Corning Fountain

These are photos of the Corning Fountain in Bushnell Park, taken on different days.

On the top, I liked the shaft of light hitting part of the fountain on an otherwise dark and cloudy day.

On the left, the sky was cool, but the light on the fountain's figures wasn't especially good, so I cropped it to show off the clouds.

I showed my daughter Susie's winter pictures of this fountain in February. This summer I will try again.

Weekend Reflections: Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts is a ubiquitous coffee and donuts shop in New England.  According to the company's website, there were 9,760 Dunkin' Donuts stores worldwide at the end of 2010, including 6,772 franchised restaurants in 35 states and 2,988 international shops in 30 countries.

One location is in State House Square in Hartford.

It is Friday again.  To see more photographs with reflections, click here.

There is Room for Me!

I don't know who the other gentlemen on this side of Connecticut's Capitol are, but I noticed that they saved a spot for me!

Charter Oak

Back to the Capitol again.  The Charter Oak is the symbol of the State of Connecticut.  There was a huge oak tree in Hartford, dating from the 1200s or 1300s.  In 1662 King Charles II granted Connecticut a charter with extensive autonomy.  His successor, James II, sent an emissary in 1687 to revoke the charter.  Instead of handing over the charter, some leading Connecticut citizens hid it in a hollow spot within the old oak tree.  Here is the State of Connecticut's telling of the tale. 

NEWS FLASH:  NBC last night corrected its earlier report about the closing of the last manual typewriter factory in Mumbai.  Apparently, there is one other small factory still producing typewriters, so they aren't dead yet.

The Last Typewriter

Yesterday on the television news I learned that the last factory making manual typewriters has shut down in Mumbai.

The Royal Typewriter Company was founded in Hartford and based in greater Hartford for many years.  They were bought by Olivetti and have not manufactured typewriters for a decade or so.

These machines are in a display at the Old State House in a "Made in Hartford" exhibit.

Capitol Dudes

  

The state Capitol building has elaborate carvings, with arches, columns, stars, figures and the like. I haven't found a key to the figures on this part of the facade. Given the Puritan hats of the two middle figures, I expect that one of them is Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford.

The Connecticut Great Seal is in the middle arch.  It has three grapevines and a Latin phrase translated as "He who transplanted still sustains."  The origins and interpretation of the symbols are disputed. 

Easter

Happy Easter. 

This photo was taken at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah, during my recent biking trip in the low country of South Carolina and Georgia.

Col. Thomas Knowlton

This is another statue on the grounds of the Connecticut State Capitol.

According to the plaque, Col. Knowlton served in the French and Indian Wars and commanded Connecticut troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  Col. Knowlton fought beside General Washington at the Battle of Harlem Heights, where he died on September 16, 1776 at the age of 36.

Weekend Reflections: University of Hartford Magnet School

The City of Hartford's public school system has been challenged for decades by the issues facing all urban school systems in America.  "Magnet schools" are a major initiative to improve public education.  They are open by application to city students and suburban students, and each has a different focus.  Some magnet schools focus on science and math, others on classical education, still others on the arts.

The University of Hartford has a magnet school for pre-school through the fifth grade on the UHart college campus.  The UHart magnet school applies a theory about multiple intelligences.  I am  not taking any questions about what that means . . . you can click here for the school's explanation. 

See more reflections on Newtown Area Photo every Friday.



Statue on Grounds of the Capitol

A nearby plaque describes Richard Hubbard as a lawyer, a statesman and an orator.

After the Civil War, Hubbard served one two-year term as a U.S. Congressman from Connecticut, but he didn't like Washington, so he declined to be renominated.  Eight years later he was elected Governor of Connecticut and he served one two-year term before declining to run again.  For the rest of his career, Hubbard was one of Hartford's most illustrious lawyers.

I like a guy who has the ability to reach the highest level and yet walks away because he doesn't like it.

Wednesday Doorway: South Windsor

An old house on South Windsor's Main Street could use some love.

