It's been a long time coming but it's good to be back

 To say it's been a while since my last post would be farcical. I have missed a few opportunities with some friends traveling to Paris.  And somehow when I have asked a few, they looked at me sideways.  I probably damaged my reputation with a few colleagues as well.

But let's focus on the positive share we? I have a new photo to share!  A co-worker mentioned she was going on vacation to tour France and would be stopping in Paris.  More importantly, she also agreed to pose with my beloved Rhino.  I had hoped that she would oblige me with an iconic head and bum shot but beggars can't be choosers.  Hopefully, my friend had a good laugh and so did her travel mate who snapped the pic.

I was hoping for a dual post as a high school pal and his wife were also in Paris this month.  Alas, it was not to be. This time, at least.  I suspect he'll globe trot over again and perhaps fulfill his destiny.

The Rhino's Guard

Always on the lookout for a new Rhinoceros statue, I've found one out in the Northwest.  Nestled near the Canadian border, there is a small town named Sheridan in Wyoming where there exists a most interesting bronze Rhino statue.

Smack-dab on the corner of Brundage & Main Street sits The Boss created by Dollores B. Shelledy and donated by the Sheridan Public Arts Committee in 2006.  There are sixteen statues throughout downtown and a number of additional ones on loan and for sale.

Not only is this statue unique for depicting the Rhino as sitting, but the artist also included some friends.

Perched on its back are three oxpeckers, or tick birds.

The rhino has a symbiotic relationship with the bird. Its Swahili name, askari wa kifaru, means "the rhino's guard." The bird eats ticks it finds on the rhino and noisily warns of danger. Although the birds also eat blood from sores on the rhino's skin and thus obstruct healing, they are still tolerated.

Luckily for us, Dollores chose not to depict that ugly truth.

 

The Tale of Two Rhinos

I admit it. I've been keeping something from you.  It's time a come clean.  There exists, in the great City of Lights, a second Rhino - Le rhinocéros by Xavier Veilhan.  C'est incroyable! I know. 

This shiny red rhino is housed in the Modern Art Museum, Le Centre Georges Pompidou (B) which is about a 10 minute cab ride from Musee d'Orsay (A). 

During my two trips to Paris, I never made it to Pompidou.  It was on the list during my second, longer stay but with so many other "to-do's" that item remained un-checked.  I must admit it was deliberate as my appreciation for modern art did not take hold until years later when visiting museums with my children.  They always gravitated towards the oddities displayed in the Modern Art wing.  I came to view these displays through their eyes and found the experience most enjoyable as we made up stories to go along with these works of art.

Xavier has done many other pieces, some which I find, very interesting as well.  On his own website, you can see some photos taken during the construction of the Red Rhino.

Do not fear, Rhino d'Orsay!  Though I have grown to appreciate your shiny red cousin, you will always be my first love.

Ice Rhino

I was running some errands in town during lunch and as I turned the corner, I nearly ran right into this ice sculpture.  It turns out Rochester has an annual Fire and Ice Festival each winter.  They have all sorts of fun stuff from snowshoeing and dogsleds to fireworks and beer tents.  Plus there's a "taste of the town" portion from many of the local restaurants.  This year each business had an animal-themed ice sculpture displayed in front of their business.  Lucky me, I had my camera phone to snap one of the Rhino.

Anatomically Correct

A friend of mine once said the best thing about being a parent is that you get to re-live your childhood but get to experience it through the eyes of wisdom. The joys are breath-taking and leave you feeling satisfied, sublime. The sorrows, although heart-breaking at times, encourage more empathy on your part and at the same time allow you more perspective on your own past hurts.

I particularly love to watch when my children experience new things. Their first taste of new food. Their first dip in the ocean. Their first rollercoaster ride. First trip to the zoo, a museum, and viewing of Disney's Epcot fireworks display.

Then of course there is the first time they see an anatomically correct Rhino statue.

Priceless.

The Hanging Rhino

I stumbled on a great little blog about weird statues. Thirty Three to be exact.

First thought: I am not alone in appreciating this kind of art (Well at least Jeff, John and I are not.)

Second thought: I need to visit some of these places to see and experience them. The joy of watching our kids come across these things would be worth it alone.

Third thought: Awesome, there is another Rhino Photo Op available to our readers.

So if you find yourself in Germany near Luisenplatz Square and the Potsdam’s Brandenburg Gate, say, "Cheese!" and sent it this a-way.

Musée Carnavalet

Musée Carnavalet

23, Rue Sévigné

75003

Paris, France

Monsieur Alex alerted me of a Parisian museum I have not had the pleasure to visit. It is simply a museum of Parisian history. Inside this gorgeous facade is a beautiful wintry rendering of our

rhino. Merci Alex.

Rhino Etiquette: Rule #1

OK. There's one in every class. That bad apple that spoils the bushel or barrel or whatever container you choose to put them in.

