Tag Archives: war

Knights of Columbus

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Knights of Columbus Museum
New Haven, Connecticut
January 26, 2019

We went back to New Haven at the end of January for the annual gathering of a student group we both belonged to when we were students at Yale. While most of our time was spent socializing with fellow Old Blues and current undergraduates, we took a little time for – what else? – checking out some local museums.

We had found information online about the Knights of Columbus Museum, when we were looking up Sunday Mass times at St. Mary’s church near campus.  The Knights were formed in New Haven in 1882, at St. Mary’s parish by Father Michael J. McGivney, so it is appropriate that their museum is located in that city.  We were impressed with the museum.  It is large, newly built, and well furnished.  We had not realized how big it was when we planned our visit, so spent our limited time viewing mostly the special exhibitions.  We left the permanent collection for another time.

There is a gallery near the museum entrance devoted to Father McGivney. When we visited, a relic of St. John Paul the Great was also on temporary display in the McGivney gallery, namely a piece of the cassock the pope was wearing when he was shot in 1981.  We spent a few minutes in silent prayer then moved on to the other exhibits.

We were particularly interested in the special exhibition on World War I, which will continue its run through April 14.  It offered general information about the causes of the war and other general information, but most of the displays focused on the experience of the soldiers.  There was an excellent video playing with archival footage near the entrance.  In another area there were replica uniform jackets and helmets that visitors can try on, which we did.  Near that was a sample pack visitors can lift, to get an idea what infantry soldiers had to carry when they were on the march.  Actual historic uniform jackets, helmets, and caps were also displayed.  One room was designed as a sample trench, and it gave a good idea of the height and dimension of an actual trench.  It was clean and dry, though – not at all like the miserable muddy and vermin infested reality the troops had to endure.

Other display cases contained a wide range of personal items once carried by soldiers, such as books, playing cards, a sewing kit, soap and other toiletries, and musical instruments, to name just a few.  There were also several pieces of trench art – some soldiers carved bullet and shell casings during their waiting time in the trenches, making pieces like the scrimshaw carved by sailors in earlier generations.  One soldier had carved the Knights of Columbus logo on the wall of a limestone cave, and a cast of that piece was on display.

Near the end of that exhibit was a large display devoted to Father John B. DeValles, the “Angel of the Trenches.”  Father DeValles was born in the Azores in 1879 and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents as a young child.  He served as a parish priest in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  When the war began, he was appointed as the Knights of Columbus chaplain attached to the 104th Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division and was one of the first K of C chaplains to arrive in France.  Later he was commissioned as a chaplain in the regular U.S. Army.  He often entered No-Man’s Land to search for wounded and dying Allied and German soldiers.  Father John, as he was known to the troops, risked his life on many occasions.  Once, he did not return to the trenches, and searchers found him unconscious and wounded next to a dead soldier whom he had been trying to help.  His injuries damaged his health, and although he survived to return to the U.S., he died from complications of his wounds in May 1920.  He was only 41 at the time.  He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guerre, and the Legion of Honor.  General Edwards, who presented the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously said that he had known men as brave as Father DeValles but not braver.  Photos and a summary of his service can be seen on this video of a recent Massachusetts National Guard ceremony honoring him.

After the World War I exhibit, we strolled through the Christmas in Poland exhibit.  There were some beautiful creches of a type known as szopka, commonly made in and around Krakow. They are shaped like miniature churches, often with multiple floors, and contain nativity figures and other scenes inside them.  Some looked a bit like dollhouses, open to show the rooms and figures inside.  In addition to szopkas from Poland, the museum also displayed many made by local Connecticut students, as part of a competition sponsored by Polish cultural groups.

The museum is free, and it offers free parking under the building.  Donations are welcome, of course.  It is fully accessible.  Staff were numerous, cheerful, and helpful.  We really enjoyed our visit, and to any Knights who read our blog, we say thanks for supporting this excellent facility.

Art Sampler

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San Diego Museum of Art
Balboa Park
January 6, 2019

Our first museum trip of 2019 echoed our 2018 start. We used our Balboa Park Explorer passes to visit the San Diego Museum of Art. This time we concentrated our attention on two temporary exhibitions. The first showcased World War I propaganda posters; the second featured early 20th century prints that are not often displayed, due to light sensitivity.

