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Asking the Gardens Community, “Who Is This?”
Today, we are asking the Gardens community to help us identify details of some of our photos. We have quite few images for which we know the date, the name of the place and/or the name of the event, but oftentimes we know nothing about individual the people depicted. Many of us have visited, volunteered, and read extensively about the Gardens, while others have rich personal and family connections that go back in time. Some of us know all the major historical themes, while others hold only small pieces of trivia about individual gardens, groups, people, and events. But working together, we can answer questions that are both big and small. Please click on the title or the “more” button to see the images and use the comments feature below to share your thoughts, insights and answers.
Image #1: Czech Garden (Masaryk dedication)
To begin, in the picture above, we know we are looking at the 1962 dedication of the Thomas Masaryk bust in the Czech Cultural Garden. But we cannot say for sure who the flag bearers are, nor the women dressed in traditional costume. What are their names? What groups or organizations tie them together? What is the significance of their presence? Why are they attending?
Image #2. American Colonial Garden (Mark Twain dedication)
Again, we know what is being depicted (the dedication of a Mark Twain bust at the American Colonial Garden) and the approximate date (1935), but who are these two individuals flanking the monument?
Image #3. American Colonial Garden (Peace monument dedication)
Who is unveiling the statue? Who is standing by watching? Can identifying them tell us anything about this 1939 event?
Image #4. British Garden (planting a tree)
Can we identify these women planting a tree at the British (Shakespeare) Garden in 1926? What kind of tree is being planted? Does the variety of planting have any significance?
Image #5. German Garden (Johanna Roth bench)
We don’t have much information about Johanna Roth on the website, except that she is honored on this bench for her contributions to the German Garden. What where some of her contributions? Where was she from? When did she live? Who are the people in this image?
Image #6. India Garden (Gandhi monument dedication)
Who is unveiling the Gandhi monument? Is the artist present here? We know this picture was taken in 2007, but what was the exact date?
Image #7. Irish Garden (planting Killarny Roses)
This image is from the dedication of the Irish Garden in 1939, depicting “Rev. E. A. Kirby of St. Cecelia’s Church … planting Killarney rose bushes, shipped directly from Ireland.” Who was Reverend Kirby? Where was he from? Where is Saint Cecilia’s? What is the significance of the Killarney Rose? Who else is depicted in this picture?
Image #8. Rusin Garden (paraders)
When and where did this parade take place? Who are the young women that are marching? Are they part of a Rusin heritage organization or some other group? What do we know about the group?
Image #9. Slovenian and Serbian Gardens (Yugoslav Garden dedication)
Can we identify any of the people present at the dedication of the Yugoslav Garden?
Image #10. Ukranian Garden (Lesya Ukrainka Statue dedication)
Who is leading this statue unveiling and dedication? Who are the attendees?
Image #11. Ukrainian Garden (paraders)
When and where did this parade take place? Who are the young women that are marching? Are they part of a Ukrainian heritage organization or some other group? What do we know about the group?
Even if you don’t have the answers to all these questions, let us know what you think about this process. We want to continue with small projects like this in the near future as a way to learn more about the Gardens’ history and the history of Cleveland’s rich cultural communities. We look forward to hearing your replies!
16 Responses to “Asking the Gardens Community, “Who Is This?””
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Erin,
You might want to review a copy of Their Paths are Peace for the answer to some of the photos.
On the Twain dedication here’s the relevant except:
On October 27, 1938, Mark Twain’s daughter, Clara, at that time Madame Ossip Gabrilowitsch, placed a wreath at the Twain bust.
(photo: Daughter of Mark Twain (the former Clara Clemens) at the Twain Memorial)
Image 3 is in the American Legion Garden of Nations and not the American Garden.
The relevant section for the bust dedication appears to be as follows:
The chief feature of the Garden of the Nations is a semi-circular, high-backed seat of classical design, surmounted by the head of a beautiful woman, symbolizing peace, and done in Tennessee marble by Henry Herring. A bronze tablet affixed to the monument bears the inscription, “Dedicated to the Cause of Brotherhood and Peace on the occasion of International Peace Day of the 7th World’s Poultry Congress and Exposition, July 30, 1939,” in honor of the official dedication of this garden. Also upon that occasion, the soil from twenty-eight nations was deposited by ambassadors and consular representatives of those nations in a marble crypt at the base of the monument, and the bronze tablet now covering it is inscribed, “September 20, 1936. The American Legion Peace Gardens The Nations”
Established by The American Legion 1936 Convention Corporation of Cleveland and dedicated by Ray Murphy, National Commander, The American Legion.”
The author of the tablet was Legionnaire Glen Campbell and the sculptor was Frank L. Jirouch.
However, Erin the dates, as you note are ambiguous. And precisely whom the three men are is not clear. If you have other photos of Jirouch, Glen Campbell and Murphy you may be able to figure it out.
For image 8 all we know is as follows, but Cathedral Latin was a boys’ school so clearly not the group in the photo. Here’s the relevant sentence: The Rusin Garden plot was dedicated on June 25th, 1939. ceremonies began with a parade led by the Cathedral Latin High School Band.
Image 9 no doubt shows some or all of the following:
The Jugoslav Cultural Garden was officially opened on May 15, 1938, with a parade of assembly of lodges, drill teams, and bands, and the presence of Dr. Adlesic, Mayor of Ljubljana, as principal speaker. Other speakers included Mr. John Mihelich, Mayor Harold H. Burton, Governor Martin L. Davey, Senator Robert Bulkley, Common Pleas Judge Frank J. Lausche, United States Representatives Martin L. Sweeney, Robert Crosser and Anthony Fleger Chief Ohio Supreme Court Justice Carl V. Weygandt, Common Pleas Judge Frank J. Merrick, WPA Director Colonel Joseph H. Alexander, Hugo Varga, director of parks, Mr. Charles Wolfram, then president of the Cultural Garden League, Mrs. Marian Kuhar, treasurer of the Jugoslav Cultural Garden, Joseph Grdina, secretary of the Jugoslav Cultural Garden and Dr. Konstantin Fotic, Jugoslav Envoy in Washington. Mr. Anton Grdina was program leader.
