Friday, November 19, 2010

Friday Foto Quiz #19

Know what "mountain" this is? Don't say but you can still leave a comment. I'll try to post the answer on Monday.

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz #18

Yes, this is "The Thinker" by Rodin. If you are good with Wikipedia and Google Maps, you could positively identify the location from the seesaw sign in the background. Scroll down for more.


















Originally named "The Poet", the sculpture portrays Dante contemplating his poem about the gates of hell  depicted below at the same location.



















These pictures were taken at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. There are 10 full size bronze versions of The Thinker in the United States, 2 of them in the bay area at Stanford University and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.




The museum in Philly had a large collection of hand sculptures. I knew little about bronze sculptures before this visit. The originals were carved in wax which are then used to create molds which in turn were used to cast the hollow bronze statues. A complex series of levers is used to exactly duplicate a sculpture into other sizes. The original wax versions are eventually lost.

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia hosts a great number of excellent art, history and science museums. Check'um out.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday Foto Quiz #18

There are 10 of these full size bronze sculptures in the United States. I left a clue or 2 in the picture to help you locate where this one is. Don't say here. I'll provide the answer on Monday.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz #17

Any idea where these trees are? Scroll down for more.




















These trees are located in Ferndale, California and are locally known as Coast Cyprus or Gumdrop Trees. I have found little information about that species on the internet but they were fun to look at and must be quite a trick to maintain. Ferndale is a great little town filled with Victorian style houses.We stopped by on the 4th of July during a winding tour of Northern California back in 2006 (I think). Thanks for playing!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Friday Foto Quiz #17

Do you know where this tree is? Feel free to say so but don't reveal the answer. I'll do that on Monday. click the picture for a larger view.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Answer - Friday Foto Quiz #16

Did you recognize the reflection in this picture? Scroll down for more.





















Fort Point is a National Historic Site and part of the the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was built between 1853 and 1861 to protect San Francisco during the Civil War. It is the brick building in the bottom picture in the foreground underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

The fort is open to walk around Friday through Sunday and is free. The entire fort is also a museum hosting a recreation of civil war era life. Climb the granite circular staircases to the roof for spectacular views of the bridge, the bay and the city.

The bridge was specially engineered to save the fort from demolition and is a "must see" stop on my tour of the city.

It was raining during my last visit. Thanks to my sister for suggesting reflection shots in the puddles. I received several correct answers this week. Thanks for playing.