Favorite Historic Buildings or Places

[2jakes]

^^^^^^
Beautiful!

One of the reasons I enjoy watching Lloyd & Keaton films is the backgrounds that
were used when they shot on location.

Like opening a “video" album from that time period!

 

[Fading Fast]

So my goal was to capture the jewelry store Tiffany's at about the same time the famous opening scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was filmed. The one where an uber-elegant and lithe Audrey Hepburn - still in her body-hugging, shoulders revealing black dress from the night before, hair perfectly aswirled, bedecked in jewels and sunglasses affixed - has a croissant and coffee staring into Tiffany's window.

I read once, it was filmed at 5am which I am now questioning as I finished up at the gym at about 5am, walked a few blocks over to Tiffany's and found it is much darker at that time of day than in the movie (maybe they filmed in June, but we're pretty close to the longest days of the year right now).

Anyway, I spent about twenty minutes over two days taking these shots. While I only like the building aesthetically as its particular art deco is a bit too blunt for my taste, some of the details are stunning (even if the clock was taken from the original Tiffany store and is stylistically jarring to the newer look of the present store).

The best overall shot


The present state of the window Miss Hepburn famously stares into


And a closer look at the window display today. I'm not sure why, but I like the minimal sketch of an iconic NY scene in an iconic NY window


Two shots of the clock (sorry, no matter what I did, I couldn't much improve the lighting issues)



The building's blunt art deco does work well for the very impressive doors - those doors say, Jewelry Store


Could not get far enough back to get a better shot of the famous front


And best of all, Audrey at Tiffany's (supposedly at 5am)

 

[2jakes]

^^^^^

It’s possible it could’ve been shot at an early hour.
Film production never depends on available light.

(behind the scenes “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”)

Even on a bright day...which can be harsh on the features.
Filters, umbrellas are required.

(To Kill a Mockingbird)

I recall @ Universal Studios and the preparation with floodlights,reflectors,
etc.etc.
The crew would water down the set. That’s why most b&w films from the
past where there’s a night street scene, have the look as if has just rained.
While another sprayed some mist or smoke
to create a mood, I suppose.

Took longer to prepare than actual shooting.

The oddest job I thought was the person whose sole purpose
was to document the set to insure it would remained the same from
day to day.
Making sure that nothing was touched or moved around.
The cigarette was to be the same length from the day to day.

But not everything is perfect.
That’s why there’s such a thing as movie bloopers!
But that’s a topic for another thread!

 

[2jakes]

A favorite historical place where I go to relax & enjoy things from the past.

and sometimes I capture the images on canvas to enjoy at home.

 

[vmtrevino2]

Visited the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio TX

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[Fading Fast]

New York City has an incredible number of men's clubs in these amazing buildings constructed in the first half of the 20th Century. These private clubs used to be for men only - usually established around an institution like a college or sailing club or profession like illustrator or poet - but, today, many also have female members. However, that's all politics, cultural change, etc., not what this post is about.

What this post is about is the awesomeness of these buildings. Famous architects like Stanford White built these, usually, fortress like behemoths where, it appears, little expense was spared. While I'm not a member of any as I have no family connections, social background or ties to a prestigious institution, etc., that is necessary to get in (nor could I, I assume, afford the fees) - I have been fortunate to attend events and have business meals at many of these as part of my work (they let the hoi polloi like me into events and as guests of members - probably giving the place a good scrubbing after we leave) and the interiors are insane - think Trading Places but even more opulent.

As part of my post-gym workout morning picture tour for Fedora, I took shots of The University Club the past few mornings as the building is pretty representative - but far from the nicest - of these and it's only a few blocks out of my way. This is not one I've been in, but have been told the inside is incredible. Unfortunately, where it is situated on the block, it was hard to get a good overall shot, but I think you'll get an idea from these.

This is only one side of the building as it was where I could get the best distance shot to show its size


The front - more impressive if you could see it all, but no way I could get back far enough


Some of the fantastic details that went into these buildings


At some point, I want to get shots of the NY Yacht Club as the windows alone - set in stone carved in the shape of the stern of an old wooden sailing ship - are stupid ridiculous. It's nowhere near where I work out, but I do get down there occasionally, so at some point, I'll post. But today, just enjoy the crazy opulence of the University Club.

 

[1mach1]

The Savannah Cotton Exchange

 

[2jakes]

New York City has an incredible number of men's clubs in these amazing buildings constructed in the first half of the 20th Century....

Nice !

 

[belfastboy]

^^^^^^
Beautiful!

One of the reasons I enjoy watching Lloyd & Keaton films is the backgrounds that
were used when they shot on location.

Like opening a “video" album from that time period!

Last fall we were in Cottage Grove, Oregon that is trying to reinvent itself as a tourist destination. One of their claims to fame is a Keaton movie shot there. They have a large mural in the downtown area. Wonderful little town, wonderful destination.

 

[2jakes]

Last fall we were in Cottage Grove, Oregon that is trying to reinvent itself as a tourist destination. One of their claims to fame is a Keaton movie shot there. They have a large mural in the downtown area. Wonderful little town, wonderful destination.

One of my favorites from Keaton....
How Buster Keaton Filmed The General | Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film ...

 

[Haversack]

Cottage Grove is also where the parade at the conclusion of Animal House was filmed. Back in the '80s while in grad school, I was part of an architectural survey of Cottage Grove's Main Street. While most of the ground floors were occupied with businesses and such, almost all the 2nd and 3rd floors were empty and had been for a considerable time. Judging by their characteristics, (separate exterior entrance from the alley behind the building, doored entry vestibule leading to a large common room, hallway lined with small windowless rooms, a reinforced room not on the hallway, stacks of old mattresses), a couple of these had obviously been resorts of horizontal entertainment.

