Connor Murray Blog Post 2

Though we visit new destinations each week, there is one part of London that I have gotten to experience in this class no matter where we go. While I have been intrigued and fascinated by the likes of the imperial war museum, transportation museum, and wax museum, I have spent a lot of time paying attention to and thinking about what I see on the actual trips to get to our destination. More specifically, I have enjoyed noticing the scenes around me in and around the underground stations and the trains themselves. Having often ridden the subway in Manhattan growing up, I was very curious to see how this staple of a city-dwellers routine could differ from city to city, country to country, continent to continent. When we analyzed and talked about William Powell Frith's painting "The Railway Station" in class, I started to think more about how my observations were similar to Frith's depiction and in what ways. One thing I see a lot more of in London than I ever used to in Manhattan is public displays of affection. More specifically, couples kissing for long periods of time or holding each other. Because this is one of the things I noticed about the tube in London I quickly located the examples of this in Frith's depiction of a train station. One such example is a couple just to the right of the center of the piece kissing romantically. The woman is wearing a bright red dress that pops out to the viewer. Another observation I have made of the tube is the chaos of people going in all different directions. In Manhattan for the most part each underground station is only servicing one or two lines max. Many of the tube stops in London service many different lines going in many different directions. As a result, you have people walking in clumps all going different ways and the possibility of many small interactions, whether they be bumping into someone or giving someone a glance. The people watching, and as a result the cultural observations I have been able to make while going from place to place each week has been a unique and fulfilling part of my experience in this class.


Comments

  1. AlanaMarch 31, 2019 at 1:38 PM

    Connor, this post was incredibly unique and insightful! I had not yet thought about how greatly the travel to a destination affects the experience of the entire trip, but your blog post definitely got me thinking and I completely agree with you. However, one interesting observation I thought you made was that you feel as though there is more displays of affection in London than in New York. While I have not yet had the opportunity to take a lot of public transportation back in the States and make this comparison, I found it fascinating given that Londoners are often seen as having a "stiff upper lip" or being quite reserved out in public. However, the picture that you chose, painted centuries ago, also depicts a display of public affection in London, so maybe my notion that Americans are more "touchy-feely" than Londoners is incorrect! Nonetheless, I thought this post was very eye-opening and an awesome take on the assignment, thanks!

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  2. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 9:33 AM

    Connor, this is such a clever topic to choose. I think we often forget that the Tube is an essential part of London's history and attraction. However, your blog post offers an eye-opening perspective on the public displays of affection. I can't say that I have seen that much PDA on the tube, but it surprises me because of the reputation of British people for being reserved. It is fascinating that maybe British people feel more comfortable being affectionate in situations of saying goodbye or traveling. Great work!

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