How do most grandparents respond when asked to do something by their grandchildren? They try their best to oblige, of course. So when, on our recent visit to Paris, our friend Pete mentioned that he had promised to send his grandchildren a photo of himself by the Eiffel Tower and to buy them miniature towers, we all agreed to accompany him on this mission.
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I enjoy photographing architecture in black and white, especially more modern architecture. So here is a selection of architectural images, most relatively new (that is, twentieth or twenty first century).
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Like many who travel a lot, I prefer to think of myself as more than just a tourist. But I’m never sure it’s as clear cut as that, and I don’t get too offended by the ‘tourist’ tag! I think the truth of the matter is, we are all both at times, depending on where we are and what we are doing.
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The mass production of inexpensive steel in the mid 19th century made it possible for urban planners to bring to life the idea of skyscrapers. And it all started in Chicago. The method had been tested in Liverpool, England, on the five storey Oriel Chambers building. But it was in Chicago that the capacity of steel to support taller buildings was first exploited.
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I suspect that, like me, you have never heard of Albert Khan. Yet in his time (1860-1940) he was very influential. A banker and philanthropist, he dedicated his fortune to the service of knowledge, harmony between people and progress. He amassed a huge collection of photos which he called the Archives de la Planète and used them to open up the world to people with the aim of promoting pacifism and understanding.
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As one of my abiding memories of Chicago will be of the architecture, especially the variety in age and style of its skyscrapers, I can’t help but agree with Frank Gehry. He said of the city that, 'Chicago’s one of the rare places where architecture is more visible'.
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My interest in Frank Lloyd Wright was sparked by Paul Simon's song on 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Over the intervening decades I’ve seen many images of his buildings, read a bit about them, and visited one, the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. But only one.
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On our recent visit to Paris much of the time we simply walked. With no need to tick off the famous sights we instead strolled some of our favourite streets, explored new ones and checked out some less well-known places.
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This is a house in Oak Park, just outside Chicago, one of several private homes in this neighbourhood designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
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The Place des Vosges must be one of the most beautiful corners of this beautiful city. Like the Place Dauphine it owes its existence to the city planning ambitions of Henri IV. It was laid out as an elegant residential square where the upper echelons of Parisian society could live and socialise. Much has changed since then, not least due to the Revolution, but it remains as elegant as ever.
