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"We like snakes" he said, so I made them a snake.
____________________________
Finished size: 14"W X 22"H X 1.5"D
Weight: 14 pounds
A good portion of my recent reading material has consisted of this lone sheet of paper, which I have been carrying in my shirt pocket for the past week or so, and taking out at frequent intervals to look at it. Here's the story:
The Chandler Fred Astaire studio occasionally presents its own version of "Dancing with the Stars." I took my camera to the last such performance in August, but did not participate in the event except as an observer. I was supposed to have performed in it, but for a number of reasons the plan was aborted that time around.
The next performance is scheduled for Thursday evening, December 13, and I am scheduled to perform in it this time, along with our instructor, Miss Angie. The dance will be a foxtrot, performed to an old swing-era tune called "Pennsylvania 6-5000." I envision it as being a sort of tribute to the Greatest Generation, and am trying to scrounge up something that at least bears a plausible resemblance to a World War II military uniform, which I then propose to wear for this unique event in my life. Unique thus far, at least; but if all goes as well as I hope, it may not be the last time I do something like this.
I admit being a bit nervous about dancing in front of 75 to 100 people, but I want to overcome my nervousness and do this anyway, for several reasons. First, it's a challenge, and involves something that does not come easily or naturally to me. Second, I trust my instructor. Third, my respect and affection for Angie are such that I really want to do her proud, and that alone is incentive enough for me to want to tackle this challenge and do it well.
Angie and I started preparing for this about a week ago. She interrupted our second lesson a couple of nights later to sit down with me and have me write down the steps and cues in my own words, and I protested the interruption, but now realize she did the right thing to make me do this. It would be just about impossible for me to learn the routine without some kind of written aid. I have been carrying this sheet of paper in my shirt pocket ever since, and consulting it at frequent intervals as I practice the routine on my own. Sometimes those opportunities present themselves in unusual ways. This week our son Colin came to visit us for Thanksgiving, and one evening I took him and his friend over to Wal-Mart to pick up some transmission fluid. While the boys were shopping, I pulled this sheet out of my pocket and started practicing my footwork for this routine, and Colin looked at me with a sort of amused astonishment. I don't think anyone else saw it, but if they did, I don't care.
This afternoon I took our Toyota in for a long-overdue car wash, which took perhaps half an hour, including the wait in line. While the car was being worked on, I went out to the parking lot and practiced the routine over and over again, orienting myself to an imaginary line of dance by using a painted yellow line on the pavement as my reference. I know some of the other customers saw me doing this, but again, I don't care.
My wife's favorite TV program is "Dancing with the Stars," which I have been watching with her this season. She's excited about seeing me perform in my own version of the program, and if and when her health ever allows it, I hope to do something like this with her. And perhaps with Vanessa as well, although at age 13, dancing with one's dad just isn't a "cool" thing to do.
Angie, by the way, seeing me work on these notes, remarked how much she loved my handwriting. I thanked her, but told her I thought it was awful, especially since I have arthritis now, and writing anything by hand has become rather difficult for me. The bottom portion of this was written by Angie, and the whole thing was written in pencil, with the exception of the phrase "8 steps +/-." which appears near the bottom. I used my fountain pen for that.
This image is best viewed large. Meanwhile, that song is buzzing around in my head constantly these days!!
(Update: The actual performance -- the result of all the effort I described above, and more -- can be seen here. It wasn't perfect, but it went about as well as I had hoped. And all in all, probably not too bad for a 54-year-old man who had scarcely danced a step in his life until less than a year ago!
A still image captured at the conclusion of this performance may be found here, with others almost certainly to follow in coming days. But I liked this one best.)
(Second update: This folded sheet of paper with handwritten notes on it served as a memento of one of the happiest experiences of my life, and I carried it in my shirt pocket every day for nearly two months after that performance. One evening around the end of January, I took it out, looked over it again, and decided I'd have it laminated and put in a secure place, along with some of my other treasured possessions. Unfortunately, however, that plan will never be realized. The very next evening, I did my laundry after forgetting to remove the contents from one of my shirt pockets. As a result, two of my fountain pens, one ballpoint pen, and several papers -- including this one -- started the wash cycle together. The pens survived, but one pair of my trousers did not, because a fountain pen leaked on them; and in addition, all of the papers were completely obliterated. But at least I had the foresight to take this picture before that little mishap took place.)
