A photo of Ashbery at his writing desk taken by Jill Krementz was featured in a article by Eudora Welty for the New York Social Diary website to celebrate June 1st as National Window Day
Jill Krementz Photo Journal: In Celebration of National Window Day — A Collection of Writers & their Windows
MAY 31, 2024
Eudora Welty; Jackson, Mississippi.
GUEST DIARY• BY: JILL KREMENTZ
Did any of you know that June 1st is National Window Day? And why you may ask does it fall on June 1st? Because it’s the unofficial beginning of summer.
I’ve been celebrating windows for as long as I’ve been photographing. And, I admit taking them for granted. But not any more now that I’ve done my homework about this national holiday.
Windows, I’ve learned, originated in our earliest primitive shelters with a single hole in the roof, which was mostly to allow light in. Some structures also featured a hole in the wall facilitating ventilation. When it snowed or rained, the holes were covered with animal hides.
Paper windows followed in ancient China, Korea and Japan. Then came the Romans, using glass in Alexandria, Egypt. It’s believed the glass technology was developed around 100 AD, affordable to only the wealthy.
In 14th century England, windows were made of flattened animal horn. During the late Middle Ages in Europe, and during the 1600s, thanks to the growing cheapness of glass, glazed windows became common in ordinary homes.
Lucky for me. Lucky for us all. Happy June 1st.
John Ashbery; New York City.