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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Mmmm!
As soon as we drove in town, I noticed this odd building. Odd, because of course, we were entering Reading, Pennsylvania not a Japanese town. The pagoda is located 886 feet above sea level and 620 feet above the City of Reading on Mt Penn.
Now, why were we in Reading, PA ? For a very simple and important reason. We were in Philadelphia and Exton for three days visiting friends and business partners. We had a small window on Sunday afternoon between activities, so I had the priviliedge to contact an old TL friend. No, we are not exchanging often for a few years, but since I have joined TL, we still have fun ommunicating and exchanging sincerely on various subjects. It was with great pleasure, we arranged this last minute meeting.
After visiting his workshop at the Goggle Works & Art Center, we went up to the Pagoda for a quick visit. The afternoon was very hot and humid. So the visibility was not really great by the time we arrived on site. Here it was 16h30 at the time of this shot. Nevertheless, we took a few shots. Martine helped us to immortalize this moment twice ( see the workshop ) and the image posted recently by Kevin here ).
Here I opted to go slightly above the Pagoda, and capture the sunlight through the trees, cutting a bit the glare and overexposition of direct sunlight. I did clone a big garbage can located near the arch. Converted to B&W and resized.
I joined the color photo as a workshop. I prefer the mood of the B&W, as a tribute to Kevin's creative and original work. PS. Kevin is now living his passion fully, i.e. living as a full time photographer.
We only spent about 3 hours together , but we did enjoy every second of our meeting. Martine does not speak much English, but was charmed and impressed by Kevin, and his works too. We left him with a wonderful feeling of happiness and warmth.
If you ever pass by Reading visit the Goggle Works & Art Center located downtown . You will not regret your initiative. Many more talented artists are working and exposing there. It is also a beautiful center for the Community. I will get back later on this subject.
About the Source: Pagoda web site
At the turn of the century, William Abbott Witman Sr. bought ten acres on the southern tip of Mt. Penn. It was his intention to quarry its stone. However, his stone quarrying operation defaced the look of the mountain side. He suffered public criticism and was finally persuaded to abandon his operation.
Witman was then shown a postcard of the Philippines by his friend Charles C. Matz, who had then just returned from the Spanish-American War. The oriental structure fascinated Witman so much that he hired Charles Matz and his father James Matz to build a similar structure. It was his idea to replace the damage left by the stone quarry. This new pagoda was intended to be a luxury hotel.
In 1908 his "resort" became reality. A red brick and tile pagoda built in the style of a castle of the Edo Period of Japan stood above the city. The interior had red and yellow tile floors and a majestic oak staircase leading to the upper floors. A shachihoko (dolphin) was poised on the rooftop and a Japanese temple gateway, known as a torii, graces the entrance.
Unfortunately, the ensuing application for a license to serve alcohol was denied. As a result, the luxury inn never materialized and the building went into the hands of a local bank.
In 1910, the land and the seven-storied pagoda were sold to Jonathan Mould, a prominent businessman. After one year, Mould and his wife resold the pagoda and the surrounding ten acres to the City of Reading for the sum of one dollar.
Agrandir le plan |
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