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Friday, August 1, 2008

Theme Day for August: Metal

The City Daily Photo Blog theme for August 1 is "metal." Now what might look like a fairly depressing picture, taken yesterday, is actually a little bit of history. This is the sidewalk in Waddington Alley, one of Victoria's oldest streets. Look closely at the "pavement" and you will see it is actually made of wood blocks, a fairly common road building material in 1908. Today's photo theme, "metal," here is the curb, which has a heavy iron edge to it. Waddington Alley used to get a lot of carriage traffic and carriages had iron-clad wheels. To protect the curb from these wheels, the curb was sheathed in iron also.

Many other City Daily Photo Bloggers have posted on this theme today. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

12 comments:

USelaine said...

Wood blocks?! They don't rot away! Well I like this combination of materials in any case, with the standard attention to BC neat and clean. Thanks for the historical background too, which is always fascinating. Lucky you, having some rain finally - or have you been hiding that from us thirsty Californians?

Janet Kincaid said...

Beautiful photo and excellent information! Wood blocks sound much more comfortable to drive down than cobblestone.

Happy Theme Day!

Janet

Benjamin Madison said...

Elaine, the original blocks were treated with creosote, a preservative not allowed by current environmental restrictions. As for the rain, I would gladly send it to you if I could. My hot, dry holiday simply whetted my appetite for more sunshine and heat. I forebore mentioning the stinking rotten nasty gloomy gray wet weather that has been the norm here since my return....

d.c. Thanks for your remarks. Yes, I suspect wood blocks were much more comfortable for horses and I often imagine sound of their hooves against the wood when I ride my bicycle down that alley.

Eki said...

that's an interesting piece of history, and a nice choice for the Metal theme day!

rc said...

very nice perspective in the picture

and great to hear the history behing it

USelaine said...

"the stinking rotten nasty gloomy gray wet weather"

You know, I detect a slight note of discontent in your post, as you sit peacefully in your luscious, verdant, fecund paradise of readily available, and pure water. You are sitting pretty on your favored perch in the north, while we writhe in our cursed dessication and grasping need down south. But, whatever. At least you aren't rubbing our noses in it. Well, except today.

Hilda said...

Lovely bit of history — I thoroughly enjoyed this post!

Happy theme day!

And I will gladly give some of our current daily rain to Elaine too!! ;D

melanie said...

Bravo ! Tu as des photos extraordinaires que j'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à regarder.

Je te mets en lien sur mon blog.

Harry Makertia said...

Wow! Interesting explanation of your photo for today's theme! Great choice. Happy Theme Day!

Benjamin Madison said...

Ah but Elaine, it pays to complain. The gloomy gray has gone away and the sunshine is back today :)

USelaine said...

Well then, I wish you more parched madness than you can stand! I complain, oh yes, I complain!

raf said...

Well done, Ben! Really like the photo, but it's your choice, image and comment together that makes this a great post for theme day.