#Art Deco Luxury Department Store

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

THE CLASSIC ART DECO FURNISHINGS, STYLINGS, & MAJESTIES OF HISTORIC LOS ANGELES.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on classic Art Deco architecture, the Bullocks Wilshire building, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, designed by John and Donald Parkinson.

EXTRA INFO: 1929 Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in L.A., is a 230,000-square-foot Art Deco building. The building opened in September 1929 as a luxury department store for owner John G. Bullock. 📸: Jeroen Tacx.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3420540844022910781.

[saunne]

HSR THEORIES - PENACONY ANALYSIS

I guess I'm late to the game, but I'm normally a lore gremlin for Xianzhou lore, not Penacony lore. Anyways, don't expect something very elaborate, but you'll be able to find :

Reflection on the period based on history (Penal Colony)

Reflection on the period based on fashion (NPC in trailers)

Reflection on the period based on architecture (Art Deco)

Reflection on the period based on cultural shift (Railway Mania, Department Stores)

Reflection on lore based on Literature (Jules Vernes, Herman Melville)

Reflection on lore based on Philosophy (Idealism, Utilitarianism, Transcendental Idealism)

Everything under the cut as always since I tend to babble.

The name "Penacony" possibly comes from the phrase "penal colony".

I'm certainly not the first to make the connection, but "Penal Colony" inevitably brings to mind Australia. This idea of "Space Australia" is also reinforced by the names for the characters we know at the moment, with a very clear English etymology : Sunday, Robin, Gallagher, Firefly.

The use of Australia as a "penal colony" by England took place after the American War of Independence, so we start with a period around 1780 to ~1870.

We didn't get to see a lot of NPC outfits in this very short clip, but what little there is could actually correspond to a period like this. However, we had a little more hints in Honkai Star Rail - Penacony Trailer | Game Awards 2023, where we see Acheron at the reception of the Reverie hotel :

This NPC in particular is interesting, because of her gloves. It's called "evening gloves" or "opera gloves". They were popular during the Napoleonic period (1800-1825) but were also very fashionable in the last two decades of the 19th century, i.e. 1880-1900 and before WWI, i.e up to 1910.

In terms of temporality, it is also important to note what concerns the architecture of Penacony.

It was noted on Reddit that the style of architecture could be reminiscent of the French Art Deco style, an architectural movement predominant in the 1910s to 1920s. Art Deco is said to have represented "luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress", so quite fitting for Penacony. Key features were : geometric/sleek designs, bold colors, luxurious materials, things that we find in the previews.

We'll have to wait to see more from Penacony, but it might be interesting to see if there is also any inspiration from the previous movement, Art Nouveau 🤔

Another architectural thing :

Look up and see the metal tracks crisscrossing the skyscrapers and the Spheroids rapidly rolling along them. They are the most visible means of transportation in this dreamscape metropolis and guide guests to each and every place around the city. [x]

This part about the Spheroids is interesting, because during this period (starting from 1825, with a peak in the 1840s), there was in France and England what we called the Railway Mania.

This is a point of interest because the Railway Mania saw the the arrival of the railroads in Paris. When it happened, this caused another major cultural shift : the rise of Department Stores. There is even a well-known french novel on the subject, called Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies' Delight) by Emile Zola.

The end of the 19th century is also the period of birth of modern advertising and given the number of things that we see plastered all over Penacony, I think I can say that we are on the right track/period.

So, in terms of rough "era", we can go from 1780 to ~1920, so mostly the 19th century (1800-1900).

Speaking of period culture and Penacony in general, we currently have a Relic Set which I will use for the rest of the post: Penacony's Dream-Seeking Tracks

Opening a window no longer show a view of the stars in the deep sky, but of the city's shifting streams of light and shadows, holding up the constant echoes of giant clocks and theaters.

Okay, let's start with some details that I only noticed because I come from a literary studies background. I'm not going to lie to you, it's far-fetched, but stay with me, I promise it's interesting.

Giant clocks and theaters made me think "steampunk" works, whose setting are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era (~1837 to 1900, so right in our period). One of the pioneering writers of the genre, “proto-steampunk” so to speak, is Jules Vernes, considered one of the "father of science fiction".

Remember Spheroids ? : "Spheroids are regarded as both vehicles and as toys in the land of dreams. However, few remember that the Spheroids are actually imprisonment cages — the vehicle towards dreams are tools originally used for locking up prisoners."

One of Jules Vernes' best-known novels is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, a science-fiction aventure novel the majority of which takes place aboard the Nautilus, a submarine belonging to Captain Nemo. And interesting thing, "he also tells his new passengers that his secret existence means he cannot let them leave — they must remain on board permanently" ; They are prisoners in the Nautilus.

On another point, Jules Vernes is also considered as having had a strong influence on the surrealist movement "in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to leader André Breton, to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality", or surreality"." Quite fitting for our dream planet.

For the next one... Well. I have no excuse for this one, it's even more far-fetched. But so, we remain in the literary universe.

The water from the spring turn into a giant whale and swim through the halls.

Giant whale made me think of one thing almost immediately : Moby Dick, by Herman Mellville, published in 1851 (once again in our era of interest). Moby Dick is a "sea novel" centered around the figure of the hunt of a whale. It's main themes are the limits of knowledge, fate and free will, nature and man, race, fellowship, and enslavement, madness and religion [x].

I wont copy and paste the whole shtick but I send you check again The Family description from the Data Bank.

With that, we're done with literature... so it's time to move on to something else wonderful and terrible, the greatest enemy of my high school years (when you have to do it for 8 hours a week, it quickly becomes tiring), I named: PHILOSOPHY.

For a transcendent experience, for an inspirational excitement, for the soothing of worries and wounds — guests of the highest caliber come to surrender their pain in exchange for peace and tranquility

I'm not going to dwell on that for too long, quite honestly. I'll just... put that here for you to do whatever the fuck you want with it.

Idealism : "Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical idealism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, spirit, or consciousness; that reality is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest form of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered "real"

At some unknown point in time, the small cells cut off access to reality, but people's consciousnesses became linked in dreams. In the midnight bell, that shared dream seemed so real, reflecting the sheer hypocrisy of reality.

Utilitarianism : "a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that ensure the greatest good for the greatest number."

Those who follow the "Harmony" Path admire understanding, support, and cooperative behavior.

In addition to all previously "said", one of the greatest thinkers of the time, who is also the one at the origin of the definition of transcendent, is Immanuel Kant. His best known work is Critique of Pure Reason (1781), with which "he aims to reach a decision about "the possibility or impossibility of metaphysics".

Metaphysics "is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality. This includes the first principles of: being or existence, identity, change, space and time, cause and effect, necessity, actuality, and possibility."

This work was the founding work of a philosophical doctrine known under the name of Transcendental Idealism. I'll spare you the convoluted explanations but look at that :

The scenery gradually becomes more and more incredulous, and the senses feel as if one has been lifted by silk. [...] The guests finally realize that they were never awake, but are instead witnessing Penacony's true nature in a dream — a place where time stops in a neverending dreamscape.

"Kant means that his philosophical approach to knowledge transcends mere consideration of sensory evidence and requires an understanding of the mind's innate modes of processing that sensory evidence".

"Kant outlines how space and time are pure forms of human intuition contributed by our own faculty of sensibility. Space and time do not have an existence "outside" of us, but are the "subjective" forms of our sensibility".

[harvey-guillen]

We took our Carol trip!

December 10, 2023, my good friend Sarah and I piled in my small Kia and made the 1 hr 40 min trip from Indianapolis, IN to see Cincinnati and Chevoit, Ohio shooting locations from 2015's "Carol." It's the only winter movie that matters to me. Here are some of the key locations we visited.

Tagging: @belivet, @pacinos, @lesbin

Shillito Center and art deco exteriors in Cincinnati.

Shillito Center was a department store with art deco features including the beautiful clock pictured above. This was the exterior of Frankenberg's in the film. The Shillito's department store has closed but the beautiful building has been turned into luxury loft apartments!

The other buildings of note were the Bell Telephone Company's "Cincinnati Bell" building--my friend noticed that the decorative border on the building is comprised of a stone pattern of old rotary telephones! The exterior of the now-Hilton Cincinnati is another Carol shooting site, which doubled as New York City's Drake hotel.

This is the exquisite Hilton Cincinnati at Netherland Plaza. As you can see, the art deco influence is strong and the rooms are gorgeous and grand. We were hungry and wanted to have lunch but the only available menu was the Dickens breakfast buffet, priced at a formidable $89! So we enjoyed a drink and a bowl of peanuts at the bar. A quartet of professional singers in Victorian costumes sang Christmas Carols beautifully in the background. The bartender was dressed like they used to dress, in a beautiful tailored slacks, shirt, and vest uniform. He did not work at the Hilton in 2014-2015 but was delighted by our quest. The entryway to the hotel is known as the "Hall of Mirrors," inspired by Versailles.

This is the stone bathroom structure at Eden Park, which was the setting for the Christmas tree farm impromptu photography session. My friend watched Carol to prepare (she called it "fun homework") and I prepared by finding a tam o shanter hat at a thrift store. My parents had the scarf, blonde fur coat, faux fur hat, as part of their repository of items from doing over 25 years of community theater together. The rest of my clothing items are a regular part of my wardrobe. I vacillate between eras but I love 40s, 50s, and 60s best of all. I also think it's likely they filmed the scene of Therese and Richard on bicycle going through a park at Eden Park as well, but can't be totally sure.

