Alexander J. Cassatt (December 8, 1839 – December 28, 1906) was the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) from June 9, 1899 to December 28, 1906. Frequently referred to as A.J. Cassatt, his best-remembered accomplishment the project to finally give the PRR a station in New York City, which became Pennsylvania Station. This massive project included building the North River and East River Tunnels along with the towering Hells Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, Cassatt died before his grand vision was complete. Some Interesting pictures of NYC's Penn Station can be seen here.
Today, the best known "Penn Station" lies underneath the Madison Square Garden building in New York City and is but a ruin of what it once was.
"Penn Station" does not refer to a station being in Pennsylvania, but rather a station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. There are "Penn Stations" in Newark, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland too.
Oddly enough, the name of the stations in Philadelphia, the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railroad itself, have strange and confusing names. The station down in the heart of center city Philadelphia is called "Suburban Station" which is where the daily commuters came and went that lived in the suburbs! The main Philadelphia station was actually on the outskirts of the city (and in the suburbs) at one time and is called 30th Street Station - which is where you go to catch the Amtrak trains to Washington DC, NYC, and Boston and other points.
A.J. lived on a horse farm called Chesterbrook which lies on the southeastern edge of Valley Forge National Historic Park - and which is now a housing development. He raised thoroughbred horses and had a number of Belmont Stake winners.
A.J.'s sister, Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was a very talented American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists including Renoir, Sisley, Manet, Cézanne, Monet and Pissarro as well as with the group's other female member, artist Berthe Morisot, who became Cassatt’s friend and colleague.
This is one of my Mom's favorite paintings.
9 comments:
Mom's got good taste. It's cute!
Very interesting post. And I agree with your mom 100%. Does she have that print?
My Mom has the image on the cover of her daytimer as well as on her personal writing paper/cards.
:)
Very interesting post
Nice play on the names, hope you had a nice time with you family or err Christmas...Its so hard now-a-day to wish people a Merry Christmas. You never know if they celetrate it or not, where is that "Its ok to say merry christmas to me" button when you need it? lol
Have A Happy New Year, may it bring you lots of Happiness and Joy. Fresh year, fresh beginning, and a clean slate...I'll try hard not to muck it up too quickly.
lol...Be Safe intense guy.
I just love the Impressionists!! But you already knew that, huh??
I remember seeing paintings by Mary Cassat at the Art Museum, but wasn't aware that she was an American.
Sounds like Philly got the names of their train stations a little backwards, lol.
Philly is a confusing place - the city must of hired a moron to direct the signage folks. The signs suck so bad most natives pretty much do the opposite of what the signs direct.
Also, Mary Cassatt would have been a Pittsburgh Steeler fan (if they didn't own the team outright!) :)
Your mum has great taste :) she must have cos you are her son LOL
My Grandad worked for the railways and was a train driver, he died in a head on collision when I was about 3-4 outside of a place called Littlehampton which is along the coast, my dad grew up in the railway cottages at Cosham..... my father was left to help raise his sister and 3 brothers, maybe that is why he was such a bitter man....
I love your posts........ just love em
x
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