For us? You shouldn’t have. We think living in Boston is the greatest gift of all, but it’s actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. From sculptures to museums, check out these four city gifts given to Boston.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | It was the dream of Isabella Stewart Gardner to create a museum for the people of Boston to experience great art from around the world in their own city — and on Feb. 23, 1903 that dream came true. The art collector gifted her Venetian-style museum home + her art collection spanning 30 centuries to the City of Boston.
Japanese Lantern | In 1904, Bunkio Matsuki, the first Japanese person to establish a Japanese art and antique store in Boston, gifted the city this ~10-ft iron sculpture. Located on the shore of the Boston Public Garden lagoon near the footbridge, the lamp’s artist is unknown, but said to have come from the Momoyama Palace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1580s. However, Friends of the Public Garden say the lantern is actually from the Victorian Era and was created as a lawn ornament.
Boston Common Christmas tree | While a holiday tree has shined bright on the common since 1941, Canadian province Nova Scotia has given the city a tree every year since 1971. The sprucey gift is an annual gesture of gratitude recognizing Boston’s aid during the 1917 Halifax Explosions. Every year, there is a cutting ceremony in Novia Scotia + a tree lighting ceremony here in Boston.
Brewer Fountain | After falling in love with a gold medal-winning fountain at the 1855 world’s fair in Paris, Gardner Brewer decided Boston needed a version of its own. The wealthy 19th century Bostonian merchant purchased a bronze cast of the original to gift to his hometown. The 22-ft-tall, 15,000-pound sculpture was made in Paris and shipped to Boston in 1868.
