Friday, October 21, 2011

Les Bourgeois de Calais

I took advantage of our visit to the Rodin museum to add to a series that I started (unknowingly) thirty years ago. In 1981 I was a "year abroad" student in Paris. That year I visited the Rodin museum for the first time and someone took my picture hamming it up in front of Rodin's famous statue, The Burghers of Calais.

The latest version, September 2011. Thirty years after the first.

The original 1895 casting is located in the city of Calais. This one, cast in 1926, stands in the garden at the Rodin museum in Paris. Ken and I visited the museum in 1994 and he took a follow-up photo. Then, as in 1981, I was able to climb up onto the statue for the photo.

The time before that, in 1994. I still wear that sweatshirt.

This last time my cousin took the picture. They've since put a little moat filled with water around the statue to keep people (like me) from climbing up onto it (see the top photo). I would have climbed up on the statue anyway, but there was a serious looking guard nearby that might have chewed me out. I didn't want to take any chances of being scolded in French in front of my cousin or, worse, having my camera confiscated, so I stood on the ground in front of the statue like a good boy.

Me in 1981, the original "ham" burgher.

So there I am, ages 51, 34, and 21. A time span of thirty years. I'm almost as old as those Burghers now.

17 comments:

  1. Great photos. I am still enjoying your trip to Paris.
    Sorry to hear your neck is still bothering you. I hope you get some relief soon.

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  2. What a brave post, three photos of yourself spanning thirty years. You are doing well.

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  3. A great way of remembering... shotsdown the ages! Look forward to seeing the next in thirteen years time.

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  4. You're very handsome.
    And I'm so glad that you lost the white sneakers. They did nothing for you.
    m.

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  5. Fantastic continuity in the midst of change. You look great.

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  6. You're looking as good as ever!

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  7. it getting change years and so the one who take pickture

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  8. I love this post and the photos over the years. You're as cute as ever!

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  9. That's got to be a good old-fashioned, 100% heavy cotton sweat - Made in the USA- rarer than hens' teeth these days!

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  10. I think I met you not long after the third photo was taken. You haven't changed much, just matured.

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  11. Tell the chiropractor about the
    hedge clipping you did...I'll
    bet he'll say it's a no-no for
    anyone with cervical disc
    problems.

    I like the most recent photo the
    best, 51 suits you.

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  12. The '81 photo is my favorite. The colors are neat. You look like you're enjoying being 21 in Paris, but that burgher next to you doesn't look like he approves;)
    Hope your neck improves soon.

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  13. Great pictures of a great person :-)

    Do take care of yourself, do wear the "minerve" if you have one. I at times suffer from my "vertèbres cervicales" and know how painful it can be...

    Bises

    Mary

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  14. I'm going to be kind and just say how distasteful I find it when people feel the "need" to stand on an art object.

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  15. Great post! Love the photos, but I missed you again!

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