by Architectural Observer | Apr 22, 2018 | Blog, Observations
Today we continue with the second part of our examination of the evolution (and occasional devolution) of the noble newel post! The newel post fades in and out of popularity during these years as housing forms and styles change. It’s no secret that American...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 17, 2018 | Blog, Observations
Newel posts – used to anchor the balustrade of an open staircase – have had many different looks over the centuries. Because of their high visibility at the foot of a stair, “starting” newels are often larger and more ornamental than secondary...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 9, 2018 | Blog, Observations
It seemed so hip, so NOW… half a century ago, anyway. As a kind of a bridge between the Contemporary style of the mid-twentieth century and the Post Modern movement of the late-twentieth century, the Shed style had a brief moment of glory in the early...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 1, 2018 | Blog, Observations
Just one more post about Louis Curtiss and then I promise to move on to other stuff for a while! Given that virtually all of Curtiss’ work is “lesser-known”, saying so about some of the following may be redundant! Still, there are a few places that...
by Architectural Observer | Mar 27, 2018 | Blog, Observations
Entrepreneur Fred Harvey is much better-known than architect Louis Curtiss. After Harvey’s death in 1901, Curtiss designed some of his “Harvey House” hotels and restaurants for the Fred Harvey Company. Said to be the first restaurant chain in the...
by Architectural Observer | Mar 26, 2018 | Blog, Projects
One of my favorite movies, a close second to “Mars Attacks!”, is the slightly surreal Goff in the Desert by German documentarian Heinz Emigholz. The video has no narration; it is simply a series of video shots taken around 2002 of various structures...
