Tag: BPL

Concerts in the Courtyard at the Boston Public Library for 2016
Once again the Boston Public Library comes through with free entertainment for those of us who take advantage of the endless ways this Boston resource serves the public. The Concert in the Courtyard series for 2016 began this week and will continue through August 31st.

Here's what the folks at the BPL have told us about this season.

"Boston Public Library’s free Concerts in the Courtyard series returns June 1 and runs through August 31, featuring a variety of artists and musical genres in the library’s iconic courtyard at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. Concerts are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. All the concerts are free and last approximately one hour. Wednesday concerts are presented in partnership with Berklee College of Music."

June Schedule:
- Rodolfo Arteaga, Wednesday, June 1 ● 6 p.m. Rodolfo Arteaga is a singer-songwriter and cellist from Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela.
- Cocek! Brass Band, Friday, June 3 ● 12:30 p.m. Cocek! Brass Band’s original music is based on the sounds of Eastern European brass bands and blends dance music with improvisation and inspiring melodies.
- Samuel Batista, Wednesday, June 8 ● 6 p.m. Samuel Batista is an alto saxophone player from Panama City, Panama.
- Moody Street Sound, Friday, June 10 ● 12:30 p.m. Hailing from Lowell, Massachusetts, Moody Street Sound is a sextet specializing in jazz, soul, and the blues.
- Harshitha Krishnan, Wednesday, June 15 ● 6 p.m. Harshitha Krishnan is a vocalist of Indian origin from Lagos, Nigeria.
- Duo Esplanade, Friday, June 17 ● 12:30 p.m. Duo Esplanade explores the flexible sounds of flute and clarinet, both as solo instruments and as part of different instrumental combinations in the various styles of standard classical repertoire, new music, and original arrangements.
- Eduardo Mercuri, Wednesday, June 22 ● 6 p.m. Born in Curitiba, Brazil, guitar player Eduardo Mercuri has performed at the Panama Jazz Festival, Beantown Jazz Festival, and the 2013 Latin Grammys.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, June 24 ● 12:30 p.m. Properly Unprepared is a jazz combo made up of five members with an average age of 18.
- Kristin Corpuz, Wednesday, June 29 ● 6 p.m. Kristin Corpuz is a singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer from Tampa, Florida, who currently attends Berklee College of Music as a 2013 Presidential Scholar.
July Schedule
- Phil Berman, Friday, July 1 ● 12:30 p.m.
- luhx., Wednesday, July 6 ● 6 p.m.
- Castle of our Skins, Friday, July 8 ● 12:30 p.m.
- MIXCLA, Wednesday, July 13 ● 6 p.m.
- Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble, Friday, July 15 ● 12:30 p.m.
- Dear June, Wednesday, July 20 ● 6 p.m.
- Isabel Stover and Molly Flannery, Friday, July 22 ● 12:30 p.m.
- Shirhan Agabeyli, Wednesday, July 27 ● 6 p.m.
- Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras’ Intensive Community Program, Friday, July 29 ● 12:30 p.m.
August Schedule
- Kyle Thornton & The Company, Wednesday, August 3 ● 6 p.m.
- Kenn Morr Band, Friday, August 5 ● 12:30 p.m.
- Njoki Karu, Wednesday, August 10 ● 6 p.m.
- Hiroya Tsukamoto, Friday, August 12 ● 12:30 p.m.
- James Fernando, Wednesday, August 17 ● 6 p.m.
- Yi David Yang, Friday, August 19 ● 12:30 p.m.
- Honeysuckle, Wednesday, August 24 ● 6 p.m.
- Boston Lyric Opera, Friday, August 26 ● 12:30 p.m.
- Aliya Cycon Project, Wednesday, August 31 ● 6 p.m.
Concerts in the Courtyard are generously supported by the Library Programs Fund at the Boston Public Library Foundation. Concerts will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2008-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 3, 2016
Planting Bulbs in the Public Garden: Then and Now

With our minds thirsting for color, we watch for the first leaves of what will soon be a display of tulips to poke through the ground. But we give little thought to the people who worked in the fall to plant those bulbs. In the Boston Public Garden that tradition of planting in the fall to give us beauty in the spring has gone on for years.

Here from photographer Leslie Jones is his picture titled, Public Garden Signs of Spring. (Date created: 1917 – 1934 approximate) (Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

Notice the skyline with just the Custom House Tower showing on George Washington's right.

For the now version, here's a photo Penny took in November of 2012 for a newspaper assignment. Her caption was, "Bob Denn and Danny Mullins from the Boston Parks Department plant the bulbs that will burst into colorful beds next spring near the Public Garden’s Arlington Street entrance."

Of course city workers aren't the only ones who toil to bring us beauty. Here's another shot that was featured on the front page of the Back Bay Sun with the caption, "As temperatures dipped, gardener Susan Juretschke (right) and Violet Byrd spent their days planting bulbs in Back Bay gardens. A few months from now, their work will deliver the first sign of spring as snowdrops, crocus, tulips, daffodils, and more push their way through the earth and snow."