The printed circuit boards inside the Wang Laboratories Inc. Wang 700 Advanced Programmable Calculator are numbered as well as the slots in which they're supposed to go.
Item Number: 9045-58-sh2
Document Title: Mr. & Mrs. Harold A. Hatch/ Second Floor Electrical Plan/ House at Sharon, Conn./; Scale 1/4"= 1' [orig] Project:09045; Hatch, Harold A.; Sharon; Connecticut; 07 Private Estate & Homesteads; 168; Location:FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED NHS, BROOKLINE, MA
Category: PLAN Purpose:A&E (Architectural & Engineering) Physical Characteristics:0000052972 22" x 36" cyano neg paper Dates: 01-OCT-1946 [orig] Notes:Heathcote M. Woolsey, Arch't [orig]
Please credit: Courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
Sleep Number Bed Store, Manchester, CT 7/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
'Mapacho'. Large mural on the front of Number 90 by Martin Ron and Jiant. Hackney Wick. Capital Ring Section 13 Stoke Newington to Hackney Wick. London. 12 September 2015
I can't believe I lucked out with a numbered Jett Dawson! Mine is #499/1000. I preordered two from Amazon US on release day, and because presales were restricted to the US, I had to resort to using a freight forwarder to ship her to me.
Her box came a little beat up, and most of those gold corner pieces came loose so I had to glue them back on. Because she's numbered, I do want to keep her on display in her box, so it's a little frustrating she came this way. Sadly it's one of the perks of ordering from the US. I'm just grateful nothing is broken, cracked or damp. The deboxed Jett showing here is the other unnumbered one I got.
I also shipped a bunch of other dolls along with Jett, including the De'Vious twins, Barbie Extra deluxe dolls, made to move barbies, Barbie BMR1959 and the 2021 Lunar New Year Barbie. The entire package weighed a whopping 9kg!
Now onto the Jett doll herself. She's gorgeous. I love how edgy and bold she is with her monochromatic black and white graphic sketch style. I appreciate her extra articulation in the chest and ankles, and her buttery smooth and soft rainbow pastel hair is to die for. She also sports a different skin tone from the other girls? She seems to have more pink undertones than the fairest dolls like Ruby and Poppy, and it's so radiant and beautiful. They've also really toned down on the face shimmer and she her face is mostly matte, which is a treat for photos.
So I'm fully aware of all the controversy surrounding this "collector's edition" doll. And on one hand, I do agree that she's somewhat overpriced compared to other Rainbow High dolls such as Avery Styles. However, you're really getting bang for your buck if you compare her with let's say, a limited edition Disney doll. And it's mostly in her second outfit.
It's a runway style burgundy red mermaid dress, fully lined and embroidered. It definitely plays a big part in driving her cost up. And that's unfortunate. Because while I do appreciate the craftsmanship and time that went into this fashion piece, I can't say I'm a fan. I wish they'd put their time and budget on something more cohesive and less restrictive for Jett. I just don't see myself putting this impractical and extravagant dress on any of the current Rainbow High dolls. It will likely just act as a background decor or prop, which is a real pity. There are already several YT videos showing how problematic the dress is to get on and pose in.
Before I sign off, I do have to note that I'm so glad MGA finally released an east asian doll (even though her surname doesn't sound asian at all?) because we asians get so little representation in most doll lines. I hope to see more asian dolls enter the Rainbowverse.
So all in all, while I do adore this doll and she's definitely amongst my top favourites, she is not without issues. I have already ordered two more of her from Amazon (I'm trying to get one with deep red ombre lips like my numbered one which I will not be deboxing). As of now, my absolute favourite Rainbow High doll is Laurel De'vious. She's absolutely breathtaking, and I am so in love with her fiery colours and new face mould. More on that soon!!
Trangkil Number 4, 0-4-2 Saddle Tank steam locomotive (1971)
Manufacturer Hunslet of Leeds
Year 1971
RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157624240221528
Trangkil was built in 1971 by Hunslet of Leeds, as works number 3902, originally to a gauge of 2 foot 5.5 inches, and was later regauged to 2 foot. For the Trangkil Sugar Mill, Pati, Central Java (built to Kerr, Stuart 'New Type Brazil' class drawings but with a more modern pattern of feed pump
Diolch am 90,586,356 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 90,586,356 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 10.03.2022 Statfold Farm Light Railway, Tamworth, Staffs. Ref. 155-039
These metal gutters somehow ruined the traditional facade.
Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul, South Korea (Saturday 18 October 2014)
Camera: Holga 120N, Ilford Delta 400
Developer:T-Max 1-4, 20 degrees, 7 mins.
Ilfostop/Ilford Rapid Fixer/Sunlight Dishsoap
Number:
179707
Date created:
1968
Extent:
1 photographic print : gelatin silver ; 7.5 x 9.5 in.
Description:
Front row, from left to right: 1) Frenck; 2) Stumbaugh; 3) O'Croinin; 4) Cooke; 5) Neims; 6) Lang; 7) Alter; 8) Dejonge; 9) McHugh.
Second row, from left to right: 1) Magee; 2) Beaudet; 3) Polmar; 4) Kaback; 5) McCloskey; 6) Roskes; 7) Johnson; 8) Winkelstein; 9) Finkel.
Third row, form left to right: 1) Stevenson; 2) Bland; 3) O'Malley; 4) Flynt; 5) Abraham; 6) Whitworth; 7) Derivan; 8) Kolsky; 9) Berman; 10) MacLean; 11) Morehead; 12) Cohen; 12) Suskind.
Fourth row, from left to right: 1) Kaplan; 2) Myers; 3) Alexander; 4) Casazza; 5) Bretz; 6) Mayman; 7) Simmons; 8) Poland.
Fifth row, from left to right: 1) Rodriguez; 2) Adams; 3) Bucknall; 4) Elliott; 5) Davick; 6) Ravenel; 7) Teusch.
Rights:
Photograph is subject to copyright restrictions. Contact the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives for reproduction permissions.
Subjects:
Johns Hopkins Hospital. Department of Pediatrics--People
Frenck, Nahum
Stumbaugh, Susan D.
O'Croinin, Proinnsias
Cooke, Robert E.
Neims, Allen H. (Allen Howard)
Lang, Margaret E.
Alter, Blanche P.
Dejonge, Christina
McHugh, Eva R.
Magee, Kenneth G.
Beaudet, Arthur L.
Polmar, Stephen H.
Kaback, Michael M.
McCloskey, Keith R.
Roskes, Saul D.
Johnson, Robert H.
Winkelstein, Jerry A.
Finkel, Annette
Stevenson, Roger E.
Bland, Richard D.
O'Malley, John E.
Flynt, John W. Jr.
Abraham, Henry D.
Whitworth, Jay M.
Derivan, Albert T.
Kolsky, Neil H.
Berman, Michael A.
MacLean, William C. Jr.
Morehead, Charles D.
Cohen, Irun R.
Suskind, Robert M.
Kaplan, Joseph
Myers, Martin G.
Alexander, Duane F.
Casazza, Lawrence J.
Bretz, Gedeon
Mayman, David
Simmons, Michael, 1941-
Poland, Ronald L.
Adams, Myron J.
Bucknell, William E.
Elliott, Jan A.
Davick, Alan M.
Ravenel, Samuel F.
eusch, H. William Jr.
Pediatricians
Group portraits
Portrait photographs
Notes: Photographer unknown.
Series: NRS 4335 Plans of public buildings.
Title: Sydney Proposed alterations to Immigration Barracks. Ground plan, No. [Number] 1
Dated: 1887
Digital ID: 4335_a120_001724.jpg
Rights: www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/rights-and-permissions
We'd love to hear from you if you use our maps/plans.
Many other photos in our collection are available to view and browse on our website using Photo Investigator.
New Life Fellowship Church, 82-10 Queens Boulevard. Built 1923-24. Elmhurst, Queens
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878, located in Elmhurst, Queens, was built in 1923-24 to the designs of the architectural firm, the Ballinger Company. The neoclassical style building is modeled on the Italian Renaissance palazzo type and is clad in brick, limestone, and granite. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a fraternal organization founded in New York in 1868 by a group of professional entertainers and actors. The structure, which contains a series of recreational and social spaces, was considered one of the largest and best-equipped fraternal homes in the country, and one of Queen's most handsome buildings at the time of its completion. The building was prominently featured in an article about the design of fraternal buildings that appeared in thz Architectural Forum in 1926. The freestanding building is distinguished by a full-width front terrace, an ornate entryway, carved keystones with lions' heads, festooned panels, and a prominent cornice.
A large bronze statue of an elk, based on the prototype statue designed for the club by the noted sculptor, Eli Harvey, is located on the front terrace. The lodge, one of most prominent buildings in Elmhurst and along Queens Boulevard, remains remarkably intact.
