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Mystery hall
By adamg on Wed, 05/22/2013 - 12:26pm
The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you know where this auditorium is and when the picture was taken. See it larger.
Ed. note: Finally, after months, I know exactly where one of these photos was taken! But I won't say just yet. Plus, no clue as to the time period.
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Comments
Boston Latin School
BLS
Hahvahd Presidents
Mather, Leverett and Sumner - all names of early presidents of Harvard - so I'd guess an auditorium there - but based on your response and Adam's note - BLS an equally likely guess. Matter of fact - looks like that exact photo is posted online here with the top notations indicating BLS:
http://www.google.com/search?q=boston+latin+school...
Electric light bulbs and electronic exit signs - but an older looking room - I'm going to guess 1960 was probably about when they required those so probably around then - actually per post above - earlier - about 1930 apparently.
Presidents of Harvard?
That they might have been (although the Sumner might've been Sen. Charles Sumner, speaking of whom, today is the anniversary of his savage beating with a gutta-percha stick on the floor of the Senate), but more important, they were all graduates of BLS. After all, as is widely known, Harvard was created to give BLS students a place to go :-).
Googled three names that I could read
Sumner, Mather and Leverett - and all three came up as former Harvard presidents (granted - some going back over 300 years)
Saw another post that it says the names are famous alumni - so could have been coincidence.
Update - Mather and Leverett are former Harvard presidents - not sure why I thought I saw Sumner in that reference- yes - probably the former Senator of tunnel fame
Yet another Sumner
The tunnel wasn't named after the senator but after yet another mid-19th-century Sumner, William Sumner, who basically built East Boston out of a series of islands and who wrote The History of East Boston.
I had no idea! I just
I had no idea! I just assumed it was named for Charles Sumner. Huh...learning something new.
Definitely BLS auditorium.
Definitely BLS auditorium.
Boston Latin School
Boston Latin School. I visited for the first time on Saturday- signing the kids up for the BLS summer ISEE prep course. Impressive building! Very nice auditorium. Tradition holds you can't walk up the middle aisle in the auditorium unless you're alumni.
Boston Latin School
Boston Latin School Auditorium - pre 1970. George Washington came down around 1977.
A shot of the crowd, 5
A shot of the crowd, 5 minutes before the Creed concert this past weekend.
bls circa 1917
bls circa 1917
They moved the piano
When I went to BLS in the very early 70s the piano was much more to the left. I also never remember it being that bright in there. It was always very dark.
Let there be light!
At least the times I've been in there, it's always been pretty bright.
Same hard chairs as always.
Same hard chairs as always. Got to make sure the students suffer.
Boston Latin for sure,
Boston Latin for sure, Gaudeamus igitur !
Auditorium , not
Auditorium , not hall...........
I have never been in BLS
but I had a feeling that's where it was. It looked scholarly, but not opulent.
The Answer!
Thanks everyone! Those of you who guessed the Boston Latin Auditorium are correct. We're saying ca. 1930s, but we don't have an exact year.
Knew it
BLS, knew it as soon as I saw it. "Look to your left, look to your right, two of you won't be there when you graduate".
BLS
finally I knew one of these!
There are more pictures of
There are more pictures of Boston Latin School , as well as of other Boston schools , here :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/...
Boston Latin's assembly hall
BLS assembly hall, which has a frieze featuring notable students at BLS.
From Wikipedia: "The Hall of Fame, known casually as "The Wall," refers to the upper frieze in the school's auditorium, where the last names of famous alumni are painted. These names include Adams, Bernstein, Fitzgerald, Franklin, Hancock, Hooper, Kennedy, Mather, Paine, Quincy, Santayana, Winthrop, and many others.
The most recent name, Wade H. McCree Jr., was added to the frieze in 1999, and the selection of the name involved a conscious effort to choose a graduate of color.[41] There are no names of female graduates, mostly because females have attended the school for just 34 years and the honor is only bestowed posthumously. Currently there is only space for one more name, and the Head Master enjoys telling incoming students that if they work hard enough, one of their names might end up on "The Wall" some day. There is also a lower frieze with the names of many other distinguished graduates, and a place on the lower frieze can be awarded while the person is still alive."