Beautiful conversations, people, places, design+photography
March 20, 1916 Albert Einstein published
his Theory of Relativity.
Einstein said: “When you are courting a
nice girl, an hour seems like a second.
When you sit on a red-hot cinder,
a second seems like an hour.
That’s relativity.”
Le Corbusier and Albert Einstein, 1946
In 1953, Seattle artist Lewis Nasmyth was hired to “rustle up” a design
for a western-style gas station in Georgetown. Featuring a 44-ft. wide
cowboy hat and 22-ft. high boots, the Hat n’ Boots opened the next year
to a stampede of customers. In fact, for a time it was the biggest selling
station in the state. Legend has it even Elvis dropped by when he was in
town during the World’s Fair in ’62. But in the early 60’s, a new interstate
I-5 started diverting traffic away from the station. By the late 80’s it
pretty much looked like trail’s end for the Hat n’ Boots. That’s when some
Georgetown residents saddled up to rescue the soul of their community
established a permanent home for them in Oxbow Park.
Seattle has a wonderful, convoluted history when it
comes to brewery companies and Georgetown was at
the epicenter. Some of these wonderful old building are
what’s left behind. Many have become artist’s studios
while others will become residential projects. Seattle’s
thriving beer scene today remains rooted in its 19th century
origins. Check out a great Brief History for an interesting read.
This is too cute. Two sons decided to get creative
and rummage through some old photos of him and his
brother to recreate as adults for his mom’s 55th birthday.
The thoughtful gift idea would surely tug at the
mother’s heartstrings while tickling her funny bone
as she browsed through the collection of images of
her little boys who have grown into men playfully
retracing their steps from twenty years ago.
Chromium was the chameleon-like fruit of a Siberian mineral, called crocoite and discovered in the eighteenth century. The mineral is deep orange, a natural form of lead chromate. It was analysed in the late 1790s by the eminent French chemist Nicolas Louis Vauquelin, who identified the new element chromium as the source of the color. Vauquelin studied the compounds of chromium, and found that he could make bright yellow and rich orange versions of lead chromate, both of which he proposed as potential pigments. Chrome orange became the first pure orange pigment since the medieval use of realgar, a highly toxic compound of arsenic. The chromium colors did not become widespread, however, until the discovery of chromium-containing mineral deposits in France, USA and Britain. By replacing the lead in chrome yellow with other metals, such as zinc and strontium, the color could be tuned to paler or more acidic hues, such as ‘lemon yellow’. Chrome orange was introduced as a pigment in 1809. The world production of chrome orange ceased few years ago.
Controversy surrounding the new World Trade Center
design is a never-ending source of amusement;
now Bansky has joined in.
LA has one of the best modern mid-century gems.
architecture. The openness and creative flow of the
city is vast. LA is the ideal setting for the mid-century
aesthetic characterized by open floor plans, clean lines,
large and plentiful windows and lots of natural light.
Anderton Court, Beverly Hill, CA
by Frank Lloyd Wright
Former Herman Miller Showroom, Beverly Hills Blvd.
Richard Neutra’s Ohara House
Los Angeles, CA
Richard Neutra’s Kaufman House
Palm Springs, CA
Schindler’s McAlmon House, Los Angeles, CA
Schindler’s Fitzpatrick/Leland House,
Los Angeles, CA 1936
Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant, Burbank, CA, 1949
Ed Ruscha apartments, Los Angeles, CA, 1965
Ed Ruscha Gas Station, Los Angeles, CA, 1962
Bunk with Breuer and the gang. The Bauhaus Dessau is now open to the public,
a modernist dream. For $47 a night, you can snooze in the same rooms that were
shared by Joseph Albers and architects Franz Ehrlich and Alfred Arndt.
Sweet dreams indeed. Sleep like a Bauhasler.
Photos by Steffen Zahn
Bauhaus architecture and the gang who started it all.
During one of my random walks recently I stumbled
upon a gem at 777 Thomas Street. It’s a great example
of an Art Deco style building designed by
George Wellington Stoddard in 1931, a notable and
prolific Seattle architect whose buildings are scattered
throughout Seattle.
But little did I know, this gem is at the center of an
interesting controversy that surrounds the future of
the building. When I got home I was curious and
researched the building to learn more about it and was
surprised to learn that it’s “fighting for its life” and seeking
to be preserved as a landmark. Currently the developer is
suing the city in what sounds like a battle over development.
It will be interesting to follow and see what happens.
With all the new development around the South Lake Union area
I think would be nice to save it…what do other people think?
Read the interesting story here
This is an architects report on neighborhood preservation
Here is the new proposal
Wow, two “WOW” images in one day. Love it.
Beautiful Musings 
