Late 19th century textured architecture

In the Adams Morgan section of Washington,DC, an upscale bohemian neighborhood of row houses and distinctive restaurants featuring international tastes, there is equally impressive architecture.

This late 19th century large residence (now residences) shows variety of materials (brick and copper), range of colors (yellowish brick and nearly black copper), and narrow brick with tight joints suggesting weaving, and visual interest through the detailed panels and contrast between various rounds and flat surfaces and roofline.

 

Unexpected consequences that can occur with photo-editing.

Applying an old principle of black and white film photography that it is better to get the image right at the time of shooting, rather than depending on manipulating in the darkroom, I limit my editing of digital images.

For a photo of an early 19th structure along the C & O canal I could not get far enough back and I had to tilt the camera up, resulting in considerable converging of vertical lines.

I used software to straighten the lines resulting in, unfortunately, cropping of the building.

But much more disturbing was the distortion of the second story windows.

At least I was able to get undistorted images of the end and canal side of the building by crossing the canal.

 

Andrew Lebovich quoted in today’s New York Times

1801 house on the C & O Canal restored, in 1976 (Bicentennial Project) by National Park Service with assistance of Colonial Dames Chapter III.

Senator John McCain

Yesterday’s New York Times deferentially described the Senator as “being known for his independent streak.”  “Feisty” is another word more often associated with Senator McCain.  But in 1998 I interviewed him for an article in Southwest Art and I was struck by how gracious, soft-spoken he and Mrs. McCain were and his warm feelings towards his staff.  Most striking was sense of equality in the office.  Unlike other offices in the U.S. Capitol, his staff were not jammed together in a small space, while the senator or representative had a massive office at the end of the office, with a grand view of the National Mall.  Senator McCain’s desk and office were only slightly larger than those of staff and in the middle of the suite, without the grand view.

The two photographs behind the Senator were gifts from his predecessor Barry Goldwater and it is Goldwater’s desk that McCain now uses.  To the right of these photographs is one of two Edward S. Curtis images on loan from the Smithsonian Institution.

Capital Trail, Delacarlia Tunnel under MacArthur Blvd.

Built 1910 as tunnel for railroad  moving coal between Maryland and Georgetown.

Notice one of the alcoves for someone walking on the tracks to duck into and avoid oncoming train.

The  buttresses flanking the round arched opening and the detailed cornice, along with emphatic barrel vault,  are appropriately architectonic for the powerful railroad engine and its load.

The French are so inventive and bold

A former train station in Paris turned into an art museum.  They preserve what is most architecturally significant about the structure, while creating functional display spaces

Kemp Hall and the possible secession of Maryland from the Union

On April 13,1861, U. S. Army Major Robert Anderson surrendered Ft. Sumter, Charleston,South Carolina, to the Confederacy.  On April 27th, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates convened at Kemp Hall, corner of E. Church  and N. Market Streets, Frederick, to discuss whether Maryland should follow the southern states and secede from the Union.  The senators and delegates never voted on the issue.  Lincoln had his troops arrest the pro-Secessionists members of the Maryland General Assembly, preventing the august body from having the necessary quorum for taking a vote.

The building is a distinctive revival building of approximately 1860 with arched window heads and wide, bracketed cornice.  It is connected by a lower, setback hyphen with circular window to the third building, along Church.  This building is slightly lower than the hyphen building, which in turn is slightly lower than the main building.  Only the main building has arched windows.  The glass store front covers the N. Market St. facade and part of the Church St. facade, which has later brickwork.

The late Michael Grave’s addition to the U.S. District Court

300 block of Constitution Ave., NW.  Graves also did a Catholic School  and PA Ave. office building in Washington.  The school is more chaotic and therefore more like Grave’s usual design.  But this addition is less hectic, more dignified as is appropriate for a federal courthouse between the US Capitol Building and the White House.

American flag painted on brick wall