| whimsy ( @ 2006-06-21 22:42:00 |
LUCY GETS AN EXAM


This way into the Egress hovering above. Very narrow, dark spiral stairwell. Watch your step!

The belly of the beast! Very interesting color choice--very fleshy. Used to have two floors. A British fellow once rented it out for his family. Can you imagine? Note the triple layered glass skylight above. Visitors are usually too nervous to walk on it when they climb up to the howdah. I'll admit that I was too, at first. I'm fine now.

Lucy's old tongue--the only part to fall off when they moved it two blocks to her present location in 1970. She was a godawful mess by then.

A peek into one of the window cavities, holding one of the old doors. The fellows who built and later refurbished Lucy were mostly unemployed ship builders. You can see the similarities in the construction with a ship's hull.

The right eye. Slightly astigmatic, but otherwise fine, thanks. Beautiful how the wood work surrounds it, I think. Reminds me of early modernism, for some reason.

A view of the interior from the head, featuring Sara, our young tour guide who brought to mind Sniffles, the chatty mouse from those old cartoons. Adorably wholesome, bright, enthusiastic, and geeky. We wanted to take her home with us.


We ascend the stairs in Lucy's side to the howdah, which is a bit higher than one might first imagine. You can see how the glass skylight serves as the howdah's floor.

Lucy was struck by lightning for the first time in her 125-year history this past May. You might be able to make out the splintered wood in the roof, but otherwise she's fine.

Back down the steps to the main room.

There was a dingy porthole in the lower stairwell that exposed the ductwork and wiring under Lucy's belly, and--just as we suspected--some peanuts. Giant, Lucy-sized peanuts, no less! Oh, hawr hawr! (Actually, they did manage a chuckle from us, so yes, they won.)


What can I say? I love Lucy!


This way into the Egress hovering above. Very narrow, dark spiral stairwell. Watch your step!

The belly of the beast! Very interesting color choice--very fleshy. Used to have two floors. A British fellow once rented it out for his family. Can you imagine? Note the triple layered glass skylight above. Visitors are usually too nervous to walk on it when they climb up to the howdah. I'll admit that I was too, at first. I'm fine now.

Lucy's old tongue--the only part to fall off when they moved it two blocks to her present location in 1970. She was a godawful mess by then.

A peek into one of the window cavities, holding one of the old doors. The fellows who built and later refurbished Lucy were mostly unemployed ship builders. You can see the similarities in the construction with a ship's hull.

The right eye. Slightly astigmatic, but otherwise fine, thanks. Beautiful how the wood work surrounds it, I think. Reminds me of early modernism, for some reason.

A view of the interior from the head, featuring Sara, our young tour guide who brought to mind Sniffles, the chatty mouse from those old cartoons. Adorably wholesome, bright, enthusiastic, and geeky. We wanted to take her home with us.


We ascend the stairs in Lucy's side to the howdah, which is a bit higher than one might first imagine. You can see how the glass skylight serves as the howdah's floor.

Lucy was struck by lightning for the first time in her 125-year history this past May. You might be able to make out the splintered wood in the roof, but otherwise she's fine.

Back down the steps to the main room.

There was a dingy porthole in the lower stairwell that exposed the ductwork and wiring under Lucy's belly, and--just as we suspected--some peanuts. Giant, Lucy-sized peanuts, no less! Oh, hawr hawr! (Actually, they did manage a chuckle from us, so yes, they won.)


What can I say? I love Lucy!