Embassy of Moldova

 

Embassy of Moldova

April 2023: Fourteen months after the beginning of the war, the Embassy of Moldova, on S Street NW, continues to display the Ukrainian flag above its door as a sign of support. 

Wallach Place

 

An architecturally interesting small street in the middle of the historic black business district of DC. It looks less gentrified than many of the surrounding streets, although with a lot of potential.

Bird Watching 2015

Anhinga (Wakulla, FL, Feb 2015)

I do not like to admit it; and, I usually qualify the description of my habits. I do not consider myself a birder, but I increasingly find myself drawn to these interesting creatures. The opportunity to photograph birds provides an excuse and motivation to go out, observe and explore. There is something about birds, in a world dominated by humans, who are able to survive and adapt. They are small and hardly noticeable at times, blending into the background for those who are unwilling to pay attention.

Martha (Smithsonian,
Nov 2015)

I have been particularly interested in the declining number of bird species. A display at the Rathlin Island Museum illustrated the history of the Great Auk; however, the bird that continues to fascinate me is the extinct passenger pigeon. James Audubon’s description of a flock of passenger pigeon blocking the sun while traveling to Louisville is an evocative piece of writing. To think that the number of passenger pigeons, the most numerous bird in North America, went from approximately three billion birds in the 1830s to the last known specimen dying in 1914 is stunning. That last specimen, a female known as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo and her body was placed on ice and has been in possession of the Smithsonian Museum since then. During 2014 and 2015, her taxidermy body has been on display at the Natural History Museum as part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of her death.

Bald Eagle (Manteo, NC, July 2015)

It makes me feel old to say that I regularly scan trees and vistas for interesting birds. As I do, inevitably, I think of Dick Davenport’s death in the comic strip “Doonesbury” whilst photography a rare Bachman warbler. There is a certain aspect of sport to the birdwatching: It is, in fact, going out to see something you have not seen before. It is yet another thing to ponder, to study and see while traveling.

Rush-Bagot

Like every great capital city, Washington DC is a place of a number of monuments, statues and commemorations. Tourists flock to some of the most famous, often walking by interesting small and obscure monuments. One of my favorites is this small monument that denotes where the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, at the former site of the British Mission on L Street, was negotiated and signed. The treaty provided for the disarmament of the Great Lakes and paved the way for better relations between Great Britain (the colonial holder of Canada) and the United States in the aftermath of the War of 1812. Today, the treaty is still in effect between the United States and Canada and is seen as one of the great achievements of arms control.

Pan American Union Building

OAS Headquarters

One of my favorite buildings in Washington is prominent, but little recognized by most who visit the city. Sitting on the corner of 17th and Constitution, the Pan American Union Building is the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS). The organization is an intergovernmental organization whose 35 member states across the Western Hemisphere work together on peace, security, human rights and democracy. While it does not have the prominence of other organizations such as the United Nations, the OAS has a fascinating history and the building has been the site of several important meetings, including the first International Labour Conference in 1919. It is a history that goes largely unknown to many North Americans. As evidence, James Reston wrote in 1967: “The American People will do anything for Latin America except read about it.” 

The photograph of the dedication of the building

Built between 1908 and 1910, there are great photographs of the cornerstone being laid by 1908 and the dedication of the building in 1910.  There is a great photograph of President William Howard Taft and Andrew Carnegie, one of the benefactors of the building, planting a peace tree at the building’s inauguration. The tree still stands in the atrium of the building, beneath a huge skylight. The fascinating thing about the photograph is that the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the foreground where the towering Taft, resting on a spade, Carnegie, with his hands crossed in front of him, and the other dignitaries gaze into the camera; however, easily overlooked, and barely noticeable, are the four women, in big hats, on the stairs in the background.

The Peace Tree in the Atrium

The interior of the building is beautiful with marble and wood dominating the décor. In various places around the building historical markers denote the importance of the structure to the political and diplomatic history of the Americas. The Hall of Flags and Heroes contains the flags of all the member countries and statues of important historical and political figures from many. Adjacent is the hall of the Americas, where the most important meetings take place beneath Tiffany chandeliers and massive white columns. I have been attending meetings in the Hall of the Americas for over thirty years and it has never ceased to amaze and inspire me.  It is one of the best human-created spaces that I have visited.

As grand as the building, the small monuments around the building are just as fascinating. On the Northside of the building, a small statue honors Amerigo Vespucci. Slightly obscured by pine trees, a statue given by the government of Brazil depicts the prophet Daniel. 

More photographs from the OAS here.

  

The Prophet Daniel statue