Two Returns to Fulham
My week started with another exciting Train and Bus trip to Fulham.
The first part of my Fulham excursion was a return visit to the Sands End Art and Community Center where my SUNY Oneonta classmate and friend Madeline Guyen Morrow was displaying some of her paintings and serving as one of monitors. We have been meeting up for several years to chat about our lives, the latest going on at our Alma Mater, and for me to view her lovely paintings and wish I would have bought one when they were selling for less.
The second event was the Fulham-Man United match at Craven Cottage, historic home ground of Fulham Football Club. It was a perfect day for an English Premier League Match, sunny and not too warm. Our “All Whites” (for the color of their home uniforms) in very good form, but we only managed a 1-1 tie when Man U. scored at the last possible moment. Still our fans cheered loudly and stayed with “the boys” until the end.
A Return Visit to Saint Albans Cathedral
It’s just a short THAMESLINK ride from London to the city of Saint Albans, home of this historic cathedral.
St. Albans has been a place of worship for at least 1300 years. St. Alban was England’s first saint. The story is that during Roman rule Alban switched cloaks with a priest to let the priest escape during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. Alban and the priest were later martyred. A piece of cloth, believed to be part of the cloak is behind a piece of glass in the shrine to Saint Alban, which was destroyed during the reformation and later reconstructed from the rubble. The first abbey built on the site was from the time of the Mercians. Much of it was replaced and rebuilt after the Norman conquest. Further destruction of the shrines, statues, and early painted friezes happened during the Reformation period. The abbey was destroyed during the dissolutions of Henry VIII, and additional destruction happened to the buildings. Today’s cathedral is a testament to faith and the efforts of restoration that are ongoing. Below are some pictures of the exterior and of the lovely stained glass window.
Next, I want to highlight examples of blending the old and the new in the continued renovation and upkeep of this oldest place of Christian worship in England.
The new are the seven statues of martyrs, including Saint Alban, his friend Saint Anphibalus, and martyrs from the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Russian Orthodox Christian traditions, adding to the ethos that all are welcome at St. Albans.
The old are the medieval wall paintings along the pillars in the oldest part of the church. These, starting with Saint Christopher, would have been the very first thing that pilgrims saw upon entering the church. Faded and defaced, in some cases, they are being brought back to life slowly and painstakingly. Currently, they are lit in a way that restores them fully for visitors to see. Here are some examples.
Faith is a both personal and communal. The experience at Saint Albans allows both exist side by side in both unity and community. It is a wonderful experience.
A Return to the Esoterik Collection for a New Exhibition.
The Esoterik Collection has, once again, gathered the works of Italian artists working in the photographic me Wanda and Marion built a body of works, primarily early in the 20th century, exploring the changing roles and the many faces of modern Italian women. These works show great technical skill, while also portraying the beauty and style associated with Italy.
The photos above are representative of Avant Garde Photography in the 20th century. I found myself wondering about how these photos were received at the time. I find the intensity of Wanda’s stare in the lower middle photo to be engaging on multiple levels.
Modern Women and the Female Body
We see the sisters, here, boldly moving into the era of women taking their place in a rapidly changing world. The women who were athletes of the era especially foreshadow the greater feminist movement of the latter half of the 20th century.
And finally, a Return to a favorite theme, late blooming flowers in Russell Square
It was a tough summer for the plants, grass and trees in Russell Square Park. The coming of late summer rains and early autumn cooler temperatures have brought life back into bloom.
