street photo prints

[Jan Werner]

I went down to the municipal archives yesterday (which was its own
adventure) and looked up the Tax Photos for the Green Oasis lots. I
hoped to bring home photocopies to show everyone but the machine
wasn't cooperating, so I'll describe them and ask my questions.

Judging from the cars, the photos date from the '40s. Each photo
centers on a specific building, with a sign indicating the block and
lot numbers. They're taken from across 8th Street, angled (at varying
degrees) toward either C or D. There's some foot traffic but not a
lot, and no commercial storefronts at any of the buildings. (You can
see businesses at 368 & 394, the existing buildings on either side of
GO, so these two photos are more interesting.) Because the buildings
are so close together and the photographer stood relatively far away,
each photo shows not just the subject building but also all or most of
the buildings on either side. They're decent photos: in focus, with
okay contrast. We can order 8x10 prints at $35 each, with a 3-5 week
turnaround.

If money were absolutely no object, I'd get all five GO buildings,
plus 368 and 394, for maximum flexibility in what we show and how we
can show it. But that's $245. Five photos = $175, which seems less
squanderous, and three at $105 looks like a bargain.

So -- what should I order? My impulse is to get the two flanking
buildings and the center one of the 5 GO lots. That way, we get the
more interesting photos of the existing buildings and multiple
overlapping angles on the five demolished ones. Does that make sense?
Or am I being a tightwad weirdo?

[Jason Grote]

Jan, these sound fantastic! Thank you for finding them.

I can't speak for all of us, but my gut feeling is: before we spend
any money on prints (or anything, really) we should have some idea of
(a) what we'll be using them for and (b) what else we'll need to be
spending money on. $105-$245 seems within the budget, but we might
decide we want one big expensive technological thing (probably not,
but you never know). So, for example, if we decide we want to project
them, and have access to a projector, then we'll probably want to get
them. But for now I think the ideal would be for Maureen and I to go
to the archives with you and check them out for research purposes, if
that's feasible and it works for you. This could also be a great
winter activity while the garden is closed, and maybe we could
schedule it on the same day as your interview...

[Maureen Towey]

These photos sound great!  So glad you checked it out. 

I agree with Jason -- let's the three of us head over there and check em out. 

They're not going anywhere so we can always buy em later once we have a clearer overall plan. 

*Maureen 

[Jan Werner]

But I want to see them NOW!!

No, of course you're both right and that makes perfect sense. You'll love the archives -- sorta Bartleby meets "Brazil."

[Jason Grote]

I'm excited to visit them! I was there a decade ago during the whole
CHARAS thing but didn't have a chance to really explore.