bronze — Intrepid Pup

June 15, 2012 by admin

Every year National Lobster Day is celebrated by foodies across America on June 15. While the origins of this “holiday” remain as murky as the waters in which lobsters thrive, there’s no doubting that the observance makes for a great excuse to don a bib and indulge in fresh lobster and drawn butter!

Being from Maine, the Intrepid Pup has seen his share of lobster boats, traps, and buoys. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association—the largest commercial fishing industry group on the east coast, representing the interests of more than 1,200 lobstermen—is even headquartered in what was once his home community! So when Team Tavish learned that the nation’s capital contains a lobster statue, we knew this was a destination for the Intrepid Pup!

The Maine Lobsterman Statue is relatively inconspicuous in its marina location along Washington, DC’s Anacostia Riverfront, in very close proximity to Arena Stage and the nation’s oldest United States Marine Corps Barracks. The statue was originally created by Portland, Maine, sculptor Victor Kahill as the centerpiece of Maine’s section in the Hall of States at the 1939 World’s Fair. Over time, four bronze castings have been made: 3 for locations in Maine and one for Washington, DC. The model for the sculpture was a genuine Maine lobsterman, H. Elroy Johnson of Bailey Island, who expressed regret that his faithful dog Bruin had not been incorporated into the final piece. Since Bruin’s puppyhood, he had only ever missed five days of accompanying his master to haul traps. Talk about intrepid! At the Fair’s unveiling of the sculpture, Bruin—who was said to be unerring in his ability to distinguish “shorts” from “counters” (e.g. non-regulation vs. regulation size lobsters)—was issued an official lobster license by the Commissioner of Sea and Shore Fisheries.

On the morning of the Intrepid Pup’s visit to the statue, few others were out along the waterfront promenade. However, we did encounter two women sitting on a park bench talking as their dogs played in the grass. It turns out that they lived in the nearby condominium complex and were very familiar with the lobsterman statue. The one lady remarked that the man in the sculpture bears a striking resemblance to a young Abraham Lincoln (and he does!) and therefore always refers to the statue as “Lincoln Freeing the Lobsters”!

Dogging the Details

38°52′32.01″ N, 77°1′16.55″ W
Maine Lobsterman Statue, Washington, DC

The statue earns a 2 on the Wag-A-Meter both for its ease in experiencing and also for its interesting canine backstory!

While there is ample parking nearby, actually snagging a space can be a trick, especially during nice weather and busy weekends, because the area fills up with marina personnel, boat owners and people going to the nearby seafood restaurants. Fortunately, DC is very walkable, and if you’re up for a longer stroll with your dog, this Southwest DC location is accessible from the L’Enfant Plaza area and even the Jefferson Memorial area.

“Knowledge is the Prime Need of the Hour”: Women’s History Month and Mary McLeod Bethune

March 30, 2012 by admin

Every March the United States officially observes Women’s History Month—an outgrowth of both International Women’s Day and, in 1981, a congressional resolution for a “Women’s History Week.” In recent years the month has been ascribed a theme, with March 2012’s being “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment.”

One who personified this theme through her own works was Mary McLeod Bethune (1875 – 1955), daughter of former slaves, educator, key political influencer, and founder of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in 1935. The Intrepid Pup recently visited two sites, both in the nation’s capital under the aegis of the National Park Service, to learn more.

The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House is tucked within a row of stately townhomes in a residential section of northwest Washington off Logan Circle. For the price of $15,500 in 1943, the property became not only Bethune’s residence but also the official headquarters for the NCNW. The site has been administered by the Park Service since 1994. On the day of our visit, we were welcomed by a college undergraduate serving in the Park Service’s Student Career Experience Program. She invited us first to listen to a recording of Bethune speaking at an event in 1955 just a few months prior to her death. Hearing Bethune’s actual voice was a good introduction to someone we previously knew very little about, and it gave us the impression of a strong yet humble woman with a commanding presence. The ranger gave a brief orientation on the highlights of the home’s history, encouraging us to explore the rooms and interpretive displays on the first two floors. She checked on us several times to answer our questions. We had the house to ourselves that weekend afternoon. Just beyond the reach of the tour bus throngs on the National Mall, this historic site is not a high-traffic destination. Yet contributing to its appeal is the very fact that in providing a personal, intimate experience it is in marked contrast with its crowded counterparts. Our knowledge and appreciation of Bethune expanded exponentially as we uncovered details about her upbringing in poverty and perseverance in starting Florida’s Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls (now Bethune-Cookman University) in 1904 fueled only by desire and $1.50. It seems fitting that today the university offers a master’s degree program in transformative leadership. It was also fascinating to learn of Bethune’s role in championing African American women’s involvement in the war effort and of her official capacities in the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman administrations.

About a mile and half away from the Council House as the crow flies is Bethune in monumental form. Sculpted in bronze by New York artist Robert Berks (1922-2011), the statue grouping emphasizes Bethune as educator, literally and figuratively imparting her legacies to a boy and girl. Around the base are inscribed excerpts from her last will and testament which Bethune also holds in her outstretched left hand. The oft-repeated refrain “I leave you…” is completed by such powerful concepts as “hope”, “a thirst for education,” and “racial dignity.” The monument itself has an interesting history. It’s located in Lincoln Park 11 blocks due east of the U. S. Capitol Building. Book-ending the rectangular plot of open space maintained by the Park Service are the Bethune memorial and, sited directly opposite, the famous Freedmen’s Memorial Monument to Abraham Lincoln (also known as the “Emancipation Grouping”) which was paid for entirely by freed slaves and sculpted by Thomas Ball in 1875. The original intent had been for the dedication of a Bethune memorial to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1963, but the entire project was delayed. With funding from the NCNW, the Bethune monument was ultimately unveiled in 1974 on what would have been Bethune’s 99th birthday. Adding the Bethune memorial to the park also resulted in turning the Freedman’s Memorial 180 degrees so the two groupings would face each other.

If the Bethune memorial’s roughly faceted, somewhat abstract style looks familiar, it’s because Robert Berks sculpted several high-profile pieces. In DC alone, one can most readily see other examples of his handiwork in the 22-foot seated Albert Einstein memorial (1979) outside the National Academy of Sciences and in the 8-foot, 3000-pound bronze bust of John F. Kennedy (1971) gracing the Grand Foyer of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In a city dotted with literally hundreds of statues, monuments, and memorials, Berks’ Bethune sculpture represented the first honoring a woman (let alone an African American woman) installed on public park land in the nation’s capital.

Dogging the Details

38°54′29.31″N, 77° 1′50.29″W
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, Washington, DC

38°53′23.19″N, 76°59′21.13″W
Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial, Lincoln Park, Washington, DC

There is no fee charged to explore the Bethune Council House. While dogs understandably aren’t allowed inside, the neighborhood itself has sidewalks and is great for dog-walking.

Lincoln Park is exceptionally dog-friendly and what earns this Bethune-themed expedition a “2” on the Wag-a-meter. In fact, the park’s entire center concourse is basically one big unfenced and very popular dog run. So long as your dog plays well with others, it’s among the top spots to rub noses with the canine denizens of Capitol Hill. During our visit, Tavish encountered 3 weimaraners, a doberman, a rottweiler, a basset hound, a Wheaton terrier, a miniature greyhound, a Boston terrier, and a shepherd mix.

Important to note is that Lincoln Park is not an officially-designated city dog park. There are trash cans, but bring your own your poly bags to clean up after your dog.