NYC: Guggenheim

I had the pleasure of visiting New York City last Saturday.  The leaves were at full Fall peak in Central Park, and despite the drizzling rain, the day was great!  Artist Agnes Martin was the feature around the rotunda, but there were other floors to explore and enjoy with the likes of Chaugin, Picasso, Cezanne, Kandinsky, and one of my favorites-Chagall.  Most importantly, the building itself was the real show and I'd pay the $25 to go and explore any day.

As with any trip to the Big Apple, I walked plenty, drank high volumes of coffee (Joe Coffee), enjoyed multiple Old Fashioneds (Ace Hotel) and finished the day out with an incredible meal at the not-to-be-missed Uva.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY

Here's a picture of Curtiss on the bike.  1907, was a very busy time for Curtiss. In January, for example, he rode the world’s first V-8 motorcycle to a speed of 136 miles per hour in Ormond Beach, Florida. Having driven the cycle faster than even the typical locomotive of the day, he became known as “the fastest man on earth.”  Full here.

The June Bug was designed by Glenn Curtiss and powered by a Curtiss engine.

So his wife could come along.

Shaft-driven bicycle!

Could be handy going downhill in Philly on the fixed gear!

1934 Zündapp flat twin K500 shaft-drive motorcycle.

I had the opportunity to visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum yesterday after a long drive back to Philadelphia from Buffalo, NY.  The museum is located in Hammondsport, NY near Keuka Lake.  Keuka means "canoe landing" in the Iroquois language and "lake with an elbow" in the Seneca language.

Glenn Curtiss was an innovator in aviation, bicycles, and motorcycles.  He was a talented motorcycle builder and racer and built engines for airships in the early 1900s.  He worked with the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), a group founded by Alexander Graham Bell.  Early on he had an interest in bicycles and started his own business building and maintaining them in Hammondsport.  Curtiss began assembling engines and attaching them to the frame of bicycles.  His desire to go fast was born.  Breaking records in 1907 riding his V-8 motorcycle, building countless engines for famous aircraft, and innovating transportation and inspiring many thinkers for years to come.  

If you are ever passing through or on a wine tour near the finger lakes, add this to your itinerary!

Eastern State Penitentiary: Philadelphia, PA

The dark clouds ominously hovered over the Eastern State Penitentiary last Monday.  The light and sky looked amazing in contrast and I had to stop and capture the moment.  I pass this architectural feat every morning and need to appreciate it a little more besides the day when twinkies are tossed off the roof.  How many days until Bastille Day??

NYC Buildings

All pictures were taken by me (apart from the last one) last weekend during a visit to New York City.  I really wanted to visit this time and just take pictures of some of the greatest examples of architecture ever built.  Is that too much to ask for?  I went to plenty of great coffee shops, but there's only so much you can do during a day trip.  Pork buns, coffee, park picnics, museums and lots of fun.  Until next time...

Barnes Foundation: Relocation

Despite the controversy surrounding the relocation of the Barnes, as chronicled in the 2009 documentary The Art of the Steal, the building design for the foundation has surprised me.  Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (here) true to their design philosophy, they've created a building that evokes a sense of lasting and beauty.  I was apprehensive with the initial build and location of the foundation at the start, but thoroughly surprised by the lovely result.