Back in March, you may remember that I published a few photographs of Swarthmore in my Hello Spring post, but didn't have time to visit and photograph the college campus. So about two weeks ago, I took the train back to Swarthmore and did just that.
Like so many of the college campuses in Pennsylvania, Swarthmore took my breath away. It was absolutely gorgeous. I felt as though I was visiting a medieval castle in Ireland, Scotland, or England.
Not only did I gasp at how beautiful the college was, but the surrounding grounds made the campus all the more alluring. The grass, trees, and flowers, were so impeccably manicured. It looked as though the college specialized in horticulture.
Before I share my photographs, here is a brief overview of Swarthmore College:
Since its founding in 1864 by the Quakers, Swarthmore College has given students the knowledge, insight, skills, and experience to become leaders for the common good.
With a curriculum unmatched among liberal arts colleges of its size, Swarthmore offers more than 600 courses and undergraduate research opportunities—from the humanities and performing arts to the social and natural sciences and engineering.
Swarthmore’s idyllic, 425-acre arboretum campus features rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails. It is located just 11 miles from Philadelphia.
Please enjoy (warning: heavy picture post. I got carried away Lol!)...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clothier Bell Tower rings every quarter-hour during the day and every hour (softly) at night. How does one ring a bell softly, you ask? Well, unfortunately, there aren't any bells in Clothier--just very large speakers...
Entrance to Clothier Hall. The Collegiate Gothic Revival style evokes the appearance of a church, doesn't it?...
.jpg)
There were areas of the campus that almost looked like a Southern plantation...
Peony garden...
Peonies...
This final photograph I found online because the one I took was accidentally deleted. It was the Scott Outdoor Amphitheater. Isn't it gorgeous?...
Thank you for taking this tour of Swarthmore College. Hope you enjoyed!
Have a beautiful week, everyone!💞
Oh Ron, Swarthmore campus is gorgeous!I find it amazing how rural it looks, considering it's only 11 miles from the city of Phildelphia. You're right, it does look like a medieval castle in Europe. That tower is epic! I love all the stonework.
ReplyDeleteYour photos of the area with all that beautiful wisteria looks like a movie set, it's perfect! I wear a perfume from Nest with wisteria in it. One of my favorite scents.
As soon as I saw the Bonsai tree, I verbally said, WOW!
So glad you went back and took photographs of the campus. I thoroughly enjoyed your tour! xo
One word comes to mind when I look at these photographs of Swarthmore College - MAGNIFICENT! And your photos bring out its magnificent. No lie, Ron, your photographs always look so professional. You know exactly how to frame a shot to make it look special. When you see something you want to photograph, do you plan how you want it to be seen? Do you have a process? I'm just curious.
ReplyDeleteThose white Japanese wisteria are so elegant. You're so right, parts of the campus do resemble a Southern plantation. Particularly the picture of the white columns and rockers.
The amphitheater is incredible! It looks like something you'd see in a Roman theater.
I really enjoy your photograph posts, Ron. Bring them on!
Evening, Candice!
ReplyDeleteI know, I thought the same thing! It's only about a 30 minute train ride from Philly, yet it looks like it's a million miles away. Don't you just love that tower? Me too, LOVE the stonework. It was built in 1864.
"Your photos of the area with all that beautiful wisteria looks like a movie set, it's perfect!"
The second I saw that gorgeous wisteria hanging from the walls, I was like, "OH. MY. GOD!!!!!" I just stood there and kept staring at it. There were several students sitting out there studying, so I didn't want to disturb them or take their picture.
And I bet I know the name of that Nest perfume! Is it called, Wisteria Blue? I LOVE that scent!
The second I saw that bonsai tree, I immediately thought of when I was living in Japan because they have them everywhere. Aren't they beautiful?
Thanks so much for stopping by, Candice! Hope you're having a fab week!
X
Good evening, Abby!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, kind lady. I had so much fun taking these photographs. And I'm so glad I decided to go back to the campus because I had heard how gorgeous it was. And YES it was! I was in AWE!
I'm not a school-trained photographer, I'm self-taught, so I don't have a certain method or process I go through when I take pictures. I simply see something that looks interesting to me and then I just take a picture. Taking pictures is just like any art, you sorta just do it naturally. I do sometimes edit my photos after I upload them to my computer. I do things like crop, alter the lighting a bit, and sharpen them. But I don't use any kind of filter.
" parts of the campus do resemble a Southern plantation. Particularly the picture of the white columns and rockers."
That's what I thought too! I suddenly felt like I was in the movie, "Gone With the Wind" Ha!
Yes, it does look like a Roman theater!!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Abby! Have a great night and rest of your week!
X
Oh my god Ron, that campus looks like something out of the series Game of Thrones! It's like going back to another time. It's got such a wonderful Gothic feel to it.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are breathtaking - one more beautiful than the next. That tower is incredible. And I like how you shot it from different angles. Did you hear the bell ring while you were there? Did it sound real?
You're right, the college does look like it specializes in horticulture. Amazing grounds. The bonsai tree is magnificent!
Thank you for sharing. I'm going to sharing this post with a friend of mine who I know will enjoy your photos.
Howdy Robert!
ReplyDelete"that campus looks like something out of the series Game of Thrones! It's like going back to another time. It's got such a wonderful Gothic feel to it."
Sooooooooooooooooooo true! It does look like something out of Game of Thrones!!! VERY Goth! Which I love!
Isn't that tower freaking amazing? That's the very first thing I saw as I approached the campus. And yes, I did hear bell ring, several times while I was there. And it sounded just like a REAL bell. I was so surprise to read (afterwards) that it was not real, but rather a recording.
That bonsai tree is magnificent, isn't it? The whole collage grounds was magnificent!
Thanks a bunch for stopping by this evening, my friend! Always great to see you! Hope you're having a terrific week!
X
OMG Ron, you are correct, it is Wisteria Blue! How did you know that? Are you a wizard? lol!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHA! No, I'm not a wizard, it's just that I've been in the beauty industry for SO MANY years, I just know certain things. Also, I love the whole Nest line. Their fragrances are so good! I also love their candles. I just wish they weren't so damn expensive. I refuse to spend $50 for a candle.
ReplyDeleteThese are some of your best Spring photos ever, Ron! Absolutely loved the tour!! I can’t get over that wisteria and how perfectly it outlines the arched pathway. And that hall looks just like a church. Can you imagine being a student and getting to go in those buildings for classes? My college had very nondescript buildings from the 1950’s-1970’s. No style whatsoever!
ReplyDeleteThe gardens, trees and bushes are so well kept! And that bonsai tree is huge! Wow! You found so much blooming, it was the perfect time to visit and take photos. Did anyone ask what you were doing?🤣
Hope you’re having a great week, Ron. XO
Bellissima, Ron! You always give me (and hubby) good ideas about investigating different parts of this city and state that we've not seen. Before summer rolls in and gets to hot, we will be taking a trip out to Swarthmore to check it out. Did you use Regional Rail to get there?
ReplyDeleteThe architecture and grounds are stunning. I think my favorite thing are the lancet windows. And you're right, they compliment each other, making them all the more alluring. Love the bonsai tree. I always thought bonsai trees had such an "elegance" about them! Between the wisteria and peonies, I bet the campus smelled heavenly!
Thank you for being a such great tour guide, Ron! Can't wait to visit! xo
Thank you, my friend! I've been really savoring this spring; capturing it's incredible beauty!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that wisteria FAAAAAAAAAAABULOUS? And the smell was divine! I stayed in that area for about 15 minutes, inhaling the aroma. I did the same with the peonies. Ha!
" Can you imagine being a student and getting to go in those buildings for classes? My college had very nondescript buildings from the 1950’s-1970’s. No style whatsoever."
OMG, you took the words right out of my mouth because I said the same thing to myself while walking the campus. If I were a student there, I'd be so distracted by the beauty that I would forget I was in college. LOL!
When I first saw the bonsai tree, I was like..."Holy shit, is that for real?!?!"
No, no one asked me what I was doing. In fact, at all the campuses I have visited these past two years, no one has ever asked me. I guess they're used to people taking pictures of their colleges.
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend! Hope you're having a great week too!
X
Hey there Elaine!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear lady! And I hear you about the summer heat because that's why I went out there now. The weather was perfect that day - sunny and cool! Yes, I took the Regional Rail to get there. I took the Media/Wawa Line and got off at Swarthmore. The train station leaves you off right in front of the campus. Swarthmore is such a cute town. Great places to have coffee or lunch. You'll enjoy it!
"I think my favorite thing are the lancet windows. "
Aren't they exquisite? Being a Catholic school attendee, they reminded me of CHURCH. Lol!
Yes, I love what you said about bonsai trees..."elegance"...you are so right! And oh my god, the aroma from wisteria and peonies was intoxicating, I kid you not. At one point, I walked right up to the hanging wisteria and stucked my nose in them. Ha!
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend! Have a faaaaaabulous rest of your week!
X
Ron, in all the years of knowing you, we share the same passion for all things goth. So, as I scrolled through these amazing images, all I kept thinking was GOTH! GOTH! GOTH! That tower is incredible. I have to ask, would you mind if I downloaded the ones of the tower? I want to use them as background pics for my cellphone. If you would rather I not, just let me know.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, both my girlfriend and I read your blog, so she wanted me to tell you how much she enjoyed these photos. She loved the ones of the wisteria and stone arches. I do too! I can't get over the windows and stained glass windows. And that photograph (10th one from the top) of the archway with the hanging light fixture is one of my faves.
Thanks for sharing, dude! Excellent tour!
Hiya, Matt!
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't mind at all! Please feel free to use them (or any other photograph). I do the same thing. In fact, there's a photo I took years ago of the Comcast building here in Philly, which I use as my background photo on my phone. I also used one of the Freedom Tower, which I took while in NYC.
"....as I scrolled through these amazing images, all I kept thinking was GOTH! GOTH! GOTH! "
HA! I was thinking the same thing while walking the campus that day. It's so beautifully GOTH, isn't it? Yes, the stained glass windows are fantabulous. The whole campus is fantabulous!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Matt! Have a superb rest of your week!
X
Thank you, Ron! You ROCK!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! 😊👍
ReplyDeleteRon, the third photograph down of Clothier Bell Tower is EPIC. What a stunning view! All three are epic! You captured some really beautiful shots that day. The architecture is breathtaking. As well as the grounds. I love anything that has an "old, historical feel" to it, and Swarthmore definitely has that. Whenever I visit an old building, I think of what it must have been like back when it was first built.
ReplyDeleteHistory is wonderful, isn't it? It creates the future, but also holds on to the past!
Love that stone stairway and the amphitheater.
" Whenever I visit an old building, I think of what it must have been like back when it was first built."
ReplyDeleteClair, I think the same thing! I try and imagine how people acted, what they wore, and how it must have felt to live back then. It's fascinating to me!
I LOVE what you said here...
"History is wonderful, isn't it? It creates the future, but also holds on to the past!"
...that is SO true! And that's why I like living in an older city. We have the old mixed with the new. I love walking down a side street or alleyway, and spot a piece of the past. It makes me feel connected.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Clair! Have a grrrrreat week!
X
Oh, friend, these pictures are absolutely beautiful! You are such an excellent photographer.
ReplyDeleteI love Wisteria! I wish I could grow it here, but I guess it's invasive to pipes etc, so not the best to have in a home garden. So I am glad I got to see it on campus!
THE BONSAI TREE!! Oh, swoon. If I attended this college, that would be my reading tree. ❤️
I appreciate that you made a special trip to take pictures of this campus. You are my kind of human, friend. This was wonderful to see today.
Have a great rest of your week. 😘❤️
Aw....thank you for your kind words, Kari! You're a sweetheart!
ReplyDeleteI love wisteria too! The smell is HEAVENLY! The only time I've ever seen in around a home was when it was growing over a back wall. I saw it several years ago behind a gorgeous home here in Philadelphia. It was purple!
"THE BONSAI TREE!! Oh, swoon. If I attended this college, that would be my reading tree. ❤️"
Me too! Isn't that bonsai tree phenomenal? I couldn't believe how BIG it was. That tree reminded me of the summer I spent in Japan because they grow everywhere there.
I'm so glad I went back and took pictures. The campus inspired me!
Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a great rest of your week as well!
X
Ron, I agree with Daniel. That campus looks like something out of Game of Thrones! OMG, it's positively GORG-GEOUS! As always, sir, your photos are wonderful. It blows me away how you've never taken a formal class in photography. I know you're self-taught, but did you always have a passion for the camera?
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite flowers and scents is wisteria, so I REALLY loved those photos. Also, those peonies. That's one of the many things I miss about living in the northeast, all the different flowers, trees, and plants. Here in Florida, we have beautiful flowers, but there is not as much variety as in the NE.
Gorgeous campus! Thank you for the tour, dear man. Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo
P.S. How has the weather been? Hot yet?
Hola Denise!
ReplyDeleteThank you, my friend! I am so glad I went back and took some photos of the campus It was even MORE beautiful than I thought it would be. I am definitely going back in the fall because I bet the trees are INCREDIBLE! And I bet the campus looks incredible covered in snow too!
Yes, for as long as I can remember, I have always had an passion for photography. I used to sit for hours in the library and look photography books. I especially enjoyed the black and white photography. My mother knew I had a passion, so she bought me my first Kodak camera for Christmas. It was an instamatic.
Aren't those wisteria FANTABULOUS? The smell was heavenly. So were the peonies.
I agree, Florida has its own beauty, however, the Northeast and other parts of the U.S. have more variety.
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend too!
X
P.S. Yes, we already got HOT, HOT days (close to 90), which started last month. However, today, and through this weekend, the temps drop (THANK GOD) to my kind of weather.
Ron, what an excellent batch of photos you've posted! I've heard of Swarthmore College for much of my life, but I don't guess I realized just how close it is to Philly. What a treasure, tucked away outside the city!
ReplyDeleteI love the wisteria overhanging the arches ... and the peony garden ... and that amphitheater. Yes, those white columns remind me of a Southern plantation, too. And it looks like you had a really pretty day for your visit!
Thank you for sharing such an interesting place with us -- you can't post too many pictures, my friend!! Enjoy the upcoming weekend. xx
Hellooooooooo there, Debbie! And thank you!
ReplyDelete" I've heard of Swarthmore College for much of my life, but I don't guess I realized just how close it is to Philly. What a treasure, tucked away outside the city!"
To be honest, I didn't know much about Swarthmore College myself. Being born in PA, I had heard of it, but it wasn't until I moved back in 2001 did I actually visit Swarthmore during their October Fest a few years ago and fell in love with the place. The college I only just recently visited, and fell it love with it as well. The "whole" of Swarthmore is just gorgeous.
Aren't the wisteria and peony just gorgeous? And the smell was heavenly. Yes, I had really pretty day for my visit. The sun was out and the temps. were on the cool side. Before that, we had so much rain and high humidity, so I was happy for a change of weather.
Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a fabulous weekend! And Happy Mother's Day to you!
X