Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Boston Baseball Monuments and Statues 2013




The 2013 baseball season is upon us, and with this sport Boston's Public Art and artists have created memorable athletic individuals and positive roll models for us all.

Two monuments celebrating "Ted Williams "by Franc Talarico and "Teammates" by Antonio Tobias Mendez are both artist and tell us about the meaning of American baseball.

Williams was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, led the league in batting six times, and also was a Triple Crown winner. A nineteen-time All Star, he had a career batting average of .344, with 521 home runs and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30,1918 – July 5, 2002), was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox (1939-1942 and 1946-1960).

Williams was the last player in Major League Baseball to bat over .400 in a single season (.406 in 1941). Williams holds the highest career batting average of anyone
with 500 or more home runs. His career year was 1941, when he hit .406 with 37 HR, 120 RBI, and 135 runs scored. His .551 on base percentage set a record that stood for 61 years. Nicknamed “The Kid”, “The Splendid Splinter”, “Teddy Ballgame”, and “The Thumper” because of his hitting prowess, Williams’ career was twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot. An avid sports fisherman, he hosted a television show about fishing and was inducted into the IGA Fishing Hall of Fame.

Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters who ever lived, an American patriot, and a pioneer in the development of the Jimmy Fund. Ted will forever be one of the great heroes in the history of baseball, Boston, and America. He amassed 521 home runs despite sacrificing five years in his prime to serve his country during World War II and the Korean War. He was a relentless champion of children, such as this child to whom he is offering his cap, in their battles against cancer, and helped make the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Center Institute the world renowned center of research it is today.

"Ted Williams"Monument outside of Fenway Park
"The memory of Ted Williams will forever be a point of pride for the Boston Red Sox, the people of Boston, New England, and the United States of America. Dedicated this 16th day of April, 2004."
(Taken from the Bronze)

"Teammates"

"The Red Sox fans the world over, they are simply known as Bobby, Ted, Dom and Johnny."

(Taken from the Bronze)

These are our Red Sox Hall of Famers. Williams, Pesky, Doerr and DiMaggio have a permanent home at Fenway Park. Watching Ted Williams on TV hit home runs out of Fenway Park was a Sunday ritual for my father and I, as for many of us in Boston.

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"by Joe Gallo is a guidebook mapping and story telling of Boston's Monuments and Statues dotting our parks and streets of the City of Boston.



Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Boston monuments: Updated Fall 2013 Schedule Talks

September 18, 2013 at 11:30 am  at The Osher Lifelong Learning Instituteat UMass Boston

September 25, 2013 at 1:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Seminars, Boston

September 30, 2013 at 6:30 pm at the Brookline Adult Education Center, Brookline

October 2, 2013 at 1:00 pm at Beacon Hill Seminars, Boston

October 9, 2013 at 1:00 pm at Beacon Hill Seminars, Boston

October 16, 2013 at 1:00 pm at Beacon Hill Seminars, Boston

October 23, 2013 at 1: 00 pm at Beacon Hill Seminars, bostton

Nov 13, 2013 at 8:00 pm at the AAUW( American Association of University Women), Melrose- Wakefield

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us " can be purchased at Amazon.com and our website www.bostonbronzeandstone.com

Thursday, May 23, 2013

News Flash: Joe Gallo of "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" On TV once again!

Joe Gallo of "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" once again on Chronicle Channel 5 TV Memorial Day evening 7:30 PM


Copies can be purchased on Amazon.com and our website www.bostonbronzeandstone.com

New fall talks and schedule for Joe Gallo "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" : lectures on Boston Monuments.

 On September 18, 2013 between 11.31AM and 1:00 pm Paula Ogier of the UMass Boston Osher Lifelong Institute of Learning , has asked me to give a talk about Boston's Bronze and Stone Monuments. All are welcomed!


Joe Gallo will be conducting a five week lecture course at the Beacon Hill Seminars school of learning. The Wednesdays between September 25, 2013 and October 23, 2013.

The course description and outline follow:



Session one
 Overview of why Boston monuments, in particular, sculptures are important to us as Bostonians and Americans
Introduction to the survey of eighteen neighborhoods containing these works of art
Boston common: A closer look, America’s first public space; mapping and discussing the monuments within its boundaries
Open discuss of these bronze and stone with respect to Americas history and Boston’s art community
Commodore John Barry, Marque de Lafayette, Boston Massacre Monument. Edward Filenes stone, Robert Gould Shaw, frogs, etc..
Questions and discussions


Session two
Discussion of Boston public gardens with respect to the monuments within it.
A closer look at George Washington, Ether Monument, Triton Babies, Edward Everett Hale, William Ellery Channing, Thomas Cass, Wendell Phillips, etc..
Commonwealth ave neighborhood and its sculptures at every block with their relationship to the Back Bay concept of first planned residential, commercial and cultural neighborhood based on the French design and influence
In field:
Visit to king’s chapel, a museum of Americas first sculptures their significance for Boston’s, America’s history and for Americas art history
Visit to school street & old city hall outside monuments
Questions and discussions