Development of Elmhurst and Queens Boulevard
At the time of the consolidation of Greater New York in 1898, only the three western townships of Queens County voted to become part of New York City: Jamaica, Rushing, and Newtown.2 Newtown, which bordered the East River and lay closest to Manhattan, was settled by the Dutch in 1640 and incorporated in 1652. By 1790, its population hovered around 2,000. It remained mainly an agricultural community through the mid-nineteenth century, producing vegetables and fruits for the growing urban markets in Long Island City, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. By 1850, Newtown's population had increased to approximately 7,000.
Growth in Newtown continued in the late-nineteenth century, spurred on by the extension of railroads and street railways throughout Queens County. Real estate developers, hoping to capitalize on Newtown's proximity to Manhattan and Brooklyn, began buying tracts of farmland on the outskirts of the village.
Large-scale development began in 1896, when the Cord Meyer Development Company, one of Queens' major homebuilders, began operating in Newtown. Hoping to disassociate its housing development from nearby, foul-smelling Newtown Creek, Cord Meyer Development convinced the post office to rename the town Elmhurst for its large number of stately elm trees. By 1910, the company had completed thousands of houses in the community. Additional development was stimulated by improvements in transportation during the 1910s and 20s, which included the construction of another Long Island Railroad station, the enhancement of trolley service, new elevated train service above Roosevelt Avenue, and the opening of Queens Boulevard.
After the Queensborough Bridge was completed in 1909, new approach roads were needed to accommodate increasing traffic flowing into the rapidly-developing borough. The construction of Queens Boulevard, an eight-mile-long, two-hundred-foot wide arterial highway leading from the bridge to the heart of the borough, began in 1910.3 The new boulevard was completed by 1924, for the most part.4 In order to accommodate the wide new road, many buildings along its route were either moved or demolished, and opportunities for new development were created. The segment of Queens Boulevard through Elmhurst was completed in 1923, the same year that construction of the Elks Lodge began.
Growth continued in the 1930s with the opening of the Independent Subway (IND) line in Elmhurst with stops along Queens Boulevard, encouraging denser suburban development in the form of six-story apartment houses and long rows of adjoining houses, as well as additional commercial and industrial development.
Demographic changes followed the Second World War as Elmhurst evolved from an almost exclusively middle-class suburban community with a large Jewish and Italian population to one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city. By the 1980s, immigrants from 112 countries had settled in Elmhurst, including people from China, Colombia, Korea, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Pakistan, Peru, and Guyana.5 Development also continued, including the borough's first enclosed shopping mall, which opened in 1973. In addition to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878, Elmhurst*s other designated New York City Landmarks are the Reformed Dutch Church of Newtown (85-15 Broadway), the Remsen Cemetery (69-43 Trotting Course Lane), and the Edward E. Sanford House (107-45 47th Avenue).
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Queensborough Lodge Number 8786
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (the Elks) was founded in New York City in 1867 as the Jolly Corks, an assortment of entertainers and actors led by Charles A. Vivian, an English comic singer who had recently arrived in New York. In the beginning, this group of kindred spirits, most of whom were of British origin, regularly met to drink, sing, dine, and cavort at the Star Hotel on Elm Street.7 The group entertained themselves by playing a game involving bottle corks in which the loser would buy the next round. Soon, the happy little coterie styled itself the "Jolly Corks," with Vivian installed as the Imperial Cork.
After the death of one of its members, the survivors decided to organize the Jolly Corks as a lodge along benevolent and fraternal lines with rules and regulations, suitable ritual, and a new name. In February, 1868, the Jolly Corks officially became the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The elk was said to have been chosen as the club's symbol on account of P.T. Bamum's museum's description of the animal as "'fleet of foot, timorous of wrong, but ever ready to combat in defense of self or the female of the species.'"8 At the order's first meeting, the organization adopted its ritual, by-laws, and mission, which was to "inculcate the principles of charity, justice, brotherly love, and fidelity and to quicken the spirit of American patriotism."9 Vivian was elected as "Right Honorable Primo," the leader of the lodge; later that title was changed to "Grand Exalted Ruler."
In late 1868, the club's first satellite lodge opened in Philadelphia, and the New York lodge, located at 193 Bowery, became known as the Grand Lodge.
