it started with a wax hand...
I was standing in a line that was so slow-moving I suspected I was part of some social experiment to see how long people will stand in fake lines that don’t move. My daughter, Maya and I had happened upon a fair promoting Massachusetts tourism and she was waiting in line at the Yankee Candle tent to dip her hand in hot, melted wax - just for “fun.”
This was one of our 3 hot days in June – and it was probably the worst day to carry home a wax hand in a plastic bag, but if an activity is free, interesting to a 10 year old, and doesn’t involve me chasing the kickball down a hill because I overthrew on an out attempt, then I’m into it. I whined about my thirst, worried about sunscreen and threw dirty looks toward the dog in front of us, but Maya patiently waited. I spotted a copy of Yankee magazine’s May/June issue on a nearby table and flipped through descriptions of lovely New England scenes. I was so pleased to see this short article about the treasures of the Boston Public Library. It has long been one of my favorite (indoor) escapes in this city, and it deserves more appreciation for the many treasures that have come to rest within its gilded halls.
No exaggeration...
The Boston Public Library holds some amazing collections of art, sculpture, prints, manuscripts, rare books, and plenty more. The McKim building itself (what I refer to as the “old” building) is a National Historic Landmark. I urge everyone who lives in or visits Boston to step inside and explore when you have a bit of time. It is a place where you can spend an hour or a day. You could prowl alone, bring out -of -town guests to show off items museums wish they had, or join an Art & Architecture tour led by an enthusiastic BPL volunteer.
Be sure to enter from Dartmouth Street - the two seated ladies out front (the bronze ones, not the ones asking for change ) represent Art and Science, and have been restored to their youthful glows. Flags fly by day and ornate lamps light up the facade after dusk. The inscription over the entry proclaims the library “Free to All,” the first library in this nation to offer a lending library.
Some of my personal favorites inside:
- The Library Lions: enormous marble lions greet you at the grand staircase. They are actually a memorial to Civil War infantrymen.
- Bates Hall: named in honor of Joshua Bates, whose 1850 $50,000 donation set the library on its path to openness and excellence. This hall is a grand reading room of heavy wooden tables and green lamps set in a marble hall under glorious windows.
- John Singer Sargent Murals: It supposedly took Sargent more than 20 years to paint and install the masterpiece, said to be his first mural project. The theme is Judaism and Christianity - apparently appropriate for a public library in 1915.
- Courtyard: a peaceful and pretty Italianate resting place sits between the historic McKim Building and the modern Johnson Building. A fountain in the center spurts sparkling water amid meticulously cared for greenery. A lovely place to read, utilize the free wi-fi, or gaze at the beautiful architecture
- Exhibits: The library exhibits loot from amongst its immense collection. My favorite was John Adams Unbound, and I look forward to the current show: Cool + Collected: Treasures of the BPL http://www.bpl.org/news/collected.htm
- Online Gem: if you appreciate history or just think old movies are cute, check out these cute short films of Boston loooong ago. Boston at the Movies http://www.bpl.org/online/bostonmovies.htm
Bonus: Boston residents can borrow passes from the library for free or reduced cost entry to many Boston attractions.
The places, restrictions and number of passes vary at different branches, but most offer passes to the Zoo, Aquarium, Museum of Fine Arts, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, as well as the JFK Library, Wheelock Family Theater and the Children's Museum.
Whenever you go, and for whatever reason - maybe you simply want a book - just take this bit of advice I tell everyone passing through Boston : Look Up! Besides being on the lookout for pigeons and, well, you know - much of Boston's beauty is in the wonderfully ornate and interesting buildings. This is true of the BPL inside and out- some awesome art is on the ceiling!
(btw, wax hand made it home, on the bus, and has proven to be a great place to drop unused hairbands.)
