The Black Madonna is often considered the Patron of Poland. There is also one at Le Puy, the most major of the starting points in France for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. This painting of the Madonna and Child is a replica of the "Black Madonna of Czestochowa." The original painting, which is in the Paulite Monastery of Czestochowa, was based on a 5th century Byzantine icon though according to legend the painting was the work of St. Luke! It was partially destroyed in the early 15th century by robbers who stripped the image of precious stones and slashed and broke the panel. The work was then repainted in 1434.

Our replica, based on this painting, is the gift of Colonel Leon Slawinski who was active in the Resistance during World War II and vowed to offer replicas of the Black Madonna if he survived.

Béraud depicts people in their winter finery in front of the cathedral under a light snowfall, perhaps on Christmas Day. To our knowledge this is the only painting of the Cathedral by a known artist and is part of the Cathedral's heritage. Since Béraud and Bennett were contemporaries, it is believed that Bennett commissioned the painting.

After a definitive Béraud show at the Musée Carnavalet, in which our painting was presented as the "pièce de résistance" we decided for security reasons to leave the painting on loan to the Musée Carnavalet, and a photograph of the painting is on display at the Cathedral. For a few years the original was in a gallery with other Béraud paintings and this was closed on some days. Now the painting has been moved to La Galerie de Liaison, which is open daily.

Musée Carnavalet, 23 rue de Sévigny, Paris 3e (Marais). The nearest métro is St. Paul. The museum is open from 10 AM until 5:40 PM every day except Mondays and holidays.

The lectern, in the form of a brass eagle, was designed by George Edmund Street and donated by Mrs. George D. Morgan. The eagle is the symbol of St. John.

The Bishop's Seat, or Cathedra, was designed by Arthur Edmund Street and was given by Mrs. Robert J. Niven (née Marie Louise Vanderbilt) as a memorial to R.J. Niven. It is in English Hopton-Wood stone and is situated in the chancel to the left as you face the altar.

SAINT PAUL THE TRAVELLER'S CHAPEL

St. Paul the Traveller's Chapel was organized in 1925. The space was always intended to be a chapel for smaller services. Later the needlepoint kneelers were made, with scenes of St. Paul's life showing him as being let down in a basket to escape Damascus.

The Font, made of Hopton-Wood stone, was given by Dr. and Mrs Theodore Evans in memory of her father, John P. Howard.

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THE "WEST" WINDOW

It is dominated, in its central light, by the seated figure of Our Lord holding an orb surmounted by a cross, a representation of God's power in all the earth. Above this figure in small lettering is the opening versicle of the Te Deum: "We praise Thee, O God". The second half of the versicle encircles the head of Our Lord: "We acknowledge Thee to be the Lord."

On either side of this figure are a series of human figures representing the four corners of the globe. In the upper left three lights are figures of kings and bishops illustrating the peoples of Europe. In the lower left three lights are Africans: Egyptians and Black Africans. In the upper right three lights are Asians (Arab, Chinese, Ottoman). The lower right three lights depict North and South Americans: a Spanish conquistador, a North American Indian, an Argentinian cowboy.

Separating the upper and lower figures is the second versicle of the Te Deum: "All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting," which is repeated at the base of the window. At the top center is the third versicle: "To Thee all angels cry aloud" and continuing in the rondel above "The Heavens and all the powers therein" with four angels and the four elements.

In the left and right trefoils are the signs of the Zodiac, which were used in Medieval times in church art and are an indication that to Our Lord belong all times and seasons.

THE COLE PORTER PIANO

Mystery surrounds this extraordinary piano, a Steinway, serial number 121776, one of only a few pianos in the world in imitation of the Louis XIV style of construction and decoration. We know that it was constructed in Hamburg as a "normal" piano; with three legs and an ebony finish. It was sold on October 15, 1906, and delivered to a certain E. Moulle Company in Paris, where it received its current extraordinary painting and leg structure: it imitates, almost exactly, a famous Johannes Rückers dating from 1628, now in the Chateau de Versailles. At some point it was purchased by Howard Sturges, a close friend of the great Cole Porter. Both Porter and Sturges had apartments on the Rue Monsieur, in Paris' 7^th arrondissement. One can only imagine how often Porter played this piano, and after it was given to the Cathedral at the time of Sturges' death, in the 1950s, it became known to us as the "Cole Porter Piano."

Although the health of the interior (the key action, tuning, etc.) of the instrument has been maintained over the years (most recently by Pianos Magne), the exterior did not receive the same attention, most likely because of its extraordinary nature. The Cathedral's arts association, Les Arts George V, agreed to undertake a project, completed in September 2004, to restore the original beauty of the piano's exterior painting and make repairs to its ailing structure. The project was supervised by Les Arts George V, Cathedral Organist-Choirmaster Edward Tipton, and specialist Isabelle Chochod, and included art restorers, woodworkers, and guilders. Financial support was provided by Les Arts George V, Barbara Watson Pillsbury, and the Living Stones Capital Campaign, and the Mona Bismark Foundation.

THE CLOISTER