Tag: Boston Public Library collection

  • Time for the Public Garden Tropicals to Travel to Their Winter Quarters

    After last weekend's tropical rain and the first warning of frost in our area, gardeners began moving the Public Garden tropical plants to their greenhouse winter quarters in Franklin Park. 

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    Standing guard over the plants is gardener Josh Altidor. You can read more about him and his love for his job in this Boston Globe article. He told the Globe, “I want the design to be eye-catching.” He certainly caught our eyes this year. (And, from the number of photos in our files of his flower bed designs, he caught our camera lenses too!)

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    Bed-by-bed the plants were lifted and set in neat rows on the back of Parks Department trucks for the ride across town. 

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    Once upon a time, the Victorian tropical plants would have been walked to the greenhouse that was once located on the Beacon Street side of the Public Garden. The 1862 Public Garden photo above is from the Boston Public Library's collection.

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    Here's a photo (circa 1924) of the palm greenhouse at Franklin Park also from the Boston Public Library's collection.

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    Be ready for a change of scene on your next visit to Boston's gem of a park. It's time for the fall foliage and mums to take over the spotlight. And, before you know it the caretakers will tuck in the flower beds for winter.

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    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino with historic photos courtesy of the Boston Public Library as credited above. 

  • Historical Photos of Boston Blacksmiths

    Our interest in the topic of Boston blacksmiths came from a conversation about the term "smithing." One thing led to another and soon Penny was on the trail of historical photos of Boston blacksmiths. 

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    This group of shops were on Rutherford Avenue. (Photo: "Creation date: Since 1925?" from the Boston Public Library Collection.) 

    Clearly, there was a collection of places that served horses in that section of town. It seems that like stables, blacksmiths with their fiery forges tended to be clumped in areas away from residences. 

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    As you can see from this location in the 1922 G.W. Bromley & Co. fire insurance atlas of Charlestown, the crossed out properties were insurance risks.

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    This photo of Lally Bros., Blacksmiths & Wheelwrights came from the Boston Wharf Company Collection. (Photo: circa 1898-1907 from the Boston Public Library Collection.) This firm announced their specialty in wheels and the wagon in the photo speaks to that.

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    Here's the Croce Blacksmith shop on Atlantic Avenue. (Photo: 1962 from the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

    Blacksmith shops in different areas may have found themselves specializing in different tasks. Welding was on the sign here but with their waterfront location, this shop may have also specialized in the needs of boats and ships in the harbor.

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    You may very well pass the still existing work of some 19th Century smithies when you walk through Boston's historic districts. In Ornamental Ironwork, authors Susan and Michael Southworth say that of the ironworking techniques, "… blacksmithery is by far the most common technique used in architectural wrought ironwork."

    Back to where this all started. The term smith as in Blacksmith, goldsmith, silversmith and so on has an interesting origin. 

    Wikipedia says, "The name refers to a smith, originally deriving from smið or smiþ, the Old English term meaning one who works in metal related to the word smitan, the Old English form of smite, which also meant strike (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). The Old English word smiþ comes from the Proto-Germanic word smiþaz. Smithy comes from the Old English word smiðē from the Proto-Germanic smiðjon. The use of Smith as an occupational surname dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham, North East England, was recorded in 975."

    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: Ironwork photo © 2011 Penny Cherubino. Historic photos are from and are linked to the Boston Public Library collection.

     

  • Historical Photos of Boston Blacksmiths

    Our interest in the topic of Boston blacksmiths came from a conversation about the term "smithing." One thing led to another and soon Penny was on the trail of historical photos of Boston blacksmiths. 

    4016593247_fbfc917a29_z

    This group of shops were on Rutherford Avenue. (Photo: "Creation date: Since 1925?" from the Boston Public Library Collection.) 

    Clearly, there was a collection of places that served horses in that section of town. It seems that like stables, blacksmiths with their fiery forges tended to be clumped in areas away from residences. 

    Sm rutherford map

    As you can see from this location in the 1922 G.W. Bromley & Co. fire insurance atlas of Charlestown, the crossed out properties were insurance risks.

    5078818939_1e72673a35_z

    This photo of Lally Bros., Blacksmiths & Wheelwrights came from the Boston Wharf Company Collection. (Photo: circa 1898-1907 from the Boston Public Library Collection.) This firm announced their specialty in wheels and the wagon in the photo speaks to that.

    8579442665_1def6283b5_z

    Here's the Croce Blacksmith shop on Atlantic Avenue. (Photo: 1962 from the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.)

    Blacksmith shops in different areas may have found themselves specializing in different tasks. Welding was on the sign here but with their waterfront location, this shop may have also specialized in the needs of boats and ships in the harbor.

    PMC_0015 - Version 22012-04-04atd-bht-21 West Cedar-© 2011 Penny Cherubino copy

    You may very well pass the still existing work of some 19th Century smithies when you walk through Boston's historic districts. In Ornamental Ironwork, authors Susan and Michael Southworth say that of the ironworking techniques, "… blacksmithery is by far the most common technique used in architectural wrought ironwork."

    Back to where this all started. The term smith as in Blacksmith, goldsmith, silversmith and so on has an interesting origin. 

    Wikipedia says, "The name refers to a smith, originally deriving from smið or smiþ, the Old English term meaning one who works in metal related to the word smitan, the Old English form of smite, which also meant strike (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). The Old English word smiþ comes from the Proto-Germanic word smiþaz. Smithy comes from the Old English word smiðē from the Proto-Germanic smiðjon. The use of Smith as an occupational surname dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham, North East England, was recorded in 975."

    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: Ironwork photo © 2011 Penny Cherubino. Historic photos are from and are linked to the Boston Public Library collection.