In the years following the Civil War through the turn of the century, fraternal organizations proliferated in number and membership throughout the United States. The war itself was undoubtedly important to this trend, offering men the experience of military bonding, hierarchy, and ceremony that they wanted to continue in a peacetime setting." Prior to the war, there were only a handful of fraternal organizations, the major ones being the Masons and Oddfellows, but by 1907, there were over three hundred. The period from 1864 to 1884 was a particularly important time for the establishment of new orders. Besides the Elks (1868), there were the Knights of Pythias (1864), the Ancient Order of United Workmen (1868), the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners, 1871), the Knights of Honor (1873), the Knights of Maccabees (1878), and Modern Woodmen of America (1883). For every club that survived and grew, countless others failed.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks grew at a rapid rate through the early twentieth century and became known for charity and community service. By 1930, there were 1,421 lodges throughout the country; in 1923-24, the year that Queensborough Lodge 878 was opened, the Elks added 20 new lodges. Membership in 1930 was 761,461. Thirteen thousand new members were added in 1923-24 alone.
Many of the fraternal organizations, such as the Improved Order of Red Men and the Knights of Pythias, collapsed during the depression of the 1930s, as members fell behind in their dues. Those that did survive, including the Elks, lost millions of members. Thousands of lodges, unable to meet mortgage payments, went bankrupt. Also, the rituals, ceremony, and symbolism of the clubs, were becoming less interesting to men as other forms of entertainment gained in popularity. The remaining orders became more enterprising by hosting dinner dances, sponsoring club nights with billiards, card games, and movies; organizing baseball teams, bowling leagues, and recreational trips; and undertaking charitable projects. This led to a revival of club activity after the Second
World War, especially in the 1950s, when many clubs also began to include ladies' auxiliaries and youth activities.
Interest in fraternal organizations declined after the Vietnam War as a result of societal changes and aging rosters. None of the clubs have been immune. Membership in the Shriners has fallen by half since 1980; the Knights of Columbus, Moose, and Masons have suffered similar declines. Nationally, membership in the Elks has dropped over twenty percent since 1975.
The depletion in members at Queensborough Lodge 878 has been especially harsh. By 2000, its ranks had fallen to fewer than 600 members, a decline of ninety percent. This decrease was due to a variety of reasons, including the diminishing interest in fraternal societies among younger generations. To help defray the cost of taxes and maintenance on the Elmhurst lodge, the Elks began to lease parts of the building to social groups and churches, and to rent out the dining hall for special events.
The Ballinger Company. Architects
The Ballinger Company, a Philadelphia-based architectural firm, was formed in 1920 by architect Walter Francis Ballinger (1867-1924), who had been in partnership with Emile G. Perrot in the firm Ballinger & Perrot since 1902. Ballinger was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, where his father Jacob Howe Ballinger, operated a machine shop until his death in 1869. Ballinger's mother then moved the family to Woodstown, New Jersey, where Walter Francis worked as a farmhand and in local factories, while taking evening classes in business, engineering, and architecture at the YMCA and the Drexel Institute.
In 1889, he entered the prosperous architectural and engineering firm of Geissinger & Hales, where he was employed in a variety of business capacities, including bookkeeper, stenographer, and clerk. In 1895, he formed a brief partnership with another member of the firm, William B. Brink worth; that same year Ballinger replaced Walter H. Geissinger as a principal in the Hales firm; this successor firm, Hales & Ballinger, continued until Edward M. Hales retired in 1901. At that time, the chief draftsman in the firm, Emile G. Perrot, became a partner and the firm continued as Ballinger & Penrot. In 1920, Ballinger bought out the interests of his partner, and the firm became the Ballinger Company.
Throughout its long history, the Ballinger Company maintained the engineering emphasis that was established by Geissinger and Hales. Concentrating primarily on industrial and commercial structures, the firm also expanded its range of building types to include institutional, ecclesiastical, and residential projects. In addition, Ballinger & Perrot were pioneers in the use of reinforced concrete, publishing a book on the subject in 1909. Ballinger was also a co-inventor of the "super-span sawtooth" type of roof construction, which he patented, that was used widely in the construction of factory buildings. By 1912, Ballinger & Perrot had opened an office in New York City.
By 1916, Ballinger's son, Robert Irving Ballinger (1882-1974), a graduate of Pratt Institute, had become associated with his father's firm. Although the firm closed its New York office in 1936, it continued to operate through 1969 in Philadelphia under Robert I. Ballinger and his son, Robert I., Jr., who graduated from Cornell University in 1941.
