Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art


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The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
Photo courtesy of the Wadsworth Atheneum.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
600 Main Street
Hartford, CT
Website:  The Wadsworth Atheneum
The Treasure:  The Wadsworth Atheneum was the first public art museum in the United States.  Over 165 years after its founding, it’s still one of the country’s best.
Accessibility:  The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 to 5 and Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5. On first Thursdays, the museum is open until 8.
Background:  It’s almost as if Daniel Wadsworth (1771-1848) willed the Hudson River Schoolinto being. Wadsworth was still a boy when the American Revolution changed the nature of his homeland. Casting their lot with the Patriot cause, his wealthy family successfully navigated the stormy political waters. Everything was in Wadsworth’s favor. As a young man, he had vast wealth, the respect due his family’s service, and a new country to lead into the future.
Wadsworthdid become an influential leader, but the degree of his impact upon the country has always been easy to overlook. He didn’t go into politics, and he didn’t become a captain of industry. Instead he traveled much and dabbled in the arts. But he quietly cultivated an important vision—a celebration of his country’s natural landscape as a core part of America’s cultural identity. Wadsworth embraced the emerging European interest in the sublime (artistic representations of the power and vastness of nature) and felt that his nation offered landscapes that could truly capture nature’s grandeur. Unfortunately, he didn’t possess the artistic talent to paint this vision on canvas himself.
When Wadsworth learned that the painter Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was working to capture the American sublime, Wadsworthoffered his friendship and his financial patronage. With his backing, Cole painted a series of works that launched the movement that came to be known as the Hudson River School.
Wadsworth’s art collection was eclectic, with European old masters, American historical paintings, and these new contemporary American landscapes. At the age of 70, he announced that he was committed to using his art collection as the core of a new public institution to promote the nation’s culture. Ultimately, Wadsworth hoped to promote a distinctively American culture for a new country—a culture with strong roots in its own native wilderness.
Opened to the public in 1844, the Wadsworth Atheneum has grown enormously over the past century and a half. Thanks to many generous patrons, the museum’s holdings became genuinely encyclopedic—one of the greatest art museums in the country. The collections are strong in contemporary art, surrealism, Old Masters, European and American decorative arts, and, of course, the Hudson River School that Daniel Wadsworth was so influential in nurturing. Today, the Hudson River Schoolcollection at the Wadsworth Atheneum includes more than 65 paintings, including works by Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Albert Bierstadt, John Frederick Kensett, Sanford Robinson Gifford, Martin Johnson Heade, and Worthington Whittredge.
Thomas Cole
American (born England), 1801-1848
Mount Etna from Taormina, 1843
Oil on canvas
Museum purchase, 1844.6
Notes from the Editor:  When the Wadsworth Atheneum opened in 1844, it enticed the public with its 79 paintings and three sculptures. The collection has grown a bit since then…
Today, the encyclopedic collection is home to more than 50,000 works of art. There are more than 1,000 paintings, 400 sculptures and 4,000 works on paper in the American art collection; about 900 paintings, 500 sculptures, and 3,500 works on paper in the European art collection; and large collections of American and European decorative arts, Colt firearms, and costumes and textiles.
Here’s a brief sampling of some of the museum’s American highlights, selected by the Wadsworth Atheneum Curatorial Department:
Frederic Edwin Church
American, 1826-1900
Vale of St. Thomas, Jamaica, 1867
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt, 1905.21

Ralph Earl
American, 1751-1801
Oliver Ellsworth and Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth, 1792
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Ellsworth Heirs, 1903.7

Winslow Homer
American, 1836-1910
The Nooning, c. 1872
Oil on canvas
The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, 1947.1

Fall-Front Desk, c. 1870
American, Madison County, Mississippi
William Howard (c. 1805 – after 1870)
Southern yellow pine, salvaged crate wood, and varnish
The Elijah K. and Barbara A. Hubbard Decorative Arts
Fund, the Evelyn Bonar Storrs Trust Fund,
and the Douglas Tracy Smith and
Dorothy Potter Smith Fund, 2012.2.1

