There’s a new exhibit opening at the Skyscraper museum later this week that feeds several of my interests. How many skyscrapers are New York City designated landmarks? Maybe 84. Carol Highsmith’s photo above shows at least two: the Chrysler Building and the Chanin Building across the street from it. I’m pretty sure the Socony-Mobil building …
The Detroit Publishing Company postcard above is listed as having been published between 1898 and 1931, but I’d guess it’s from 1909. It shows Fort Ticonderoga after its initial restoration, which began in 1908 and was first opened to the public in 1909. Our current project there includes restoring part of that restoration. In the …
Sometimes it’s easier to see things when you’re unfamiliar with the terrain. I felt like there were a lot of plain lessons about the way cities work visible in downtown Detroit, not necessarily because those issues only exist there but because I don’t know the individual buildings and streets, so I could focus easily on …
As I was heading to dinner Detroit last Tuesday, I happen to pass an interesting building. My first thought was that it was the entrance to a demolished theater. It’s a little hard to tell from my photo, but that building is surrounded by a large empty lot. A lot of old theaters have “neck” buildings, …
I recently came across the picture above and the ones below, which do a good job showing the state of Fort Ticonderoga circa 1902. (Actually, came across them again, as I used one here six years ago.) There is a complete fort at the site today, and that is the structure we are currently working …