Session three
Discussion of the sculptures and artisans of Copley place
The significance for both Boston and America. Respect to edifices surrounding this uniquely designed public space
In Field:
Visit to state house outside area and it’s monuments
Discussion of their historical significance and their creative artists

Session four
Downtown monuments their historical importance and their respective public space and architectural surrounding buildings
A closer look at the “Boston Bricks” sculpture, Robert Burns monument, The Aspiration of Freedom Monument, etc..
Discussion of humanism and Boston monuments
George Thorndike angel, Dorothea  Dix, William Ellery Channing
Questions and discussion

Session five

Northend and waterfront monuments their historical importance to bostons’ past and future, oldest public streets and parks of Boston

A closer look at the Second church plaque; Bulfinch’s masterpiece, Paul revere, George Washington bust

Course overview questions and discussions


Copies of "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" can be purchased at Amazon.com or www.bostonbronzeandstone.com






Saturday, May 18, 2013

Memorial Day Boston Momuments and Statues 2013.




“In 1868, Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan issued General Order No. 11 calling for all Departments and Posts to set aside the 30Th of May as a day for remembering the sacrifices of fallen comrades, thereby beginning the celebration of Memorial Day.” (Taken from the Stone) right photo.

Thus began the birth of our Memorial Day Weekend, Boston, MA.

Numerous War memorials punctuate the parks and streets of the city of Boston with the Revolutionary Column on the State House's grounds to mention one of the first in the nation. below

The Civil War memorial 'The Soldiers and Sailors Monument" in The Boston Common by Martin Milmore commemorates all sectors of our countries sacrifice during the Civil War years.

"In honor off all veterans who served in the Armed Services of the United States in the first world war to preserve democracy and freedom. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts erects this tribute and records the peoples prayer for lasting liberty and peace."(Taken from the Bronze)

The above bronze monumental plaque by sculpture Emilius Ciampa is found in the halls of our Massascusetts State House. This memorial thanks our WWI military for their ultimate sacrifice.

The World War II Memorial on the Fenway by John F. Paramino memorializing all who gave their lives for our country defending our freedoms.


"Forever remembered in stone are our soldiers who defend our American freedom. Let us all hope that no more of these monuments to the dead will ever be need once there is an end to the conflicts in the Middle East."

In the early morning hours of 23 October 1983, a truck loaded with explosives crashed through the security perimeter of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. In the explosion that followed, 241 U.S. Military personnel were killed and 80 seriously wounded. Nine of these killed were from Massachusetts. These nine young men are clearly honored here. These young people, on a mission of peace in a land stricken by violence, were killed as they slept. They are remembered here in grateful appreciation of their sacrifice on behalf of freedom.

Finally above, Boston's latest tribute and respect given to our troops who have recently sacrificed their lives for our freedoms, "The Old North Church Memorial Garden" created Rev Patricia Handloss and a committee( Jai Wei Wu, Norma Hobbs, Howaed Kaye, Christian Kulikoski, Lisa Shiller, Julliane Murphy, Andrew DeMaio, Dorothy Redmond, Brooks Brooksbank, Mailyn Kuilkonski) aand also assisted by American relatives and various religious groups who lost love ones in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars using nameless dog tags representing their fallen heros.

In addition, The Memorial was built by parishioners from Old North Church, the children from St John's School, members of the North End Community and numerous tourists who were traveling through as the memorial was being built.

Memorial Day began in Boston, "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" , a Boston guidebook salutes and celebrates our fallen heros through Boston's Public Monuments and Statues.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Talk schedule for "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"

Joe Gallo will be speaking about "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"at the following locations this winter/ spring 2013 time frame:

January 10 , 2013 at 2:00 PM at The Boston Cable Channel 9 Commonwealth Ave Boston, Ma


February 4, 6:00 PM at the Pearl Room BSA in 290 Congress Street , Boston ; Boston Society of Architects, for the "Boston By Foot" docents.

"The talk directed for the dedicated docents of 'Boston By Foot' organization, I believe was successful. The new and different manner that we shall all view the numerous and artistic quality bronze and stone sculptures in our city of Boston's parks, streets, and public buildings has been enhanced by this discussion."


February 11, 2013 at 6:30 PM Boston Public Library 630 Adams Street, Dorcester, Ma


March 5, 2013 at 6:30 PM  Faneuil Branch BPL, 419 Faneuil Street , Brighton Ma

March 7, 2013 at 7:00 PM North Reading Library, 147 Park Street , North Reading , MA

March 19, 2013 at 7:00 PM Tewksbury Public Library, 300 Chandler Street, Tewksbury, MA

April 29, 2013 at 6:30 PM 690 Adams Street, Dorcester, Ma

April 23, 2013 at 6:30 PM South End Branch , 685 Tremont Street, Boston, Ma

May 14 2013 at 7:00 PM Helena Flint Library 147 Park ave , North Reading, MA

May 28 2013 at 7:00 PM Tewsksbury Public Library, 300 Chandler Street , Tewsbury MA

June 6, 2013 at 2:00 PM Boston Public Library main branch "The Never To Late Club" 700 Boylston Street, Boston Ma