Main staircase of the McKim Building, Boston Public Library, Boston, USA

weekly update 010 - 2016-12-19 - A farewell to Boston

December 19, 2016

This week marks the end of my showcase of last year's trip to the USA, namely to the cities of New York, Chicago and of course Boston. And to finish things off on a high, nothing better than sharing the inside of the McKim Building of the Boston Public Library. Founded in 1848, it contains 23 million items that range from books to DVDs, maps to microfilm and music scores. It's main two buildings are the Johnson building, opened in 1972, and the gorgeous McKim building which opened in 1895 pictured here.

And I'll leave you with a different version of the same picture I showcased when I was there, the George Washington statue at the Public Garden on a cloudy afternoon. Passing through these gardens became my favourite part of the day during our short stay in town. Hope to come back for a visit soon.

Since I'm flying back to Portugal for the Holidays, expect some nice shots from the westernmost country in Europe, which I called home for most of my life. Until then, enjoy the season with your loved ones, and indulge on your favourite treats.
See y'all next week.
APN

George Washington Statue at the Public Garden, Boston, USA

weekly update 009 - 2016-12-12 - Boston's Statues tour

December 11, 2016

This week we will be going over some of the most interesting, or more important, statues in the Boston area. Unfortunately I didn't have all the time I wanted to go looking for more as it is one of my favorite urban subjects to capture, but I manage to capture an interesting mix of styles. Above you can see part of the "Irish Famine Memorial" unveiled in 1998 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine that ravaged through Ireland in the 19th century, that led to the mass migration with Boston becoming home to a massive Irish community.
Below you can see the 8 foot bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin standing in front of Boston's elaborate French Second Empire-style Old City Hall. The statue is actually older than the building, being in this place since 1856, but the building was erected in 1874 after an earlier fire devastated this part of town 2 years earlier. Besides him is the top of the "Soldiers and Sailors Monument", located on the beautiful Boston Common Garden, and is dedicated to the Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War.

Above you can see one of the most interesting Public Artworks I've seen so far, it is created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, and it is formed of numeric symbols arranged in the shape of a person sitting. And the Bobby Orr statue that has since moved to a new location, but continues to grace the TD Garden grounds.

I'll leave you with one of the funniest sculptures I found at Boston, at the Common Garden you can find a scattering of frogs that belong, and celebrate, the greatly named Tadpole Playground.

Next week will be the last post dedicated to Boston, and since I'll be travelling to Portugal for Christmas I will try to share with you some of the sights of my country of birth.
Until then, be merry and enjoy the cold weather :)
APN

Fishing Frogs of Tadpole Playground, Boston, USA

weekly update 007 - 2016-11-28 - welcome to Cambridge, MA

November 28, 2016

This week I have a more image heavy post, I blame it on the architecture of Cambridge, MA. Also on the fact that we got to spend a wonderful sunny day, although still very cold, walking around some of the most revered and well-known universities in America. As many of you may know, Cambridge is home to the Harvard university and the MIT. Starting the day at the Harvard station of the Red Line of "The T", as the MBTA is also known, which has a mid 20th-century vibe and is dominated by the crimson color of the Harvard University.

Walking over to Harvard Yard, the oldest part of the Harvard University and it's historical heart, you can find the statue of John Harvard under a big USA flag. John Harvard was an English minister in America, "a godly gentleman and a lover of learning", is properly considered one of the founders of Harvard College mainly due to his deathbed bequest of half his monetary estate and more importantly leaving his scholar library of more than 300 titles. Strolling around in the, usually grassy, Harvard Yard does feel like walking around a place steeped in heritage. I would suggest that after wandering around the university grounds, you should head down to the riverside and have a look at the old student houses, like the McKinlock Hall picture above. On the way there try and find the Harvard Lampoon Building, an historic building that is best known as the home of The Harvard Lampoon, an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876, and for its unusual design including the blue and yellow door.

Heading towards the MIT, it is worth paying attention to the buildings along Massachusetts Av., where amongst new buildings you can find some interesting examples of art-deco and the beautifully utilitarian Lafayette Square Fire House. The facade of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, is the most impressive part of the MIT, but I need to go back to have a look around the rest of the campus. Just before you arrive here, do stop at the MIT Museum, at least to have a look at the shop which is full of interesting souvenirs for all science geeks out there.

I'll leave this week with an image of the Charles River, and one of the many bridges that cross it, this is known as the Weeks Footbridge and connects Cambridge with the Allston neighborhood of Boston.
Next week I'll show a brief view of the architecture of Boston, in what should be the penultimate post focusing on the Boston area.

APN