Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

















The Sarah P. Duke Gardens are on the grounds of Duke University in Durham, NC. It was the brainchild of Dr. Frederic M. Hanes, an original faculty member of Duke Medical School. A botanical enthusiast, Dr. Hanes passed a debris-filled ravine on the way to the school every day, and so persuaded Ms. Duke, who was the widow of one of the university's founders, to finance a public garden on the land. The gardens were built, but unfortunately heavy summer rains and floods ruined them. Sarah Duke had passed away, but Dr. Hanes was still around, so he convinced Sarah's daughter, Mary Duke Biddle, to bankroll a new garden on higher ground and name it in honor of her mother. The Sarah P. Duke Gardens were dedicated in April 1939. It was designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, an early pioneer in American landscape design. It's one of the remaining examples of her work. It has since expanded to 5 miles of trails and walkways across 55 acres.













Monday, November 6, 2023

176-178 St. Johns Place

 


















This pair of Queen Anne-style row houses in Park Slope, Brooklyn, were built in 1886 for two doctors, Edward Bunker and William H. Thallon. Their profession is symbolized by the caduceus in the gable of No. 178, on the left. The buildings were designed by Rudolph L. Daus, a Mexican-born German  Catholic who trained in Berlin and Paris. They were among his first commission after setting up shop in Brooklyn in 1884. He designed multiple buildings in Brooklyn, and was known for his eclecticism, drawing on multiple styles and traditions. They were landmarked in 1973.


Biographical Info on Rudolph L. Daus

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Inktober 2023 Week 4

The last batch of Inktober 2023. The last one doubles as my Halloween drawing.














































































































































































Friday, October 27, 2023

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

152 Berkeley Place

 



























This Neo-Tudor building in Park Slope was originally a garage. Alfred E. Clegg, vice-president of the Kerr Steamship Line, had bought a mansion nearby on 8th Avenue. He had this building constructed to house his car, with an apartment upstairs for his chauffer. Built in 1925, it was designed by Murphy & Lehman, an architecture team who mostly did projects for the Catholic Church. This was one of their few secular projects. The Eighth Avenue mansion was demolished in the 1940s, but the garage survived and is now a residence. It was landmarked in 1973.


Historical info from: Brownstoner: Building Of The Day