Ranstead

Ranstead, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

I have taken to looking at rooflines more and more of late, finally realizing that there's often a name and date inscribed at the peak, sometimes some interesting decoration or brickwork, some bright colors, or in this case all three.

I have plenty of shots like this but haven't really ever published them. I'm starting to realize what I missed.

Taken in Elgin, IL, in december of 2013.

The Tower

The Tower, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Art Moderne City Hall building in downtown St. Charles, with it's distinctive white clock tower. Situated along the Fox River, the building serves as an anchor to the downtown area, as well as a center for municipal services.

The Catlow Theater

The Catlow Theater, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage neon at the Catlow Theater in Barrington, Illinois. Opened in 1927, this single screen gem also hosted stage shows, and still has most of its vintage charm. I believe this sign dates from the postwar period, probably the fifties. It has that look about it.

And, in a bright bit of news, until late last year, the Catlow was facing an uncertain future, due to the movie studios moving towards all-digital formats over old fashioned film. Upgrading costs typically go to about $100,000 per screen, something the Catlow's owners couldn't afford. Fortunately, a Kickstarter campaign raised the necessary funding, and this absolute gem of a theater can continue to serve the Barrington area (as evidenced by the fact that Skyfall is on the marquee!).

The Egyptian

The Egyptian, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Some more TtV goodness of the Egyptian Theater in DeKalb, IL.

The Egyptian

The Egyptian, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The historic Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. Opened in 1929 at the height of the public's fascination with Egyptian culture and at the beginning of the Depression, it's one of six similar theaters from this time period that are believed to still exist. Originally hosting silent films and vaudeville, the Egyptian eventually moved over to films full time, and remained a popular venue until the late sixties.

By the early 70's the theater was in some disrepair, with plaster flaking off the walls and fading paint on it's exterior terra cotta. The owner handed the building over to the city of DeKalb, and in 1978 a group of citizens banded together to save and restore the building. The theater's placement on the National Register of Historic Places helped this cause, and the Egyptian stands today as an excellent example of this style of movie house.

Traction Terminal Building

Traction Terminal Building, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway terminal in Aurora, Illinois, also known as the Hotel Arthur. Completed in 1905, it was the tallest building in Aurora at the time, as well as being the only hotel on the east side of the Fox River. In 1915, the CA&E leased space in the ground floor, and the building was renamed the Traction Terminal Building, a name it carries to this day. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it's being restored and converted to downtown condos.

Shoes

Shoes, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Aurora, Illinois is a pretty big city, and was once a major hub for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The downtown area is full of old buildings, many of which haven't been over-restored or heavily altered. There are only a few ghost signs, and one of the better known is "shoes". This building is on Broadway, just east of the Fox River. There's some writing near the top (I think it says "felt" somewhere), and there's a twin on the other side, but it's hard to see and shoot.

I have it on fairly good authority that this used to be the location of Van Ham Shoes.

Traction Terminal Building

Traction Terminal Building, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway terminal in Aurora, Illinois, also known as the Hotel Arthur. Completed in 1905, it was the tallest building in Aurora at the time, as well as being the only hotel on the east side of the Fox River. In 1915, the CA&E leased space in the ground floor, and the building was renamed the Traction Terminal Building, a name it carries to this day. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it's being restored and converted to downtown condos.

Marathon Motor Cars

Marathon Motor Cars, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Having grown out of the Southern Engine and Boiler Works of Jackson, Marathon Motor Cars were built in Nashville, Tennessee for just four years, between 1910 and 1914. Then as now, it was common for auto manufacturers to buy in parts and assemblies, but Southern chose to engineer and make everything in-house.

Initially badged as Southerns, the company changed the name to Marathon and moved to a new factory in Nashville. The cars were well regarded-probably because of the total control the company had over it's engineering-and demand soon outstripped supply. However, like so many other early auto manufacturers, management didn't keep up with engineering, and within a few years the company ceased automobile production.

The factory complex on Clinton Street in Nashville still stands, and has been partially converted to retail and gallery space. In addition to some old signwriting, some old logos have been lovingly recreated on the factory walls, including this beauty.

The Home Of Good Neighbors

Smallville, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

So, some of you have probably heard about the new Superman movie that's currently in production and which goes by the secret name of Autumn Frost. It's been filming sort of near me, out in the country. The town of Plano, Illinois doubled as Smallville for the film.

I didn't even know that they were going to film in Plano when I took this. I'd gone out that way for something else, and took a detour down Plano's main street and things looked....odd. A new gas station was on the corner. There was a Sears. A row of buildings in what was a parking lot-badly damaged buildings at that. I figured it out pretty quickly, when I noticed a bunch of "Smallville" signs here and there.

This is on the front door of Plano's historic train station, which masqueraded as Smallville's town hall for the filming.

The Campana Building

Storm, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Second week in a row we've had heavy weather!

This is the Campana building in Batavia, Illinois. Built in 1936, this building features styling cues from both the Streamline Moderne and Bauhaus schools of architecture. It was designed to be the main factory for the Campana Company, which made the popular Italian Balm hand lotion.

Considered very modern when it was built, the Campana building featured full air conditioning (there are no opening windows), fluorescent lighting, desks arranged in rows, and an automated manufacturing system.

Today the factory is closed, but the building is still in use for other businesses. The Campana building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and remains fundamentally in the same condition as when it was operating, and retains most of it's period detailing.

And, it was raining that day.

Red Crown

Red Crown, originally uploaded by William 74.

Another day, another old gas station. This is the beautifully restored Standard station in Rochelle, IL. A Lincoln Highway landmark.