TJ -- Visage and words, used to sell lofts.................
I'm pretty sure the Constitution Center was not here, when we visited Philadelphia in 1996.
Your visit begins with a multi-media presentation. The primary focus is -- who *are* "we the people?" The framers of the constitution were white males who owned property. They didn't include men of color, or women, in their idea of who "people" really were, I believe.
The performer who narrated the presentation was a black woman of about my age. It was thought-provoking, listening to her talk about the way "we the people" has expanded, since those words were written.....
They said "no pics!" during the presentation. It would have been hard to take pics, I think (it was dark in there, much of the time), but ... really? Sheesh.
Then, the "main exhibit space" also forbade taking pics.
They made a bunch of different points about how the Constitution has changed, and how interpretation of the Constitution has changed, over time. Why this was a big secret (no pics?), I have no idea.
I tried to find it comforting that there has never been peaceful accord about what the Constitution says, or about what it should say. People have always had very strong feelings about it, and now is not the first time that people have allowed themselves to ignore the bounds of courtesy when discussing the issues.......... And somehow, we have muddled through.
Hoping that will continue for a very long time! (Finding it hard to understand how people can abandon civility and still expect to be listened to and taken seriously.......)
The last thing you encounter is a big room full of life-size statues of the signers of the Constitution.
Unlike the "no pics!" rest of the place, this seemed to be no-holds-barred. Pics ok, touching apparently ok, sitting on the statues (!!!) apparently ok....................
According to the explanatory info, every attempt was made to have these be as close as possible to the actual look of these men. Walking amongst them was interesting. We all knew George Washington was large (very similar in size to my better half, who is 6'4"). I knew James Madison was not large. But I, for one, never knew that Alexander Hamilton was a tiny delicate little guy.
Looking out the front of the Constitution Center.
You see Independence Hall, bottom left, in front of the black, and gray, buildings.
The red-brick building with the blue end, bottom right, is the Independence Center (where I saw the people in character and costume a few days ago).
The dark building, across the street from the Independence Center (nearer to Independence Hall) houses the Liberty Bell.
You can see the building housing the Liberty Bell more clearly here. Bottom right.
Turning the other way, on the top level of the Constitution Center, the state flags, arranged in the order in which they joined the Union.
Hunting for bathrooms, we found this. Mosaic, with tourists reflected in shiny bits. Note that I had with me my French nylon shopping bag. It is an excellent red-orange, it weighs basically nothing, and it is capacious. One of my favorite souvenirs of France....
I have to note that I could feel a lot warmer and fuzzier about "we the people" if one of "the people" hadn't left garbage on the bench under the mosaic. Good grief. !!!!! I find it very difficult to dredge up any fellow-feeling toward individuals who blithely trash everything they encounter.....
Sigh.
I had to fight myself not to 'shop that thing out of the image, but I decided to leave it there, as it was part of the truth about what we encountered. However much it annoys me every time I see it..........................
All in all, we found the Constitution Center disappointing. It wasn't cheap -- $14.50, each -- despite being part of the National Park System. Compared to the amount of content at the art museum ($20 each), say, this was sparse and not much to see. If you are visiting Philadelphia, and are rationing your time, do the Independence Center (free!) and skip the Constitution Center.
Shaking it off. Walking away.
One of the things that is fun about Philadelphia is all the info about the past that is displayed on the buildings.
I wanted to walk through Elfreth's Alley, so we meandered in that direction. Lots of old buildings in this area (east of the Constitution Center, toward the Delaware River).
Different row-house walls, butted up against each other.
Some of this (all?) had been reconstructed. I don't remember seeing bricks in this random arrangement of colors on buildings I was sure were old.
If I had to guess, I'd say this was a locust tree. It was not young.
It spread a carpet of spent bloom under our feet.
Right across the street from the old-looking buildings, brand new condos.
I want to see inside the old ones, and the new ones...... And, I have to say, if I were buying, getting new construction, with (presumably!) a lot fewer maintenance headaches, would be my choice!
I can't deny the cute charm of the older buildings, though.
Walking along. Many buildings in use -- here is a floral design studio.
Zooming in on the bouquet visible in the prev.....
I bet this facade didn't used to be open like this..... You can just barely see a purple bicycle, inside, behind the plant, lower left corner....
I saw a lot of buildings with this kind of decoration when were were in Louisville last year. A lot of the embellishment in Louisville was cast iron, and I bet that's what this is, too.
Walking on.
Charmed by this teeny "library." I'm not sure I call a book exchange a "library," but there you are. This little house-shaped box sat on a pedestal, in front of two stores.
Hmmm. Not sure I'd want any of these. I'd finished one of the paperbacks I took with me, the day before. Had I known I'd see this, I would have brought it along and left it here.
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