Dorchester Illustration no. 2493 Yes, there were two gas tanks
News:
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Illustration of the week:
Today’s illustration is a photograph by Jon Hill from the Boston Herald, published on September 7, 1989. The photo has the caption: Major Gas Leak at Dorchester Boston Gas Tanks. Firefighers gear up before entering area.
From the middle of the 19th century, Commercial Point was the location of fuel for heating,both wood and coal gas. The coal gas tanks had a superstructure with a huge inflatable canvas bag inside to expand when the gas was pumped in and collapse as the gas was distributed. The natural gas tanks were the successors to those earlier tanks.
When Corita Kent provided the design for the colorful painting on one of the tanks, there were two. Later the painting was created anew on the previously unpainted tank, and the first tank was taken down.
The largest copyrighted painting in the world, the Corita Kent artwork is seen by many thousands of travelers along the Expressway each year. If you listen to car radio, the tank is a waymarker for traffic reports.