Stepping back to Medieval ages at Cloisters

A visit to the remarkable Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan transported Julie, Dan and Christine to 12th-15th Century Europe on Sunday.

They followed the tour through the building chronologically, seeing artwork and architecture from the Romanesque through the Late Gothic periods.

The Unicorn Tapestries are perhaps the best-known objects at the Cloisters, but there are many other beautiful works, and the museum (a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) does a great job of presenting them in historical context.

It was a return visit for Dan and Julie, who went to the Cloisters on one of their early dates when Julie was in a graduate program at nearby Columbia University.

The day was gloomy and rainy, but that just seemed to add to the atmosphere. It also made for an interesting view from the grounds across the Hudson River.

Have a look at the beautiful stained glass, tapestries and other artwork in Dan's photo album:

Visiting Oz, Times Square and Mr. Morgan's library

Julie and Dan celebrated their anniversary with a weekend in Manhattan on July 7-8.

Saturday evening they dined on Restaurant Row, saw "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theater, strolled through Times Square and then had a drink in the Marriott Marquis lounge overlooking the square - just in time to watch a thunderstorm from behind the glass.

On Sunday they were in the mood for a short visit to an uncrowded museum, and discovered the Morgan Library & Museum at Madison Avenue and 36th Street. The museum incorporates the library built to hold J. P. Morgan's vast collection of books, artworks and antiquities, along with two adjacent Morgan family houses.

This is J. Pierpont Morgan's study, a cozy room with a fireplace, red silk wall coverings and rare books and Renaissance artworks. Here Julie reads descriptions of some of the objects on the wall behind J.P.'s desk.

This is the East Room, or main library. The size of the collection of books is incredible, as is the age of many of the volumes. One wall is dominated by this tapestry.

"The sixteenth-century Netherlandish tapestry over the mantelpiece depicts avarice, one of the seven deadly sins, personified by the mythological King Midas." - Morgan Library & Museum

The library holds three Gutenberg Bibles, printed in 1455, and has one on display at all times.


There are many other books dated as far back as the 1500s, although many of those appear to have been re-bound. They include scores of other Bibles and religious texts as well as works of literature.

Summer college of musical knowledge (Updated with new photos)

Andy is in the midst of a two-week Syracuse University Summer College program. Here he is in front of the Hall of Languages with his SU-grad mom, Julie.

He's in the "Recording Studio Techniques and Practice" program, a hands-on course in the fundamentals of audio production. The classes are held in the recording studios in the university's Schaffer Art Building.

Andy's sister, Christine, took an art course at SU's summer college two years ago. She enjoyed the college experience and the course helped her build her portfolio.

The early word from Andy is that he's finding it very enjoyable and worthwhile as well.

Here are a couple of photos posted on the program's Facebook page that show Andy at work during the second week: On the electronic drum set...


...and at the control panel.
 

Happy Fourth! Independence Day 2012