Monday, November 13, 2023

Greenhouse Display: Chrysanthemum Show - Smith College, Northampton, MA

2023 Fall Chrysanthemum Show
Lyman Conservatory
Smith College
Northampton, MA


The Fall Chrysanthemum Show at Smith College was scheduled from November 4 to 19 between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm (donations are requested but not required).  This show features the writings of 1955 graduate and Pulitzer Prize winning author Sylvia Plath. She wrote newspaper articles, poetry, and a novel about items in the Lyman Conservatory collection.  




Many Chrysanthemum hybrids were created and displayed by Smith College students.  You may vote for your favorite hybrid.






Sylvia Plath wrote her only novel under the pen name Victoria Lucas because she thought her family might be  hurt by her writing.


The Lyman Conservatory

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Citizen Memorial: Benjamin Franklin Wade - Feeding Hills, MA

Benjamin Franklin Wade
Feeding Hills, MA


N 42° 04.510 W 072° 39.151


Short Description: 

A monument honoring the man who was one vote away from becoming President of the United States, Benjamin Franklin Wade, is tuck away in Wade Park, a small neighborhood park on Franklin Street, in Feeding Hills, MA.



Long Description:

A small, neglected plaque reveals an unusual bit of history about the man who was one vote away from becoming President of the United States. The plaque is inscribed:

IN HONOR OF
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WADE
BORN OCTOBER 27, 1800
IN FEEDING HILLS
PRESIDENT PRO TEMP
UNITED STATES SENATE
DIED MARCH 2, 1878
IN JEFFERSON, OHIO

Benjamin Franklin Wade was born in Feeding Hills, MA, moved to Jefferson, Ohio, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1828. He became the senator from Ohio in 1851 and rose to become the President Pro Tempore of the senate as a Radical Republican.  After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln,  Vice President Andrew Johnson became President. That meant that Benjamin Franklin Wade was next in line to become President, since there was no Vice President. . 

When  President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868,  a trial was held in the senate. If Johnson was convicted Wade would then become President. Even though most senators thought Johnson was guilty, the vote to convict Johnson failed by one vote. Many senators considered Wade as being too radical. 

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Fictional Figures: Daphnis and Chloe - Williamstown, MA

Daphnis and Chloe
Clark Art Institute
Williamstown, MA


N 42° 42.483 W 073° 12.901




Short Description: 

Daphnis and Chloe are the protagonist of an ancient Greek novel written in the second-century AD by Greek novelist Longus. The sculpture is on permanent display at the Clark Art Institute at 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA.

Long Description:

Daphnis and Chloe is a 55" by 29" by 22" marble sculpture created in 1874 by French artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. The assertion in the novel by the Greek writer Longus is: “no one has ever escaped love, nor ever shall, so long as beauty exists and eyes can see.”

Both Daphnis and Chloe were abandoned and left to die by their parents at birth. They were separately rescued and raised by shepherds. Being naive, they fall in love but do not understand what is happening to them. The shepherds are of no help. After a series of misadventures they find their birth parents and marry, happily.



A sign near the sculpture is inscribed:

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
French, 1827-1875

Daphnis and Chloe
1874
Marble

Daphnis caresses Chloe’s neck, tenderly leaning 
toward her as if to whisper in her ear or brush her 
cheek with his lips. Carpeaux became famous, even 
notorious, for his dynamic sculptural compositions, 
which some of his contemporaries considered 
indecent. This marble group was inspired by Longus’s 
Daphnis and Chloe, an ancient Greek narrative that
asserts: “no one has ever escaped love, nor ever shall, 
so long as beauty exists and eyes can see.”

Acquired by the Clark 2013
2013.5

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Fresh Paint Mural: GeoUtopia - Springfield, MA

GeoUtopia
Springfield, MA


N 42° 06.267 W 072° 35.490



Short Description: 

"GeoUtopia" is a large mural located on Worthington Street behind the currently unoccupied building at 8-12 Stearn Square in the dining district Springfield, MA.



Long Description:

Fresh Paint Springfield took place in early June 2019. The City of Springfield commissioned nine artists to paint murals at various locations around the downtown area.

