Culture – Writing New Jersey Life

Seward Johnson’s Invitation to Grounds for Sculpture

On April 26, 2024

In Art, Arts, Culture, Museum, STEAM, Travel, US History

Come with me, and you’ll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look, and you’ll see
Into your imagination

“Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka” by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley

Beautiful peacocks wow visitors at Grounds for Sculpture

View from “Put Yourself in the Picture” by Roberto Lugo

Grounds for Sculpture is founder and sculptor Seward Johnson’s invitation to embrace art. Visitors, especially children, often hug or play with sculptures like they are old friends, sitting beside them at picnic tables or in outdoor cafes. Many have had the experience of bumping into a Seward Johnson statue around the country (and the world) and uttering, “Excuse me,” only to stop and laugh at the realization that it is not an actual person. The artist’s playful gotcha game continues with a celestial wink.

Beautiful orchard of Japanese cherry, apple blossom, and crab apple trees

The fun, a reflection of hard work, generosity, and planning, began in 1992 as an outgrowth of the Johnson Atelier, which Mr. Johnson founded in 1974, initially in Princeton, as a community for sculptors. The Atelier was ground-breaking by offering sculptors the opportunity to keep control of their work and have access to production methods formerly kept close to the vest within the sculpture world. By all accounts, the Atelier sculptors’ collaborations were, and are, rewarding and fun. The institute has the reputation of being the finest foundry for bronze casting in the country and among the best in the world. (Early collaborators and friends of Seward Johnson from the Atelier, sculptors Herk Van Tongeren, Isaac Witkin, and Brooke Barrie, contributed to the direction of the sculpture park that grew from the Atelier. Mr. Van Tongeren became the first Grounds for Sculpture president and executive director, and Ms. Barrie was the inaugural academic director, curator, and a successive director.) Seward Johnson’s generosity is a gift that keeps giving as sculptors have gone on from the Atelier to form schools and flourish as artists. Visitors may sometimes see the artists at work in the Atelier when exploring the grounds. Today, the Atelier also curates the exhibitions of Seward Johnson’s works, which help to increase tourism wherever the sculptures go.

“Put Yourself in the Picture” by Roberto Lugo

“Captured” by Seward Johnson with a woman reading his daughter’s book of poetry (June 2023)

What has changed most over the past several years at Grounds for Sculpture is that the core group of visitors has expanded from traditional art lovers to a crowd more reflective of those who would have visited when Grounds for Sculpture was the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Through grants from a foundation, Mr. Seward purchased the neglected 42 acres of the former fairgrounds and gradually transformed them with the same generous thought he had behind the placing of his inviting “Everyman” sculptures in public parks – they are a way to draw people back into the park. Among the art lovers at Grounds for Sculpture are international travelers, which indicates the appeal of the art. On a weekend visit this month, children with their families on holiday from overseas sported cartoon T-shirts like the Incredible Hulk. Perhaps Seward Johnson might have taken it as a compliment that budding connoisseurs consider his art, too, a marvel.

The Seward Johnson Center for the Arts (June 2023)

The children are in it for fun, which abounds at Grounds for Sculpture. On an April weekend visit, a giant stone snake was a hit with children who ran along it, as were the Cloud Swings, which had parents and grandparents playing with their children. Ideally, the art and events will inspire children’s lifelong creativity, and there are online activities for young artists to try before they visit.

Founder Seward Johnson

“It’s easy sometimes to forget the simple things that give us pleasure. If we open our eyes, life is marvelous.” Seward Johnson

Seward Johnson with Cecelia Joyce Horton and her parents on Cecelia and Seward’s wedding day

Seward Johnson II, born in New Brunswick, NJ, April 16, 1930, lived a New Jersey story as much as a worldwide one, having resided in Highland Park, Hopewell, and Princeton at different times. His parents were J. Seward Johnson, Jr. and Ruth Dill. His grandfather, Robert Wood Johnson, Sr., was a co-founder of the well-known pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, and his maternal grandfather was Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Melville Dill OBE, a Bermudian who served as an attorney-general and a member of Parliament. Not long after the Lindbergh kidnapping, Seward’s father foiled a kidnapping attempt in the Johnson family home, the Merriewold Estate Castle in Highland Park, which led to the family’s far-flung stays in London, Paris, Bermuda, and the New Mexico Ghost Ranch of Georgia O’Keefe. A fun tidbit is that Mr. Johnson’s cousins on his mother’s side are Michael and Joel Douglas, sons of Diana Dill and Kirk Douglas. Kirk once asked Seward to sculpt a bust of him, which Seward graciously did. Though portraiture was not usually “his thing,” it was a compliment that his famous uncle asked. The sculpture featured the striking dual faces of Kirk, whom the 16-year-old Seward first knew, and the Kirk of what was then 2002.

Following the philanthropic example of Robert Wood Johnson, J. Seward Johnson, Jr. set up six charities for each of his children to contribute to society, Seward’s being the Atlantic Foundation. It was through grants from the Atlantic Foundation that Seward purchased the land for the Atelier and Grounds for Sculpture and funded the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, which his father had founded in 1971 for “preserving the environment through a deep, scientific understanding of the ocean”. The foundation supports marine research, classes, and marine mammal rescue as part of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University.

For someone who often appeared light-hearted publicly, Seward Johnson had navigated life challenges, some even more complex and undoubtedly more painful, by being played out publicly. Despite his intelligence, he struggled as a student due to his dyslexia but later found his way by enlisting in the U.S. Navy. During his service, he fought in the Korean War for four years on the USS Gloucester, and at one point, he and his fellow servicemen nearly lost their lives when the battleship took a direct hit. A failed first marriage caused despair, and lengthy litigation over the family estate made headlines for years. Corporate life did not suit his talents, and he was let go from the family business at 38.

Cecelia Joyce and Seward from the exhibition

A joyful counterbalance was Seward Johnson’s second marriage with writer, poet, director, and producer Cecelia Joyce Horton, with whom he shared the ultimate “meet cute” story. Seward, Cecelia, and another passenger got bumped from a flight from New York City to Nantucket. Seward wisely suggested that the other man, a traveler from California, might enjoy a night seeing the city, which cleared the way for dinner with Cecelia. For an uplifting experience, enjoy the exhibition “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” in the Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson Gallery, which shares Mr. Johnson’s happiness with his family life.

Noting Seward’s mechanical ability, Cecelia encouraged her husband to move from painting, which they did together, to sculpture. After being rejected by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Seward’s first sculpture, the steel “Stainless Girl,” won the U.S. Steel’s 1968 Design in Steel Award out of 7,000 entries, and, as he joked in interviews, he never won anything again.

Impressively, he carried on with his work despite the initial derision of some art critics who may have missed that he had a different aim. He would comment, “The art of my work is in the interaction, not the aesthetic.”

Seward’s determination, however, demonstrated that he was not a dilettante, and the increasing profits from the sale of his works went back into the Atelier. (In what must have felt like a rewarding, full-circle experience, Georgia O’Keefe later used the Atelier.) Notably, Mr. Johnson received the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center in 2019, which he had supported for years at the invitation of founder Elden Tefft, a sculptor and a professor at the University of Kansas, and membership in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

“…not public art, but art for the public…” Seward Johnson

Seward Johnson’s most well-known series of sculptures may be “Celebrating the Familiar” as well as “Beyond the Frame,” which recreated the works of the Impressionists, and “Icons Revisited,” with the monumental sculptures like “Forever Marilyn” from a still photo from Billy Wilder’s “The Seven Year Itch” (the rights of which Mr. Johnson obtained from the photographer) and “Embracing Peace” from one of the better known Victory Over Japan or “V-J” Day photos of a sailor kissing a nurse in anticipation of the end of the war in Times Square. Seward Johnson created “Embracing Peace” from the photo by US Navy photojournalist Victor Jorgensen, which was in the public domain. Photographer Alfred Eisenstadt, who took the more well-known photo, had observed the tipsy sailor passing through Times Square, kissing women of all ages and appearances out of sheer joy that the war was ending. Current perspectives give the photo different meaning for some, but in the context of 1945 and Mr. Eisenstadt’s description, the jubilation at the end of World War II was felt throughout the country.

Life-size “Embracing Peace” in downtown Spring Lake, NJ (2022)

“If It Were Time” by Seward Johnson, an homage to “Terrace at Sainte-Adresse” by Monet (2021)

“Family Secret” by Seward Johnson, inspired by Renoir’s “Two Sisters in the Terrace” (2021)

Regardless of scale, the faces of his works are remarkably expressive. Though “Beyond the Frame” initially drew some criticism for borrowing from other artists, Mr. Johnson believed that if viewers could walk inside the paintings in 3-D, this would be an ultimate sharing of the artist’s vision and a way to engage people who might not otherwise be interested in art. Seward added his contributions beyond the artist’s original canvas. As he said in interviews, he wanted to create “not public art, but art for the public” and added, “Interaction is part of the art form. But the interaction also extends beyond what is simply there to what is created in the viewer’s imagination.” Over the years, his works gained acceptance and became popular. Perhaps by not only doing what he loved but creating it with love is what resonates with people today.

People have compared his works with those of Norman Rockwell, whom Mr. Johnson admired, but he noted that Mr. Rockwell presented a story while Seward wanted the viewer to imagine what his figure’s story might be. Influences that Seward Johnson pointed out in “The Sculpture of J. Seward Johnson, Jr. Celebrating the Familiar” (1987) were the French painter and sculptor artist Honore Daumier, who conveyed his critiques of society with humor and sociologist/journalist William H. Whyte. William Whyte’s book “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces” (1980) contained observations underscored with photos of how people acted in urban environments. Seward Johnson, too, was a keen observer of human behavior and nature. In interviews, he shared that he liked to walk through Central Park for inspiration. His reassuring park figures offered an “enticement to socialize” and to enjoy nature. Similarly, Frederick Law Olmstead designed invitingly to bring people into parks for their benefit. The perspectives of both visionaries have become more invaluable post-pandemic.

