A House
With long time friends absences are not of consequence. You just resume the discussion and camaraderie where you left of. So our two days (three nights) with Alex and Kathy where just an extension of times gone by. Above: Some pictures from past visits to Sarasota and the McKenzies. During our two day we had dinner one night in the dining room of their complex (the Fountains) and were joined by two of their friends Arline and Milt. After dinner Arline, a very talented artist, invited us to her apartment to see her work. Currently she is creating beautiful mosaics and we saw some in process and many other finished pieces. In the past she was a ceramic artist and a quilter and her apartment is filled with gorgeous examples of her work. On our last night in Sarasota we went out to dinner at a terrific Italian restaurant. Harry and Alex were thrilled that Osso Bucco was on the special list. Kathy and I opted for pasta dishes. For daytime entertainment we did a walking and driving tour of buildings designed by architects part of the Sarasota School in the mid 1900’s. The pictures are a mix of Alex's pictures and mine. A House A Church The Sarasota High School A Circus School (this was not part of the Sarasota School of Architecture The Women's Center The Sarasota City Hall And the other day Marsha and Kathy went off to do a bit of clothes shopping.
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Our 5-hour drive from the Georgia coast to the West Coast of Florida was uneventful. Google maps rerouted us around a few road closures that avoided traffic delays and afforded the opportunity to experience some bumpy 2 lane state roads along with the views of Florida horse farm country. Alex and Kathy McKenzie greeted us with hugs and made a lovely dinner, and assured that our wine glasses were refilled in a timely manner. Good wine, good conversation and good friends. Reading me email today, Tim Groves sent me this dispatch from the Boston Globe about our nearest neighbor in Commington. Rachel Maddow enjoyed a weekend of ice fishing near her Western Mass. home
Ice Fishing at the Ashfield Lake House in Western Mass, the greatest place on earth." By Kevin Slane January 28, 2019 Whether you’re an avid cable news watcher or an unwitting fish, you’re liable to get hooked by Rachel Maddow. The MSNBC host took time away from the hustle and bustle of New York City for some ice fishing near her home in West Cummington, Mass. over the weekend. “Ice Fishing at the Ashfield Lake House in Western Mass, the greatest place on earth,” Maddow wrote on Twitter, posting a photo of herself out on the ice with a red folding chair and a Vexilar ice fishing rig. Maddow has sung the praises of ice fishing and Ashfield Lake House before, citing the bar and grill’s Sloppy Joes as perfect ice fishing fuel in a January 2018 tweet. Reminder: If you are receiving this content as email because you subscribed to the feed, the representation presented is not as good as the one presented on the web. So, I recommend you click on the heading for this day -- the link above starting "Day ...". And, once you are looking on the web, don't forget to click on images to see larger versions. This morning the sunlight returned and there was nary a cloud in the sky as we passed over the Sidney Lanier Bridge. We decided to give that Oceanside bicycle path a second chance and headed back over to Jekyll Island. We both had a terrific ride and some quality time sitting in the sun just listening to the waves. In the afternoon we went back to St. Simons. Since the powers that be in Washington have momentarily come to their senses we had decided to see if the National Historic Monument at Fort Frederica was open. It was open and staffed by some “happy to be back at work rangers”. The fort and town were established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia and, in particular, his new settlement at Savannah from the Spanish in Florida. Which nation actually held claim to the Georgia land was debatable and in 1742 the Spanish attacked St. Simons Island and were repelled by a coalition of the British, Scots, and Natives under Oglethorpe’s command at the Battle of Bloody Marsh. This battle was one of the last of the wonderfully named War of Jenkins Ear. A British naval officer named, Jenkins lost his ear when the Spanish boarded his ship in 1739. The war was fought on several continents and the Battle on St. Simons was one of the last. With Marsha's interest in interpreting history for visitors to Lexington, she frequently takes pictures of good ideas she sees at other venues. Here are some: The site was excavated beginning in the 1940’s and today the archeological remains are protected and interpreted by the National Park Service. It is a beautiful site resplendent with Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and Orange Trees. The foundations of the several houses are visible as was as the battlements of the fort. The interpretive signs and artifact cases coupled with the relatively new technology of audio content accessed by QR codes combine to tell the story quite effectively.
The weather this morning was questionable at best but our goal was to both ride our bicycles on the wonderful bike paths at Jekyll Island so we went anyway. It was too windy on the ocean side of the island so we decided to try the leeward side of the island. It was lovely riding along under the live oaks with views of the marshes until the occasional rain drops intensified to the point that it was really raining. I made it back to the car only slightly wet but Harry who was going much faster and therefore further was pretty much soaked. We ate our picnic lunch in the car as we headed over to St. Simons Island to try an indoor activity. Along the way the high bridges that span the Intracoastal Waterway offered a birds eye view of the coastal marshes. We decided on visiting the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum. The first lighthouse on this site was destroyed by Lee’s confederate forces in 1861 to prevent the approaching Federal troops from using the beacon for navigation. There are only five surviving lighthouses in Georgia. Given the wobbliness of my knees after the bike ride and the likelihood that the view would be obscured I decided to pass on climbing the 129 steps to the top. The small museum is in the keeper’s house, which was in active use from 1872 until the 1950s. Marsha was particularly intrigued by the use of iPads in the period rooms to allow the visitors to get additional information about the objects in the rooms.
We finally have gotten the hang of just hanging out. This morning we drove over to St. Simons Island and spent the rest of the day outside and doing as little as possible. We walked on the beach, had fresh flounder taco at a sidewalk café and read and chatted at a waterside park bench. That was basically it – great day!
Having retrieved a folding chair from the car and placed it in the sun I am well situated to enjoy the scene at Clam Pass Park and catch up a bit on writing while Harry prepares our bicycles for our first ride of the trip. When we spent a day on Jekyll two years ago we began our day by taking our take-out coffee to the veranda of the fancy Westin Hotel. This morning we made that a ritual to be savored on subsequent visits. Imagine palm fronds swaying in the breeze, wooden walkways sloping down into the sand, and the sun dappled water beyond. Jekyll Island (and Jekyll Island) was one of the Georgia Sea islands where slaves labored on rice and cotton plantations in the stifling heat. When that era passed the Jekyll Island Club became one of those place where rich and famous men came to hobnob and do a bit of hunting. Although the Jekyll Island club still exists as a fancy hotel most of the Island is now a state park. There are wonderful walking and bicycle paths along the water and boardwalks through the marshes. When checking out “things to do” on Jekyll Island this morning I read about a walking trail commemorating a slave ship named the Wanderer that landed here in 1858. Since the importation of slaves had been outlawed in 1808 this was an illegal activity and the perpetrators were later convicted of the crime. In the interim their human cargo was sold and dispersed. The interpretive signs that were along a path through the live oak trees were excellent and it was great just to be outside and walking around near the water. Here are the full shots of a set of 6 signs that told the story of the Wanderer. After that, there are separate sequences showing details of signs that had images as part of the display. First sign with details: Second sign with details: Third sign with details: Forth sign with details: Along the path to an observation tower, there was another sequence of signs: Finally there was a sequence of signs about the food grown on plantations on which slaves from the Wayfarer did the work. At the end of the history of the Wanderer walk, there was a nice viewing tower which overlooked the water. Harry just managed to get his bicycle operational and will be headed out on his maiden ride of the trip. There were technical difficulties with my bike so I will just have to sit here in the sun a bit longer. Such is life. When Harry returned we drove to a nearby beach and I took a walk on the beach while he became one with an Adirondack chair in the sun.
The rain cleared early in our drive from Asheville as we headed toward the Georgia Sea Islands. The temperature also steadily increased to the high 50’s. We will be spending the next several days here exploring a few of the islands.
