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Date: | Thu, 9 Jul 2009 18:48:26 EDT |
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Yeah David, but there are some really interesting things written on boards
inside buildings. For example, a YMCA gymnasium erected in 1919 at U.S.Army
Fort Rosecrans had the name of an Army officer with a Chinese last name.
This fascinating little anecdote in history was applied when few Asian
Americans rose to the rank of military officer. Another notation in a 1908
building showed a cartoon of the Challenger rocketing up and exploding with a
lot of personal insight into that infamous moment in time. Other things
inside buildings can be the delivery pallet labels from one post to another.
Also stuffed in a 1904 building was a bundle of love letters that make
fascinating reading and would make a great plot for a bodice-ripper novel. The
fact that someone is actually looking and noting these historical anecdotes is
important in itself. I cannot tell you how many times I went out in the
field and found contract surveyors either were blind to these sorts of things
or simply did not see it as important to note.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
In a message dated 7/9/2009 3:22:06 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Ray,
Depending on when the building was constructed, I'd be wary of reading too
much into finding writing on architectural elements enclosed inside a
built
envelope. 19th century builders had supplies delivered to their sites and
the items were packed in wood crates or the bulk wood delivered from mills
to the attention of a builder or other person on-site were labeled with the
names of the recipients -- see:
http://lincolncottage.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/john-skirving-architect-of-th
e-cottage/
The board being held is one such example (from c. 1842). I have also done
extensive work on the inside of vernacular buildings (outbuildings,
industrial sites) where the walls literally served as the notebooks for
workmen either at the time of construction or during the building's active
lifespan.
David Rotenstein
_______________________________________
David S. Rotenstein, Ph.D.
[log in to unmask]
http://www.historian4hire.net
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dsrotenstein
10308 Edgewood Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901
(240) 461-7835
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