Ok, you are getting a bonus post today because I have been experimenting with altering the picture size, and YAY YIPPEE YAY, thanks to much help from Fenix of Bostonscapes, (who apparently also never sleeps!) it works! So treat this as a sort of TV test pattern......... THANKS FENIX!!!!This lovely old Art Deco building in Central is one of the few old and interesting ones which has not been allowed to fall into disrepair by uncaring landlords, who own many of the wonderful historic buildings in the area. The ones on either side of this are in a shocking state. In fact the one down the hill had a fire started by the vagrants who inhabit many of these buildings, and use the floorboards for firewood. It is now a burnt out out shell.
I've seen similar looking buildings in Bombay. This one looks better maintained though!
ReplyDeleteNice Art Deco lines!!I'd like to learn more about the "slum landlord"--who is he, what's he doing in SA. I think I'll try to google him and get some background.
ReplyDeleteBack again. I got many different articles on google for Mr. Denton, who was shrewd enough right after Apartheid ended to buy up lots and lots of property. Wow! I regret that an irresponsible investor has adversely affected your city. I wonder when he will start selling; undoubtedly after land value continue to increase but in the meantime, his sad neglect of the buildings is adversely affecting PE. Too bad foreign investors are allowed to have so many investments that are not healthy for the country. Now I'm going to google him in Dublin to see what I can find. This is fascinating to me!
ReplyDeletehi kate, go to http://www.mype.co.za/ our P E community website and on the left sidebar, do a google search of mype ken denton. you will see how upset residents are about what he is doing to our city! You might also be interested to read an old post on my blog at http://arty-fartying-around.blogspot.com/2007/02/red-herring-2800-and.html
ReplyDeletethere i went into more detail and showed photos of many of his buildings. Finally, if you love old buildings, while you are there go to my labels at the bottom of my sidebar and click on Historic Buildings..... you might enjoy some of those posts full of photos and anecdotes
cool, if you find any legal loopholes to get rid of him, let me know. he is apparently a sort of self made billionaire, who claims to live in a castle, but it turns out to be a modern house with castellated appearance. He is married, and i don't know if his wife is aware of what goes on here, or the status of the marriage, but he spends a lot of time here, and is having a very blatant relationship with one of the top ANC politicians in Joburg, and that gives him a lot of clout to get around the municipality, from rumours i have heard. I can't substantiate it though.
ReplyDeleteAhahahaha! You got it to work :). 720 is not a magic number, it's just the only number that seems to work with these templates. By now Blogger should have "upgraded" the picture sizes. I just don't get these guys. Even Google considers 400 pixels as "medium".
ReplyDeleteBig difference, eh? Now your splendid photos simply shine. :)
Art Deco is one of my favorite styles. Timeless beauty. We have some nice examples here, in Boston, but not as many as we should! ;)
I'm glad my first name is Denton and not my last ... At first I thought the laundry was a nice touch in your photo. Then after reading the explanation I realize it emphasizes the conditions.
ReplyDeleteHello - a fellow-Port Elizabethan calling from London! What a glorious photo. I rememebr doing an architecture appreciation course in PE in the early 1990s and doing a walking tour of Central to see all the wonderful Art Deco buildings - I was stunned at how many there were. Sadly, slumlords are chipping away at this wonderfully historic neighbourhood and I fear that soon, pictures like yours will be our only record. Very sad!
ReplyDeleteBtw, I'm adding a link to you on my blog's sidebar - plan to visit again!