Brooke and Piper's New York City

Brooke and Piper's Central Park

Much of the story of Brooke and Piper occurs in or near Central Park on the island of Manhattan, one of the five boroughs (counties) of New York City. Central Park was created in the 19th Century, roughly in the center of the island. Four of the five boroughs are on islands which sometimes makes traveling from one to another a bit of a chore, taking time and patience and sometimes even involving a ferry boat. 

Central Park is the go to place for tourists and New Yorkers alike to find a bit of nature away from the noise of the busy city. It's stocked with playgrounds, walking paths, woods and meadows. 

Central Park Looking North (Uptown)

The City is Always Nearby

A Great Place to Stroll

The Bow Brudge

 In addition to nature you can find a castle...

Belvedere Castle

 A Carousel....

The Central Park Carousel

A Reservoir...

The Reservoir, Central Park's Largest Body of Water

Two Skating Rinks...

Wolman Rink

A Museum...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Another Museum Just Across Central Park 

The American Museum of Natural History

Waterfalls...

And the Central Park Zoo

Beautiful in the Fall...

Riverside Park is 
Another Great Park
That is Featured
in the book Brooke
and Piper...

And You Can See
from this Map that 
Central Park is Close
to the Upper West Side
Where Brooke Goes
to P.S. 444 and to
the Upper East Side
Where Piper Attends
The Laurels School...

The West and East sides of Manhattan and Central Park

If you're not a New Yorker I hope you can visit soon and experience Brooke and Piper's neighborhoods and Central Park.

George

George Woideck is the author of Brooke and Piper. A former rock musician who recorded and toured, George is now a ceramic artist specializing in ceramic tile and glass mosaic public art installations. He is also well known for his work in schools as a teaching artist in education.  George is married to professor and memoirist Gail Arnoff and is a father and grandfather. He is currently working on a sequel to Brooke and Piper titled, The Room with No Door. Contact George at georgewoideck@gmail.com. Visit Brooke and Piper's website at brookeandpiper.com.

The Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

                             The Temple of Dendur

One of the delights in visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is entering the glass enclosed atrium that houses the Temple of Dendur. Although the temple is not large it demands your attention the second you view it. And it does draw you closer; you find it impossible to take your eyes from it. 

But first, to find your way to the atrium and the temple, you must first walk through the museum's Egyptian Galleries with one of the greatest collection of artifacts from that empire's 3000 year history. You'll see mummy cases (without the mummies unfortunately), sculptures of gods and pharaohs, walls of hieroglyphs, pottery and items used in daily life during ancient times. 

Hieroglyphs on a Wall of the Temple

After walking through the galleries and viewing the vast collection, you enter the atrium. It seems that all the wonderful art you've seen so far was just a prelude to the temple itself. The temple stands on a raised platform; before it is a stone pylon and before that, a pool of water. Natural light illuminates the scene. 

The Temple of Dendur and Pylon

Although the atrium is not a sanctuary in the modern sense, there is a hush and a feeling of awe when viewing the temple. Several Egyptian sculptures are also displayed in the area. 

Dendur and Sculptures at Night

The Temple is divided into three rooms. The innermost was the area that the very private religious ceremonies worshipping the goddess Isis were performed. Ancient Greek and Egyptian religious activities were not public affairs and because of that were filled with mystery. 

The Entrance to the Temple

Carved in a wall of the temple is a scene that shows the Roman emperor Augustus bringing offerings to the Egyptian gods Horus and Hathor.  Egypt at the time this temple was built was part of the vast Roman Empire and the emperor was looked upon as a pharaoh. 

Emperor Augustus (Right) Bringing Offerings to gods Horus and Hathor

In ancient times Egyptian and Greek temples and sculpture were colorfully painted and traces of paint can sometimes be found after centuries. Below is an artist's illustration of how the above panel may have looked two thousand years ago. 

What the Carved Wall May Have Looked Like When OriginallyPainted 

The temple was brought over, stone by stone, as a gift from Egypt to the American people more than 50 years ago. The temple needed to be moved because of the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the reservoir created by damming the Nile River. The U.S. government awarded the temple to the Metropolitan Museum of Art which constructed the special atrium to house it. Below are several drawings from the Nineteenth Century showing the temple in its original location. 

There are many online resources to learn more about the art and culture of ancient Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Arts' website is metmuseum.org. Enjoy exploring. 

George

George Woideck is the author of Brooke and Piper. A former rock musician who recorded and toured, George is now a ceramic artist specializing in ceramic tile and glass mosaic public art installations. He is also well known for his work in schools as a teaching artist in education.  George is married to professor and memoirist Gail Arnoff and is a father and grandfather. He is currently working on a sequel to Brooke and Piper titled, The Room with No Door. Contact George at georgewoideck@gmail.com. Visit the website at brookandpiper.com.