On Thursday I returned to Cambridge to see the other Harvard museums, the Harvard Art Museums. I took the Silver Line bus to South Station and transferred to the Red Line subway. I got off the subway at the Harvard Square Station around 9:13 a.m. The museum did not open until 10:00 a.m. so I walked around Brattle Square and down Mt. Auburn Street and Bow Street.
Harvard Art Museums
I entered the Harvard Art Museums when it opened at 10:00 a.m. There was some construction in front of the museum so there was yellow tape across the ramp but you could still use the side entrance. I saw the modern art first, including one Blue Picasso. I saw some Edgar Degas paintings including his ubiquitous dancer sculpture. And I saw a Max Beckman self portrait. Then I saw some Asian art followed by Medieval Christian art. On the second floor I saw the striking Apotheosis of Louis-Adolphe Thiers by Jehan Georges Vibert and Jacob and the Angel by Gustave Moreau. There was a portrait of Mary Elizabeth Robbins by William Morris Hunt. I don’t think I am related to her. I saw a couple of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti; Beata Beatrix and The Blessed Damozel.
The museum had some ancient Greek and Roman art including more red-figure pottery and some Egyptian statuettes.
At the Lightbox Gallery on the 5th floor I saw the A.K. Burns: Survivor’s Remorse exhibit on the life and art of David Wojnarowicz. I was vaguely familiar with David Wojnarowicz because he was associated with the NYC underground film movement, Cinema of Transgression.
After leaving the Harvard Art Museums I visited the nearby Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts which had just opened at 12:00 p.m. They opened the doors when they saw me show up. I looked though their art journals and was tempted by a small paperback but I didn’t want to carry something around for the rest of the day. I went into one gallery of student thesis work. I then walked through Harvard Yard and saw the Widener Library.
Next I walked along Church Street and photographed some murals and then around Brattle Street again. I had coffee ice cream at J. P. Licks. Then I went to Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage and had pink lemonade and a BLT.
Inman Square
I walked down Massachusetts Avenue, taking photos of various establishments. Then I walked up Prospect Street to find Inman Square. I located The Druid, Bukowski Tavern, All Star Sandwich Bar, Punjabi Dhaba, 1369 Coffee House, Ryles Jazz Club, and City Girl Cafe but I didn’t actually do anything at Inman Square. I walked back to Massachusetts Avenue and took some photos of Central Square Theatre again. Then I walked all the way to MIT again but this time I found Lab Central. I tried to visit List Visual Arts Center but they were installing something so I only got to see one lame little gallery with nothing but geometric shapes. I walked to Kendall Square and saw the Kendall Hotel and The COOP at MIT. I rested a bit at the Galaxy: Earth Sphere Fountain.
Then I walked along the 101 Main Building where many technology companies have offices and found the Broad Canal Walk behind it. I managed to find First Street and stopped in at Toscanini’s Ice Cream where I had some coconut raisin ice cream. I was attracted to the River Court Condominiums which looked like an old , massive brick building but with some unusual architecture on the top terraces. The building seemed to have its own little neighborhood on its roof which caught my fancy.
I finally reached CambridgeSide Galleria where I used the restroom. I ordered an iced coffee at Starbucks to kill some time and take my pills. I found the Newbury Comics store at this mall and looked around but did not buy anything. I took a few photos of the Hubspot building because I had read a book about this technology company, Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start Up Bubble by former employee Daniel Lyons. I sat outside the Lechmere Canal Park behind the CambridgeSide Galleria and watched a few tour boats arrive and leave.
CambridgeSide Galleria
At around 5:40 p.m. I walked back to Kendall Square, passing through Broad Canal Walk. I took the subway back to Central Square and went to Cheapo Records were I bought a CD, Every Breath You Take: The Singles by The Police. Then I went to Caffe Nero across the street and ordered a coffee to kill more time before the play I was going to see at the Central Square Theater.
Central Square Theater
I saw the play The Women Who Mapped The Stars by Joyce Van Dyke at Central Square Theater. I enjoyed this show more than I expected. It was about female astronomers who made great discoveries even though they were often denied access to telescopes, credit for their discoveries, and the opportunity to do research work instead of mindless cataloging of stars.
When I got back to the Seaport District I took some photos of the Boston skyline at night.
