Jan

London, Lost and Foundling

by Joyce McGreevy on January 20, 2020

An array of silver charms seen on Marchmont Street are evocative markers of Britain’s past, inspired by historical tokens at London’s Foundling Museum. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

I spotted one—then several—fascinating artifacts in the pavement. What were they?
© Joyce McGreevy

Historical Markers Lead to Fascinating Discoveries

I’d walked along Marchmont Street often yet never noticed them—small, mysterious objects embedded in the pavement. Unlike London’s “blue plaques,” historical markers at eye level that link figures of the past with buildings of the present, the Marchmont Street objects were easy to overlook.

On Marchmont Street, London a token embedded into the pavement becomes an historical marker for those with the focus to spot it. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Some historical markers hide in plain sight.
© Joyce McGreevy

Here was public art at its least public, eloquent objects underfoot, shyly waiting to be seen and heard. Yet they, too, were historical markers, clues to a poignant chapter of London’s past.

A metal object embedded in the pavement on Marchmont Street marks a poignant chapter of London’s history. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Who had set this into the pavement? And why?
© Joyce McGreevy

Shining a Light on History

Marchmont is one of my favorite London streets, a place of bookshops, cafés, art house cinemas and pocket parks. Of its history, I knew that it was named for an earl, and that he’d been governor of Britain’s first charity organization for children—a home for “foundlings,” as abandoned infants were referred to long ago.

As for the mysterious objects, I’d never noticed them until that morning, when a glint of sunlight on rain-washed pavement caught my eye.

A heart shaped silver token on a London Street is an historical marker and a symbol of the parent-child bond. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

I wondered whose initials these could be.
© Joyce McGreevy

There they were, a scattering of silver tokens. What could these fascinating artifacts mean? I had to find out.

A silver token engraved with a name and birth date and found on a London street becomes an historical marker, prompting the author’s visit to the Foundling Museum. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Why did I sense an urgency about the recording of
this name and birth date?
© Joyce McGreevy

Tokens of Affection

Created by artist John Aldus in 2006, each token represents the bond between parent and child. In the London of the 1700s, that bond was tested to the breaking point as extreme poverty forced countless women to separate from their children.

According to one historian, mothers who relinquished infants to the care of a nearby “hospital” (a term used broadly then) were urged to “affix on each child some . . . distinguishing mark or token, so that the children may be known hereafter, if necessary.”

It might be a heart or a locket, a brooch or a humble bottle tag. Each token signified the hope of reunion.

Where had the children gone? As historical markers, the tokens pointed the way—to the Foundling Hospital, just around the corner.

London’s Foundling Museum, the former Foundling Hospital, contains poignant treasures and surprising historical discoveries. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At what is now the Foundling Museum, the original tokens are still on display.
© Joyce McGreevy

Following the Clues

In its time the Hospital had been a place of hope. Prior to 1739, abandonment was rampant and often fatal. Parishes were overwhelmed and some refused to help children labeled “illegitimate.”

Thomas Coram, a ship captain who’d calmly weathered the traumas of life at sea, was stunned to see children dying in the London streets. For 17 years, Coram campaigned to create a refuge, convincing Marchmont and other prominent Londoners to offer support.

A historical marker tells the story of British sea captain Thomas Coram, who campaigned to create London’s first charity for children, overcoming widespread prejudice about children born into poverty or outside of marriage. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

While a statue of Coram gave few clues to his character,
this historical marker revealed his compassion.
© Joyce McGreevy

Surprising Discoveries

Something I hadn’t expected to see at the former hospital was a collection of priceless paintings. How did they relate to the practical needs of at-risk children? Historical markers solved the mystery.

In 1739 as the Hospital began welcoming children, portraitist William Hogarth found the perfect way to raise public awareness of the charity—he donated several masterpieces and convinced artists like Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough to do the same.

The Foundling Hospital became London’s first public art gallery, a place where people could gather while supporting a worthy cause. Hogarth the great painter had also proved a genius at PR.

A Rousing Chorus of Support

Soon afterward, Hogarth asked a musician friend for a favor. Little did either man guess that it would change history. In 1742, the musician’s latest work had received dismissive reviews at its London debut. Hogarth asked his friend—George Frederic Handel—to try again, this time at the Foundling Hospital.

