Tuesday, July 15, 2008

When City Hall was a Hole in the Ground

I was scrolling through my digital photo files yesterday, looking for some images to go in the August issue of "Pasadena In Focus."

It's so easy to get sidetracked when I do that! I came across a folder I hadn't looked at in a long time -- original 1920s historic construction photos from the mid-1920s when Pasadena City Hall was being built.

There are about 200 of them in all, so I'll show you just a few.

The blank canvas:



"Dig" the steam shovel:



Dome in progress:



Taking a break:



Stairwell in the making:



Dome in progress II:



Dome in progress III:



Two also-ran designs:



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ann, wunderful photos. I'm giving you a new title: History Info Officer. Thanks for your work.

Anonymous said...

"There are about 200 of them in all, so I'll show you just a few."

"About 200", might turn out to be 500, or whatever the exact number.
You're teasing us!
I should've been a photo archivist.

Petrea Burchard said...

Fascinating post. How I'd love to have a look at that treasure trove! Thank you so much for giving us a peek!

pasadenapio said...

Aren't they great?! I'll include a couple of others tomorrow or Friday that show Central Library and All Saints Church in the backgrounds. I wish I could post all of the photos! Perhaps I will in dribs and drabs over the next few weeks or months. . .

Petrea Burchard said...

It's exciting to see the construction as well as the original surroundings--how it used to look. Really great.

Anonymous said...

ann, these are brilliant! please post more of them every now and then. it's fabulous to see the place we work back when it was just a thought in the minds of the artists and craftsmen of the time. awesome.