Ballinger's most notable works in Philadelphia are the Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company Plant (1923), the Budd Company Red Lion Plant (1942) and the TWA Maintenance Hangar (1954) at Philadelphia Airport. Its major New York commissions include the American Chicle Co. factory (1919-20, Ballinger & Perrot) and the Motor Starter Co. factory (1918, Ballinger & Perrot), both in Long Island City, as well as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Queensborough Lodge 878 (1923-24) in Elmhurst.
The Queensborough Lodge 878 Building
In 1921, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks purchased land on the south side of Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens, for the construction of a new building for Lodge 878. The lodge was founded in 1903, and was holding its meetings at Lodge 828 in Long Island City, Queens. In the early 1920s, Queens Boulevard was a newly-widened thoroughfare lined by building lots ready for development. The site of the Elks lodge, not far from the major intersection where Queens Boulevard crosses two of historic Newtown's oldest routes, Broadway and Grand Avenue, had previously been part of a nearby estate.
Plans for the new lodge were drawn up by the architectural firm the Ballinger Company, which designed a freestanding Italian palazzo with a one-story annex for the pool and gymnasium. (The annex is not part of this designation.) Construction began in October 1923 by the Mclntee Construction Co. of Manhattan. Originally, the Elks had envisioned the eventual replacement of the annex with a four-story building connected to the existing lodge by a passageway; however, this plan was not carried out, although the building was subsequently extended at the rear. (The rear addition is not part of this designation.) The lodge, which cost $750,000, opened on October 26, 1924.
Fraternal architecture as a building type did not achieve recognition in the architectural press until Architectural Forum published an issue devoted to this topic in 1926. The introductory piece, "The Architecture of Fraternal Buildings," was by well-known New York City architect Harvey Wiley Corbett, who referred to the opportunities that these often large and prominent buildings gave architects. West coast architect Herbert Greene wroi. that fraternal buildings were usually deyi ^ned in either the Classical or Gothic styles. R.R. Houston, of George Post & Sons, discussed the clubs' great affinity for antiquity.
The architecture of Lodge 878 followed the design trend for early-twentieth-century fraternal buildings placed in suburban settings, which were usually treated as freestanding, monumental structures with classical detailing and occupied impressive sites. Interior design was often based on exotic styles, such as Egyptian, Moorish, or Oriental. A club building was expected to be dignified and inviting, in keeping with its environment, functionally appropriate to the needs of the organization, and expressive of the club's desired public image. The Queens lodge is a classically-detailed, monumental structure occupying a prominent site along the area's major thoroughfare, from which it is approached via a grand staircase and a broad, balustraded terrace watched over by a giant bronze elk. Its interior features an array of public and private spaces for its rituals and activities.14
Upon its completion, Lodge 878 was considered one of the largest and best-equipped fraternal homes in the country. Besides the pool and gymnasium, the building (the interior of which is not subject to designation) had six bowling alleys, indoor hardball courts, a grille room, a barber shop, a game room, lockers, lounges, a dining room, a kitchen, office space, a main meeting room with space for 2,000 people, and twenty-eight bedrooms. The front of the building is graced by a broad terrace on which stands a bronze statue of an Elk, based on the prototype statue developed for the Elks organization by noted sculptor Eli Harvey.15 The Elmhurst Lodge was featured prominently in the aforementioned issue of Architectural Forum. The lodge is one of the most prominent buildings in Elmhurst and on Queens Boulevard, and one of only a few buildings of its type in this part of Queens.
The Queensborough Lodge's membership peaked in the 1960s at 6,600,16 and included local politicians, businessmen, and professionals. The club's facilities were busy at most times. The annual "Elks Bazaar," considered the borough's social event of the year, included raffling off two dozen Cadillacs. At the time, the lodge employed a staff of twenty-six people. In addition, it raised money for charity and for hospitalized war veterans, and performed funerary rites for deceased members. The building was sold to the New Life Fellowship Church in 2001, although the lodge's remaining 550 members will continue to use part of the building for meetings.