Though intellectual, Mr. Johnson possessed an irrepressible sense of humor, which is evident throughout the Grounds for Sculpture. “I like to have discovery in my work, generally done with humor…I like people to smile at what I made them think…” Visitors will find themselves smiling and laughing out loud at some exhibits. When interviewed for the 2014 Grounds for Sculpture retrospective of his work, Mr. Johnson, who created art well into his 80s, divulged that he sometimes napped on the bed in the exhibit of Van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles and then went back to work with tap shoes tucked away in case some excess energy took hold. “I’m living in my dream, you see.”

Seward Johnson’s 3-D version of Van Gogh’s “Bedroom at Arles” that visitors can enter

The process

Imagination meets hard work in creating a bronze sculpture, which can take up to two years to complete. The trompe-l’oeil (“optical illusion”) or the realism of Seward Johnson’s work came with great effort. A novice’s summary of the process is that from initial clay models (maquettes), Mr. Johnson created facial expressions and gestures, then chose a live model to come to the studio for apprentices to make a life-size clay and plasticine figure. Seward finalized the face and pose and selected clothing for the sculpture’s story. Apprentices converted the figure to plaster and set the clothes in resin. Before the resin set, Mr. Johnson pumped air under the fabric and into the pockets to achieve the look of folds and motion in the clothes. The sculpture then dried for two days before being separated into sections.

“On Poppied Hill” by Seward Johnson, inspired by “Woman with Parasol in a Field of Poppies” by Monet

As described in “The J. Seward Johnson, Jr. Celebrating the Familiar,” the “true foundry process” then began. Apprentices converted the plaster pieces to wax by creating a rubber mold for each. They then perfected the details of the wax (“chasing”), which they dipped into a solution to create a protective ceramic shell. The next step was to “burn out” the wax to leave only the detailed ceramic shell with a “precise image of the original,” which is “the lost-wax method of casting”.

Highly skilled apprentices then poured molten bronze at 2,000 degrees F (1093.33 C) into the molds. The team then adjoined the pieces and added bronze details from the sculptor’s vision, like glasses, jewelry, and hand-held objects such as pens or gardening trowels. The last step, which involved reheating parts of the metal using acetylene torches, was the patination or the coloring of the figure with special colors unique to Mr. Johnson’s work thanks to his collaboration with his fellow artists at the Atelier. Computer technology later created the giant, iconic sculptures from the life-size bronze ones. Faces of Seward Johnson’s bronze works became more expressive over time with evolving techniques, which remains essentially the same today, though the Atelier offers more current information about their services.

The casting process of the Atelier also makes creating sculptures more cost-effective for artists, which is another draw in addition to the skilled artistry.

“Double Check”

A work of art can take on a life of its own, which Seward Johnson experienced with “Double Check,” another “double-taking” statue this one completed for Merrill Lynch and placed in Liberty Park (now Zuccotti Park) near the former Twin Towers. The Everyman sculpture depicts a man checking the contents of his briefcase before a meeting. After 9/11, the work, surrounded by debris, took on a different meaning, which Mr. Johnson speaks about in an exhibition video, a moving segment from “The Saturday Morning Show” with Russ Mitchell and produced by Nadine Witkin, daughter of sculptor Isaac Witkin. Some rescue workers initially mistook the lifelike sculpture for a survivor.

Firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and mourners left notes, flowers, and other tributes around the memorial site. Respectfully, Mr. Johnson changed the time on Double Check’s watch to 8:46 a.m., the time the first tower was hit. Two tributes are at Grounds for Sculpture, one in the entryway (pictured above) and another in the Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson Gallery, a “shrine” in bronze.

A song in his heart

Sing-a-long host at Rat’s Restaurant accompanied by Phil Orr from the Seward Johnson Center for the Arts

A renowned raconteur, Seward Johnson also entertained people with his Sing-a-longs (with a bit of tap dancing) at Rat’s Restaurant. Accompanied by Adam Weitz and Phil Orr, he would sing Broadway tunes and American songbook favorites. Regrettably, I could not go to what I thought might be the last one, but his joy lives on in delightful YouTube and Atelier Facebook posts. After Seward Johnson’s unfortunate passing at nearly 90 years old in 2020, his friend Joyce Carol Oates compared him with Walt Whitman for his “populist yet strategically calculated art” with a “remarkable declaration of expansiveness….”. After an unveiling of an installation of his on Times Square, Seward serenaded his wife and in a mic drop moment quipped, “Now I can say that I’ve sung on Broadway.” Both he and his wife Cecelia’s generosity went beyond Grounds and the Atelier. Cecelia Joyce Johnson is now president of the Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson Foundation, which awards annual grants to educational and arts organizations. Among these is the Forman School in Connecticut, which supports students with learning differences, and where Mr. Johnson attended and Albert Einstein was an advisor.

(The grand sculptures are marvelous and awe-inspiring, but one of my favorites is the clay model of Albert Einstein, whom Mr. Johnson knew as a mentor from his high school days.)

Jazz greats by Seward Johnson at the Seward Johnson Center for the Arts

“God Bless America,” complete with corn, by Seward Johnson, inspired by “American Gothic” (earlier visit)

“A Turn of the Century” by Seward Johnson, an homage to “Dance at Bougival” by Renoir, with a partial view of “Los Mariachis” en route to Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township

One figure from Seward Johnson’s “Los Mariachis”

The landscape

As Seward Johnson shared in a 2002 EBTV (East Brunswick TV) interview with Amy Fisher, “I want to have the land sculpted so that each piece is a separate experience as much as possible. I want it to be a sequential experience going through the park. I think that’s terribly important and then to add theater to the experience so that when you go around, it’s ‘Wow!’ All of a sudden it hits you….” His intent was “to enhance each piece”. Mr. Johnson, both Director of Design and Founder, planned much of the original grounds himself from the “rubble” of the former fairgrounds, which included planting trees while working alongside architect and sculptor Brian Carey. (In a Grounds for Sculpture 2015 video, Facilities Director W. Bruce Daniels notes that starting up required planting more than 2,000 trees, the remarkable variety of which visitors can appreciate on a tree tour, and tens of thousands of shrubs, roses, and ornamental grasses – including bamboo – to fill the grounds that had only a few maple trees remaining.) Mr. Johnson explained that sometimes pieces had to travel around the grounds before finding a home. Repeat visitors will enjoy a different experience on each visit with the circulation of works and new sculptures. Part of the fun is that visitors think that they have seen everything, but with a return visit, they realize that they have not.

A different view of the entrance with Seward Johnson’s “A Turn of the Century” and Wayne Trapp’s “Geometry of the Cosmos” (June 2022)

As Seward Johnson remarked, he did not often create portraits, but in his EBTV interview with Ms. Fisher, he shared that when legendary screen star Audrey Hepburn asked, he could not refuse. Ms. Hepburn generously sponsored the Audrey Hepburn Children’s House, which offers services for maltreated children and is part of the Pediatrics Department at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center.

Across the street from the house is a rose garden with the sculpture “It’s Going to Be a Beautiful Building,” with Ms. Hepburn and an architect who are discussing the plans for the center across the street. Ms. Hepburn gives a sweet wave with her pointer finger to a shy little girl, which Seward observed when meeting with the benevolent actress.

On a June visit to Grounds for Sculpture last year, I went for the roses but fell for the water lilies with a tip of the sunhat to the dedicated horticulturalists and volunteers. (The flowers, the art! The art, the flowers! The floral beauty later transitions into art with autumn leaves and then with snowy vistas.) The sculptures are beautifully incorporated into the landscape, emphasizing how nature and imagination complement each other, an interplay that Mr. Johnson appreciated on a boyhood trip to Canada and later on a wilderness trek there with friends from the U.S. Navy, both thoughtfully shared in an excellent biographical video from the Johnson Atelier and another from Lynn DeClemente Losavio, the Collection Manager of The Seward Johnson Atelier via the Pennington Library.

Water lilies with “Sailing the Seine II” by Seward Johnson in the background

From Renoir’s “Luncheon at the Boating Party,” a partial view of Seward Johnson’s “Were You Invited?” (The answer at GFS is, “Yes!”)

Partial view of sculpture by Andrzej Pitynski (2021)

Works of other sculptors

Grounds for Sculpture has featured the works of numerous sculptors: New Jersey’s George Segal, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Dana Stewart, Clifford Ward, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Red Grooms. The collection is comprehensive, and these are only a few names.

“The Bathers” by Isaac Witkin (June 2023)

Exhibitions

This exhibition, “Likeness” by the artists of The Arc Mercer in the Education Center next to “Double Check,” closes Sunday, April 28^th.

On May 5^th, “Slow Motion” opens with the work of Ana Teresa Fernández, Colette Fu, Billy Dufala, Omar Tate, and Sandy Williams IV.

Previously, “Local Voices,” hosted with an almost familial dedication, was on view to convey an idea of the breadth of the exhibitions.

On the note of local, Seward Johnson’s sculptures are throughout Hamilton Township, which also features Veterans Park, Sayen Park Botanical Garden, and Mercer County Park. Nearby in Trenton is the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Cadwalader Park.

Seward Johnson work near Hamilton Township Town Hall (2020)

Photos from the annual Azalea Festival at Sayen Gardens with the wonderful Denny Paul Quartet (added May 2024):

For more “local” viewing of Seward Johnson’s work, also enjoy an exhibition at Ocean County College through June.

Visiting

Friendly staff members welcome visitors to the Grounds for Sculpture which is open daily from 10-5 (closed Tuesdays), though kindly check the Visitor Information as these change with the seasons. Reserve tickets online and allow several hours to explore. A museum shop with lovely selections is open Wednesday-Sunday.

