Tag: verdigris

Daedalus crew working on Tablet Rock plaque Stage Fort Park #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

September 2023. Ladders up for Daedalus crew powerwashing the ‘founder’s plaque’ on Tablet Rock in Stage Fort Park.

work in progress photos: Daedalus restoration

About

The enormous 20th Century plaque on Tablet Rock in Stage Fort Park commemorating the first permanent European settlement, the “Founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1623”, was dedicated in August 1907. James R. Pringle was designated to write the inscription. The execution of the design and bas relief border was by Eric Pape.

“The nautical scheme of decorative framework and embellishment was the composite suggestion” of various committees dating as far back as the 1880s.

Founders plaque – tablet rock photo C. Ryan 2016

Image block documenting how Tablet Rock looked pre bronze tablet through today: before the plaque, 1901 (branded Battery K still visible); 1907 dedication, Library of Congress (Hammond with his daughter Natalie Hammond); 1970s; 1974 (graffiti beneath); 2016; 2019. Note the rectangular area beneath the plaque was lightened at the time of installation. The border carving degraded. The dark streaks accelerated after 2020 (note the verdigris patina 2016, 2019, etc)

©C. Ryan, 2016

© C. Ryan, 2019

part 2 | patina test patches here

PLAQUE TEXT

ON THIS SITE IN

1623

A COMPANY OF FISHERMEN AND FARMERS FROM DORCHESTER ENG.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF REV. JOHN WHITE FOUNDED

THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

____

FROM THAT TIME THE FISHERIES THE OLDEST INDUSTRY IN THE COMMONWEALTH

HAVE BEEN UNINTERRUPTEDLY PURSUED FROM THIS PORT

____

HERE IN 1625 GOV. ROGER CONANT BY WISE DIPLOMACY

AVERTED BLOODSHED BETWEEN CONTENDING FACTIONS

ONE LED BY MYLES STANDISH OF PLYMOUTH

THE OTHER BY CAPT HEWES

A NOTABLE EXEMPLIFICATION OF ARBITRATION

IN THE BEGINNINGS OF NEW ENGLAND

____

PLACED BY THE CITIZENS OF GLOUCESTER 1907

-transcription Founders Plaque. Tablet Rock. Stage Fort Park. Gloucester MA

City to handle tricky removal of graffiti nuisance tag below founder’s plaque at Tablet Rock #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Blanched and illuminated area beneath the founder’s plaque was tagged with graffiti which will be ably removed by the city DPW. Scroll below to historic photographs for context and comparison.

graffiti tag below founders plaque Tablet Rock Stage Fort Park_20190505_© c ryan

Days earlier it wasn’t. For comparison, here’s how the giant rock appeared May 1, 2019. Had it been on that day…

1974

Though uncommon, graffiti has been removed from this same spot before. Here’s a 1974 photograph from the Gloucester Daily Times catching a family reading the founder’s plaque. Graffiti was visible and without mention. 

1974 graffiti Tablet Rock _ maybe Charles A. Lowe photo_Gloucester Daily Times

1907

Stage Fort Park Gloucester MA Tablet Rock 1907 John Hammond SR and Natalie looking back.jpg
John Hays Hammond, Sr (1855-1936) holding hands with daughter Natalie (looking back to the camera) after the unveiling. Hammond’s involvement made this tribute happen (CR id research). Natalie hays Hammond (1904-1985) had the honor of pulling back the cord for the big reveal. 1907 photograph collection Library of Congress

Gloucester’s wrap around picturesque landscape was preserved as a public park in 1898. In 1907, the monumental natural glacial outcropping was decorated with an inset of bronze plaque and stone relief commemorating the first fishermen from England laying claim in 1623. Eric Pape was commissioned for its design. 

1901 before the founder’s plaque

1901 branded Battery K still visible_Tablet Rock Stage Fort Park
branded Battery K still visible 1901 photo by Thomas Warren Sears. Circa 2012, Catherine Ryan identified Gloucester images that had been unidentified in the Smithsonian collection and published here Stacy Boulevard Public Works stunner: Gloucester is an early client for the Harvard and Olmsted trained landscape designer Thomas Warren Sears, 2017.

2016

2016 Stage Fort Park graffiti_20161228_© c ryan.jpg
graffiti 2016 tablet rock  © c ryan
2016 side where Battery K could be seen 1901
2016 scale Tablet Rock
1973 tablet rock overgrowth

There are a few circle-A’s tagged around town of late. Also Eon

circle A graffiti tags trend_20190505_© c ryan.jpg
saw this symbol a lot in NYC many, many moons ago 
trending graffiti 2019 april_ c ryan.jpg

Ruby Wolf between double oriels

Posted on by Catherine

“Ruby Wolf” in big script

Cool sign on ground floor space below double orieole windows adorning W.G. Brown building on the 7-11 Pleasant Street side.  What’s coming?

Ruby Wolf

The building dates from 1882.

William Glover Brown was born in 1854 and emigrated from Scotland in 1872. He worked in Providence before building a business in Milford which he brought to Main Street in Gloucester in 1885. In five years the William G. Brown & Co drygoods moved to a bigger Main Street space.  From Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, ed. William Richard Cutter ©1908 from Harvard College Library collection (digitized by Google), and one ad from Polk’s 1960 directory.