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About the National Gallery Unlike the Louvre and the Prado, whose earliest holdings came from royalty, the National Gallery evolved from a collection of 38 paintings purchased by the British…
Imagine no John Lennon ... I don’t know if we can. But if you need reminders of how influential he was, in music and in the world at large, then…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 37 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
The rustic Dene Shelter, sitting high on a rocky outcrop, is a great place to enjoy a splendid view and think about how many, many things could go wrong in…
About the Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is housed in a huge complex whose core was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici from Giorgio Vasari. Vasari (who is today…
Who most influenced the shape of Central Park in its early years? There was Egbert Ludovicus Viele, whose detailed topographical study of the site helped make the park’s design a…
Republished Webster novels The Sky-Man. Available from Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088271353 print, 9781088271384 ebook). A King in Khaki. Available from Amazon; other stores via Ingram (9781088270929 print, 9781088270950 ebook).…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 20 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
Robert Burns Dedicated 1880 Sculptor: Sir John Steell Medium & size: Bronze, over lifesize. Location: Central Park, on the Mall. If the city's street grid continued in the Park, it…
Did you know that in Union Square, the words of the Declaration of Independence are inscribed on a ten-foot-high bronze tablet? The Independence Flagpole in Union Square commemorates the 150th…
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