Monday, March 22, 2021 – SOON THE ISLAND WILL BE IN FULL BLOOM

March 22, 2021

317th Issue

Monday, March 22, 2021

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

AND

SPRING FLOWERS

AFTER A LONG WINTER, CHECK OUT THE BUDS
THAT WILL SOON ERUPT INTO BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOMS

William H. Johnson, Blossoming Trees, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.931

William Henry Holmes, Cherry Blossoms, n.d., watercolor, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Anna Bartsch Dunne, 1962.4.17

William H. Johnson, Flowers, 1939-1940, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.602

Andrey Avinoff, Tulips, ca. 1949, watercolor and pencil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Elizabeth Shoumatoff, 1956.11.6

Frank McClure, Tulips, watercolor, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Frank McClure, 1979.98.356

Gari Melchers, Arranging the Tulips, before 1928, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.73

Louise Cox, May Flowers, 1911, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1911.6.1
This little girl, whose name was Mary, sits with her hands and knee pressed against the pillow, admiring the flowers. The loose brushwork and the informal pose enhance the casual feel of the portrait. Louise Cox was known for her images of children and her ability to work with young, fidgety sitters. In a letter to the buyer of this painting, Cox wrote, “I think the name ‘May Flowers’ would suit the little picture.”

V. G. Van Dalinda, House and Garden, 1939, oil on canvasboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.156
House and Garden depicts an intimate view of a residential garden at its peak. Bright flowers, ferns, and various small shrubs fill the stone flower beds. Slender tufts of grass pop up between the pavers that create the walkway to the modest home. House and Garden represents an idyllic scene absent of people and symbols of modern life. The artist even included a small bluebird in the background, further emphasizing the idea of the garden as a place of beauty and respite.

EDITORIAL

Today, Sunday I spent time in the RIHS Visitor Center Kiosk. Being a lovely spring day we were busy with lots of visitors.

We get requests for all kinds of visitor information the FDR FFP, Cornell, Blackwell House, the Asylum, where to eat, etc.

Unfortunately one common request is WHERE IS THERE BATHROOM?

We send people to Bloomberg Center or all the way down to Soutpoint Park.

The lack of public restrooms here is disgraceful. Why should Cornell be the easiest to reach toilet. Under Susan Rosenthal, Related agreed to build a comfort station at Firefighters Field. This was recently canceled or delayed.

Spring and Passover are coming with thousands of visitors arriving on the island and no public bathrooms.

Shelton Haynes, as CEO of RIOC it is your responsibility to have pubic bathrooms.

Time to rent the port-a-potties.

JUDITH BERDY

MONDAY PHOTO

Send your entry to ROOSEVELTISLANDHISTORY@GMAIL.COM

WEEKEND PHOTO

PASSENGER SHIP TERMINAL

LISA FERNANDEZ, ARON EISENPEISS, ED LITCHER AND ANDY SPARBERG GOT IT!!!

Text by Judith Berdy
Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website
Edited by Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c)

Sources:

SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
WIKIPEDIA

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