Jan 27, 2010
Everything I Know About American History I Learned From Reading Bossy
Bossy recently mentioned her father is a cardiologist at the nation’s first hospital, located in the heart, heh, of Philadelphia. The other day Bossy had the opportunity to wander around the hospital’s historic grounds, which are spotted with placards denoting the events that took place surrounding Pennsylvania Hospital’s inception in 1751.
Bossy took lots of photos and she would love to share some historical facts with you. Shall we? Let’s.
This is the old part of the hospital. There is a new part. Bossy forgot to read this placard but there’s a circular thingy on the roof there, and Bossy seems to remember this has something to do with something. Next we have this:
This statue is of Pennsylvania Hospital cofounder Ben Franklin. Or maybe it’s a statue of the other founder, whose name Bossy forgets. But Bossy thinks he was a doctor. Or a surgeon. Were there surgeons back then? In whatever case he’s pointing to a representation of the charter that started the whole Pennsylvania thing to begin with. Or maybe it’s his latest medical bill.
Once again the photo above represents the old part of the hospital and it is falling over! No it isn’t, but maybe Bossy was when she framed this picture? You’ll notice a vine growing along the walkway. It is a historic vine. Or if it’s not, it will be someday. Assuming they can keep it alive. Also it features a bean:
Next we have this:
It’s from the top of… sorry, Bossy forgot to read this placard too. But Bossy thinks there’s an argument to be made for moving this thing to Bossy’s own backyard. She’d love to throw a dinner party or two all up in there. And finally we have this:
Naughty, Bossy! Now I have to look up information on this hospital thanks to you.
Love the light and shadow in the second photo.
This pretty much sums up all my history lessons in high school and what I got out of them. That is to say: Beautiful pictures!
Bossy – our family is visiting Pennsylvania in June and I’m so very happy to have you as our tour guide. Coincidentally, we are huge fans of architectural cicular thingys!
If you come to California on your road trip, I will show you the placard by our lake that says, “A part of the Golden Gate Bridge can fit in this lake.” Swear to Gah. Placards are fun!
Placards are over-rated. I like to figure out the particulars of historic sites intuitively anyway.
Oops, just read the above comment. Um, no offense meant, Julie. Just me being flippant as usual.
Bossy remembers history like I remember directions when I ask for them…. “They said turn right and something, something, yellow house, something, something. I would like to visit Pennsylvania some day .
The problems with history are all those silly details. Your way is much better.
Meleah thinks Bossy’s History Lesson was MUCH more informative and funnier than anything Meleah ever learned in school.
Bossy would have made a fun history teacher : ).
I thouroughly enjoyed the tour. Thank you very much Bossy!
You’ve answered all my nagging questions about Pennsy Hospital. I was wondering all these things while my wife was giving birth there recently…what else was I gonna do?!
I take pictures like that too. I always think I will totally remember why this was important when I get home. But I never do. I try to take pictures of the signs. Or buy postcards.
The vines, and the “beans” look just like the wisteria vines that I have in my yard. They’re beautiful in the spring/summer, but just a few, fuzzy beanpods on there now. Also, I think that secretly they’re trying to take over my yard, as they grow scary-fast and I’m afraid to over-trim and kill them.
Thanks for the fun tour!
Maybe that’s William Penn?
Mighty fine history lesson. Getting the feel of the place is more important than a couple dry facts.
Jenny
What “No–bel?”
I think there were surgeons, but weren’t they barbers who performed surgery on the side? So would that make the statue one of a famous barber?
Just Juli is right, that is wisteria. And that last picture of the scrolly thing might be a “corbel”.
Oh, architecture and stuff! Farty loves all that. Especially the pretty colours. Or colors, as BOSSY would pronounce it.
I love Bossy’s history lessons. I learn so much stuff about stuff.
How do you get blue skies in winter?! We Ohioans have to suffer through gray days all season. We don’t have any placards either.
Your dad would be proud!
Bossy missed her calling. As a witty, not-so-focussed (and I don’t mean that literally) history teacher with whom one would have loved to go drinking with after school. Providing one went to the right kind of boarding school where this was allowed.
BB
Geek chimes in. In some of those old, Colonial era hospitals, the big round room with all the windows was the operating suite. The windows would let in all the light, and surgeries were only done during the day.
Thanks for keeping us so edumacated.
Very nice. I like your explanations much better than any silly placard!
I think the last photo of the scrolly looking thing is for draping yourself over after one of Bossy’s parties in the gazebo looking thingy.
That gazebo dinner-party thingy would completely fill the BossyBackyard. It could, therefore, also be Stella’s outhouse since there would be no place else for the poor girl to go. A little damper on outdoor party ambience but otherwise totally worth it.
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Little Miss Sunshine State, thanks for the info on the surgical room on top. I’m an architecture geek too, I suppose. Interesting factoids.
I’m pretty sure the statue is the Quaker Oats guy!
Here’s the company line: “The ‘Quaker man’ is not an actual person,” but is instead a generic representation of a “man dressed in Quaker garb.” Who happens to be standing in front of the Pennsylvania Hospital holding a scroll that reads “Eat more oatmeal!”
Your dad is a surgeon! That is so awesome. Does he read your blog every day? I love the tour! And the thing I love the best is that you don’t have any actual information : ) about these things. Lovely. PS Your dinner parties will be SO cool in that rooftop rotunda!
Thinking that the sculptor musta been called Mr. Obvious in his day, since a pointy finger doesn’t seem necessary to indicate the importance of a scroll. Or maybe he just didn’t have circles and arrows and placards at his disposal.