Thursday, August 19, 2010

Did I Mention That I Went To Harvard?

Okay, I was on vacation at the time... So, last time I said that the next post would take us on the search for higher learning… All I needed to do was hop on the T's red line from the Boston Common and head out to Harvard. Established in 1636, it's the oldest educational institution in the United States. Located in Cambridge Massachusetts, Harvard's campus spreads up to 5000 acres, with approximately 20,000 students, 2,100 faculty members and 10,000 academic appointments in affiliated teaching hospitals.




In front of University Hall is the John Harvard Statue, also known as “The Statue of Three Lies”. The inscription reads “John Harvard, Founder, 1638”. However, these statements are not entirely true. The seated figure is not really John Harvard; there were no authentic photos of him so no one really knows if the likeness is accurate. Also, he was not the founder of Harvard, and the College was founded in 1636 not 1638. John Harvard was a young minister who was Harvard’s first benefactor. Upon his death in 1638 he left half his estate to the institution that now bears his famous name.

Right at the centre of everything is Harvard Square; there’s always a lot of activity here.  While I was taking the photo of the building at the corner of John F Kennedy a local tapped me on the shoulder and said I should zoom in on the third floor window... Is it just a little ironic, or just rather amusing, that you’ll find the offices of Dewey Cheetham & Howe on the Harvard campus?



 
Next time I'll be heading down the road from Harvard for some of my most favourite images so stay tuned.

DC

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