whimsy ([info]lord_whimsy) wrote,
@ 2006-06-21 22:42:00
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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!


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[info]hypomnesis
2006-06-22 03:30 am UTC (link)
I don't know why this struck me, but a staging of the balcony sequence from Romeo and Juliet at that window would be amazing.

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[info]lord_whimsy
2006-06-22 03:42 am UTC (link)
I'd love to conduct a reading in Lucy, but the location is so remote.

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[info]rodneywhodunnit
2006-06-22 03:34 am UTC (link)
the view from those twin windows out back...

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[info]lord_whimsy
2006-06-22 03:45 am UTC (link)


This was as close as I dare got, for fear of being thought a hemorrhoid--and I have quite enough people feeling that way about me as is.

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Great photos!
[info]whiffert
2006-06-22 04:46 am UTC (link)
I visited Lucy some 3 years ago with
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I visited Lucy some 3 years ago with <ljuser="rapidtrabbit"> and <ljuser="mejeep">. It was mid-April and a gloomy day, and we were the only ones on the tour. She's looking a bit better now with further restoration. I also see that her toenails are still multi-colored. FASHION! The peanuts are a new feature, I think.
On thing that struck me was that Lucy is built like a ship.. Sail on, oh Elephant of State!

I think there is at least one more architectual pachyderm on the East Coast. I must track it down someday.

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[info]man_of_excess
2006-06-22 05:04 am UTC (link)
*groan*

...yet another treat that I missed during my stay in northern NJ purgatory....

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[info]lord_whimsy
2006-06-22 05:17 am UTC (link)
I'm a real trunk tease, I know.

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[info]freddster
2006-06-22 08:20 am UTC (link)
Lucy is wonderful and I love the peanuts!

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[info]swirlychick
2006-06-22 02:55 pm UTC (link)
Wow, that is so much fun! Thanks for the tour. :)

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[info]merveilleusev
2006-06-25 09:37 am UTC (link)
She is so cute. I bet you always wave hello to her as you drive by.
I thought my dog had a funny butthole but Lucy's takes the cake. Thanks for showing us her insides.

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