Posts from the ‘Antiques’ Category
Hot Rod Revolution
The first five years of the “Hot Rod Revolution” car show were held in Penngrove, California at an old baseball field. The show rapidly got the reputation as being one of the BEST small car shows around.
The Revolution is limited to Pre 1948 “Traditional” styled Hot Rods – and is all about quality and tradition instead of quantity.
The show was moved to Austin, Texas in 2010.
The first show here in Austin was held at the old Seaholm Power Plant — and for the following two years the host has been Camp Maybry – which is a military installation that houses the headquarters of the Texas Military Forces.
In this photo essay — I have tried to capture not only the Hot Rods themselves — but some of the folks who enter and / or attend this show.
As you will see — there is a great variety in the types of cars — and the people too.
It was a GREAT show — and I hope you enjoy some of these pictures.
Small Town, Texas
Sometimes I like to take off on a whim and drive to some of the small towns around Austin, just to see what turns up to photograph.
I usually don’t get disappointed — as there is almost ALWAYS something to shoot ! Some of these little towns are trying to make themselves into tourist traps in order to survive — while others are just kinda dying a slow death – but – they all have so much character – if you just look deep enough.
This is a photo essay about “things” – not about people — — but I love to talk to some of the “Old Timers” in these little towns — people who have lived there all their lives…….as they certainly have some wonderful and interesting stories to tell if you just take the time to listen.
Hope you enjoy some of these pictures…….
Austin Power Plant
The first ever “Hot Rod Revolution” traditional style car show was held here in Austin a couple of years ago — and the venue was the “Austin Power Plant”. While this photo essay is NOT about the car show itself, I have included a couple of pictures of some mighty fine hot rods. The power plant has been pretty much “off-limits”, fenced in, locked up, blocked off, etc since it was decommissioned in 1989. While at the car show, I thought it would be pretty neat if I could get inside the plant and check it out — so I walked around to each and every door — and — you guessed it — the very last one was unlocked and slightly open — so I went inside. While most of the large equipment had been removed long ago, I was able to get a few interesting shots (at least to me).
Now for a brief history of the plant: This was Austin’s #2 Power Plant and was commissioned in 1948 when the City only had 132,000 people. The initial construction phase of the plant was completed in 1950. In 1960, the Plant was renamed for Walter E Seaholm who had served the city for 30 + years in roles such as City Manager, Directory of Utilities and superintendent of water and light. The second phase of construction was completed in 1955. The Plant continued to produce power until 1989 when it became unprofitable to operate and was shut down.
Hope you enjoy some of the pictures…….
Texas Hatters
Texas Hatters moved from their home here in Austin out to Lockhart Texas a while back — and a good friend of mine and I decided to take a little road trip and check them out. They have been making hats the same basic way since the 1920’s….starting with unfinished felt blanks and finishing them by hand. Each “blank” is steamed until soft then stretched over a wooden block approperiate for the customes style and size. Once tied on – the blank is wetted and ironed for several minuits. In the old days, hat makers would slick the fur down with mercury which poisoned them and made them insane (hence the saying,‘mad as a hatter’). They then give the hat a hair cut by applying sand paper. This sanding and ragging give the blank an almost polished look. This is especially so with the pure beaver. The same basic steps are then used for the brim on a wooden form called a flange. After the blocking and flanging, they then cut the genuine leather sweatbands to size and sew them in by hand. Next, the satin lining and the ribbon trim is also sewn in by hand. After all the trim, fancy or plain, each hat is then hand creased to the customer’s specifications. Of course, mail orders and now e-mail ordering makes things a little more complicated, but their custom treatment still goes into each and every hat they make.
If you ever get a chance — give Texas Hatters a try — they make one heck of a hat !
Vintage Guitars
Went to a movie the other night — and right across from the theater was this way cool vintage guitar store.
I went back the next day and asked if I could take some shots — and they didn’t mind at all.
Hope you enjoy
Flea Market
It is always fun to walk around a flea market or an antique store in search of interesting things to take pictures of.
You just never know what you might find……….
Windows
Looking from outside into an open window one never sees as much as when one looks through a closed window. There is nothing more profound, more mysterious, more pregnant, more insidious, more dazzling than a window lighted by a single candle. What one can see out in the sunlight is always less interesting than what goes on behind a windowpane. In that black or luminous square life lives, life dreams, life suffers.
Charles Baudelaire
Models and Cars
Being a “Classic Car Guy” – it is hard to beat the combination of Classic Cars and Cute Ladies……
They “Go Together” like _______ — well, you fill in the blank
I hope you enjoy some of these shots
Automotive
Being a “Classic Car” guy — I love all things “Automotive”.
I am a member of “The Donut Gang” here in Austin – a group of like-minded classic car enthusiast. We get together multiple times a week to visit, swap stories, work on our cars and cruising to local car shows and events.
Art's Abode 