Let There Be Light August 27, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Clara Driscoll, lamps, Louis C Tiffany, New York Histrorical Society, NYC, photography
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The New York Historical Society is one of my top five places to visit. The permanent exhibit of Tiffany lamps is something to behold. I hadn’t visited this exhibit in quite awhile and thought it was time to go back. ‘As the centerpiece of the 4th floor, the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps features 100 illuminated Tiffany lamps from our spectacular collection, displayed within a dramatically lit jewel-like space. It is regarded as one of the world’s largest and most encyclopedic collections. The hidden history behind the lamps offers a fascinating look at the contributions of women in the creation of this art. Louis C. Tiffany (1848–1933) was the artistic genius behind Tiffany Studios. However, he was not the exclusive designer of its lamps, windows, and luxury objects: Clara Driscoll (1861–1944), head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department from 1892 to 1909, has recently been revealed as the designer of many of the firm’s leaded glass shades. Driscoll and her staff, self-styled the “Tiffany Girls,” labored in anonymity but were well compensated. Driscoll’s weekly salary of $35 was on par with that of Tiffany’s male designers, a reflection of his regard for her abilities. The lamps in this exhibition reflect the prodigious talent of designers and artisans who worked in anonymity to fulfill Tiffany’s aesthetic vision’.
You are what you eat August 20, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, art exhibitions, Grolier Club, Henry Voight, Menus, NYC, photography
8 comments
This ‘delicious’ show, which was at The Grolier Cub and was fascinating. It idiosyncratically and chronologically told the story of American gastronomy, and the country itself—in menus. It seems menus came into general use n the 1840’s when only the upper class dined outside the home. The exhibit included menus from restaurants, banquets, soup kitchens, private yachts, and even houses of ill repute.“It’s like a 15-degree slice of history,” said menu collector Henry Voigt, who adroitly curated the show. “You’re looking from a different perspective. It’s not just what people were eating, but what they were doing, with whom they were doing it, and what they valued. It’s a mirror of society. Yes, it runs along class lines, but it represents all classes in various ways. They’re minor historic documents that reflect everyday life. The QR codes that one gets in restaurants these days is depressingly dull. The New Yorker did a piece on Henry Voigt, the collector. You can read it here. The Grolier Club is closed in August but I look forward to seeing their upcoming exhibits in the fall. 
King of the Jungle August 13, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Big Cat Initiative, big cats, Lion, nature, photography, wildlife, World Lion Day, Zoos
11 comments
Thursday was World Lion Day and is celebrated annually on August 10 to raise awareness of the sharp decline in lion populations due to threats ranging from habitat loss to illegal hunting. The day was established in 2013 by environmentalists Dereck and Beverly Joubert, founders of the Big Cat Initiative. Today’s photo montage is dedicated to these beautiful cats.
A Wake of Vultures August 6, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Art exhibit, Ebony Patterson, nature, NYBG, NYC, photography, vultures
4 comments
In flight, a flock of vultures is a kettle and when the birds are feeding together at a carcass, the group is called a wake. We visited NYBG https: on Friday and both enjoyed this very different and fascinating exhibition. The vultures are both inside and outside the Conservatory. Artist Ebony G. Patterson, after a year long residency at the NY Botanical Garden created for the conservatory her exhibition called “…things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…”. Patterson is the first artist-in-residence the NYBG has ever had. The vultures in the installation are a clear gesture towards the idea of death. But at the same time, Patterson explored their role within the broader ecosystem, and how by “consuming the landscape, they’re revealing things within it,” she says. They’re consuming our nature’s wounds, “as an act of care … and in doing so, they reveal other things that are hidden, so bodies become revealed.” The exhibit is on through October 22, 2023. I encourage your visit. NY Times review here 
While at the Zoo 