Finally, Maury's Tiny Cove Restaurant in Chevoit, Cincinnati is the setting of the first lunch between Carol and Therese. The booth they used for shooting has been preserved and I reserved it ahead of time, although surrounding booths also have pictures from filming hanging over them. It's been long enough that the server didn't know much about the film but told us that a group of excited college students ate there once and requested the same meal Carol and Therese ordered in the movie. I had lasagna as we had not eaten much all day, and a Santa Cosmopolitan from their holiday menu. The food was wonderful and it was obvious a lot of people are regulars. We noted that there are glass windows over the booths now, unlike in the movie, probably added during the height of Covid.

Bonus, but a disappointment:

Carol & Rindy's beautiful house at Grandin Rd has been completely re-done and now looks nothing like in the movie:

And, "that's that"! A truly special and memorable experience.

Here is a link to a Google Drive with all of the unedited photos and videos we took if you want to see anything in original quality/detail. We shot video of the photography scene but it was mostly goofy and unusable haha.

We talked about the movie some and Sarah asked me which character was the best fit for my personality. Hands down, Abby. I was wide-eyed Therese once, never glam enough for Carol, but Abby will tell you the truth and not blush from it. My hero!

[c-mccormick-svad-2022-2025]

(ARTS347) Project #1 Presentation & Figma Module 3: What is Prototyping? 

Week Four

Project #1: Airline Mobile UI & Wrap Presentation

This week marked the official conclusion of project #1, in which students were assigned to create a luxury airline sub-brand for Delta Airlines. The goal was to develop an airline that reflected Delta's design principles. The deliverables included Figma files for the mobile and widget screens, a brief branding guide, process materials, and a plane wrap that served as a physical extension of the brand.

The project was inspired by Delta airline's current branding, particularly its mobile app and ticketing system. The goal was to create a luxurious experience for passengers. Inspiration was drawn from Delta's current and past branding, vintage illustrations, and imagery from the 1920s to achieve a sophisticated and glamorous look and feel. In summary, Noble Horizons is Delta’s new line of luxury airliners, catering to passengers seeking a comfortable and regal air travel experience. It introduces award-winning services and top-tier amenities, aiming to provide a seamless travel journey. Noble Horizons sets a new standard for luxury air travel by combining timeless sophistication with contemporary innovation. Every aspect, from spacious seating to elegant exteriors and gourmet dining, is designed to enhance the journey. Whether crossing continents or soaring through the skies, Noble Horizons guarantees an extraordinary experience, as exceptional as the destinations passengers seek to explore.

Starting with the mood board, I found images from Delta's current and older branding, particularly the crown and iconic triangle logo marks. I also looked for typography from their current branding, as well as other images that capture the look and mood of 1920s glamour and sophistication without being too specific to the Art Deco style. Moving on to the initial sketches, the logo mark for Noble Horizon was inspired by vintage airline pins and the aesthetics of the golden age of air travel. I took inspiration from Delta Airlines' logo and played around with angular shapes and triangles to create a mark that reflects the Art Deco style of Noble Horizons. The word mark is a customized Whitney Medium typeface that is slightly thinner than Delta's current word mark, paying homage to Delta as the parent company without looking too similar to Delta's current branding. The thinner typeface also presents a sort of luxury and royalty aspect. The logo mark pays homage to Delta's current logo mark but is more elevated to look sophisticated, reminiscent of the angles often seen in 1920s art deco, and is also in the shape of an airplane and a runway. The colors of the logo mark are light and dark gold to show depth and similarity to the current Delta Airlines logo mark (light and dark red).

The mobile screens display the UI design of the airline app and its widgets. The app itself has a clean look, with a subtly faded continuous background that features a more geometric style of Delta's current logo. Delta blue is integrated consistently throughout the app to maintain a unified branding identity across all screens. While these screens are not exact prototypes, viewing my designs on an iPhone 13/14 screen was helpful for assessing the text sizing and legibility. The mobile screens include medium, small, and large widgets, as well as welcome and booking screens, trip summary, departing, and ticket screens. All these screens maintain a continuous, clean, and easily navigable look and feel. The airplane wrap itself is a continuation of the branding identity. Overall, this project provided me with valuable experience in using Figma. Am I prepared to work on prototypes for the next project? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm definitely up for the challenge and excited to see what project #2 has in store.

Figma Module 3: What is Prototyping?

The required reading for this week discusses the use of prototyping in Figma, how to prototype, and why it is still essential to learn. In reviewing my personal experience with prototyping from Assignment #3 and playing around with the prototype features for Project #1, this action is a very helpful feature in allowing designers to see how their designs look on various devices, whether that is an iPhone, iPad, Macbook, etc. While this is a helpful feature, learning to prototype seems daunting and at times impossible to do. However, I must learn how to prototype if I am going to complete and succeed at accomplishing the goals and requirements of Project #2, and this module couldn't have come at a better time.

To summarize, prototyping involves creating a digital model of a product for designers to test and receive feedback before final production. It's a way to transform sketches and wireframes into interactive simulations, often without coding, in order to evaluate user interaction.

Prototyping helps save time, money, and energy in the long run by enabling developers and designers to gather user feedback, obtain early validation, and refine features and improve communication skills. Prototypes help ensure that a design works well for users by allowing for early feedback, making it easier and cheaper to fix issues before investing in full development. Prototyping also validates early concepts, aligns stakeholders, and provides a realistic view of the product before it's built.

While reading this article, I'm beginning to understand the difference between low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototyping better. For instance, a low-fidelity prototype is used early in the design phase to validate concepts with minimal time investment. Essentially, this prototype serves as proof of concept to test ideas and functionality.

In contrast, high-fidelity prototyping is closer to the finished product, with more detailed design, interactions, and functionality. This prototype is typically used in later design stages to test specific features or flows.

Initially, a designer begins creating prototypes using paper to create quick, rough sketches of architecture, functionality, and flow. These sketches are easy to change but lack interactivity. Next, the designer moves on to developing a low-fidelity prototype, providing a working model of basic UX/UI elements without coding.

Lastly, the designer creates a high-fidelity version of the prototype, which includes realistic design details, polish, and complex interactions. This prototype is used to test the product in a near-final form, including hardware functionality if needed.

Overall, low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes have their place in the design process, and the choice depends on the specific challenge. After reading this article, I find this information incredibly helpful, and it's making me understand prototyping a little easier. Am I an expert? No, not by a long shot. However, prototyping doesn't seem as scary or intimidating, which I consider an absolute win.

[mainsish]

X and o necklace

X AND O NECKLACE FREE

In his workshop, Schlumberger used a rainbow of gemstones, gold and diamonds to create some of the company’s most beguiling designs.įrom striking earrings shaped like soaring wings to diamond birds perched on glittering gemstones, each of Schlumberger’s Tiffany designs dazzled. After joining the American luxury jewelry house in 1956, he soon had his own studio on the mezzanine of Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store that he accessed by a private elevator. There, his vibrant work caught the eye of Tiffany & Co.

X AND O NECKLACE FREE

An extravagant confection of diamonds, amethyst, rubies and gold, the brooch featured gemstones adorning an intricate intersection of tiny spears and a breastplate over a glittering shield.Īfter serving in the French army and the Free French forces during World War II - and surviving the Battle of Dunkirk - Schlumberger left war-torn Europe for New York and in 1946 established a jewelry salon with Nicolas Bongard. The designer’s imaginative jewelry was in contrast to popular geometric lines of Art Deco, an independent vision he affirmed in the extravagant 1941 Trophée de Vaillance brooch created for fashion editor Diana Vreeland. One of Schlumberger’s early pieces - a cigarette lighter in the form of a fish whose head opened to reveal the flame - demonstrated his skill for capturing the vivacity of nature in precious metal. Uninspired, he departed for Paris and began creating buttons for Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who also commissioned him for costume jewelry. Born to a leading textile manufacturing family in Alsace, France, Schlumberger took to drawing as a child and showed promise as an artist, but his parents instead sent him to study banking in Berlin in the 1930s. Jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger once said that he strived to “make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion.” His jewels interpreted the vitality of the natural world with lively designs that included a moonstone-topped jellyfish brooch with sapphire tentacles exuding a watery shimmer and a ring encrusted with a burst of diamonds that “bloomed” like a flower bud.Ī self-taught jeweler, Schlumberger’s mastery of color as well as his expertise as a draftsman brought his fantastic ideas to life.

[andrevasims]

Ideas for Lots to Fill a Hood

I made a list like this before, and there’s already tons of other ones around the internet just like it. Buuut I can’t stop myself from making useless lists :P

I’m probably just bad at remembering this simple rule, but a hood can become much more realistic if you split up businesses/industry across multiple singularly dedicated lots rather than a single tiny one-stop place (which is how I usually do it).

So I wanted to make a list to remind myself that not only can there be a lot just for clothes, but there can be multiple clothing shops themed in more than one way, like costumes versus lingerie.