We also spent some time in the permanent collection, viewing the gallery with European devotional art. El Greco is one of Meredith’s favorite artists, and his painting The Penitent St. Peter hangs at the entrance to that room. Further inside the room we got into a spirited discussion with a fellow enthusiast, comparing notes about the historic St. Nicholas, 4th century bishop of Myra, whose legend has evolved in odd ways to become the modern Santa Claus.

Hadrian’s Wall

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Hadrian’s Wall
Northern England
June 17-24, 2017

We traveled to Scotland and England in June, primarily to see and walk along what remains of Hadrian’s Wall, a World Heritage Site. The emperor Hadrian ordered the wall to be built, to defend the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain and to regulate trade across it. The legions built it, and Hadrian came to inspect it in 122 A.D. The wall itself was about 73 miles long, stretching from Wallsend in the east to Solway Firth in the west.

The modern Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail is 84 miles long. We walked approximately 30 miles of it, including the central section between Chollerford and Birdoswald. That is the section where the most visible remains of the original wall and the associated fortifications can still be seen. It is also the section with the steepest hills and most dramatic scenery. The trail is well marked with acorn symbols and other signage.

We stayed in the town of Hexham and traveled by local bus (the “AD122” route) out to stops along the wall trail for each day’s hiking.

At first we walked over gently rolling hills. When we reached the Whin Sill rock formation we hiked up and down steep hills for a couple of days. The views were spectacular and well worth the exertion.

After that the terrain once again became more gently rolling hills. All along the way we walked past and through farms, mainly open meadows with flocks of sheep. We often climbed up and over stiles to get into and out of farm fields, and other times walked through “kissing gates.” We occasionally had to walk through cattle pastures. We had one particularly unnerving encounter, edging slowly around a bull and his cows, trying not to get between any cow and her calf.

We were amused by the sheep grazing over and around an ancient temple of Mithras which was located in the middle of their owner’s land. Meredith insisted on getting a photo of one sheep standing by the Mithraic altar; perhaps symbolic of the victory of the Lamb of God over ancient pagan faiths?

The best remains of the wall are in the most inaccessible areas, for the quite practical reason that it was easiest for builders in subsequent centuries to recycle (plunder) stones from the areas of the wall they could reach more easily.

When intact the wall was about 15 feet high and 8 to 10 feet wide. Each side of it was built with well cut rectangular stones and mortar; the middle of the wall was filled with rubble – roughly shaped stones — and mortar. Along the wall the Romans built several major forts. In between those large forts they built small forts called milecastles, which were staffed by detachments of 10 to 30 soldiers. Like the large forts, milecastles had gates through the wall. In between the milecastles the Romans built turrets, which were staffed by a couple of soldiers. Those were guard posts which did not contain gates through the wall. In addition to the wall, the Romans dug deep ditches on both sides of the wall, and even where the wall can no longer be seen, the remains of one or both of those ditches is often visible. We saw the ruins of a number of milecastles and turrets as we walked, and here is a photo of Bob at one of them:

We toured what remains of the forts at Wallsend, Chesters, Housesteads, and Birdoswald. There are excellent museums associated with each of those, although unfortunately for us the Birdoswald museum was closed for renovations. We also walked over and around the ruins of the fort at Great Chesters, which is mostly buried under a working farm. There we saw an ancient Roman altar, standing out in the middle of the farmer’s field, covered with modern “offerings” in the form of coins from many different countries.

We were blessed with generally good weather. For the first two days of our hiking the weather was sunny and about 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. We were amused to hear the locals complain about how terribly hot it was; it seemed like normal San Diego weather to us! After that front moved on, the weather stayed partially sunny for several more days but with highs during the day in the mid 60’s; seemed cool to us, but great for hiking. It was windy most days, especially in the afternoons, and we had to be careful not to lose our hats. We had hard rain just one day, the final hiking day when we walked the area around the Birdoswald fort.

We visited museums along the way and will have to write separately about a few of those highlights.

Heritage Park

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Heritage Park
Lynnwood, Washington
May 27, 2017

We ventured out from San Diego, and flew north to spend Memorial Day weekend with our daughters who live in Washington State, near Seattle. We brought the California weather with us – sunny and in the 80’s.

