Hi everybody. Yesterday on the front of the San Antonio Express News paper was a photograph of the oldest and only Humble Gas Station left in the country. As alot of people know, I am very interested in photographing buildings, structures, anything related to general architecture, and this gas staion has been a subject of mine a few times. It's old, graffitied out, vacant, scary at night, shelter for homeless, located slightly under 35, basically it's not very noticeable. Ok well after doing some research on this place, it was built in the 1930's, and the reason I find it so interesting are the beautiful little features that is still has after all these years. The tile work is amazing and looks like it was carefully planned. The shape of the building is like no other gas station I've seen. The proud signage still quietly tells people what it's purpose used to be.
The reason I like to photograph places like this is simply for preservation of history. I wonder about all of the people that were once related to this place and their lives and livlihood. I wonder about all the change that is contiually happening in cities, the tearing down of old places and building of new. By photographing places like this we keep a record of our history and we can learn from these images. These places have stories, and I as a photographer have chosen to preserve them through photographs.
Well I was happy to read in the newspaper that the Humble Station is a candidate for being a site registered in the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This means it won't be torn down, turned into a Quizno's and forgotton. Yay. I also learned from the newspaper article that San Antonio has an attorney named Audrey Zamora-Johnson that actually works in this field of histoic preservation and that is awsome!
So there are twelve other finalists in the running and right now I think our Humble is in second place, so I am asking people to vote for it. Here is a link, you can vote for it everyday until October 9th. Thank you, if you are interested in shooting or seeing this place let me know I will give you directions and/or go with you.:)
I put in my vote! It is a beautiful building. I love the architectural photos! Courtney
ReplyDeleteThanks Courtney, you are awsome as of today 10/6/09 it is number 1. yessss!!!! Barbara
ReplyDeleteBrittany Kennedy
ReplyDeleteI saw your article and I remember you taking many photographs of this building that was just elaborately done. I didn't even recognize the photo of the building in the day light and I love it. Your passion is a necessity to the fuel behind your work and you continuously produce works that are more than just adequate. They meet the high standards of the art world. I know you are going to be a successful photographer that achieves what she desires people to view from what you produce. Also I would like to shoot with you there sometime. I went to go vote but I guess I am hours short because this historical site already won! Congrats your an activist!
I went to vote on the Humble Oil building because I too think it is a very beautiful structure. When I got to the page I noticed that it had already WON! I think I remember this building from one of your photos we saw on the second day of class this semester. I think it was a night time shot. Anyway I thought it was wonderful and was wondering where that building was located. Now I know.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Abraham