The Edgar Allan Poe Sculpture – Finally Boston’s
tribute to her famous native son has arrived (officially October 5, 2014) on the south side of Boylston
Street at the intersection of Charles
Street. The
work comes complete with a raven, a (presumably telltale) heart, slabs of
quotes from the author’s writings, and other references to one of America’s
most famous and influential critics, poets, and short story writers.
The Ether Monument
– This monument, the oldest in the Public Garden,
commemorates the use of ether in anesthesia.
Located near the intersection of Arlington Street and Beacon Street, the Ether Monument
includes (among other inscriptions) the statement that the use of ether was
first “proved to the world at the Mass. General Hospital in Boston, October
A.D. MDCCCXLVI” (i.e., 1846). You should
have no trouble finding the pedestal and sculpture. It is forty feet high. A panel of scholars in 2013 picked anesthesia
to be among the “50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel” (The Atlantic November 2013, p. 57).
The Architecture of
Charles Bullfinch - Charles Bullfinch, who oversaw the design of our
nation’s capitol, is perhaps the country’s first architectural icon. He studied in Europe
as well as under the tutelage of
Thomas Jefferson. He also found time to
show up to class at Harvard. There is
much more to his life than architecture and
design. But anyone else would be quite
content to take credit for his Bullfinch Pavilion at Massachusetts
General Hospital,the Massachusetts State House, and Faneuill Hall. The
last two buildings are part of the Freedom
Trail.
The Public Art Walk
– The Mayor’s office and the Boston Art Commission have made the first steps in
developing what they call the Public Art Walk.
It’s a great idea. Using the free
online map (two different versions) you can wander through the city looking
for--or bumping into--public art. The
map is pretty much devoid of prejudice, pointing out both old and new works. Especially popular works (e.g., the Arthur
Fielder Memorial) are highlighted. So
far the program covers Back Bay, Beacon Hill,
the Financial District, and the North End.
But the intention is to produce a map of the entire city. There is more information here.