Then there’s buildings I listed just for the possible realism they add, like industrial buildings. Some of those may only be possible through hood deco instead of visitable lots, which personally I might overlook without having a list to remind me of the concept. Sooo maybe you’ll find it similarly useful idk

Food

Diner

Fast Food Burgers

Hot Dog Stand

Fast Food Chicken

Donuts/Coffee

Italian Restaurant

Delicatessen

Pizzaria

Bar & Grill

Bistro

Tacos

Noodle Restaurant

Cafe

Internet Cafe

Coffeehouse

Bar

Beer Garden

Cocktail Bar

Juice / Smoothie Bar

Tavern

Pub

Pool Hall

Clubs

Gun Club

Lounge

Boxing Club

Comedy Club

Country Club

Gentlemen's Club

Nightclub

Theatre

Cinema

Drive-In

Drama Society

Film Production

Venues / Entertainment

Art Gallery

Arcade

Science Museum

Recreation Center

Stadium / Arena

Bowling Alley

Casino

Beach

Lodging

Hotel & Spa

Campground

Lodge

Resort

Shopping Center

Mall

Plaza

Supermarket

Deli

Butcher

Groceries

Cornerstore

Farmer's Market

Bakery

Produce

Snack Shop

Stores

Discount Store

General Store

Mini-Mart

Liquor Store

Pawn Shop

Antiques

Boutique

Thrifted Clothing

Hippie Shop

Designer Clothing

Lingerie Shop

Costume Shop

Alternative Clothing (Goth/Emo)

Tattoo & Piercing Parlor

Plastic Surgery

Beauty Supply

Jewelry

Wedding

Pets / Pet Grooming

Sports

Books

Toys

Record Store

Video Store

Comic Store

Florist

Electronics

Arts & Crafts

Beach Gift Shop

Tourist Trap Gift Shop

Furniture Store

Paint Shop

Hardware Store

Appliance Store

Carpet Store

Garden Center

Barber / Salon

Salon Supplies

Nails

Car Dealers

Luxury

Budget / Discount

Showroom

RVs

Motorcycles

Banks

National Bank

Savings Bank

Headquarters

Recording Studio

Radio Station

TV Studio

News

Office Building

Services

Hospital

Travel Agency

Pharmacy

Gas Station

Car Wash

Mechanic

Package / Mail Delivery

Self Storage

Transportation

Parking Garage

Taxi Firm

Tour Guide

Bus & Coach Line

Goods Suppliers / Teamsters

Railroad

Car Rentals

Airport

Maintenance

Electrician

Sanitation Department

Department of Nuclear Power

Water Power Department

Wind Power Department

Factories / Industry

Fish Processing (Docks)

Shipyard

Lighthouse

Sawmill

Meat Factory

Chemical Factory

Industrial Manufacturing

Textile Factory

Storage Warehouse

Mines / Caves

Construction

Development

Demolition

Scrapyard

Auto Parts

Machine Supplies

Salvage & Scrap

Junkyard

[tlonista]

Blood and Blue Diamonds: Chapter 24 Notes

Just a couple notes, since we're near the end. Bluewind’s (mentioned earlier for its tea room) is modeled on Bullocks Wilshire, a luxury department store built in 1929 that’s well worth checking out for its great art deco design.

I mentioned before that I structured Blood and Blue Diamonds to leave room for Jinx & Silco and Caitlyn/Vi to have their own story arcs. I’ve deliberately avoided coming up with any specific ideas for what that would look like (the Vilco flashback smut that lives rent-free in my head doesn’t count), because doing so would require its own bout of historical research for things I have zero plans to write. But the Lincoln Heights jail that opened in 1931 is where I imagine Caitlyn either getting tipped off to Vi’s existence or meeting her.

[books0977]

Arnold Constable (1928). Jean Dupas (French, 1882-1964). Poster. Lithograph in colours. Printed by Tolmer, Paris.

Dupas was trained as an academic painter and became a successful graphic designer and interior decorator. His style is the essence of refined and luxurious French Art Deco, with a sophisticated, if somewhat stiff, elegance. This poster, commissioned by the Arnold Constable department store, is designed in the sophisticated Art Deco style of allegorical fantasies which was a hallmark of Dupas' work. Here, he depicts three women dressed in the fashions of the past, present and future, amid lush, slightly surrealistic scenery.

[architectnews]

Chicago Architecture Center: CAC

Chicago Architecture Center Building, CAC Illinois, Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery, USA Architectural News

Chicago Architecture Center

May 25, 2021

Chicago Architecture Center Building

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Chicago Architecture Center Opens with New Exhibits and Tours in Time for Memorial Day Weekend Summer Kick-off

New tours downtown, in neighborhoods and more departures on the Chicago River;

New exhibits spotlight changing Chicago neighborhoods and cutting-edge home designs that are affordable, accessible, and flexible for every stage of our lives

CHICAGO – With the Memorial Day Weekend summer kick-off just days away, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) has re-opened with all-new and updated exhibits in its 10,000 square feet of galleries full of scale models of new building designs from Chicago and around the world. The Chicago Gallery, home to the Chicago City Model Experience, is completely overhauled and all-new exhibits on Current Chicago Projects, Chicago Chicago’s neighborhoods and the new home design exhibit, Housing for a Changing Nation.

The “Building Tall” exhibition in the Chicago Architecture Center’s Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery features scale models of high-rise towers around the world—as well as picture-perfect views of Chicago’s own iconic skyline: photo : James Steinkamp

These new exhibits cap CAC’s spring 2021 reopening that began with the April launch of new CAC Walking Tours and the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center (CAFC) River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady. Both walking tours and the cruise have been popular options for Chicagoans and visitors eager to rediscover the beauty and inspiration of Chicago architecture.

“All CAC exhibits have been updated with new scale models of exciting architectural designs and we’ve created an all-new exhibit on cutting-edge, affordable, flexible home designs,” said Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of the CAC. “The new exhibit in the Chicago Gallery, Housing for a Changing Nation, highlights innovative architects who are creating homes for a diverse range of needs from live/work spaces to multigenerational families to cohousing.”

CAC EXHIBIT GALLERIES open May 22; Hours: 10m to 5pm, Thursday through Monday

The “Building Tall” exhibition in the Chicago Architecture Center’s Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery features scale models of high-rise towers around the world—as well as picture-perfect views of Chicago’s own iconic skyline: photo : James Steinkamp

THE CHICAGO GALLERY returns with new exhibits throughout.

• BRAND NEW FOR MAY 2021: Housing for a Changing Nation Exhibit is an entirely new installation, sponsored by AARP Illinois and the AARP Foundation, that explores how architects are replacing outdated 19th and 20th century housing with homes designed for fast-changing, diverse, multigenerational communities that need flexible, accessible and affordable housing:

o 100 YEAR LOT – a multi-generational home in Mexican and European influenced Pilsen by Canopy neighborhood splicing together a Chicago two-flat with a new two-story structure;

o MAKERS SPACE – a five-lot, live/work, micro-housing complex with shared community kitchen by Landon Bone Baker and retail marketplace and cottage-industry scaled workspace for South Chicago’s “maker” community;

o FLIP THE STRIP – strip malls and vacant storefronts transformed into flexible live/workspaces by UrbanLab—a contemporary update on the old concept of “living above the store”—for a new generation of small business entrepreneurs

o A NEW COURTYARD – a compact, pedestrian-orientated, affordable apartment building in Los Angeles that updates a familiar, sprawl-fighting California style by Brooks + Scarpa— a design that shares elements familiar to Chicagoans whose Chicago courtyard apartment buildings provided affordable housing to residents in the early 20th century.

• BRAND NEW FOR MAY 2021: The City in Change: Chicago Neighborhoods Exhibit introduces visitors to Chicagoans from some of the city’s 77 diverse, architecturally distinct and constantly changing communities.

• Chicago City Model Experience, featuring more than 4,250 buildings, returns with thirty new models of buildings under construction in 2020 and 2021—including St. Regis (Vista) Tower and Bank of America Building (110 North Wacker). Features a newly updated seven-minute video summarizing the city’s dynamic history, fascinating present and promising future.

• Current Chicago Projects Exhibit opens with new, cutting-edge Chicago projects and all new scale models.

The Chicago Architecture Center’s Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery features a line of scale models along the windows, each of which was at one time the world’s tallest building: photo : James Steinkamp

Projects include:

o 75th Street Boardwalk, The Nest, PopCourts! by ARC Community Design Initiative; o Cabrini-Green Redevelopment by Gensler, JGMA and Studio Dwell; o Steppenwolf Theatre Expansion by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; o Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub by MKB Architects; o The Obama Presidential Center by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Partners, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Interactive Design Architects; o Chicago Park District Headquarters and Park 596 by John Ronan Architects and site design group; o Fulton East by Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Clayco; o Tribune Tower Residences by Solomon Cordwell Buenz (renovation architect) and John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood (original architects); o SURGE Esports Stadium & VR Arenas by KOO; o KLEO Art Residences by JGMA; o 800 Fulton by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

THE DRAKE FAMILY SKYSCRAPER GALLERY featuring “Building Tall” reopens with seven new scale models of towers from Bangkok, Chicago, New York, Taipei and Tianjin and other skyscrapers from around the world and “Race to the Top” featuring oversized scale models of skyscrapers that were each tallest in the world when built.

