Saturday: three views of a truck

[OT from cottage renovations]

this brightly coloured vehicle was parked under a chair yesterday afternoon by one of the museum's younger visitors. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Building Museum, Pension Building

( ..+2.. )

dump truck under chair

Saturday: worn brick

[OT from cottage renovations]
[crossposted to itsinthedetails and texture]

the bricks laid down for these steps have been worn smooth by the passage of many feet over the years, including mine on a single occasion 30 years ago.  more about that in another post ...

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Pension Building

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steps

it's about time

[OT from cottage renovations]

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for some time now this space has been overdue for moggy news from Across The Water.  the BBC have come through with this item from The Swan pub in Ironbridge, Shropshire. 

Saturday: that was then, this is now

[OT from cottage renovations]
[crossposted to then_now]

the Pension Building's interior columns are built of brick, faced with plaster and painted to resemble Sienna marble. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Building Museum, Pension Building

1883


2007

Saturday: space and light

[OT from cottage renovations]

in the design of the Pension Building, Montgomery C. Meigs was able to play with space and light in ways that pushed the limits of contemporary materials and techniques, providing an excellent example of how when a thing was to be done the Victorians would do it with style.  in taking up today's emphasis on cheapness and disposability we have lost much. 

the structure has not always been accorded respect and narrowly escaped demolition in the 1950s.  it has been restored and now houses the Building Museum. 

my first encounter with it was in the late 1970s when the DC courts were using it for office space; I went there to obtain a marriage license.  since then I had often taken a moment to regard the building whenever the occasion arose to pass by, but hadn't gotten around to revisiting it until yesterday.  the chilly autumn afternoon had a clear sky whose deep blue provided a wonderful backdrop for views both interior and exterior. 

the open space was all a-bustle with preparations for a fundraising event for which it had been rented out and temporary decorations blocked off many interior sight lines though plenty of detail was still there to enjoy. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Pension Building

W wall

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sun through W wall, shadow and light on N wall

there's something about this view that reminds one of a certain M. C. Escher print ...

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N wall

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reflection of space and light

these lilies were being arranged in huge glass vessels, shaped like goblets for wine but 4 ft. high.  it goes to show that those who put on these events can rent absolutely anything. 

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S Façade, seen from Juduciary Square Metro station