View allAll Photos Tagged whalingwall
Portsmouth NH was honored to have Robert Wyland paint the Isles of Shoals humpback whales back in 1993. Unfortunately, the promise of maintaining the wall has a troubled history. I still find it’s beauty as it fades.
Excerpt from 1000thingstoronto.com:
Located at the foot of Jarvis St. and Queen’s Quay on the side of the Redpath Sugar Factory, is Toronto’s whales. The mural was part of the Whaling Wall series of outdoor art by the artist Wyland. The Whaling Wall started in the 80s and were meant to change the way people thought about the environment and were created via invitation of the cities and buildings which they were painted on. Toronto’s mural ‘Heavenly Waters’, was #70 in the series and was dedicated on September 1, 1997 and is 146 Feet Long x 97 Feet High. The 100th mural was finally finished on June 2008 and completed Wyland’s dream to share his love of marine life with 100 communities around the world.
Explore 31 July, 2021
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Whale Wall mural of a grey whale family accompanied by Pacific bottlenose dolphins is possibly White Rock’s most recognizable mural.
It was created by artist Robert Wyland in 1984 as part of the Wyland Walls campaign to increase appreciation for aquatic habitats.
It was significant here as wall murals were somewhat of a novelty in the early 80's.
The mural – fourth in a series of 100 whale walls painted around the world between 1981 and 2008 by Wyland – was dedicated in September of 1984, and received restoration work by the artist in 2007.
The mural was a gift to the City of White Rock from Wyland and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Wyland created the mural over a period of three weeks beginning around September 5, 1984. The official unveiling took place on September 29 and was attended by Wyland, Wyland's mother, Paul Watson (founder and President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society), Gordon Hogg (Mayor of White Rock), and others.
ABOUT ROBERT WYLAND:
Internationally renowned marine life artist Wyland is one of the most celebrated and recognized artists of our time.
An innovative painter, sculpture, writer, photographer, philanthropist, and filmmaker, Wyland captured the imagination of people everywhere by completing over one hundred monumental marine life murals around the world from 1981-2008.
The project, known as the Whaling Walls, remains one of the largest public arts projects in history and continues to be seen by an estimated one billion people each year.
Wyland was born 09 July 9, 1956 in Madison Heights, Michigan, USA.
1977 Wyland moved to Laguna Beach and in 1981 painted his first Whaling Wall mural at a Laguna Beach parking lot.
2018, Norwegian Cruise Line launched their newest cruise ship, Norwegian Bliss. Wyland designed and painted a massive mural on the hull of the ship, featuring his trademark images of life-sized whales.
Wyland’s Whaling Wall on the side of the old Continental Hotel at the north end of the Granville Street bridge in Vancouver since 1994 fell prey to a condo development in 2015. It had been refreshed for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.
WW 69 “The Blues Whales”
New Orleans Hilton Riverside
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
251 Feet Long x 66 Feet High
Dedicated May 3rd, 1997
Large outdoor murals by the artist Robert Wyland, featuring images of life-size gray whales, breaching humpback whales, blue whales, and other sea life. Whaling Walls (a pun on the Wailing Wall) are created by invitation of the communities, institutions, and building owners of the structures on which they are painted. The one hundredth and possibly final Whaling Wall was painted in Beijing in 2008
Designed by Parr and Fee, architects of many old hotel buildings along downtown Granville Street.
Mural by Wyland.
sallybuck.com
Located at the north end of the Granville Street bridge, this Wyland mural, WW56 "Vancouver Island Orcas", was dedicated in August 1994.
Located at the north end of the Granville Street bridge, this Wyland mural, WW56 "Vancouver Island Orcas", was dedicated in August 1994.
Located at the north end of the Granville Street bridge, this Wyland mural, WW56 "Vancouver Island Orcas", was dedicated in August 1994.
Located at the north end of the Granville Street bridge, this Wyland mural, WW56 "Vancouver Island Orcas", was dedicated in August 1994.
