Ellis Island New York City

Ellis Island 2006/ G Sutton

Ellis Island is a separate island near the liberty island, home of the Statue of Liberty. Between 1892 and 1954, some 12 million immigrants entered the US here.

Today it is a museum operated by the Us National Park Service.

In line at Ellis Island 2006 G Sutton

I was surprised as I was wandering about the halls. One area displayed photos of ships that brought people to the new world. There was a photo of my boat, HMS Franconia-an old Cunard liner. I did not pass through Ellis Island as it was closed when we came to the US.

Did you or your family come to the US some years ago? If so, you may be able to find their name. I entered my name into their passenger search and sure enough, there it was. I was surprised by the number of people with the same name but I was the only one for the year and ship.

If you register, you can see your record. There is no charge unless you want a fancy certificate for $29 (July 2020 fee). The photo was an old black and white so, not as good as the colour post card I still have. However, it looks like a mistake! They say the ship was sunk by a German U-boat in 1916--many years before I was born. What the archivists did not do is check to see that there was more than one Franconia so, a good reason not to buy their photo. And a good lesson to be a bit skeptical about the "facts" in historical records from any age.

I searched a few other records and found my parents and my aunt who married an American soldier and came to the US on the Queen Mary in 1946. Apparently, when she and her family came to see us in London in 1954, they came on the Queen Elizabeth.


I keep my family search information on Family Tree Maker (UK version), but there are other products available. Family Software

And it is free to use familysearch.org

Visiting Notes

Link to planning a visit https://www.nps.gov/elis/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm 

It is free to enter the museum, but there is a cost for the ferry by Statue Cruises.

The museum is open most days but check for exceptions.

Accessibility information https://www.nps.gov/elis/planyourvisit/accessibility-update.htm 

Links to Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

  

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You can take guided tours and search old records here.

Statue of Liberty New York City

2006 Liberty G Sutton

I come back to the Statue of Liberty once in awhile. Like other immigrants from Europe, Lady Liberty is one of the first things we see. The above photo was from a visit with my son and daughter-in-law in 2006.

In 2016, my wife and I completed a "re-enactment" cruise. We visited my family in England then returned to the US on the Queen Mary II. The following photo is from our early morning arrival into New York Harbor.

The statue is on Liberty Island, not to be confused with nearby Ellis Island.

2016 Liberty by G Sutton

The torch is amazing. I hope it always shines brightly for immigrants. The original torch was removed in 1984 and is in the lobby.

BTW, the tablet in her hand has the date of American Independence July 4, 1976, but in Roman Numerals so, IV, MDCCLXXVI)

Liberty torch 2006 G Sutton

It was hard to get a great close-up on a misty day, but here is what I have.

Liberty Close up 2006  Sutton

About the Statue


"The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933." (NPS Link)

The statue is made of copper- about the thickness of 2 US cents.

The green color comes from oxidized copper.

It is 305 feet and 1 inch tall- ground to flame tip

The torch has been closed since July 30 1916 but the crown can be visited via a spiral staircase.


Travel Notes
Check the website for current information:
     https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm 

In 2020, visitors arrive by Statue Cruises ferry and hours are 9:30 to 3:30.
Currently, the statue is closed due to Covid-19

There is no fee to enter the statue but you have to buy a ferry ticket.
Advanced reservations are needed to visit the crown and the pedestal.
You could bring or purchase food and drink- check the website for the latest.

See the website for accessibility information.

St James Palace London England

St James Palace was the residence of the Royal family in London. It was built by Henry VIII in the 1530s and is still in use, although Queen Victoria made Buckingham Palace her home in the 1800s.

American visitors might wish to see where the famous, or infamous, King George III lived when the 13 British colonies in North America revolted, and with the help of Britain's historic enemies--the French, Spanish, and Dutch empires, won independence after 8 years of war. (Read more https://www.royal.uk/george-iii)

Those interested in British-American culture may like the book, Mind the Gap

Available on Amazon and Google

Visiting Paris France

There's lots to see in Paris. We first visited in 1996 and have been back a few times. I've posted some pictures and information of some of the popular sites. Click on the places listed for more information and photos.

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

Fontaine de Mers

Le Louvre

Notre Dame Cathedral

Obelisk from Luxor Egypt

Palace of Versailles  (actually in Versailles, not far from Paris)

Pont des Arts (Bridge famous for its "love locks")

Roman Paris (Arena, Baths, and artifacts)

Sacré-Couer Basilica/ Montmartre

Seine River  - worth a cruise

Seine River Paris France

If you have time, I recommend a cruise along the Seine River in Paris, France. Several companies offer short river boat tours. There's also riverboat shuttle service with stops near famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.

Pont des Arts Paris France

Le Pont des Arts is a bridge over the River Seine made famous by romantics who secured locks to the fencing representing their love-- "love locks."

