History

Where was it, and when was this taken? Photo from the folks at the Boston City Archives. For extra hints, see it larger.

On ArchBoston, Billski wonders what happened to the rooftop lion atop the Kensington Building on Boylston Street, which sat where the Darth Vader building now broods over the avenue. The lion's two street-level companions were relocated to the Copley Plaza, but does anybody know what happened to Lion 3? One presumes he is not prowling the rooftops of Boston, since a giant swan remains perched atop the Park Plaza.

More photos of the lion and his mates at street level.

Photo from the BPL Leslie Jones Collection. Used under this Creative Commons license.

Based on their clothes, you can probably tell about when this photo was taken. But where? See it larger. From the Boston City Archives (only click that link if you want to see the answer).

When and where was this waterfront photo taken? From the Boston City Archives, of course. See it larger.

Thousands of local peace activists marched in support of peace and anti-violence this morning at the 17th Annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace. The event took place in Dorchester on 5/12/13. This raw video footage is near the end of the march on Geneva Avenue as peace activists marched towards the conclusion of the march at Fields Corner. District Attorney and 2013 Mayoral Candidate Dan Conley is seen marching in the peace march.

According to www.justicewithpeace.org:

"The Mother's Day Walk for Peace began in 1996 for families who had lost their children to violence. On a day that we celebrate mothers and children, the Walk became a place for families and friends to feel support and love with thousands of others who pledge their commitment to peace. Through the years, it has become a way for thousands of people to financially support the work of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute."

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can figure out when and where in Boston this photo was taken. See it larger.

This newly researched and opinionated history of the Casey Overpass in Jamaica Plain may serve as useful background information for a community grappling with how and why we got here - and where we're going.

http://fivehundredmonkeys.blogspot.com/2013/05/something-different-casey-overpass.html

The BPL has posted more train photos by Leslie Jones, including this one of a steam engine pulling out of South Station in 1937, and another one of a train leaving North Station sometime in the 1940s:

J.L. Bell explains why it took news of the Battle of Bunker Hill three days longer to reach New York than news of the Battle of Lexington:

The Provincial Congress delayed its report until its committee had a good sense of what had happened and/or could put a good spin on events.

The folks at the Boston City Archives have posted this photo of kids playing ball in 1978 Boston and wonder where. No, really, this time, they have no idea and are seeking suggestions.

When and where was this photo taken? From the Boston City Archives, natch. See it larger.

It's hard to imagine how many miles of train tracks used to exist within Boston city limits (let alone how few will be left once Harvard gets around to ripping out the Allston yard). Here we see the train yard in front of Commonwealth Pier in South Boston, sometime shortly after World War I. Today, the pier is better known as the World Trade Center and the tracks have mostly been replaced by highway ramps, parking lots and surface roads. Nearby is Fan Pier, named for the way the train tracks there fanned out toward the water.

The Back Bay used to have its own large train yard - since replaced by the Prudential Center and the Massachusetts Turnpike:

Happy Arbor Day! In 1920, Leslie Jones photographed Massachusetts Gov. Calvin Coolidge digging a hole to plant a tree.

From the BPL Leslie Jones collection. Posted under this Creative Commons license.

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can identify when and where this Boston street photo was taken. See it larger.

The Herald reports.

Capt. John Baker, died in 1781, aged 75.

Roslindale is not the sort of place you associate with the Revolution, but it turns out a cemetery there, by the side of a road Washington's forces used to ferry supplies from Dedham to Boston, was the final resting place for a number of Revolutionary War soldiers.

You can see the remains of the Walter Street Burying Ground on Peters Hill in the Arnold Arboretum. Go into the Peters Hill entrance of the Arboretum where South Street meets Walter Street and start up the path on the hill. As you walk, keep in mind that back in the day, Roslindale as a place didn't exist - the area was a hinterland of the town of Roxbury. And Walter Street, then known as the Dedham Road was a key supply route for the Americans.

Paul Revere hoofed it out of the North End this morning to warn the colonists the Redcoats were coming.

Afterwards, Minutemen stood at attention in front of the Paul Revere statue and Old North Church as Taps were played and a wreath laid at a memorial for fallen patriots on the Prado.

The Patriots Day parade in Arlington was fun, but it didn't really have a lot of Minutemen - way more Shriners, in fact (and a troop of Civil War re-enactors, um, what?).

Just in time for Patriots Day, the BPL has posted Marathon photos by Leslie Jones, including the immortal Johnny Kelley finishing the race second in 1940 and on the way to his first-place finish in 1945 (on far right; in Natick Center, ye ed thinks):

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can you figure out when and where this photo was taken. See it larger.

Opening Day, 1937: Gov. Charles Hurley throws out the first pitch, flanked by managers Joe Cronin of the Red Sox (l.) and Joe McCarthy of the Yankees.

Over the decades, news photographer Leslie Jones spent quite a bit of time at Fenway, including on Opening Day.

In 1963, the Red Sox opened the home season while the Prudential tower was still under construction (see it larger):

Leslie Jones captured wrestler Yukon Eric cooling off on July 30, 1950 during a stay at the Hotel Touraine, at Boylston and Tremont streets (the building still stands, it's directly across Boylston from the Masonic building).

During the same visit, a promoter let Brockton's own Rocky Marciano and wrestler Don Eagle get a peek at his pecs:

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can figure out who these boys are, what they were doing and when they were doing it. See it larger.

The Boston City Archives posted this photo of BFD fire dogs lining up for some serious chow back in the 1940s.

Boston from Dorchester Heights, 1776. From the BPL Leventhal map collection.

Today, it's mainly a day for free parking downtown and for Boston municipal workers and school kids to get a day off. But back in the day, it honored the first major victory of the Revolution - the day the British fled the capital of the colony where the fighting had begun.