A sculpted welcome along the way (June 2023)

Informal dining is available in the Van Gogh Café, which also offers pre-ordered take-out totes for Picnics in the Park in season to enjoy on the grounds, and another café in the Domestic Arts Building, when available, as is fine dining at the well-reviewed Rat’s Restaurant. Rat’s, named after Ratty from “The Wind in the Willows,” Mr. Johnson’s favorite character from a favorite book by Kenneth Grahame, recalls Monet’s Garden at Giverny. The restaurant has a separate entrance, and its hours are Wednesday through Sunday. Rat’s and the beautiful sculpture park grounds are available for meetings and events.

Grounds for Sculpture offers accessible tours of all kinds, as well as wheelchair and electronic convenience vehicle rentals. Tours for schools, colleges, adults, and corporations are available, though the popular school tours are sold out through June 17^th. Reserving well in advance is best. There are concerts and other events throughout the year. The Atelier is available for tours, private events, and team building. Additionally, Grounds for Sculpture became LEED Gold Certified in 2019, and it has two electric car charging stations. Memberships and volunteering (and gardening) that support Grounds for Sculpture and the Atelier are welcome. The Arc Mercer and Audrey Hepburn Children’s House via Executive Director Amy Glazer (amy.glazer@hmhn.org) also welcomes support.

The invitation

In this travel post, the GPS turned toward Seward Johnson’s life as he and the Grounds for Sculpture connect intrinsically. A true philanthropist, Seward Johnson has made his own “Everyman” good-hearted impulses larger than life with the realization of an incredible vision. Still present in the delight of visitors, Seward Johnson invites us all to his ongoing celebration.

Seward Johnson sculpture in homage to Monet’s “Women in the Garden” (partial view)

A “road trip” postscript

Seward Johnson’s sculptures at Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, NY, which were selfie sensations (2022)

Seward Johnson’s Sculptures in Spring Lake, NJ (2022)

(Sources: groundsforsculpture.org and exhibitions, sewardjohnsonatelier.org, The Sculpture of J. Seward Johnson, Jr. Celebrating the Familiar by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. with Paula Stoeke, americanprofile.com, johnsonatelier.com, sculpturemagazine.com, youtube.com (Atelier, Pennington Public Library, EBTV, Nantucket History, Coppervideo), courierpostonline.com, communitynews.org, groundsforsculpturewordpress.com, mycentraljersey.com, washingtonpost.com, causeiq.com, ibdb.com, stateoftheartsnj.com, willowwoodarboretum.org, sculpturemagazine.art, artmuseum.princeton.edu, mainstreetmurfreesboro.org, walkaboutnewyork.com, observer.com, atlasobscura.com, downtownny.com, artcitybronze.com, uvalaw, hmdg.org, britannica.com, Wiki)

A Cherry Blossom Spring: Branch Brook Park

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On June 21, 2023

In Arts, Cherry Blossoms, Culture, Culture, Nature, Park, Travel

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” Theodore Roethke

Wandering under sunlit cherry blossoms is the hallmark of spring’s “Cherry Blossomland” in Branch Brook Park and one of life’s great pleasures. The dance of spring in the blossoms, tremulous and dainty in the breeze, signals the end of winter as much as the arrival of the blooms. So delicate, the white blossoms look like snowflakes on branches, spring having pranked winter with miraculous perseverance. On Easter Sunday, in a harmonious convergence with Purim and Ramadan, and the festive afterglow of Holi, families, couples, photographers, and worldwide visitors strolled throughout the nearly four-mile park. All were smiling, most grinning, blissed out by the breathtaking beauty and the great gift of enjoying life fully again.

Wonderful year-round, the park’s atmosphere is especially so in the spring. The park is a blossom-lover’s dream with all types of cherry trees: single blossom, double blossom, and weeping. Though selfies are the fashion, part of the fun in cherry blossom season is trading iPhones and cameras to capture happy moments. Young auteurs giving directions while photographing their parents were charming, even holding up hands for “framing” on this and an earlier visit. One, about 5 or 6, was reluctant to return the phone to parental amateurs in a hilarious and affectionate back and forth. Stay long enough, or better yet, visit often, and experience the second flowering of Branch Brook Park: blushing brides before blooms, proud young adults in caps and gowns, adorable children dressed for First Communion, lovely girls in Quince dresses, graceful women in saris and salwar kameez, and smartly dressed families in their holiday best, all posing in blossom-laden photos as everyone passes through the park with a rhythm that mirrors the flow of the Branch Brook after which it takes its name. Those dedicated to the park like the Branch Brook Park Alliance know how a shared love of beauty can bring people together.

Branch Brook Park in spring reflects the worldwide celebration of the blooms. Japanese cherry blossom festivals honor each stage of the blossom, which is reflective of life’s rites of passage with a reverence for nature that is intertwined with both Shintoism and Bhuddism. “Sakura” means not only “cherry blossom,” but symbolizes renewal. The blossoms’ brief bloom is bittersweet, reminding admirers to appreciate the fleeting flowering beauty and nature’s imperfection. How this philosophy of “wabi-sabi” (greatly condensed), which is from Zen Buddhism, manifests itself in everyday life in Japan is that family, friends, students, and co-workers gather in the tradition of “hanami,” which means flower-viewing, or what Americans might call picnicking, to appreciate the blossoms. In Japan, school begins in April and collective childhood back-to-school memories are replete with falling petals much like many Americans associate crunching leaves with the start of school. Hanami in Branch Brook Park translates into the annual “Bloomfest” and a new Cherry Blossom Welcome Center that is scheduled to open this fall.

Olmsted and Branch Brook Park history

A map of the L-shaped park of 360 acres shows its three main sections, the North, Middle, and the South with a picturesque extension in Belleville, which makes the park nearly four miles long. Branch Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River and the park includes a reservoir, a lake, ponds, streams, and the Second River in the Belleville extension. With the liveliness of the present-day park, it seems hard to believe that it is the oldest county park in the country.

Branch Brook Park reflects a history of generosity. Civil War volunteers trained in what was Camp Frelinghuysen on the former land of the Newark Aqueduct Board. The Ballantine Family gifted 32 acres, Z.M. Keene, William A. Righter, and Messrs. Heller, collectively, 50 acres, and the Newark Common Council, 60 acres. In 1924, Harmon Washington Hendricks, an industrialist from a prominent philanthropic Jewish family which dates back to the late 1700’s, bequeathed his family home and the 23 acres along the Second River, the former site of the Hendricks Copper Mill. The adjacent Hendricks Field Golf Course, upgraded in 2018, also has cherry trees.

Regarding the park design, requested by the Newark Park Commission, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. and Calvert Vaux, well-known for Central Park (1858), envisioned a bucolic Branch Brook Park (1867) with their trademark naturalism that includes extensive rolling hills, stately tree clusters, waterways, and inviting paths. Landscape architects John Bogart and Nathan F. Barrett designed a plan with an ornamental or “romantic” style (1895), but it was the Olmsted Brothers, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and his half-brother, John Charles Olmsted, who created the park keeping the garden-like style of Bogart and Barrett around the reservoir.

The cherry blossoms adorn the design. Branch Brook Park boasts the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the country, though the picturesque spring wonder of Washington, DC’s Tidal Basin, a gift of cherry trees from Japan in 1912, receives an applause-worthy note as do the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In 1927, Caroline Bamberger Fuld, who was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Germany, brought 2,000-2,050 cherry trees of many varieties from Japan. A lovely detail of this story is that she nurtured the cherry blossom trees on her own nearby Orange, New Jersey estate to ensure their survival before having them planted in the park.

Caroline Bamberger Fuld
(Photo: Jewish Women’s Archive)

Caroline was the sister of Bamberger and Co. department store founder Louis Bamberger and the wife of Felix Fuld, another founder. After Felix passed away in January 1929, Louis sold the business to R.H. Macy & Co. a few months before the stock market crash. (Louis Bamberger gave the company’s 236 long-term employees, or “co-workers” as he called them, $1 million after the sale. Ideal bosses, he and Felix Fuld provided on-site health care, a cafeteria, a music club, a library, and classes offered through Rutgers University.) After her husband’s death, Ms. Fuld, along with Louis, carried on her husband’s generosity. Both Caroline and Louis are known today for co-founding the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, which created a place for independent thought and research and gave new lives to many Jewish mathematicians in the 1930’s who needed to leave Europe.

The original 2,000+ gift of Ms. Fuld has increased to approximately 5,200 (some sources note more) with 18 varieties with the help of the Alliance and Essex County Parks and Recreation, both of which have added more trees, preserved trees, and restored historical and architectural treasures. Various sources note that not only does the park have the most blossoming cherry trees in the country, but the greatest variety. Regarding the undertaking of planting the initial trees from Ms. Fuld, the National Park Service credits the Olmsted Brothers with returning and giving the trees a tiered-slope placement so park-goers could appreciate the blooms more completely. For those who prefer an immersive cherry blossom experience, the Belleville extension has the most densely planted blooms, which is also a wondrous experience for enjoying the light fragrance. A note here to underscore the park signs which have increasingly larger letters each year; please do not touch the trees so others may enjoy their beauty.

Architectural details

As Branch Brook Park Alliance notes, most of the “centennial” structures, those over 100 years old, are the work of the distinguished Carrere and Hastings, the most notable being the Beaux-arts Ballantine Gate, 1898. (The gates lead to the also noteworthy architecture of the Forest Hills section of Newark, where Newark Porchfest brings fun and music each fall.) There are also some Art Deco gems and the distinctive lion sculptures by Karl Bitter at the reservoir. The lions, donated by the Prudential Insurance Company from their former office building, are nicknamed “Art” and “Pat” after former Prudential CEO Art Ryan and his wife Pat, also park supporters. Prudential arranged for the planting of twenty-four cherry trees as a memorial to Kiyofumi Sakaguchi. Other elegant tributes include the Patricia A. Chambers Cherry Grove, the Althea Gibson Tennis Center and statue by Thomas Jay Warren, the Roberto Clemente Fields and statue, a Felix Mendelssohn bust, a prize won by the United Singers of Newark in 1903, and a bust of Frederick Law Olmsted, also by Thomas Jay Warren, to note a few. While setting out to write about cherry blossoms, this has turned to a reflection on generosity, which are essentially one and the same in Branch Brook Park.

