Tan Bench, Tall Grass

Astoria, Oregon ~ February 24, 2010

Exchange and 10th Streets

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Drive-by Astoria #16: The Butterfly Fleet

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

W. Marine Drive at Columbia Street and Bond

I was surprised a number of weeks ago to see a new mural in Astoria. Apparently it was unveiled about July 10th. I was no less surprised to learn about the butterfly fleet itself and these amazing sails that look like wings. At one time there were 2,500 of these boats in our coastal waters, but the Maritime Museum was not able to find a single one remaining. The mural was painted by local artist Dorothy Danielson on the side of the Wauna Credit Union building. There is a book called The Butterfly Fleet on Amazon.com. The cover is very similar, but I don't know the connection. The scroll on the mural reads:

THE BUTTERFLY FLEET

BEFORE ENGINES - THEY FISHED

IN BOATS POWERED BY THE WIND

IN THEIR SAILS & WERE CALLED

THE BUTTERFLY FLEET

THEY WERE AT THE MERCY

OF THE WIND & TIDES 

& AS SUCH IT WAS A VERY

DANGEROUS PROFESSION - THEY

DID NOT ALWAYS COME BACK -

THESE PREDOMINATELY SCANDINAVIAN

FISHERMEN & WOMEN PREFERRED 

USING GILLNETS - WHICH THE FISH

SWAM INTO & GOT HUNG UP. THERE

WERE DAY FISHERIES & NIGHT FISHERIES -

THE NIGHT ONES WERE LIKED AS THE

FISH HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SEEING

THE NET, SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN

TO SWIM ALONG SIDE OR GO AROUND -

ON A GOOD TRIP THEY CAME HOME

LOADED TO THE GUNNELS --

Speaking of adventures, Lee Spangler is off on a new one. For anyone who would like to follow along, his blog is here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Purple on the Water Front

Astoria, Oregon ~ July 18, 2011

Can anyone tell me the name of these purple flowers? If I ever knew it, it escapes me today. (Hmmm, maybe some variety of lilac?) [Thanks to everyone who said it was a BUTTERFLY BUSH.] I've been noticing flowers and color all season, and when my photos aren't of ships, they usually include flora. I'm sure many of you will recognize the location as being right next to the interesting dumpsters on the 12th Street pier showing the Sears building in the background (right side of the photo). I think our cold, wet spring and late-blooming summer has given us gorgeous blossoms well into summer.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A Place for Kids

Astoria, Oregon ~ March 23, 2011

Inside the Astoria Co-op food store there is a corner to welcome kids. I'm sure the playthings and mat attract some ages. I especially love looking at the painting, which I think is by local artist Sally Lackaff. If anyone knows for sure, please comment! Sally Lackaff and Roger McKay have worked together on detailed paintings and murals around town, so this could be a joint effort. I did not see a signature, but it could have been there somewhere.

The painting contains wonderful details such as this friendly-looking raccoon and the heron, which can be seen in the upper right of the photo. The ship is wonderfully reminiscent of the adventure novels I loved as a pre-teen, although the painting actually represents our local area, its wildlife and its history. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Goodbye to Andrew & Steve's

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Sometime in the last couple of months, Andrew and Steve's Restaurant closed its doors after a career of almost 95 years. In this case, it wasn't the economy to blame, but simply the march of time. Although I hadn't eaten there in a number of years, it was one of the first places I met people in Astoria when joined Toastmasters. That was a short-lived but welcoming experience. Above, you see the place from the back, which is right along the River Walk across from Baked Alaska (Doc's on 12th Street). It's also next door to the Sears building with its incredible murals. The front entrance to the building is on the corner of 12th Street and Marine Drive.

The rear of the building is also the location for this painting of historic Astoria. There are at least two or three others I'm aware of in the same size format and bolted onto different buildings along this stretch.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Other Side of That Dumpster

Astoria, Oregon ~ August 15, 2001

Dumpster Painting by Diane Beeston

I featured this dumpster along the River Walk in an earlier post, and it shows the decorated trash recepticle from its other side. Recently I found these shots in my archives. The caption of the older post is even more poignant today, and it's not only the dumpster that's gone, but also the buildings and access to the pier.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: Cats and Dogs

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Today's post features cats and one wary dog on the mural behind the Sears store on the River Walk.

 

I thought I'd feature this cat watching the rain on a day when Weather Underground tells us, "...A return to a more active weather pattern over southwest Washington and northwest Oregon has begun and will continue through most of next week...After a relatively benign weather period that has lulled the area in[to] Tranquility...mother nature will shake things up again." They're talking about wind and rain, nothing "cat"astrophic, and nothing unusual, but I know a lot of us have enjoyed the sun and blue skies recently.

What do you imagine this cat is thinking about the rain?

By the way, if you like animals, I invite you to visit one of my other blogs, "Animal Art Along the Way." It's become quite a fun and interesting collection of animals depicted in many guises. Today's post is quite commercial, but these animals come from all over the world and in many unique forms. You can sign up to get the posts delivered by e-mail, too. Thanks for visiting!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: Stories in Paint

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Here is another section of the mural that takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. Jo has painted historic sign names on a number of buildings around Astoria in a similar fashion to the lettering above. I think it says, "Mason Furman & Co." Click on the keywords below to see more sections of the mural. For "before" pictures of this building and for more of Jo's work, see Jo Brown's web site.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: The Real and the Unreal

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011
Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Here is another section of the mural that takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. In this segment, the three-dimensional architectural elements play hide and seek with the viewer. Again, the pilings there are part of the artwork. The woman with the fish on the left of today's post can be seen on the right side of yesterday's post. For "before" pictures of this building and for more of Jo's work, see Jo Brown's web site. Also click on the keywords below for more of her work on this blog.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Trompe l'oeil on the River Walk

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

This delightful period piece trompe l'oeil ("deceive-the-eye") mural has been an Astoria landmark for a number of years now. This is only a piece. It takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. The reason for the odd angle, and probably the reason I haven't done more with it, is because there are always real trucks here unloading and trucks, cars, and SUVs parked in front of it. By the way, the pilings there are part of the artwork. I expect to post more scenes from it over the next few days. You can also see the "before" pictures and more of the images on Jo Brown's web site. Also click on the keywords below for more of her work on this blog.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Three Dumpsters

February 11, 2010

These three dumpsters sit at the entrance to Doc's on 12th Street. The one that looks like wood is not. It's been skillfully painted to look like wood. I believe the artist is Jo Brown, whose murals I've shown in earlier posts, and who painted an outstanding mural on the back of the Sears store across from this dumpster. To the left of the dumpster is the River Walk, and to the right is the bank of the Columbia River. The red-topped cans are for recycling.

There was a famous Astoria painted dumpster at the 6th Street Pier when I arrived here in 2001, but it's gone now. It was a fanciful painting by Diane Beeston showing sea creatures and a dancing octopus. I have a photo somewhere and will post it when I find it.

For those who asked about the rooftop garden mural, yes, it is a mural. There are a number of roof-level murals in Astoria, and I'll get their photos taken one of these days :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What Remains

These charming sisters (see Midnight Mike's comment to this post for details) painted by Jo Brown remain on the door at the TLC Federal Credit Union, 85 W. Marine Drive, next door to the Mini Mart.

Here you can see them in situ, peering incongruously out of the sterile modern doorway. (The "badge" is actually part of the door.)

This bare wall on the west side of the building has replaced the creative and historically/culturally-interesting mural, also by Jo Brown, that used to be here. If you follow the link, you can see more than half of the mural, and you can use the teller window as a reference point. Unfortunately I didn't get photos of the whole thing before it was eradicated, but it stretched the length of the building. Was new siding really more important that preserving this pleasing bit of Astoriana?

On the right side of photo, you can see how the houses climb up the hill above Bond Street. There was a landslide here four years ago, and one of these days I'll show you what it looks like. I lived half a block away at the time.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Streets Made of Wood

There are a number of very impressive murals high on the walls of Builders Supply in Astoria, Oregon. This is only one of them, showing the building of Astoria's city streets when the city was made of wood. There are stories of people fishing through holes in the street; where the boards were damaged or the spaces wide enough, you could look down and see the water, so I hear. I wasn't around then. When you see this picture, it's easy to imagine how most of downtown Astoria burned to its roots in the fire of December 8, 1922. In a couple of posts, I've shown evidence of the space under the streets. By following the previous link, you can also read about the great fire. I had the above photo in my archives, and when I go back to Builders Supply, I'll learn more about the artist or artists.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Oregon Wild Products!

This mural on the side of the metal building on Pier 11 is a local landmark. I don't know if there's a date on it, but several buisnesses have come and gone and the mural remains the same - fortunately.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Pointed hats in the rain

I parked at the corner of 15th Street and Exchange Avenue, headed for a warm cafe, a cup of coffee and a pastry. It was cold and drizzling, and as I was right next to the small park which is the site of Fort Astoria, I sauntered over for a look and a photo. This is always a pleasing place to visit. There's no fence, no ticket taker, no concession stand, just this lovely mural by local artists Roger McKay and Sally Lackaff, and a cleverly-integrated model of one of the old blockhouses. There are also a couple of very interesting plaques, which I'll get to another time. It's a small corner park, and it's peaceful.