New scale models in the Skyscraper Gallery include:

o 1000M, Chicago, JAHN, est. 2022 o CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, SOM, 2019 o King Power MahaNakhon, Bangkok, Büro Ole Scheeren, 2016 o NEMA Chicago, Rafael Viñoly Architects, 2019 o Sendero Verde, New York, Handel Architects, est. 2022 o Solstice on the Park, Chicago, Studio Gang, 2019 o Taipei 101, C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects / Planners, 2004

In April, the CAC rolled out its downtown and neighborhood CAC Walking Tours for Chicagoans eager to rediscover their city’s classic architecture and diverse neighborhoods. The popular, always changing walking tours and CAFC River Cruise are led by a corps of 400 expert CAC docents, who in June 2021 celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1971 first CAC docent class.

CAFC RIVER CRUISES departures Thursday through Monday starting May 22

On April 17, the #1 boat tour in Chicago based on TripAdvisor user reviews and the only Chicago finalist for Best Boat Tour for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award, Chicago Architecture Foundation Center (CAFC) River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady (CFL) launched its 2021 cruise season along Chicago River’s canyon of architecture. Led by CAC docents, guests will hear stories of the visionaries who have designed more than 50 architecturally significant buildings along the Chicago River as well as the Chicago Riverwalk and the 13 bascule bridges on the cruise route.

The 90-minute CAFC River Cruise is the most in-depth, authentic architecture river cruise available and is lauded as a “must-do” activity when visiting Chicago. Exciting new buildings with cutting edge design elements continue to rise along the river including the recently completed St. Regis (Vista) Tower, the city’s third tallest structure, and the refurbished riverfront Old Post Office. Tour guests will leave the cruise inspired by the city’s wide variety of architectural styles—– which glide by as you travel up and down all three branches of the Chicago River—including art deco, neoclassicism, mid-century modernism, and postmodernism.

Chicago’s First Lady’s luxury fleet is the finest on the Chicago River and now includes the new, brass and mahogany trimmed Chicago’s Emerald Lady. Full-service bars on board each vessel. Cruises will initially limit capacities following the guidelines from federal public health officials. As passenger vessels under federal jurisdiction, cruises follow the current federal face covering mandate. Reservations are recommended and tickets are available at cruisechicago.com.

CAC WALKING TOURS departing from the CAC, Thursday through Monday starting May 22

Favorite Downtown CAC Walking Tours returned April 17 include:

– Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop Art Deco masterpieces built in Chicago’s financial district during the Roaring ’20s – Chicago Architecture: A Walk Through Time Chicago’s early skyscrapers to supertall high rises – Must See Chicago Chicago’s most famous buildings and more: Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Art Institute, Willis Tower – Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age architectural landmarks of Michigan Avenue and State Street 1890 to 1930 – Chicago Icons: Connecting Past and Present see how architectural styes from the 1890s connect to today’s skyline – Mid-Century Modern Skyscrapers Chicago’s modernist masters, Mies, Goldberg and Graham, set the stage for the modern city center – Lights, Camera, Architecture! see architecture that starred in Ferris Bueller, Batman, the Blues Brothers and other films

Neighborhood CAC Walking Tours returned April 17 include:

– Fulton-Randolph Market 150-year evolution from food wholesaling and meatpacking to gourmet restaurants, technology hubs and boutique hotels – Northwestern University Campus a stunning, wooded campus on Lake Michigan with 19th Century Collegiate Gothic to cutting-edge designs – Kenwood the stately neighborhood, home to early industrialists, modern-day innovators and President Barack Obama – Hyde Park home to the 1893 World’s Fair, the University of Chicago and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Robie House, pre-Chicago Fire houses and the famous Midway. – Evanston Along the Lake one of Chicago’s most desirable suburbs, with many homes and churches with notable designs, where Daniel Burnham established his “country retreat”

Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery, Chicago Architecture Center, Illinois – Building Information

Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery images:

The Chicago Architecture Center’s spacious Drake Family Skyscraper Gallery reopens with seven new models on display, on loan from acclaimed design firms worldwide including

Chicago’s forthcoming 1000M by JAHN: rendering courtesy of JAHN

King Power MahaNakhon in Bangkok, Thailand by Büro Ole Scheeren: photo by Wison Tungthunya

NEMA Chicago by Rafael Viñoly Architects: photo courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects

Taipei 101 by C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects / Planners: photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago

Sendero Verde in East Harlem, New York City: rendering by Volley, courtesy of Handel Architects

Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) images / information received 250521

Location: Chicago, IL, United States

Chicago Architecture

Contemporary Illinois Architecture – architectural selection below:

Chicago Architecture Designs – chronological list

Chicago Architectural Walking Tours by e-architect

Chicago Architecture News

150 North Riverside Office Building, West Loop Design: Goettsch Partners (GP) photograph © Nick Ulivieri 150 North Riverside Office Development

Wintrust Arena, 200 E Cermak Road Design: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects photographer : Jeff Goldberg/ESTO Wintrust Arena Chicago Building

747 North Clark Design: Ranquist Development Group photograph : Marty Peters 747 North Clark

Zurich North America Headquarters in Schaumburg photo © Steinkamp Photography Zurich North America Headquarters Building by Goettsch Partners

Willis Tower Renovations 233 S. Wacker Drive – Willis Tower Building

Obama Presidential Center Building Obama Presidential Center Building

Chicago Architecture

Major Chicago Buildings

Aqua Tower Chicago

Lake Shore Drive Towers

Sears Tower Building

Website: Chicago

Comments / photos for the Chicago Architecture Center: CAC page welcome

The post Chicago Architecture Center: CAC appeared first on e-architect.

[decoarchitecture]

Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, California Photo by contributor Alison Carter

This elevator! 

A bit about the building from Southwestern School of Law, the building’s current owner:

Designed by renowned Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson and conceived by business partners John G. Bullock and P.G. Winnett, the Bullocks Wilshire Building operated as a luxury department store for more than 60 years. In 1994, Southwestern purchased the Art Deco landmark and set out to convert it into a dynamic academic venue, while retaining its historic character. Through its adaptive reuse, the law school now utilizes the building for cutting-edge scholastic, professional and social resources that represent the heart of the Southwestern community.

(Read more...)

[prohibitionprincesses]

New Money

Manhattan, New York 

The proverbial Cinderella Story is the very definition of the Roaring Twenties, as young Cindy Tremaine is about to find out.

By the late 1910s, poor Cindy is struggling to maintain the hope that she promised her parents she'd never give up, as she is worked to exhaustion by her abusive stepfamily. With the limitations placed on both the poor and women, she knows that her only realistic way out of this hellhole is through marriage. With her natural beauty and charm, she’s confident she could score a wealthy man, if she just had some way of worming herself into one of those upper-class social gatherings...and into something nice to wear. It seems impossible... But then Cindy starts to notice some surprising upgrades in her stepfamily's lives. She's carrying and cleaning luxury items that would be pricey even for her filthy-rich relatives. Without revealing how much she's learning, Cindy gradually worms information from her stepmother and stepsisters about how they're affording all these things, and becomes familiar with the growing system of Credit—"Buy now, pay later." Credit Unions have been opened since the early 1900s, and as of 1914, Western Union and some department stores have begun issuing the first ever credit cards. The doorway Cindy needs to set her plan in motion has just opened before her, like magic. 

While out running errands, Cindy looks around and realizes that social mobility is exploding all around her. Immigrants are fleeing persecution and starting new lives here in America. The African American community is undergoing a cultural revolution of art and music. The number of high school students in the country has doubled, and more and more of them are going on to college. To top it all off, women are finally about to win the right to vote.

Relying heavily on the advice of magazine columnist “the Fairy Godmother,” Cindy learns that the most important thing in winning over others is “it,” and all “it” is, is confidence. Clara Bow demonstrates on the silent screen, and Cindy practices dancing to the radio whenever her step-family isn’t looking (much to the chagrin of her rodent friends, who scramble to get out of her way). “It” finally all pays off when the most eligible bachelor in Manhattan throws a Gatsby-worthy New Year's ball at his mansion, on the eve of Prohibition. This December 31 of 1919, Charles "Charming" Prince's courtyard is lined with pumpkins full of alcohol that will only be legal for a few more hours.  The party is a wild display of extravagance and decadence that Jay Gatsby would envy. But the most enthusiastic dancer is a girl who no one knows. She must come from an incredibly wealthy background, with all her extravagant jewels and sequins. She belts it out on top of the pumpkin kegs to the roaring cheers of guests and servants alike, kicking her heels in a pair of art-deco glass shoes. The smitten heir jumps up onto the pumpkins to dance with her, and suddenly Cindy forgets all about money.

In the crowd below, Cindy’s stepmother narrows her eyes suspiciously, while her two daughters burry their heads in some pumpkin kegs.

Before Charming can get the girl’s name, the clock strikes midnight…and an ambush of FBI agents burst from their hiding places around the mansion’s grounds, hollering, “This is a raid!” Prohibition is now officially in effect. Feathers and sequins fly through the air as guests tear across the courtyard. Coppers are hacking the pumpkin kegs to pieces with axes, spilling their contents onto the brick paths below. Cindy’s stepmother tries to bribe the police lieutenant, while the stepsisters catch booze from the wrecked pumpkins in their bucket hats.  Charming searches frantically for his dance partner, but Cindy has already taken off in her rented limo.

The next morning, no one from the party seems to know the mysterious woman. Did 200 drunken dancers all hallucinate the same girl? 

Then, finally, among the overturned furniture and smashed pumpkins, Charming’s butler finds an art-deco glass slipper—the largest purchase on Cindy’s new credit card.

