The Daily Picture Theme is #Worth

I participate in a photography challenge on Spoutible, a social media site, A hashtagged theme is posted each day from the account of Daily Picture Theme which describes itself as “The Big Photo Album of Our Community.” The picture theme for April 7th is #Worth, not an easy theme to represent in a photo. I decided to use a recent photo from our visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. After the robbery on March 18, 1990, the reward money for information had risen to ten million dollars. So consider this empty frame to be worthy of a phone call or text to the authorities with the right information.

Empty Frame

On March 18, 1990 there was an art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Thirteen works of art were taken. The Museum has offered ten million dollars for information leading to their return.

On This Day – April 7th

I’ve lined up quite a few photos taken on the 7th day of April over a period of several years. The years are noted in the captions for these photos.

John Prine (Oct 10, 1946 – Apr 7, 2020)

A sad anniversary today, the passing of John Prine who died from Covid complications. I’m including an embedded video of this song, but your Ad Block software may prevent you from watching it. The direct link is I Remember Everything, This is the last song that he recorded.

Coming Attractions

The eclipse of course. This was the email I received from Amazon after I had purchased one of their products. I ordered a replacement which is supposed to come today. Some of the replacement products they mentioned would be shipped on April 9th. I’m working on my scathing review.

Dear Amazon Customer,

We write to notify you of a potential safety concern with a product that you purchased on Amazon.com.

Your Order ID: 113-3389614-8707406
Affected Product: biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 - CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing(6 Packs)

The product listed above was not included in the American Astronomical Society’s list of safe suppliers of solar eclipse viewers and filters and therefore may not be safe for viewing a solar eclipse.

If you still have this product, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend you not use it for the upcoming eclipse on April 8, and review the following information for more details, including how to view a solar eclipse safely and how to identify unsafe eclipse glasses:

https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters
https://aas.org/press/american-astronomical-society-warns-counterfeit-fake-eclipse-glasses

Amazon offers many products approved by the AAS, including the following examples.

I took a few test shots with a ND100000 filter on a telephoto lens with a 1.4x multiplier. Considering the crop factor of the OM-1 this is equivalent to a 35mm lens of 1122mm. The image is a good size.

The Sun

The sun photographed with a Neutral Density filter ND 100000. Telephoto lens equivalent to 1122mm. A pre-eclipse test shot.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

I still haven’t had a chance to work through the museum photos. However I’ll share a bit today, a shout out to Dionysian revelry.

Farnese Sarcophagus

The Farnese Sarcophagus is one of the most important works of art in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Its glorious images of cavorting satyrs and maenads has inspired generations of artists, collectors, conservators, and viewers. This large, rectangular marble coffin was created in the area of Rome in the late Severan period, around 225 CE. The occupants of the monument are unknown, since the lid was lost or destroyed. It was rediscovered in Tivoli in about 1535 and its beauty inspired Renaissance artists. Satyrs, minor deities who are part man and part beast, and maenads, female followers of the wine god, Dionysus, grace the sides of the sarcophagus. While the maenads harvest grapes, satyrs interrupt their work by flirtatiously pulling at their garments and exchanging amorous glances with them. Dionysian revelry was a popular theme on ancient Roman sarcophagi. The harvest of the wine alludes to the cycle of life, and the joyful imagery reminds the living they should “carpe diem,” or seize the day, while they still can. In 1897, American scholar Richard Norton encouraged Isabella Stewart Gardner and her husband John L. Gardner, Jr. to purchase the 7,500 lbs. sarcophagus in 1897, writing that “even Boston would [not] object to its frank by slight sensuality.” Isabella installed it in the courtyard of her museum in 1901. In 2018, Gardner Artists-in-Residence, the OpenEnded Group created a new video installation, Maenads and Satyrs, inspired by the sarcophagus.