Comments on: Erecting The Needle Pt. 3 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/11/18/erecting-the-needle-pt-3/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:19:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Doug Smith - Salt Lake City http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/11/18/erecting-the-needle-pt-3/#comment-81927 Doug Smith - Salt Lake City Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:21:53 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=1976#comment-81927 I was 10 years old when the Seattle World's Fair opened. I had travelled to Seattle a couple of times a year from Salt Lake City, to visit my grandparents. Seattle was abuzz with the plans for the upcoming event that would bring world attention to the city. It was dinner time conversation. I was fascinated to hear my grandparents tell us about it with excitement. When the fair opened, we attended several times. It was a wonderous time in our country's history, style-wise in architecture, fashion and trends --- our nation having been out of a war less than 12 years. Some of the 'mod' and futuristic designs are amusing to look back on. They reflect what we thought the future was going to be. Remember in the "bubblator"?! A huge acrylic bubble rising on a hydraulic lift to raise un into the future! Also the Science Pavilion with it's lacey, gothic, futuristic architecture. Still beautiful. The space needle was an object of wonder to me. I remember the first elevator ride to the top; the observation deck. It was exhilarating. At age 14, I'll never forget when my grandmother took me and a friend to dinner there at the "special restaurant". Wow, we'd reached new heights, for a country kid! My grandmother is now deceased. I will not forget that she worked as a maid, nanny and a kitchen cook to earn enough money to take me to dinner at the famous space needle. It was a sacrifice for her, that brought her joy to treat her grandson to a special experience. Think of the Seattle skyline without this futuristic, mod icon. It has defined and set Seattle's rather ordinary skyline apart from any other city. What would Frasier use on the opening credits??? 1962 was a wonderous time for Seattle. The world came to it's doorstep with color, flair, muliple languages, nations and customs. It was a place for the convergence of science, commerce, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sport, culinary arts and more. For a young, naive country kid from the Rocky Mountains, it was a whole new world. It will always stand out in my memory. I was 10 years old when the Seattle World’s Fair opened. I had travelled to Seattle a couple of times a year from Salt Lake City, to visit my grandparents. Seattle was abuzz with the plans for the upcoming event that would bring world attention to the city. It was dinner time conversation. I was fascinated to hear my grandparents tell us about it with excitement.

When the fair opened, we attended several times. It was a wonderous time in our country’s history, style-wise in architecture, fashion and trends — our nation having been out of a war less than 12 years. Some of the ‘mod’ and futuristic designs are amusing to look back on. They reflect what we thought the future was going to be. Remember in the “bubblator”?! A huge acrylic bubble rising on a hydraulic lift to raise un into the future! Also the Science Pavilion with it’s lacey, gothic, futuristic architecture. Still beautiful.

The space needle was an object of wonder to me. I remember the first elevator ride to the top; the observation deck. It was exhilarating. At age 14, I’ll never forget when my grandmother took me and a friend to dinner there at the “special restaurant”. Wow, we’d reached new heights, for a country kid!

My grandmother is now deceased. I will not forget that she worked as a maid, nanny and a kitchen cook to earn enough money to take me to dinner at the famous space needle. It was a sacrifice for her, that brought her joy to treat her grandson to a special experience.

Think of the Seattle skyline without this futuristic, mod icon. It has defined and set Seattle’s rather ordinary skyline apart from any other city. What would Frasier use on the opening credits???

1962 was a wonderous time for Seattle. The world came to it’s doorstep with color, flair, muliple languages, nations and customs. It was a place for the convergence of science, commerce, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sport, culinary arts and more. For a young, naive country kid from the Rocky Mountains, it was a whole new world. It will always stand out in my memory.

]]> By: Shannon http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/11/18/erecting-the-needle-pt-3/#comment-21428 Shannon Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:34:54 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=1976#comment-21428 In that first photo, where Broad St. goes underneath Aurora, it's interesting to see that there were more buildings in that area back then, then there are now! Not often that happens in the downtown Seattle area. That last photo, with the sun shining on it, the rippled cloud cover, and the jet swooshing above, is pretty glorious--a triumph of mankind! In that first photo, where Broad St. goes underneath Aurora, it’s interesting to see that there were more buildings in that area back then, then there are now! Not often that happens in the downtown Seattle area.

That last photo, with the sun shining on it, the rippled cloud cover, and the jet swooshing above, is pretty glorious–a triumph of mankind!

]]> By: Bryan http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/11/18/erecting-the-needle-pt-3/#comment-21426 Bryan Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:30:50 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=1976#comment-21426 For some reason I am fascinated by the bird's eye street view in the first picture. Looks like there are 3 of the monorail columns curving into the picture and Broad Street in the upper left of the picture, so guess that places the monorail columns in the area that is now covered by EMP on the lot that is mostly empty in the picture. Presumably that means most of the other buildings visible in the picture have long since been demolished for parking lots, or now new stuctures such as the Gates Foundation. For some reason I am fascinated by the bird’s eye street view in the first picture. Looks like there are 3 of the monorail columns curving into the picture and Broad Street in the upper left of the picture, so guess that places the monorail columns in the area that is now covered by EMP on the lot that is mostly empty in the picture. Presumably that means most of the other buildings visible in the picture have long since been demolished for parking lots, or now new stuctures such as the Gates Foundation.

]]> By: striatic http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/11/18/erecting-the-needle-pt-3/#comment-21407 striatic Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:22:14 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=1976#comment-21407 ...not to mention the fellow in the opening sequence of "The Parallax View". …not to mention the fellow in the opening sequence of “The Parallax View”.

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