Description
The Elks Club building, three stories with a raised basement and a fenestrated attic level, consists of a granite base, limestone first-story facade, and brick upper facade with carved limestone ornament. The building's main facade, facing north towards Queens Boulevard, is five bays wide. It has a full-width granite terrace reached from the boulevard via a flight of granite steps with non-historic wrought-iron railings. A granite pedestal at the center of the staircase contains a sculpted bronze elk. The base of the terrace has regularly-spaced windows with historic wrought-iron grilles. The terrace has a concrete deck, which is enclosed by limestone balustrades. The terrace and stairs are surrounded by small lawns.
The main entry way, located in the center bay of the rusticated first-story facade, is reached by way of the front steps and the terrace. The en try way consists of a round-arched opening with an ornately-carved, oversized keystone, flanked by unusual banded and fluted Doric half-columns. It is surmounted by a molded hood, featuring brackets, metopes, guttae, and a carved frieze with incised lettering. The entryway contains two historic, paneled wood-and-glass doors decorated with rosettes, and surmounted by a denticulated wood lintel and curved transom. Non-historic lighting has been installed in the soffit.
Four segmentally-arched, secondary entryways lead from the terrace to the first-floor interior. The entryways feature paired, historic paneled wood-and-glass doors (the easternmost and westernmost pairs have been modified), molded architraves, divided-light transoms, and carved keystones with lions' heads. The first-story is topped by a decorative crown featuring carved rosettes and floral ornamentation. Non-historic metal wire channels and lighting have been installed at the upper part of the first-stoiy facade.
The second-story fenestration features balusters, eared architraves, and segmental pediments. The easternmost bay retains the historic wood casements and divided transom, while the remaining bays have paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash with historic, divided wood-and-glass transoms. The third-story fenestration has bracketed sills, eared architraves, scrolled keystones, and non-historic, one-over-one metal sash. Carved limestone panels, decorated with swags, are located above the third-story windows. The center panel features a bronze and glass clock with flanking urns and foliation. The attic story features windows alternating with elaborately-carved panels. The windows contain non-historic, one-over-one metal sash, although the easternmost bay retains the historic two-over-one wood sash. The facade is topped by a prominent cornice featuring brackets, dentils, and egg-and-dart moldings.
The west facade, facing Simonson Street, is seven bays and features similar ornament to the main facade. The west facade has a granite basement containing windows with historic wrought-iron grilles. The first-story windows have bracketed sills. The three southernmost window openings of the first story contain grouped fenestration with non-historic, one-over-one metal sash; other bays have paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash, while the northernmost bay is a blind window. The second-story fenestration of the west facade has historic wood casements in some of the windows and paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash in the others. All these windows retain their historic wood-framed transoms. The third-story fenestration of the west facade has paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash in some bays and historic wood-and-stained-glass casements in the others. The attic-story fenestration has historic, two-over-one wood sash, but the northernmost bay has non-historic, one-over-one metal sash.
The east facade is seven bays and is similar in design and ornamentation to the west facade. A one-story passageway connects this facade to the east annex. (Neither the passageway nor the annex are subject to designation.) There is a non-historic, multistory, wrought-iron stairway at the southernmost bay. The basement windows have historic wrought-iron grilles. The three southernmost window openings of the first story contain non-historic, one-over-one metal sash; the remaining bays have paired, non-historic, one-over-one wood sash, while the northernmost bay is a blind window. The second-story fenestration of the east facade has paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash and historic wood-and-stained-glass transoms. The third-story fenestration of the east facade has paired, non-historic, one-over-one metal sash. The attic-story fenestration has historic, two-over-one wood sash, but the northernmost bay has non-historic, one-over-one metal sash.
The building's south facade has been largely obscured by the rear addition (not subject to designation), except for the attic story and the cornice, which are similar in design and ornamentation to the main facade. The roof contains an historic flagpole centered at the north facade, a brick chimney stack.
- From the 2001 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
Another year, another set of secrets.
Secret number one:
Disappointment. It happens. I have been disappointed in myself more often than I have been proud. Disappointed that I can't seem to complete a 365 project to save my life. Disappointed that I allow myself to waste so much precious time. Disappointed that I have lost touch with so many people that mean so much to me. You all know who you are. I don't know how to fix it. Disappointed that I hold myself back on so many things because I don't feel like I deserve them. Take flying for instance. I never "allowed" myself to fly anywhere because I thought I was too fat. Yes, I am big, but I proved to myself just this year that I can fly just like anyone else. Hell, I saw some folks bigger than me. Thankfully, I always hold on to hope. I truly believe that things work themselves out in the end. I always hope. In many different areas. Sometimes, to a fault.