The Newtown Pentacle

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Archive for May 30th, 2024

Pennsy Rotunda

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Thursday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A beautiful bit of architecture, there’s a rotunda dome found at the entrance to what was once ‘Union (or Penn) Station’ here in Pittsburgh. This was once the home base station for the Pennsylvania Rail Road company, and they clearly wanted to make an impression – back in the day.

Completed in 1904, the station was designed by architect David Daniel Burnham, who was (amongst MANY other things) director of works for Chicago’s ‘White City’ World’s Colombian Exhibition in the 1890’s. He was also the designer of NYC’s Flatiron Building.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Converted to residential usage in the 1980’s – and I’m just going to colloquially use ‘Penn Station’ from this point out – the Penn Station terracotta dome, and rotunda entranceway to the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is a grandiose space, I’ll tell you.

Someday, I’ll have to connive a way to get into the building itself. Magnificent space outside, can only imagine what it’s like within – especially the lobby.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m really digging the use of a wide angle 16mm lens, which was acquired at the beginning of the year. It’s just a little bit wider than human vision, and offers an almost panoramic point of view.

Back tomorrow with more from the Paris of Appalachia at this – your Newtown Pentacle.


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Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

May 30, 2024 at 11:00 am

Posted in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh

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