As the sprouts shoot up and the flowers pop, we say thanks to all those who labor to plant bulbs in the fall for us to enjoy in the spring.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Before the Boy and Bird, There Was the Mother and Child: Boston Public Garden History

Over the years, some of the statues that were once in the Boston Public Garden have been replaced. One with an interesting story was the Mother and Child by sculptor, Isidore Konti.

Here is a photo of "Mother and Child" taken by Leslie Jones in 1919. (Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

Another view from this wonderful collection that documents so much of Boston's history.

I was curious about what happened to this statue and why it was eventually replaced by the Boy and the Bird.

From the archives of the Boston Globe, I learned that, “The statue was first placed there by the Art Commission in 1912 as one of a number of ‘fountain statues’ exhibited on the Public Garden that summer.” The Park Commission decided that this marble fountain was too fragile to maintain in an outdoor setting.

Groups of citizens including the Metropolitan Improvement League and the Boston City Club had tried to raise the $2500 needed to keep the statue but failed. On May 13th, 1916, it was shipped back to Buffalo, NY to the sculptor.

Today, if you visit that spot, you'll see the Boy and Bird Fountain by Bashka Paeff.

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: Leslie Jones as noted in captions and © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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April 14, 2016
Before the Boy and Bird, There Was the Mother and Child: Boston Public Garden History

Over the years, some of the statues that were once in the Boston Public Garden have been replaced. One with an interesting story was the Mother and Child by sculptor, Isidore Konti.

Here is a photo of "Mother and Child" taken by Leslie Jones in 1919. (Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

Another view from this wonderful collection that documents so much of Boston's history.

I was curious about what happened to this statue and why it was eventually replaced by the Boy and the Bird.

From the archives of the Boston Globe, I learned that, “The statue was first placed there by the Art Commission in 1912 as one of a number of ‘fountain statues’ exhibited on the Public Garden that summer.” The Park Commission decided that this marble fountain was too fragile to maintain in an outdoor setting.

Groups of citizens including the Metropolitan Improvement League and the Boston City Club had tried to raise the $2500 needed to keep the statue but failed. On May 13th, 1916, it was shipped back to Buffalo, NY to the sculptor.

Today, if you visit that spot, you'll see the Boy and Bird Fountain by Bashka Paeff.

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: Leslie Jones as noted in captions and © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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Growing Fond of the Boston Public Garden Fence

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April 14, 2016
Interesting Tidbits About the Boston Common Frog Pond

Another day, another Twitter question to answer. This one came from Adam Gaffin over at Universal Hub. He asked if the proper name for the pond on the Boston Common was "Frog Pond" or "The Frog Pond." I went to the city's web page on the facility that uses "Boston Common Frog Pond," and to the group that manages it which refers to "The Boston Common Frog Pond."

Then I wondered about what term was used historically to name this spot. As you can see, this postcard (circa 1901-1907) from the Boston Public Library's print collection says, Frog Pond.

Leslie Jones titled this photo (circa 1918 – 1920) Frog Pond Boston Common. (Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

This 1900 postcard from the New York Public Library's Collection uses The Frog Pond, Boston Common.

Interesting Tidbits

Next I turned to books on the topic to see what those editors decided was the correct term. And it was here I began to find interesting bits of history and lore about the Frog Pond. Some are repeated in a few sources and others can't be verified.

In his 1903 "Boston A Guide Book," Edwin M. Bacon writes, “Near by lies the historic “Frog Pond,” so called, as the town wits have it, because it was never known to harbor a frog. The real frog pond was the Horse or Cow Pond, a shallow pool where the cows slaked their thirst or cooled their legs, which lay in the lowlands about the present band stand. The present pond is the survivor of three marshy bogs originally within the Common. It was the scene of the formal introduction of the public water system in 1848, for which celebration James Russell Lowell wrote his Ode on Water.”

We do know that in early days, the Boston Common was used to pasture animals and many sources describe three ponds and four hills on the site. Reports vary as to the source of the Frog Pond's water source. Some say it was spring fed, while others say it was just a muddy puddle at the bottom of Flagstaff Hill where the Soldiers & Sailors Monument now stands.

Postcard from the Boston Public Library Print Department collection.

There are tales of women lighting fires under the great elm that once stood near the Frog Pond to do their laundry on the site. And forbidding smoking by the Frog Pond seems to have a long history. One book notes that in the mid-1800s people could smoke on the Common, only on weekdays and only near the Frog Pond. A later book cites that a law was passed forbidding smoking on the streets or on the Common. And, of course, today smoking is prohibited in all parks in Boston.

In an upcoming post, we'll tell you a bit more about the arrival of municipal water in Boston and the celebrations that took place at the Frog Pond.

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino and as noted in historic images.

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January 28, 2016
Happy Holidays from the BostonZest Team

Happy Holidays to all our readers. And, a big thank you to everyone who has added elegant, tasteful decoration to our daily walks around the city.

This time of year, we enjoy seeing the bows and garland on wrought iron fences and railings.

Beautiful doorways wearing wreaths as seasonal accessories.