A/N: Like most of these will be, this one is just a touch-up of an older version of the picture, with a new background. While one might think Snow White should be the first in a Disney princess series, I chose Cindy, thinking of the New Year's Eve scene in the first episode of "Boardwalk Empire." Her AU story is based on the silent movie "It" (1927) staring Clara Bow. Cindy’s headdress was inspired both by Daisy’s from “The Great Gatsby” (2013) and a Disney figurine of an Art Deco Cinderella. www.yourwdwstore.net/Disney-Sh…

UPDATE: I've changed her glass slippers to have an art-deco style. I have no idea why I didn't do that in the first place.

[laconservancy]

Adaptive Reuse Ordinance: 20 Years of Preservation in Downtown Los Angeles

Thanks in large part to the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, downtown Los Angeles is once again a thriving neighborhood. Photo by Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy.

The City of Los Angeles passed the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO) in 1999, making it easier to convert downtown’s vacant and underutilized buildings for new uses such as housing and hotels.

That same year, the Conservancy launched our Broadway Initiative to work with property owners, developers, and architects to maximize the opportunity of the ordinance. 

Twenty years later, the ordinance—which the Central City Association spearheaded—remains a strong preservation tool that has expanded throughout the city. Adaptive reuse projects revitalize neighborhoods and meet the current needs of communities, all while preserving our architectural heritage.

Kick-Starting Downtown’s Renaissance

In 1999, before the ordinance went into effect, there were about 18,000 residents and 11,626 residential units in downtown, according to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (BID). 

Shortly after the ordinance passed, Killefer Flammang Architects and Degenkolb Engineers conducted a pro bono survey for the Conservancy identifying fifty historic buildings in the Historic Core suitable for conversion into housing. Based on the survey, the Conservancy created a database to track the design characteristics, economic factors, and other elements of these housing conversion projects, releasing a comprehensive report in 2003. 

In addition to the report, the Conservancy—in partnership with the Fashion District, Historic Core, and Downtown Center BIDs, and with support from the Getty Grant Program’s “Preserve LA” initiative—produced design guidelines. The user-friendly, illustrated document spells out historically sensitive design for new and existing structures in the area, including storefronts and signage. Thanks in part to the ARO, today, the Downtown Center BID reports that there are over 46,000 residential units (many of which are historic), with another 5,000 currently under construction, and an estimated 79,525 people living in downtown. 

Case Study Examples

Old Bank District

Located in the Historic Core, the district comprises three historic office buildings (the 1903 Hellman, the 1904 Continental, and the 1907 San Fernando). Following WWII, banks and businesses moved away from the area, leaving many turn-of-the-century buildings underused. In 2000, Gilmore Associates reimagined the three buildings and coined them the Old Bank District, becoming the city’s first project completed under the ARO and adding 230 residential units to downtown L.A. The project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

Orpheum Lofts

The magnificent 1926 theatre and its twelve-story office tower were built as the fourth and final home of the famed Orpheum vaudeville circuit in L.A. In 2001, the Beaux-Arts building became the first theatre restored under the ARO. In 2001, developer Steve Needleman brought the theatre back to life and converted its upper floors into the Orpheum Lofts (37 live/work units). Its remarkable renovation earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

The Standard, DTLA

The former Superior Oil Building is one of the finest examples of the Corporate Moderne style in L.A. and one of the strongest designs of architect Claud Beelman’s later career. In 2002, developers 550 Hotel Partners LLC rehabilitated and reinvented the 1955 marbled-clad twelve-story landmark as The Standard hotel. With 207 rooms, the trendy hotel helped blaze the trail for adaptive reuse in downtown. The project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

Pegasus Apartments

The 1949 Mobil Oil/General Petroleum Building was the first office building constructed in downtown following WWII. Spanning a full block of Flower Street, it represents a significant stage in the evolution of high-rise office buildings in the city. In 2003, the Kor Group converted the building into 322 residential units. Renamed Pegasus Apartments after the Mobil Oil symbol, the transformation earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

Pacific Electric Lofts

The 1904 Huntington Building once housed Pacific Electric Railway’s headquarters. Named after the company’s founder Henry Huntington, the Beaux-Arts landmark was the largest office building in the city upon its completion. After decades of incompatible alterations, Killefer Flammang Architects  stepped in in 2005 and converted the building into 314 residential units. The project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

Eastern Columbia Lofts

Built in just nine months, the 1930 Art Deco icon once housed a popular department store. In the 1950s, upper floors were converted into office space and housed many nonprofits, including the Conservancy at one point. The building languished for decades until 2006, when the Kor Group beautifully converted it into 140 luxury condos. The project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

National City Tower Lofts

The 1924 Beaux-Arts tower originally housed National City Bank of Los Angeles. The bank anchored the southern end of the Spring Street Financial District, also known as the “Wall Street of the West.” In 2008, developers Shariar and Shahram Afshani converted the Walker & Eisen-designed building to 93 residential units and named it National City Tower.

Spring Arcade Building

The 1924 Spring Arcade Building is actually two twelve-story towers connected by a skylight designed to imitate the Burlington Arcade in London. Topped by a KRKD radio tower, the building spans from Spring Street to Broadway. In 2010, Downtown Management restored the shopping arcade and transformed the towers into 143 residential units.

Ace Hotel, DTLA

The 1927 United Artists Theatre and adjoining tower were built as the flagship for the production company formed by D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Charlie Chaplin. The thirteen-story Spanish Gothic building once housed Texaco and became known as the Petroleum Building. In 2012, the building was converted into a boutique hotel with 166 rooms and 16 suites, and the theatre restored as an event and performance space. This spectacular project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award.

NoMad Los Angeles

The 1923 Neoclassical building once housed the Bank of Italy’s L.A. headquarters. Its lavish exterior includes whimsical images of American coins sculpted in the terra cotta framing the elaborate bronze front doors. The building fell into decline, succumbing to age and blight, as businesses moved. In 2018, developer Sydell Group revived this cultural landmark as the NoMad Hotel with 241 rooms.

Learn more about these sites on one of our walking tours. Visit laconservancy.org/tours for more information and to register.

[steve-rogers-new-york]

“Gift Dressing” — Early 20th Century Gift Wrapping

Because today is my birthday, I thought I would do something vaguely birthday themed for today’s post. And seeings as I’ve already covered cards for Valentines Day, I thoughts a look at how gift wrapping looked in our time period would be interesting.

History

Victorian Beginnings While gift wrapping in one form or another has long existed throughout the world, in the west, the practice as we would recognise it got its start during the Victorian era. Initially, in the UK specifically, it was employed by the upper-class as a show of status and wealth, and the wrap was made from wallpaper material — dense and difficult to work with. The act of wrapping was an extravagant affair with elaborately decorate papers, ribbon, and lace. 

Wrapping at the Turn of the Century — 1900-1920 Over time both the material used and the intention behind the practice shifted. By the beginning of the 20th century, the paper used was light with bright colours — tissue paper was common for the first decade or so. More cost-effective manilla papers were also used at this time by stores to wrap purchases, and by the middle-class as a less ostentatious material with better coverage for gifts. This time also saw a shift in the British motivations behind wrapping — rather than showing wealth, wrapping was used to conceal the value of the gift from anyone but the recipient.

Advent of Modern Printed Gift Wrap — 1917 In America, the first company to supply gift wrap was Hy-Sill Manufacturing Inc, however, a change in materials happened in 1917 with the accidental discovery by the men who would become the Hall Brothers, and later the behemoth Hallmark. During Christmas that year, the brothers’ stationary store sold out of the then staple wrapping material of mono-colour tissue paper — gasp! Looking for a substitute to meet demands, they found in their inventory a stack of decorative “fancy French paper”. This paper was generally used to line envelopes for decoration, not for wrapping, but at 10c a sheet it was a hit with their customers and returned the following year to the same success. In 1919 the success of this new approach to wrapping paper saw the brothers producing and selling their own prints and the rest is history.

World War II Wrapping paper was one of the few exceptions to paper rationing towards the wareffort. It was decided that not rationing the material would contribute to keeping up morale. During this period, sales of wrapping paper incready by some 20% as a result.

Materials and Techniques

The materials used have expanded and come in and out of favour over the decades. Some of the materials that were available (if not necessarily popular) during the interwar period included:

Tissue paper: Most common material for the first two decades of the 20th century. It would come in single colour options, typically festive colours like white, green, and red. 

Printed paper: By the beginning of the 1920s, the Hall Brothers were producing their printed paper to customers and it proved a popular option. In 1919 they sold it for 25c for three sheets. The designs on printed paper changed in the 1930s and 1940s with the growth in Art Deco style — out were the florals and cherubs, and in were the repetitive and geometric patterns.

Manilla paper: A cheaper option, this plain brown paper was a favourite of stores to wrap purchases, and a viable option if the more fancy papers were out of your budget.

Newsprint: Admittedly, I didn’t see this mentioned in many of my research sources, but I feel it would be remiss not to mention it. As people still resort of newspaper as a wrapping material today in a pinch, I highly doubt that it wasn't utilised in the early 20th century.

Fabric: A wrapping style long used in Japan, this was another cost-effective way of wrapping a gift. I, again found little mention of its use, but in a pinch, it does need like an obvious solution to wrapping a gift. Where our boys ever employed it, I’ll leave to your best judgement.

