Dr Tony Shaw: The Hall of Fame, The Bronx, NYC

The splendid Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx Community College off University Avenue contains ninety-eight busts. As my main interest is in writers, I only photographed a certain number of these busts, although I give the quotation from the plaque under the busts of each of these authors. Unfortunately, virtually all were in shadow.

The above section, and the wing to the left, are devoted to authors.

'WALT WHITMAN

1819 ––––– 1892

IN THIS BROAD EARTH OF OURS,

AMID THE MEASURELESS GROSSNESS AND THE SLAG

ENCLOSED AND SAFE WITHIN ITS CENTRAL HEART,

NESTLES THE SEED PERFECTION.'

'SIDNEY LANIER

1842 ––––– 1881

...WEAKNESS, IN FREEDOM, GROWS STRONGER

THAN STRENGTH WITH A CHAIN.'

'JAMES FENIMORE COOPER

1789 ––––– 1851

I NOW FEEL MORTIFIED AND GRIEVED WHEN I MEET WITH

AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN WHO PROFESSES ANYTHING BUT LIBERAL OPINIONS

AS RESPECTS THE RIGHTS OF HIS FELLOW-CREATURES'

'HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

1811 ––––– 1896

I WOULD WRITE SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE THIS WHOLE

MAKE THIS NATION FEEL WHAT A CURSED THING SLAVERY IS'

'JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY

1814 ––––– 1877

I VENTURE TO HOPE THAT THE LOVERS OF HUMAN PROGRESS AND THE

LOVERS OF DISINTERESTED VIRTUE MAY FIND ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE

DEEP-TAILED HISTORY OF AN HEROIC PEOPLE IN ITS MOST EVENTFUL PERIOD'

'SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS

1835 ––––– 1910

LOYALTY TO PETRIFIED OPINION NEVER YET BROKE A CHAIN

OR FREED A HUMAN SOUL'

'FRANCIS PARKMAN

1823 ––––– 1893

THE NARRATOR MUST SEEK TO IMBUE HIMSELF WITH THE

LIFE AND SPIRIT OF TIME – HE MUST HIMSELF BE AS IT WERE

A SHARER OR A SPECTATOR OF THE ACTION HE DESCRIBES'

'EDGAR ALLAN POE

1809 ––––– 1849

A POEM DESERVES ITS TITLE ONLY IN AS MUCH

AS IT EXCITES BY ELEVATING THE SOUL'

'GEORGE BANCROFT

1800 ––––– 1891

HISTORY INTERPOSES WITH THE EVIDENCE THAT TYRANNY AND WRONG

LEAD INEVITABLY TO DECAY – THAT FREEDOM AND RIGHT –

HOWEVER HARD MAY BE THE STRUGGLE ALWAYS PROVE RESISTLESS'

'WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT

1794 ––––– 1878

SO LIVE THAT WHEN THY SUMMONS COMES THOU GO NOT LIKE THE QUARRY

SLAVE AT NIGHT SCOURGED TO HIS DUNGEON BUT SUSTAINED AND SOOTHED

BY AN UNFALTERING TRUST. APPROACH THE GRAVE LIKE ONE WHO WRAPS THE

DRAPERY OF HIS COUCH ABOUT HIM, AND LIES DOWN TO PLEASANT DREAMS'

'JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

1807 ––––– 1892

MAKING HIS RUSTIC REED OF SONG – A WEAPON IN THE WAR WITH WRONG

YOKING HIS FANCY TO THE BREAKING-PLOUGH

THAT BEAM-DEEP TURNED THE SOIL FOR TRUTH TO SPRING AND GROW'

'OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

1809 ––––– 1894

BUILD THEE MORE STATELY MANSIONS O MY SOUL

AS THE SWIFT SEASONS ROLL

LEAVE THY LOW-VAULTED PAST'

'JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

1819 ––––– 1891

NO POWER CAN DIE THAT EVER WROUGHT FOR TRUTH

THEREBY A LAW OF NATURE IT BECAME

AND LIVES UNWITHERED IN ITS BLITHESOME YOUTH

WHEN HE WHO CALLED IT FORTH IS BUT A NAME'

'RALPH WALDO EMERSON

1803 ––––– 1882

THE DAY IS ALWAYS HIS WHO WORKS IN IT WITH SERENITY AND GREAT AIMS

THE UNSTABLE ESTIMATES OF MEN CROWD TO HIM WHOSE MIND IS FILLED

WITH THE TRUTH AS THE HEAPED WAVES OF THE ATLANTIC FOLLOW THE MOON'

'NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

1804 ––––– 1864

LIVING IN SOLITUDE TILL THE FULLNESS

OF TIME I STILL KEPT THE DEW OF MY YOUTH

AND THE FRESHNESS OF MY HEART'

'HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

1807 –––– 1882

THE DISTANT MOUNTAINS THAT UPREAR THEIR SOLID BASTIONS TO THE SKIES ARE CROSSED BY PATHWAYS

THAT APPEAR AS WE TO HIGHER LEVELS RISE – THE HEIGHTS BY GREAT MEN REACHED WERE NOT

ATTAINED BY SUDDEN FLIGHT, BUT THEY, WHILE THEIR COMPANIONS SLEPT, WERE TOILING UPWARD IN THE NIGHT.'

'WASHINGTON IRVING

1783 ––––– 1859

THE INTERCOURSE BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND HIS FELLOWMEN IS EVER

NEW, ACTIVE AND IMMEDIATE – LONG MAY MEN CHERISH HIS RENOWN.

IT HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY THE DILIGENT DISPENSATION OF PLEASURE'

I took several more images of people not in the writers' section because I just couldn't leave them out. I forget which section Thoreau was in, for instance, but, oddly, not with the writers.