You’re Kidding Me, Right?
From 1912, a postcard showing Central Park: Pretty. If you know Central Park a bit, you may be asking “Where’s
Journal
Our work with old buildings has us studying a lot of different topics in addition to structural engineering – for example, architecture, history, and historic preservation – and we like sharing stories about what we’ve found.
Structural Action Again, Uninterrupted
Marie is working (with Tom Fenniman) on the Old Field Point Light – a lighthouse in, you guessed it, the
Editorializing
Two photos from Max Hubacher. First, from January 26, 1956, “View of lower Manhattan as seen from Brooklyn Bridge on
Realistic Alternates
I wrote about this small bridge in the Boston Public Garden seven years ago, when I took these pictures, but
Engineering Thinking
The Highrise Campsite by Willem De Haan is a clever idea. By using elements of construction scaffold, he was able
It Looked Familiar: Heading West
Pamela Isley, otherwise known as Poison Ivy, leaves a courthouse in Gotham City: H. H. Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse in
The Last Goodbye
Two weeks ago, Aqueduct Racetrack closed permanently. If you are not interested in horse racing – and the sport has
Things Shifted Around
From “1915-1930”, “Aquarium and fire boat, New York”: The Aquarium is Castle Clinton, buried within a wood and stucco shell
Garbage
New York City has a garbage problem. Not because we produce a lot of garbage, but because of our physical
A Weakness Masquerading As Strength
A view of the ground floor os a small industrial building in the Bronx: The building has no cellar, so
The Missing Links
From Max Hubacher’s tour of elevated trains and streetcars, “Lexington Avenue El” from October 13, 1950: If you’re reasonably familiar
Not What It Seems
Sometimes, the Monopoly game that divided up New York’s lots left a small piece of land behind, and you get
Artifacts
A photo from 2020, apparently showing an inter-dimensional portal opening up over Kips Bay: Or maybe it’s the fluorescent light
Advice From Long Ago
From a 1915 book titled Engineering Office Systems and Methods, some thoughts on how to design a steel-frame building: My
The Most Important Three-Word Phrase
There has been a lot of discussion in our office – as there has been everywhere in NYC – about
A Supergirl-Inspired Epiphany
I saw Supergirl over the weekend and found it enjoyable. There’s a flashback scene where Kara meets her cousin Clark
A Weird Angle That Does Not Help
From around 1910, the Valentine & Sons Publishing Company gives us “Battery Park” as a postcard: It took me a
Another Moment Of Transition
From Max Hubacher, March 1950, “Brooklyn Bridge”: We’re looking west from the Manhattan approach, a bit west of the Manhattan
Last Night
My thanks to whomever shot and posted this footage, probably Mr. Rabinowitz: For reference, 1883:
History And Simultaneity
A partial list… A long time ago, before written history, people started spinning plates. It’s our job to keep them