Also known as Betty Balestracci

 

  

My Flickr Groups

One of my favorite features of Flickr is the groups: anyone can start a group on any theme, and hope that others will join and participate. Here are some of the groups that I started and administer:

 

Massachusetts Tercentenary Historical Markers

This group is for photographs of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Historical Markers, erected around the Commonwealth in 1930

 

North Shore, Massachusetts

The North Shore is the coastal region north of Boston, including the historic communities like Salem, Marblehead and Gloucester, beautiful beaches, rocky coastline, farms, woods, rivers, lakes and more.

 

Hamilton-Wenham, Massachusetts

Hamilton and Wenham are two closely-connected towns about twenty-five miles north of Boston. Notable features include beautiful Wenham Lake (once famous for its ice business), Myopia Hunt Club, Gordon College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Asbury Grove, Miles River, horses, farms, meadows and old neighborhoods.

 

Beverly, Massachusetts

Dane Street Beach, the Beverly Depot, Pride's Crossing, Lynch Park, the Atomic Café, the Beverly Public Library, Endicott College...what are your favorite Beverly places?.

 

Massachusetts Monuments and Memorials

This group is for photographs (old and new) of monuments and memorials anywhere in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

Mohawk Trail

Photographs of the Mohawk Trail in Western Massachusetts, the first state road to be designed and constructed as a scenic tourist route, opening in 1914.

 

Russell Orchards (Ipswich, Massachusetts)

One of my favorite places in the world is Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts, on the road out to Crane Beach. You can pick your own apples, take a hayride, visit with farm animals, or shop for pumpkins, plants, fruits and vegetables, blueberry wine, hot cider, and more.

 

Nathaniel Hawthorne

This group is for photographs of places that are connected to Nathaniel Hawthorne, and for photographs of statues and other artworks of Hawthorne. This includes (but is not limited to) the House of the Seven Gables, Custom House and Hawthorne statue in Salem, Mass.; and the Old Manse, Wayside and Hawthorne's grave in Concord, Mass.

 

Bela Lyon Pratt

Celebrating the work of American sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt (1867–1917), perhaps best known for the statues of Art and Science in front of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, the statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem, Massachusetts, and the statue of Nathan Hale at Yale University.

 

The Hiker Monuments

Boston sculptor Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson (1871-1932) created a monument to the soldiers who served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American Wars and the Boxer Rebellion, who were known by the nickname "Hikers." There were around fifty replicas of the sculpture erected in various cities and towns around the United States.

 

Library Artworks

This is the place for works of art in all types of libraries around the world. The includes paintings, statues, and similar works; architectural sculpture; stained glass windows; and other art objects that grace our libraries. Artworks need not be owned by the library -- art on display is also welcome.

 

Dogs in Art

This group is for photographs of every type of dogs except real dogs. Photographs of murals and other paintings, sculpture, toys, salt and pepper shakers, craft items and other images of dogs are all welcome here. Scanned vintage postcards, greeting cards and similar items showing dogs are also good additions to the group.

 

Cocktail Parasols

This is the group for photographs of those festive little paper umbrellas that are used to decorate cocktails and other drinks. The pictures can show the parasols in their native habitat -- sticking out of drinks -- or can be as creative or random as you'd like, as long as the photograph includes a miniature paper parasol.

 

Sólfar : The Sun Voyager

Photographs of Sólfar, a sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason in Reykjavik, Iceland. It's interesting to see the different ways that photographers approach this stylized Viking ship, and the variations in light, angle, weather and mood. Photographs can include people, but the focus of the picture should be on the artwork.

 

Friendly Toast

Photographs of this fun and funky restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Friendly Toast has great food: ample servings of updated classic diner food, breakfast at all hours, big sandwiches, salads and more, with lots of options for vegetarians and vegans. The bread assortment is especially nice -- this is one place where the toast plays a starring role in the breakfast specials, and never fades into the background!

 

U.S. Highway 1

Links and resources on this historic, east coast highway, which stretches from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida, for the new U.S. Highway 1 group that I set up on Flickr, where I hope people will post pictures of the Route 1 roadside experience.

 

Dandong

Photographs of Dandong, a city in Liaoning province in Northeastern China. Dandong is on the Yalu River which separates China from North Korea. I only spent a weekend there, but I was intrigued to be able to get even a glimpse of life on the other side of the river.

 

Library Postcards

This is a group I started as a way to collect and share vintage, commercial postcards showing libraries of all types from around the world. I encourage members to include as much information about the postcards as they have available, including the title, description, publisher's name, date and any other text on the postcard, and the date of the postmark, if any.

 

Massachusetts Postcards

This is the Flickr group I set up to collect old commercial postcards of Massachusetts. Postcards may be of any place or subject, and I encourage members to include as much information about the postcards as they have available, including the title, description, publisher's name, date and any other text on the postcard, and the date of the postmark, if any.