Buoyed by a rousing Hallelujah chorus, the new, improved performance of Handel’s “Messiah” was a phenomenal success. So many people wanted to see it that performances had to be added and it raised a fortune for the children’s charity. Instead of fading into obscurity as Handel had feared, it became Great Britain’s most beloved choral work.

A London choir evokes the historical connection between Handel’s Messiah and the first British charity for children, Thomas Coram’s Foundling Hospital. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A London choir’s song has a surprising connection to the Foundling Hospital.
© Joyce McGreevy

One More Surprise in Store

As I left the museum, a volunteer told me to keep an eye out for another historical marker, just up the street. I soon found out why.

An historical marker, one of London’s blue plaques, identifies Charles Dickens’ home on Doughty Street near the Foundling Hospital, a charity that influenced his novel Oliver Twist. (public domain image by Wally Gobetz)

Did this “betoken” one more connection?
© Wally Gobetz/CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

In 1837 author Charles Dickens moved to nearby Doughty Street, taking regular walks through the Hospital grounds. Dickens was so moved by accounts of “good Captain Coram’s heart” that he raised funds for the children’s charity organization and wrote about it in his most famous works. In Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, the orphaned Oliver’s true identity hinges on the discovery of . . . a token.

A silver token engraved with a flower gathers moss on Marchmont Street, a marker of history, unnoticed by most passersby. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

I had come full circle, back to the tokens of Marchmont Street.
© Joyce McGreevy

Today Is Historically Remarkable

Coram, as the children’s charity organization is known today, has expanded as its goals have evolved. They now include upholding children’s rights and empowering parents to provide a loving, secure environment to their child. The former Foundling Hospital has become a place to celebrate the power of individuals and the arts to change lives.

Oh, I see: When you follow historical markers into the past, you make important discoveries about the present. Which might just inspire you to contribute to making a better future.

See some of the original tokens here. (Scroll down.)

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 3 Comments

Cultural Symbols/Discoveries/England/On Foot/Travels to the Past

Jan

A New Year’s Resolution for Notre Dame

by Meredith Mullins on January 13, 2020

Savoring the moment (two days before the heartbreaking Notre Dame fire).
© Meredith Mullins

Restoration of an Iconic Paris Cultural Symbol

Renew. Restore. Revitalize. Renovate. Refresh. Rejuvenate. Rebuild.

The new year invites certain words into our sphere of action, as we concentrate on new beginnings and life-changing resolutions.

This focus is particularly timely for the monumental restoration project of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral—a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a historic cultural symbol for Paris, France, and the world. No matter what religion or spiritual beliefs are personally held, Notre Dame touches people’s souls.

Through rain and snow and gloom of night . . . Notre Dame has survived more than 850 years of challenges. There is hope for the future.
© Meredith Mullins

Living Near An Icon

I live a few minutes from this revered icon and pass it at least once a day. It has never—ever—been just part of the scenery. I always pause—to look. The “Oh, I see” moments are too many to count.

I am inspired by its grandeur—the articulated carvings, the ingenuity of the flying buttresses, and the reflections on the night-time Seine.

Reflections on the Seine
© Meredith Mullins

I marvel at the rose windows, beautiful from inside and out. I pay humble tribute to the wild and weird gargoyles and chimeras, keeping evil at bay. I am in sync with the melodies of the bells.

One of the guardian chimeras, protecting the cathedral against evil
© Meredith Mullins

Sadly, the view and the sounds have now changed dramatically.

This most visited monument in Europe was devoured by fire on April 15, 2019, as Parisians and the world watched in horror.

The devastating fire of April 15, 2019
© Mervyn Rothstein

First, there were plumes of smoke. Then, skyward flames as the medieval dry oak beams, called “the forest,” ignited like kindling. And when the classic spire wobbled and then crashed into the nave below, there was universal heartbreak.

The pompiers (firefighters) were fearless in controlling the spread of the fire, a task that at times seemed hopeless, but in the end saved the rose windows, the grand organ, and the tower bells.

Firefighters battled the blaze through the night.
© Mervyn Rothstein

The first responders and city and church officials were also quick in their rescue of art objects and priceless treasures, such as the Crown of Thorns and the 13^th century tunic worn by St Louis (Louis IX, King of France).

