Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pssst . . . Check This Out
Climb the front steps of
Sever Hall
and scoot to the side, out of the way of pass-
ing students. The doorway is set in a “whispering gallery.” Stand on one side
of the arch, station a friend or willing passerby on the opposite side, and speak
softly into the facade. Someone standing next to you can't hear you, but the
person at the other side of the arch can.
Moments
building (1880). Surveys of architects and
designers consistently name the decep-
tively simple structure one of the profes-
sionals' favorite buildings in the Boston
area. Notice the gorgeous brickwork that
includes rolled moldings around the
doors, the fluted brick chimneys, and the
arrangement of the windows.
Facing Sever Hall, turn right and go
around to the back. The building on your
right is Emerson Hall, which appeared in
the movie
Love Story
as Barrett Hall,
named after the family of Ryan O'Neal's
character. Cross this quad and exit
through the gate onto Quincy Street.
On your right on the other side of the street,
about 100 yards up, at 24 Quincy St., is the:
0
Carpenter Center for
the Visual Arts
Art exhibitions occupy the lobby, the
Harvard Film Archive shows movies in
the basement (pick up a schedule on the
main floor), and the concrete-and-glass
building is itself a work of art. Opened in
1963, it was designed by the Swiss-
French architect Le Corbusier and the
team of Sert, Jackson, and Gourley. It's
the only Le Corbusier design in North
America.
Just up Quincy Street, opposite the gate you
used to leave the Yard, is the:
!
Fogg Art Museum
Founded in 1895, the museum has been
at 32 Quincy St. since the building was
completed in 1927. Visitors after June
2008 will find this building and the adja-
cent Busch-Reisinger Museum closed for
extensive renovations, and highlights of
the excellent collections on display at our
next stop. See chapter 7 for details.
Continue on Quincy Street and cross Broadway
to reach the:
@
Arthur M. Sackler Museum
The British architect James Stirling (who
described this part of the campus as an
“architectural zoo”) designed the Sackler,
at 485 Broadway. It normally houses the
university's spectacular collection of
Asian art; during your visit, look for a
“greatest hits” selection of work from
Harvard's three art museums.
Continue on Quincy Street. As you cross Cam-
bridge Street, watch out for confused drivers
emerging from the underpass to your left. Fill-
ing the block between Cambridge and Kirkland
streets is:
#
Memorial Hall
This imposing Victorian structure,
known to students as “Mem Hall,” was
completed in 1874. Enter from Cam-
bridge Street and investigate the hall of
memorials, a transept where you can read
the names of the Harvard men who died
fighting for the Union during the Civil
War—but not of their Confederate coun-
terparts. (The name of Col. Robert
Gould Shaw, Matthew Broderick's char-
acter in the movie
Glory,
is halfway down
on the right.) To the right is
Sanders
Theatre,
prized as a performance space
and lecture hall for its excellent acoustics
and clear views. To the left is
Annenberg
Hall.
It's a dining hall that's closed to visi-
tors, but you may be able to sneak a look
at the gorgeous stained-glass windows.
Harvard graduates William Ware and