Day 11 -- Wednesday, January 23, 2019: Asheville Biltmore Village; Grove Park Inn; Folk Art Center1/23/2019 Reminder: If you are receiving this content as email because you subscribed to the feed, the representation presented is not as good as the one presented on the web. So, I recommend you click on the heading for this day -- the link above starting "Day ...". And, once you are looking on the web, don't forget to click on images to see larger versions. It was raining lightly this morning and the view of the surrounding mountains was obscured. After consulting with Rosemary and Ed last night we chose three different destinations for today’s adventures. First up was All Souls Cathedral in Biltmore Village. George Vanderbilt and his architect Richard Morris Hunt constructed a mock English Village just outside the gates to Biltmore to house the workers. The pseudo timber houses, workshops, estate offices and the train depot are now shops and restaurants but you can imagine what it would have been like at the time. Even McDonalds is housed in an old-style building. The centerpiece of the village is the Hunt designed the All Soul’s Cathedral consecrated in 1896. Although he designed 6 churches in his lifetime the other five either burned or were demolished so All Soul’s is the only Hunt church still standing. The architectural style is Romanesque Revival. The needlework covers on the kneeling cushions particularly enchanted us. Done by parishioners as memorials to the departed or in whatever designed inspired the makers.
Next up was the Grove Park Inn on Sunset Mountain. The exterior of the building is faced with rough granite stones and the main lobby has two enormous granite fireplaces. Edwin Wiley Grove was the maker of Grove’s Chill Tonic, a syrup elixir containing quinine, which was very successful he sold millions of bottles and became rich. When he became afflicted with a severe case of the hiccups his Drs. suggested that the climate in the Blue Ridge Mountains might be beneficial to his health. Once in Asheville he realized that North Carolina would be a wonderful place for a resort. Grove commissioned the East Aurora, New York based Arts and Crafts designers and manufacturers Roycroft to produce the furniture, metal work, and lighting fixtures.. Today it still houses the world’s largest collection of Roycroft furniture. We wandered through the lobby areas and corridors searching out and photographing the original pieces even riding in one original attendant operated Otis elevators. On the 3rd to 6th floors of the hotel is the Palm Court, an open atrium decorated with a variety of Roycroft Arts and Crafts furniture and motifs. Our final destination of the day was the Folk Art Center near the beginning (or end depending of which end you are at) of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The building houses a gift shop operated by the Southern Highland Craft Guild that is more like a museum since the prices for these exquisitely crafted pieces are not for mere mortals. There is also an actual gallery space on the second floor that presents actual exhibits. In both cases it is fun to see the variety and quality of work produce by today’s artisans. Refreshed by our late afternoon nap we drove into the city center to meet Margaret for dinner at Cúrate. Cúrate means, “cure yourself” in Spanish and these tapas can help you do just that. Since it was restaurant week in Asheville we decided to avail ourselves of the prix fix `five-course dinner and ordered a bottle of Tempranillo to help wash it all down. The conversation was delightful, the food both beautiful and delicious.
Day 10 - Tuesday, January 22, 2019: Biltmore Estate and Dinner with Rosemary and Ed Kostansek.1/22/2019 It was a sunny cool cloud free day. We spent the day at the Biltmore Estate, which was referred to in the book I read recently about the Vanderbilt’s as “America’s Last Castle”. It is the largest private home ever built in the country. A collaboration between George Washington Vanderbilt II, his architect Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted it was completed in 1895. When Olmsted designed the landscape at Biltmore he knew that his vision would not be fully realized for 100 years. We are, thankfully, the recipients of his vision. The entrance road continually curves so that at each juncture you are always presented with an ever-changing scene. It was also designed so that you never catch a glimpse of the house until the last turn. And what a house it is – among the 250 rooms there are 35 bedrooms for family and guests, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. Banquet Hall where 64 guests dined under its 70-foot high ceiling. There are, of course, tapestries, paintings, etchings, and sculptures galore. Among those my favorite was and engraving by Albrecht Durer called The Triumphal Arch that was originally commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian 1st. After touring the other rooms on the first floor we climbed up the cantilevered Grand Staircase to the second floor living hall that has portraits of the Architect (Richard Morris Hunt) and the Landscape Architect (Frederick Law Olmstead) by John Singer Sargent. There was also a lovely painting by Anders Zorn whose home we visited during a trip to Sweden several years ago. The family bedrooms were, of course, overly ornate. On the third floor the guests rooms are named for the architectural scheme or artist represented. In the bachelors wing there is a billiard room, smoking room, and gunroom complete with mounted trophies. The basement includes a swimming pool, bowling alley, gym, the kitchens, laundry rooms and even two rooms for arranging flowers. It is all quite overwhelming. After touring the house we sat down to lunch in the café that is housed in the former Stables. We had almost completed our food when the fire alarms went off and we were directed to the exits. Realizing that it would be some time before we were allowed back inside we instead walked through the formal garden areas. Even without anything blooming it was a pleasant walk. Our ultimate destination was the Conservatory. The bleakness of the gardens gave way to profusion of greenery and blossoms. After returning to the restaurant to pay our bill we slowly travelled along the several mile long exit road. When Harry was in graduate school at MIT and living in an apartment in Cambridge his neighbors and friends were Ed and Rosemary Kostansek. We had kept in touch over the years as they moved to New Jersey but had not seen them in some time. Ten years ago they retired to Asheville. We contacted them and arranged to meet at their home and go out to Dinner at the Smoky Park Supper Club in the River Arts District of Asheville along the French Broad River. The restaurant building itself is constructed from 19 shipping containers and is said to be the largest restaurant in the country built from shipping containers. The space is interesting and the food is delicious.