Spirit of Victory

Spirit of Victory's dedication reads, “To commemorate the valor and patriotism of the Hartford men/Who served their country in the war with Spain 1898.”

This memorial is on the eastern edge of Bushnell Park.  It was placed in the park in 1927.  The sculptor was Evelyn Beatrice Longman Batchelder, whose work I showed before.

Addendum:  Bushnell Park is named for Horace Bushnell, a 19th century Hartford clergyman.  The Bushnell in Florida's National Cemetery in Florida was a surveyor for the railroads.  (Per Wikipedia.)

Lafayette

General Lafayette and his mount are in a traffic island near a Connecticut state office building.

Comstock Hall

Comstock Hall was built in East Hartford in 1899 as a theater.  It always had retail shops on the first floor.  After being vacant for a while, it was renovated within the past decade but still lives a precarious existence.

Duck!

Trinity College aims a cannon at its own baseball field.  I'm sure there is a good reason . . .

Weekend Reflections: Tax Deadline

U. S. state and federal tax returns are due on April 15 most years, but this year the deadline has been extended until Monday.  Joe is a CPA and accountant who has prepared our tax returns for five or six years.  Our returns have been filed and the checks have been written for another year.

Don't be fooled by Joe's clean desk.  The floor and his sofa were stacked high with clients' tax files.

Like reflections?  Click here to see a list on Newtown Area Photo.



I will be away from April 8 through the 16th, but I have scheduled posts to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs.  See you soon!

Advest

Advest was a very good regional independent stock brokerage firm that was based in Hartford.

Advest was acquired by First Fiduciary, which merged with AmeriMoney, which was sold to Centrobucks, which was acquired by Bancopoop . . .

OK.  You caught me.  I don't remember who bought them.  It was at least a decade ago.

Advest is still around as part of some big financial monolith.  And, their traditional ship symbol is still on a building on Central Row.

Jonathan Edwards

JONATHAN EDWARDS
1703 - 1758

Born at East Windsor

Died at Princeton, New Jersey

Pastor and Theologian

Tutored in Yale College

President College of New Jersey

and one of the leaders

in the Great Awakening

the first spontaneous movement

in the religious life

of the American people.

A lot different from yesterday's Pelican Tattoo shot, isn't it?

I am away but have pre-scheduled posts to show you. While traveling, I can read your comments but I will not have much computer access to respond to your comments or to leave my own comments on your blogs.

Noah Webster House

Noah Webster is one of the best known native sons of greater Hartford.  The famous lexicographer -- dictionary maker -- was born in this house on South Main Street in West Hartford.  The house is owned and maintained by a private non-profit foundation.  It has been open to the public since the 1960s.  The West Hartford Historic Society is affiliated with the foundation and is housed here.



This post is linked to Ruby Tuesday, a blog that features pictures with a little or a lot of red.

I will be away from April 8 through the 16th, but I have scheduled posts to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs. I'll see you all again when I get back!

Pelican Tattoo

Here is a change of pace.

While driving on Park Road in Hartford, I went past this tattoo parlor. 

I didn't go inside.  Honest.

I will be away through April 16, but posts are scheduled to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs.

See you all again when I get back!

The Land of Steady Habits

One of the nicknames for Connecticut is "The Land of Steady Habits."  I don't think it is a compliment. 

As I crossed South Main Street in West Hartford, I counted the cars.  There were 18 cars.  And every one was black or silver or white.  Every one.  18 out of 18.  No red.  No blue.  No yellow.  18 black or silver or white cars.

The Land of Steady Habits.

I will be away from April 8 through the 16th, but I have scheduled posts to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs. I'll see you all again when I get back!

Hartford City Hall

You got a hint of Hartford City Hall on last fall's election day.  Here are two other views. 

I will be away from April 8 through the 16th, but I have scheduled posts to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs. I'll see you all again when I get back!

Weekend Reflections: Bushnell Park

Bushnell Park is a big park in the center of the downtown, just below the Connecticut State Capitol.  The 1990 polished metal sculpture, "Harmony" by Charles O. Perry, is set in a pond near Jewell Street.

