The best laid plans ...

I really have not had a moment to log my travels since I arrived in Pittsburgh.  Amazingly & luckily I have been through a few doors but I am not going to be a crashing bore and show them all. The pace has been (happily) frenetic.

On my first day I visited the Carnegie Melon University where I was to teach. Fortunately I was able to spend many hours in the Fine & Rare Books Reading Room. The lettering below was designed by Arnold Bank and thanks to Karen Nordstrom Roberts I was privileged to to view many wonderful works held here.

What's this? 

 Wait for it ...

Father Catich's rubbing of the Trajan Inscription.

 Oh my, I was somewhat excited. I took photos of every word up close and personal for study purposes but lucky you I shan't bore you with them all. Studying from a book is one thing and the best way if you have no other exposure, but to study from the real rubbing is a grade up from that. Other than climbing a ladder as Fr. Catich did.

 But If someone can tell me the answer to my question of the last thirty years "why oh why are the "I's" in "DIVI" (divine) raised above the cap line. Nowhere else on the inscription does this happen with the "I's". My only idea is that it is in reverence/homage to the the "Divine". You know the reason church steeple spire high to touch the Divine ... in this case the Divine Nevae.

 And so, on the visit went pulling out drawers of works held in the collection.

There were at least fifty of Arnold Bank's Teaching exemplars available to view & study.

More to come ...