In honor of the firefighters.

Both private homes and public buildings, like the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, celebrate the season with artistic flair. We hope you'll find the time to take a walk in your neighborhood to enjoy the scene while it's fresh and beautiful.

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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 24, 2015
Happy Holidays from the BostonZest Team

Happy Holidays to all our readers. And, a big thank you to everyone who has added elegant, tasteful decoration to our daily walks around the city.

This time of year, we enjoy seeing the bows and garland on wrought iron fences and railings.

Beautiful doorways wearing wreaths as seasonal accessories.

In honor of the firefighters.

Both private homes and public buildings, like the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, celebrate the season with artistic flair. We hope you'll find the time to take a walk in your neighborhood to enjoy the scene while it's fresh and beautiful.

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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 24, 2015
Boston Public Library’s Digital Magazine Service
These days, I'm spending more time reading magazines because I discovered the Boston Public Library’s digital magazine service.

It's another one of the free services included in your Boston Public Library Card. Once you finish the steps to get started with the service, you can browse the newsstand and read the latest issue and a few of the back issues right on your desktop or laptop.

If you want to read on your mobile device, you can download the appropriate app and have reading material on hand wherever you are.

I love the option to be notified when a new issue of a favorite magazine is available. I'm using that service for the New Yorker and Saveur right now. This week I enjoyed all the cartoons and a few of the articles in the New Yorker.

When they announced this service, the Library said,

"Boston Public Library now provides library cardholders free access to popular magazines via a digital magazine service, making more than 100 popular English and Spanish language magazines instantly available. The online resource Zinio offers the ability to check out and download titles like National Geographic, ESPN the Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Newsweek, and is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and computers. Zinio features complete, full-color magazines with intuitive navigation, keyword article search, and interactive audio and video elements.

“Boston Public Library is pleased to offer this new resource,” said Michael Colford, Director of Library Services. “It is a convenient, free, no-waiting option that appeals to avid magazine readers as well as those who prefer to consume their news and information in digital form.”

Cardholders can reach the service via the “collections” section of the Boston Public Library website. Library users log in with their Boston Public Library card and then create a library collection account and a Zinio.com reader account. In addition, users have the option of downloading a Zinio app."

If you don't have a Boston Public Library Card, get one. You might not know that you qualify for a BPL card.

Here's the official word on who is eligible:

"You are eligible for a library card if you are:
- a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- a Massachusetts property owner
- commute to Massachusetts for work
- residing in Massachusetts while attending school
- a resident of temporary housing in Massachusetts
- Library users from outside Massachusetts may apply for a research card for the purpose of using Research Library materials (in-library use only)."
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: © 2015 Penny Cherubino, Screen shot from the Boston Public Library website.
September 25, 2015
Boston Public Library’s Digital Magazine Service
These days, I'm spending more time reading magazines because I discovered the Boston Public Library’s digital magazine service.

It's another one of the free services included in your Boston Public Library Card. Once you finish the steps to get started with the service, you can browse the newsstand and read the latest issue and a few of the back issues right on your desktop or laptop.

If you want to read on your mobile device, you can download the appropriate app and have reading material on hand wherever you are.

I love the option to be notified when a new issue of a favorite magazine is available. I'm using that service for the New Yorker and Saveur right now. This week I enjoyed all the cartoons and a few of the articles in the New Yorker.

When they announced this service, the Library said,

"Boston Public Library now provides library cardholders free access to popular magazines via a digital magazine service, making more than 100 popular English and Spanish language magazines instantly available. The online resource Zinio offers the ability to check out and download titles like National Geographic, ESPN the Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Newsweek, and is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and computers. Zinio features complete, full-color magazines with intuitive navigation, keyword article search, and interactive audio and video elements.

“Boston Public Library is pleased to offer this new resource,” said Michael Colford, Director of Library Services. “It is a convenient, free, no-waiting option that appeals to avid magazine readers as well as those who prefer to consume their news and information in digital form.”

Cardholders can reach the service via the “collections” section of the Boston Public Library website. Library users log in with their Boston Public Library card and then create a library collection account and a Zinio.com reader account. In addition, users have the option of downloading a Zinio app."

If you don't have a Boston Public Library Card, get one. You might not know that you qualify for a BPL card.

Here's the official word on who is eligible:

"You are eligible for a library card if you are:
- a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- a Massachusetts property owner
- commute to Massachusetts for work
- residing in Massachusetts while attending school
- a resident of temporary housing in Massachusetts
- Library users from outside Massachusetts may apply for a research card for the purpose of using Research Library materials (in-library use only)."
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: © 2015 Penny Cherubino, Screen shot from the Boston Public Library website.
September 25, 2015
Boston Fireworks from Another Time …

Once upon a time, namely 1890, fireworks were sold both wholesale and retail right on Harrison Avenue in Boston.

From the Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Collection. (This photo is titled, "Harrison Avenue Chinese funeral.")

And, in 1932, the July 4th fireworks display took place in front of the Statehouse.

This photo is also from the Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Collection.

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: from the Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Collection.

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