Jazz Bowl, 1931
American, Rocky River, Ohio
Designed by Viktor Schreckengost (1906-2008)
Made at the Cowan Pottery Studio
Glazed earthenware
Gift of Owen and Elizabeth Hedden, 1999.34.1
Other Recommended Sites:  In 1844, the Wadsworth Atheneum building included rooms for the use of the Connecticut Historical Society, the Natural History Society of Hartford, and the Hartford Young Men’s Institute. By 1964, these institutions had moved to new homes.
The Hartford Young Men’s Institute evolved into the Hartford Public Library. In 1892, the library moved from the Wadsworth Atheneum into its first dedicated library building.
The Connecticut Historical Society is one of the state’s most venerable institutions, founded in 1825 and committed to preserving the state’s history. Today, the Connecticut Historical Society offers a library and museum with permanent and changing exhibitions that highlight their significant collections.
East view of the Morgan Memorial at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
Photo courtesy of the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Tour America’s Treasures Itinerary
Tuesday’s destination:  Next stop:  Illinois!

© 2012 Lee Price

Palm Springs personal injury attorney
Sacramento personal injury attorney

Take in-Lettuce Wraps

Ok, so I know this is another Asian food recipe, but I really need help in this area. Asian food always presents a far more difficult puzzle to me than does any other style of food that I have experimented with. When I taste something with those influences, I taste only the final result, none of the comprising flavors. When I came upon this recipe, in a food magazine, I wanted to try it. It is a recipe for PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps. It’s really good. Soon on the horizon, I will offer you Chili’s Honey Chipotle Sauce (my husband’s faaaavorite), but for now, more Chinese.
Back to the lettuce wraps. The first time I made the recipe, I followed the directions as closely as possible. You saute some cellophane noodles in peanut oil, to throw into the wraps, and I definitely would do it if I was making a meal for friends, but on a family night I would just skip the noodles. They are a little fickle, time consuming, and don’t come apart very easily.
So, second time around, skipped the noodles. And the lettuce. I also skipped the 1-hour marinade and just drizzled a little teriyaki on and added cornstarch, salt and pepper about ten minutes before stir frying. I skipped the mushrooms (didn’t have ‘em) and the water chestnuts (I don’t really like them) I put the whole thing on top of rice and used beef instead of chicken. It was still a hit. As a matter of fact, my husband, who absolutely does not eat leftovers, heated up the leftovers for himself the next day! Its a bit spicy, but I don’t de-seed the jalapeno. My hubby likes spicy stuff. I also threw in a sliced summer squash and a sliced zucchini during the last two minutes of the stir fry and it was really good! I cut them into 1/2-inch thick half-moons.
I’m going to include the original directions for you, and you can make my changes if you want. Be sure the chicken or beef is pretty finely cut up, or it can be a bit tough with this high heat.
Sorry for the lack of photos, my camera had a four-year-old happen to it.
P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

FOR THE CHICKEN
1 large egg white
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced

FOR THE STIR-FRY SAUCE
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I only found oyster flavored sauce)
1 tablespoon hoisen sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoons cornstarch

FOR THE NOODLES
2 bundles cellophane noodles (only called bean thread noodles at my grocery store)
Peanut oil, for frying

FOR THE STIR-FRY
4 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peeled ginger (or minced ginger-found in the refrigerated produce section)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced (I used whatever mushrooms I could find-probably white button)
3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
small lettuce leaves, for serving (butter leaves are nice)
soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

1. Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. In the mean time, prepare all other ingredients. I would recommend reading ahead in the recipe and combining all the items that will be added at the same time. The stir-fry comes together very quickly.
2. Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, and the sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch  until dissolved.
3. Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels. (This is a bit of an acquired skill)
4. Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.
5. Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

