E L access panel. I’m going to go out an limb and guess that the E L on this panel refers to electric lighting. There’s no maker’s mark, which is a shame because this is such a terrific piece. It’s deeply invested in square with the sole exception of the small opening at the bottom.
As is so often the case with the in-ground infrastructure I obsess over, the cracks and lines of the sidewalk provide some excellent visual accompaniment.
East Jordan Iron Works manhole cover. It’s hard to see through the petals, but this is a standard EJIW sewer cover for a large apartment building.
This blog is all about celebrating the existence and design of the infrastructure around us; the way time and nature change that infrastructure to reveal new shapes, forms, and beauty. This particular arrangement, this blanket of falling flower petals, will last a day or two at most. I was glad I noticed this brief moment of particular spring beauty.
Sidewalk laid by G. O. Nelson & Sons, 1961. My favorite feature in this stamp is the sizing effect on the font. It’s unusual in sidewalk stamps; particularly those of the more modern era, which tend towards utilitarian design and font choices.
This is my first posting from an android device. The phone is great but I do miss the quality of my old iPhone 4 camera. We’ll see if I can’t coax the Nexus into producing better shots.
Sidewalk, laid by Thomas Meyer. No date here, but the great deco styling on this stamp tells us it was in the early 20th century. The Thomas Meyer font is especially grand, but the little details - the rounded surround, the sculpted corners - are very fine. The dappling sunlight adds a nice touch.
Happy Anniversary
While I was researching the Veedersburg Paver below, I realized that TWOW has been online for over a year. In that time I’ve posted over 180 photographs of manhole covers, bricks and sidewalk stamps. I’ve had a wonderful time and trained myself to see the world with new eyes. Every new destination - from park to parking lot - is a chance to find some new, hidden piece of infrastructure.
Plus I’ve amassed thousands of photos, so there’s lots to come. Thanks for stopping by.
Veedersburg Paver. Veedersburg pavers were apparently manufactured by the Wabash Clay Company in Veedersburg, Indiana. The town itself was founded by Pete Veeder. We’ve seen Wabash Clay products before in the form of Poston Blocks. .
I haven’t posted brick pictures in some time because they’re hard to come by. I seem to have exhausted Evanston’s brick legacy. Fortunately for all of us, my son’s football practice took place in a park that dead-ends a long stretch of street paved entirely in named bricks. I found some great new bricks and sidewalk stamps and learned I need to spend more time in the northern suburbs.
Central Foundry Co. water cap. Another Manhattan find. We’ve seen other invisible infrastructure with patent numbers prominently displayed here on TWOW. I wonder for whom the patent message was intended? Customers? Rival manufacturers patrolling the city streets?
I’m sorry to say that Central Foundry is too generic a name to make historical research practicable. Perhaps there’s something to be learned form the patent application.
NYC Sewer manhole cover, made in India. I initially thought this cover was an older one based on the design, but the country of origin implies it is of more recent vintage.
I found several variations of this particular design during a short stay in Manhattan. I’ll upload those soon. New York was filled with terrific invisible infrastructure. The downside is the crowds of people walking across my photography subjects. The upside is no one blinking an eye at the man photographing the ground.
D&L Foundry water access. Unlike many of the foundries we feature on TWOW, D&L is still operating, with a new 140-tons-of-casting-a-day facility in Washington state. The raised knobs on this panel imply it predates the facility, however. The rose motiff is typical of Portland infrastructure, and the entire piece has a wonderful steampunk and flowers style.