Earth Day Hawaii Mural by Wyland in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Robert Wyland is a famed marine artist, photographer, philanthropist and environmentalist. One of his homes is in Hawaii, so it seems fitting that nine of his 100 Whaling Walls are in the state. This is #67, called Earth Day Hawaii, and it features three humpback whales. It is located on the side of the Royal Aloha Condominiums on Ala Wai Boulevard in Honolulu. It was painted by Pat Morita in 1995 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Earth Day.
WW (Wyland's Walls) - 04 “The Gray Whale Family”
White Rock, BC, Canada
70 Feet Long x 30 Feet High
Dedicated September 26th, 1984
By Gordon Hogg, Mayor of White Rock, B.C.
Wyland - Changing the Way We Look at Our Ocean and Waterways - In the world of art, nothing compares to the size, scope, and majesty of “Wyland’s Walls.” Spanning the sides of skyscrapers, sports arenas, and structures throughout the world, these landmark public murals captured the imagination of millions and helped inspire a new generation to become better stewards for our environment. For more than forty years, the murals have served as a reminder to communities around the world that we all share a special connection with our blue planet.
Walking down Johnston Road and Russell Avenue, you may have noticed a rather large family portrait of a mother whale, her calf, and their escort whale. The White Rock Whaling Wall, completed in 1984, is titled “The Grey Whale Family”. It is the fourth of one hundred Whaling Walls, stands 70ft long by 30ft high (20m by 9m). The White Rock Whaling Wall is just one piece of a 100 piece puzzle. In 2008 Robert Wyland and the Wyland Foundation completed the monumental goal of painting 100 life-size public marine murals. “We know now that water connects all the countries of the world,” Wyland says. “Our goal with these projects over the last three decades has been to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public.The health of our ocean and waterways are in jeopardy, not to mention the thousands of marine animals and plants that face extinction if we do nothing.” The completed “Wyland Walls” campaign is one of the largest art-in-public-places projects in history, spanning five continents, 13 countries, and 79 cities around the globe. Needless to say, these walls convey a message as spectacular as the artwork itself, and White Rock is proud to have one stand in our city by the sea. LINK to the complete article - explorewhiterock.com/whale-wall/
LINK to all of the Wyland Whaling Walls - wylandfoundation.org/about/wyland-whaling-walls/
(Article from - 24 April 2014 - Peach Arch News) - Whaling Wall wake-up call - Is Wyland’s Whaling Wall White Rock’s proverbial line in the sand? It’s often hard to judge what will rouse the ire of residents in the our often sleepy ‘City by the Sea.’ Whether it’s apathy, a lack of caring or grudging resignation in the face of inevitable change, there seem to be only a few issues guaranteed to raise the hackles. Increasing building height is one. Pay parking is another. Add to the short list a new item: any threat to the continued existence of the internationally celebrated marine artist’s mural, which for 30 years now has adorned the side of a commercial building, facing Russell Avenue. Those wondering about the place of the arts in the hearts and minds of the Semiahmoo Peninsula would do well to note public reaction to the mistake made last week – when someone had the temerity to bolt a realtor’s ‘For Lease’ sign to the face of the mural. There are many who would see this act as a symbol of growing commercial insensitivity to White Rock’s sense of self (although, to its credit, the company concerned was quick to acknowledge and attempt to rectify the error). Is the city itself, some will ask, for lease or for sale?The outcry – which spread rapidly through social media – may also seem surprising in a community that, for all its avowed support of the arts, often seems curiously indifferent to them. All these people upset over a painting?The answer is: of course.Never mind that Wyland scarcely qualifies as a local artist – his work was taken to our hearts many years ago. Peninsula residents have taken ownership of it, proud that it represents a discipline-crossing link to other arts and nature-friendly communities around the world also chosen for the murals. As internationally recognized South Surrey dance mentor Susie Green notes online, for example, Wyland’s characteristic whales are also a major feature of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Centre where 1,000 young dance artists from 27 countries performed world-class pieces at last week’s Dance Excellence 2014. If the recent farrago has an upside, it is that it has focused attention locally on the need for preservation of the wall, and what steps can be taken to protect it from further encroachment in a landscape of rapid redevelopment.For a city that also prides itself as the birthplace of International Artists Day, this would seem to be a priority.
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Mary Cain (b. March 9, 1933 – d. March 19, 2017) - Mary Elsie Freeman Cain passed away at the Sechelt Hospital just a few days after her 84th birthday. Her sister Sally arrived from England a week before to be with her. Born the sixth child of eight to Elsie (née Battison) and Alfred Freeman in Kettering, North Hamptonshire, England, Mary is survived by her sister Sally and brothers Albert, Peter and Michael. At age 18, Mary began three and a half years of training at Leicester General Hospital to become a surgical nurse and midwife. After a year as a staff nurse, she obtained a diploma in tuberculosis and chest surgery at the Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, England, where she nursed some of the first open heart surgery patients. Mary then received further training in midwifery in Edinburgh and went on to work for the district, travelling throughout the area and delivering hundreds of babies. In 1967 Mary came to Canada, lured by an ad that offered a chance to “nurse by dog team.”She worked as a nurse for the International Grenfell Mission, in Flowers Cove, N.L. The clinic provided health care for 27 communities in Labrador and northern Newfoundland and often held satellite clinics in remote areas. The only link with the hospital was by radio phone twice daily. In 1969 Mary was posted to northern Manitoba to work in the communities of St. Theresa Point, Garden Hill and Brochet. She was the first resident nurse in Whale Cove and later worked in Tungsten where she met and married Peter Cain. They divorced a short time later. In 1970 Mary started taking black and white photos, beginning her lifelong passion for photography. Moving to White Rock in 1982, she nestled into the artists’ community and it was there she first received recognition for the quality of her work. In 1992 Mary moved to Pender Harbour and became a dedicated photographer of community events and wildlife. She became a fixture in the Iris Griffith wetland park and it was there that her ashes were spread by friends and family as they said their last goodbyes. LINK to obituary - www.harbourspiel.com/files/harbour-spiel-june-2017-issue.pdf
Granville Street Bridge
Vancouver, British Columbia
Orcas by Wyland
80' wide by 90' high
paint, concrete
The iconic Whaling Wall mural featuring orcas had been on the side of the old Continental Hotel at the north end of the Granville Street bridge since 1994. In January 2015, the building, along with the mural, was demolished to make way for a new development of condominiums.
“Vancouver Island Orcas" is the 56th in a series of 100 worldwide Whaling Wall murals by famed artist Robert Wyland. The murals feature life-size images of sea life including gray whales, orcas, blue whales, and humpback whales.
The mural at 5251 North Marginal Road was No. 75 out of 100 done by artist and marine resource conservation advocate Robert Wyland. It was completed in 1997. All 100 murals in the Wyland Walls project were finished in 2008. They are on five continents, in 17 countries and 79 cities around the world.
Cleveland's is called "Song of Whales." It's 300 feet long and 108 feet high. ~ www.cleveland19.com/story/35133597/why-are-there-whales-p...
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Robert Wyland, 1992, exterior, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, Downtown, Long Beach, California, USA, mural
#robertwyland #whalingwall #whalemural #whaleconservation #whales #mural #philadelphia #philly #igers #igersphilly #igers_philly #phillygram #phillyscape #visitphilly #phillyskyline #schuylkillriver
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New Orleans LA
In 2008, twenty-seven years after Wyland’s quest began, the artist and the Wyland Foundation completed the monumental goal of painting 100 life-size public marine murals. These murals were painted in life-size dimensions to increase appreciation and understanding for aquatic habitats and the life within. Perhaps, most importantly, they have reshaped attitudes about marine life conservation.
“We know now that water connects all the countries of the world,” Wyland says. “Our goal with these projects over the last three decades has been to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public. The health of our ocean and waterways are in jeopardy, not to mention the thousands of marine animals and plants that face extinction if we do nothing.”
The completed Whaling Wall campaign is one of the largest art-in-public-places projects in history, spanning five continents, 13 countries, and 79 cities around the globe.
WW 69 “The Blues Whales”
New Orleans Hilton Riverside
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
251 Feet Long x 66 Feet High
Dedicated May 3rd, 1997
www.wylandfoundation.org/community-events-whaling-walls-2...
"Vancouver’s high-profile Whaling Wall mural is coming down after 30 years on a downtown building to make way for new condominiums.
Called “Orcas,” the mural is eighth in a series of a staggering 100 worldwide Whaling Wall murals by famed artist Wyland. Vancouver’s Whaling Wall, on the side of the old Continental Hotel at the foot of the Granville Street Bridge, spans 130 feet wide by 70 feet tall, and was dedicated September 10, 1985.
The demolition of the Continental Hotel site is part of a large-scale planned development for the location. The deteriorating 1911 building was last used as an SRO, but in 2013 the facility was shut down and relocated to Kingsway."
Source: www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/01/vancouver-whaling-wall-mural-...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
Wyland, an internationally known environmental artist, began painting "Whaling Walls" to create awareness - not only for the whales, but also for the endangered oceans in which they live. Interestingly enough, he began painting his first Whaling Wall in 1981, the same year San Diego National Bank went into business. MORE
The red train is the MTS Trolley. A $5 Day Pass provides unlimited travel on all trolley and most bus routes; which is pretty good value..
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
A few scenes from the Wyland “Hands Across the Ocean” exhibit as it was being installed on the National Mall. There will be 100 giant murals when it is all installed featuring the work of 3000 children from 100 countries.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine life artist and conservationist Wyland will be honored in the nation's capital today with an 11AM press conference in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that will be hosted by multiple agencies and partners. The event celebrates the installation of Wyland's monumental mural "Hands Across The Ocean," which spans a half-mile, seven-block length on the National Mall. The display of Wyland's work is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian.
"Hands Across The Ocean" was created in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games with the participation of over 3,000 children from 110 countries. The massive work is the final piece in Wyland's epic "Whaling Wall" series, which he began 27 years ago with the goal of eventually donating his time to paint and install 100 life-sized marine life murals worldwide.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/artist-wyland-honored-on...
The walls of this big boat storage building are painted with whales. It has become a landmark when you cross the Mid Bay Bridge into Destin. There is also a "Yacht Club" on the property.
This Wyland mural is 1,488-foot-long, and 60-foot high. Wyland's intention is to raise awareness for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico.
Wyland, an internationally known environmental artist, began painting "Whaling Walls" to create awareness - not only for the whales, but also for the endangered oceans in which they live. Interestingly enough, he began painting his first Whaling Wall in 1981, the same year San Diego National Bank went into business. MORE
The red train is the MTS Trolley. A $5 Day Pass provides unlimited travel on all trolley and most bus routes; which is pretty good value..
Wyland and an assitant painting the largest mural of the Earth on top of the Long Beach Arena in downtown Long Beach - shot from an office across the street from the Long Beach Performing Arts and Convention Center. Wyland had previously painted his famous Whaling Wall Mural on the sides of the Arena some years ago. Photo by Jim Nista of Insteo
Designed by Parr and Fee, architects of many old hotel buildings along downtown Granville Street. sallybuck.com
Robert Browning's poem, Love Among the Ruins:
Where the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles,
Miles and miles
On the solitary pastures where our sheep
Half-asleep
Tinkle homeward thro' the twilight, stray or stop
As they crop—
Was the site once of a city great and gay,
(So they say)
Of our country's very capital, its prince
Ages since
Held his court in, gathered councils, wielding far
Peace or war.
Now the country does not even boast a tree,
As you see,
To distinguish slopes of verdure, certain rills
From the hills
Intersect and give a name to, (else they run
Into one)
Where the domed and daring palace shot its spires
Up like fires
O'er the hundred-gated circuit of a wall
Bounding all
Made of marble, men might march on nor be prest
Twelve abreast.
And such plenty and perfection, see, of grass
Never was!
Such a carpet as, this summer-time, o'er-spreads
And embeds
Every vestige of the city, guessed alone,
Stock or stone—
Where a multitude of men breathed joy and woe
Long ago;
Lust of glory pricked their hearts up, dread of shame
Struck them tame;
And that glory and that shame alike, the gold
Bought and sold.