Avery Point Lighthouse


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Visit our Tour Destination: Connecticut page to see the entire tour of the state’s Save America’s Treasures sites.
The fully-restored Avery Point Lighthouse.
Photo courtesy of the Avery Point Lighthouse Society.
Avery Point Lighthouse
East side of Thames River, Pine Island Channel
Avery Point Campus of the University of Connecticut
Groton, CT
Website:  Avery Point Lighthouse
The Treasure:  This handsome octagonal lighthouse served as a beacon for guiding small craft through the waters of New London Harbor for nearly 25 years.
Accessibility:  Stroll over to appreciate the exterior of the Avery Point Lighthouse on the grounds of the Avery Point Campus of the University of Connecticut. The interior of the historic lighthouse is not open to the public.
Background:  Respect for lighthouses as public treasures dates all the way back to the ancient world, where the Lighthouse of Alexandria was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Built circa 250 BC, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was acclaimed for its height (rumored to tower over 400 feet high) and its civic importance to the great city of Alexandriain Egypt. It remained standing for slightly over 1,000 years before succumbing to earthquakes and neglect.
The iconic Boston Light is built on the site of
the first lighthouse on American soil.  The
standing structure is the second oldest
working lighthouse in the country.  Photo
by Dpbsmith at the English Language
Wikipedia.  Source:  Wikimedia Commons
Throughout history, lighthouses have been regarded as necessities in coastal areas. They serve as aids to navigation, warn of hazards such as shoals and reefs, and mark the entrances to harbors. Beginning with the establishment of Boston Light in 1716, American communities invested in the construction of over 1,000 lighthouses in strategic locations on islands and coastlines. People dedicated their lives to maintaining and operating the lighthouses and the handsome structures themselves became points of pride for their local communities. As modern electronic navigational systems largely eliminated the practical need for lighthouses, hundreds of these distinctive buildings remain standing today, now in need of preservation as important and attractive testaments to our maritime heritage.
According to the “Lighthouse Friends” website, there are 21 surviving lighthouses in Connecticut. Most are in need of restoration and not currently open to the public. The oldest and tallest of the Connecticutlighthouses is the New London Harbor Light, which dates back to 1761 and is 90 feet tall. It is located on the west side of New London Harbor (across from the Avery Point Lighthouse) and is now under the care of the New London Maritime Society.
Our focus today—the Avery Point Lighthouse—is the last lighthouse to be built in Connecticut, constructed in 1943 and first used in 1944. It has a distinctive octagonal shape and rises to a height of 55 feet, with a balustrade (featuring marble railing balusters recycled from the gardens of the estate that once owned the property) circling the top of the structure. The U.S. Coast Guard managed the Avery Point Lighthouse as part of their New London training center facility, using the light as a beacon for guiding small crafts in the waters around New London Harbor. In its early years, the beacon was composed of a cluster of eight fixed lights. These were replaced by flashing green lights in 1960. The Avery Point Lighthouse completed its service as a functioning lighthouse on June 25, 1967.
The Avery Point Lighthouse as it looked in the
1990s, prior to restoration.  Photo courtesy of
the Avery Point Lighthouse Society.
Notes from the Editor:  The local community valued its lighthouse.  When the University of Connecticut reported in 1997 that the tower was in “dangerously poor condition” and a safety hazard, the move to restore the Avery Point Lighthouse began in earnest. In 2000, the Avery Point Lighthouse Society (APLS) was formed. More than 25,000 people signed a petition supporting the restoration and relighting of the lighthouse. Six years and $500,000 later, the APLS relit the lighthouse in a formal ceremony on the evening of October 15, 2006.
At the relighting, APLS co-chair Jim Streeter said, “These structures and the people who kept them operational should go down in history as heroes. I think about the hours the keepers and their families spent in isolation to provide protection to maritime traffic. The work the keepers performed was labor intensive and never ending. They received little public attention or recognition for their efforts. Therefore I hope by officially dedicating the Avery Point Lighthouse to the lighthouses and keepers, it will finally bring some well-deserved recognition to these important people and structures.”
Other Recommended Sites:  There are many historic lighthouses still standing in the United States and throughout the world. The Lighthouse Directory offers information on nearly all of them. Here’s the link to the lighthouses of Connecticut. And after you finish exploring Connecticut, you can move on to the lighthouses of other areas, perhaps the other New England states, the Pacific coast, or even the lighthouses of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, or Antarctica—more than 15,400 lighthouses throughout the world to discover and explore!
As a fundraiser for the lighthouse restoration, the Avery Point Lighthouse
Society sold over 3,100 commemorative bricks, creating this attractive
walkway on the Avery Point Campus of the University of Connecticut.
Photo courtesy of the Avery Point Lighthouse Society.
Tour America’s Treasures Itinerary
Monday’s destination:  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum

© 2012 Lee and Terry Price