Sunset, Scarritt Point

Sun, Crow, Moon

 Some shots taken from Kessler Park before I began hunting for the comet.   All 800mm lens, varying  
                                                              exposures and f-stops.

                                            All images copyright 2013 David Remley.

Twilight Comet ... Hard To Find....

When the scientists said this comet is hard to see... they weren't kidding.   Went up on the west side of the Kansas City Museum to look for the comet.  Didn't find it until I got home.   800mm lens, asa 4000, lens wide open at F4.....  the comet and "tail" are on the far center left of the image.   A very proper little tail pointing away from the already set sun.   May try again tomorrow night.    Top shot is very low processing.   Bottom shot more processing from a different frame....

Northeast Mansions, Volume 9 - H.L. Root Home

 The above picture home of H. L. Root was originally 2905 Independence Avenue... now it's 2817.  That change of address happened rather frequently in the early days of the City. This home was designed by the person featured in my last post, Charles A. Smith.   Above was taken around 1896... below was taken March 12th, 2013.   This is located right next to Boulevard Bakery.

 H.L. Root was Vice-President of the Burnham- Hanna-Munger Dry Goods Company which began life in 1887 at 7th and Walnut Streets.  In 1900 it moved to a large building at 8th and Broadway which is now called the Poindexter Building.  It was a wholesale dry goods company.  Below, the living room of the home.

The home right next to Mr. Roots is going up for auction on March 28th, building and contents.

Northeast Mansions Volume 8, Charles A. Smith Home

 Charles Ashley Smith, 1867 - 1948, was a prolific Kansas City architect who designed more than 50 of the Kansas City School Districts' Schools including Northeast High School.   He also created  the three Heim Brothers' homes on Benton Boulevard.  His residence, above, which he also designed, is at 810 Benton Boulevard and is still standing!   These photos were probably taken between 1895 and 1905.

 I made copy-negs of photos in a Hughes Book 20 years ago and then forgot I had them.  These three are from that book and show the Smith living room above, and living and dining rooms, below.

 Mr. Smith was born in Ohio, moved to Iowa and thence to Kansas City.  He was a draftsman with William Hackney in 1887 prior to becoming his partner. Hackney was the architect for the Kansas city School District and, upon his death, Smith took that position.      Schools in addition to Northeast that he designed include Woodland School, 711 Woodland,  and Attucks Elementary School at 18th and Woodland.  He also designed the Fine Arts Building on the UMKC campus, the Unity Temple at 47th and Jefferson, the YMCA building at 18th and Paseo, the Kansas City Club at 12th and Baltimore, and the Firestone Building at 2001 Grand.  .   Below, the home today.

Biographical information came from a profile by Susan Jezak Ford found in  the Missouri Valley Room of the Kansas City Public Library

                                                 Charles Ashley Smith, Northeast Architect

Happy Birthday Kelly

                                                              24 and still going strong :)

Thacher School 1993

 Thacher School was last on the chopping block in 1993.  The District wanted to tear it down to create a soccer field.    It was spared then and actually reopened as a functioning facility.   At that time our Save Thacher Committee was allowed inside to take pictures.   I've included the external shots I took at the time too.     We should mothball the southern portion until such time as a use can be determined.
I think it would make an excellent Community Center for the Northeast.  

 This was back in the film days.  I used a Nikon F4 with T-Max 400 film and developed it normally.

                      Incidentally my Father, Aunt and Uncle went through all the grades here.  

                                         I think the different heights of the coat hooks are cute.......