Night At The Roxy ...

"The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts,
but is also the return of art to life."
                                                    ~ Oscar Wilde
                                                                ~ 1854-1900

The neon lights of the historically cool Roxy Theatre
light up a winter night on Main Street, Northampton, Pennsylvania.
The Roxy originally opened in 1921 as the Lyric. This theatre was renovated
in 1933 in the tremendously popular art deco style - and renamed
The Roxy after the famous New York City theatre and it's namesake
showman Samuel "Roxy" Rothapfel. Today, as the city's only commercial
theatre, "The Roxy continues to be the greatest show in town," presenting
both Hollywood favorites and live entertainment. It features a seven rank
Wurlitzer pipe organ. 

Christmastime In The City ...

“Silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmas time in the city ….”
                    "Silver Bells"

                        ~ composed by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans

                                                            1950

The spirit of Christmas illuminates on the iconic PPL building this

December in downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The PPL Building, formerly the Pennsylvania Power and Light Building,

is a 24-story, art deco/art moderne skyscraper at Ninth and Hamilton Streets.

It is the tallest building in Allentown and the second tallest in the Lehigh Valley, and serves as the headquarters for the electric utility, PPL.

The building is often uniquely illuminated at night, especially during

the Christmas season. During the 1960s, PPL supported the local United Fund community drive program by using the building’s brightly lit windows at night

To spell out the abbreviation “U.F.” to remind area residents to contribute to the fund drive.

The PPL building was built from 1926-1928. The building was designed by architect and skyscraper pioneer Harvey Wiley Corbett, who would later have a hand in designing New York’s Rockefeller Center, and was supervised by his assistant, Wallace Harrison, who would later design Lincoln Center, La Guardia Airport, and the United Nations Headquarters Building. The building has exterior features bas reliefs by Alexander Archipenko. In 1930, the PPL building was named “the best example of a modern office building” by Encyclopedia Britannica, and also featured the world’s fastest elevator.

Stardust Christmas ...

"A Christmas Carol" illuminates the marquee of the historic
Nineteenth Street Theatre on a December night. 
The Nineteenth Street/Civic Theatre is an historic
community center that hosts theatre, arts education
and film. It is the oldest cinema in Allentown, Pennsylvania,
opening September 17, 1928. In July 1957, the property was
purchased by Allentown's Civic Little Theatre. It is located
in the heart of the quaint West End Theatre District.

Nothing But A Memory ...

"I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it's like I'm someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself ...
Won't take nothing but a memory."
                                 ~ "The House That Built Me"
                                       ~ Allen Shamblin & Tom Douglas
                                                               2010
                                        ~performed by Miranda Lambert

Wisps of memories seem to dance around the window
inside Bogert's Covered Bridge on a September day, such as
"Tess & Eric 4Ever" etched to the right of the window.

This beautiful, historic bridge has listened to their story
 and countless others over the course of centuries.

The bridge spans 145 feet over the Little Lehigh Creek 
in Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Built in 1841,
it's history traces back to the mid-1700s when the Bogert family
moved into a log cabin next to the future site of the bridge. 
It is the oldest covered bridge in Lehigh County and among
the oldest in the country. It is open only to pedestrian and bicycle traffic,
as well as the occasional rider on horseback.

Bogert's Bridge is a wooden Burr Truss bridge with vertical plank
siding and a gable roof. It was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1980.

                        

Once Upon A Time ...

"Once upon a time, the world was sweeter than we knew ...
But somehow once upon a time never comes again." 
           ~ "Once Upon A Time"
                   ~ Charles Strouse & Lee Adams
             from the 1962 musical "All American"

Harkening back to a simpler, sweeter time,
a beautiful October morning frames the historic beauty
of Rex's Covered Bridge, North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.
Though diminutive in size, it's well traveled in this
picturesque rural area where it crosses the Jordan Creek.

Rex's is a wooden, 150-foot-long Burr Truss bridge
constructed in 1858. It has narrow horizontal siding
and a gable roof. It was listed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1980. 

Brisk Beauty ...

"The leaves fall, the wind blows,
and the farm country slowly changes 
from the summer cottons into
its winter wools."
                        ~ Henry Beston
                                ~ 1888-1968

Chilly November winds whip the waters this weekend at Leaser Lake, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, but that doesn't detract from the beauty of this autumn day at the lake in the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge.

Leaser Lake's namesake is Frederick Leaser, who in September 1777 with his farm team hauled The Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church.
His homestead is located one mile north of the lake.

 

Mist Of The Autumn Morn ...

"I saw old autumn in
the misty morn
stand, shadowless like silence,
listening to silence."
                     ~ Thomas Hood
                                  ~ 1799-1845

There is something so very special about the early morning, the
serenity, the quiet beauty. This feeling of a fresh new day is palpable
as the mist rises just after sunrise on a beautiful, chilly October
morning at Wehr's Dam, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

The historic dam, awash with the waters of the Jordan Creek, was built in 1904 
and is the perfect complement  next to Wehr's Covered Bridge, built in 1841. 

Early Morning Postcard ...

"An early morning walk is a blessing
for the whole day."
             ~ Henry David Thoreau
                    ~ 1817-1862

The words of Thoreau seem to fill the air
just after sunrise on a chilly October morning at the historic Wehr's Covered Bridge, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

The Jordan Creek spills over Wehr's Dam, built in 1904, to flow beneath the covered bridge, creating a picturesque autumn postcard. 

