Upper Room Baptist Church

While I was in Irondale last Friday I decided to drive around the neighborhood. I found this lovely little church. The windows made me park and get out. They remind me of small town churches all over Alabama. Perfectly simple I think.

Blue Skies and Trains

I took a little trip to Irondale yesterday. Irondale is a lovely little town on the eastern side of Birmingham. I had a fun photographing the trains and loved capturing some fabulous blue sky and clouds in between our monsoons. My grandaddy worked for the Missouri-Pacific railroad in Little Rock. I think he would have liked this photograph.

Wavy Flag

Wednesday's deluge made photography very difficult. I spotted the doorway of the Financial Center downtown, then had to circle the block for a parking spot. With umbrella and camera in tow I did the best I could to capture the photo above. Ever tried to take pictures while holding an umbrella? Good grief!

Eiffel Tower......Water Tower - The Tenin Technique

Water Tower - Sloss Furnaces

I see you scratching your head! Well let me explain. Today is the 5th Birthday for Eric Tenin's Paris Daily Photo. What started as one Parisian's daily photoblog has over these past five years, mushroomed into a worldwide community of hundreds of bloggers that post a photo each day from their city. I have had the pleasure of meeting Eric twice in Paris. His blog is what got me "hooked", and I've shared with him what a terrific ride this has been for me, as I travel around the world everyday to visit my CDP blog friends and learn more about the places they call home. Today we stop to sing a rowdy "Joyeux Anniversaire" to Eric, whom I like to call le Roi de la City Daily Photo!

Eric has a few photo techniques that we all enjoy. He loves to shoot at wacky angles and often from ground level. I opted for the easier one! :)

Eric, mon ami, merci beacoup mille fois!!!

PS. There's another "tower" on Paris Through My Lens today as well.

Today City Daily Photobloggers all over the world are saluting Eric.

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Temptation!

I spotted these scrumptious lemon meringue tarts at Chez Fonfon recently. They're lucky all I did was snap a photo instead of raking them all off into my handbag and heading for the door!

A True Art Enthusiast

Back in September of 2006, a breath of fresh air blew through the Birmingham Museum of Art. Graham Boettcher arrived from the Yale University Art Gallery , and the place hasn't been the same since! A graduate of Yale, he also earned his Ph.D. in art history there as well. Since 2008 he has been the museum's William C. Hulsey Curator of American Art.

I first met Graham last year when he did the training for Museum Ambassadors for the upcoming exhibit " Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". When introduced, I took one look at him and said, "You're too young to be a curator!" Young he might be but he knows his art. A fountain of knowledge he certainly is, but what I love best about Graham is that his passion for art is infectious. You can't be around him without feeling his enthusiasm for it. I heard him give tours through that exhibit many, many times as a volunteer and every single time I heard him, I was mesmerized. He makes art come to life, makes it fun. He's the only guy I know that can make everyone laugh out loud over Trumbull's portrait of George Washington!

Now back to the reason I'm featuring Graham today. He's curated another exhibit close to my heart. A wonderful selection of photographs by Prentice H. Polk, from the Paul R. Jones Collection, are now on display in the African-American Art Gallery. Polk is considered to be one of the most important photographers of the 20th century through his role as the official photographer of Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). I especially enjoyed the series of photographs of George Washington Carver, but his other portraits are equally as stunning. Graham has done a fine job with this exhibit, and it was my pleasure to be able to photograph him by a portrait that I actually painted years ago in a watercolor class. If you wish to see this exhibit, it will run through May 23. And if you are really lucky, you might just get to join a Graham Boettcher tour!

I regret that I could not find more information on P.H. Polk online. If any of you readers find a better link than this, please share! Merci Dystopos for this link here.

You Say Macaroon, I Say Macaron

My faithful Paris Through My Lens readers, are pretty obsessive about the divine, the delicately scrumptious French macaron. Wikipedia states that the words macaron and macaroon are interchangeable, but don't mistake these for the coconut macaroon that we find here in the U.S. Confusing isn't it! Well here in Birmingham there's no Gerard Mulot or Ladurée so what's a girl to do when she just has to have one? Luckily Continental Bakery in English Village usually offers three flavors, and I snapped this photo just before I enjoyed mine.

BTW, I'm so pleased that my dear blog friend and artiste Shell Sherree down under in Brisbane, has immortalized my photo of the Gerard Mulot macarons in a delightful watercolor illustration here!

P.S. It's macaron day at Ladurée on Paris Through My Lens today as well!