Beaux-arts Ballantine Gates by Carrere, 1898, and Hastings, restored by Essex County Restoration and Open Space Fund (2020)

Art Deco Bridge, Belleville extension (2016)

One of the two 7-foot-tall limestone Prudential lions, 1901, by sculptor Karl Bitter at the reservoir with the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the background (2018)

Althea Gibson by Thomas Jay Warren (2018)

Althea Gibson Tennis Center, which looks like a Tiffany window (2016). Louis Comfort Tiffany, a name appearing at the Newark Museum of Art, went to school and trained early on as a painter in NJ, another case for the maxim “all roads lead to New Jersey”.

Roberto Clemente statue by Roberto Clemente Field, Lake Street and Bloomfield Avenue, 2012, by Susan Wagner, a slightly smaller scale version (8 feet) of her Clemente statue at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Made possible through private donors, Verizon, and PSE&G.

Frederick Law Olmsted bust at the reservoir (2022)

Peak blooms are usually between the second and third weeks of April which means a welcome return trip for fans of the wonderful Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For blossom viewing, driving is an option to see these sights and the blossoms, though there are wheelchair-friendly trails. Light rail lines and buses also travel to the park. For the definitive history of Branch Brook Park, please visit the Alliance. Other park features include the Prudential Concert Grove near the lions and reservoir, a roller skating rink and basketball courts near the cathedral basilica, baseball fields, bocce courts, which will return when the new center opens, a playground in the Belleville extension (“excellent” as rated by peals of laughter) and the Alliance’s cherry blossom live cam for anyone who cannot make the trip (yet) along with their Bloomwatch, which is also informative about the variety of cherry blossom blooms, on social media. Though the Rutgers Master Gardeners and many other organizations volunteer to help keep the park beautiful, the Alliance always welcomes more volunteers.

Pathway in Southern Division by the cathedral (2022 in this section)

Lake in Southern Division by Roller Rink

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Standing majestically on the park’s horizon is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, graceful with its French Gothic Revival style (1898-1954). Both a National and a New Jersey Historic Site, the fifth largest cathedral in the nation is approximately 45,000 square feet, about the size of Westminster Abbey in London, and draws tourists as well as parishioners for its beautiful architecture. In 1995, Pope John Paul II conferred the title of “minor basilica” upon the cathedral, the highest recognition given to a cathedral with special significance.

Viewing the cathedral and the cherry blossoms was one of our early family traditions as Vailsburg, Newark residents, which brings to mind one special person among many, our grandmother, remembered in “Arriving Home to Sweetness”. Another early memory was seeing the first spring light shining through a window while hearing the voice of Newark’s Sarah Vaughan* from the records of “The Divine One” played often by our father fan. Newarker Whitney Houston was the great vocal artist of my generation, recalled in a visit to the former Grammy Museum at the Prudential Center, which is still home to the New Jersey Devils and the Seton Hall Pirates. The Newark Museum of Art, with its incredible collection, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), which now hosts the annual Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition, and the Newark Library, which is a beautiful building and an excellent research resource, are also nearby.

New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts

“The Cuppah” by Gianni Toso, Newark Museum of Art

Beaux-art, Tiffany & Co. , 1900, Newark. Belonged to the [Thomas and Mina] Edison, West Orange.

An appreciative Martin Brodeur in “The Salute” to fans, 2015, by Jon Krawczyk outside Prudential Center (2019). The statue’s stand contains a fans’ time capsule of Brodeur memorabilia.

Partial view of the magnificent “The Mural,” 2007, by ambidextrous sports artist Tom Mosser. Commissioned by the NJ Devils, at 200’ x 30′ it is one of the largest indoor sports mural in the country. Pictured here are Martin Brodeur, Ritchie Regan, and boxers among many celebrated state athletes and icons.

Left to right: Ken Daneyko, Tony Meola, Terry Dehere, Althea Gibson

Note: News 12 New Jersey recently reported that Newark artists Rorshachbrand, Robert Ramone and Andre Leon, have created a new, beautiful mural honoring Newark and New Jersey musical artists that will inspire performers as they take the stage at the Prudential Center.

The 22-foot stainless steel “Stanley” aka “The Iron Man” by NJ Devils fan Jon Krawczyk stands in Championship Plaza behind the Pru Center. Children enjoy sitting and playing on his foot and hockey stick in what has become a popular selfie station/photo stop. The artist drove this and “The Salute” across the country from his California studio.

Newark Library (2015) which has beautiful murals

Nature’s poetry

Central Park has a plaque with the Theodore Roethke quote note above, “Deep within their roots, all flowers keep the light,” which came up when researching it. (This calls for a visit to another Olmsted gem: “Central Park: A Template of Beauty”.) The renowned poet, who inspired generations of poets, felt a deep connection with nature from the time spent with his father in the elder’s greenhouse workplace where young Theodore observed the nurturing of beauty. After experiencing family tragedies at 14, Theodore struggled, as many young people have following the pandemic, but later found his way by writing poetry. Thematic in his work is the belief that nature has a soul, perhaps being interconnected with his own. Poet Roethke’s view of nature as holding spiritual truth complements the essence of a traditional blossom festival.

A walk in the park with nature’s beauty, fresh air, and a stretch can often make cares drift away like petals on the stream. Nature is a gift, no more so than in spring, when flowers bring joy. In the absence of the poet, deferring here to blossom eloquence.

* (No YouTube ad, hopefully; if so, worth the wait for “I’ve Got the World on a String”.)

(Sources: branchbrook.org, essexcountyparks.org, rhiplaces.com,
newarkbasilica.org/history, newarkhistory.com, newarkmemories.com, smithsonian.org, planning.org, jwa.org, loebjewishportraints.com, ias.edu, my modermet.com, loc.gov, asiasocity.org, portal.cca.edu, bbg.org, gotokyo.org, japaneseobjects.com, kenyonreview.org, poetryfoundation.org, knowingnewark.npl.org, acchamber.org, acfpl.org, tapinto.net, patch.com, jerseycares.org, tclf.org, krelickconservation.com, whom.com, bridgesnyc.com, splurgefrugal.com, emaculent.wordpress.com, dana.njit.edu, margatemasmore.com, wobm.com, cherryhill.yolasite.com, wally gobetz flickr.com, nhl.com, alltrails.com, lastleafgardener.com, nps.gov, Wiki)

A Holiday Thank You

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 26, 2022

In Art, Baking, Christmas, Culture, History, Holidays, Museum, Travel

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly Merry Christmas.” Peg Bracken

Enjoy the ongoing celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day/Little Christmas with cocoa in a cookie. Warm thanks for following and a “cheers” to happiness in 2023!

Magnolia from Winterthur Museum and poinsettias from Longwood Gardens

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup powdered sugar
Beat together the cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Beat the dry ingredients into the cocoa-oil mix. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 13 minutes. Yields about 50 cookies.

Fun twists:

Double Chocolate: Add a cup of mini chocolate chips.
Black Forest: Add a cup of chopped dried cherries or cranberries
Mint Chocolate: Swap 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla for mint extract, and add some crushed candy canes to the powdered sugar
Orange Chocolate: Swap 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla for orange extract
Powdered sugar: Add some cinnamon for a festive fun.

(Source: simplyrecipes.com)

Beautiful trees and flowers from Longwood Gardens thru 1/8

Beautiful menorah at Morven Museum, Princeton

“A Festival of Trees” at Morven Museum thru 1/8

SAVE – A friend to homeless animals, Morven Museum

Beautiful tree at Palmer Square, Princeton

Santa visits children at Palmer Square thanks to the Princeton Fire Department

Shining stars of the Princeton Fire Department 🌟

The Princeton Fire Department spreading holiday cheer 🎄✨

Tree dedicated to servicemen and women at the annual “Yuletide at Winterthur,” Winterthur Museum, Delaware, thru 1/8

The signature, exquisite floral tree, Winterthur

Enjoy a Garden Tour with Tyler at Winterthur

For what’s in bloom, enjoy checking Winterthur’s yearly bloom guide 🌸

“Smithville Holiday Cheer”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 31, 2020

In Christmas, Culture, Travel, US History

Charming Historic Smithville Village, just outside Atlantic City, offers an array of holiday cheer: a Christmas Light Show, a Magic Talking Tree, a children’s train ride and carousel, extensive shopping, and a variety of dining. With its mostly outdoor attractions, this idyllic spot also offers a safer way to get away and lift everyone’s spirits.

Smithville holds live events like its first performance of “A Christmas Carol” this year, which perfectly suits this warm-hearted community. The shopkeepers and staff are always friendly, admirably so at this time. The Christmas Light Show and Magic Talking Tree, generously, are open to the public. Early December features an annual Hospitality Night with events and refreshments to thank visitors for their loyalty, a courtesy which my former employers and friends in “The Christmas Customers” would have enjoyed.

Smithville kindness at the Village Sweet Shoppe

The scenic village with the bridge crossing picturesque Lake Meone forms what is known as “The Village Greene,” part of a larger residential Smithville community within Galloway Township. The village dates back to the 1700’s when it began as a stagecoach stop. The Historic Smithville Inn, which has blog updates, is a popular event destination. The inn is one of two, the other being the Colonial Inn Bed and Breakfast. The inns and some restaurants offer dining, now outdoors or with curbside takeout in addition to other food vendors for those who are spending the day or looking to go out for the evening.

