Isabella Stewart Gardner (New York, 1840 - 1924, Boston)
Fenway Court During Construction, 1900
Gelatin silver print
This square gelatin silver print photograph was taken at the construction site of Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner’s lifetime. At the center is a marble column that is being guided by two male workers, one on each side of it, as it is being lowered by a rope pulley mechanism. Another worker appears at the far left. All of them are dressed in pants, long sleeved shirts and brimmed hats. The ground is strewn with building materials and there is a wall being constructed in the distance. The print is marked in pencil: 67/7.
Macknight Room
Commentary
Isabella contracted architect Willard T. Sears in 1896 to draw up plans for a museum with living apartments above it, to be built on the site of her double house at 150–152 Beacon Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. In late 1898, she bought land in the Fenway neighborhood and told Sears to redraw the plans to accomodate the museum's new site. She worked closely with him to perfect the design. When construction began, Isabella continued to closely monitor all aspects of the project and often documented the progress with her Brownie camera.