Abby Epplett, Historian

Celebrimbor is best known in The Lord of the Rings as the creator of the “three rings for the elven-kings under the sky” while he lived in Hollin, also known as Eregion. In Tolkien’s posthumous work, the character was greatly expanded. Readers learn that he was a powerful and talented Elf who loved crafts and his family, befriended Dwarves and a dangerous stranger, and sometimes let his pride get the best of him. Celebrimbor began life as the only grandchild of Fëanor, the greatest of the elven smiths, and spent his immortality attempting to become even more skilled than his famous ancestor.

Ambiguity has been widely discussed when exploring the Grey Havens through an academic lens . The name itself feels ambiguous, its color halfway between the symbolic white of goodness and black of evil appearing throughout the text. The White Towers or Emyn Beriad feel less ambiguous with their location closer to the Shire and their defining color. During the Fourth Age, Hobbits restored and repopulated the Undertowers in Westmarch even as Elves gradually abandoned the Grey Havens to migrate across the water.

On the same day I visited the Connecticut Trolley Museum and East Windsor Historical Society , I walked through Northwest Park run by the town of Windsor, CT. This 473-acre park includes a tobacco museum, a nature center, a heritage breed animal barn, public art, and twelve miles of walking trails.

On the same day I took the lighthouse cruise around Cape Ann , I walked around Gloucester to see public art and learn the history of the maritime town. Along the way, I found carillon bells, a historic boat, beached buoys, and a silly sign.

After visiting Forbes House Museum during my trip to Milton, MA in June, I made several quick history stops around the town. In my first post about these stops, I discussed local churches, short hikes, informational signage, a cemetery, a historic house, and memorial parks. In the second post, I will cover the buildings at the center of town, which is fittingly called Milton Centre and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988 .

During my trip to Philadelphia, PA, I spent time walking around the historic portion of the city. Because this is one of the most politically significant locations in the modern world, the streets are lined with informational signage, and nearly every building had a plaque. This miniseries of quick history stops will have four parts. This first part will cover a bank building, a Quaker meeting house, a fire station dedicated to Benjamin Franklin , a cemetery, and a very old alley.

During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. This is my third post about Independence National Historical Park , a part of the United States National Park System (NPS) that focuses on the American Revolutionary War. During this post, I will describe Franklin Court where the house of Benjamin Franklin once stood, art found throughout the park, and a relaxing garden.

During my trips to the North Shore earlier this year, I spent time walking around Ipswich, MA. I really outdid myself with picture-taking in this colonial-era town, and accordingly will present a four-part miniseries of quick history stops. Special thanks to my sister who lives locally and tolerated me finding local history in everything. For the first part, I will share a pair of banks, a post office, murals on a factory building, and a story from the Industrial Revolution.

I recently decided that the hypothetical animated musical needed a logo and one appearing completely different from the other logos found across the vast franchise of The Lord of the Rings . Book covers have varied greatly over the past seventy years, but the most iconic logos tended to be the same gold color as the ring and use fantastical or distressed serif fonts. As one not wanting to do what has been done before, I conducted a thorough review of past logos so as not to repeat anyone else’s work.

In past essays, I have given a lot of thought to Elanor Gardner Fairbairn, a minor character of great importance who would become a major character in the hypothetical musical. She first appeared during “Overview of Appendix A” with the mention of her birthdate, 25 March Third Age (T.A.) 3021 / Fourth Age (F.A.) 1 / Shire Reckoning (S.R.) 1421, which served not only as a symbol of rebirth after the worldwide War of the Ring but also as a demonstration on how tricky the calendars of Middle-earth can be . Her husband, Fastred of Greenholm, received a mention in “Appendix A, II The Kings of the Mark” , and a full explanation of her work as an editor of The Red Book of Westmarch was given in “Framing Device” just two weeks ago. Rather than reviewing her life and occupation as I have done previously, I now turn to physical appearance, especially personal clothing style.