Cellophane: Introduced in 1912, cellophane was used for wrapping candy, and grew substantially in popularity from 1928-1930 after it was made moisture-proof. It was used both alone and together with other wrapping materials.

Gift bags and boxes: An alternative to paper wrapping, and also reusable.

Beyond the types of material used for the wrapping, also worth noting are the products used to secure any wrapping — because scotch tape did not make an appearance on the scene until 1930!

Ribbon: An obvious staple of wrapping, even today, but prior to adhesive options, ribbon was more than just decoration. Ribbon was used to secure the paper and ensure that the gift remained securely covered. There is a particular skill to this.

Twine and rope: A less fancy alternative to ribbon, these served the same function.

Adhesive Seals: These were small, gummed seals that could be applied to wrapping paper. They worked in the same way as stamps, requiring the user to lick the back-side before applying it to the paper. From this description, they were tedious to use and had a limited life-time.

Wax: The same as one would use a wax seal to seal a document, they could also be used to secure gift wrapping, this it is a very fancy option. So fancy.

Hall Sheen Ribbon: A product produced by Hall Brothers in the 1930s to accompany their printed paper, this was a ribbon that stuck to itself and gift wrap when moistened.

Adhesive tape: Scotch Cellulose Tape was invented in 1930 by Scotch brand, which was a game changer when it came to gift wrapping. Prior to this, Scotch as introduced their adhesive masking tape for painters, but the 1930 product was the first waterproof, clear adhesive tape. It would be worth mentioning that the skills and knowledge needed to wrap without tape would have still been around long after tape became available, and would likely have been seen as a luxury, especially to anyone on a budget.

All the other embellishments: The fancier you wanted to go, there were also other adornments one could add to gifts, including bows, tassels, decorative seals and stamps, etc.

So how much would these items cost? While it wouldn’t reflect lower-cost retailers, both Loesers and A&S printed prices in Brooklyn Daily Eagle papers, which gives an idea of how much higher-end products would have put you out of pocket.

And then, there was always the ever-present option of getting a department store to wrap for you! 

Brooklyn’s Abraham & Straus department store (and likely Loesers as well) offered gift wrapping services — at ‘a small charge’. Obviously, this was intended for customers, but tell me you don’t believe Bucky could charm himself some free wrapping.

Image Sources

Woolworths ribbon, 1930s | Source Woolworths ribbon and wrap, 1930s | Source A&S and Loesers Price ad complilation | [1] [2] [3] A&S Wrapping Service ad compilation | [1] [2] [3]

This post has been sponsored by Patreon supporter Joanna Daniels —longtime, and beloved follower. She and I would like to dedicate the post to the loving memory of her mother Joan Daniels, who sadly passed away this past year and who is sorely missed. Spring has hit us and the days are getting sunnier, don’t forget to get out and enjoy it!

[thelampfactorylondon-blog]

The Lamp Factory London

Bespoke Chandeliers

Have you ever puzzled what it would be prefer to not have desk lamps? We take so many things for granted and https://thelampfactorylondon.co.uk/ if we did not have issues like lamps we'd be questioning what to do and learn how to add extra gentle.

The earliest historical past of desk lamps dates back to about 70,000 BC. The person who was in need of a lamp for extra lighting would take a hole shell or rock and fill it with moss or different supplies that have been soaked in the fat of animals. Once the rock or shell was filled with the moss it could be lit or ignited.

It was long after using rocks and shells that people started to make issues to hold the materials to make mild. Artifical pottery, bones from animals and alabaster were used. Wicks were then added at a later time so that there was more management over the burning rate.

Proper around the seventh Century BC, the Greeks had been making terra cotta lights and lamps. The word lamp is actually derived from the Greek language. Lamp as is what the Greeks name the light which suggests torch.

During the 18th century the central burner was invented. At present we name the central burner the oil lamp. The source of gas was encased in steel and there was a steel tube to manage the amount of fuel and how vivid the light was.

The primary electric lamp was invented by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1801. The carbon arc lamp was run by hooking up two carbon rods to an electrical supply. By having the rods at a sure distance the electrical energy would arc and cause mild.

Sir Joseph Swann and Thomas Edison each invented the first true electric table lamps. It was the lamp invented by Thomas Edison that became the world's first commercially offered lamp in the 12 months 1879. Table lamps have come a good distance since then.

Table lamps will be found everywhere in the world. These lamps are available an unlimited array of colours and sizes. There are handmade lamps and designer visit their blog lamps that can range in the hundreds of dollars to own. Table lamps of as we speak are in a position to run on every kind of various lightbulbs.

Table lamps will be purchased wherever that lighting and fixtures are offered. If you do not want to be spending rather a lot just for a desk lamp then it is best to go to the department stores or a house improvement store.

For individuals who are severe about the kind of desk lamps they will be displaying ought to make a visit to a lighting retailer. The those that work and specialize in just lighting are the consultants to ask your questions to. When TheLampFactoryLondon making an attempt to resolve which lighting would be the greatest for the look and feel you are trying to make it's best to visit a showroom and communicate with someone who is aware of all about lighting and the fixtures.

Additionally obtainable in the marketplace are the newest LED and job lamps. Although these are still thought-about desk lamps they had been developed for a sure activity. You will notice many The Lamp Factory London of these lamps on desktops. The only lamp that will not fall underneath the heading of table lamp is the ground lamp. A ground lamp is the place the base of the lamp really sits on the floor.

Flooring lamps are an incredible alternative to the table lamp where area becomes an issue. Both types of lighting will add fashion bespoke lamps and décor to your room. There are so many variations of lamps accessible that there's a perfect lamp for each taste.

A lamp globe, or even a lamp shade in a more widespread time period, is a fixture that covers the bulb on a lamp to diffuse the lighting that it gives off or to block it in certain instructions so it doesn't trigger glare by shining straight in one's eyes.

It was developed in the very first a long time of the 19th century so that you can disguise the intense electrical mild. And if you're looking for the most effective lampshade that will add glamour and full decorations within your own home, that is the location that is meant to reply your inquiries and considerations.

Conical, cylindrical and different forms on ground-, desk-, or table high-mounted along with suspended lamp designs tend to be the most typical lamp globes and due to this fact are made in a wide array of supplies. There are numerous different types of lampshades that you will see instances that you'll feel really overwhelmed with the prospect of actually selecting a desk lampshade, a flooring, or a ceiling one. You may even generate lamp shades out of any useful materials, like nut shells, paper that you may manually make, stained glass, or metal ribbon and form it right into a extraordinarily sensible lamp shade with shapes like a bell, curl, or perhaps a drum. However, if you don't have the luxurious of the time, attempt contemplating the following data and select wisely on your personal.

Now, many people are accustomed to the fundamental type of lamp shade that stretches its material between the highest and bottom cable circles of different diameters. This explicit form may be often known as a drum, coolie, or empire, depending on the sizing ratio and the scale Social Profile Here of each ingredient. Hardback shades have an exterior layer of material that's folded however nonetheless with an inside of plastic that can allow the sunshine to filter by means of. Nevertheless a more expensive one which is totally made of material is mostly a silk lamp.

If you will separate them when it comes to their design might be easy simply by taking a look at them. However lamp shades may additionally be differentiated depending on how they mild a specific room. As an example, task lighting may be made by a clear glass globe which is able to let virtually the entire light pass through. On the other finish, ambient lighting will prove to add extra mood moderately than brightness. Accordion lanterns made of colourful mulberry paper that usually forged a pinkish glow, on the other hand, will create peaceful surroundings.

Nonetheless once you use uncommon supplies you will also create differing kinds, typically unusual also, of lamp shades, that is notably true in the event you choose to own distinctive lamps. For example, wall-mounted sconces could be shaded with a punched tin rectangle that will create dazzling designs of light on the reverse wall. Library desk lamps, on the other hand, might actually use classical inexperienced lamp shades, whilst delicate, handmade lamp shades may cowl small, steel lumps.

The 1800s and early 1900s are a time period regarded again on with awe and admiration. Life was classy, refined, and exquisite. Every aspect of the era was spectacular. We often discover ourselves drawn to this time, and attempt to recreate the texture of the period in our personal properties. If this is the duty you've gotten undertaken it would be best to pay attention to among the vintage lamp shades you will have to choose from.

Not all antiques are from the same period. Now we have Victorian, Edwardian, art Nouveau, and art Deco. You will want to be certain the artist you are trying to find or recreate is within the appropriate time interval. Lampsplus.com carries all kinds of Tiffany type lamps. Tiffany was well-known and has been replicated closely over the years. You may be trying to adorn within the Victorian type. Lampshadesbybecky.com gives handmade lamp coverings that can grace any decor. Antiqueslighting.com is a quick supply to search out the precise lamps from varied time intervals. These won't be replicated or copied pieces, but might be lamps that were used in some one's dwelling, a few years ago.

It is exciting to think that your private home decor was as soon as a part of historical past as well. However whether or not going for vintage or reproduced, you might be sure to have a house with allure and character, by following this time period. In case you are using vintage lamp shades so as to add those special touches to your property, remember the fact that you do not have to decorate your entire residence, or even the whole room within the old fashion. Many various and modern decors will benefit from the look of an older lamp. By utilizing an older lamp type with your contemporary design, you'll create a singular, yet elegant look that others will admire.