Hopefully the respective Gardens can provide further information for the photos.
Erin,
Here’s some information on image 7 for you:
An initial dedication of the Irish Garden took place on the afternoon of Sunday, May 28th, 1933, the 154th anniversary of the birth of the celebrated Irish poet, Thomas Moore. The Reverend Doctor Edward A. Kirby of St. Cecilia’s Parish Church delivered the principal address before an audience of 2000.
dedicated in 1939. Here the Celtic cross is developed in turf, slate, and sandstone walks, and sedum-filled lunettes. Irish juniper, yew and white lilac, hawthorn, lavender and wisteria have been planted, and shamrocks, cowslips, and Shannon roses form the borders. There are beds of Killarney roses, and of the “Last Rose of Summer” species.
Killarney is an area of Ireland.
Thanks Bill! Absolutely, we will look at Their Paths are Peace, but we’re also trying to mine the community to get information that might not be in any of the published sources (or reminders of obscure sources that we should check…) Hopefully, we’ll get some further response over the next few weeks.
Regarding image #6: the actual date is October 1, 2006. The sculptor, Gautam Pal, was not present. Congressman Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth are the ones easily identifiable, pulling on the rope. Ambassador Ronen Sen’s hand is visible– he is obscured by the gentleman with his back to the camera, a trustee of FICA. Councilwoman Sabra Pierce Scott is obscured by Mr. Kucinich, but behind her, and pulling on the other rope is Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. Behind Mr. Kucinich is Mr. Satish Parikh, another trustee of FICA. (The statue was unveiled by Rev. Moss, Amb. Sen, Councilwoman Scott, and Cong. Kucinich along with his wife).
About image #11. It was the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Cleveland Branch that commissioned and raised the funds for the statue of Lesya Ukrainka in 1961. Katherine Mural chaired the committee to purchase the statue of the Ukrainian poetess.
As soon as I get more information i will send it to you
The Ukrainian women’s league also goes by UNWLA and “Soyuz Ukrainok”
Erin:
-from Irish Garden delegate Char Crowley.
Image #7. Irish Garden (planting Killarney Roses)
This image is from the dedication of the Irish Garden in 1939…. What is the significance of the Killarney Rose?
I will forward the image to the Irish Archivist to see if we can answer your questions regarding the people in the photograph.
With regard to the significance of the Killarney Rose…I am still researching the genus/species information on the specifics of the plant and will post when finished. My recollection is that the Killarney rose was always referred to as the last rose of summer. It is a reference to the poem written by Thomas Moore in 1805 The Last Rose of Summer while Moore was visiting County Kilkenny. Set to music by Sir John Stevenson, it is a beautiful melody which has been performed and recorded by many artists.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-P15xujxoI
I suspect that a rose grower in Killarney cross hybridized roses, selecting species for late season bloom, in order to honor the poem and melody. Killarney warmed by the gulf stream from the Atlantic Ocean, has a much longer growing season than most other parts of the island.
In the recent renovation of the Irish Garden we selected KnockOut Rose, which produces continuous bloom through the season and hopefully will be blooming into October of this year.
First verse….
“Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
all her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.”
Char Crowley, you are terrific! Thanks. Bill Jones
From Hans Kopp of the German Cultural Garden: The woman standing behind the bench in Image is Maria Roth, daughter of Johann Roth, and publisher of “Germania” a monthly German-English newspaper.
Hans hopes to have more information on the other women in the picture, in the future.
Regarding image #1, the only information I have for you is”
1) Dedication of the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk statue was in 1961. He was, of course, one of the founders of and first president of the unified state of Czechoslovakia. The statue was sculpted by Frank Jirouch, a Czech-American. Jirouch did all of the statues and busts in the Czech Garden as well as the preponderance of busts and plaques in all of the early Gardens.
More on image #5 thanks to Hans Kopp from the German Cultural Garden and his contacts in the German community:
The photographer for image 5 is Zenon Domanski. The women in dirndls on either side of Ms. Roth are Herta Hetzel on the left and Erna Schuessler on the right. They are members of the STV Bavaria Singers that performed at the dedication of the bench.
Re. image #7 Found a newspaper clipping that indicates left to right: Judge George Tenesy Rev Kirby, Mike Lynch(?), Leo Weidenthal, Congressman Martin Sweeney, Mrs. Duffy, Mr. Wolfram, Mr. Garbo. They are all mentioned(except Lynch)in the article that accompanies the photo. The Universe Bulletin May 29,1933
The medium pink, hybrid tea Killarney rose was bred by Alexander Dickson II (1898) in Newtownards, No.Ireland. Still trying to confirm the connection to the poem by Moore.
Found an additional song Rose of Killarney (1876) Lyrics George Cooper; Music John Rogers Thomas
In regard to Image #4, the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE) took over the Garden in 1931. This photo was apparently taken prior to 1931 since the DBE members cannot identify anyone in the photo.
Wow. It’s great to get such a robust response! We’ll be sure to update the site with all of the information you all have shared. Thank you all.
Yes, I was going to say that in image #7 the gentleman in the center with the coat over his arm looks like Leo Weidenthal.
Re image #2. The gentleman on the left of the bust of Mark Twain is Frank Jirouch. He was my great great uncle. I’d know that mug anywhere!