All Posts

December 14, 2009

Shaking Up Shaker Village

How easy is it to get a 4-wheel-drive 135-foot articulated man lift weighing 40,000 pounds stuck in the mud? Quite easy, as it turns out. That, at least, was our experience—Robert Silman, Mike Auren, Jenna Cellini, and me—who spent three days evaluating the condition of the wall masonry of the North Family Great Stone Barn at the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village, in New Lebanon, NY.

December 08, 2009

Suspended Above Earth: Farnsworth House

As WMF's Watch and Field Programs Administrator, one of the great privileges of my job is having the opportunity to occasionally visit architectural icons for business purposes. But recently I embarked on a visit toa Modern masterpiece solely for my own pleasure.

November 13, 2009

Cloister of St. Trophime

For the last year, WMF has participated in a number of on-site meetings to analyze the columns and capitals that form the cloister of St. Trophime and determine the best methods for cleaning, repairing, and maintaining the structure.

November 13, 2009

A Hemisphere Away from Home

Jacqueline Wiese, a graduate student in the University of Pennsylvania's historic preservation program, volunteered to spend some time researching and working in Peru's Colca Valley in summer 2009. WMF connected them with AECID (the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation), our partner in the Colca Valley, and subsidized their travel expenses.

October 25, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 9

After gathering with my fellow WMFers for some strategizing and shopping, I had the afternoon to myself, so I tackled the Beijing subway solo (with a few semi-embarrassing bumps) and headed to Tiāntán Gōngyuán, the Temple of Heaven. It's one of the iconic spots that's a must-see, not just for the spectacular architecture, but also because it's a spot where average Beijingers love to gather, to ballroom dance, wave flags, and generally hang out.

October 24, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 8

Mmmm, Beijing duck! Admittedly not an expert when it comes to Chinese cuisine, I honestly didn't find it much different from what they serve on Mott Street in NYC. But it was very, very good.

October 22, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 6

Had a bit of free time today, so ventured out to the Great Wall. I'd actually rate it more as a really-quite-good wall, or maybe a best-wall-I've-seen-in-a-long-while wall, or even an of-all-the-walls-I've-ever-seen-this-one-is-up-there wall, but I'm withholding great for white sharks and northern beans and Santinis.

October 21, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 5

Guess what? Another meeting this morning. This one was really cool, though (not that the others weren't)—a demonstration from some folks in the Palace Museum's education department of some virtual renderings of buildings in the Forbidden City. After modeling the three main Harmony Halls (Supreme Harmony, Complete Harmony, and Preserving Harmony), their next project was to model our own dear Juanqinzhai, because it has, as the director of the initiative put it, “the most beautiful interiors in all the Forbidden City.”

October 20, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 4

Fun fact: for some inexplicable reason, people always ask me for directions. I'm not sure why they ask me, but figure it's either because I look essentially harmless, or because they think my height somehow instills in me preternatural wayfinding skills. At any rate, if you were lost in the Forbidden City, who would you ask for directions? Why, the giant pink American, of course, which is exactly what a group of befuddled Brits did this morning. And odder still, I knew the answer.

October 19, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 3

So cool—spent the entire day in the Forbidden City. Started out by meeting the guys (and gal) working in the restoration studios. They're internationally recognized craftsmen using traditional skills to restore the incredible interiors and furniture of the <a href="/project/juanqinzhai-qianlong-garden">Qianlong Gardens</a>.

Stay connected