If you are trying to go together with real or replicated, search for names like: Dithridge, Handel, Lightolier, and Crucet. These are a number of of the popular names of the time long past. They have been specialists in lighting, and had some of the most lovely material lamp shades, in addition to glass, and paper shades. With some research, and time spent, you will be able to create the fashionable and complicated room you were aiming for.

[ajaychikucab]

Best Places to Visit in India

1. Varanasi

A blessed individual on the Ganges River in Varanasi.

Quite possibly of the most established consistently possessed city on the planet, Varanasi is apparently the holiest spot in India. The profound exercises occur along the holy Ganges River, where pioneers wash and grievers incinerate as of late departed family members on display of bystanders.

Vacationers, then again, find their own kind of mysticism taking dawn boat rides, delivering botanical gifts that float on the waterway, and watching the fire-filled Hindu reciting services from the precarious Ghats.

Away from the water, the roads of the old town diversion like an interminable labyrinth. Rumors from far and wide suggest that there's still no precise guide of Varanasi, and when you experience the complex city for yourself, you'll be leaned to trust it.

Visits in Varanasi

2. Agra

Assuming there was only one image to address India, it would be all the Taj Mahal. The landmark moves a huge number of vacationers to make the excursion to Agra consistently, awakening before first light to see sublime design transmit at the crack of dawn. In any case, Agra beat the rundown of the most ideal getaway spots in India because of reasons that go past India's most popular fascination.

The city in Uttar Pradesh is crammed with radiant Mughal landmarks, as Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb and Akbar's Mausoleum, decked out in mesmerizing trimmed marble plans through and through. Furthermore, travelers can likewise see another UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Agra Fort. With such countless miracles in only one spot, Agra is a must-visit city for travelers in India.

Visits in Agar

3. New Delhi

In spite of its groups and bedlam, New Delhi offers sightseers a ton to cherish. The beautiful capital of India is the ideal marriage of legacy and advancement. Old Delhi contains a portion of the nation's most cherished attractions, including the Jama Masjid, Red Fort, and Chandni Chowk shopping lane. Yet, all through the rambling city, vacationers can investigate incalculable different destinations of otherworldly and social significance.

Top vacation spots in New Delhi incorporate the Lotus Temple; India Gate; Humayun's Tomb; and India's tallest minaret, Qutub Minar. Fill your days investigating these hypnotizing locales, and refueling at road side chai slows down and top of the line eateries.

Visits in New Delhi

4. Mumbai

Need to see a more cosmopolitan side of India? Make a beeline for the lively, seaside city of Mumbai-home to super well off business people and the most sizzling Bollywood entertainers. Travelers are never distant from five-star lodgings or connoisseur cafés in this luxury city. Furthermore, regardless of whether those exercises are out of spending plan, a journey down the cherished Marine Drive will cause you to feel like eminence as you get a brief look at the beautiful coast and exciting Art Deco structures.

You can likewise see a more bona fide, nearby side of Mumbai in the clamoring "Cheats Market" or at the Churchgate rail route station, where countless hand crafted snacks are gotten together for conveyance to the city's office laborers consistently.

Ensure you commit a day to looking at Sanjay Gandhi National Park and investigating the 2,000-year-old Kanheri Cave carvings.

Visits in Mumbai

5. Rajasthan

Meant "Place that is known for Kings," Rajasthan overflows with remainders of the rulers and sovereigns of past hundreds of years. Between its sparkling royal residences, masterful fortresses, and enthusiastic celebrations, this western state merits a featuring job in your excursion to India.

Jaipur, part of the Golden Triangle Tourist Circuit, which likewise incorporates Agra and New Delhi, is one of the top spots to visit in Rajasthan. Named "The Paris of India," it's known for its trademark pink structures, rich City Palace, and adornments stores aplenty.

The "Blue City," Jodhpur, offers travelers a similarly remarkable involvement with its ridge Mehrangarh Fort.

Udaipur overflows sentiment with its rose lined roads and phenomenal City Palace Complex, where the imperial family actually resides today.

What's more, Jaisalmer seems to be an Arabian Nights fantasy rejuvenated, with its yellow sandstone structures and notable havelis (manors). Regardless of where you end up in this desert state, you'll be spellbound by the wizardry of Rajasthan.

Visits in Rajasthan

6. Rishikesh

Rishikesh has been on the radar for profoundly disapproved of explorers since the last part of the 1960s, when the Beatles invested energy in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram-now a neglected site that has turned into an off in an unexpected direction vacation destination for fans.

The town is settled in the lower regions of the Himalayas on the banks of the heavenly Ganges River, and fills in as a middle for yoga and journeys. Make a section in the move, or simply partake in the hints of the sanctuary ringers and touring from Rishikesh's two engineered overpasses, frequently monitored by emphatic groups of monkeys. Stay away.

Visits in  Rishikesh

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10 Best Romantic Things to Do in Paris

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10 Best Romantic Things to Do in Paris

Spending time relaxing together, just the two of you, is another way to celebrate love. In Paris there are countless ways in which to paint the town a Valentine red, but one of the most intimately romantic is to spend time together at a small, intimate theater on the Ile Saint-Louis. This gem, the Theatre de L’Ile St. Louis, is a 35-seater and has nightly programming, both of concerts and plays. What’s even better, an assortment of top-notch restaurants on the little island in the center of Paris, are less than a 5-minute walk away.

Another intimate way to celebrate the You that is the 2 of you, is a spa experience. Relaxing in the steam room, enjoying a glass of champagne in the hot tub and finishing with a massage is a romantic dream come true. The ultimate discreet Parisian spa is Sensation Spa in the 7th arrondissement. Or you could always spend an evening at Le Grand Rex, Europe’s biggest movie theater found here, in Paris. Located in the Grands Boulevards area, this gorgeous, historic movie theater is surrounded by trendy bars and eateries for before or after. 

Paris is a city full of the emblems of love. Of course, the notion of romantic love is a relatively recent social concept, springing up first in historical references only in the late 17th c. It is even thought that the origin of the English word “romance” originates from a French vernacular dialect. Perfume, too, is credited to France. Le Grand Musee du Parfum is a sensual way to explore the art of scent with one another.

To celebrate love & romance in the City of Love, one needn’t wait for Valentine’s Day. Any special occasion or any special moment enjoyed by lovers can be revered as a sort of private Valentine’s moment.  On this list, you will find just ten (of the dozens and dozens of possibilities here in Paris) recommendations of how to pay homage to this most noble of human emotions – love. To start with, book yourselves tickets online for L’Atelier des Lumieres. This immersive digital art experience, highlighting chosen artists, has been a hit since it first opened its doors in Paris a few short years ago. It is a family friendly activity, too, just in case your ‘date night’ includes the little ones. On that note, the Palais de la Decouverte is another immersive, experiential excursion that can be enjoyed ‘en deux’ or ‘en famille.‘ Their current temporary exhibit is devoted to L’Amour and understanding the physiological science behind it. 

So, even though each year Valentine’s Day is the holiday that focuses all of us romantics on the romantic nature of love, for lucky Parisians, romance is just a state of mind. And this is a sate of mind that, with some discipline, you can embody every day of the year. For example, simply take a walk across the famous ‘Lover’s Bridge,’ the Pont des Arts at sunset or sunrise, to get that rush of romance. 

The Eiffel Tower of course beckons seductively to all who visit Paris. So to give your visit that extra shot of romantic, start at the Trocadero which affords a wonderful view onto the Eiffel Tower in the near distance.  And for those looking to pay tribute to Love itself, there is Le Mur des Je T’Aime a whole, wall dedicated to declarations of love. 

      A newer edition to the city’s cultural landscape, this aptly named ‘Light Workshop’ for the City of Light, draws you into an immersive art experience. Housed in a cavernous building in the trendy 11th arrondissement, once you step through the black doors, you enter into not just the chosen artist’s world, but his/her imagination, too. Digitally projected images from the artist’s repertoire and life are projected on all walls, the floor and the ceiling, creating a swirling light show all around you. It is a sort of Sound & Light show 2.0…but the immersive experience, the sound of music and narrative that accompanies the spectacle and the overall sensory stimulation makes this better than going to the movies. It’s also a great family activity.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: An instant hit in the City of Light, this art-come-alive show by Culturespace draws spectators in and keeps them enthralled for the duration.

Paige’s expert tip: This is an all-ages activity. Many of the spectators walk around the floor space and then find themselves a spot to just sit back, gaze around and take it all in. The spectacle lasts about an hour, give or take, but you can stay as long as you like if you want to catch it on repeat.

Read more about Atelier des Lumieres →

A contemporary art museum dedicated to exhibiting and then supporting the artists even after the exhibits through the purchase of their work, this beautiful museum is a favorite of many Parisians. It is nestled in the Montparnasse district of Paris, hence it is central and accessible. The foundation collaborates with other city institutions to expand its exhibiting reach. The wildly popular, ‘We The Trees,’ temporary exhibit was extended several months and some of the auxiliary audio-visual media material can still be accessed on the site. This isn’t the only example of dynamic curating that the young team at the Fondation has a penchant for, so check the website to see what’s current. Likely there will be something that appeals to your artistic senses. And the grounds, in the summer time, are a welcoming, shady place to take a breath and enjoy an outdoor snack.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: Nestled in an accessible Montparnasse neighborhood, this museum’s popularity with the local Parisians is understandable once you’ve visited.