It seems that it is necessary to create some ground rules. However, I can only think of one, so we will begin with a ground rule:

#1. Thou Shall Not Manhandle the Rhino

Further explanation of Rule #1. Do not hang on the rhino. I'm not sure if he can bear the repeated weight load from people hanging from its tail joint. It looks sturdy you say, but he is well over 100 years old. Not to mention how disagreeable the photo is. Let's keep it tasteful.

Remember, we only want it to appear as if our head is... well you know.

Now some of you may protest that Jeff placed his hand clearly on the Rhino hind leg initially and then repeated this pose 10 years later. This is perfectly acceptable and does not conflict with Rule #1. You can place your hand(s) on the rhino. Heck, next time I see him, I'm gonna hug him for the guy who hung from his tail.

The Business of Solo Travel

Business travel is hardly glamorous. It is physically and emotionally draining. The thrill of experiencing new places, people and things is quickly replaced by the issue of having to actually accomplish work (usually lots of it over long hours.) As a result you leave the office well after anything of interest have already closed. Compound that with jet lag, the confusion of not knowing where you are going, and perhaps not knowing the local language. Then once you get your bearings and can move around fairly effectively, you begin to miss your partner, family and home. Somewhere along the way, you struggle to find the reasons why you were so gung ho to go in the first place.

Which leads to the question, how do you capture your travels when you are alone and to shy to ask a stranger to take your picture?

You can take great pictures of cityscapes and natural wonders, the famous landmarks too. But how do prove you were there and didn't just download those pictures from flickr to impress your friends? The answer is simple. You take a picture of yourself with a rhino's butt.

Tiny Man Below The Rhino

Here is a variation on the theme by Chelsea.

Night Rhino

As part of what is becoming their annual Eurotrip, Jeff and John ended up in Paris for John's birthday on Halloween. The following day, my birthday, they stopped by the Rhino for the obligatory snapshot. What a great present for me indeed!

New Year's resolution: Get this blog linked to some popular ones so we might get more pictures of people and my beloved rhino.

Light Rhino

I love the squiggles of light in this photo. I'm glad this photographer maintained the blog's theme but played around with the representation.

Were this done in paint (and around the end of the 19th century) it could be hanging on the wall in the d'Orsay next to all my favorite artists (Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir)

Keep them coming!

Another One Joins The Club

All has been quiet on the south side of La Seine for some time. And then quite suddenly, there appeared in my inbox, a true delight.

Anders and Megan, friends of a friend, are travelling throughout Europe and snapping some great pictures of the beautiful countryside and city life from Barcelona to Berlin. In between they stopped in the City of Lights and lucky for us Anders posed for a Rhino shot.

Notice the guy in the green shirt and red hat. He has just figured out what is going on. Priceless. I'm sure he alerted his travelling companion right after the picture was snapped.

Thank you for sending this my way, JC.

L'histoire du Rhinocéros d'Orsay

I could not find any information about who made the Rhino statue or why it was selected to be placed outside the Musée d'Orsay. An inquiring mind posed the question on the museum's website. I was hoping for an email response but instead I received a formal letter.


It turns out that this Rhino came from l'Ancien Palais de Trocadéro which was built for the World's Fair of 1867. If you look closely on the right side of the picture near the bottom of the steps, you can see the Rhino statue.

When the palace was demolished, the Rhino was removed and stored. It was restored in 1986 and placed at the entrance of the d'Orsay Museum where it resides today. And this completes today's history lesson.

Rhino-Mass

Les Américains, you too can play along without having to travel across the pond!

My research has turned up another Rhinoceros sculpture outside the Biological Sciences Building at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Upon close inspection, you will notice that this Rhino's legs are close together. You will have to frame your picture accordingly so that you capture the desired result. See initial posts as examples.

Bonne Chance, Les Américains! I can't wait to see your photos.

10 years later: the project continues

This is the 2006 photo by John. Notice. The museum had painted the ticket area of golden brown since 1996.

My favorite story about this picture is John's interest as a photographer. He was genuinely dismayed about the lady's head behind Jeff's shoulder and wished he could have had another shot at it. He thought about airbrushing her out via Photoshop. His concern for the quality of the photo really touched me!

Inspiration for this project

Back in 1996, my friend Jeff and I went on a European vacation via planes, trains, and automobiles. Our base was Paris. Each day we would venture out and about soaking up life in the city of lights. We spent much of our trip trying to capture the essence of our journey. We wrote long journal entries, had meaningful conversations with the people we met, and shot 100s of photos.

On one outing, we went to one of my favorite museums in Paris: Musée d'Orsay. At the front entrance, there is a peculiar sculpture of a Rhinoceros. Inspired by the recently released Ace Ventura sequel movie, Jeff ducked beneath the undercarriage of this massive d'objet d'art. The looks of the innocent by-standers is priceless.

In 2006, my friends, Jeff and John, returned to Paris and I most annoying the identical scene. They graciously answered my request. These two globetrotters returned again recently and relented once more but challenged me to be the next one to be photographed with the rhino in said position. I do not have the means to do so at this time, but vow to do so when the opportunity presents itself. So for now, I challenge you to do it. Send me your photos from underneath the d'orsay Rhino and I will post them here.