bostonzest

Tag: Commonwealth Avenue Mall

  • Misty Morning Along the Mall: Photo Tales & Quotes

    The statues and people faded into the mist along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall this morning.

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    "I like the muted sounds, the shroud of grey, and the silence that comes with fog."
    Om Malik

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2021 Penny Cherubino  

  • Grab a Tree for Social Distancing! Photo Tales & Quotes

    With warmer weather coming, social distancing in parks and on walks is going to become harder. My suggestion is to grab a tree.

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    The other day I met two neighbors, from different households, along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. It was obvious we were all trying to set a comfortable social distance so we could talk. I suggested we all pick a tree as our place to stay while we chatted. Along the Mall, on sidewalks, and in many other parks in the city, trees are well spaced for safe social distancing. 

    This morning Sarah (the lovely human who slid her scarf down so we could see her smile) and Harriet (the lovely dog who is always smiling) grabbed a tree while we talked and they agreed to be my models for this post. Sarah suggested that when it is not as wet as today, you can even lean on the tree!

    My favorite quote for today is from a truly great man, Warren Buffet.

    "Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    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: © 2020 Penny Cherubino  

  • Grab a Tree for Social Distancing! Photo Tales & Quotes

    With warmer weather coming, social distancing in parks and on walks is going to become harder. My suggestion is to grab a tree.

    IMG_9364

    The other day I met two neighbors, from different households, along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. It was obvious we were all trying to set a comfortable social distance so we could talk. I suggested we all pick a tree as our place to stay while we chatted. Along the Mall, on sidewalks, and in many other parks in the city, trees are well spaced for safe social distancing. 

    This morning Sarah (the lovely human who slid her scarf down so we could see her smile) and Harriet (the lovely dog who is always smiling) grabbed a tree while we talked and they agreed to be my models for this post. Sarah suggested that when it is not as wet as today, you can even lean on the tree!

    My favorite quote for today is from a truly great man, Warren Buffet.

    "Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    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: © 2020 Penny Cherubino  

  • An Autumn Dreamer….

    “Dream dreams and write them aye, but live them first.”
    — Samuel Eliot Morison

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    The statue of Samuel Eliot Morison always looks its best when autumn colors provide a contrasting background. More about the statue at this link from Waymarking. 

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    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: © 2018 Penny Cherubino  

  • Keep Watch on Our Public Art – John Glover Sword Repair

    Last week Penny noticed John Glover's sword moving in the wind. 

    IMG_2388.CR2

    Using a camera to take a closer look, we could see that the sword was slipping from its hilt. We sent the photo to the person at the Friends of the Public Garden who could check it and arrange a repair if needed. (Here is the contact page.)

    Of course, this contact only works for the three parks where the sculpture is in the care of this organization. For artwork in other parts of the city, you should report your concerns to Boston 311.

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    Thanks to the many people who have donated to the Henry Lee Conservation Fund through the Friends. The public art on the Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall have a very dedicated Collections Manager in Sara Hutt. 

    She had the conservators from Daedalus, Inc. out working on a repair quickly. Here they were assessing the damage, photographing it, and checking in with other members of the team to decide how to approach the restoration.

    IMG_2414.CR2

    And, here is the restored sword in its proper position.

    Related Post:

    Celebrate Patriot John Glover on His Birthday

     

    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 & Ed Cherubino  

    Related articles
    Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston's Statue of Alexander Hamilton? – BostonZest
    Boston Common Off-Leash Area on the Move! – BostonZest
    A Weekend for Reflection – BostonZest

  • Keep Watch on Our Public Art – John Glover Sword Repair

    Last week Penny noticed John Glover's sword moving in the wind. 

    IMG_2388.CR2

    Using a camera to take a closer look, we could see that the sword was slipping from its hilt. We sent the photo to the person at the Friends of the Public Garden who could check it and arrange a repair if needed. (Here is the contact page.)

    Of course, this contact only works for the three parks where the sculpture is in the care of this organization. For artwork in other parts of the city, you should report your concerns to Boston 311.

    IMG_2409.CR2

    Thanks to the many people who have donated to the Henry Lee Conservation Fund through the Friends. The public art on the Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall have a very dedicated Collections Manager in Sara Hutt. 

    She had the conservators from Daedalus, Inc. out working on a repair quickly. Here they were assessing the damage, photographing it, and checking in with other members of the team to decide how to approach the restoration.

    IMG_2414.CR2

    And, here is the restored sword in its proper position.

    Related Post:

    Celebrate Patriot John Glover on His Birthday

     

    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 & Ed Cherubino  

    Related articles
    Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston's Statue of Alexander Hamilton? – BostonZest
    Boston Common Off-Leash Area on the Move! – BostonZest
    A Weekend for Reflection – BostonZest

  • Sunday Horse, Winston! Your Support Is Needed to Keep Our Mounted Patrol

    It was such a pleasure to see Winston and his mounted Park Ranger adding a highly visible degree of protection to our parks.

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    Watching this pair interact with park visitors proved what great ambassadors the mounted patrol and their most attractive horses are for our parks. Each year The Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit have to raise enough money to keep this program going.

    If you want to see this program continue, visit their webpage and make a donation. Stay informed about their activities by following their facebook page. 

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    Our Greyhound pal Marley really enjoyed her first encounter with one of these very much larger-than-her critters.

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    Judging by Marley's reaction, we suspect she has a big crush on Winston. She watched him intently until he disappeared from her view.

     

    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 & Ed Cherubino  

    Related articles
    Messing About in Boats, 1939 Style

  • Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston’s Statue of Alexander Hamilton?

    IMG_2002 copy

    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.

    IMG_6684 - Version 2

    • 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.

    CHE_7131 - Version 22015-04-26Alexander Hamilton-spring-bbs-cover-short-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    • 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 …

  • Who Are the Men Depicted in These Profiles on Boston’s Statue of Alexander Hamilton?

    IMG_2002 copy

    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.

    IMG_6684 - Version 2

    • 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.

    CHE_7131 - Version 22015-04-26Alexander Hamilton-spring-bbs-cover-short-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    • 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 …

  • Save These “Shadow Hearings Dates,” Boston’s Historic Parks Need Your Voice

    There are two hearings scheduled in the busy weeks ahead on the City's attempt to allow a developer to construct buildings that will cast additional shadows on the Boston Common, the Boston Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

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    Plan to speak up for our precious, historic parks at one of the two scheduled meetings.

    6:30 PM ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 5TH:
     Suffolk Law School, Moot Court Room, 4th Floor, 120 Tremont Street (map)
     
    6:30 PM ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 19TH
    290 Congress Street (near South Station) in the Fort Point Room (map)
     
     
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    The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay has taken a strong stand on this issue, saying: "It is critical that citizens attend these meetings and voice their concerns about the project and the importance of protecting our open spaces. Even if you can't attend the meeting, please express your concerns in writing (by letter or email) so that they are received by the BPDA (formerly the BRA) by January 2nd, the new deadline the BPDA has established for public comments. Your comments should stress the importance of protecting the parks by retaining the existing shadow laws, and should be sent to:
     
    Christopher Tracy, Senior Project Manager
    Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
    One City Hall Square
    Boston, MA 02201
    christopher.tracy@boston.gov"
     
     
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    Here at BostonZest, we'll continue to show you photos of sunlight in the parks to remind you of what's at stake.
     
     
    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: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino