Category Archives: Travel

Marvelous, Mysterious, Masterpieces…

…from Museums in Washington D.C.

It’s time for the letter M in Jenny’s Alpabe-Thursday.

This is fire etched wood relief called The Adoration of St. Joan of Arc, 1896, J. William Fosdick.  This first series of photos were taken at the National Portrait Gallery.

Sadly I didn’t take photos of all the descriptions of the art and I didn’t have my museum husband or daughter with me who read everything in museums to help me out. OYE!

This was so mysterious and sad. This is a bronze memorial of Henry Adam’s wife “Clover”. She committed suicide in 1885 by drinking chemicals used for processing photographs. Adams commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create this memorial of his wife.

A most interesting canvas…

Now I’m moving on to the National Gallery of Art…

For my finale I’m posting 2 more Masterpieces from Monet…

I’m going to be traveling out and about being a tour guide for the next few days. I’ll try to visit sometime this weekend.

We were so excited that the U.S. Women beat France on Wednesday to go to the World Cup Finals on Sunday. They will be playing Japan who beat Sweden on Wednesday. Go U.S.A.!

Russian Art in Washington D.C.

Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973), heir to the Post cereal fortune, was the founder of Hillwood Museum and Gardens – her former twenty-five acre estate in Washington, DC. This is one of my favorite works of art that is housed in her former home.

 

This large painting depicts one of the most important social and political events of old Russia, a wedding uniting two families of the powerful boyar class that dominated Muscovite politics in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The artist has singled out that moment during the wedding feast when the guests toast the bridal couple with the traditional chant of “gor’ko, gor’ko,” meaning “bitter, bitter,” a reference to the wine, which has supposedly turned bitter. The newlywed couple must kiss to make the wine sweet again. The toast occurs towards the end of the feast when a roasted swan is brought in, the last dish presented before the couple retires.

For the rest of these photos I zoomed in on the painting above to get more of the detail to share…

 

The sumptuously attired guests at this lavish wedding feast fete the newlyweds in a candlelit dining hall replete with gleaming silver and gold and richly embroidered linens. Konstantin Makovskii painted this work in 1883, two hundred years after such an event would have occurred. The Russian revival style was quite popular at the time, as Russians were nostalgic for the traditions predating Peter the Great’s efforts to westernize the country.

 

Mrs. Post acquired the painting in the 1960’s. It was among her final major acquisitions as she and her curator, Marvin Ross, prepared to open her home as a museum.

 

 

On her death in 1973, Mrs. Post’s final and most important philanthropic gesture became reality when Hillwood, her last estate in Washington, DC, was bequeathed to the public as a museum. Her magnificent French and Russian collections remain on view at Hillwood Museum and Gardens, where her legacy of opulent beauty and gracious elegance continues to thrive.

 

I saw this next painting at the National Portrait Gallery. I was drawn to it again because of it’s Russian origin. The Samovar on the table suggests that it was a tea gathering. My parents and relatives were from the Peasant class so they never dressed up like this or had such a luxurious tea…

 

 

Many times at our Russian wedding receptions in the States the tradition of tapping our tea glasses with silverware to alert the newly wed couple that our tea was not sweet was performed. This was to inform the newlyweds they needed to stand and kiss each other to sweeten our tea.  The Russian receptions that I attended did not serve alcohol so the “tea not being sweet” replaced the “wine is bitter” Chai nye slotky is one phonetic way to pronounce “the tea is not sweet”…

Despite myself I’ve had a productive week so far. I mowed the lawn, got some laundry done, cooked some new dishes, ran errands, payed bills, picked up books at the library, and did some shopping. I’m getting ready to take a few days off to have some fun with a bloggy friend flying into town. The main event we’ll be enjoying is the Sequim Lavender Festival on Friday. Of course you’ll be seeing what we did and where we went because neither of us will be forgetting our cameras…

Have a great Wednesday! I’ll be watching the U.S. Women play France in a World Cup semi-final.

HT: Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens Tour Guide.

Random Ruby in Washington D.C…

Here are some of my photos from Washington D.C. that happen to have a lot or just splashes of Ruby in them. I’m linking with Mary at Work of the Poet for Ruby Tuesday.

We really enjoyed the trolley tours that take you to lots of major monuments, etc. The drivers are really knowledgeable and you get a great D.C. education.

Hope your Monday went well and that your Tuesday will be even better!

Can You Name That Statue?

Oh dear me…

I saw and took pictures of so many statues while in Washington D.C. I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know who half of them are. Maybe you can help me? If not I’ll have to start googling images and try to figure it out. I was also in a quandary as to whether I should call them statues or sculptures.

This one is for my Canadian friends. The statue is in the plaza area of the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C.

Grand Army of the Republic
Organized at Decatur Illinois, April 6, 1866
By Benjamin Franklin Stephenson M.D.

On some of the statues I managed to get the name in the photo so that is helpful. This statue of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock was sculpted by Henry Jackson Ellicott in 1896. Hancock fought in the Mexican, Seminole and Civil Wars.

Another easy one of Ben Franklin in front of the Old Post Office which is now a mall.

Sitting statues are popular in D.C. Here is the Majesty of Law Statue in front of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Contemplation of Justice

These last two sit in front of the Supreme Court Building. This one is called Authority of Law.

This is the Columbus Statue that sits outside Union Station.

Architect John Russell Pope placed four monumental statues around the National Archives Building. Each was cut from a single block of limestone weighing 125 tons. Aitken’s “The Future” sits on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the building. The young woman lifts her eyes from the pages of an open book and gazes into the future. Its base is inscribed with a line inspired by Shakespeare’s play The Tempest: “What is Past is Prologue.”

This was taken on the grounds of the National Cathedral in D.C., George Washington.

The white marble Peace Monument was erected in 1877-1878 to commemorate the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War. Inscribed “In memory of the officers, seamen, and marines of the United States Navy who fell in defense of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861-1865.”

The Garfield Monument

Believe me when I say these are no where near even half of the statues around the D.C. area. There are many I missed.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

A Look at Abraham Lincoln in D.C.

This post will be loaded with photos so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I’m joining Jenny for Alphabe-Thursday for the Letter L.

I’m gathering all my photos that I took while I was in D.C. in May of Abraham Lincoln. I’ll start with the less obvious views around D.C. and end with the Lincoln Memorial.

The spot where life ended tragically for our 16th President.

I’m adding humorous quotes from here on out from President Lincoln.

From the National Portrait Gallery…

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

“He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas better than any man I ever met.”

“When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees.”

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

“When you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he is trying to run away, its best to let him run.”

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

Hope your summer is swimming along. We are enjoying some happy weather here in the Northwest!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

The Capitol and Statue of Freedom ~

Because this is our 4th of July weekend in the U.S.A. I thought it would be good to post my photos of the U.S. Capitol and the Statue of Freedom that crowns the Capitol Dome.

Statue of Freedom

The bronze Statue of Freedom crowns the dome of the U.S. Capitol. Her right hand rests upon the hilt of a sheathed sword; her left holds a laurel wreath of victory and the shield of the United States with thirteen stripes. Her helmet is encircled by stars and features a crest composed of an eagle’s head, feathers, and talons, a reference to the costume of Native Americans. A brooch inscribed “U.S.” secures her fringed robes.

U.S. Capitol Building

The Capitol building is one of the most symbolically important buildings in the United States. President Washington laid the cornerstone on 18 September 1793, and it has housed the meeting chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate for two centuries.

Nothing in the United States symbolizes democracy more than the U.S. Capitol Building. For nearly two centuries, it has been home to both chambers of Congress and has evolved and expanded as times changed and the nation grew. The building itself has more than 16 acres of space and 540 rooms. The Capitol Grounds cover about 274 acres with sloping lawns, splashing fountains and beautiful terraces.

The statue at Emancipation Hall is a plaster model of the Statue of Freedom. The actual Statue of Freedom sits high atop the U.S. Capitol Dome. The plaster cast gives visitors a good idea of what the real thing looks like.

This is a small view of the inner dome and canopy over the Capitol Rotunda. I’ll have another post of more photos from the inside of the Capitol on another day. E Pluribus Unum ~ Out of many one. E pluribus unum was suggested by the committee Congress appointed on July 4, 1776 to design “a seal for the United States of America.”
E Pluribus Unum still appears on U.S. coins even though it is no longer the official national motto! That honor was given to In God We Trust in 1956 by an Act of Congress.

Hope you enjoyed these views of our Nations Capitol and a great symbol of freedom. That’s what we celebrate every 4th of July.

We’ve been getting our patio all ready to go for our 4th of July celebration hoping that we get our long awaited summer for many days in a row! Hope your weekend is going well!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

The Washington Monument

I’m trying to finish posting my Washington D.C. photos. These are the shots I got of the Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in Washington, D.C. and one of the city’s early attractions. It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence and then became its first President. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, stands 555’ 5 1/8” tall, and offers views in excess of thirty miles. It was finished on December 6, 1884.

In an elaborate Fourth of July ceremony in 1848, the cornerstone was laid. The outbreak of Civil War of 1861 delayed the completion of the monument. When Lt.Col.Thomas L.Casey, Mills’ successor, resumed work on the project in 1876, he heavily altered the original design for the monument so that it resembled an unadorned Egyptian obelisk with a pointed pyramidion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the War Department was charged with completing the construction, and the monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, and officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888.

They were cleaning the reflecting pond while we were in D.C. so we didn’t get the best shots from the Lincoln Memorial.

Weighing 81,120 tons, the Washington Monument stands 555′ 5-1/8″ tall. The walls of the monument range in thickness from 15′ at the base to 18” at the upper shaft. They are composed primarily of white marble blocks from Maryland with a few from Massachusetts, underlain by Maryland blue gneiss and Maine granite. A slight color change is perceptible at the 150′ level near where construction slowed in 1854.

Hope your Wednesday is going well. Only one more day of June left. Are you going to stick around for the long July 4th weekend or Canada Day Weekend or are you headed out? We are staying close to home.

Today I have a recipe posted on Mennonite Girls Can Cook for Chicken Perlo, a Southern dish.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Port Townsend Architecture and Gardens…

Lots of photos for you and few words to go with them. I’ll just let you enjoy.

I think this was my favorite home we happened by on Saturday morning. I love the porch and the great yard.

It was interesting to see how many inns and old homes were up for sale. We wondered how people survive in out of the way locations like these, especially in this economy.

Happy Tuesday to all of you!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

5:35 A.M. Ferry to Kingston!

Who chooses to get up on a Saturday and head out at 4:45 A.M. without a fishing pole? Dear and Ellen B.! I’ll share more in the next few days on our adventure…

 

Hope your weekend is going well!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Have you noticed when playing the Alphabe-Thursday Meme how fast the weeks fly? We are already on the letter J. Thank you to our hostess Jenny for a good reason to remember our ABC’s. J is for Jenny and for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

 

Thomas Jefferson

 

In the thick of party conflict in 1800, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a private letter, “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

 

This powerful advocate of liberty was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary, then read law. In 1772 he married Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow, and took her to live in his partly constructed mountaintop home, Monticello.

Freckled and sandy-haired, rather tall and awkward, Jefferson was eloquent as a correspondent, but he was no public speaker. In the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress, he contributed his pen rather than his voice to the patriot cause. As the “silent member” of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably, he wrote a bill establishing religious freedom, enacted in 1786.

 

 

 

My Dear, who takes the time to read things when we visit monuments or museums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope your first week of summer is starting off well. June will be over before we know it! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.