"GeoUtopia" is a 50' long by 25' high abstract mural painted by Easthampton artist Kim Carlino. The artist describes herself as an "... interventionist, mining the space between painting and drawing. I explore the evolutionary nature of mark making and relationships between color, geometry, line and form."

The focus of this abstract mural are central, yellow, oval forms against a red and black background. The form is criss-crossed by a series of black line segments, white circular arcs, and light blue and gravy wavy curves. She includes a black spiral design, which is seen in many of her works, throughout the yellow form.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Fresh Paint Springfield Mural: Beast in the Paint - Springfield, MA

Beast in the Paint
Springfield, MA


N 42° 06.172 W 072° 35.631



Quick Description: 

"Beast in the Paint" is a massive mural located at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, MA.



Long Description:

Fresh Paint Springfield took place in early June 2019. The City of Springfield commissioned nine artists to paint murals at various locations around the downtown area.

"Beast in the Paint" is a basketball themed mural was created by the legendary, British-American, Bronx resident, graffiti artist who calls himself Wane One. Springfield is the Birthplace of Basketball and the home to the basketball Hall of Fame. Located on the six story East Columbus Avenue Parking Garage, the mural wraps around the northwest corner of the building for 185', covers most of the brickwork at the first two stories of the garage and rises to the top of the six story stairwell.



The title has a double meaning. The beast is the huge parking garage which he painted. The paint is a basketball term for the area in and around the basket. The beast in the paint is then a proficient player in this area. The stairwell is painted with a series of basketballs, of various sizes, against a blue background which rise to the top of the building. Here you will find the name of the mural and his characteristic signature. The rest of the mural is painted with a muticolor array of geometric shapes.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Roadside Attraction: Grave of the Smiley Face Inventor - Worcester, MA

Grave of the Inventor
 of the 
Smiley Face 
Harvey Ross Ball
Worcester, MA


N 42° 14.079 W 071° 50.242



Quick Description: 

The inventor of the ubiquitous smiley face, Harvey Ross Ball, is located in the western edge of the St. Rita section of Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, MA.

Long Description:

When the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, MA found it necessary to raise worker morale they hired freelance artist Harvey Ross Ball to design a happy image for posters, buttons, and signs. The result was the smiley face. Note: the original smiley face has oval eyes, the left eye is slightly larger, and the smile is asymmetrical.



Harvey Ball took ten minutes to create the image, was paid $45, and never applied for a trademark or copyright for his design. Thus, it entered the public domain and became free for anyone to use. The smiley face then became a world wide icon.


His grave marker contains the original image of the smiley face on both the front and the back.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Human Migration Monument: British Home Children Memorial - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

British Home Children Memorial
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada


N 44° 38.299 W 063° 33.956



Short Description: 

A memorial to the British Home Children who were sent to Canada is located along Marginal Way opposite Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Long Description:

From the late 1869 to 1948, over 100,000 children emigrated from the United Kingdom to Canada. They were sent as indentured farm workers and domestics. Canadians assumed they were orphans, but most came from families that had fallen on hard times. Since there was no social safety net, over 50 charities participated in this program.



The memorial to the British Home Children is 6' high rectangular granite stele inscribed in both English on the front and French on the back. It contains, on top, a coat of arms with the inscription HOME CHILDREN CANADA and the motto SPES IN CANADA (HOPE IN CANADA). Below is the flag of the United Kingdom. The memorial is inscribed:

BRITISH 
HOME CHILDREN

IN MEMORY OF
THE MORE THAN
100,000 CHILDREN
SENT TO CANADA
FROM GREAT BRITAIN
BETWEEN 1869
TO THE MID 1940's
TO WORK AS
FARM LABOURERS AND
DOMESTIC SERVANTS


PETITS
IMMIGRES
BRITANNIQUES

EN MÉMOIRE DES PLUS 
DE 100 000 ENFANTS
DE LA GRANDE-BRETAGNE
ENVOYÉS AU CANADA A
PARTIR DE 1869 JUSQU'AU
MILIEU DES ANNÉES
1940 POUR TRAVAILLER 
COMME OUVRIERS AGRICOLES
OU TRAVAILLEURS
DOMESTIQUES