We spent the day driving from Williamsburg, VA to Asheville, NC where we were welcomed to the home of Margaret McAlister (our dear friend Betsy McAlister Groves’ sister) and Reed Olszack. Margaret cooked us a delightful dinner and we finished off a bottle of wine while catching up.
Harry recognized that I was really interested in the subject matter at this museum and was nice enough to tell me to take my time. He said that he could entertain himself (if he has an internet connection that is never an issue). As it turned out that we both found the exhibits informative and fun.
This was the second new museum dedicated to the American Revolutionary War we have visited on this trip! Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2025.
The traditional printed/illustrated exhibits were interesting, appealing to readers... Then, there were many other exhibit types as shown below: The Battle of Great Bridge was a victory by the Virginia Militia that lead to the departure of the British from the south during the early days of the war. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. Immediately printers went into action to spread the word throughout the colonies. There was a very attractive exhibit depicting how three different classes of people lived in the Colonies. In the new technology department, holograph-like displays presented full sized images of those that participated in the war. In reality, these were video images projected on semi-transparent surfaces giving the illusion of a figure floating in space. Sometimes interactive displays are not as useful as the creators would have hoped. Below are examples of an interactive display of all of the battles of the war. The problem is that visitors to a museum such as this one are not about to go through them one by one. There just isn't the attention span or time to do this. But, then there are some exhibits that are just very attractive, including ones that have particular self-interest, including Marsha and the Battle of Lexington (& Concord). One spectacular exhibit was a full sights, sounds and motion of the battles. This is about as close to Disney as you can be, and it was fun. See it for yourself: The Siege of YorktownWe especially like the life-sized video panels with re-enactors depicting the historical individuals telling their stories in their own words. Visualize yourself standing in front of General Daniel Morgan talk about his strategies at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina in January of 1781. Then hear the differing version from Lt. Col Banastre Tarleton. Although not the just mentioned participants, here is an example of these vertical video panels in action: One entire aspect of the two museums we have visited at Jamestown and Yorktown are the outside exhibits. In the all seasons but the Winter, they are probably the main attraction for families with kids. In the Winter, the Museum is more interesting and comfortable. On the way to lunch after visiting this museum we engaged in an exercise to rank the museums we have visited in the last seven days. It wasn’t easy but the two with “American Revolution” in their titles won out - the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Why?
Lunch was at the Country Grill and Smokehouse on the outskirts of Yorktown. This strip mall restaurant was listed as #l (near us) on Trip advisor. All the meats were smoked on site and all the sides and sauces were made from scratch. Delish! We are having our leftovers for dinner as we watch the Patriots/Chiefs battle it out for the AFC championship.
Great game! Why is it always a nail biter? All is good in Patriot’s Nation.
Our first reaction when we arrived at this museum was being amazed at the size of the building. Then upon entering we understood that the massive exterior was necessary to house the cavernous interior. The only way that they could make this space seem welcoming was to chop down an entire forest for the raw material for the staggering amount of wood trim. OK you get the picture: it's BIG. The introductory film outlined the three differing stories of the native Powhatan tribes, the settlers and the slaves imported to these shores (left photo). Don't confuse this with the Masterpiece Theater offering Jamestown, about three different English women of different social classes (right photo). Despite the common misconception in the Northeast that the Town of Plymouth Massachusetts, founded in 1620, was the first settlement in Colonies, the fact is that the first ships arrived in Jamestown in 1607. The current special exhibition at the Jamestown Settlement Museum, is Tenacity: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia. The Brides recruited in 1620 and in 1621 by the Virginia Company to wed the male settlers. The women captured and enslaved in Angola who upon their arrival at Jamestown were traded for supplies. They faced uncertain futures in a new land. We will never know their fates as the records only list information about their arrival. One very effective display technique we are seeing more frequently are life size video screens showing people. By orienting the screens with the longest side vertical, the displays draw you into listening to the person's story. Curiously enough, we made a mistake in the order in which we viewed the exhibits. It was only when we finished the exhibit about the women of Jamestown that we realized that the main exhibit was on the first floor, not the second floor that we had been directed to go... So, we went downstairs for the massive main permanent exhibit. Once we got down to the first floor gallery, we were more comfortable that we were in the right place. Surprisingly how disoriented we were when we didn't see what we expected to see by starting out in the special exhibition. The exhibit was excellent, taking things slowly by first showing the places from which the colonists came and then working into life in the Colony. In the main Exhibition Galleries we particularly enjoyed the large screen audio-visual presentations. One of those films incorporated images of actual artifacts to illustrate their main points. When the presentation ended we could closely examine those same artifacts in the display cases. Harry is partial to pottery (careful all you about to be weds). Somehow the Indigenous people and African enslaved people are more impressive than the English -- although I suspect that is just in my mind... Since we had seen the outdoor exhibits (recreations of one of the three ships that arrived in Jamestown in 1607, the James Fort and the Powhatan village) on a previous visit we did not visit them this time. The photos above of the outdoor space at Jamestown and the photos below of the Colonial Parkway are courtesy of the web. After the museum we drove on the Colonial Parkway from Jamestown to Yorktown. Built between the 1930’s and 50’s back when driving could be recreational it still has that vibe. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour, trucks are not allowed, there are no tolls, you are shielded from views of commercial development, the overpasses are graceful brick arches, and around every curve are water views. At the actual battlefield site Marsha, who had just finished reading a book about the battle, was thrilled to be able walk along the remains of the second parallel fortifications. And, thanks to Google, here is how it looks in the Spring/Summer... Tomorrow we visit the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
This is not the best way to wake up... Especially if your car is 3 weeks old and has 685 miles on the odometer. Fortunately, the damage was several scrapes along the passenger side of the car -- we have been in touch with our and the offender's insurance companies will make a claim on their insurance and get the damage fixed when we get home. It was a foggy gray morning when we turned into the approach road of President James Monroe's Highland, which is lined with 147 Ash trees planted 100 years ago. The on-line reviews of this site noted that the original home on this site burned in the 1930’s and the only buildings from Monroe’s time here are the guesthouse for Presidential visitors and some outbuildings. The home now on the site is from another time. With our expectations suitably adjusted we still wanted to see the site and add to our meager knowledge of the 5th President: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe. Here are the highlights of what we learned about Monroe today. He was born in 1758 in Northern Virginia and at age 16 upon his parent’s deaths he became a slave owner. He owned over 300 people in his lifetime. He fought in the Revolutionary War and was wounded at the Battle of Trenton. He was 24 years old when he moved to Highland with his 16-year-old bride. During his political career he was: Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to France (he was present at Napoleon’s coronation) Great Britain and Spain. He served as Secretary of State and of War. He became President in 1817 and served two terms. The Munroe’s returned to Highland between those 25 years of political appointments. He died five years after Adams and Jefferson on the same date, July 4th. After the formal tour we wandered around the grounds and looked at the exhibits in the outbuildings. There was excellent signage around the property: short, single topic, easy to read. Upon returning to the Gift shop Harry decided to try out their augmented reality guided tour of the property. He was, of course, intrigued by the technology. Subsequently, he strongly suggested that I should also try it out to understand its capabilities. Once outfitted with the earphones and glasses you are told to follow the visual and audio directions to different locations to see and hear presentations. In this case the images were basically hand drawn representations of people who lived at Highland. There was Munroe himself and his overseer talking about profits. Slaves concerned about being sold and separated from their families. The images could have been of film of re-enactors. So we began to think about the possibility of using virtual reality to tell the story of what happened on Lexington Green... After lunch and a two-hour drive we are now in Williamsburg. I am excited about the prospect of going to the Yorktown Victory Museum tomorrow having just finished Nathaniel Philbrick’s book on Yorktown and Harry is interested in returning to Jamestown to see the relatively new Jamestown Settlement Museum.
