Miscellaneous Scans
Well, I didn't know what to post for this "Anything Goes Saturday", so I decided to grab four scans that have been rattling around in my computer for too long, and let them get their 45 seconds of fame. We'll see how it goes.
First up is this photo (dated September 1959) from Wendover, Nevada. That's on the State line between Utah and Nevada. That tall cowboy is known as "Wendover Will". He stands 64 feet high (that's about 19.5 meters, for the rest of the world). He bears a family resemblance to Vegas Vic, don't you think? Looking it up, they were both designed by the same person, so I guess I win a million dollars. At one time, Wendover Will was the "largest mechanical cowboy in the world", and maybe he still is.
Next is this 1952 photo of Denver, Colorado. Taken from some tall building, possibly the Empire State Building (admittedly that's the only tall building I can think of right now). There's the State Capitol at the end of that street (Colfax Avenue?), and to the left of that are the twin spires of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Does anybody knowledgeable see anything else of note?
Here's a beautiful oil refinery (I guess?) in Cleveland, Ohio (or possibly from nearby Lima) from a slide dated September 1953. That smoke looks nice and sulfurous, I can only imagine the heady aroma. "SOHIO" was Standard Oil of Ohio, until it was taken over by British Petroleum.
And finally, from San Antonio, Texas (from sometime in the 1950s) comes this photo of the Japanese Tea Garden (aka the "Sunken Gardens"), which was built on the former site of a limestone quarry. Wikipedia sez: About 1917, City Parks Commissioner Ray Lambert visualized an oriental-style garden in the pit of the quarry. His engineer, W.S. Delery, developed plans, and work began when several donors paid for it in 1918 Lambert used prison labor to shape the quarry into a complex that included walkways, stone arch bridges, an island and a Japanese pagoda. Interestingly, The garden was renamed the Chinese Tea Garden, to prevent the razing and vandalism of the tea garden during World War II.
I hope you have enjoyed today's Miscellaneous Scans!
8 comments:
Major-
♩"... Where the west begins. And the sunset ends". ♫ Okay, that lyric is from 'San Fernando Valley'; but it'll do.
I feel so 'diminutive' when standing next to gentlemen of such great stature. (I'll just have to steal-away in my 1959 Chevrolet Impala, [perhaps] painted in 'Frost Blue').
Thanks, Major.
I wonder if there's a Reno Randy? Or a Carson City Carl? Or a Pahrump Paul? Or a Virginia City Virgil?
Yellow smoke. Probably related to yellow snow. I coughed up some yellow phlegm once when I had pneumonia. Funny how yellow can be both bad and good. Good, like lemons, 'nanners, kitties, and the Man in the Yellow Hat.
Maybe it's just my lack of knowledge, but those structures in the last image don't look particularly Japanese to me. They look interesting, though.
Thanks for another Anything Goes Saturday, Major.
took yesterday off...I've been "chocking my wheels." "Where the West begins"...so start smoking your cigs and shootin' up the place." Could this be replaced with "Debauchery starts here!" (possibly). Denver...I spent one year exactly to the day there. To the right of the Capital is the "Molly Brown House", which is surprisingly more humble than the Debbie Reynolds film version. Beyond the Capital is where I lived, which actually was a very cool city community of bungalow style houses from the early part of the 20th century. I was a couple of streets over from the "Russel Stover House" where Mrs. Stover started making candies in her basement. The little logo of the house was used in marketing...probably until Lindt took over (for $1.5B). Forest Gump ate Russell Stover BTW. Another Denver candy milestone: Hammonds Candies. They make lollypops the old fashioned Disneyland Main St. USA way, and they look like it too. The "mile high city" served it's purpose for that year for me. Denver: also he home of Chipotle- now another corporate monolith that I always enjoy on the road. Now you know: Denver: Candy, Burritos, and strangely...the Titanic and Forest Gump. I looked up the Japanese Pagoda. Looks like they have totally restored it. The opposite of TRE. It looks really awesome. I am a big fan of the River Walk in San Antonio- it's really lovely despite some corporates moving in, and now I have another reason to visit...if my travels take me there. There is history in random photos. Thanks Major.