Our youngest daughter teases us that our super power is finding a museum anywhere. Bob rose to that challenge. On Saturday we bought sandwiches to go at a local Subway then headed to Heritage Park in the Alderwood area of Lynnwood, a town just north of Seattle. We enjoyed a picnic outside, under a pine next to ferns and moss-covered rocks – things you definitely do not see in Southern California!

After the picnic we explored the historic buildings and small museums located in Heritage Park. At each stop we met and chatted with docents who excelled in both enthusiasm and knowledge. All exhibits offered free admission; we left donations in the various donation jars.

First stop was the Wickers Building, known originally as the Alderwood Manor Main Store. This building was built 1919 and used as a general store for much of its existence, then as a plumber’s shop and finally as an appliance parts store. Like the other Heritage Park structures, it was relocated to this spot; it would otherwise have been demolished to make room for the freeway. Inside the building we chatted with the woman running the visitor center, whose knowledge of Washington State was truly encyclopedic. She seemed to want to plan outings for us for every day of our visit.

We then stepped into the newly opened Northwest Veterans Museum, a one room museum with a good, and varied, display of artifacts in display cases, one case for each major war from World War I to the present. This small museum was run by two knowledgeable volunteers, and they had a plate of delicious homemade cookies on offer. Among the artifacts was a uniform that had belonged to Col. Mary V. Fager, an Army nurse who served from World War II to the 1970’s.

After seeing the Veterans Museum, we went upstairs to tour what had been the apartment space for the Wickers family, who ran the store for several decades. It was furnished with the sort of items they might have had around 1934 when their daughter was born.

Our second stop was Interurban Car 55, the last survivor of six trolley cars that served the Alderwood – Seattle – Everett electric car line from 1910-1939. It was used as a roadside diner for a while after its retirement. It has since been beautifully restored. We looked at the trolley car from a distance; it is fenced off most of the time. A docent who saw us admiring it came out to tell us that there will be an open house on June 10 when visitors can go inside the enclosure and into the car itself. We told our daughter she should plan to go back and see it then.

We then went into the Superintendent’s Cottage, which dates from 1917. This building was the home for the superintendent of the Demonstration Farm, a large hatchery. In 1922 Alderwood Manor, Washington was the second largest egg producer in the nation. Who knew? Inside that cottage there are fascinating sets of “then and now” photos of locations in and around Lynnwood, and also maps of the area over the past century of development. We learned the origin and backstory of several local landmark buildings.

Our final inside visit was to the Humble House, and even though we arrived when it was officially closing, the volunteer on duty insisted we come in. That cottage was built in 1919 and is typical of the farmhouses in the area at that time. The local genealogy society keeps its library in the cottage. We chatted with the woman on duty, who like us has roots in Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts. Together we chuckled a little over the local view that things that date back only a century are “old” – not the frame of reference we have in New England, first settled in the 17th Century, or even in California, with Spanish missionaries founding Mission San Diego in 1769.

Next to Humble House is a gigantic rhododendron. We were impressed with its size and profuse blooms, then later noticed many more large rhododendrons as we drove around. Like the ferns, not something we see much of in Southern California. Funny how well plants grow when you give them some water.

Before we left the park we walked around the Water Tower. This structure, like the Superintendent’s Cottage, was part of the Demonstration Farm. It has been relocated but not yet restored. There is no water tank on top of it, and the interior is not open for visitors. The historical society wants to refurbish it but lacks funds to do so currently.

Getty Center — Turner

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Getty Center
Sepulveda Pass
March 8, 2015

We went to the Getty Center primarily to see the special exhibition J. M. W. Turner, Painting Set Free. We first stopped in the museum café, though, and had some sandwiches. It was a beautiful sunny and clear day, so we seated ourselves near the windows and had a good view of the gardens and the surrounding hills while we ate.

We then went to the Research Institute building on the Getty campus, to see a special exhibition of art associated with the First World War: World War I: War of Images, Images of War. There were propaganda images from all the major countries involved in the war, both Allies and Central Powers. They were also drawings by artists caught up in the war, illustrating the horrors of war and its aftermath. At the end of the exhibit short video clips were running, from silent movies made soon after the end of the war. Those videos recreate the battlefield, as imagined by filmmakers soon afterwards. That exhibition closes on April 19, 2015, and we had been planning to see it for quite a while, since we are both interested in history generally and the history of World War I in particular.

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We then went on to the special exhibition building. The Turner exhibition focuses on the last decade and a half of his life. We both liked his nautical paintings, particularly Snow Storm—Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth, which is the iconic painting used in the museum’s poster for the exhibition. Also of interest were the series of watercolors he did while traveling in Europe. He used those as studies to show potential patrons, who could then commission a larger oil painting of the subject. The watercolors themselves were well done and capture the imagination although they are smaller and simpler than his oil paintings. Several of the large oil paintings in the gallery were unfinished. Turner painted the base and general background on those but had not added detail. Bob was very interested in his painting Hero of a Hundred Fights, showing an industrial forge and reworked to add a bronze statue of the Duke of Wellington being removed from its mold. The Turner exhibition will be at the Getty through May 24, 2015. There was an extensive review of the exhibition in the Los Angeles Times about two weeks before we went.

Margaret grew tired near the end of the exhibition and wanted to leave early, so Meredith took her out while Bob finished looking at paintings in the last gallery, then we swapped off, and Meredith went back into the exhibition. Bob and Margaret strolled around on the plaza level and enjoyed the view out over the pass looking south.

Admission to the Getty is free, but parking costs $15. Despite numerous signs telling people to pay at a machine before going back to the car, we managed to get stuck in the exit lane behind someone who failed to do so. After that minor delay we headed back to the Valley and met up with Kathleen, Meredith’s sister, for coffee.

Wheelchair access at the Getty is very good. There are several levels but the buildings mainly connect just at the plaza level, so one has to go up and down in elevators as you move from one building to another, and the elevators can be a bit slow.

Museum of the San Fernando Valley

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Museum of the San Fernando Valley
Northridge
January 3, 2015

A brand new museum in the San Fernando Valley, near where Margaret lives? We are so there! We read about this museum in the Los Angeles Times, which ran an article when the museum opened in December.

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The museum is in an office building, at 18860 Nordhoff Street in Northridge, in a relatively small suite on the second floor. Although it is not large, it is well laid out, and the exhibits are well labeled. The docents were friendly and very well-informed. There were three volunteers working the museum, basically one per room, and they were all enthusiastic. We think this museum has the highest docent per square foot ratio we have seen.

The World War II room has a corner devoted to the remarkable ace pilot Clyde East, including a piece from the fuselage of his fighter plane “Lil Margaret.” A QR code on the wall gave us a link to an extensive video about him. Clyde retired to the Valley after a long and distinguished career in the military and just passed away within the last year. Museum volunteer Art Sherman was on duty and showed us around that room, explaining all the items on display, including items he had donated to the museum from his time in the Army Air Force, as a bombardier and intelligence officer. Among various items in the room are interesting photos of the camouflaging on the Lockheed facility, several aerial maps, and photos of the “Wings over Wendy’s” veterans group which meets in West Hills.

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Another room features photos and artifacts provided by the Westmore family, leading make up and hair design artists in Hollywood for many years. Other walls feature photos taken by leading photographers Leigh Wiener and George Hurrell, historical photos from the Valley News, and architectural photos of noted Valley buildings, both old and modern.

The final room is devoted to art created by Valley artists, most notably sculptor Henry Van Wolf.

The museum organization has existed for about a decade, but this is their first opportunity to display their collection in space of their own. They have done an excellent job. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. The museum is currently only open three days a week.

Wheelchair accessibility was fine, with an elevator up to the second floor. Parking was ample and free, at least on the Saturday we visited.

The website needs a little updating; it appears to date from before the opening, when the “museum” was just an organization with a collection but no site to display it. Hopefully the website will be updated soon, to reflect the recent opening and give potential visitors easier access to practical information like opening times.

We had lunch at Maria’s Italian Kitchen in Northridge before going to the museum. We have eaten there before, and other family members like it, too. Food and service were both excellent. Margaret had a chicken panini; Bob had a meatball sandwich; and Meredith had a salad. We were all pleased with our food.

Over lunch we filled Margaret in on family business. She was sorry to hear of her older sister’s recent hospitalization, and we helped her write a get well card.