Prim and Proper in the Noah Newcumb House, 1820

Delightful decor and gifts at Prim & Proper

Woof, Woof Barkery & Pet Boutique, one of the pet-oriented Smithville shops

For warm weather fans, summertime features paddleboat rides on the lake. There is no shortage of affordable entertainment year-round with events like the annual car show and Oktoberfest.

Dashing to share this before the wonderful Light Show ends on January 5th. For a current schedule of holiday events, kindly visit Historic Smithville. Warm wishes for a safe and Happy New Year!

(Sources: HistoricSmithville.com, Wiki)

Part of the 2020 Light Show with holiday music 🎵

“Happy Hanukkah!”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 21, 2020

In Culture, Family, Food, Religion

Enjoy making Hamantaschen, a pastry-like cookie for Hanukkah. Popular at Purim, this treat is a also a favorite for celebrating the Festival of Lights. This recipe is from “Cuisine at Home” and adds cream cheese to the traditional recipe for flavor. In this first attempt, dashed past the two-hour freezing step, which would have resulted in a neater cookie, but everyone enjoyed these and will make them again. Have fun and Happy Hanukkah!

“Cream Cheese Hamantachen with Fruit Filling”

Mix:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (16 Tbsp.)

1 package cream cheese, softened (8 oz.)

½ cup sugar

Minced zest of orange

Add:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling, spoon:

¾ fruit butter or preserves

1 egg, beaten

Note: For jam, the recipe suggests levkar, a kosher Hungarian jam or fruit butter.

Instructions:

Mix butter, cream cheese, sugar, and zest with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. (Note: Vanilla works if orange zest is not available.)

Add flour and salt to the butter mixture and mix.

Divide dough in half and shape those into disks; wrap each in plastic and chill 8-24 hours.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll one disk into 1/8 inch on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 3-inch cutter (a scalloped edge would look nice if available). Pinch into triangles and leave room for jam. Brush with egg wash. (Note: You many want to add a teaspoon of water and sugar, recipes on this vary.)

Add filling and pinch closed into triangular shape. Freeze two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake until golden, 20-30 minutes. Let cool on cookie racks.

Enjoy a view at the source, Cuisine at Home. Happy Festival of Lights!

(First published December 13, 2020)

“Christmas at Heart: Mary Mapes Dodge”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On December 25, 2019

In Arts, Culture, Travel

“…Should it cause even one heart to feel a deeper trust in God’s goodness and love, or aid any in weaving a life, wherein, through knots and entanglements, the golden thread shall never be tarnished or broken, the prayer with which it was begun and ended will have been answered.”

Mary Mapes Dodge, Preface to “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates””

Floral Christmas tree at Longwood Gardens

Widowed and impoverished with two small children to support, Mary Mapes Dodge, 1831-1905, wrote the beloved story “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” at her father’s Newark farm, Mapleridge. Using her imagination and research, she unearthed such Netherlands tales as “The Little Dutch Boy,” popularizing them in the United States. The 1865 immediate best seller saved her struggling family, and she became the most popular children’s author of her day.

The Ballantine House, 1885, Newark Museum

“The Chuppah,” Gianni Toso, Newark Museum

Married at 20 to lawyer William Dodge, Mary had a few short years of domestic happiness in New York City where she grew up. After experiencing a financial reversal, William left and then drowned. Mary was a widow at 28 when she began to support her boys, neither yet school age, with her writing. Ms. Dodge first achieved notoriety with “Irvington Stories” in 1864. Following this success, her sons Harry and James urged her to write down the skating bedtime stories that she made up for them. When published in 1865, the serialized story “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” was so popular that worldwide sales brought it an award from the French Academy with a monetary prize that helped Mary’s family.

Ms. Dodge dedicated Hans Brinker to her father, a renowned chemist who developed modern agriculture, Professor James Jay Mapes, remembered today with Mapes Avenue in Newark. Mary initially assisted him with editing agricultural journals. It was the warm-hearted James who “believed children could appreciate good literature” in the age of children’s primers. Mary’s mother, Sophia, was an accomplished artist. The future writer and her siblings had had the foundation of a happy childhood and an excellent education filled with art, music, and creativity.

Historic Summit Opera House, 1894, Summit, NJ

“The Triumph of Music,” Marc Chagall, Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center

The story of Hans not only moved readers but thrilled them with their introduction to Dutch speed skating, even more intriguing with its setting on picturesque frozen canals. Ms. Dodge shares travel and customs in Holland with readers. St. Nicholas is a patron saint and protector of children who arrives in grand style on December 5th, welcomed with songs, poems, and traditional dishes, and exits “with a shower of sugarplums”. On December 6th, St. Nicholas Day, children awake to find their wooden shoes overflowing with presents save for the Brinkers, who find their joy in each other’s company.

“Merry Old Santa Claus,” Thomas Nast, 1881
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown, New Jersey

Holiday cheer at Wilderstein whose Rhinebeck town welcomes Sinterklaas, Santa Claus, with festivities each year following his nearby Kingston send-off

Having a Dutch-American grandmother, and later, friends who helped as resources for the book, Ms. Dodge aimed to familiarize Americans with Dutch culture in a positive way as it was sometimes misunderstood. What appealed immensely to Mary was Dutch ability and the miracle of Holland itself, the “marvel of its not being washed away by the sea”. Not surprisingly, engineers are heroes in Dutch history.

Two of Ms. Dodge’s resources were the well-known “The Rise of the Dutch Republic” and “The History of the United Netherlands” by historian John Lothrop Motley, whom she heralds in the story. Though Mary had not traveled to the Netherlands when she wrote “The Silver Skates,” her work was so imaginative that the book was, and is, popular in Holland.

A bestselling first edition of Hans Brinker, illustrated by Thomas Nast, Macculloch Hall

Images of beloved St. Nicholas at Winterthur

Holland American Bakery, Sussex, New Jersey

In Hans Brinker, readers meet siblings Hans and Gretel, 15 and 12, with names alluding to the fairy tale, who have lived in poverty for most of their childhood. Their father Raff’s illness after an accident and the mysterious loss of the family funds leave them not only destitute children but his caretakers, a duty they assume along with their mother with a persevering love. This is the Holland of windmills and charm, but also a reflection of a real-life world where other children mock the brother and sister for their ragged clothing. Talented skaters, the siblings have only wooden ones, not iron, and cannot compete in the grand December race for the prized silver skates. When Hans earns some money through his wood-carving skill, he puts aside his hopes and buys his sister skates so she may compete. Eventually acquiring proper skates of his own and entering the race, Hans leads. When the skate strap of his loyal friend Peter breaks, Hans gives his to someone who wishes for the silver skates even more than he. Peter goes on to win the boys’ race.

Mary Mapes Dodge brings life to goodness, a character depiction sometimes dismissed as being one-dimensional. She touches readers with Hans’ decision to help his sister: “Hans turned the money thoughtfully in his palm. Never in all his life had he longed so intensely for a pair of skates for he had known of the race and had fairly ached for a chance to test his powers with the other children. He felt confident that with a good pair of steel runners he could readily outdistance most of the boys on the canal… On the other hand, he knew that she [Gretel], with her strong but lithe little frame, needed but a week’s practice on good runners to make her a better skater…. As soon as this last thought flashed upon him, his resolve was made…she should have the skates.” Gretel would win the girls’ race.

The happy ending brings the recovery of Raff Brinker, after a risky surgery, who restores the family finances, allowing the children to return to school full-time. He and his wife see Gretel win. The selflessness of Hans, who at another turn offered to give his skate money to pay for his father’s surgery, melts away the cynicism of the family physician, Dr. Boekman. Through him, Hans grows up to become a surgeon “in a reverence for God’s work” and marry his childhood sweetheart Annie. The miracle of Hans is that he experiences hardships without becoming hard-hearted.

Christmas cheer at Cranberry’s Cafe, Hyde Park

Seasons Greetings in Irvington, New Jersey

Hans makes decisions from a generosity of spirit that shows us one touched by God’s grace. He inspires, which is undoubtedly why the book is still read today, passed down through generations.

Crèche, Vocationist Fathers, Florham Park, NJ

Mary Mapes Dodge went on to become an associate editor for Home and Hearth magazine under Harriet Beacher Stowe in 1868. In 1873, Ms. Dodge received the honor of being the first editor for the prestigious St. Nicholas Magazine, which she named, and featured work by major writers like Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Mark Twain. Having grown up in a home where accomplished scientists and artists added to a lively household, Mary’s sons, too, knew the delight of these writers’ company. Mary, who was modest about her accomplishments, was an ideal editor who encouraged Rudyard Kipling to write down the adventure stories that he shared with friends. The result was “The Jungle Book”.

“A Longwood Christmas,” Kennett Square, PA

Ms. Dodge helped to launch the careers of young writers with the St. Nicholas League, a monthly magazine for young readers. The affiliated magazine awarded publication and monetary prizes to Edna St. Vincent Millay, E.B. White, Stephen Vincent Benet, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, with his own New Jersey connections. Ms. Dodge continued to write for St. Nicholas Magazine collected in “Baby Days,” “Baby World,” “Poems and Jingles,” and “Rhymes and Verses,” some written in her Catskills home. All of these stories and poems were immensely popular, but it is “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” that timelessly resonates.

“Winter Light Over Catskills,” Betsy Jacaruso, Jacaruso Studio & Gallery Rhinebeck

Rectory, Dutch Reformed Church, est. 1789

In Lord Durham’s rare book collection is an autograph calendar book inscribed by Mary Mapes Dodge from in the Orange Memorial Hospital library, formerly in Orange, New Jersey, with a date of December 16, 1902:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays as we travel into 2020.

Santa Vincent “Whitey” Vitale rides through Madison and Chatham, stopping at homes and senior centers, to spread Christmas cheer as he has generously done for years. He and his horse are a big hit with everyone, especially children.

