After the fall

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Get that dish squeaky clean!

I survived my first semester of graduate school. The last month was murder. I’ve apparently forgotten everything I once knew about how to write a term paper with footnotes. It was nothing at all like riding a bike. Or maybe it was–I was never very good at bike riding. Introduction to Historic Preservation and American Architecture are in the can, and I’m moving on to next semester. I’ve ordered books for Urban History–I hear it’s tough.

I have a week off from work, and I intend to get my study in better shape before the semester begins. In fact, I must do this. You know that scene in Snow White (I prefer this version) when she straightens up the dwarfs’ house? My study is the before image with dirty dishes, overturned mugs, and a pickaxe stuck in the table. I need Snow White and her little woodland pals to come over to my house and do a thorough cleaning. If Miss White isn’t available, I’m thinking about finding someone like the very happy lady in this picture. How good do you think the pay really needs to be? Can I make up for mediocre pay with bizarre surroundings and hilarious working conditions? I’ve decided the hat must be the key to making housework less of a chore.

Preservation at the movies: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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"YOU MANIACS!" Planet of the Apes (1968)

I have a stack of textbooks on my desk, but I set them aside for a night at the movies. The original Planet of the Apes (1968) is a favorite of mine, so I was looking forward to the newest iteration of the Apes franchise. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was entertaining, and I was delighted to find an unexpected connection to historic preservation. The movie is set in San Francisco, a preservationist’s wonderland. Cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Muir Woods National Monument figure prominently in the story. Interestingly, visitor numbers for the Muir Woods have increased since the film’s opening. The link between film and preservation is fascinating.

The next time we lose a precious cultural resource we should cry in our best Heston-like bellow: YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! OH, DAMN YOU! GODDAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

Historic Preservation Haiku

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Our homes are status symbols, right? We want them to look their best because they reflect our success. We equip them with the largest televisions and modish furnishings. If we can afford it, we might knock down a wall or two to update a kitchen or bathroom. We’ll spend big bucks on the latest Sub-Zero fridge or commercial-style range. Add a garage. Build a pool. According to MTV, this is how we do things in the U.S. of A., the land of “look at me,” and the home of “bling-bling.”

No surprise, our ancestors were just like us. And that’s how an 18th century plantation house we visited came to have a collection of fireplaces representing the multi-generational owners’ evolving tastes. Julie F., our unofficial MAHP poet, contributed the following reflection:

Federal fireplace sits
Abandoned and out of place
Victorian wins