The M.H. de Young Museum, usually called simply “The de Young” is a fine arts museum in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The museum is named for the early San Francisco newspaperman, M.H. de Young, and the original structure was opened in 1895. The original de Young was severely damaged by the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. We happened to visit the original de Young on the last weekend that it was open to the public, before the construction of the new de Young, which was reopened on October 15, 2005. The new structure was a product of designers Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron and engineers Arup and principal architects Fong and Chan. The new de Young is clad with perforated copper plates, which will “weather” and change colors with exposure to the elements. The de Young’s collection of European art was sent to the Palace of the Legion of Honor (1, 2), as part of the agreement that created the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The de Young received the bulk of the organizations anthropological holdings, including pre-Hispanic works from Peru and Teotihuacan, as well as tribal art from Africa. The courtyard of the de Young features a sculptural installation by Andy Goldsworthy named Drawn Stone. A feature of the sculpture that I did not notice at ground level, but which was apparent by looking down at the courtyard from a window at the top of the central wood staircase, is that there is a deliberate “crack” (resembling a fault?) that runs through the courtyard itself and all of the blocks of stone of the sculpture. Other collections include pieces from the Rockefeller Collection of American Art, the African and Oceanic collections, and the Art of the Americas collection.

The observation tower of the de Young is 144 feet (44 m) tall and provides a view of the Music  Concourse of the Park as well as a view of the Golden Gate and the Marin Headlands.

The de Young sits very near the San Andreas Fault. To address the problem of the fault, the building can more up to 3 feet (91 cm) as the result of a unique system of ball-bearings sliding plates and viscous fluid dampers that convert kinetic energy to heat, as cited in Wikipedia.

Although the design of the new de Young has been controversial to some, I have grown to like it a great deal. There is also a sculpture garden and the de Young Cafe, where you can relax with a lunch and a beverage, and enjoy the museum and the park.

-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo 

The above photograph is a section of a much larger tapestry/weaving depicting the locations of the Congregation Mikveh Israel, and its Sanctuary.

I was in Philadelphia, PA, the past few days. While there I visited The National Museum of American Jewish History.

Aside from the artifacts on display, and the current exhibit: Shaping Space, Making Meaning, the Museum holds a wealth of educational data regarding Jewish culture and the American Jewish experience. The Museum is located on Independence Mall, in the historic section of Philadelphia. The National Museum of American Jewish History was established in 1976, and “is the only Museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to collecting, preserving and interpreting artifacts pertaining to the American Jewish experience“.

There is a simple looking, yet powerful memorial outside the museum.

The highlight of my visiting The National Museum of American Jewish History was the fact I was able to tour the Congregation Mikveh Israel Synagogue Sanctuary. I am always in awe inside Sanctuaries that hold such a long history as this one.

I stood there speechless, inhaling history, listening to the resounding silence. It was founded in 1740, and it is “the second oldest congregation in the U.S“.

If you are ever in Philadelphia, it is a must see on your travel itinerary.

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The photographs were taken by me.