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Hengrove Hall

This frothy beauty on historic Macquarie Street has caught my eye on several occasions. As a result, I have had finding out about its style and background on my "to do" list for some time. Fortunately, this building is heritage listed, so there is a substantial spiel about it on the  Office of Environment and Heritage website. Built in 1929 - 1930, the style of this nine storey commercial building is officially described as Interwar Old English. I was quite surprised to learn that it was designed at the height of art deco and not during the Victorian era as I had thought! However, I was also interested to learn that the architect Henry Eli White was also responsible for The State Theatre which has a similar interior decor theme (although much grander) with Hengrove Hall's Tudor doorway, puti, crowns and the like as seen above. The Office of Environment and Heritage also notes that the English Tudor manor house Hengrove House in Suffolk was the inspiration behind the Tudor doorway and the other elements of the exterior.

Art Deco Sydney CBD Beauty - City Mutual Life Assurance building

I was lucky enough to actually go into the board room of this Art Deco beauty one Open Sydney day a few years back. It still had its original art deco interior wood panelling and light fixtures which still looked good some seventy odd years after they were first put in. I am not sure if all that still exists, but as you can see, the exterior is still a very handsome example of high art deco. 

It is heritage listed, and has a sizeable wikipedia page dedicated to its history and architect which is well worth a read. As for me, I am enamoured by the concetina-ed windows, the choice of materials in sandstone and polished black granite, the bronze details, and the Raynor Hoff bronze relief over the entrance. Finished in 1936, the architect Emil Sodersten was praised for the contemporary (at the time) design of this stylish building which still looks as lovely as ever today.

All information courtesy of wikipedia.  

Out and about - March/ April photos

Here are a few photos I've taken on my travels recently:

1) The GPO clock 2) the stylish Art Deco entrance of the State Theatre 3) the decommissioned historic wooden escalator in Wynard train station now preserved and displayed as art: the "Interloop". 4) a handsome moth on the Great North Walk 5) a night jar in the Australian Museum 6) an example of a common mushroom sprouting up everywhere recently - this one from Garigal National Park 7) one of many sandstone faces that adorn the GPO (now Westin Hotel) 8) a rainy day reflection of the palm trees along College Street.  

The Archibald Fountain - A Sydney Art Deco Beauty

One of the loveliest fountains in Sydney city is the very art deco Archibald fountain. Designed by the French artist François-Léon Sicard, this pink granite and bronze Sydney icon features figures from Greek and Roman mythology including Apollo, Theseus and the minataur, Pan, Diana and various tortoises, dolphins, goats, deer, dogs and horses. It is named after the keen Francophile newspaper proprietor and editor J.F.Archibald who commissioned the fountain to celebrate the French/ Australian alliance during World War One. Fortunately, I often get to walk through the delightful Hyde Park and admire this Art Deco gem.  

All information from here.

Georges Lepape master Art Deco Illustrator

Four exquisite Georges Lepape art deco fashion illustrations from La Gazette du Bon Ton via Gallica.

Out and About Mid March

Some photos I've been taking over the past little while with my 4S. Above, a pretty pink and green art nouveau building in York Street in the city. 

Above: A stylish, new, arched brick building in York Street that perfectly compliments the art deco brick building it sits beside (right). An attractive native something as seen on a walk in the bush. A streamlined moderne beauty in Riley Street and a mural in front of a classic art deco pub in Park Street 

Thought of the Day

A thought of the day courtesy of that great Victorian/ Edwardian French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Other great things Rodin said were:

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely"

"Sculpture is the art of the hole and the lump"

"I invent nothing, I rediscover"

"The work of art is already within the marble, I just chop off whatever isn't needed" 

"I am like a moon that shines on an immense, unknown sea where ships never pass"

Taylor visits his favourite museum

Recently, Taylor went to his favourite museum: The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and insisted on having his photo taken in front of his favourite work by Wassily Catinski.

Animalia

Animalia - a rearranging of my alphabet poster I did a year or so ago.

Grandmaster Kitten

This is Grandmaster Kitten. He has the tunes and the rhymes to start any party. Here's his favourite rhyme:

 

I'm Grandmaster Kitten here on the tables

selecting wicked beats whenever I am able

I am the kitten that will get the whole place jumpin'

the people really think that I'm a special somethin'

Joseph Saddler - the man he is my scratching king

he's the pioneer who began the hip hop thing

with him and the Furious rhyming up a storm

the breaks and the hip hop revolution was born

it is my aim to pay tribute to their skills

that I may do my job and give the people thrills

 

So, just so you know, the Joseph Saddler mentioned in the rhyme above is the legendary Grandmaster Flash who along with his Furious Five were one of the first 'groups' to perform hip hop way back in the mid seventies. Incidentally, there is an interesting documentary on Netflix at the moment called "Hip Hop Evolution" which talks about the beginnings and overall history of hip hop over the past four decades.