Marton Varo's imposing twin angels emerge dramatically from the facade of the Bass Performance Hall to herald the performing arts. Approximately forty-eight feet tall, the angels are several times larger than life. Of the same limestone as the building, they are inseparable from it. These glorious beings are depicted just at the moment they are touching Earth, gliding on the last little bit of lift from their extended wings. Each angel hovers above the street, weightless and serene in flowing garments. Each one leans her torso, arms, and head slightly away from the background wall to play a...

On August 7, 1862, George Alfred Hitchcock, who was born in Ashby, Massachusetts on January 15, 1844, left Ashby looking forward to a reunion with his older brother, Henry Sparhawk Hitchcock, and membership in Company A, 21st Massachusetts Infantry. From this date until January 1, 1865, Hitchcock composed a personal narrative, keeping a meticulous, detailed record of his daily activities in pocket diaries. His first experience in battle was at Fox' Gap on South Mountain, and then by an attack across Burnside's Bridge at Antietam.

This was followed by the disastrous Union advance toward...