Tag: Seattle

Fading Ad

On By Fred KingIn buildings, Signage, Urban DecayLeave a comment

I spent a couple of hours in a small, 2 block area of First Hill in Seattle the other day. I was attracted to the area due to the large number of brick buildings. The specific area I was in was between Union and Pike on 11th and 12th Ave. On 11th and Union I came across this ‘fading ad’. There is a posting, I discovered, on another blog from 2009 with a photo of a much less faded H.W. Baker Linen Co. I looked into the company and apparently they still exist in New Jersey, but have long since vacated Seattle. As I finished taking this photo I heard a voice behind me blurt out: “What are you taking a photo of?” At first I ignored the voice. She again asked her question. This time I turned around, to find a smallish women about my age with a tripod strapped to her back. Apparently she had shot this fading ad  quite a few times and really likes to keep track of it as it fades in time. I’m not sure what relevance this has to the overall experience of shooting the ad, but…..there you have it.

Boats and Tender

On By Fred KingIn boat, SeattleLeave a comment

A couple of boats that passed through the locks from Puget Sound to Lake Washington. One of the ‘lock tenders’ who has to tie up each boat that passes through the locks. Notice that he is tethered, via a harness, to the railing behind him. Good safety idea.

Closing the Locks

On By Fred KingIn boat, SeattleLeave a comment

Large gates closing. Second photo the gates are closed. Third photo is one of the hydraulic hinges ( really not sure what the technical term is ). Once the gates are closed the water level is either lowered or raised depending on which direction the boats are going. This is the northern lock that allows boats to move from Lake Washington out to Puget Sound. The water level has to be lowered because the water level of the lake is higher than that of Puget Sound.

Interesting Ritual Observed

On By Fred KingIn Capitol Hill, childhood, Children, Seattle, ThoughtsLeave a comment

A week ago I was walking near Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill in Seattle when I observed  a most unusual Spring ritual. There was a large group of children gathered around an inflated giraffe-like creature led, apparently, by a middle-aged man  wearing fake bunny ears. As he gesticulated to the horde of children as he counted down from 10. When he said the magical number the children made a dash for these plastic, egg-shaped objects that were randomly placed on the landscaped hill. I surmised that the idea was to collect as many of these ‘eggs’ as one could. Clearly the advantage was with the faster and probably older children. This event/ritual had their own professional photographer! After all of the eggs had been gathered the children and their parents met up at the fake giraffe-like object and the ritual seemed to come to a close at that point. I think I identified with the toddler in the last photo. He seemed to be wondering what all the fuss about some orb-like  object could be? My sentiments exactly 🙂

Georgetown

On By Fred KingIn buildings, SeattleLeave a comment

Georgetown Community Center. For years this building served as the South Precint Headquarters for SPD, The South Precint is now located in a larger, new facility on Delridge Way in West Seattle. Above photo: looking south on BNSF tracks in Georgetown. There is an old spur that goes into the old Seattle Brewery Building. That spur ends abruptly about 20 yards north of this location. It’s an interesting place to walk around on a Sunday morning. Along the tracks is a wealth of discarded items.