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Edinburgh’s Art Deco Heritage 23: Falcon Road West Flats

More than a hint of Art Deco style here. The flats are on Falcon Road West:-

Deco Style Flats, Edinburgh

Corner of Falcon Road West and Falcon Road:-

Art Deco Style Flats, Edinburgh

Looking up Falcon Road:-

Edinburgh Art Deco Flats

There are similar flats on Falcon Avenue.

MiM Mini Guides Nos 3 and 5.

 

The MiM mini guides are produced by Modernism in Metroland and feature the modernist buildings of a particular location or architect. They are A5 size and include text and colour images of the guides’ buildings.

Knowing my interest in the Art Deco and Modernist styles my elder son and his architect wife gave me the undernoted two mini guides as a birthday present last year. Both were compiled by Joshua Abbott.

MiM Mini Guide No. 3. Speculative Suburban Houses 1928-38.

MiM Mini Guide No. 5. Interwar Industrial Architecture:-

It is not so much the text of these kinds of books (or mini books if you prefer) as the illustrations which are the main aspect.

As the Metroland denomination implies the contents are all buildings from the London area.

Nevertheless they are a delight to anyone with a passion for the architeture of the inter-war years.

 

 

Dokkum, The Netherlands

In June last year we visited The Netherlands again. One of the day trips we took was to Dokkum, in Friesland.

On the way in to the town fom the car park, along the canal, I spotted this house (in that Dutch fashion known as De Stijl?) which is so Art Deco looking:-

House, Dokkum, The Netherlands

Further on was this scene which is so Dutch it’s almost a cliché, canal and windmill – with lovely bridge added in:-

Canal + Windmill, Dokkum, The Netherlands

The Town House in Dokkum has a carillon tower:-

Carillon, Dokkum, The Netherlands

Town House:-

Town House, Dokkum, The Netherlands

A sculpture in the twon:-

Sculpture, Dokkum, The Netherlands

Side view:-

Side View, Sculpture, Dokkum, The Netherlands

Another almost deco building:-

A Building in Dokkum, The Netherlands

Dokkum is one of Friesland’s eleven cities between which an ice-skating race known as the Elfstedentocht used to take place when there was ice on the canals. I suspect it’s extremely unlikely ever to be held again as the winters are no longer cold enough long enough for any ice to be safe to skate on. In honour of that history, though, the canal side benches in Dokkum are in the shape of an ice skate:-

Skate Bench, Dokkum, The Netherlands

In 2018 eleven artists designed a fountain each for the eleven cities. Dokkum’s is known as the Ice Fountain:-

Ice Fountain, Dokkum, The Netherlands

Ice Fountain information:-

Dokkum, The Netherlands, Ice Fountain Information

Perth Museum

Perth Museum recently relocated to the building which used to be Perth City Hall. It’s slap bang in the middle of the city so a good location.

The new museum’s main attraction is the Stone of Destiny, removed from Edinburgh Castle to be nearer to its spiritual home in Scone a couple of miles north of Perth itself.

Some of the exhibits have been transferred from the old Museum and Art Gallery in George Street, notably the St Madoes stone, which, in its new location, is now lit up to help highlight the carvings:-

St Madoes stone, Perth Museum, Scotland

Side and back views:-

Side of St Madoes Stone, Perth Museum

Perth Museum, St Madoes Stone

I particularly liked, though, the illumintaed map of Perth through the ages where different parts were lit up at different times to show the evolution of the town/city:-

Illuminated Map of Perth, Perth Museum

Perth Museum, Illuminated Map of  Perth

Then of course there was this picture of the famous old Pullars of Perth premises a building which verges on Art Deco:-

Art Deco Pullars, Perth, Scotland

Two Postcards of the Empire Exhibition 1938

Brain Gerald art drawn postcard of the Empire Exhibition, Scotland, 1938, Scottish Avenue Showing Tower and Restaurant. This view also shows the Times Building and one of the Scotland Pavilions (to left):-

Empire Exhibition 1938, Scottish Avenue Showing Tower and Restaurantt

Black and white Valentine’s postcard, Scottish Avenue from West:-

Empire Exhibition 1938, Scottish Avenue from West

 

Dumbarton Buildings (and a Bit More)

Minor Art Deco style, Wallace Street, Dumbarton:-

Minor Art Deco Style, Wallace Street, Dumbarton

I can’t ever have walked down Wallace Street before as I don’t remember seeing this building until this visit in April.

Doorway detail:-

Art Deco , Doorway Detail, Wallace Street, Dumbarton

I had seen this one many times: the former Co-op on the corner of Greenhead and Glasgow Roads. The date above the lintel is 1922, a bit early for true deco:-

Art Deco Style Former Coop, Dumbarton

We also took a stroll along the quay in the town and spotted this children’s slide (chute) in the shape of an elephant, with a wooden play elephant behind. An elephant appears on the crest of the town and of the mighty Sons, Dumbarton FC. It’s a nice nod to that heritage to have these play objects reflect it:-

Dumbarton, A Children's Slide (Chute) in the Shape of an Elephant

 

 

 

More Art Deco in Alcester

Previously in Alcester I’d only seen one decoish building. This time round we stayed at a different hotel a bit out of the town centre in a direction we hadn’t taken before.

As a result I came across two more.

St Benedict’s Catholic High School. Curved wall and glass bricks.:-

Art Deco Style Building, Alcester

Alcester, Art Deco Style

Just over the road really was this one. The Greig Hall and Leisure Centre. Note circular entrance building with porthole windows:-

The Gregg Hall, Alcester

Empire Exhibition 1938 North Cascade and Tower by Night and More

I haven’t done one of these posts featuring postcards from the Empire Exhibition 1938 in a while. The tower was officially known as The Tower of Empire but was dubbed Tait’s Tower after its architect.

A colourised photo of The North Cascade and Tower by Night at the Empire Exhibition 1938:-

Empire Exhibition 1938 North Cascade and Tower by Night

Black and White Photo Postcard, North Cascade and Tower:-

Black and White Photo Postcard, North Cascade and Tower, Empire Exhibition 1938

A Fountain and Tait’s Tower, Empire Exhibition 1938, with Palace of Engineering:-

Fountain and Tower, Empire Exhibition 1938

Art Deco in Glastonbury

Only minor deco but a bit surprising to see any at all.

The stand out was Boots. The tiles are classic deco:-

Glastonbury Art Deco

Earthfare has rule of three in upper windows which are possibly Critall. I suspect this is a former Woolworths:-

Art Deco Shop, Glastonbury

Children’s Hospice South West is very minor deco:-

Art Deco Style Glastonbury

 

Minor Art Deco Style in Wells

Where we parked in Wells was near to a junction beyond which this brick building stood. Premises of R Tincknell and Son Limited:-

Art Deco Style Building, Wells, Somerset

 

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