 

[BobHufford]

I was standing next to this building last night while waiting in line to attend a concert.

Built in 1911 (my wife's great-grandfather was the general contractor) the Woodruff building lays claim as the "Birthplace of Route 66" when, in John T. Woodruff’s office here on April 30, 1926, the number '66' was first proposed for the highway between Chicago and Los Angeles. This weekend is a celebration of that claim as the "Birthplace of Route 66 Festival" kicks off today.

The building was recently purchased and renovated from an office building into a "premium student housing" building. It retains it's 1959 clothing, but the interior is new and they added a swimming pool to the north.


From brick to blue to Sky. (http://www.liveatparkeast.com/sky-eleven-history/)
"The building was an impressive sight: an ornate brick exterior and an interior of Italian marble and intricate tile detailing. Originally built to house businesses, for several decades the Woodruff Building’s main tenants centered around law. Many attorneys set up their practice here, and the entire top floor was home to the Missouri Court of Appeals.

The post-WW II boom and expansion of Route 66 nationwide (which John Woodruff helped create and bring through Springfield), helped launch the concept of ‘modernization’ in all things: cars, fashion, furniture and even buildings. It’s within this time period that the Woodruff Building saw its first substantial ‘makeover’. First, an expansion added 20,000 sq ft to the west side of the building. Then, embracing modernism, the top parapet cap was removed and the entire exterior clad in sleek, blue porcelain panels.

Over the next 60 years, the Woodruff building remained a visual mainstay of downtown, though fewer and fewer tenants remained—portions of the property even falling into decline.

In 2014, the Vecino Group—with a goal of again creating a meaningful corner of downtown, acquired the Woodruff Building. As ‘Sky Eleven’ (an homage to its original nickname and birth year) it is a key part of the Park East neighborhood—and once again a vibrant part of Springfield.

The Woodruff Building is recognized on the Registry of National Historic Places."

A view of the back (back in the day):

1927:

The building to the left is the Colonial Hotel (another built by my wife's grandfather). It is now, sadly, gone -- replaced with a parking lot.

Interior:

1959 expansion (replacing the Western Union building seen between the Woodruff and Gillioz Theatre in the above 1927 photo):

As I remember it:

Artists rendering of proposed change to Sky 11:

Installing the new sign:

 

[Fading Fast]

Bob, awesome post - thank you for all the pictures and information.

The interior shot reminds me of so many office buildings I visited in NYC in the '80 and even into the '90s (most have been renovated away by now owing to the later '90s - 2007 and, now, last several years wave of real estate money that has swept through the city).

Back in the '80s though, I visited clients and so many office building interiors still had the basic architectural elements depicted in your photo. I alway found something comforting and interesting in those details versus today's preference for extremely stark and bland hallways (painted wall board walls - usually white or beige - slightly darker carpet (in some form of berber to hide dirt), flush fluorescent ceiling lights (not even fixtures) and plain doors.

There's a character, charm and a sense of "we care about this space" that is all missing from today's style.

 

[Fading Fast]

Just caught this article in today's NYT: Superman’s Building Goes Condo"

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/realestate/supermans-building-goes-condo.html?_r=0

(The site allows for, about, ten free articles a month, so you should be able to get access for free - you can also try Googling it as it seems some papers allow you to come into their sites that way.)

From the article:
"The building has an impressive fictional history, too. Comic book fans may remember Clark Kent living in apartment 5H at the Standish Arms Hotel in Metropolis..."


I'm not familiar with the building, but plan to check it out next time I'm over in that direction.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The oddest job I thought was the person whose sole purpose
was to document the set to insure it would remained the same from
day to day.
Making sure that nothing was touched or moved around.
The cigarette was to be the same length from the day to day.

It's called Continuity.

 

[2jakes]

This is not historic. But it was my favorite place.
It’s gone now.
This was the first television station when I started working for the news.

This is where you would find me at 5 & 10 pm.
The news studio.

The green wall is where the weatherman would stand in front to do the weather.
There was never any maps on the wall.
The director would key in the visuals from the control room in another location
so that folks at home could see the details.
All the weather guy saw was a green wall.
The weatherman relied on two monitors on the side away from the cameras.
If you ever watch the weather, the announcer is actually looking to the side.
A good announcer can disguise it so that you are not aware.
Same thing when reading from the tele-prompter.
The box shape studio cameras were built with tele-prompters so that the
news announcers would read the script by looking directly at the lens.

And y’all thought that the announcers had memorized the entire script.


I mostly never watch the news except for something that I shot
of a special event out in the wilderness or of historic interest.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Los Angeles County Natural History Museum (1913)
September 25, 2016

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ Stunning architecture. The arched entranceway into what looks like a vaulted-ceiling vestibule is a wonderful way to walk into a building and announces quite effectively that "this is a building of importance."

 

[Stearmen]

^^^^^^
Beautiful!

One of the reasons I enjoy watching Lloyd & Keaton films is the backgrounds that
were used when they shot on location.

Like opening a “video" album from that time period!

I just noticed on the 3rd floor, Curtiss Motorcycles. Glen only produced motorcycles from 1902-14, before concentrating on Airplane production! He is best known, for the 1907 V8 record motorcycle, 136 mph with no brakes!

 

[2jakes]

Hackman and a Curtiss.
Now that would’ve been a movie to enjoy on the big theater screen.