TBT…

Back in the day (early 1900s)…

There were postcards…

Gold’s Curio Store, Santa Fe, New Mexico, circa 1897. This was the first Indian curio business established in Santa Fe. The ramshackle old adobe building with wood carrying burros in front of and or around the corner on Burro Alley made this innovative curio shop on San Francisco street a favorite subject for photographers of the late 19th century. It’s no longer in existence…

The Lobby, Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone Park, ca 1897, still open, 120 years later…

The Arcade, Cleveland, 1901, still open for business, 117 years later…

The Old South Church, Boston, 1900. The second oldest church building in Boston, built in 1729. During the siege of Boston, the British gutted it, burned the pews, and used the building as a riding school. Old South survived fires in 1810 and 1872,and was destined for demolition in 1875 when concerned citizens stepped in, formed an Old South Association, and raised the money needed to save the building. Today, the association continues to operate Old South as a museum.

It is the site of lectures, meetings, concerts, plays, and church services. The steeple now contains an 876-pound bell cast by Paul Revere in 1801. Hooked up to the 1766 tower clock, it rings out the time on the hour, reminding Bostonians of an earlier era. – Walking Boston

Now before anyone goes off, yes there are MANY places in Europe that are older and still in use, but these are AMERICAN institutions…

I’ll give you one, just one from overseas… Bonus points if you recognize it. 🙂

Answer below the fold…

My friend, Robert Langham out of Tyler uses the old school cameras, has taken many shots of the West and east Texas.

It’s the Palazzo Senatario, the CURRENT city hall for Rome, Italy!

Built during the 13th and 14th centuries, the Palazzo Senatorio (“Senatorial Palace”) Its double ramp of stairs was designed by Michelangelo as part of the ‘upgrade’ to Capitoline Hill in the 15th century. The fountain in front of the staircase features the river gods of the Tiber and the Nile as well as Dea Roma (Minerva). The upper part of the facade was designed by Michelangelo with colossal corinthian pilasters harmonizing with the two other buildings. Its bell-tower was designed by Martino Longhi the Elder and built between 1578 and 1582. Its current facade was built by Giacomo della Porta and Girolamo Rainaldi after Michelangelo died in 1564.

Comments

TBT… — 21 Comments

  1. The difference between Europeans and Americans…

    Americans think 150 years is old. Europeans think 150 miles is a long way away.

    • Thanks for that, and I’m so stealing it! Explained to a snotty French tourist in LA airport once that you can drive from Rome to Berlin in less miles than driving from El Paso to Houston. He didn’t know enough to argue with me about it, I started another topic of discussion. I finally told him that if we were that bad, he should probably get a refund from his tour director.

      • that next-to-last “I” should be “he”. I can drink beer, or I can type. I can’t do both.

  2. One of the differences between Europeans and Americans…

    Americans think 150 years is old.

    Europeans think 150 miles is a long way away.

  3. Love it! You know I am partial to Old Faithful Inn. Would like to see all those, however.

  4. The Arcade is now a hotel. There was a few fast food type places on the lower floor, but I recall hearing even those are gone.

  5. All- Thanks for the comments. Sadly, the only one pictured I’ve actually been IN was in Rome…

    Posted from my iPhone.

  6. The picture of The Arcade reminds me of the Bradbury Building in downtown L.A.

    If you’ve seen “Blade Runner”, or “Demon With A Glass Hand”, you’ve seen the Bradbury.

  7. Hey Old NFO;

    Was the pic taken back when you were a gladiator or something?…Seriously thanks for the pics and the bit of history lesson.

  8. Been there and walked up the stairs. Used to live in Naples for 4 years and took lots of road trips to Bella Roma! Couldn’t think of the name of the place though. Brain cells are getting worn out!

  9. drjim- Didn’t know that…

    Bob- 😛 1969 if you really want to know…

    Ev- Yep!

    Brig- You’re one up on me!

  10. Wife and I got invited by the Queen’s Choral Master to sit through church services in the Tower of London(circa 1066). Services were as done in that time period. Incredible experience and afterward one of the Warders invited us back to his apartment for tea.

  11. Nice to see the old Cleveland Arcade again. I grew up in the Cleveland area, and my Mother wrote one of the first scholarly articles about the Arcade’s significance in architectural history. Cleveland went in for arcades; there are (at least) two more. The Euclid Arcade (which I don’t recall amounting to much), and the Colonial Arcade, where I had my first job (at the long defunct Cosmic Comics).

  12. emdfl- THAT had to be fantastic! 🙂

    CSPS- If you have a copy of that, I’d be honored to post it along with what other details I can dig up!