My August adventures were not limited to my five-day trip on Cape Cod. Towards the end of the month, I visited Newport, RI to hike the famous Cliff Walk and view The Great Elephant Migration art exhibit, which roamed through Newport from July 4 to September 2, 2024. Both walk and elephants were within the Newport Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1968 . The day was bright and sunny but not to hot, a perfect time to get exercise and enjoy environmentally-focused sculpture.

During my five-day adventure on Cape Cod back in August 2024, I brought my bike for fast touring around town. I did bike the path along the Cape Cod Canal, last covered on this blog in August 2022 , and my new place of exploration was the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth, MA . The name referred to a final line in the patriotic song “America the Beautiful” written by Falmouth native Katharine Lee Bates . A nearby memorial was dedicated to the songwriter and educator. This unique pair of plaques contained the words to “America the Beautiful” along with engraved and painted American symbols including the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, an American flag, Mayflower, Golden Gate Bridge, and signing the Declaration of Independence. It even described Katherine’s inspiration for her song, which came to her as she climbed Pikes Peak. The panoramic views on Shining Sea Bikeway proved the trail worthy of its name.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. On the third day of my trip, I visited Sandwich Glass Museum in Sandwich, MA run by the Sandwich Historical Society . This society has existed since 1907 and focuses on preserving the history of glassmaking on Cape Cod along with highlighting the work of modern artists and teaching members of the public how to create glass art.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. While visiting Cape Cod Maritime Museum and John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum in Hyannis, MA, I made so many quick history stops around the area that I have divided it into two parts. Yesterday, I covered Main Street , and today, I cover local art and some of the Kennedy Legacy Trail. A redbrick Art Path leading from Main Street down to the harbor guides visitors past sculptures and shanties housing tiny art shops. I loved the interactive sculpture Turn, Tern, Turn by Cotuit artist Eric M. Kaiser . A pair of metal seabirds connect to a metal base which visitors are encouraged to gently spin. A few steps away is Aselton Park, which includes the Buoyed Coasts  advocacy art installation created by Kate Kennen and portraits created by Kate DeCiccio . The colorful buoys attached to long metal rods symbo...

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. My fifth stop was Cahoon Museum in Cotuit, MA. Currently celebrating its 40 th year anniversary, the museum was started in 1984 in the former home of the husband-and-wife folk artist team Ralph Cahoon and Martha Farham Cahoon . Artists, architects, and historians alike will delight in these unique buildings filled with local art.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. My first stop was Heritage Museums & Gardens (HMG) in Sandwich, MA. The first part of this six-part miniseries focused on the gardens , second part on J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery , the third on small buildings , and a fourth covering art installations on the grounds. This post focuses on the reproduction Temple of Virtue and the art exhibit inside.

In August 2024, I went on a five-day trip to Cape Cod, MA where I visited many museums and cultural organizations, along with quick history stops and trails. My first stop was Heritage Museums & Gardens (HMG) in Sandwich, MA. The first part of this six-part miniseries focused on the gardens , second part on J.K. Lilly III Automobile Gallery , and the third covered small buildings . In the fourth installment, I look at the art installations on the grounds.

On the same day I visited Alden House National Historic Site, I went down the street in Duxbury, MA to see the Art Complex Museum . This small contemporary art museum combined unique architecture and internationally renowned artists with the work of local creators. The visit started outside the building, as sculptures stood on the grounds. I recognized Five Shaker Houses as the work of George Greenamyer , whose sculpture Glace Bay stands outside Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA . Art Complex Museum began in 1971 to house the collection of Charles “Carl” Augustus Weyerhaeuser, Jr. , his wife Edith, and their family. In fact, their son Charles Weyerhaeuser served as museum director since 1973 until a few days ago, when the role transitioned to Peter Mello, who previously managed WaterFire Providence . The collection included European and American prints, Shaker furniture, and Asian art, including a Japanese tea house. The grounds encompass over thirteen acres,...