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“It’s the latest thing, they say.”
It’s sad to think that it’s spent more time in its century on earth looking like this, instead of its original facade.
Likewise.
Again, I understand this. I understand why they did this. They wanted the old downtowns to look modern and up-to-date, not some backwater burg left behind by progress and new ideas. It worked, too - but in the end, the appeal rested on the presence of a going concern and a big sign that glowed at night. When that’s gone, it’s like a giant blank painting called FAILURE.
Right next to it in the museum of the street: same theme, done by a miniaturist.
I’m beginning to detect a trend.
And I’m beginning to feel that familiar sense of sadness and anger. This didn’t have to happen, did it? The emptiness, I mean.
A rather recent sign, based on the “ENJOY” typography and Dynamic Ribbon. Could be late sixties.
Which is recent, in the scheme of Coke painted ads.
The choice of a different hue for the sills was a kind touch.
“That’s a nice design for the lodge, Brother Williams. The whole town is proud of it. . . . . “
"But we’re wondering if you’re trying to confuse folk trying to find our church.”
It shouldn’t work, and it really doesn’t, but you sense the architect really tried, and thought it came together well.
It’s an unobjectionable thing.
Sometimes the google car peeks through an alley and shows you things:
Things happen back there. Things people might not want to remember.
We all know what this was.
A sign of modern eclectic Deco motifs from an era that was more stylish and less prosperous. We’ve so much more money now, and fewer attempts at this sort of beauty.
It was the Stanley theater upon its opening in 1930, and the Center in later years.
Whoa! Completely original and intact.
GO AHEAD TRY TO CALL THIS SOMETHING ELSE. JUST TRY
Hmmm. Could it possibly be . . . a public building?
I mean, it has all the hallmarks of modern civic architecture, which is to say it’s contemptuous of everything around it. Yeah.
Skin-disease rock facade; never pleasant.
Did they slap an old sign on the building? Seems to lack the usual showroom windows. How did the cars get inside? Ah, there it is.
Not enough of either, it seems:
But they were around long enough to put Variety Discount out of business. I wonder about that building. The position makes me think it was probably a gas station, a long time ago.
No one ever takes the air conditioners.
Popular name for laundries; you see a lot of MODEL laundries. Like IDEAL or ACME.
The building seems to have someone on the second floor who has just enough space, and needs absolutely no more light than is currently provided.
A residence now, perhaps.
Damndest theater I ever saw. It goes out of its way not to look like one.
I suppose it didn’t matter, if everyone knew that’s what it was.
Why the bar? To keep people from getting too close to the ticket seller’s booth? It was the Almeda, if you're curious. That’s it; the town still feels mysterious. As I asked last week: where is everyone?
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Our second look at Aberlmarle.