Now—the single little turret that remains
On the plains,
By the caper overrooted, by the gourd
Overscored,
While the patching houseleek's head of blossom winks
Through the chinks—
Marks the basement whence a tower in ancient time
Sprang sublime,
And a burning ring, all round, the chariots traced
As they raced,
And the monarch and his minions and his dames
Viewed the games.
And I know, while thus the quiet-coloured eve
Smiles to leave
To their folding, all our many-tinkling fleece
In such peace,
And the slopes and rills in undistinguished grey
Melt away—
That a girl with eager eyes and yellow hair
Waits me there
In the turret whence the charioteers caught soul
For the goal,
When the king looked, where she looks now, breathless, dumb
Till I come.
But he looked upon the city, every side,
Far and wide,
All the mountains topped with temples, all the glades'
Colonnades,
All the causeys, bridges, aqueducts,—and then
All the men!
When I do come, she will speak not, she will stand,
Either hand
On my shoulder, give her eyes the first embrace
Of my face,
Ere we rush, ere we extinguish sight and speech
Each on each.
In one year they sent a million fighters forth
South and North,
And they built their gods a brazen pillar high
As the sky
Yet reserved a thousand chariots in full force—
Gold, of course.
O heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns!
Earth's returns
For whole centuries of folly, noise and sin!
Shut them in,
With their triumphs and their glories and the rest!
Love is best.
Robert Browning, 1812–1889
Newly painted "Whaling Wall" on the back of the Fox Theater around 1993. The mural wouldn't last to see the end of the decade; the block was leveled to make way for the Fox Tower. In the foreground is Hamburger Mary's and its adjoining bar. Mary's was one of Portland's best little diners throughout the 80's and 90's. Next door is a record shop that later became the home of Crocodile Records. Taken from SW 9th and Taylor looking NE. I found this photo at www.wylandfoundation.org/whalingWalls/whalingWalls_index.cfm - a website dedicated to Wyland's Orca murals around the world. This was his 35th mural.
In downtown New London, Connecticut, on September 21st, 2021, Whaling Wall 41: The Great Sperm Whales by Wyland, painted in 1993, restored in 2006, at the southwest corner of State Street and Eugene O'Neill Drive, in the Downtown New London Historic District, 79002665 and 88000070 on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:
• New London (7014213)
• New London (county) (1002714)
Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:
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• mural paintings (visual works) (300033644)
• peeling (300054127)
• Physeter macrocephalus (species) (300375645)
• specialty stores (300005364)
• traffic signals (300003915)
• whales (300250157)
Wikidata items:
• 21 September 2021 (Q69306183)
• 1990s in art (Q15293516)
• 1993 in art (Q656600)
• bus shelter (Q1946668)
• comics retailer (Q16590780)
• Downtown New London Historic District (Q5303520)
• Eugene O'Neill (Q93157)
• National Register of Historic Places (Q3719)
• Sarge (Q40865577)
• September 21 (Q2891)
• September 2021 (Q61312991)
• signalized intersection (Q2940218)
• Southeastern Connecticut (Q7569441)
• streetcorner (Q17106091)
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
• Blue in art (sh85015069)
• Buildings—Connecticut (sh92001808)
• Sperm whale in art (sh97001022)
Union List of Artist Names IDs:
• Wyland (American muralist and sculptor, born 1956) (500119119)
On Sept 9, 2014, I went into Portland to see this ship and later, get pix of it leaving town, and even later, catch a nearly-full moon rise.
This photo is taken from the parking garage at the Casco Bay Ferries dock. Stretching along from left to right below the ship is a Portland landmark, the 950-foot marine mural “Whales off the Coast of Maine” by artist Wyland, created in 1993. This is one of 100 such works done by Wyland over a span of years from 1981 to 2008. See www.wylandfoundation.org/ and
www.wylandfoundation.org/community.php?subsection=wyland_...
for details.
The ship is also 950 feet long, and carries over 3000 passengers. It's a busy day in Portland when she calls.
[C7598]