Could everyone write one simple essay about something that once happened in Saltaire…that they saw or were a part of…and put it on one big website? Somebody should collect a lot of stories before we all forget. Otherwise it is like a line in “On The Beach” : The history of the war that now would never be written.” -(JO'H)

Friday, May 30, 2008

My HOW SALTAIRE HAS GROWN (Cotinued)

click to enlarge
THIS 1958 PHOTO SHOWS ONE HOME AND ONE CLOTHES LINE ADDED (CLICK TO ENLARGE) SINCE HANK STILLGEBAUER'S 1955 VIEW BELOW. THIS PHOTO BY BILL J. WEINLANDT COPYRIGHT 2008, (Photoshopped back from oblivion by the editors. It was so overexposed we knew right away that this was not an original Bill Weinlandt photo but a Bill J. Weinlandt photo. Thanks anyway, B.J.--it's still better than anything we took in those day--and even Ansel Adams dodged and burned in the darkroom).



Photo by Hank Stillgebauer, courtesy the Stillgbebauer Archives.

BACK IN JANUARY, WE NOTED ABOUT THIS HANK STILLGEBAUER 1955 PHOTO :
"... take a look at the 1955 view from the long-gone benches facing the ocean just south of the lifeguard shack on Broadway (see the shower?). There is nothing but dune grass between the lifeguard shack and the Catholic Church." This picture is looking from southwest.




Now Bill J. Weinlandt produced this photo of the Church from the northwest: .




PHOTO BY BILL WEINLANDT COURTESY BILL J. WEINLANDT



BILL J. WEINLANDT WRITES ABOUT THE LOWER PICTURE FROM 1949: Thought this was an interesting picture. There are no trees of consequence due to the '38 hurricane and all the vegetation is very low. You can actually read "Saltaire" on the water tower. Note that there are no houses built anywhere near the Church at this point in time...and I can assure you that my father was quite distant from the Church when he snapped the picture.



DERF FONTANALS COMMENTS: Interesting perspective. I believe that is looking to the south east from Pacific Walk. Could be near the Fuestels. I can just make out THE BELL on the left corner of the church.



BILL J. WEINLANDT: I think you are probably right. I can tell you, however, that we could actually see the Church from our back deck while standing on a bench (we are 2nd house in from the bay on Navy walk) in the early Fifties.


JOH: I think there were no trees because trees were not indigenous to the area. Antediluvian photos of Saltaire do not reflect much high vegetation. most of the high vegetation today, from the needle pines to the bamboo to the willows are probably all introduced subsequent to 1938.

Comments needed from some naturalist out there, please.

3 comments:

cosmo said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Anonynous -
The original lot at 215 Pacific was covered with blackberry bushes and poison ivy - dad contracted the worst case of poison ivy I have ever seen - he was bedridden for a number of days with his eyes swollen shut. You weren't even 4 years old at the time so you may not have remembered Dr. Friedman stopping by to give dad injections to relieve the itching from the rashes.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
This is the exact site where my father built our home (with his own two hands) in 1955. The transformer on the telephone pole was located outside the north cottage. The bushes were all native Beach Plum, which when in May bloom were spectacular to see.