Paige’s expert tip: Don’t be fooled by the name, this foundation is looks, acts and feels like a museum. It is devoted to contemporary art and its philosophy is such that the foundation purchases a substantial portion of the art it exhibits. Hence, it is more than just a place of display.

Read more about Fondation Cartier →

This museum in Paris is devoted fully to the art of perfume. It is a private museum funded partially with state funds and partially by private investors. Perfume is as integral to French culture as couture, fine wine and art. That there had not yet existed in the French capital a museum wholly devoted to perfume, unaffiliated with a perfume brand, was seen as something of an empty space that needed filling. The museum’s location is just a block or so away from the French White House, the Elysee. It is devoted to sensory perception and has been designed to be highly interactive. Visitors are easily and luxuriously drawn into testing their olfactory senses and playing at finding the scents that most please them. In the four floors of the perfume museum (including the Roederer-like champagne cellars basement) of the renovated private mansion, the visitor is introduced to the history of perfum and its importance at the King’s court especially Versailles. The upper floors are devoted to sensory and smell perceptions. This is a museum that is certain to appeal to both young and old, male and female.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: Walking through the garden of scents installation is a delightful way to test your olfactory senses.

Paige’s expert tip: Experts tell us that our sense of smell is inseparably intertwined with our memories. Here you can make beautiful memories together while exploring your sense of smell and the making of perfume, with your significant other. In the four floors of the perfume museum (including the Roederer-like champagne cellars basement) of the renovated private mansion, the visitor is introduced to the history of perfume and its importance at the King’s court especially Versailles. The upper floors are devoted to sensory and smell perception. Walking through the garden of scents installation is a delightful way to test your olfactory prowess.

Read more about Le Grand Musee du Parfum →

This is Europe’s largest movie theater and its location right on Grands Boulevards means it’s walking distance from the major department stores and one of Paris’s best shopping districts. With 2,650 seats it was purportedly modeled after NYC’s Radio City Music Hall. It opened in 1932 and its kitschy interior is still a mix between Art Deco and neo-classical Oriental. Best to see for yourself, and you can, as there is a 50-minute tour of the cinema that you can take year-round. The theater is not to be confused with its dance club, the Rex Club, which is adjoined and whose entrance is just a few yards down the way (known for its electro-pop music). Le Grand Rex is hands-down the most most impressive movie theater, in terms of largesse, d�cor and history, in Paris.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: This is Europe’s largest movie theater and a Parisian landmark perfect for a date night out on the town.

Paige’s expert tip: Take the 50 minute tour of the cinema, offered year-round. There is also a nightclub just next door, by the same name. So after your movie is finished, you can continue your night by dancing in the club just a door down.

Read more about Le Grand Rex →

Ever felt like escaping back to childhood? Where there was magic, model trains, life-sized unicorns, dragons and pretend kings and fairy princesses? This museum offers you exactly that kind of escape. It’s probably one of the least famous museums in Paris, which will make it all the more magical when you discover it. Yes, it’s a favorite of families, especially at the holiday times, when the museum puts all its rides into action and the grounds become one big old-style amusement park. But there is also such romance here, full of nostalgia and a time when carousel horses were hand carved out of wood and painted by a master craftsman. Come with your significant other and you will be sharing in these delights with the person who matters most. It will be sort of like watching the sunset together – infinitely better when the moment is shared.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: It isn’t every day that you get to walk through a 19th century carnival grounds come alive. This one is interactive and authentic.

Paige’s expert tip: Every year at the end of the year, the ten days or so between Christmas and the start of the new year, this museum puts all its rides in action and has puppet masters, street performers and tap dancers animating the entire grounds. It becomes much more than a museum at this time, it becomes an interactive fair ground come alive from the 19th c.

Read more about Musee des Arts Forains →

This museum, set in the Hotel Biron, is a tribute to one of the world’s finest sculptors. Thanks to Rodin’s own donations, the facility offers a wealth of objects, including terra cotta, bronze and marble creations. Plaster and wax studies are available as well, along with his sketches, drawings, engravings, and his own collected art. Among the items on display are “The Kiss” and the sculpture that brought Rodin much fame, The Thinker. The museum is now re-opened after 3 years (2012 – 2015) of renovations on the main building, Hotel Biron, which is an early 18th c. building. The gardens are an idyllic draw unto themselves. They were also the setting for the scene where former First Lady of France, Carla Bruni, played her role for Woody Allen’s film, Midnight in Paris. A café in the gardens offers refreshments.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: This is a museum that offers as much viewing outdoors as indoors. It’s a pleasing blend for all in your party, whatever the weather.

Paige’s expert tip: Just one euro gets you entrance to these magnificent gardens, a gorgeous place to quietly sit and read a book. It is also favored by art students who bring their sketch pads for some still-life practice.

Read more about Musee Rodin →

Paris is often considered to be the city of love, ideal for romance, and epitomizing that Paris aura is the Le Mur des Je T’aime, aka the I Love You Wall. This understated work of art is in a Paris park (Square Jehan Rictus Place des Abbesses in Montmartre) amidst flowers and trees, which add to the romance of the wall. What makes this wall so appealing for love that it has become the meeting place for romantics? On the black wall are 311 declarations of love in 250 different languages written in white. It’s a simple, but powerful work of art paying homage to one of the most powerful phrases in all languages: I love you.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: To escape from the city and indulge in relaxation and rejuvenation without having to go anywhere is the key to an excellent urban spa getaway.

Paige’s expert tip: Look up how to say “I love you” in several different languages and then search for them on the wall. This is a fun game to play with kids or to create a bit of fun competition between you and your significant other to see who can find each phrase first.

Read more about Le Mur des Je T’aime →

The Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge across the Seine, connects the Louvre with the Latin Quarter while offering some of the city’s most stunning views. It is also known as the Lover’s Bridge since lovers have been coming here for centuries to gaze into one another’s eyes. In recent years, the phenomena of Love Locks has swept not just Paris but romantic spots throughout the world. Alas, this bridge, however, became one of the epicenters for this cultural tradition and its 19th c. railings crumbled under the weight of all that love. The city replaced these with plexiglass panels. In the evenings it is a popular spot to come share a bottle of wine that special someone, and also just to sit and revel in the sounds of the street musicians, the passersby and other lovers such as yourselves, while basking in the breathtaking views.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: Gazing at the sunset from this bridge with Notre Dame in one direction and the Grand Palais/Eiffel Tower in another is a timeless moment.

Paige’s expert tip: Last summer the bridge’s metal paneling began to give way under the weight of all the Love Locks fastened to them. So the city has started a campaign called #LoveWithoutLocks, a digital wall where you can post your declarations of love.

Read more about Le Pont des Arts →

A more charming ‘community theatre’ does not exist anywhere! Located on the ancient, historical and aristocratic Quai d’Anjou; at the end of a short covered passageway full of flowers and flora, is where you’ll find this little theatre. There is something going on nearly every day, often piano recitals at 6:30 in the evenings, and even more entertaining fare, such as theatre or musical variety shows from 9pm. This intimate little theatre is famous for its elegance as well as its programming. It seats a total of about 30 people on plush, red velvet theatre seats. The box office opens about 30 minutes before the show. Or you can reserve in advance and buy you tickets online. Check their website for upcoming shows, concerts and theatre pieces. Even such greats as Michael Lonsdale have headlined plays and presentations here, so be prepared to be charmed and pleasantly surprised.

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: With all the wonderful theaters to choose from in Paris, this one remains the most intimate and, certainly for a romantic evening, the best location.

Paige’s expert tip: There are few places in Paris more romantic that the Ile St. Louis. It becomes even moreso, the more you hear about its storied past and the greats who have called this little island in the center of Paris ‘home.’ A winning romantic evening is the following: A piano recital show at the only theatre here on the island, followed by dinner at any of the magnificent restaurants to be found within a short 5 minute walk. Or, reverse the order, and do the 9pm show after dinner.

Read more about Theatre de L’Ile Saint Louis – Paul Rey →

Located next to the Grand Palais, this science and technology museum (museum of discovery is the literal translation) is smaller and older than the Cite; des Sciences, and it has a charm all its own. Created in 1937 to help people understand scientific methods, the museum brings in excellent temporary exhibits to augment its permanent displays on physics, biology, electricity and astronomy. The real philosophy behind this museum is that most of us learn and comprehend scientific theory better when we have a chance to experience it. So many of the temporary and permanent exhibits here are hands-on. That’s a feature that is sure to make the kids, big and small, crack a smile. It also has a wonderful collection of original Da Vinci designs. Note: explanations are often in French only. METRO: Champs Elys–es-Clemenceau (line 1 or 3)

Recommended for Romantic Things to Do because: This is an interactive, fascinating science museum for young and old that happens to be just steps from the Champs-Elysées.

Paige’s expert tip: This museum is even better when you, or someone in your party, speak a bit of French. However, there are designated multilingual “scientific mediators” whose passion for science helps transmit the understanding of some of the basic scientific principles, like electricity.If yçu’ve ever visited the Exploratorium in San Francisco, you can easily draw comparisons to this immersive museum. Recent temporary exhibits include ‘De l’Amour,’ an exhibit dedicated to the physiological science behind love.

Read more about Palais de la Decouverte →

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