(Sources: gutenberg.org, poetryfoundation.org, ldrb.ca, dodgefamily.org, britannica.com, greatnortherncatskills.com, us.macmillan.com, cdnc.ucr.edu, bookologymagazine.org, http://dla.library.upenn.edu, cartoons.osu.edu/, goodreads.com, whychristmas.com, www.amazon.com.au, Wiki)

The ultimate speed skater, the NJ Devils’ “The Iron Man” by Jon Krawczyk, at Championship Plaza

Skater, by Tom Mosser, NJ Devils’ mural, Prudential Center

Christmas at Kip’s Castle, Montclair, part of Essex County Parks

Jersey Shore Christmas, jeep playing “Merry Christmas, Baby” and “Feliz Navidad,” Spring Lake Irish Centre

Readington Reformed (Dutch) Church, 1719, Readington, New Jersey

Readington Reformed Church celebrates its 200th anniversary

Dilworth Park, Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink, Philadelphia

“Virgin and Child,” c. 1475, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Camuso Holiday Display, Livingston, raises money for charity

Winter cozy, Lambertville Trading, Co., Lambertville, Delaware River Towns

Loreto Theatre, Sheen Center, Greenwich Village

“The Great 88: The Empire State Building”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On May 1, 2019

In Architecture, Culture, Travel, US History

The breathtaking views: looking downtown with the Freedom Tower and Statue of Liberty, which caused a flurry of photo-taking excitement among visitors

“Spectacular,” “fun, “romantic,” “amazing”. There are many wonderful places to visit for New York City views, but it is the Empire State Building that has stirred imaginations over successive generations since its launch in 1931 as the world’s tallest building. “King Kong,” “An Affair to Remember,” and “Sleepless in Seattle” are a few of the more memorable films featuring this National Historic and New York City Landmark, “the most photographed building in the world”.

From childhood visits and those with guests from out of town, I think of the cinematic glamour, the breathtaking views, the bracing air, and the warm staff. All were in full measure on trips this spring to comprise what still is a unique experience. The marvel at the top of the building is not just the views, but that one feels so free in a relatively compact space. This is thanks to the building’s design, its management, and the staff.

The Birth of the Modern Skyscraper

What did the Empire State Building mean to people when it opened in 1931? Construction meant jobs during the Great Depression, and it began in good fortune on Saint Patrick’s Day in 1930. As “the largest commercial venture and investment ever,” the Empire State Building was a symbol of commerce in a bleak time. The building also represented a feat of engineering – 4 1/2 floors went up each week with new “fast track” construction. The building of the 102 floors took just over 18 months, completed one and a half months early and under budget by approximately $5 million. The Empire State Building (ESB) ultimately stood at 1,250 feet tall, 1,454 including the metal tower. The tallest building represented the “Empire State” of wealth and power. To feel hopeful and proud, New Yorkers only had to look up.

The 80th floor with the “Dare to Dream” exhibit, and the first opportunity for views, covers the building’s evolution from blueprints to construction with dramatic enlarged photos. For forty-one years, ESB held the title as the tallest building in the world and still is one of the tallest. The main deck on the 86th floor wraps around the spire for views of 360 degrees and 80 miles on clear days. With 1,000 offices, including LinkedIn, the ESB has its own zip code: 10118.

Ceiling guide in the lobby of the Main Deck

Skyline Beauty

Beauty was not only Faye Wray in the classic 1933 “King Kong”. The Empire State Building catches our eye and captures our imagination for its Art Deco design by architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates. The five-story marble and granite lobby with brushed stainless steel has a gold and aluminum ceiling. Refurbished in 2008, the lobby with its mural is so remarkable that it has separate registration from the building with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee. Large bronze medallions on the ground floor commemorate the craftsmen who helped build this icon. Another distinctive feature is the metal tower that is both the 102nd-floor observatory and a zeppelin mooring mast, though only one airship ever docked.

In 2008, the building underwent a $500 million renovation removing changes from over the years and restoring ESB to its original Art Deco glory. As a complement to the burgundy marble in the walls of those restored hallways, ESB guards received handmade uniforms in Art Deco style of the 1930’s that add to the glamour of a visit. The uniforms, by I. Buss, have a logo “the building against a starburst pattern” and chevrons on the sleeves. Those “V’s” are from heraldry and represent building rafters, suitable for wear in the number one edifice on the list of “America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects” and one of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World” according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The bravery in creating this architectural wonder

Why It’s Relevant

The Empire State Building is part of our psyches in ways that we do not realize. Going to work, we see it, while shopping, or visiting the city. While dining at Flatiron Square or ice skating in Bryant Park, it is there over our shoulders, a reassuring presence throughout our lives. Sometimes we do not notice it until we look at our photos. Or until it is out of sight.

Traveling into the city one day from New Jersey via the Lincoln Tunnel, the inconceivable and yet inevitable happened – the Empire State Building disappeared behind a high rise. The drive suddenly felt like trying to run to home plate with one of the bases missing. The skyline view of New York City from across the Hudson River is an iconic one that everyone associates with images of the United States. Even when commuting on the bus to some less than ideal stints in the city, my heart did and still does, soar a bit when seeing that celebrated, unique skyline.

As the Statue of Liberty wears her crown, so is the Manhattan skyline bejeweled in the night sky with the Empire State Building as its centerpiece. No one in New York City or the surrounding area needs reminding about sudden loss, but a loss by degree devastates in its way because we let it happen. Travel pieces are as much about traveling through life as seeing the sights. The new everyplace, anyplace skyline is a topic of conversation on city buses, in coffee shops, and around the city.

Driving home another evening on the New Jersey Turnpike after Notre Dame of Paris had burned, the blue, white, and red lights of the Empire State Building shone through the night across the Meadowlands in solidarity with France. What was apparent to the eye is only a blurry iPhone photo, but words may suffice where photography fails – as much as the Empire State Building is an international travel destination, it is also a beacon that connects us here in its tri-state neighborhood.

Not just a fixture in the New York City skyline, the Empire State Building steps up as a neighbor – it celebrates, comforts, and brings awareness. Prior to the lights for Notre Dame, the building was lit up in honor of Easter Seals‘ 100th anniversary. The LED lights installed in 2012 have featured everything from endangered animal species on the sides of the building to the NCAA Final Four and Championship winners to college commencements. And what other building features Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton rocking, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” with a choreographed sparkling light show?

At a time when all of us share fewer collective experiences with exceptions like watching the Olympics or “Game of Thrones” (with New Jersey talent: actor Peter Dinklage and writer George R.R. Martin), the Empire State Building with its Tower Lights Calendar connects like a community bulletin board, and inspiringly, it moves us to care. For the informative and the entertaining, you can follow ESB on social media, which is, along with Central Park, one of the most generous New York City accounts with continuous retweets, photo contests, and promotions: @empirestatebuilding. Everything from the sunrise and sunset weddings on Valentine’s Day to launching the careers of new photographers is uplifting.

Indeed glamorous, exciting, and fun – iconic, but evolving, the Empire State Building is always finding new roles. These range from the practical like becoming a LEED-Gold “green” forerunner with a makeover in 2011 to the imaginative and celebratory lighting of the building by stars drawn from Hollywood, Bollywood, Broadway, the World Cup, and NYC sports teams.

The Final Five: Olympic Gold Medal winners of the US Women’s Gymnastics team: Gaby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez from New Jersey, Madison Kocian, Simone Biles, and Aly Reisman on a visit to the observatory

The ESB Inspires

At ESB last week, a mother and son from South Korea delighted in asking other people in line where they were from and chatted in newly practiced English with fellow tourists from Italy and Florida, all excited first-time visitors. For those who remember the ’80’s and tourists bypassing the Big Apple, it is heartening to see people enjoying a visit to this wonderful city. Ideally, they will leave loving it, as we do, both residents and neighbors. The wonder and cordiality of the Empire State Building experience are an important part of that goodwill.

Having left practicality in the rear view mirror many miles ago, I returned for a second visit to ESB for the leafier photos that Central Park deserves, though the views are beautiful year-round, and to see if my words to date were up to task for this American treasure. This trip was by train, throwing off the metaphor, but it offered a nice walk featuring Greeley Park, another of the welcoming New York City Parks.

Looking uptown with Central Park and some of the Reservoir in view

The view uptown towards the Bronx with the Chrysler Building to the east (March)

A return trip was well worth it for witnessing the precision of the staff following the spring break influx of visitors. The informal atmosphere pre-Easter and Passover that allowed for chats with staff members was now all business. This post-holiday organization, however, still includes a warm welcome that extends to those with strollers and wheelchairs. The 102nd-floor observatory is under renovation and closed until July, but special experiences on the main deck like the summer saxophonist, the Sunrise Tour, the Premium Experience, and the All Access Tour are available online along with City Pass with an Empire State Building app for an audio tour. Ever cutting-edge, the ESB offers free WiFi to share those photos and selfies with the amazing views. The Empire State Building is open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. in the city that never sleeps.

In Chinese culture, 88 is auspicious, symbolizing good things to come. In the Empire State Building’s fortunate 88th year, may the sun never pass behind the clouds.

(Sources: esbnyc.com, archdaily.com, nytimes.com, emporis.com, money.cnn.com, cnn.com, thevintagenews.com, Wiki)

The Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty looking towards Staten Island

The Hudson River and New Jersey looking east

The Chrysler Building looking towards Queens and Brooklyn

The New York Life Building (gold tower) looking towards Brooklyn

A closer view of the New York Life Building, the MetLife Building (MetLife Tower) with the clock and gold spire, and Madison Square Park

Classic Cutler mail chutes from early skyscrapers, some now by Cutler are on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution

A gift shop that has everything including extraordinary Kate Spade bags that light up

The elevator ceiling on the way down from the observatory. Visual and verbal thank you’s in keeping with the style of the Empire State Building. Adding a mutual “Thank you”.

