Lucy Stone with Abigail Adams in the background at the beginning of one of last month's snowstorms. We saved it to remind our readers that March is National Women's History Month.

Here are three quotes from Lucy Stone (1818-1893):

"I expect to plead not for the slave only, but for suffering humanity everywhere. Especially do I mean to labor for the elevation of my sex."

"I think, with never-ending gratitude, that the young women of today do not and can never know at what price their right to free speech and to speak at all in public has been earned."

"Now all we need is to continue to speak the truth fearlessly, and we shall add to our number those who will turn the scale to the side of equal and full justice in all things."

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

March 3, 2017
Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston’s Statue of Alexander Hamilton?
You may have walked by the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall dozens of times. Did you ever wonder who the three men are in the bas-relief profile on the base?

According to the Smithsonian Museum's database of outdoor sculpture, they are (from right to left) George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Here are a few tidbits you may not know about this statue of Alexander Hamilton.
- This sculpture has been located between Arlington and Berkeley Streets on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall since 1865.
- It's one of the few surviving works by Dr. William Rimmer, whose father claimed to be Louis XVII, heir to the French throne.
- In the book, A Guide to Public Art in Greater Boston, Marty Carlock says Rimmer's interest in anatomy led him to a career in medicine which he practiced for a few years. Rimmer became a full-time sculptor at age forty-five.
- This is the only sculpture carved from stone on the Mall. Since Rimmer was self-taught, he used his own technique to create it. According to Public Art Boston, this technique makes the sculpture "particularly fragile and difficult to maintain."
- The Friends of the Public Garden have taken on the responsibility for restoring and then providing annual maintenance of the artwork in The Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
- To help The Friends pay for this work, you can contribute to the Henry Lee Conservation Fund.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2008-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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February 17, 2017
Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston’s Statue of Alexander Hamilton?
You may have walked by the statue of Alexander Hamilton on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall dozens of times. Did you ever wonder who the three men are in the bas-relief profile on the base?

According to the Smithsonian Museum's database of outdoor sculpture, they are (from right to left) George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Here are a few tidbits you may not know about this statue of Alexander Hamilton.
- This sculpture has been located between Arlington and Berkeley Streets on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall since 1865.
- It's one of the few surviving works by Dr. William Rimmer, whose father claimed to be Louis XVII, heir to the French throne.
- In the book, A Guide to Public Art in Greater Boston, Marty Carlock says Rimmer's interest in anatomy led him to a career in medicine which he practiced for a few years. Rimmer became a full-time sculptor at age forty-five.
- This is the only sculpture carved from stone on the Mall. Since Rimmer was self-taught, he used his own technique to create it. According to Public Art Boston, this technique makes the sculpture "particularly fragile and difficult to maintain."
- The Friends of the Public Garden have taken on the responsibility for restoring and then providing annual maintenance of the artwork in The Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
- To help The Friends pay for this work, you can contribute to the Henry Lee Conservation Fund.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2008-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Does a Sculptor Think About Snow?

Angel in the Snow, Little Did I Know …
February 17, 2017
Morning 5K with Hill Work on Boston Common’s Historic Beacon Mall- Then and Now!

I've been trying for an early morning 5K (3.1 miles) walk these days. My path is a loop that runs along Commonwealth Avenue from Massachusetts Avenue to the top of the Common (across from the State House) and back. You could jump in anywhere along this path and loop around to where you began to walk or run a 5K.

As you can see, a lot of people use the hill, officially called the Beacon Mall, for early morning exercise and as a walking commuter route. Thankfully this path had been clear and salted since the weekend storm.

Looks like back in the day [ca. 1873–1877], Bostonians would "take the air" and perhaps their "daily constitutional" along this path. (Lithograph from The Boston Public Library Collection)

Here's an 1865 photo from the top looking down from the Boston Public Library Collection.

Here is what it looked like as walkers and runners enjoyed the balmy day on Wednesday.

Look how lush and shady the Beacon Mall was in 1892! (Photo from the Boston Public Library Collection)

You can map any loop you like on Google maps. Just set the walking option and watch the mileage add up to something around 3.1 miles. My loop looks something like this.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

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January 13, 2017
What’s Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018 in Boston Plus Trash, Parking & MBTA Links & More
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston, plus Boston trash collection, parking, and MBTA schedules for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15, 2018. We are updating these resource pages rather than creating a new one each year.

Updated January 3, 2018

Free at Last sculpture, by Sergio Castillo is located on Marsh Plaza, Boston University (Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )
- Restaurants, Bars: Open
- Convenience Stores: Open
- Supermarkets: Open
- Retail Stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners choose
- Liquor Stores: Open
- City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
- Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the Stock Markets in the United States closed. International markets are open.
- Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
- Boston Public Libraries closed.
- BCYF Community Centers are closed.
Free Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

If you're looking for something to do on this holiday, the MFA has a full schedule of special events and invites the community to visit for free that day.

Boston Trash and Recycling:

The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.

Street Cleaning:

The city says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."

Parking:

"Monday, January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect."

You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.

MBTA Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15, 2018:

The MBTA no longer publishes holiday schedule in an easy to use format. You must now go to their website and click around to find the information.

For more information about MBTA services, routes, schedules, and fares, please call the T’s Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, (TTY 617-222-5146) or go to www.mbta.com

Keeping warm is on the top of everyone's agenda. Amazon has excellent underlayers to keep you toasty.

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: (Photo by Peter H. Dreyer from the Boston City Archives )used under creative commons license Some rights reserved

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