As I enjoyed the mural in the rain, I felt somehow close to the Indians on the beach with their water-shedding pointed headgear. It was the first time I'd understood viscerally the utilitarian advantages of this tribe's uniquely-designed hats. I think the mural is just lovely, not only showing us how a scene on the Columbia's banks may have looked, and how the locals dressed, but I also love the added details of the crow, the dog, the ship and the small canoe. The tree is real, and so is the green grass in the foreground. So also is the green dripping color in the painted sky that speaks of our climate.

The mural is painted on the back of the Fort George Building, which I haven't discussed yet, but will sometime. The Blue Scorcher is one of the businesses inside the building. I've shown Fort Astoria in one other post.

History on the Astoria Column

Built in 1926, the Astoria Column at the top of Coxcomb Hill, does not have such a long history itself, but it is painted with a long and winding mural that tells of the region's history for several hundred years.

Part of the Sears building mural

There are a lot of murals in Astoria that are appreciated by the buildings' owners and have not been covered over as the mural on the TLC Credit Union was recently. I took this photo the other day of the back of the Sears building along the River Walk. The loading door you see here is not real - the real one is to the left, and there's a lot more of the mural to the left also. As in the TLC mural, the artist is Joanne (Jo) Lumpkin Brown, and I found Jo Brown's web site here. Follow the link to Murals & Signs, and you'll see the Sears building and other murals with before and after photos. Interestingly, the name painted on the building is not Sears, but Mason, Furman & Co., which I believe was an old business no longer operating in Astoria. There are a number of buildings around town that retain the old names in their historic guise. The details on this mural are fun, and I'll include more in later postings. The white van on the right belongs to the Wet Dog Cafe and Brewing Company, which starts where Sears ends. It's a popular locale for dining, snacking, and drinking indoors or outside with a view of the river, for bands, the Fisher Poets' Gathering, and other events.

This post is my submission for Scenic Sunday. Not only is it nice to look at this scene from an earlier era, but Jo is a scene painter, so the focus here is definitely on scenes of various types!

A landmark disappears

This was one of Astoria's newer landmarks, painted in the summer of 2002, but it disappeared last Saturday. I'd intended to go back and get a better photo "soon," but as Lee and I drove past the building on which this mural was painted, we saw the artwork being swallowed up under new siding material! It was painted by Jo Brown and her assistants to represent some of Astoria's historic features along with local wildlife. Astoria has a number of murals still in place, some of them done by Jo, who has lived in Astoria, but also worked in Hollywood as a scene painter. (I saw her name on a film credit just this week, but I don't remember which film.) Painted on the side of the TLC Credit Union, the mural was most visible from Marine Drive and the parking lot of the mini-mart and gas station. You can see the back of a vehicle parked in front of the painted boat on the right and a teller window for the credit union on the left. A huge feature, the five-cent trolley, can't be seen in this photo, but fortunately I found another online image of the entire mural in a "waymarking" photo. If you've never hear of waymarking, it's an interesting pheonomenon I learned about this year. I don't participate (I do post many of my location photos to Panoramio/Google Earth), but briefly, waymarking is done by individuals who digitally preserve landmarks all over the world, along with their locations on a map.

I especially like the horses in this photo. I showed another image of horse seining on the Maritime Memorial. You'll have to click the photo and look on the right side. As in the mural, the man guides two horses. This was done in the shallow water near sand bars and islands in the Columbia. A huge net is attached to the land at one end. The horses pull the other end of the net through the water and mud, scooping up salmon by the hundreds. It was an efficient way to catch fish, but it also helped deplete the number of fish in the river. There are other issues and fishing methods that deplete the salmon, and I won't take the time to study it, but briefly, we have a lot of sea lions who eat tons of salmon per year. Their natural enemies, the orcas, are virtually gone from this location, and the sea lions cause great havoc among the salmon population. Most of us love to watch the local sea lions, although there are those who shoot them on sight. This is a whole story in itself. But it all comes into the issue of the balances between man and nature - or I should probably say nature, nature, and man. I wonder how complex that balance really is, as it can be affected by so many things, not all of which are man-made. Locally, one manifestation of the balance issue is that there was some question about whether there would be enough salmon in the river this year to open a spring salmon fishing season. If not, I believe this would be a first.

Check out "green" thoughts and photos at Think Green Thursday.

Back to the original intent. I just wanted to post a photo of this mural - now another of Astoria's memories.

What's one of the vanished landmarks you'd like to see come back to your city? Or maybe one that you're glad is gone!

Theme Day: Shadows

This is a reconstruction of the original Fort Astoria. The blockhouse and palisade are made of wood, while the additional fort walls and the building with the flag are painted on the flat wall behind by local artists Roger McKay and Sally Lackaff. I took the photo on March 6, 2009. Theme Day at City Daily Photo takes place on the first day of each month. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants