Sarah Luria

"yellow dinosaur steamshovels were grunting/as they cropped up tons of mush and grass/to gouge their underworld garage."

Below are photos of the construction of the Boston Common Garage (which exists today beneath the Boston Common). The garage was begun in 1959; its construction continued through 1964 (Lowell wrote his poem in 1960). The garage was delayed by court proceedings over charges of corruption in which city officials were accused of demanding bribes for the awarding of contracts to construction companies.

 

Photographs courtesy of the Bostonian Society, Old State House, Boston.

 

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