West End Preserv Soc

19 May is the feast of St Dunstan, one of the greatest saints of Anglo-Saxon England, who died in 988. Archbishop of Canterbury during a transformative time for the English church and nation, he was also a talented musician, craftsman and devil-fighter. aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2014/05/an-ang…

It's been an amazing Spring for Scarlet Tanagers visiting Central Park. I'm seeing them almost every day--and occasionally I get a good look. Here's a recent one I really like! ❤️🖤❤️ #Tanagers #CentralPark #birdcpp

Napoleon's tomb (Tombeau de Napoléon) is monument erected at Les Invalides in Paris 🇫🇷 to keep remains of Napoleon following their repatriation to France from Saint Helena in 1840, or retour des cendres, at initiative of King Louis Philippe I and his minister Adolphe Thiers. While the tomb's planning started in 1840, it was only completed two decades later and inaugurated by Emperor Napoleon III on 2 April 1861, after its promoter Louis Philippe I, architect Louis Visconti, and main sculptors James Pradier and Pierre-Charles Simart had all died in meantime. In early 1840, government led by Adolphe Thiers appointed a twelve-member committee (Commission des douze) to decide on location and outline of funerary monument and select its architect. The committee was chaired by politician Charles de Rémusat and included writers and artists such as Théophile Gautier, David d'Angers, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. In April 1840, Commission des douze organised a competition in which 81 architects participated, whose projects were exhibited in the recently completed Palais des Beaux-Arts. After a protracted process, Louis Visconti was selected as project architect in 1842 and finalised his design around mid-1843. Visconti created a circular hollow, or open crypt, beneath the soaring dome of the Invalides. Crypt is accessed through a door flanked by two atlantes by Francisque Joseph Duret, with an inscription above recalling Napoleon's wish to be buried in Paris. It is surrounded by a circular gallery supported by twelve pillars adorned with victories, sculpted by James Pradier until his death in June 1852. On gallery's wall are 10 large relief panels which celebrate Napoleon's achievements, by Pierre-Charles Simart: Pacification de la nation, centralisation administrative, Conseil d'Etat, Code civil, Concordat, Université impériale, Cour des comptes, Code du commerce, Grands travaux, Légion d'honneur. Two additional panels, by François Jouffroy, commemorate the retour des cendres. A cella contains a partly gilded statue of Napoleon in coronation attire, also by Simart. At its centre is a massive sarcophagus which has often been described as made of red porphyry, including in Encyclopædia Britannica as of mid-2021, but is actually a purple Shoksha quartzite mined in Russian Karelia. Sarcophagus rests upon a base of green granite from Vosges. That green granite block rests, in turn, upon a slab of black marble, 5.5×1.2×0.65m, quarried at Sainte-Luce and transported to Paris with great difficulty. In total project used stone from no fewer than 10 different quarries in and outside France, including Carrara marble from Italy and quartzite from Russia. The monument took years to complete, partly because of exceptional requirements for stone to be used. Russian Shoksha quartzite, intended as an echo of the porphyry used for late Roman imperial burials, was quarried in 1848 by Italian engineer Giovanni Bujatti upon Tsar Nicholas I's special permission, and shipped via Kronstadt and Le Havre to Paris, where it arrived on 10 January 1849. Sarcophagus was then sculpted by marbler A. Seguin using innovative steam-machinery techniques. It was almost finished by December 1853, but final stages were delayed by sudden death of Visconti that month and by Napoleon III's alternative project to move his uncle's resting place to Basilica of Saint-Denis, which he eventually renounced after having commissioned plans for it from Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Visconti was succeeded by Jules Frédéric Bouchet and, following the latter's death in 1860, by Alphonse-Nicolas Crépinet [fr]. On 2 April 1861, Napoleon's remains were finally transferred into sarcophagus from nearby chapel of Saint-Jérôme, where they had lain since 1840. Ceremony was somewhat subdued and only Napoleon III, Empress Eugénie, Louis-Napoléon, Prince Imperial, other related princes, government ministers, and senior officials of crown were present. 🎥© simple.history_ (IG) #archaeohistories

#OTD in 1857, Elizabeth Blackwell, the 1st woman doctor in America, opens the 1st hospital for women in America, in our neighborhood at Bleecker & Crosby Street. We look back at Blackwell‘s life + the many places in our neighborhood where she made history: villagepreservation.org/2020/03/25/a-d…

Ede & Ravenscroft of Chancery Lane is said to be the world's oldest continually operating tailors, tracing their history back to the late 17th century. The company supplies wigs and gowns to universities and the legal profession.

Northern Parulas are often heard but rarely seen--and I got my first good look at one this morning. I missed the best shot, but this was a close second. I love when the bird is perched in a beautiful setting! 💙💛💜 #Parula #CentralPark #birdcpp

This week is Rogationtide - an ancient season of prayer and processions to ask for blessings on the land and the fruits of the earth. It's traditionally the time for the chaotic, riotous but important custom of 'beating the bounds'. historytoday.com/archive/out-ma…

May’s full Flower moon rising over Manhattan from the @highlinenyc

Next tour of Spitalfields is Saturday May 9th. Join me for ramble through 2000 years of culture and history at the heart of old London followed by tea and cakes freshly baked to recipe of 1720 served in a 300 year old house overlooking Christ Church. shorturl.at/N8E1T

This Day in Buildings History 🏙️ On May 1, 1931, the @EmpireStateBldg was officially dedicated when Herbert Hoover remotely flipped the switch, lighting up NYC’s newest icon and the world’s tallest building at the time.

Celebrate your birthday at the Empire State Building 🎉 Our Birthday Party Package includes Express Access, a guided visit, 86th Floor Observation Deck views + a private party room (plus optional add-ons). Weekends 10am–3pm. Learn more: esbo.nyc/birthdays-x

It's May Day, the opening of the month which in medieval literature is the most magical time of the year - a season for love, fairies, and marvellous dreams aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-may-… 'When merry and hot is the day, And away be winter showers, And every field is full of flowers...'

Meet me on May Day on the steps of St Paul's for a tour of sightseeing and storytelling, rambling through the alleys and byways of the Square Mile in search of the wonders, the mysteries and the wickedness of the City of London. thegentleauthorstours.com/p/booking

For 25 years, our Spring House Tour has opened doors to the Village’s most remarkable homes. Take a look back at the history, highlights, + hidden gems that made it so special, + get ready for this year’s tour next Sunday!:

A glorious morning in NYC provided the perfect setting to capture this Yellow-rumped Warbler flitting into the light! I love how you can see the sky through its feathers! 🥰🥰🥰 #Warblers #CentralPark #birdcpp

Tonight is St Mark's Eve, a spooky night in British folklore: it's said that if you keep watch in the church porch, you can learn who will die in the coming year. Tonight the devil harvests fernseed, and if you catch it you become 'wise as the devil'... archive.org/details/lincol…

🌸 Feeling pretty in pink! 🌸 Our Kansan cherry trees are blooming all around the Park, showing off their vibrant, double-petaled pink flowers. Use our FREE cherry tracker to plan your visit during the whirlwind of cherry blossom season: bit.ly/3Q171Dg

Good morning, NYC - Just one more day 'till the weekend! 🌅

Alan Shipp is Britain’s only Hyacinth Grower and is also the Custodian of the National Collection of Hyacinths. He has the world’s largest collection of varieties and knows more about this intriguing plant than anyone else alive. spitalfieldslife.com/2026/04/15/ala…

Homeward bound 🌎 Today’s the day our Artemis II astronauts splash down on Earth after their journey around the Moon. Here are ways to watch, starting at 6:30pm ET (2230 UTC): nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/