Presenting a collection of St. Louis bricks, sidewalk markers, and the Fleur-de-lis as architectural detail on and in city buildings, brick collecting, urban exploration, and my life by Christian Herman. Reporting from Tower Grove South in St. Louis, MO
8/7/12
1962 Bomb Shelter
8/1/12
Tinged Buff Bricks
6/26/12
Marti's Garden - Update
What's the fate of the garden I wondered three weeks ago when I noticed the street was being prepared to be repaved. Black asphalt.
Now it's a heat island with a 60% increase of radiant heat. Walking across the street to turn on the rain bird sprinklers - I do that by hand, there's no timer - is a scorching stroll. If five trees in the garden were much larger they would cast some shade to help decrease the ambient temperature. Maybe in 15 years.
I'm always removing yard sale sings from the garden but when I spotted this one today - placed over the 4 way beneath the stop sign along with their address - I decided karma may be lurking in the intersection. All the roses are diseased with rose rosette and must be removed. Rose rosette is also called witches broom: Yours truly working with loyal garden volunteer Don: Jan, married to Don and friend of the garden: Don working it: My hella cool neighbor Brian stopped by to help haul and spread mulch:6/24/12
Escape Artist
Knowing this my dear friend, talented artist, and fellow Doors fan, Leslie Caldera sent the below this morning:
Christian, I've been keeping my eye out for fire escapes for you. Here are a few I shot on a walkabout in L.A. this week. The Morrison Hotel is the very same which inspired the title of the Doors 5th album. There were two sets of ladders. Street side was in glorious late afternoon sunlight, but the alley set was behind a big metal gate and hard to get a good angle on, so I went for an artsy look.
Unfortunately the building is vacant, and all signage is removed. Even the window the boys posed in was converted into a separate business entry, and it is boarded and gated now.
The other fire escape is in Long Beach, on my bicycle route to the Metro train I take into the city.
Below the photos is a link to a cool Youtube video telling the story of how that album title and cover photo came about.
Video Link to the Morrison Hotel Cover: https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/1381f7c91b5c7fb2
6/22/12
My Sidewalk Saga Part 1
OK.
I received a letter asking for a 39.00 payment. I paid and one moth ago the drama ensued.
To be Continued
6/10/12
White Bricks & Original Mortar
5/24/12
Marti's Garden Now and Then
I did a lot of whining.
Scroll down to see what the original site and photos of the groundbreaking then scroll back up to enjoy the lushness. And should you personally stop by feel free to pull some weeds. While on site say hello to Marti.I miss her and she still inspires me.
Fall 2008 photos of the original site and ground breaking: Tim Moffit (left) and John Kohler from the St. Louis Dept. of Public Service. I had asked them to pose on the spot where Marti's Garden would begin on the east end. Behind them is the former very small intersection garden. Marti's garden is triple the size at 2,300 sq feet. An employee of The Parks Dept who created the sign which was donated to the garden: