Dorothea Dix Fountain, a Boston Monument

Dorothea Lyne Dix Fountain 

Sculptor   Warren Freederfield      1984 redo replica of 1888 Granite sculpture

Dorothea Lynde Dix (April 4, 1802 – July 17, 1887) was an American activist on behalf of the indigent insane who, through a vigorous program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first generation of American mental asylums. During the Civil War, she served as Superintendent of Army Nurses, her even handed care of both Union and Confederate Soldiers alike.

 But her health broke down, and from 1824 to 1830 she was chiefly occupied with the writing of books of devotion and stories for children. Her Conversations on Common Things (1824) had reached its sixtieth edition by 1869. In 1831 she established in Boston a model school for girls, and conducted this successfully until 1836, when her health again failed. In hopes of a cure, in 1836 she traveled to England, where she had the good fortune to meet the Rathbone family.

 The Rathbones were Quakers and prominent social reformers. Dix met men and women who believed that government should play a direct, active role in social welfare. She was also exposed to the British lunacy reform movement, whose methods involved detailed investigations of madhouses and asylums, the results of which were published in reports to theHouse of Commons.

Dix circa 1850-55
 She was instrumental in the founding of the first public mental hospital in Pennsylvania the Harrisburg State Hospital in 1853.
 The outcome of her lobbying was a bill to expand the state's mental hospital in Worcester, Ma.

The culmination of her work was the Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane, legislation to set aside 12,225,000 acres of Federal land (10,000,000 acres  for the benefit of the insane and the remainder for the "blind, deaf, and dumb"), with proceeds from its sale distributed to the states to build and maintain asylums. Dix's land bill passed both houses of Congress, but in 1854 President Franklin Pierce vetoed it.

Dorothea Dix gave this what appears to be a water fountain for citizens, instead a horse watering stop in the middle of the city of Boston, to the George Thorndikes Angel’s animal humane society for dumb animals.

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" intends to add this granite historical Boston Monument into our next edition.

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us" can be purchased on Amazon.com, Best Sellers Cafe Book Store, Old North Church Gift Shop, Barnes& Noble Book Stores.

Thank you from "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"

With much gratitude I would like to thank everyone who has supported me with my book, "Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us". This past autumn semester has been extremely hectic with my book promotion and public speaking engagements. The Boston Public Libraries and surrounding suburban libraries have been supportive of the historical and artistic significance of our Boston Monuments. The Women's Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Public Schools, The State House Staff, The Beacon Hill Seminars, The Brookline Adult Education Program and the University of Massachusetts Campus at Columbia Point Boston have all been supportive. I am grateful, honored and humbled that so many have expressed to me not only how beautiful my book is but also how useful it has been for them when further understanding the significance of our Boston Monuments.

Each one of the people associated with these institutional groups has felt the artist's ideas, feelings as well as emotions embedded within each of our Boston's sculptures.

More monuments have and are still being created by our American sculptors for our newly recognized  leaders and most recent historical events.

Our monuments speak to us in many ways. The diversity and expanse of age of the people in my audiences impressed me at the conclusion of each talk.

I wish all of you a happy holiday season.

All the best,

Joe Gallo

Remembering John F. Kennedy Assination: 50 years

John F. Kennedy
Outside Beacon Hill State House south lawn Isabel Mcllvain (1943- ), Sculptor Bronze / Stone
This bronze statue of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. Dedicated on May 29, 1990, was designed and sculpted by Isabel McIlvain and paid for by the contributions of pri- vate citizens.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. In 1960 he became the youngest man ever elected president of the United States. He served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

Kennedy represented the state of Massachusetts from 1947 to 1960, first as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and then, in the U.S. Senate. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, was elected President of the United States in 1960, at age 43, against Republican candidate Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections in American history at that time. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963. 

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"can be purchased at Bestsellers Bookstore Cafe, Medford, Ma, Old North Church, USS Constitution Museum, Amazon.com. Barnes & Noble Book Stores.

Dimitri Hadzi sculpture " Omphalos "saved by independent Realestate redeveloper.

Michael Rauseo, a Rockport, MA redeveloper, saves Dimitri Hadzi's sculpture entitled "Omphalos"from Harvard Square Cambridge to Pigeon Cove, Rockport. Cambridge and Boston once a center for manufacturing building tools was immortalized by Hadzi with this 20 ft white & red granite monument. Now, this same sculpture will be recycled to immortalize the once productive Cape Ann Tool Company of Rockport, MA.

Dimitri Hadzi, also created the "Thermopylae" monument in Boston's Government Center, immortalizing two great historical events. One, the Greek Battle of Thermopylae the heroic battle of the few against the many. Two, John F. Kennedy's book, "Profiles in Courage"a study in leadership bravery.

Our sincere thanks to a brave redeveloper , Mr Rauseo.

John F. Paramino & The North Bennet Street School, North End.

Numerous Boston Bronze and Stone Sculptures have been produced by John Francis Paramino in Boston. Just to name a few: on Boston Common John Barry, Marquis de La Fayette, The Founders Monument, The Declaration of Independence and on the Fenway; The World War II monument. Paramino like so many hundreds of graduates from The North Bennet Street School in the North End have been members of a very special talented alumni in our City of Boston.

The North Bennet Street School is America's first Trade School, founded in 1881, specializing in Piano building & tuning, violin construction , watch and jewelry repair and design, and carpentry trades.

Paramino graduated from this school and did further study of design in sculpture working with bronze and stone mediums under the direction of Bela Lyon Pratt creator of "Art and Science "monuments guarding the original entrance of our Boston Public Library. John also took instruction from another world class sculptor, August Saint Gaudens sculptor of "Robert Gould Shaw"monument on Boston Common.

Well wishes to the staff at the New North Bennet Street School location on North Street, North End.

Boston Monuments: Veterans Day 2013

World War II Memorial
Fenway
John Paramino (1889-1956), Sculptor / Tito Cascieri, Landscape Architect Bronze / Stone
Boston, always the leader, built this WWII Monument before our now iconic National WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. This granite ellipse with a winged victory commemorates Boston’s World War II dead.

Boston native John Paramino attended North Bennett Street Industrial School; later he was a pupil of Bela Pratt and assisted both Pratt and Saint-Gaudens. Beginning as a designer of commemorative medals and plaques, Paramino cornered the market on plaque production in Boston under Mayor Curley. In 1931 he was accused by a city councilor of running a monopoly and of charging twice the going rate, but his supporters defended him successfully. Many of the city’s bronze historical markers are signed with his name. Declaration of Independence Monument, The Lafayette Mall Monument, The Commodore John Barry Monument, The Founders Memorial, The Second Church Plaque just to mention a few of his works.

Boston Bronze and Stone Speaks To Us, can be purchsed at Amazon.com and Barns & Noble Bookstores,Old North Church Gift Shop, Bestsellers Cafe Bookstore, etc.. 

Boston's Love of our Boston Redsox and our Boston Monuments!

Nancy Schon's "Make Way for Ducklings " celebrates our Boston Redsox!  As well as our city. Go Sox!

"Boston Bronze and Stone Speak To Us"sold at Amazon.com , Bestsellers Cafe Bookstore, Old North Church Gift Shop, Barnes & Noble, Trinity Church and our local book stores in Boston.