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 NY Mysteries September 25, 2020

We hiked around the American Museum of Natural History. Most New Yorkers know about the controversy surrounding the Teddy Roosevelt Statue. He’s on a horse and is flanked by a Native American and an African American. The museum has mounted a terrific exhibit explaining the three figures background and the thoughts of many different ethnic groups. Ever since George Floyd’s savage murder, I have been coming to grips with my white privilege. The museum is staggering in its complexity. The dark rooms add to the mystery of the exhibits. If you take the subway and get off at 81 Street and Central Park West, you can feast on the charming wall figures.

81 Street Subway stop
Elephants, obviously
The Whale
Speaking of Masks…

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  NY Mysteries September 19, 2020

We went to the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Who knew Bus #4’s route ends and begins in front of the Cloisters? Instead, we took the A to the Dyckman Street station following the directions posted on the Cloisters website. Image yourself in a forest searching for a castle. Also imagine a forest in which there are no signs and kindly people who give you conflicting directions. Once there, it was glorious; a crisp fall day, a few people,  historical, lush gardens and the medieval masterpieces of three monasteries Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Trie-sur-Baise. The Cloisters was funded by Rockefeller and opened to the public in 1938.

The Cloisters
n saint of gardeners
The Cloisters in 1938. I borrowed this photo from the Cloisters website.

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NY Mysteries September 12, 2020

We took a Harbor Line sunset cruise on Wednesday. First, a delicious all fried supper with enormous tumblers of strawberry daiquiri. Then, we hopped on the 23 Street crosstown, got off at the last stop, made our way to Pier 62 and boarded a snazzy schooner for a two hour sail around New York Harbor. At the Statue of Liberty we turned back to Pier 62. The New York skyline is magical at night. Part of the magic is listening to the lapping of gentle waves and the silence on the water.

A hard working crew member
A former New Jersey train station
On board!
Near Hoboken, New Jersey’s skyline
Guess who.
NYC’s skyline

On Friday we hiked around the American Museum of Natural History. Most New Yorkers know about the controversy surrounding the Teddy Roosevelt Statue. He’s on a horse and is flanked by a Native American and an African American. The museum has mounted a terrific exhibit explaining the three figures background and the thoughts of many different ethnic groups. Ever since George Floyd’s savage murder, I have been coming to grips with my white privilege. The museum is staggering in its complexity. The dark rooms add to the mystery of the exhibits. I took many photos which I’ll be sharing in months to come.

newyorkmysteries.com

NY Mysteries September 5, 2020

We went to the Morgan yesterday. Remember actually, physically being in a museum? We had to sign up and were given a specific time: 11 a.m .sharp! Once there, the staff was pleasant and accomodating.  At that hour I counted six other people.

In the East Room: the Library we saw the sculpted bust of Belle De Costa Greene,  a member of a prominent African-American family who was secretary to J.P. Morgan and to his son, Jack Morgan. Miss De Costa dropped her father’s surname, Greene, and passed for white. The Library is a sumptuous room: the regal and pious  statue of St. Catherine, the rare books, the ceiling paintings and tapestries.

Bellle De Costa Greene

In the West Room: Pierpont Morgan’s Study are the powerful portraits of Pierpont Morgan and J. P. Morgan frowning down at the room.

There are contemporary exhibits. I had seen the Jean-Jacques Le Queu exhibit on an earlier visit and treated it like one of those shows you go to for name dropping. I must have had my eyes shut. This time around I was astounded by LeQueu’s beauty and daring.

The well known photographer, Wally Wentick,  took a glorious, impressionist photo of Central Park.

Pierpont Morgan
J. P. Morgan
Jean-Jacques Lequeu (1757-1826)And We Shall Be Mothers Become…
Wally Wentick: Central Park
Brutus Jean-Jacques Lequeu