“Central Park: A Heart Song Runs Through It”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On February 12, 2019

In Arts, Culture, Nature, Park, Travel

Valentine’s Day

Blue sky reflected on shimmering ice at the Conservatory Water

Coming Attractions

The age-old wisdom when choosing a partner is to see how he treats his mother and servers. One might add, travel with him. If you both are excited by things you experience, fantastic. If the trains never run on time, which make you both laugh, even better – that person’s a keeper. Maya Angelou included one more prong on the test: spend time with that special someone when it rains. Does he light up your day?

To these, one might add another test learned in youth, crucial if you are a movie lover. Share a favorite film with your partner and see what happens. When Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” from Norman Maclean’s novella came out on the now nostalgic videotape, I brought home the movie to watch again with two roommates as one does with things too good not to share. “You’ve got to see this. It’s a beautiful film.”

While watching, one woman, feeling hoodwinked, stomped out halfway through and complained, “Nothing happens.” The other fell asleep. To the list, add the “A River Runs Through It” test. Perhaps this was a lesson in not imposing one’s taste on others, and such a reaction has happened rarely, in fact, but it’s good to be excited about great work.

Honoring musical artist John Lennon at Strawberry Fields

The Main Feature: Central Park

With love, like the view from Belvedere Castle, all things seem possible. Paraphrasing for St. Valentine’s Day, but the love of devotion is evident in the park as much as romance. A cheerful volunteer smiling and offering passers-by park maps from a windowless booth on a day of frozen park waters reminds us that the beauty of Central Park is not just cinematic. Those who remember “A River Runs Through It” would also recall the park at that time, and how the Conservancy and staff have transformed it.

The Angel of the Waters by Emma Stebbins

As Bow Bridge takes us across the Lake, Central Park’s beauty carries us serenely back into our day. The love in the details of Central Park’s design by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux delivers the romance of nature every day. Artists who paint the park, musicians who set it to music, and photographers and filmmakers who capture it, share their inspiration. Both New Yorkers who enjoy the park daily and visitors remind us of how special a place it is. As park-goers know, hearing first-time explorers’ exclamations of delight is lovely.

“Mandy”

One place that draws people now is the Pond where visitors have come for months to see the Mandarin duck. The bird-watching at the Pond is Central Park at its best. On a recent weekend visit, a crowd had gathered at the water’s edge. Around the Pond, there is the shared excitement of spotting Mandy, then following his movements, speculating where he will go next. Then there is the romance of experiencing something beautiful and unique with others. Two men charmed women with talk of the duck, which was both delightful and impressive. Couples came and went, some reaching for each other’s hands upon sighting Mandy. This sweetness may go back to our childhoods. Earlier at Harlem Meer, a young father had taken his elated son to see his friends, the ducks. For many, ducks were a memorable first contact with wildlife.

Winter at Harlem Meer with a view of the Charles A. Dana Recovery Center

A photographer proudly and warmly shared that he had first captured “Mandy” (a description which hopefully is not too revealing regarding the former), and a lovely woman mentioned that she had come from a distance to take the duck’s photos as well. Others climbed up on the rocks or dashed to Gapstow Bridge for a better view animatedly talking about the duck in several languages, all understood. Some in the group composed entirely of adults remarked on his stunning appearance with color block feathers of blue, russet, brown, purple, black, orange, white, and grey.

What is the draw of a bird? There is the intrigue of the Mandarin duck. Why has he come? Why has he stayed? Was he ever an ugly duckling? Like a gift twice over for photographers, his savvy in selecting one of the most picturesque spots in the park to hold court enhances a stylish panache that rivals Fashion Week. The gentleman charms wearing the Savile Row suit of plumage in the duck world.

The Mandarin duck stands out in a stand-out crowd and gets on well with them (2/19)

Photographers compared notes about the best lenses to capture Mandy’s detail. People politely took turns to take pictures, civility much like that at fellow park New York Botanical Garden events. The inexplicable appearance of the duck is one of the special park experiences like Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “The Gates,” which thrilled when I lived in the city. Coincidentally, wonderful photos of this were tweeted today @CentralParkNYC, a reminder to anyone who writes that tweets make the new deadlines.

Looking back while leaving, were it not too revealing with faces, the photo that I would have taken for “It’s the People” for the warm #CentralParkLove hashtag this Valentine’s Day week would be the small, warm circle gathered around the tiny bank of the Pond that Mandy was favoring that day. If you live in New York City or plan a trip to the park and want to feel good, have a visit with the Mandarin duck.

Thank you to Manhattan Bird Alert @BirdCentralPark on Twitter for keeping us posted on the whereabouts of this celebrated resident.

Hans Christian Anderson and the title character of “The Ugly Duckling”

Sequel

In Central Park, there is the romance of childhood revisited with one’s children. Those who grew up going to the park can return to take their children to play in the same playgrounds, go ice skating, ride the Carousel, climb the big rocks, visit the zoo, and see a play at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater with “Yeti, Set, Snow!” presently on the marquee.

In terms of a plot at Central Park, there is not much to tell – people go there for walks, recreation, nature — and sometimes to see a duck. Aside from being a cinematographer’s dream, regarding feeling in the park, there is everything. Nothing, but everything, happens.

Thank you to Central Park for creative inspiration. Enjoy the park’s Instagram @centralparknyc and Central Park on Facebook with beautiful photos of the Mandarin duck and the park.

The Loeb Boathouse at the half-frozen Lake

The music of the park, Duke Ellington by Robert Graham, Duke Ellington Circle, northeast corner of the park, Harlem

Vanderbilt Gate entrance to the Conservatory Garden

Tito Puente Way, northeast corner of the park, Harlem

“Central Park: The North Woods”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On November 21, 2018

In Architecture, Art, Culture, Gardening, Nature, Park, Travel

Harlem Meer, sunset view from the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center

“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman, with New York and New Jersey ties, shares wisdom that lights the way in autumn. At this time of year, the earlier darkness may not be welcome, but the fall offers a different kind of beauty with autumn leaves, a sometime #Snowvember, and a greater appreciation of the day. At night, the stars shine more clearly in the sky.

Nature’s palette in Central Park

Fall splendor and autumn blooms in a celebration of nature’s palette mark autumn in Central Park. And then there are the greens, vibrant after this year’s rain. On a splendid day of second summer in the park, a walk in Central Park North brings the cheers of children playing soccer, strollers on their lunch breaks, friendly chats with fellow park admirers, and the fragrance of the flowers on the last of the warm breezes.

Untermeyer Fountain, Three Dancing Maidens by Walter Schott

Chrysanthemums, daisies, and asters in the Conservatory Garden

A young mother lay on one of the giant boulders with her newborn sleeping on her chest, looking at the sky while her infant slept in a perfect moment of contentment and connection. This sight brought to mind a wondrous thing about Central Park that the Conservancy has revitalized from the park’s original vision: park-goers know that there is no judgment in the park, which is one of the keys to its serenity. On a wonderful early fall tour of the North Woods, park staff mentioned the Bible as a source for Frederick Law Olmsted in creating a pastoral setting, his touchstone for a shared utopia. By looking to Heaven, he connected people with Earth.

Visual poetry

We all have our favorite parts of the park, and the Park Conservancy encourages us to explore and enjoy all of it. The park is, impressively, 843 acres (341 hectares) and a six-mile (9.6 km) around its perimeter, its inception detailed on a springtime visit in “Central Park: A Template of Beauty”. On another visit, while circling somewhere on a wooded path in the North End, when asked which way was a central landmark, a hiker responded with a smile and a shrug that in the nicest way possible expressed, “Why would anyone head where visitors flock when there are these great woods?” She knew the paths of the northern park expertly and shared that knowledge with enthusiasm. Everything is about perspective.

Springbanks Arch

North in the park

The North End includes the North Meadow, Harlem Meer, the North Woods, the Great Hill, in season, playgrounds, baseball fields, and the seasonal pool/ice hockey Lasker Rink. The Conservatory Garden is a few blocks lower than the start of the North End at 100th Street. Designed by Gilmore Clarke, who created the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, it boasts three gardens in English, French, and Italian style. Distinguishing the garden is the Vanderbilt Gate by George Browne Post, who designed buildings for the nearby City College of New York, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and the New York Stock Exchange, and who later lived in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The Conservatory Garden is its own paradise thanks to dedicated gardeners.

A highlight on a recent trip was chatting with people fishing at Harlem Meer. Fishing of bass, perch, and carp is catch and release with respect to NYC fishing regulations, but the sport is no less fun. Our grandfather, an avid fisherman, would have delighted in the fishing and have known the questions to ask. A kidder, however, whenever anyone asked him what was new, he always answered, “New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and New Mexico” often accompanied by a friendly swat on the arm. Straightforward was not his way, but fun was, and through a love of fishing, he made friends easily as his fellow sportsmen at the Meer seem to do, too.

The Ravine

A tour of the North Woods offers a thoughtful combination of art, history, ecology, geology, good company, and a poetry reading, a sublime mix for those who love nature and art. The North Woods, designed to evoke an Adirondacks experience, features rushing cascades, leafy paths, and stone and rustic bridges with inspiration by Maplewood, New Jersey artist Asher Durand whose work embodied the counterpoise of “naturalism and idealization,” seen in “Kindred Spirits”. The tour starts at the northeast corner of the park by Duke Ellington Circle, sometimes referred to as “the Gateway to Harlem” at East 100th Street at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. From the center, situated on Harlem Meer, the group traverses the woodland to The Loch, “lake” from Scottish Gaelic like the Dutch “Meer,” the Ravine, and The Pool on the West Side. The water experiences were part of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s original “Greensward Plan” for the park. In an impressive feat of engineering, the two created the Pool, The Loch, Harlem Meer, and three cascades from Montayne’s Rivulet, once a passageway for Revolutionary War troops. The Meer surrounds a promontory with the remnants of a lookout from the War of 1812. The Conservancy commissioned the center and restored the area to its original beauty in 1988-1993.