Now, nine months later, a renaissance is in progress. French President Macron vowed immediately after the fire, “We will rebuild.” And, almost as quickly, donations totalling more than $1 billion came pouring in, from more than 350,000 donors—French billionaires as well as people from around the world who made small contributions, just wanting to help.

Progress on the restoration
© Meredith Mullins

Macron committed to a restoration timetable of five years that some believe was too ambitious given Notre Dame’s history.

After all, its initial construction took nearly 200 years, and it has undergone various complex multi-year renovations since its origin, including a massive restoration of the western façade and the addition of the (now toppled) lead and wood spire in the mid-1800s by the 30-something architect Viollet-le-Duc and his work partner Lassus.

The debate continues about how the replacement for Viollet-le-Duc’s 1850s
spire should be designed.
© Meredith Mullins

What Can We See?

As you walk around the cathedral now, you can still feel its mass and magnitude, as well as its fragility. The church is blocked by fences and barricades. Several cranes rise high in the sky.

There is exterior work that shows some of the steps that have been taken. However, most of the activity is hidden from view.

New scaffolding and netting reinforce the structural weaknesses
and prevent damage by falling limestone.
© Meredith Mullins

Inside, robots work tirelessly to clean debris from the center of the cathedral. The structure is too fragile and dangerous for human movement.

The debris is moved to the tents set up in the courtyard in front of Notre Dame where each piece is catalogued by scientists before it is transferred to laboratories for further analysis of the materials.

A break in the barricade allows for photos of the western facade.
© Meredith Mullins

Critical Next Steps

The work to date has been careful and well-researched. Progress has been made in the cleaning process (especially addressing the lead contamination that occurred in and around the cathedral).

The rose windows will be cleaned and restored to their original positions.
© Meredith Mullins

Efforts have also focused on the removal of items for restoration (such as the windows and statues), the cataloguing and analysis of materials, the reinforcement of parts of the exterior structure (such as the flying buttresses), and the preparation for work in the coming months that will analyze the strength of the remaining structure.

The flying buttresses and Apse area of the cathedral have been reinforced.
© Meredith Mullins

The most critical step is the removal of the metal scaffolding that surrounded the spire at the time of the fire. (A spire restoration project was in process.)

This now-tangled, melted mass must be removed piece by piece, without jeopardizing the incredibly fragile underlying structure. This phase will begin early in 2020.

The critical next step is to remove the damaged central scaffolding
that surrounded the now fallen spire.
© Meredith Mullins

Once the scaffolding is removed, workers will be able to access the stone vaulted ceilings to complete the full diagnosis of the structural integrity and plan the next steps of restoration.

Should Notre Dame be rebuilt exactly as it was . . . or should it be “reimagined”
with a more contemporary look?
© Meredith Mullins

Looking To the Future

How will the restored and revitalized Notre Dame look? The debate lingers. Should it be rebuilt just as it was, or should a contemporary innovation be added, using modern materials and building techniques? Should the roof and spire be reconstructed . . . or reimagined?

The politics have yet to be sorted out, with legislation differing between the Senate and the National Assembly.

In the interim, architectural firms and designers are submitting ideas, from a rooftop swimming pool, to a stained glass roof and spire, to a greenhouse sanctuary, to an all-crystal approach.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfjNfhBEpM/?hl=en

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfTQrrAjcP/

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

Some architects have proposed a spire that is similar to the Senate’s desire to maintain the look of “its last known visual state” but have been creative in their suggestion of materials (stained glass, recycled ocean plastic, copper, stainless steel, or crystal).

If video does not display, watch it here.

The French Prime Minister proposed an architectural competition shortly after the fire, but this idea may be over-ruled by legislation.

However, one unofficial competition, organized by GoArchitect, has been completed, with an elegant design by two Chinese architects. The design features a mirrored roof and spire that reflect the surroundings in a kaleidoscopic effect.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0r2QZhIwk0/?hl=en

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

Whatever the outcome of the politics and of the project administration by a general, an architect, and an archbishop, who, no doubt, will sometimes have differing views, the restored Notre Dame Cathedral will be a confirmation of history’s will to survive and will be a tribute to the preservation of the past integrated with a vision of the future.

A cultural symbol of the past, present, and future
© Meredith Mullins

Hopefully, this iconic Paris cultural symbol will continue to inspire the admiration of the world and to elicit poetic descriptions like that of Victor Hugo—“Notre Dame—a symphony in stone.”

