Another month has gone under the bridge and it’s time for my roundup of July 2023 posts.
Answers to the Boston Eagle Quiz:
I want to start by apologizing for how my quiz on Boston’s eagles didn’t report the correct answers after completion. I thought I had checked that box but hadn’t. That problem has been fixed if you want to take (or even re-take) the quiz. If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, stop reading here until after you do.
Twenty people scored wildly differing answers on the ten questions. Here are the results:
Perched on a Column #1 – Beacon Hill
Most people got this question right, although several went for Post Office Square. The eagle flies in Ashburton Park on the east side of the Massachusetts State House atop a granite-and-bronze monument that stands 52 feet high. It recreates the 1790 original, which was the first monument erected to the War of Independence. This second column with its bronze eagle was a gift of the Bunker Hill Monument Association.
Bollard Eagle – Back Bay at Copley Square
Almost everyone scored well on this question. Eagles do a great job of keeping traffic from wandering off the streets and onto the sidewalks. Here, they work in pairs, two per granite bollard along Dartmouth Street, protecting the Boston Public Library’s Central Branch.
Balcony Birds – Back Bary, Berkely Street
This question flummoxed more than a few respondents: most went for the Old Post Office with the right answer, Old Police Headquarters on Berkeley Street coming in second. For more about this building, which is now a hotel, check out this post: “Overnight Guests at Boston Police Headquarters.”
Banner Eagle – Beacon Hill, Massachusetts State House
I thought this one might fool you, but you fooled me. The right answer came in second after Faneuil Hall. I guess more of you have been through the State House than I expected. He unfurls his banner in the Senate Chamber. “God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Indeed.
Perched on a Column #2 – Financial District, Post Office Square
Our second eagle tops a tall column in the Financial District. Gilden and bright, he spreads his wings, more ready to fly than his brother on Beacon Hill. Almost everyone got this answer right.
Eagle with Shield – Beacon Hill, John Adams Courthouse
Okay, I admit to being a little sneaky with this eagle. He holds his shield on the back side of the John Adams Courthouse. You have to go up Somerset Street and look closely to find him. Even so, the majority of answers were correct, with the Boston Public Library as second choice. Read more about the John Adams Courthouse
Corner Eagles, Waterfront, Custom House Tower
These four eagles perch so high up it was difficult to get a good picture without a telephoto lens. That means the giant eagles on the corners of the Custom House are hard to disguise. And you can see them from all over the city. Pretty much everyone nailed this one.
Skinny Eagle – Beacon Hill, Vilna Shul
This eagle lives inside, so I thought he might stymie those who have not gone into the building.
And it worked. Only two people got this question right with the Masonic Temple and Temple Ohabei Shalom taking second place. Read more about the Vilna Shul.
Monument Eagle #2 – Boston Common, Boston Massacre Monument
Despite the difficulty of photographing this monument so the details stand out, the overwhelming majority of people got it right, with only a few opting for the public garden. That must mean that visitors to the Common pay attention to the monuments around them.
This granite-and-bronze monument was sculpted by Robert Klaus and installed in 1902. The names of the five Bostonians killed by the British Regulars in 1770 are inscribed on the column. An allegorical statue of Freedom holds our eagle along with a flag, and a broken chain. She steps on the British crown.
Eagle with a Laurel Wreath – Beacon Hill, Robert Gould Shaw Memorial
Most people stand in front of this monument to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment and its commanding officer to view the amazing sculpture by Augustus St. Gaudens. I figured that the obverse side, which holds the names of the men who fought in the Civil War would get less attention. I was wrong. Almost everyone got the correct answer.
Roundup of July 2023 Posts
Now, on to the roundup of July 2023 posts. As usual, a busy month means fewer posts on The Next Phase Blog as I have many things to do. I guess that’s only fair, as the number of readers always goes down this month. Folks on vacation have more engaging things to do than look at a screen.
Boston and History
Business and Technology
Movies and TV
Lifestyle and Culture
- How Your Choice of Shoes Can Transform Your Outfit – Guest Author
Happy August!
I have a few other quizzes in mind: frogs and turtles, vases and urns, and the faces of statues around the city, but I could use y our input. If you have any ideas, please send them along. I would love to know what you would like to see.
In the meantime, happy August.