With this fall’s sensation of the sighting of the Mandarin duck, and now the saw-whet owl, it may reassure us at the holiday season to know that people will rush past cynicism to experience simple wonder, which is why the park is so important. The North Woods is also a bird habitat, noted with appreciation to others on the walk who had brought binoculars and shared some of their delightful sightings. All park tours, now also available in Spanish and French, are a way to learn about new parts of the park, to have a deeper appreciation for favorite places or an opportunity for children to discover. Thank you to our knowledgeable guides.

Dedicated park staff members

Finding the way

If you live in New York City, you will experience friendly neighbors waving and calling out your name from across the street, which no one to this day believes in any of my out-of-state retellings. “New York, New York City?” they ask, but the divine wordsmith Nora Ephron always recounted stories in both interviews and her work of how New York is a city of neighborhoods. The apparent effortless serenity of the park, devotedly designed and developed, increases that warmth exponentially in New Yorkers’ splendid front yard where visitors are cordially welcomed.

For those fellow Central Park explorers whose sense of direction needs a little navigational nudge now and then, though the paths are clear, the fallback GPS works in the North Woods. Better to enjoy walks with friends that offer visits on log benches or hikes with a tempo that pick up with camaraderie.

On such visits, we enter the woodland with the known behind us and explore the paths. In the heart of the woods, we look back in thanks and forward in anticipation, a Thanksgiving with a view to a new year.

(Sources: centralparknyc.org, centralpark.org, centralpark.com, nycgovparks.org, metmuseum.org, watercourses.typepad.com, nytimes.com, Wiki)

Fishing at Harlem Meer

Downashore with Gramps, second, left, and firehouse buddies in Brielle with a champion catch that made the “Newark Evening News”

Charles A. Dana Discovery Center

Dana Discovery Center

Autumn gold at Harlem Meer

The Pool

A side trip to the zoo with a thank you to staff. Pictured is a delightful red panda.

North Meadow

North End flowers

“Heart, Mind, and Soul: The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir”

By Kathleen Helen Levey

On November 10, 2018

In Art, Culture, Family, Travel

The temple exterior and entranceway. The interior temple resembles the style of the marble arches.

This magical-looking place nestled in the rolling green fields of Robbinsville, New Jersey is a Hindu temple, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The temple, or mandir, is one of approximately 100 in the United States and 1,000 globally. The grand exterior, or mandap, houses the inner sanctum, the actual mandir, and the entire complex is is an “akshardham”. By definition, “mandir” in ancient Sanskrit means “means a place where the mind becomes still and experiences inner peace“. The atmosphere upon arrival is immediately uplifting and reflected through pleasant exchanges with devotees and visitors on the way into and within the mandir.

Beautiful floral entry

Magnificent temple sculptures

Art, Architecture, and the Divine

The Robbinsville temple is in the Nagara style of Hindu mandir architecture found in Northern India. Nagara style temples are square with graduated projections and towers that give the mandir height. Characteristic features in addition to the towers are domes, golden spires, flags, the sanctum, and pillared halls. Each has symbolic meaning like the pinnacles, aspiration, the golden spires, the immortality of the soul, and the flags, spiritual attainment. The inner sanctum is where one will find the most important deities. These elements of temple architecture combined create a link between devotees and the Divine.

The temple’s style is not purely architectural. The Robbinsville mandir is built according to Scripture as are all traditional mandirs. This influence of religion on architecture echoed in a recent tour of Central Park when the staff guide mentioned that the landscape designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux took inspiration directly from the Bible to create serene pastoral settings, though the mandir follows specifications for scared architecture. These sacred temples are not exclusively traditional. More modern temples, hari mandirs, are smaller, and ghar mandirs, shrines within devotees’ homes, are where families perform rituals and discuss scripture together.

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is made of white marble, white limestone, and pink sandstone, selected to last in this cooler climate. As the mandir’s introductory film notes, the use of natural stone is similar to that of iconic spiritual centers like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Angkor Wat. The stone-carving process is extensive and fascinating. For an idea of the undertaking, artisans in India created the sculptures. Many volunteer, but the carving also provides work to skilled artists whose talents are not in demand as they once were. The marble is primarily Italian Carrara, totaling 68,000 cubic feet, and the limestone is from Bulgaria and India. The sculptured stone, some 13,499 pieces, arrived in Robbinsville 98% complete after a journey of 21,500 miles. Additional volunteers finished the work. All this is breathtaking, but it does not prepare one for the splendid interior of the mandir with white marble and golden statues that appear silver in the lamplight. The sacred images, or murtis, within the mandir and on the pillars in the mandap are not just deities, but “living works of art” and “liberated souls…ancient sages, and exemplary devotees” that are models of spiritual inspiration.

What may surprise visitors is that the grand, beautiful temple holds fast with interlocking stone. Quotes from the Rig Veda, hymns in ancient Sanskrit, are inspiring poetry in stone that one can read throughout the temple. Skylights and white marble floors add to the lightness of the interior. The tradition of the lamplight in the mandir pre-dates electricity and skylights and once provided the only light in the temple within the temple. Among the sculptures, visitors will see peacocks, particularly at the entrance gate, which are the national bird of India, and elephants, which represent “resolve, grace, and nobility”. One devotee mentioned that the elephant is honored for the many centuries when it carried stone to build the mandirs in the days before other transportation. Ganesh, the popular deity known as the Lord of Good Fortune, the Lord of Beginnings, and the Remover of Obstacles, who is also important in Bhuddism, is depicted with the head of these beloved animals that reflect different accounts of his origin.

Entranceway

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) is a branch of Swaminarayan Hinduism. Devotees believes that Bhagwan Swaminarayan, or the yogi spiritual leader, was God on earth and his Divine presence continues through succession. The Swaminaryran, also referred to as “Swaminaryran Lord,” was born as Ghanshyam Pande (1781-1830). His philosophy led to social reforms in India. His follower, Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951), a sadhu and Sanskrit scholar, or holy man of ancient Hindu letters, formed BAPS on June 5, 1907 based on his interpretation of the Swaminarayan’s teachings. One of his successors, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, blessed this site in August 2014. The present spiritual leader of BAPS, His Holiness, Mahant Swami Maharaj, bestowed his blessing in September 2017.

BAPS in Robbinsville continues the ancient Hindu tradition of “worshipping the Divine through murtis, or sacred images, enshrined in mandirs”. The BAPS communities worldwide focus on spiritual living, family values, and community service. Though the mandir has a respectful quiet on a visit, rituals and festivals involve music. The mandir also offers Indian cultural events and celebrations for devotees in the great hall.

“A place of paramount peace” is an apt description. While walking through the beautiful inner mandir, devotees brushed aside concerns about interrupting them at prayer. The devotees warmly shared aspects of their faith and excitement at the near completion of the spiritual center. Construction on this mandir began in 2010 and though it is complete, the mahamandir, a greater temple, reportedly the largest in the world, is under construction adjacent to the mandap where there will also be a youth center and an exhibition hall which will feature “Indian history and culture”.

Visiting

The mandir is an active house of worship. Visitors are welcome to take photos outside, but the temple kindly requests a respectful covering regarding clothing and no photo-taking inside. Please respect their wishes. For visitor information, please see BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

The visit is free, but donations, however modest, are welcome as a thank you. Reservations are not required for individuals or families, but do call for larger groups: (609) 918-1212. Upon arriving, you will be asked to remove your shoes as a respectful courtesy. The welcome is most cordial with the gift of prasadam (“prasad” grace and joy), a sanctified sweet, for each visitor. An introductory film and a free guided tour with a volunteer will add to your appreciation of the temple. If a guide is not available, the audio tour is excellent, and the book available to visitors at the welcome desk is helpful as an introduction to both the mandir and Hinduism. There is a snack shop and café.

To the right of the entrance, one may participate in the ritual of abhishek, or pouring water over the “sacred image of God,” here, Shri Ghanshyam Marahaj, the childhood form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Though the deities may seem confusing initially to those who are not familiar with Hinduism, the belief is that there is one supreme God, Brahman, the creator. Along with Shiva, who preserves the earth, and Vishnu, who destroys the earth so it can be created anew, the three are both one and separate in a mystical way like the Holy Trinity. All the deities and even devotees are the Divine presence on earth. “That which we call the Hindu religion is really the Eternal religion because it embraces all others.” The temple guidebook complements this thought, “Without the deities, the mandir would be no more than a beautiful building. With them, it becomes a sacred place of worship wherein God resides”.

There is so much to see and the atmosphere is so peaceful that you will want to return. We had wonderful practicing neighbors while growing up, but my knowledge of Hinduism is more academic going back to incredible studies as an exchange student at Bowdoin College. This visit is was a welcome opportunity to talk to people about their faith without being intrusive. Devotees were warm and gracious in doing so as well as proud and excited to share their beautiful spiritual home. By no means is this modest travelogue definitive about BAPS or Hinduism, so please do enjoy a visit yourself to learn more.

In researching, this Hindu proverb stood out as a cornerstone of many faiths, “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is being superior to your previous self.” The faith that brings the mandir’s stones to life is indeed at the heart of its beauty.

(Sources: www.baps.org/Global-Network/North-America/Robbinsville.aspx, BAPS publication for visitors and visitor film, bbc.co.uk, definitions.net, kashgar.com.au, Swami Sivananda quote, Sri Aurobindo quote, iasmania.com, americanshipper.com, Britannica.com, Wiki)

Beautiful grounds

Behind the striking temple exterior (mandap), the construction continues to complete the center (akshardham).

Writing New Jersey Life

People and places of New Jersey…with some travels.

Category: Culture Page 1 of 2

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“Central Park: A Heart Song Runs Through It”

“Central Park: The North Woods”

“Heart, Mind, and Soul: The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir”

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