Tributes to Notre Dame Cathedral in many forms
© Meredith Mullins

Thank you to the city of Paris and Patrick Zachmann of Magnum Photos for the exhibit presented on the north side of the cathedral.

Instagrams courtesy of The Guardian and Go Architect.

Additional resources from Smithsonian Magazine and Global Times.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Cultural Symbols/France/France (Paris)

Dec

Holiday Wanderlust in Leipzig!

by Joyce McGreevy on December 16, 2019

People at the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt, the annual Christmas market in Leipzig, celebrate centuries-old German Christmas traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

**Winter is Wunderbar at Germany’s Christmas Markets**

It’s an ink-dark December morning as my sister and I board the train in Berlin. Yet our hearts are light, warmed by the promise of discovery. Winter wanderlust leads us to Leipzig’s Weihnachtsmarkt one of Germany’s oldest, biggest, and most beautiful Christmas markets!

Now popular around the world, the European tradition of the December market wasn’t always so charming. In the early Middle Ages, it was merely the last chance to stock up on supplies before hunkering down for a long, miserable winter. Visions of survival, not sugar plums, danced through one’s head in those days.

In the 1400s, markets took a festive turn. Carved wooden toys, gingerbread, and other treats began appearing among the sacks of grain and racks of farming tools.

A vendor’s stall selling pine wreaths and boughs at the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt, the annual Christmas market in Leipzig, reflects one of Germany’s Christmas traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Martin’s Market Effect

Intentionally or not, Martin Luther also gave Germany’s Christmas markets a boost.

According to historian Erika Kohler, the 16th-century church reformer’s “rejection of the veneration of saints . . . supplanted Saint Nicholas as the giver of gifts.” As a result, the most favored day for gift-giving shifted from December 6 to Christmas Eve.

A statue of Martin Luther at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany reminds the viewer of the church reformer’s role in shaping German Christmas traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Martin Luther overlooks a Christmas Market near Berlin’s oldest church (1200s)
and the iconic TV Tower (1969).
© Joyce McGreevy

Today, Germany is home to several hundred Christmas markets—Berlin alone has more than 70. Whether you travel west to Cologne, east to Dresden, south to Munich, or points between, you’ll find a market to suit your mood.

A City of Peace and Celebration

For Carolyn and me, that’s Leipzig—the city renowned for classical music, creativity, and the beauty of its Gothic architecture.

A prosperous commercial center, Leipzig revealed even greater worth when, in October 1989, it hosted the largest peaceful protest in East Germany. Historians consider the “Peaceful Revolution” a key factor in accelerating the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

What to Our Wondering Eyes Did Appear

Half a century later, my sister and I exit the largest terminal railway station in Europe and marvel at what we see: the entire city center has been transformed into a winter wonderland.

Crowds at the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt reflect the wanderlust that draws people from all over the world to Germany’s Christmas markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Christmas markets are made for strolling, not hunting for a parking place.
Most Germans arrive by train or tram.
© Joyce McGreevy

Oh, I see: This must be how Dorothy felt when the doors of the Emerald City swung open. In Leipzig, the Weihnachtsmarkt is a world immersed in magic.

A beautifully decorated vendor’s stall filled with artisan crafts invites shoppers to take a closer look at the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt, one of Germany’s Christmas oldest Christmas markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Wooden holiday huts line every avenue and lane, each hut ornately decorated and laden with artisan goods. Forests of twinkling fir trees sprout from their rooftops. Carousel horses circle, crowds on foot flow by, and a Ferris wheel revolves above gilded spires.

A Ferris wheel’s view of the Christmas market crowds in Leipzig, Germany shows why wanderlust draws people from all over the world to celebrate this popular German Christmas tradition. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The air is redolent with berry-red glühwein (mulled wine), savory bratwürst, and caramelized sugar. Music fills the air, too—a busker acing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on accordion; carolers at the Old Town Hall; and trumpeters outside Thomaskirche, the church where Johann Sebastian Bach was choirmaster.