I Can Hardly Wait - Birmingham Rouge

till the Oak Street Market in Crestline, has those tables full of fresh produce. I peeked in these cheerful red windows the other day. Looks like they're spiffing up the inside too. Do you suppose they are vying for a spot on Birmingham Rouge?? Well they're in!

A Paris Moment Right Here in Birmingham

Next time you're feeling that maybe a little trip to Paris is what you need, visit Charlotte Woodson Antiques in Mt. Brook Village. Owner Dinah Toro and I are kindred spirits. We share a love of Paris and have had some delightful conversations reminiscing about our trips there, sitting in her comfy old slipcovered armchairs. The shop is like a little trip back to Paris pour moi. Today, just a sampling. We'll be back, as I'm sure you've guessed!

Showing Her Stuff!

You remember my friend and talented artist Kate Merritt Davis. Actually she started out as one of my 100 Strangers but moved into the friends category shortly after that. Yesterday I caught her at the Bottle Tree just after she hung her work for an upcoming exhibit. My Birmingham readers can meet Kate at the reception there on Friday, March 5 th from 6:00-8:00.

The Bottle Tree may ring a bell from posts here and here and here. It has the most fabulous shadows late in the afternoon and Kate and I both liked this photo because of the dappled light. The bottom photo I snapped as I left. This funky bar/cafe abounds with bottle trees. I liked the sunset behind this one.

The Columns - Temple Emanu-el

If you are a follower of this blog you know how much I love the most ornate columns Birmingham has to offer. Today we return to Temple Emanu-el for a look at details of some of the most beautiful columns in this city.

I liked the top photograph because it captured the Star of David as well. The bottom photo speaks for itself. Sorry, I couldn't choose.

If These Walls Could Talk

I know it's just my opinion, but I think this is how a library should look. Rows of wooden shelves full of books, wooden tables warmly lit by lamps. This is the Linn-Henley Research Library. It was the "downtown library" from 1927- 1984 when a newer, snazzier, shinier one was built across the street. This is the library where my high school friends and I congregated on week nights to "work on term papers and very important assignments ( meet our boyfriends). I have many fond memories of those nights spent slaving away over reference books etc. I also have another memory I'll never forget. It's as clear as if it happened yesterday. One Sunday afternoon in May 1963, we really did have a paper due and were all headed downtown to actually work. Our parents told us we couldn't go. It wasn't safe. That was the day Bull Connor and his men took care of a demonstration in nearby Kelly Ingram Park with dogs and fire hoses. A sad day in the history of my city. While we've moved past those dark days, we haven't forgotten.

Despite that, when I walked in this place a few weeks ago, I had a good feeling as I nosed around. The only differences seemed to be the laptop computers on those beautiful old tables and the librarians were using a mouse instead of a rubber stamp. It was quiet, the lamps lit the lovely murals and gorgeous painted ceiling ( a post for another day). A nice time for me to look back. Thankfully this lovely old building has been kept in pristine condition and is still being used to its fullest.

This post is dedicated to my friends Loretta and Altadenahiker, who both remember and love card catalogs!

Arthur Price - A Talented Artist, New Friend

Last week I had the privilege of attending the opening reception for Birmingham artist Arthur Price's newest collection. It's hard to describe the feeling I had as I walked in and saw his magnificent canvases that hung from ceiling to floor. They took my breath away. Many had a mystical, almost medieval feel, while others reflected Art's homage to his father, a holistic veterinarian, and his love of horses. In another space, he went in a different direction with a magical undersea series. This is no cookie cutter artist. His work is as diverse as it is beautiful. I found myself saying over and over, "Now THIS is my favorite" as I moved from one to the next. My daughter and I agreed that we had most definitely been transported from Birmingham to some special place in Europe that evening.

I returned another day to photograph Art with his work. What a kind and humble man he is. It was a rare treat for me to hear him talk about his pieces and where he found his inspiration. I might also add that he's extremely patient as he endured not one but two photo sessions with me! Today, I include a few of his paintings. My photographs cannot begin to do justice to his marvelous work. Please take the time to visit his website.

Thank you Art and Caren for being so gracious!

March Theme Day - Passageways

It's that time again. The first of every month is City Daily Photo Theme Day. This month our theme is Passageways. I love this day each month. How fun to see the many ways CDP bloggers all over the world take the theme and run with it.

My photo today is from a passageway on historic Morris Avenue in downtown Birmingham. Rust and grunge make for an interesting photograph sometimes I think!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Merci to my friend Daryl up in NYC. My faithful Theme Day reminder amie!