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Detroit circa 1917. "Ice fountain, Washington Boulevard." The big icicle with a small request, discreetly stated on that unobtrusive little sign near the man: PLEASE. The rest of the message is up to your imagination. View full size.
The street light appears to be an arc light, rather than incandescent. There are steps to climb up to change the carbon rods. This is a similar source of light to the "moon light" towers in an earlier image. Incredibly, there are still areas of Detroit where these standards are in use, albeit with modern light sources. A few historic areas have even replicated this design. I took this photo in July 2011.
Somehow I just I picture Wile E. Coyote on the other end of that sign.
For many years, the town of Bethel, Connecticut had an enormous bronze fountain, donated by its most famous native son, Mr. P.T. Barnum. The town deliberately let it run all winter, since the residents loved the appearance of ever-growing icicles. The fountain had to be scrapped in 1923 after many freeze/thaw cycles damaged it beyond repair. Later in the decade, it was replaced with the doughboy statue that still stands today.
Weird NJ had a photo of the same thing outside a Northern New Jersey office building early in this century.
Detroit was once a most spectacular City!
watch my valise until I can dig out of this mess!
There appears to be an abandoned piece of luggage at the base of the ice fountain.
Detroit still has a giant ice pile each winter, but on Belle Isle now instead of Washington Blvd. What forms the center of the pile? All the used Christmas trees from downtown!
Do they still let them run all winter? Is this therefore a yearly spectacle?
How did they accomplish this?
Much of it was still there when my great-aunt showed up several months later to have her photo taken with it!
do not feed the pigeons ... albeit ones encased in solid ice.
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