Sunday, December 31, 2017

photographs of abandoned places #16a (apse)

The parish of the Nativity of Mary Cleveland existed from 1903 to 1993. They had a beautiful church built in 1925, it was sold, and has been abandoned and vandalised and parts of it are in collapse. Here is a foto taken two days ago. The apse (half dome) above the sanctuary of the Nativity of the BVM has deteriorated. This formalised scene of our family in heaven has had many variations as a group portrait. I used a flash, but that light was insufficient, and i was there at high noon on an overcast winter day. On the far right, we have some canvas (or decal) falling; next to that there are St. Jean Vianney, and the then newly recognised St. Pius X (canonised 1954). I wonder who the artist(s) was. Romeo Celleghin did much work in the area, exactly in line on the next street there was St. Joseph Greek Catholic 1933 had some similar work. Holy Trinity Lorain Celleghin did work, and the angels in the choir loft look very similar to those here, as does the apse.
Here is the apse from Holy Trinity Lorain. Both were Slovak parishes with churches having laid cornerstones in 1925. This picture i took before the church's closing (and the parish's eviction) eight years ago. [click] This was Romeo Celleghin's best work. I do not know the dates* of the paintings.
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*postscriptum 24 January 2018:  I have been informed, the mural at Nativity BVM was painted during a remodeling in 1958, and the apse mural was painted over an existing mural, which would explain the ghost images of heads and nimbuses.

Friday, December 29, 2017

photographs of abandoned places #16

  Nativity BVM twenty five years later
Nativity of Mary was a Slovak parish in Cleveland from 1903 to 1993. The buildings were sold (to what i surmise was an independent congregation that wanted a real church building and did not have one). Sometime, thereafter it was abandoned, and the scrappers have made off with everything they could get cash for quick. Parts of the church have collapsed.  Here is a picture of the church on 6 June 2015, whether it was active then i do not know. 
To-day. If  you notice there are no door handles. A thorough mining of all copper and brass has been conducted. I did not know the church was open for urban exploration, until a few days ago. Thanks, a tip of the chapeau, to Glenn Petranek. Coming into the ruins of the church was saddening. This was a beautiful church. It is within the realm of possibility that this building will collapse soon, or be demolished. Here is a bene nota, within 25 years of a Catholic church being sold to a storefront, start up congregation, do not be surprised for the property value to be zero.  

Here is the tub for the electrical panel. The breakers and wire are gone. To the right you can see a mural.  Saints Cyril and Methodius the Holy Brothers of Thessalonika, the Apostles to the Slavs, the bringers of Christianity and literacy to half the nations in Europe. A number of Slovak churches especially remember these two saints. 




 Our Lady of Fatima 1917, one of several Marian images on the ceiling
 Saint Elizabeth, cousin to the Virgin Mary
Book on floor, opened to this page. Mostly hymnals on the floor, none in the pews.

  stuffed Mickey Mouse on a ledge
 metal on the cupola missing
I found so many images worth saving. It was 17 degrees Fahrenheit and overcast. The first few fotos were taken in the cloud of my frozen breath. I would like to go back for more shots. These ruins were created in a few years. The near by churches of St. Joseph, and St. Catharine are empty lots. The nearby church of St. Lawrence has been sold by Lennon, the former bishop. The last time i drove by there, the outside appearance had also deteriorated. Of the many churches recently sold, i see more ruins.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

rip and read

Y'no, Johnny Carson used to begin his show joking about the news of the day. On several programmes he would remark on how easy it was. There used to be teletype machines in newsrooms, which would constantly print out incoming messages. Johnny would say, "sometimes it's just just rip and read". The jokes did not need to be framed, crafted, thought about, or anything; it was just "rip and read". He also would call some things "comedy gold".
 Don the Con just carries on.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Community Christmas Carol Sing

from E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Center University of Akron, the 38th annual Akron Tuba Christmas conducted by Tucker Jolly, with many tubas not seen on the left and right beyond

Thursday, December 7, 2017

2017 Miscellany #12

During a City Music concert at St. Stanislaus, they played Corigliano work, the composer was in attendance. It was fascinating observing the tubist muting and unmuting his horn.
 Brecksville Metropark, a redcoat on a tent. Welsh Fusileer officer re-enactor.


Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Presidential Quotes

Last July in Cleveland, the quadrennial Republican National Convention descended upon Cleveland. A fenced off vacant property between the West Side Market, and the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge had quotes of several presidents and M.L. King Jr. printed on banners. They have returned, with two of an additional one.
 George Washington also had a greyhound, his name was Cornwallis.



Truman also supposedly said, but it first appeared in a stage play,“If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”.

2017 Miscellany #11

Great Blue Heron, east branch Rocky River O.
8.30 am Sunday morning, 3 December Wallace Lake Berea O.
 
 in small reading garden, Lee Road Branch Cleveland Heights Library
 black ice cream with charcoal

Monday, December 4, 2017

2017 Miscellany #10

pulpit Saint Colman Cleveland
after vespers Saint Stanislaus Cleveland
homophone strikes again
 
Brookside Metropark, 24th November 2017
phragmites, an invasive (successful) species in soggy ground, Brookside Metropark
vegan billboard Cleveland (1 of 8 variants)

Saturday, December 2, 2017

new mural on East 105


Gary Williams has painted his second mural on E. 105th in Glenville Cleveland. His first was Our Lives Matter [click].  (from left to right are portrayed:  Maya Angelou, President Barack Obama,  boy reading book, Tupac Shakur)

I am not sure whether the final paint strokes have been made. It is especially good to see a portrait of President Obama, considering what America has now.