Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland

Most commonly associated with Francis Scott Key and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, Fort McHenry, the only place in the United States designated as both a National Monument and a National Shrine. This was our first visit to Fort McHenry since we lived in Dundalk, Maryland almost fifty years ago. The day was bright and warm. We had the opportunity to help raise the huge Garrison Flag twice. It was a great visit. Here are some links to information about the Fort and the history of the writing of our national anthem.

https://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry
https://baltimore.org/see-do/fort-mchenry
https://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/fort-mchenry-national-monument-and-historic-shrine
http://scienceviews.com/parks/fortmchenry.html

Royal Typewriter

I wouldn't mind getting back to Utah and Arizona for some lovely landscapes but right now I am in Maryland and my landscape possibilities are limited. But I do have a great opportunity to think about history both my own and that of our country, society, and culture. This typewriter brings back memories. I learned to type on one that was similar to this model of Royal Typewriter. This particular model is probably a Royal KMM that went into production in 1939. We may have had a later model in my high school, but it is possible that we had older ones. The KMM stood for "Magic Margin" a feature that let the users set the margin by pulling on a lever at the back of the carriage.

Spotted Garden Slug

The usual response to a slug is ug! We found this fellow outside of our front door during a rainstorm. It is a Limax maximus and has a number of common names. It is interesting that such a vulnerable and apparently defenseless animal could have survived for so many millions of years. By the way, it was a native of Europe and is an introduced animal in America. Having lived in the desert most of my life, my experience with slugs is very limited.

The Smithsonian Castle

For some, this building is both ugly and an anomaly. I happen to like it. It is a wonderful addition to the Washington, D.C. Mall especially when you notice the preponderance of square, concrete, featureless buildings that are the rule around the Mall. Here is a short description from the Smithsonian website.

Completed in 1855, the Castle is our signature building and home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. As such, it makes a great starting point for your journey—here you can get a grasp of the scope and scale of the Smithsonian, see collections highlights from each of our museums, tour the Castle’s 19th-century architecture, see what’s going on today at all the museums, and consult with our in-house experts about what to see and do.

Bank Vault Door

There is a fabulous collection of different types of money in the Smithsonian American History Museum. They also have this large bank vault door. It is only an exhibit and not used to secure the money. I am pretty sure that this is not the type of door usually shown in the movies.

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, Washington, DC

We have been to Washington, D.C. dozens of times over the years, but we had never visited the United States Botanic Garden until we lived for a year in Annapolis, Maryland working at the Maryland State Archives. It has now moved up to one of our top best places to visit. Here is a short description from the United States Botanic Garden website.

Constructed by the Architect of the Capitol in 1933, this historic Lord & Burnham greenhouse contains two courtyard gardens and 10 garden rooms under glass, totaling 28,944 square feet of growing space. 

Behind the scenes is a state-of-the-art completely automated environmental control system. Computers monitor the outside weather and automatically control misting, shade cloth, fans, air-handling equipment, heat and window vents to achieve a perfect range of day and night temperatures and humidity.

The plants are fabulous. 

A Tree of Life

A Tree of Life is a common theme in Mexican folk art pottery. This example is in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. You never know what you are going to find in the Smithsonian's huge museum complex. Here is a short description of this folk art from the Wikipedia article, "Tree of Life (craft)."

A Tree of Life (Spanish: Árbol de la vida) is a theme of clay sculpture created in central Mexico, especially in the municipality of Metepec, State of Mexico. The image depicted in these sculptures originally was for the teaching of the Biblical story of creation to natives in the early colonial period. The fashioning of the trees in a clay sculpture began in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla but today the craft is most closely identified with Metepec. Traditionally, these sculptures are supposed to consist of certain biblical images, such as Adam and Eve, but recently there have been trees created with themes completely unrelated to the Bible.

You can click on the photo to see more detail.

1700s Silverware Case

It seems that every historic site we visit here in the East has one or more of these silverware cases. This one is in the Smithsonian American History Museum. The comment is that if they needed some extra money, they could melt down their silverware and sell it. These cases seem to be the BMWs and Cadillacs of the day. The cutlery we are using here looks like it came from a thrift store. Not much prestige here today.

Howdy Doody

Talk about memories of low tech. After I was in the third grade, my family acquired a television and of course, I was captivated and spent an inordinate amount of time glued to the machine. I have a lot of memories of that time period. In later years, we got rid of the TV and with one notable relapse now live TV-free. I do remember a lot of Howdy Doody shows and seeing this puppet in the Smithsonian brought back a few memories. Here is a short explanation for those of you who never heard of Howdy Doody from Wikipedia.

Howdy Doody was an American children's television program (with circus and Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on the NBC network in the United States from December 27, 1947, until September 24, 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s.

Jack-in-the-Box and In-N-Out

This photo has two memories. First is the menu from a Jack-in-the-box drive-in back in the 1960s. Notice the prices of the items such as a hamburger for $.24. Good luck today in finding these prices. The second is a small photo of one of the first drive-ins in California, the In-N-Out drive-thru. We have eaten at this first drive-thru a few times. I am essentially the product of fast food. I usually ate at either Jack-in-the-Box or McDonalds. Our family was sort-of dysfunctional and our meals were seldom sit-down affairs. I also attended a high school clear across Phoenix, Arizona, miles from my home and so I would stop and eat on the way home, usually in my car. Some of my children will not eat at fast food restaurants, but I still do. I realize this is not a great photo, but it does bring back memories.

Gold Coin Neclace

Nothing like wearing your money around your neck. I used to wear a watch and some jewelry such as a ring. But over the years, since I spend so much time typing, I have slowly discontinued wearing any jewelry at all. I may go back to some, but I am running out of years to think about it.

A Nice Photo of the Washington Monument

As of the summer of 2018, the Washington Monument is closed for renovation. You know when you see the Washington Monument that you are in Washington, D.C. besides the White House and Capitol Building, this is probably the most recognized monument.

The First Mouse Prototype

I have actually moved away from using a mouse on my own computers. I use touch screens or trackpads. Considering the impact this one invention had on computing, you would think that Doug Englebart's name would be much better known. This exhibit was in the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Computer that started it all

Altair 8800

Among the huge collections of stuff at the Smithsonian, I found an exhibit with the original Altair 8800 computer. This was the first "personal" computer that started the whole industry. Here is a short explanation about the computer from Wikipedia: Altair 8800:

The Altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by MITS and based on the Intel 8080 CPU. Interest grew quickly after it was featured on the cover of the January 1975 issue (published in late November 1974) of Popular Electronics, and was sold by mail order through advertisements there, in Radio-Electronics, and in other hobbyist magazines. The designers hoped to sell a few hundred build-it-yourself kits to hobbyists, and were surprised when they sold thousands in the first month. The Altair also appealed to individuals and businesses that just wanted a computer and purchased the assembled version. The Altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the first commercially successful personal computer. The computer bus designed for the Altair was to become a de facto standard in the form of the S-100 bus, and the first programming language for the machine was Microsoft's founding product, Altair BASIC.

The Original Macintosh Computer

I was in attendance in San Francisco, California in 1984 for the first public showing of the new Macintosh computer. It was an amazing experience. I owned and operated a retail computer store that was an Apple dealership for about 11 years. It was challenging. I still use Apple computers. I also have extensive experience with Windows-based computers and everything in between. I still prefer using my iMac more than any other computer I have used over the years.

National Archives

It is a rare day in Washington, D.C. during the past few months when there is not a threat of rain or it is not raining. We have had a good time exploring the city and all the museums, but our time here is quickly coming to a close in just a few weeks and we are trying to visit the last of the places we have missed so far. This involves a lot of walking and a lot of Metro riding.

Eagles at the World War II Memorial

It was a rainy day, but we braved the rain to see the World War II Memorial. We were surprised to learn that it opened on April 29, 2004. It looks like something that has been there forever. The Memorial was dedicated by President George W. Bush and is administered by the National Parks Service's National Mall and Memorials Parks group. It was one of the more impressive memorials. We walked all the way around and read all the inscriptions.

Honor Flight at the World War II Memorial

Our hearts were touched as we were privileged to see an Honor Flight of World War II Veterans at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Many of them were in wheelchairs but each of them had a person helping. You can read about the Honor Flight here. https://www.honorflight.org/ The website has this quote:

We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they walk by.
— Will Rogers

Time for a Change

I saw this in the Smithsonian American History Museum and thought it was currently quite appropriate. We have been finding a lot of history here in Annapolis and with our visits to Washington, D.C.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Clock

A little while ago, I post an image of an antique clock made between 1800 and 1840 to commemorate George Washington. This was apparently a really inexpensive alternative made to commemorate Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Comparing the two clocks, there is a lesson about the condition of our country.

Washington Monument

If you look closely, you can see the different types of rock used to construct the Washington Monument. The rocks are granite, marble, and bluestone gneiss. The Monument has been closed since we have been here in Annapolis and will not open until Spring of 2019. It is 555 feet high. They are modernizing the elevators. Construction began in 1848 and stopped between 1854 and 1877 because of funding the Civil War. Here is a description of the rocks used from Wikipedia: Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument is a hollow Egyptian style stone obelisk with a 500-foot (152.4 m) tall column and a 55-foot (16.8 m) tall pyramidion. Its walls are 15 feet (4.6 m) thick at its base and 1 1⁄2 feet (0.46 m) thick at their top. The marble pyramidion has thin walls only 7 inches (18 cm) thick supported by six arches, two between opposite walls that cross at the center of the pyramidion and four smaller corner arches. The top of the pyramidion is a large marble capstone with a small aluminum pyramid at its apex with inscriptions on all four sides. The lowest 150 feet (45.7 m) of the walls, constructed during the first phase 1848–1854, are composed of a pile of bluestone gneiss rubble stones (not finished stones) held together by a large amount of mortar with a facade of semi-finished marble stones about 1 1⁄4 feet (0.4 m) thick. The upper 350 feet (106.7 m) of the walls, constructed during the second phase 1880–1884, are composed of finished marble surface stones, half of which project into the walls, partially backed by finished granite stones.

It was raining the day this photo was taken and we were getting wet. 

Smashed Car

This interesting art object was about the only thing worth looking at in the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. We established a new record for the least time spent in a museum. Whenever I see something like this called art, I wonder if I could have been a famous artist. I majored in art my first year at the University of Utah.

William Shakespeare, Comedies, histories, and tragedies, London, 1623

This is a copy of the First Folio, Number 11 of William Shakespeare's Comedies, histories, and tragedies, published in London in 1623. It is on display in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Quoting from their website:

The Folger collection is vast and varied. The vault houses about 260,000 printed books; 60,000 manuscripts; 90,000 prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, and other works of art; and a wealth of performance history, from a quarter of a million playbills to films, recordings, and stage costumes.

All the World is a Stage

And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

This is pretty close to my own life story. From As You Like It, Act II, Scene VI. The image is the stage in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. 

Window or Painting?

This photo makes a statement about reality and how reality is represented by a photograph. The photo was taken in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Is it a painting or a photograph of a painting of a window? I am not going to answer the question. Once I click the shutter, what I produce is no longer reality. It is my interpretation of reality. I can change what is represented in anyway I want. I suggest that you may want to start viewing photographs or images in that context.

Bottle Cap Sculpture

You are either a collector or you are not. What you collect is incidental to the collection impulse. I am sure it is an inherited trait. None of my children seem to be collectors, so it must be a very recessive gene. I collect rocks, minerals, cameras, stamps, coins, tools, almost everything. I do not collect bottle caps. My father had some interesting collections. One was a large box completely full of the paper covered toothpicks you used to see frequently in restaurants. This person's collection ended up in the Smithsonian.

Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC

Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., just north of the White House, has long been blocked off to vehicular traffic. It has become a broad walkway for people to look at the front of the White House and take photos. The White House is guarded by a huge number of Secret Service agents. Of course, this open space is also the scene of almost constant protests from one group or another. But it also has religious singing groups and street performers. This photo was taken just after a large thunderstorm passed over the city. You do a lot of walking in Washington, D.C.

Exhibit at the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery

The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery had a "Burning Man" Exhibit. All I can say is that carrying on the Hippie Culture seems to be a big draw in America. We probably spent less time than any other Smithsonian museum or gallery and will probably not return as long as this exhibit is concerned. However, some of the exhibited constructions were interesting.

Antique Washington Mantel Clock

This Washington Mantel Clock was manufactured in France. Here is some commentary about these clocks from the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust.

No less inventive or diverse, the twenty-one mantel clocks at Classical American Homes range in date from 1800 to 1840 and in terms of their design and subject matter can be divided into four broad thematic categories: ancient Greek mythology, classical architecture, scenes from everyday life in the early nineteenth century, and allegories in which the sculptural figures on the clocks are emblematic of certain abstract concepts, such as the fleeting nature of beauty and youth, patriotism, and glory. The two Washington clocks at Classical American Homes (figures 1 and 2) fall squarely within this final category.

These Washington clocks belong to a larger group of approximately two dozen closely related examples, two-thirds of which measure approximately 19-1/2 inches tall and the remainder reduced in height by about 4 inches to make them more affordable. Products of a sophisticated clock-making industry in Paris that required the talents of sculptors, founders, clockmakers and the tradesmen/designers who organized their manufacture and sale, these foreign-made clocks are nonetheless iconic and among the most prized possessions of American museums and collectors. Examples of the more desirable taller clocks like the two at Classical American Homes can be found in the permanent collections of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Winterthur Museum, The White House, and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State. Despite their rarity and value, Dick Jenrette has managed to acquire not only these two ormolu Washington clocks but a third as well, which he purchased for the Americana collection at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. We call that going for the gold. 

We saw this example at the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Maryland. This clock is about ten inches high.