According to a 2015 CNN story, the practice of placing locks on the fence may have started in 2006 as a result of a novel, which became a film. The weight of the locks caused damage as the number of locks reached some 700,000.

Roman Architecture in Paris

An outdoor arena offers evidence of Roman France, or Gaul as it used to be known. The Roman City was called Lutetia. The old main Roman road is not Rue Saint-Jacques.



There's no charge to walk about this area preserved in a residential neighborhood. A little imagination reminds us of times when people watched others engage in deadly combat. Now it's a play area and worth a quick look (Arènes de Lutèce ). It was rediscovered in 1860 by Victor Hugo.








In addition, there's a crypt by Notre Dame, which contains a view of Roman Baths and artifacts. This find is fairly recent (1960s) and was opened in 1980. And it dates to some 2,000 years ago.
















To find the crypt, go to the front of Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. Here's a link to the website http://www.crypte.paris.fr/en/crypt.

Note: As of early 2020, the crypt is closed to the public because of the cathedral fire. I did not see an indication of when it would re-open.

Palace of Versailles France

Gardens at Versailles, March 2012

The palace is open everyday except Mondays at 9:00 am. See the website for details. A free mobile app is available.

The palace is located at Place d'armes, 78000 Versailles France.

There is an entrance fee for adults. See the website for details.

Everyone wants a photo of the Hall of Mirrors.

It's hard to capture the opulence, but here are a few examples of the art inside. By the way, the place is huge so if you want to see a lot, you may need more than a day.

The closest train station is Versailles Château Rive Gauche. The website says it's a 10 minute walk between the palace and the station. Other stations are less than a 20 minute walk.

A view of the gardens from our first visit in October 1996.

Le Louvre Paris France

Le Louvre is a must see museum in Paris. The grand palace, which houses the museum, dates from the 1100s. The palace was the royal residence until 1870. Inside are vast collections of works from ancient civilizations as well as art from the Middle Ages until 1848. See the website for much more detail: louvre.fr

There are special exhibitions and events, which are on the website. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays as of the date of this post. It is open other days at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 6 or 9:45 p.m. on other days.

There is an entrance fee. Details can be found at the website. It is one of the places included in the Paris Pass.

It is located at 75058 Paris. The close metro is Palais-Royal Musee du Louvre lines 1 and 7

The nearby Tuileries Gardens are open at 7 or 7:30 a.m. depending on the time of year.

Of course, no visit is complete without seeing the Mona Lisa, which can be hard to see when busy.












And there's so much more to see-- a few examples of pictures.















I didn't see enough- I hope to return.

Sacré-Cœur Basilica Paris France

Sacre Couer Paris/ G Sutton 2012

Sacré-Cœur (Sacred heart of Jesus) is a Basilica on Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs) in Paris, France. The hill was an ancient place of worship for Druids and then for the Romans and their gods. Christians also built religious places on this hill.

The current church was built in the 1800s. The official website describes the style as Romano-Byzantine.

In addition to visiting the basilica, the mount offers a variety of eateries, interesting shops along the nearby streets, and great views of the city.

My photos were taken 9 March 2012.

Paris from Montmartre/2012/ G Sutton

Paris view from Montmartre/ 2012/ G Sutton

Fontaine des Mers Place de la Concorde Paris France

Fontaine des Mers/Paris/ G sutton 2012

There are two fountains beside the Luxor Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde, Paris, France. The fountains were completed in 1840 when Louis-Philippe was king.

Obelisk from Luxor in Paris France

Obelisk/ Paris/ G Sutton 2012

The Obelisk is an Ancient Egyptian obelisk taken from the Luxor Temple and currently located at the Place de la Concorde, Paris, France.

Notes

It stands 75 feet high and is made of yellow granite.
 The hieroglyphs say good things about Ramses II
 It is more than 3,000 years old.
 There is another one like it still at the Luxor Temple in Egypt.
 It was placed at its current location 25 October 1836.
 Muhammad Ali Pasha, Ruler of Ottoman Egypt exchanged it for a French clock.
 The fountains on the side date from the time the obelisk was placed on the pedestal.

Arc de Triomphe Paris France

Arc de Triomphe 1996

Arc de Triomphe 2012

The Arc de Triomphe was opened by King Louis-Philippe in 1836. Jean-Francois Chalgrin, inspired by Rome's Arch of Titus, was the architect behind this 50 m high (45 m long, 22 m wide) structure.

The Arc de Triomphe is located at Place Charles-de-Gaulle and close to subway lines 1,2 and 6. It is open most days at 10:00 a.m.. Closing times vary by season.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées  is a wide avenue running between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles d Gaulle.

See the website:  There's also an app, but I have not used it.