Post by cvxn on Feb 14, 2014 20:41:25 GMT
We need to be as methodical about this as we were with the first line of the poem. LS's suggestion of a child's idea of a hole narrows it down to a pretty basic set of parameters: circular in basic shape (& thus different from an existing hallway or door) and void of space or black in the middle.
I'd like to enumerate each possibility that exists in our current LoC prison - the SW pavilion - and pursue each in chat or independently, if anyone wishes. I will add every possible hole to this master list, updated with links & pros/cons as they are posted in subsequent comments. LET'S AIR THIS BITCH OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL!
POSSIBLE "HOLES" OUT OF THE SW PAVILION:
1. The corner medallions crafted by Bela Lyon Pratt (Spring/Seed - shown above - and Summer/Fruit seem to be the ones closest to her, but the latter is unconfirmed) PROS: circular, in the actual corner, could 'follow' the artist like we did Maynard; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
2. The compass rose on the floor (shown above with compass directions helpfully added by passcrow) PROS: circular, NEWS could signify compass directions, match heads in M's 'suicide note' make me think of the pattern on the outer ring above, enough markings on the floor to allow for an 11th whatever; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
3. The rotunda ceiling disc, here described: "In the ceiling disc, the artist has depicted four qualities appropriate to these four stages of a country's development: COURAGE, VALOR, FORTITUDE, and ACHIEVEMENT." (The artist being referred to is George Willoughby Maynard.) PROS: circular shape, "achievement" has 11 letters; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
4: The courtyard (as shown here on the floor plan) PROS: an actual hole with an empty center, could lead to the Minerva Mosaic and the Reading Room (Minerva = goddess of Wisdom... news you must know? Or does that apply to the entire Reading room perhaps?), as cornchak has noted, there is a Ring of Civilizations and Spain is there and associated with Discovery; CONS: not circular in shape
5. The globe on Discovery's lap - PROS: circular in shape, (according to cornchak) it shows america as depicted by leonardo da vinci, which was one of the four corners of the world at the time of his depiction. This could be "her corner"; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
6. The astrolabe(s) at Discovery's feet - PROS: circular, position of arms kind of reminiscent to the overall shape of M's note and to the medallion, hands could count 11 of something, astrolabes are used to guide; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
7. The letter o in the word Discovery - PROS: circular, kind of empty in the center; CONS: not actually an opening
8. The spiral staircase* (*I'm hoping someone can clarify which staircase it is and where, because I didn't find it right away and I don't think this is the spiral staircase that has been suggested) - PROS: circular; CONS: not actually empty in the center, not technically in the SW pavilion, if it is the one depicted in the link, it is only half a turn at the bottom and not a true circle at all, and there is not even a hole cut in anything (except holes in the banister).
9. A metaphorical hole like a "rabbit hole" (as suggested by tabi42) - PROS: this actually removes the need for anything to be a circle and makes it about her corner (the two walls and the decorations on them) and what's there; CONS: it could still rule back in almost everything above
10. Door to the South Exhibition Gallery - PROS: it's an opening that already exists in the architecture; CONS: LuckyShirt's hints suggest it's not a door or hallway but a hole, the door is not a circular shape
11. Door(s) to the South West Exhibition Gallery (shown here) - PROS: they are openings that already exist in the architecture, to go through them would be technically going North (which might be the suggestion of NEWS); CONS: LuckyShirt's hints suggest it's not a door or hallway but a hole, the doors are not a circular shape
12. A hole in the Mercuriosities medallion - PROS: it contains actual holes with empty centers, it is referenced in several of M's final posts on FTS (in particular the "suicide note", it is something we can go through, both visually and scientifically with our eyes and light (and even physically with a tiny object), the medallion takes us to symbols and numbers like 1876 that have possibilities that could merit further research; CONS:LuckyShirt's hints suggest the medallions are worthless in our current endeavor, there are not currently any maps or documents that are of universal scale (other than the ones in the kits, which few of us have and which have already been ruled out of this puzzle with the "you have everything you need" comments a while back) upon which the medallions could be meaningfully used as cipher keys (although they clearly do have some such future purpose)
UPDATE: SEE BELOW
I'd like to enumerate each possibility that exists in our current LoC prison - the SW pavilion - and pursue each in chat or independently, if anyone wishes. I will add every possible hole to this master list, updated with links & pros/cons as they are posted in subsequent comments. LET'S AIR THIS BITCH OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL!
POSSIBLE "HOLES" OUT OF THE SW PAVILION:
1. The corner medallions crafted by Bela Lyon Pratt (Spring/Seed - shown above - and Summer/Fruit seem to be the ones closest to her, but the latter is unconfirmed) PROS: circular, in the actual corner, could 'follow' the artist like we did Maynard; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
2. The compass rose on the floor (shown above with compass directions helpfully added by passcrow) PROS: circular, NEWS could signify compass directions, match heads in M's 'suicide note' make me think of the pattern on the outer ring above, enough markings on the floor to allow for an 11th whatever; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
3. The rotunda ceiling disc, here described: "In the ceiling disc, the artist has depicted four qualities appropriate to these four stages of a country's development: COURAGE, VALOR, FORTITUDE, and ACHIEVEMENT." (The artist being referred to is George Willoughby Maynard.) PROS: circular shape, "achievement" has 11 letters; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
4: The courtyard (as shown here on the floor plan) PROS: an actual hole with an empty center, could lead to the Minerva Mosaic and the Reading Room (Minerva = goddess of Wisdom... news you must know? Or does that apply to the entire Reading room perhaps?), as cornchak has noted, there is a Ring of Civilizations and Spain is there and associated with Discovery; CONS: not circular in shape
5. The globe on Discovery's lap - PROS: circular in shape, (according to cornchak) it shows america as depicted by leonardo da vinci, which was one of the four corners of the world at the time of his depiction. This could be "her corner"; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
6. The astrolabe(s) at Discovery's feet - PROS: circular, position of arms kind of reminiscent to the overall shape of M's note and to the medallion, hands could count 11 of something, astrolabes are used to guide; CONS: not an actual hole with an empty center
7. The letter o in the word Discovery - PROS: circular, kind of empty in the center; CONS: not actually an opening
8. The spiral staircase* (*I'm hoping someone can clarify which staircase it is and where, because I didn't find it right away and I don't think this is the spiral staircase that has been suggested) - PROS: circular; CONS: not actually empty in the center, not technically in the SW pavilion, if it is the one depicted in the link, it is only half a turn at the bottom and not a true circle at all, and there is not even a hole cut in anything (except holes in the banister).
9. A metaphorical hole like a "rabbit hole" (as suggested by tabi42) - PROS: this actually removes the need for anything to be a circle and makes it about her corner (the two walls and the decorations on them) and what's there; CONS: it could still rule back in almost everything above
10. Door to the South Exhibition Gallery - PROS: it's an opening that already exists in the architecture; CONS: LuckyShirt's hints suggest it's not a door or hallway but a hole, the door is not a circular shape
11. Door(s) to the South West Exhibition Gallery (shown here) - PROS: they are openings that already exist in the architecture, to go through them would be technically going North (which might be the suggestion of NEWS); CONS: LuckyShirt's hints suggest it's not a door or hallway but a hole, the doors are not a circular shape
12. A hole in the Mercuriosities medallion - PROS: it contains actual holes with empty centers, it is referenced in several of M's final posts on FTS (in particular the "suicide note", it is something we can go through, both visually and scientifically with our eyes and light (and even physically with a tiny object), the medallion takes us to symbols and numbers like 1876 that have possibilities that could merit further research; CONS:
UPDATE: SEE BELOW