“…Cleveland, Ohio (or possibly nearby Lima)…” That’s like saying “Los Angeles, California (or possibly nearby Tulare).” Because 170 miles away is practically next door. :-)
I miss Sohio, partly because they gave out cool maps but mostly because I associate it with visits to Ohio grandparents.
That sunken tea garden is amazing. And who doesn’t love a good refinery photo?
Thanks, Major!
I’ve been to all these places, what are the odds?
Spent a night in Wendover, once was enough, giant cowboy or no giant cowboy. No airport, just jackrabbits. Lousy food.
Denver struck me as a very dark brown city, the prevailing color of the masonry. Visit was too short to see anything but the hotel and the industrial plant I was sent to examine. Awful airport. So-so food.
I’m with Bu, River Walk is great. I prefer it to River Dance, or Liver Dance, or Liver Walk… what was I saying again…
I’ve been to San Antonio several times and very much enjoyed each visit. Don’t miss the cannonball dent in the Alamo facade. You can sit on the same bar stool where Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway drank whisky at the Menger Hotel. They sat on the stool, but at different times. Not much distinction since Hemingway was drunk everywhere, but you get the idea. Worth the trip, nice airport. Great food.
Thanks Major.
JG
Nanook, I never thought about those lyrics, but the idea of the west beginning in the San Fernando Valley is… interesting.
JB, there is an Oxnard Oliver. Probably. Thank you for mentioning yellow phelgm, always a great way to start the morning! ;-) I agree, the “Japanese” architecture looks like it has been filtered through Frank Lloyd Wright’s brother Cletus.
Bu, I’m afraid you did not fill out the proper forms for a day off, and therefore you will not receive your regular stipend. Rules are rules! Is the West more debauched than the East? I’m not so sure. I’ve never been to Denver, but my mom went to college there, and she went back to find that it was unrecognizable. Russel Stover candies, sold in the finest gas stations. Does anybody like those? Maybe I’ve only had bad boxes, but yikes. Chipotle, I’ve only been once, it was fine, I don’t know why I’ve never gone back. Maybe it’s the E. coli? I like the idea of the River Walk in San Antonio, though I have never been to Texas. Now I have a number of relatives who have recently moved there, I guess I have a reason to go.
Chuck, everything is relative! I sometimes drive to Tulare for donuts. Or did I dream that? Cool maps are cool. Does tea taste better in a sunken garden?
JG, that’s cool that you’ve been to all of those places. I’ve heard that Wendover is the Paris of the west, but maybe that was some “bum dope” (as my grandpa used to say). I’ve only been to the Denver airport (so I guess I lied about never going to Denver!), I don’t remember it being any worse than other big airports. Maybe I just got lucky. If you do the River Walk, it is good luck to drink lots of water directly from the river. The Alamo has a dent too? Maybe that’s where Disneyland got the idea for the castle.
Bu, your life sounds like that Johnny Cash song: "I've been everywhere, man". No matter the location, you've been there! I bet you even spent a year on Mars with Matt Damon growing potatoes. ;-)
Chuck, refinery photos are the best! And seeing them belch out putrid yellow smoke is a plus.
JG, thanks for the Tripadvisor info on airports and restaurants. Actually, it sounds kinda fun and exciting going in and out of Wendover on the backs of jackrabbits!
Major, evidently the town of Oxnard is paying you for every mention of that fair burg. ;-)
Russell Stover chocolates are somewhat better than the lowly Whitman's stuff. (Talk about damning with faint praise...)
And yes, every time I think of "Chipotle" I think of E. coli, thanks to that outbreak a couple of years ago. It will forever be thus.
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