Galloping Gertie

Click on the title.

I asked Bad Tim what went wrong:
Modernists were jumping all over each other to create a sleeker, more streamlined suspension bridge, and this one was the absolute masterpiece. Unfortunately, they neglected to account for the heavy winds thru the narrows and didn't realize that they would create a resonance in the span. it was like striking a tuning fork. Once the vibration got started, the wind kept feeding it until it started swaying like that.

This is why suspension bridges are often double-deckers or have deep, open trusses under their decks. It makes the deck stiffer so it won't oscillate a lot of them also use grates for the deck instead of concrete, so the wind can blow thru without setting off the wave action.

It was a gorgeous bridge, though, wasn't it? It's tragic about the dog.

Jeannie & Ben Marry in San Francisco City Hall

Congratulations to my friend Jeannie who married long time partner Ben in San Francisco. Jeannie is an iron worker and a helluva catch.
Click on the tile above to see some dazzling shots of San Francisco City hall and the fabulous newly weds in their 1940's attire.

Love you, Jeannie!

Evans & Spring - North St. Louis

Where the brick disappears.

Paging Larry Giles - Brass Plaque

Sent by Rich who found this blog while doing a search. I'd love to buy it but it must go to the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation. I thought it was a sidewalk plague.

This plaque is exactly 4" by 5". I found it (loose) on the floor of a back room of a building in North St. Louis. We were remodeling the building in some fashion. The year I found it was probably 1968, so I've had it for 40 years.

I have googled this thing 6 ways from Sunday, and haven't found anything or anybody, resembling or related to FF Hoffman.

Certainly u may post it. I have enjoyed the marker for 4 decades, but would be willing to sell it, and always wanted to find someone like yourself that really thought it was awesome, too.

BTW, it is unused, IE, it was never removed from masonry, it was just never installed. I always assumed that it was placed into brick walls; but do you think it was installed into cement walks?

Caldwell Arms Apartment Building

This is the best (and most endearing) original mortar I've found to date. The patience and pride of craftsmanship is obvious.

Pop Quiz: Why are some apartment buildings called Arms?

This stairwell isn't visible from the parking area.

Art Deco Apartment building

South Kingshighway and Kings Drive.


Glass cubes along the outside of the stairwells

This little side building is tucked away from the front view.

MUM'S THE WORD

I first saw this billboard on Morgan Ford Road. It's since migrated to Natural Bridge in north city.

Lawyer up, dude and you'll get corporate logo branding via the black cap.
I find this extremely offensive.

POETIC BRICK WALL

I like to pretend that the builder wanted to show off his appreciation for these bricks by creating this wall sculpture just for me to enjoy along with him. Chances are these were surplus bricks bought at a discount.

I don't care. I am digging the wall like a big bad dog with a bone!

Spotted in Arnold at a low rent strip mall.

COLONIZATION

I'm rather proud that I was able to take this photo when doing 60 down 55.

These are cedar trees and they are the first tree to colonize any rocky area that has been clear cut because of their shallow roots. This photo shows about fifteen years of growth.

Something to look forward to is the reforestation that will occur in 125 years.

Clouds at 141 and 55

CAR ELEVATORS

When I was but a wee lass, I listened as my grandfather talked abut a car elevator he saw while visiting Chicago. Its function was to make use of a small space to provide parking. It was difficult to visualize.

Recently I came across this photo in a book. In the lower right hand is a Burt's shoe store.
More on that later.



Do car elevators still exist?
I went to Google images and found this on an upscale NYC urban planning blog.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/05/high_line_cars_should_stay_on.html



And in Japan where space is at a premium, why waste space with a ramp when a turn table will suffice?

JEANNE WALKING IRON

I love Jeanne.
She's a welder, lives in the Castro in San Francisco. That's her standing on that I Beam. Since I suffer from acrophobia this photo gives me the willies so know I didn't take it.

myspace.com/girlofsteel377



On Golden Gate Bridge