Travels in the 2nd half

    Warning - The artwork and topics discussed in this piece are of a sexual and/or racial nature. They reflect views that many might find offensive or abhorrent, but they are a part of American history and their existence was socially and historically important. One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is visiting small museums, because they usually have a specific focus. That often allows them to produce excellent exhibits that might be overlooked by larger institutions. The Poster House, in New York City, is one of my favorite places to visit. The Poster House opened in 2019 as the first museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to the art and history of commercially produced graphic posters. It owns a collection of over 7000 posters from around the world, and covering eras from the early 1800’s to the present. Right now they are hosting two excellent shows - one that offers a glimpse into a historic medical and political crisis; the other exploring the history...

  The city of Valletta, Malta, is almost 500 years old. But, unlike most European cities of that age, Valletta was a completely planned community. This means that the streets in the old city were laid out in a grid pattern, with wider streets running parallel to the peninsula, and smaller ones crossing it. It also means that there is a uniformity to its buildings in style and size. One repeated feature of Valletta’s buildings are their enclosed balconies. These wooden structures are an adaptation of balconies seen in North Africa and southern Spain. Of course, in any old city, the doorways offer a fascinating look at structure, design and color. Valletta is built on the hilltop of the Sciberra Peninsula. It southern side, overlooking the Grand Harbor, has a steep run to a series of cliffs over it docks.   Finally, like any city set up for walking, people watching is something I love to do. Whether they are discussing their jobs, setting up shop, or just scrolling on their phon...