The weather was not as glorious today as yesterday – mid 30’s and cloudy and toward the end of the day it rained. Travelling to historic sites at this time of year means that you are frequently the only two people watching an introductory film. This has happened twice in the last two days. And today we were the only two souls who showed up for the 12-noon tour at Montpelier. Our tour guide was as pleased as we were. In these situations you are able to ask lots of questions and get thorough answers. The last time we were at Montpelier they were nearing the end of a major interior restoration and there was very view pieces of furniture in the house and nothing on the walls. This time around we got to see the finished product. We were particularly interested in seeing their new multimedia exhibition “The Mere Distinction of Colour” that tells the stories of the enslaved at Montpelier and also examines how the legacy of slavery still impacts race, identity and human rights. The two audio-visual presentations were thought provoking and a terrific use of technology. This evening we braved the increasingly nasty weather to have dinner in downtown Charlottesville (c-ville). We found a restaurant on the downtown pedestrian mall with good southern food and live entertainment. After dinner we walked a bit to check out the scene and tried to imagine how lovely it would be in nicer weather. And, as you can see, Harry loves photographing store windows at night.
The last time we were at Monticello the boys were little so it is probably at least 25 years. Today, it was 48 degrees and sunny on that glorious mountaintop today. Warm enough to jettison our winter jackets and walk around in our sweatshirts. We even had our mid-morning coffee break sitting in the Sun, at a picnic table chatting with a charming Monticello employee who was originally from Denmark. Like our friend Christel McCarthy, this lovely lady had been a stewardess for Pan American Airways and as a result had traveled extensively. She had many great stories of her travels. Since photography is not allowed inside the house at Monticello, I found these pictures on the web We took the standard house tour. Our guide, a Univ. of Virginia graduate student, was terrific. After hearing about all of Jefferson's interests, I was reminded of John Kennedy’s words at the conclusion of an evening honoring Nobel prize winners:
At every turn the objects in Jefferson’s home and the home itself reminds you of the extraordinary breathe Jefferson’s knowledge and talents. Following the house tour we took the guided outdoor tour that focuses on the experiences of the enslaved people of the plantation. The guide called it a “journey through difficult information”. The system of slavery at Monticello (and elsewhere) basically denied the humanity of the enslaved. The man who wrote the words “all men are created equal” owned hundreds of slaves during his lifetime. The story is further complicated by the fact that one of those slaves, Sally Hemings, was the mother of 6 of his children (4 lived to adulthood). After the tours we strolled around the grounds looking at a variety of other exhibits of life at Monticello. Although lacking the beauty of the gardens that you experience in Spring and Summer the views including the “nickel view” of Monticello are spectacular even when the ground is covered with snow.
