The Boston Bricks are bronze reliefs into the brick road of Winthrop Lane in Downtown Boston. Installed in 1985, each of these many reliefs depicts a famous event or characteristic of Boston.
These were especially difficult to find, as they are almost entirely invisible from a short distance away and hidden in a small alleyway between two main streets. Only once you are practically on top of them do you really have a chance to notice these beautifully detailed and expressive installments in the road itself.
Shown in the photos are only five of the many inlays that reside in Winthrop Lane. These depict historical events including the Boston Tea Party (1773), the opening of the Boston Commons as the first public park (1634), and the first year a mitt was worn in baseball (1875). There are also depictions of the culture and characteristics that define Boston; the lobsters that the Northeastern seaboard is so well known for, and the grave stones of some of the many historical figures that called Boston home.
Walking down this small, innocuous street I was able to take a "tour" of Boston's history and culture and I learned quite a bit about what makes this city so extraordinary, which is exactly what art should allow observers to do.
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