Susan's Cabinet: February 2016

I didn’t think I had a particular interest in cars, but I have found that I love visiting car museums. I enjoy the history and art of the cars, and I especially enjoy seeing unusual cars. The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville has all of that. I had been thinking about visiting this museum for several years but didn’t make it a priority until I read an article about the museum unveiling a working replica of the Buckminster Fuller 3-wheeled Dymaxion car. I had never heard of this 1933 futuristic car (I’ve never heard of most kinds of car – it took me many years to learn the make of my own car); however, I was immediately hooked by the pictures. I had to see this car!

Only three Dymaxion cars were made and only one of those still exists (in a museum in Reno). The first one crashed at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, killing the driver and injuring two passengers. Later it burned in a refueling accident. Jeff Lane, founder of the Lane Motor Museum, commissioned a replica of Dymaxion #1 and it went on display in February 2015. Just a few of the cars in the museum are replicas and all of the cars are in working order, in various states of repair. The cars are driven at least once a year. In March 2015, Jeff Lane drove the Dymaxion replica from Nashville to Florida and it got a lot of press coverage: Autoweek magazine noted, “The Lane Motor Museum’s Dymaxion car replica is the scariest thing we’ve ever driven.” “Of course, blaming Bucky for the car’s shortcomings isn't entirely fair, the Dymaxion car as we know it was far from complete. In its final form, the 20-foot-long podlike contraption would negotiate the skies using some sort of jet-like propulsion system (never mind that jets hadn’t quite been invented when the car was developed). Yes, it was supposed to fly. Or so Bucky claimed.” The Wall Street Journal’s article was titled “A Test Drive of the Death-Trap Car Designed by Buckminster Fuller.”

Seeing the Dymaxion car was just the beginning of the fun for me. I spent several hours looking at the many European cars, mini and micro cars, motorcycles, race cars, scooters, amphibious cars, propeller-driven cars… and they aren't roped-off (but don’t touch).

This car drives from either end.

Thankfully, they have a little snack room so I could take a break and refuel before continuing.

There is also a room displaying car posters, a car-related diorama collection, a garage full of cars outside of the main museum, and even a military amphibious craft with 9-ft tall tires.

A bonus – the museum building is a former 1950’s-era Sunbeam Bread factory (information posted on the museum walls tells the story of the factory too).

Note that the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Alamo is tucked in among the trees in the middle right

My new hobby, in the last few years, is walking around looking at interesting architecture (and my idea of "interesting" has expanded considerably). I did a lot of walking in downtown San Antonio (and some driving further out). The Tourist Information Center, across the street from the Alamo, has a pamphlet outlining an excellent architectural walking tour. I spent five hours on that one and had a great time! I also discovered that the people of San Antonio (at least the ones working in tourist areas) are very friendly. I'm not saying that people in Chicago are unfriendly, but when I walked into buildings there and asked if I could take photos, they usually just simply said "yes" (except for that mean lady in the Wrigly building who wouldn't even let me take pictures of the elevators). In San Antonio, when I asked if I could take pictures, not only did I get a "yes" but they would engage me in conversation about where I am from and often gave me information about the building.

The Menger Hotel, oldest continuously operating hotel west of the
Mississippi. Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders here.

I was taking some pictures of the exterior of the Gibbs Building (b. 1909), now the Hotel Indigo, when a worker stepped out and asked me if I had any questions about it. I did have a burning question, not about this building in particular, but about the glass blocks embedded in the sidewalks. You often see these in large cities, but I hadn't previously paid much attention to them. I suspected they were there to let light into the basement, but the glass here was a dark purple which seemed to defeat that purpose. John, who told me he is the "Hotel Ambassador" (and he also cleans it), confirmed that the glass is for lighting the basement, and he took me on a tour of the hotel which included the gym in the basement. The glass does not look dark at all with the light coming through it. He also noted that they leak.

The Gibbs Building is at the corner of Alamo and Houston Streets and occupies ground that was originally part of the Alamo compound. Cannons from the compound were found during construction of the basement.

John, the Indigo Ambassador

When this former office building was remodeled into a hotel, they saved the elevator fronts and built new elevators further back. There is a hallway behind these elevator doors with the actual elevators on the other side.

Individual safes, behind one large safe door,
previously used by businesses in the building

Original 1909 water fountain, marble walls, and mosaic tile floor

Original water pump in the basement

Crockett Block, 1882 - Italianate style commercial buildings across the street from the Alamo.
The taller building at the far right is the Hotel Indigo (Gibbs Building).

There is no problem walking right into the lobby of the 1937 Post Office and Federal Courts Building and taking pictures of the vibrant fresco murals depicting San Antonio's importance in Texas history. (Unlike Huntsville's own federal court building where they won't even let me bring my camera inside to take photos of their single WPA mural.)

Renaissance Revival style Post Office and Federal Courts Building, 1937

Part of the fresco murals in the the lobby of the federal building

Gothic Revival St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1871

86-ft tall marquee of the Alameda Theater

When the Alameda Theater opened in 1949 it was the largest
Spanish-language movie and vaudeville palace in the country.

The Aztec Theatre, 1926

Medical Arts Building, 1926 (now the Emily Morgan Hotel)

The Medical Arts Building - Gothic Revival with terracotta details and ringed by gargoyles representing illnesses at the top of the building.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, modified Romanesque style, 1923
Modeled after the Sacred Heart Church in Lowell Massachusetts

Mosaic mural, in the Paseo del Alamo (1981), depicting San Antonio landmarks

The 23-story Art Deco Nix Professional Building was the largest and tallest hospital in the U.S. when it opened in 1930. It is still a hospital (the decoration on the elevator doors includes a patient being attended in a hospital bed). After asking the security guard if it was OK to take pictures, I moved over to another area. When the lady who was checking in patients saw me taking pictures she asked me if I wanted more info about the building and gave me a copy of a newspaper article. San Antonio is just so super tourist-friendly!

Italianate style building, 1890's

The charred "remains" of Crockett, Travis, Bowie, and other Alamo defenders are in a marble coffin in the San Fernando Cathedral (but there is some dispute about that).

San Fernando Cathedral, built 1738-50

There is a lot of cool sculpture around downtown.

The Spanish Governor's Palace, completed in 1749

Romanesque Revival style Bexar County Courthouse, 1892.
Made of Texas granite and red sandstone.

Fabulous interior of the Old Alamo National Bank headquarters, 1929
Now the Drury Plaza Hotel. The stained glass shows the Alamo.

The Gothic Revival style Tower Life Building was built in 1929. It has a gorgeous lobby. After finding out I'm from Alabama, the friendly security guard started talking football. At least I had some idea what he was talking about (the recent college football championship) because my kids told me about it.

Side view of City Hall , Renaissance Revival, 1892 - towers and dome removed in 1927 to add a 4th floor. (Reminded me of the Iolani Palace in Honolulu.)

All sorts of interesting sights downtown

Atlee B. Ayers was a major regional architect. He designed this building, now called the Atlee B. Ayers Building, and he also had offices here. Check out the book-matched marble on the walls (the butterfly-like mirror image matching of the natural patterns).

Another beautiful building we drove by

The Old San Antonio City Cemeteries (just over a mile from downtown) were established over a 51 year period beginning in 1853. There are a total of 31 cemeteries all side by side. Some were established by the city and some by churches, synagogues, fraternal organizations, and local families. One is a National Cemetery and another was established by the United Confederate Veterans. There were not a lot of large monuments, but one of the Jewish cemeteries has a beautiful Egyptian Revival mausoleum.