Archive for the ‘Fred Harvey’ Category

Arequipa, Peru–a link to Fred Harvey

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

My first stop in Peru was Arequipa, the second largest city in the country with a population of almost one million people.  Known as the “White City” because many of its buildings are built of a white volcanic rock called sillar, several of its Spanish colonial buildings are excellent examples of the churrigueresque, a form of the Spanish Baroque distinguished by its elaborate use of ornamentation.

The Jesuit church of La Compania is a wonderful example.  Begun in 1654, the facade was completed in 1698.

 

Iglesia de la Compania facade

Iglesia de la Compania facade

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloister of La Compania
Cloister of La Compania

 

Details of column in La Compania cloister

Details of column in La Compania cloister

 

Mestizo-style carving in La Campania cloister 

This was not my first exposure to this style of architecture.  Many of the buildings designed by Bertram Goodhue for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego were of this style.  And they, of course, were featured on postcards published by Fred Harvey.

Botanical Gardens

 

La Laguna de las Flores, Panama-California Exposition

La Laguna de las Flores, Panama-California Exposition

La Laguna de las Flores at the Panama-California Exposition

La Laguna de las Flores at the Panama-California Exposition

While these views fail to show the detail, check out my close-up of a building facade along the El Prado.
Balboa park building facade Balboa park building facade
For an in-depth discussion of the churriqueresque in Arequipa, see “Embroidery in Stone.”

Posted in Architecture, Fred Harvey, Journal Summer 2009, Peru | No Comments »

The El Tovar 2009

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

She’s had a face-lift.  Last year when I visited in May, the yard was a construction zone and the tower was in scaffolding. El Tovar May 2008  El Tovar 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time,  I actually had the opportunity to stay here.  While it was nice and had the ambiance of a luxury hotel, the Rim Cabin at Bright Angel Lodge I had the first night had far more character. 

El Tovar RoomBright Angel Rim Cabin

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view was also spectacular, especially when compared to the parking lot behind El Tovar.  Just a few feet from my front door was a bench where I could watch the sunrise.

Canyon Sunrise

This year I also spent some time talking about Fred Harvey postcards with Tom Ratz, a fellow collector who has worked at the El Tovar for almost thirty years.  He’s about to have a book of canyon views, both photographs and postcards, published by Arcadia.  Meanwhile, unwilling to settle for black and white, I’m still trying to find a publisher of my canyon history illustrated with 300 color postcards.   Oh well.

Anyway, if you ever have a chance to dine at El Tovar and want an expert to point out changes from the following view and today, be sure to ask for Tom.

El Tovar Dining Room H12993

Posted in Arizona, Fred Harvey, General, Grand Canyon, National Parks and Monuments | No Comments »

Searching for Fred Harvey 2009-NAU

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

After the abrupt termination of my 2006 “Searching“, I finally had the opportunity to peruse the Fred Harvey Collection at Northern Arizona University Cline Library.  I barely finished going through the dozen boxes of material I had selected to review in the 18 hours I had allotted.  Like all archival searches, there were boxes of irrelevant materials, lots of stuff I had seen before, some interesting although irrelevant tidbits of information, and a few gems of new, relevant data.  I even found the source of some oft-cited, but undocumented facts.

Most of the material dated from after the purchase of Fred Harvey by Amfac in 1968, a period I have not paid much attention to since most of the Fred Harvey postcard views in my manuscript The Grand Canyon: A Fred Harvey Postcard History pre-date World War II.  Some of the most relevant materials were letters from a blacksmith hired to recreate the bear trap for Hermit’s Rest, along with numerous other items.

That means the bear trap in Hermit's Rest Porch 2006the picture below is not the one on the postcard.  No real surprise given the span of 80 years, but it’s nice to have proof of one’s suspicions.  The Porch, Hermit's Rest

Posted in Arizona, Fred Harvey, Grand Canyon, National Parks and Monuments | 2 Comments »