A statue of Johann Sebastian Bach in the moonlight outside Thomaskirche in Leipzig inspires wanderlust to explore more of Germany’s holiday traditions, including Bach’s Christmas cantatas. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Leipzig, Bach wrote choral cantatas at the rate of one a week.
Listen to a seasonal example, here.
© Joyce McGreevy

How German Christmas Traditions Crossed Cultures

Yuletide revelry has been a Leipzig tradition since 1458. Americans, by contrast, did little to “mark the day,” let alone the season, until the 1800s. Then two German immigrants changed everything. Thomas Nast is the better known, the illustrator whose images of Santa Claus became iconic.

Less known is Karl “Charles” Follen, a German refugee, Harvard professor, and abolitionist. In the 1830s, readers of a popular American magazine learned that each December Charles and his wife Eliza surprised guests with something extraordinary: a Christmas tree:

The tree was set in a tub and its branches hung with small dolls, gilded eggshells, and paper cornucopias filled with candied fruit. The tree was illuminated with numerous candles.

A Christmas tree in a red-carpeted, ornate passageway in Leipzig, Germany reflects one of the German Christmas traditions that inspire wanderlust for holiday travel. Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The spell was cast. Americans began adopting German Christmas traditions as their own, including glass ornaments, wooden nutcrackers, and . . .

An Advent wreath set against the beautiful architecture of Leipzig, Germany reflects a German Christmas tradition and inspires wanderlust for holiday travel. Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A giant Christmas pyramid, or Weihnachtspyramide, set against the beautiful architecture of Leipzig, Germany reflects a German Christmas tradition and inspires wanderlust for holiday travel. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A travel mascot with a kinderpunsch mug and crowds enjoying gluhwein in Leipzig reflect the Germany Christmas traditions that inspire wanderlust to visit Germany’s Christmas markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Glühwein (mulled wine) and alcohol-free kinderpunsch. Pay a small pfand (deposit)
for the option of returning the mug or keeping a holiday souvenir.
© Joyce McGreevy

A Right Pickle

One “German” tradition may not be German at all: the Christmas pickle.

Thanks to demand among tourists, you’ll find this ornament at KaDaWe, Berlin’s massive department store. But mention the Weihnachtsgurke to most Germans and they’ll wonder what-the-dill you’re talking about.

Happily, the murky gherkin myth is our only jarring experience. In Germany’s holiday markets, food is so tasty that even our inability to pronounce certain dishes cannot stop us from trying them. My sister and I sample whatever we see—then walk 6-8 miles a day to keep it from becoming permanent souvenirs.

Waffles with vanilla cream and Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts) are popular traditional holiday foods in Leipzig, a destination that inspires wanderlust to explore Germany’s Christmas markets. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Waffles with vanilla cream are a Leipzig specialty; Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts)
are popular throughout Germany.
© Joyce McGreevy

Holiday Travel Tips

Ready to plan some Weihnachtsmarkt travel of your own? Most Christmas markets run from late November to January 5.

The Hotel Fürstenhof Leipzig is the perfect setting for a traveler with winter wanderlust, close to one of Germany’s most traditional Christmas markets, the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Built in the 1770s, Leipzig’s Hotel Fürstenhof is the perfect place
to review your Christmas market itinerary.
© Joyce McGreevy

Pack light to save half your suitcase for holiday gifts. To stay warm without bulk, wear packable down, thermals, and stick to Berlin’s favorite fashion tone: black. Then savor the color at Germany’s Christmas markets.

Happy Wanderlust to all, and to all holiday travelers, a good flight!

A man dressed as Father Christmas, spotted among pedestrians in Leipzig, Germany reflects the fun and whimsy of German Christmas traditions. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

See video of the Leipziger Weihnactsmarkt here.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 4 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Germany/The World's Art & Design/Travels to the Past

World Views:

Topics

Category Archives: Different Cultures

London, Lost and Foundling

Historical Markers Lead to Fascinating Discoveries

Shining a Light on History

Tokens of Affection

Following the Clues

Surprising Discoveries

A Rousing Chorus of Support

One More Surprise in Store

Today Is Historically Remarkable

A New Year’s Resolution for Notre Dame

Restoration of an Iconic Paris Cultural Symbol

Living Near An Icon

What Can We See?

Critical Next Steps

Looking To the Future

Holiday Wanderlust in Leipzig!

**Winter is Wunderbar at Germany’s Christmas Markets**

Martin’s Market Effect

A City of Peace and Celebration

What to Our Wondering Eyes Did Appear

How German Christmas Traditions Crossed Cultures

A Right Pickle

Holiday Travel Tips