Blog Archives
ahead 150 ft
When I was in architecture school, I learned that it was important that buildings had a “sense of entry” – an obvious, easily recognized entrance so visitors are not left to wonder where they are supposed to go; it also serves as a way to define people’s impression of the building and their orientation to it. There are cultural elements to consider. There are psychological elements that make a difference. The way the building faces matters. The weather is important. How people with disabilities find their way is a critical consideration. The time of day, the numbers of people who will arrive at one time, the aesthetics of the building and its immediate environment, the building materials and colors all play a part in setting the sense of entry.
Failing that, of course, a sign painted on a hunk of wood and then stuck on a wall will suffice.
Two Harbors, Minnesota
photographed 9.23.2019
tulsa’s best
Well, obviously that sign wouldn’t say the burgers and malts here are Tulsa’s best unless that was a verifiable fact.
I have not had a malt here, but the burger I had for lunch the other day was the best burger I had that day. I can’t decide if that really helps bolster the sign’s claim, but I stand by my assessment.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
photographed 4.9.2023
indian joe
The name of the place seems a little cringey.
But look at the way the sunlight reflects off the broken windshield.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
photographed 4.9.2023
patriot games
A giant flag dominated the sky (but not this photo, particularly) while a regular-size one fluttered over the intersection of 2nd and Ash.
It sort of seemed like a battle of the flags. I’ll let you decide the winner.
Wellston, Oklahoma
photographed 4.29.2023
century bridge
My dad was a civil engineer; his specialty was water- and sewage-treatment. It was not uncommon when we were on vacation that he’d drive us to a treatment plant that was of particular interest to him. (And: they held little to no interest to me.)
He also like bridges; once when I lost out on a summer job because of a late-spring bout of mono, he took me with him on a business trip as some sort of a consolation. Along the way, we stopped to look at a bridge that had recently been washed out in a flood. He told me about the design flaws that had put the bridge in peril. (And: that held little to no interest to me.)
Yet somehow I ended up here, getting myself quite interested in this bridge. It’s called the Rainbow Bridge (named before that term’s current connotation) and it’s 100 years old this year. It is only one lane wide and is a single-span design called a Marsh arch, after its designer James Barney Marsh. And, it’s the only surviving bridge of this design on the entire 2,448 miles of Route 66.
near Baxter Springs, Kansas
photographed 4.5.2023
One Day | One Image 