Visual Entertainment from Near and Far
May, 1985 – on the Rhine
Hi
Isn’t this a magnificent church? We were in it again this am, admiring and enjoying it – so delicate and truly lovely. Parts date from the 1200’s. We had champagne last nite at the Captain’s party, then danced. We sailed all night from Nijmegen (Netherlands) to Cologne. We’ll visit a castle this eve., Heidelberg tomorrow. Wish you were here too.
Love
The entrance to the railroad exhibit at the New York World’s Fair 1939 appears very much like a glorified and modernistic roundhouse for locomotives.The Rotunda above contains 25,000 square feet of floor space leading to a circular theme hall 180 feet in diameter surmounted by a dome approximately eight stories in height. Sponsored by the Eastern Presidents Conference of the railroads, the exhibit includes a building nearly a quarter of a mile long, an outdoor exposition including nearly a mile of track, a colorful pageant telling the history of American railroads and the largest working miniature railroad ever constructed. The building contains 110,000 square feet of floor space and is the largest at the Fair.
The Electrical Products Building, New York World’s Fair is a rainbow of colors glowing across the World of Tomorrow. The Electrical Building is in the “Blue Sector” with a mural hint of ‘Wonders’ displayed behind its portals. The oddly shaped pylon at the left is an outstanding feature of the building. Architects: Walker and Gillette.
The Hall of Pharmacy at the New York World’s Fair 1939 shown in the center of this photograph, which has been taken over by contract by The Show Globe, Inc., presents the entire story of research, development, manufacture and distribution of drugs and pharmaceutical products. The building, built by the Fair Corporation, occupies one of the most prominent sites in the Exposition grounds, being close to the Theme Center, the 200 foot Perisphere and 700 foot Trylon, partly shown at the extreme left of the photograph. Architects: Pleasants Pennington, G. Lyman Paine, Jr. and I. Woodner-Silverman.
The 1939 New York World’s Fair took place in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York. Many countries participated and over 44 million people attended over two seasons. It was based on the future with an emphasis on the ‘world of tomorrow’.
November, 1971
Today went past hospital where you were born.
Love
I was born in the Seventh-day Adventist hospital, Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar). It opened in 1947. The hospital was transferred to the government in 1965.
Fall in Minnesota. My walk in the woods. Click on image for larger view.
October, 1981
Dear
This is a picture of the place in downtown Minneapolis where everyone meets. Often there is an orchestra or bank concert – sometimes even the Minn. Symphony. It is always warm and cheery – even in midwinter!
I have just walked around the lake (2 hrs) and now must get supper for the family. Wish you were here.
Love
(aside) If you ever watched the Mary Tyler Moore Show, this is where she throws her hat in the are at the beginning. There is now a statue of her outside this building.
This tower is linked to other structures of the Center and the skyway system of pedestrian bridges. The Court soars 120 feet to the 80th story.
Mt. Ypsilon (13,307 ft.) and Mummy Range as seen from the High Drive in Rocky Mountain National Park.
December, 1983
Hi
So far so good – we took a city tour this am & a tour up to Rigi Kaltbad and Lucerne this aft. !! They both were good tours and we all enjoyed them. It was snowy and cold but sunny up on Rigi – skiing and beautiful sights of the alps.
So good to visit with you Christmas – I’ll call after we get back – we’re supposed to return Sun. (I’m pushing for Sat.) Bill goes to Bali on Jan. 4 for 4 days.
Love
Photo of our family business made into a postcard around 1942.
Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre et la funiculaire I love this photo, one of my most favorite places in Paris.
June 1973
Dear Mom
Can’t remember when I last wrote!! We saw this last Monday and it was great. Tues. we went to Versailles – the garden there was beautiful!! Yesterday we saw Notre Dame and a lovely little church – Saint Chapelle. Also spent some time in the Louvre. Saw Venus de Milo & the Mona Lisa. It rained in the morning, but cleared up and is lovely today. We’ve been so lucky with the weather. Everyone is fine. We go to London tomorrow by rail and hovercraft across the Channel. The Gambles are flying to Madrid tomorrow and then to Portugal for a week. We’re having such a good time.
Love
(aside) On that trip we also went to the Rodin Museum which is housed in a lovely rococo mansion built in 1732. Rodin moved in in 1908 and it became a museum in 1919. It is surrounded by gardens and more sculpture.
Pershing Square, Los Angeles
Postcard courtesy of Western Publishing and Novelty Company.
In 1866 the area known today as Pershing Square was dedicated as a public square called La Plaza Abaja (the lower plaza) by Mayor Christobal Aguilar. A year later people started calling it St Vincent’s Park since it was across the street from St Vincent’s College (now Loyola Marymount University). The name changed again in 1870 to Los Angeles Park and in 1886 it was 6th Street Park when it was redesigned by Frederick Eaton. It became Central Park during the early 1890s and had a bandstand pavilion.
In 1900 a statue of a Spanish-American War veteran was dedicated. In 1910 the park was renovated again by John Parkinson and featured a fountain by sculptor Johan Caspar Lachne Gruenfeld. In 1918, a week after the end of World War I, the park was renamed once again to Pershing Square to honor General Pershing. I believe this is the iteration pictured above.
The park went through many other iterations over the years including being demolished in 1952 in order to build an underground car park. By 1984 when the Summer Olympics were in Los Angeles, it had become so neglected, the city spent $1 million for temporary renovations.
Once again, in 1992, the park closed for a $14.5 redesign and renovation by Ricardo Legorreta and Laurie Olin. It re-opened in 1994 with a bell tower, fountains, a walkway, and concert stage. This design remains today. In 2000, a monument was dedicated to a highly decorated local Korean War veteran by the name of Eugene Obregon.
Postcard Buzz 