Trieste, Italy

A telamon is a male figure that uses his head and shoulders to hold something up. Telamons are usually associated with buildings but their individual job descriptions may be up-scaled or down-scaled. This one has been assigned the Fountain of the Titans. His cousin Atlas, however, has been assigned something bigger to bear: the whole earth! [2008]

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

A water fountain, one installed to serve thirsty neighbors, reduces the scale of a city. It can transform a city neighborhood into a rural village. As urbanization has increased, water, like many other goods and services, has become privatized (delivered to individual homes) rather than available to the public at large from a community source. [2018]

New York, New York, USA

An expectation of every city is to mimic the bucolic pleasures of the countryside. What better place for a morning pick-me-up than by the waterfall! Incorporated into this scene is acoustic art: The sound of gushing water seems to bring peace and solace, even if you are amidst the hubbub of midtown Manhattan. [2021]

Chicago, Illinois, USA

If the weather is right, wade on in. What's great about the newest generation of fountains is that they invite interaction, and Chicago's Crown Fountain has been a crowd pleaser in this regard. Where does the water come from? Out of the mouths of real Chicagoans who pucker up periodically to pour fourth a "spittance" for the pool. [2021]

Madrid, Spain

Do outdoor misters count as fountains? Let's make the case etymologically: Fountain comes from a Proto-Indo-European root that means "to flow." A garden fountain sustains a flow of liquid; a mister sustains a flow of mist. Both use water to make us feel cooler physically (evaporative cooling) and psychologically ("blue space" to help us chill out). [2009]

Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan is intent on presenting Armenia as a modern, post-Soviet nation. Yet, even this solid-as-a-rock drinking fountain ties the Armenia of today to its cultural past. When you look at the fountain do you see Mt. Ararat multiplied by 7? Mt. Ararat is the spiritual and cultural center of historical Armenia. [2015]

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

When this picture was taken (see the date in brackets?) the independent UAE had not even reached its majority (i.e., it had not turned 21). As a young nation, it could not quite figure out how to fit together the global jigsaw. Look closely. See Australia? Where's Tasmania? Sea the Mediterraean? There's Tasmania! [1992]

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Looking at water is so cooling. Listening to water is so calming. Feeling a watery mist is so refreshing. Fountain Square offers all three, all summer, to all who gather. [2019]

Rome, Italy

If that fountain could talk! First, it would tell the story of how the neighborhood has changed since the well fount first appeared on the landscape. Second, it would invite all wayfarers to stop and have a drink. There was a time when every section of town had a fountain, and every fountain was the only source of drinking water for residents. [2002]

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Fountains are meant to be quaffed from afar and only with the eyes. But, wouldn't we all really like to use them as swimming pools (especially if they have a 'slide')? Here a dad is right in there with his daughter, teaching her how to cool off on a hot summer day and how to add a little fun-loving risk to her life. Oh, Canada! [2018]

Lisbon, Portugal

Rossio Square has served as a commons for the people of Lisbon since the Middle Ages. It has invigilated Portugal's rise to power and has become the capital's equivalent of Madrid's Plaza Mayor. But, while Spain has chosen an absolute monarch to dominate its signature plaza, Portugal has chosen a modernist king, Dom Pedro IV. There he is atop the column. [2009]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Why do we turn fountains off in the winter? They should use sleet as their inspiration. Keep the water above freezing while in the ducts, spray it high into the air, and let the droplets freeze on the way down. The sound effects might be just as cool as the visuals. [2011]

Manchester, England, UK

The state's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Manchester is located in England, which is one of three countries that comprise the island of Great Britain. England was a full-fledged kingdom of its own before 1707 when the Acts of Union created a United Kingdom. [2004]

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Summer sessions are about over. Fall semester classes convene in just a few weeks. Graduation looms closer and closer on the horizon. Then, life really begins. [2007]

Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, UK

A fountain like this is reflective of the wealth that used to pour into Merthyr Tydfil and the steam coal that used to flow out. It was given to the town in 1906 by a wealthy industrialist. Perhaps he was saying thank you for making him a millionaire. Perhaps he was assuaging his conscience. [2015]

Wemyss Bight, Eleuthera, The Bahamas

Places preserve their pumps as visual reminders of the past, but rusty mementos like this fail to capture the energy that went into the water economy of human settlements. Muscles were required to suction the water from down below and then to transport it from the well to its destination. What can no picture capture? How heavy water is! [2014]

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Crown Fountain is at rest, but if you wait a minute his lips will pucker and a fount of water will issue forth. In fact, if you watch closely, his expression will change continuously thanks to light-emitting diodes: the mosaic tiles of the 21st century. Who is he? One of many Chicago residents whose visages now help entertain the masses. [2015]

Marbella, Andalusia, Spain

Successful cities replicate rural settings. Fix your sight on the boys and let your imagination transform the rest of the scene into a country pond, complete with bullfrogs. [2015]

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Elephants used to abound in Southeast Asia. Now, thanks to human greed, they are an endangered species. You can probably see more elephants in statuary in Malaysia than in the wild. Here are three small ones, maybe pygmies, gathered around a watering hole. [2011]

Trieste, Italy

What catches your attention here? The wrist band, perhaps? It's the Brazilian flag. There are two possibilities. First, he may be a supporter of the Brazilian national football team, but that would be slightly unusual for an Italian. Second, he may be a return migrant, of Brazilian birth but with Italian blood, who has decided to return to his ancestral home. [2008]