Wehr's Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in South Whitehall Township.
It is a three span, 117-foot-long Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1841. It has horizontal siding and a gable roof. It crosses the Jordan Creek and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Nostalgic Harvest ...

The sun-dappled porch of Wanamaker's General Store, 
Kempton, Pennsylvania says "Wilkum" (welcome) to
customers on an October afternoon.

The quaint Wanamaker's is an authentic, family owned
general store nestled in the heart of 
Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Wanamaker's has been welcoming friends, neighbors
and passersby since the late 1800's. 

The classic Pennsylvania Dutch Wilkum Home hex sign is
often seen on porches and other entry ways, extending a warm
and friendly welcome.

A Hint Of Shangri-La ...

"Your kisses take me to
Shangri-la ...
A land of bluebirds and fountains ...
For anywhere you are is Shangri-La."
                                    ~ "Shangri-La"
                                           ~ Carl Sigman, Matty Malneck and Robert Maxwell
                                                                   1946 
            


With the Jordan Creek gently flowing under a sparkling 
September sun, it seems like Shangri-La on a late summer
afternoon at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
The historic Schlicher Covered Bridge is in the background.
It is a wooden, 108-foot-long Burr Truss Bridge constructed in 1882.
It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It recently reopened
after needed restorations.

A Country Red ...

  

 

"In summer, the song sings itself."
                                      ~ William Carlos Williams
                                                    1883-1963

Geiger's Covered Bridge paints a pop of red 
to the country landscape in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
 on a picturesque summer day.

The bridge is an historic wooden covered bridge. It is a
112-foot long Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860.
It has vertical plank siding and an entry portal of
stepped square planks. It crosses the Jordan Creek
and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980. It can be accessed from The Covered Bridge Trail
of the Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

 

A Summer Place ...

"There's a summer place ..."
           ~ "Theme From A Summer Place"
                                      ~   1959                                          

You can almost hear the strains of "Theme From A Summer Place" on a perfect August evening at Manassas Guth Covered Bridge, South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.

The historic wooden bridge that crosses the Jordan Creek was constructed in 1858 and rebuilt in 1882. It is a 108-foot long Burr Truss bridge with vertical siding. It was placed on the  National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Sweet Memories ...

"Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind,
Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine ...
Laughing eyes and simple ways
And quiet nights and gentle days with you.
Memories, memories, sweet memories."
                                                                     ~ "Memories" 
                                                                          ~ recorded by the great
                                                                                   Elvis Presley, 1968

                                             

 Geiger's Covered Bridge evokes sweet nostalgia on a summer morning
in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. The bridge is a 112-foot-long
Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860. It has vertical plank siding and an
entry portal of stepped square planks. It crosses the Jordan Creek and
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The  bridge can be accessed from The Covered Bridge Trail
at the Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

Colors Of Main ...

 

The Martin Building colors the corner of South Main and Stockton Streets
in the historic downtown of Phillipsburg, New Jersey on 
a summer evening.
 

The Country Church...

"I like the silent church before the service begins,
better than any preaching."
                                        ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
                                                       1803-1882

I always love photographing country churches such as
Frieden's Evangelical Lutheran Church, which dates
back to 1793. The Sunday afternoon sunlight
streams on the church nestled in rural
Center Valley, Pennsylvania on a summer's day. 

Stardust Memories ...

 

 

"Belle" is on the marquee of The Nineteenth Street Theatre/Civic Theatre
on a June evening. The Nineteenth Street Theatre is an historic community
center that hosts theatre, arts education and film. It is the oldest cinema in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, opening Sept. 17, 1928. In July 1957, the property
was purchased by Allentown's Civic Little Theatre. It is located in the heart
of the quaint West End Theatre District.

Gentle On My Mind ...

"...You're waiting from the backroads
by the rivers of my memories,
ever smilin' 
ever gentle on my mind."
              ~ "Gentle On My Mind," 
                             ~ 1967

The words from that wonderful song seem to fill the air on a May afternoon at Manassas Guth Covered Bridge as it crosses the Jordan Creek. 

The historic wooden covered bridge
in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania was constructed in 1858 and rebuilt in 1882. It is a 108 foot long Burr Truss bridge with vertical siding. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Spanning ...

 

"Winter makes a bridge between one year and another
and, in this case, one century and the next."
                                                        ~ Andy Goldsworthy

A recent view of the historic Northampton Street Bridge, commonly called
The Free Bridge, looking toward Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The bridge
spans the Delaware River between Phillipsburg and Easton, Pennsylvania.
The Free Bridge was completed in 1896 and survived the massive flooding
of Hurricane Diane in 1955. It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990. 

Victorian Charm

"What I like about black and white photographs  
is that they're more like reading the book then seeing the movie."
                                                           ~Author Unknown

The historic Hotel Belvidere, built in 1831, is located in the quaint, scenic town of Belvidere, New Jersey. Belvidere is a charming Victorian town I visited this weekend, located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.

George Washington traveled through Belvidere at 10 a.m. July 26, 1872 when he camped at Morristown.

Painter's Box ...

"In nature, light creates the color.
In the picture, color creates the light." 
                                  ~ Hans Hofmann
                                            ~ 1880-1966
A window in the historic Bogert's  Covered Bridge, Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania frames a view of the Little Lehigh Creek flowing beneath the bridge today.