When my daughter Susie was guest photographer in January, she showed a winter photo of Harmony.

Please go here to see other Weekend Reflections.



I will be away from April 8 through the 16th, but I have scheduled posts to be shown here during that time. While traveling, I should be able to read any comments you leave on this blog, but I will not have much time to respond to your comments or to leave comments on your blogs. I'll see you all again when I get back!

Lacrosse

It is time to pick out your high school's team shirt and get a lacrosse stick.  The boys' and girls' high school lacrosse seasons start tomorrow.

Lacrosse is a sport derived from the American Indians, using a hand-held webbed stick and a hard rubber ball.  For those unfamiliar with the sport, here is a Wikipedia link.  Most lacrosse is played on the East Coast -- New England, Long Island and Maryland are big areas -- and Canada.

Inns

When I last visited the Connecticut Historical Society, they had an exhibition of inn's signs. 

In the 1700s, every city and town was required to have an inn where travelers could stay for the night.  Because many travelers were illiterate, the inns identified themselves by the paintings on their signs.

A Good Night for Connecticut

UConn 53, Butler 41.

It was an ugly game, but the UConn men's basketball team won the NCAA national championship last night. 

Regrettably, Sunday night the UConn women's team lost to Notre Dame, so they will not play in Tuesday night's women's championship game.

These photos were taken by shooting at the TV screen, so credits go to CBS and the NCAA.

I confused people the past two days with photos of the Connecticut River's floodplain near Hartford.  What you saw is not a problem, it is absolutely normal and happens every year.  There are no permanent structures in the floodplain and it isn't even remarkable enough for the local newspapers to mention.  Hartford had bad flooding in the 1930s, and since then there have been extensive investments in flood control measures.  These low-lying riverfront parks have been rebuilt so they can flood in the spring without much damage.  In fact, having these broad floodplain parks is part of what allows the surplus water to spread out without damaging developed areas.  The water will eventually drain away, grass will grow and the parks will be ready for foot traffic again.

This is not to say that the Connecticut River and its tributaries don't occasionally flood.  They do.  It just hasn't happened here (yet) this year.  For those interested in weather minutiae, if you click here you will see that so far there are no significant flooding problems anywhere in southern New England. 

Great River Park

Same place as yesterday.

Great River Park is part of the riverfront park system along the Connecticut River in East Hartford.  In this image, I am looking upriver, to Hartford's downtown.

Walk?

Walk?  Maybe not yet.

The snow that fell in the winter and the rain that welcomes spring have to go somewhere.  The riverfront parks in greater Hartford are designed to accommodate the usual spring flooding. 

This shot is taken from a boat launch on the Connecticut River in East Hartford.  On the Hartford side of the river is U.S. Route 91 and behind it is the Colt building.  Colt was originally a munitions factory, but today it is largely empty except for some artist lofts and some living units.

Out-of-Town Edges

Here is the one I would have shown yesterday if I let myself post an out-of-town picture.  This was taken last September on a hiking trip in Cinque Terre, five rustic towns on the Italian coast.  We had just finished climbing up that steep hillside, starting near the train station way below.  The middle town, Corniglia, is just above me.

The question was asked:  How many steps?  I didn't count my own, but I have read 377, 382 and "almost 400" steps.  Most hikers are too busy trying to breathe to count their steps.

April Theme Day and Weekend Reflections: Edges

The symbol of Travelers Insurance Company is a red umbrella.

The entrance at Travelers' headquarters building in Hartford is a glass portico with red umbrellas hanging from the ceiling and red umbrellas painted on the walls.  It is entered through a glass revolving door.

If a photographer stands in the revolving door and clicks, there are edges and glass panels and red umbrellas and reflected images everywhere.  Life gets pretty confusing . . .

On the first day of each month, the City Daily Photo community celebrates a theme day.  This month the theme is "Edges," not the easiest of themes.   Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

And, because it is Friday, Newtown Area Photo is again hosting its regular Weekend Reflections feature for those who like reflections in their pictures.