Eastern States Penitentiary: Today, Yesterday and Overhead One of the advantages of travelling without reservations and with few actual fixed dates is that we can change our minds when the circumstances or our moods change. We had planned to visit Bartram's Garden ( www.bartramsgarden.org ) but decided that since the entire site is not open in the winter it was all that appealing to us. So, since we had never been to Winterthur, we would go there. So we went to the web to figure out which of the many tours we would take. Strike two: Winterthur was closed for the Winter. One more try: When talking with Harry about what to see and do in Philadelphia our friend Jane Becker had suggested that the Eastern States Penitentiary (ESP) ( www.easternstate.org ). Bingo (not to mix too many metaphors in one paragraph) we found a place that was open! When it opened in 1829 ESP was the largest and most expensive public structure in the country. Its innovative radial floor plan was the model for 300 other prisons worldwide. The prisoners were kept in individual cells each with its own high walled exercise yard. There was no interaction with the guards or with each other. This system was supposed to instill spiritual reflection and penance. The prison closed in 1969 and was opened for tours beginning in 1988. The buildings have been stabilized and a few areas restored and there are many interpretive signs and an excellent audio tour. The synagogue at Eastern States Penitentiary, designed and built by the inmates in the space of three cells, has been restored to its mid 20th century appearance. Although the materials the prisoners had was scrap wood, they managed to create the essence of synagogue decor of the era. The text in the exhibit panels talks about the incongruity between the crimes the prisoners had committed and their faith: in opposition to each other, but both very real. Prisoners fought in the wars that occurred during the 130 years ESP was open. The plaque honoring the inmates that died in World War I identifies those who died with their numbers. One cell block features photographs of inmates and guards while the audio tour delivers their actual remembrances. A visit to ESP is a somber experience. You will be forced to travel through several centuries of experiments in how to manage, punish, rehabilitate, and even help prisoners. In the United States we have not made anywhere near the progress on this issue as we have made in over two centuries progress in almost all other aspects of life. It was encouraging that the last major exhibit addressed this issue, leading with one proven mechanism for change: there is a major piece of the closing exhibit encouraging and helping people who have witnessed this prison to register to vote. After our tour of the Penitentiary we began our drive south to Charlottesville, VA. Just before D.C. we left Interstate 95 and took state roads through the rolling countryside with views of the mountains off to our left. It was a lovely drive.
First, a note about the best way to read these posts. If you are receiving this content because you subscribed to the feed, the representation presented in email is not as good as the one presented on the web. So, I recommend you click on the heading for this day -- the link above starting "Day ...". Today’s destination was The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Not quite yet two years old it is a tour de force in what it means to be a interesting and exciting history museum. There was, of course, the standard auditorium based introductory film but the audio and visual presentations sprinkled among the galleries incorporated a variety of techniques that each in its own way informative and entertaining. The sound track, lighting, and backdrops employed in the presentation of Washington’s actual field tent left me with a lump in my throat. Those of us who struggle mightily to present history in an engaging manner with very limited financial resources will appreciate my very real jealousy of the sheer magnitude of what one can do with adequate funding. The variety of techniques employed to present the information and artifacts ran the full gamut of possibilities. There were large interactive touch screen displays, life-sized dioramas (including horses), and all manner of audio, visual and sensory components masterfully used to engage the visitor. It worked on us. Wonderful life-size dioramas You may think you know everything about the American Revolution (especially those of us who live in Lexington, MA): guess again. Come here and learn a lot about the things they never taught us in school. About the role of the Native Americans. About how much slavery figured into the war. And how isolated Britain became as a result of the cleaver overtures by the Colonists to Britain's foes in Europe. And finally, the fact that after the British surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781, the there were many additional battles all the way until January 1783. Slaves and Native Americans were part of the American Revolution With one museum addressing the complete American Revolution, overarching and repeated themes and trends become more apparent. The Museum of the American Revolution is an excellent museum that you must see!
Despite our excitement about this museum, we will, however, admit to being a bit out of shape for the kind of intense touring that we will engage in over the next few weeks. Our first thought on returning to the hotel was “nap time”. This road trip began as all others do. We set the trip odometer to 0 filled our travel mugs with Peet’s coffee and chose Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” from our extensive list of travel songs. The temperature in Lexington was a nippy 14 degrees but there was neither precipitation nor traffic and less than six hours later we checked into our hotel twenty miles outside of Philadelphia. Along the way we stopped at Rein’s Delicatessen in Vernon, CT for the traditional chopped liver sandwich on rye to go, which we shared upon arrival here in Bensalem, Pennsylvania just 20 minutes outside Philadelphia. We arrived at our hotel in time to watch the Patriots overwhelm the Chargers in their first playoff game of 2019.
Tomorrow we begin touring. |
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