Greensboro Daily Photo

Oscar Oglethorpe and the Magical display!

Since we were in the 200 block of South Elm Street yesterday, we'll stay there today at 226 South Elm, admiring the window of Oscar Oglethorpe. This eyeglasses shop aways has fabulous windows. This one was staged by Tammy Tamster Pegram. The window has been stalled for the Month of March. In asking Tammy about it,  * we learned that she wanted a spring "flower power" decoration. Tammy tells us, she was thinking about "springing into new growth while embracing styles of past and having NEW retro Eyewear to SEE the world's beauty thru diversity." Tammy added that she wanted to "show the joy of vibrant colors in eyewear and elsewhere."  Finally, Tammy wanted to embrace, along the way, for Women's History Month. The pink and orange window sure appeals to us. 

Thank you Oscar Oglethorpe and Tammy Pegram for bring us a little joy in the heart of downtown!

 

* Learn more about Tammy, HERE.

Oscar Oglethorpe Eyewear in the 200 Block of South Elm

Oscar Oglethorpe is a great place to get your eyes examined and to purchase trendy (and practical) frames, at a great price. They are located at 226 South Elm Street. So often, when we walk by, the window displays bring us big smiles. The display this month evokes fun in the sun and billowy clouds in the sky. The above photo is only a fraction of the display, but sunny days make the window decorations hard to photograph, due to glare. Last time we featured the window, in 2016, the person who worked this window magic was Tammy Pegram of Tammy Can Re-Design. Surely, Tammy continues to provide these fabulous displays. The 200 block of South Elm has the creative posters at Triad Stage, and across the street from both of these businesses is Thousands O' Prints. They, too, are known for fabulously curated window displays. 

At Oscar Oglethorpe's, not only are the window displays enticing, the staff is super client oriented. They have this way of finding glasses that are perfect for you, helping just enough to steer you in the right direction, without actually making the decision for you. Do call for an appointment, though. They work really hard at keeping you safe from Covid! Get some new glasses or sunglasses, buy a poster, eat some good tacos, get a pedicure, and never have to leave the South 200 block of Elm... unless of course you want to slip around the corner and eat at Liberty Oak, which, by the way, serves breakfast now!

Southeast Bottle Club's 2018 Greensboro Bottle Show

Yesterday, the Southeast Bottle Club held their 17th Annual Greensboro Antique Bottle & Collectibles Show at the Yanceyville Farmers Curb Market. There were 160 dealer tables with a selection of everything from antique bottles, jugs, insulators, advertising signs, and other collectibles related to bottles. They not only sold, but gave free appraisals. Appraisals always bring people out, even those who don't collect. The show started at 9am on Sunday and from nine until noon, it was packed. By 2:00 pm, when today's photo was taken, people had left and many dealers had packed up, too.

The upside of crowds dispersing is that dealers have all the time in the world to talk while they are painstakingly wrapping every single bottle by hand. Soda/pop bottles was the largest category offered at the show. Also popular were poison bottles, on average, ranging from $40- $100. Poison bottles were textured, so that people fumbling around in the dark or those whose vision was failing them, could tell by the feel that the bottle contained poison. Old bottles with labels intact are especially valuable. Some vendors had bottles of medicine made right here in Greensboro. If you are a bottle collector, you probably know that Vicks salve was created by Lunsford Richardson, a Greensboro pharmacist in the late 1800s. While he had a total of 21 home remedies, Vicks was the best-selling product. Got bottles? Check you attic and closets. You just may have great-great grannie's medicine bottles filled with a product made in Greensboro. Hold on to your bottles and take them to the show next year to get an appraisal. The show is held the third Sunday in November.

 

 

 

Chihuly Glass Exhibit

If you are local and looking for something to do this summer, consider heading to Graham to see the exhibit of Chihuly glass. Dale Chihuly is an American sculptor of hand blown glass. This west coast artist takes a lot of his inspiration from the Italian glass blowing tradition. In the above photo, you see one of several pieces that originally formed a giant chandelier. It takes two rooms and an entrance hallway to display the entire piece. The exhibit, on display at Alamance Arts (213 South Main Street) in Graham, is free and open to the public. 

In the Graham exhibit, the Chihuly glass is arranged by size. The giant pieces with the curling, glass tentacles- that seem to stretch out to greet you- are located in the front room. The medium sized pieces are grouped together in another space. In the back room, all of the smaller, vase-size pieces can be seen. We've featured a few of the smaller pieces, below. If you go, be sure to be on the lookout for putti (cherubs) throughout the pieces. Some are hanging out in the mouths of dragons. One visitor interpreted the scene as the small, winged children being eaten; another saw them as playfully holding open the dragon's mouth. Take a ride over and let us know what you think. The exhibit is a very manageable size and the price is unbeatable (free)! Usually there is more distance between Chihuly's pieces and the viewing public; so, be careful.

John Craven's Lamps

John Craven lived in Eastern Guilford County and must have been close to 80 when he died in about 2014. Mr. Craven was passionate about collecting oil lamps. He attend the monthly glass collection meetings at Replacements LTD, just down the road from his house. Regardless of the theme of the glass meetings (cut glass, mid-century modern, Blenko, decanters, vases, salt and pepper shakers, etc.), Mr. Craven brought oil lamps for the "show and tell" portion of the event. He would listen patiently as we went around the room, describing our treasures. When it was his turn, he told the story of how he acquired his lamps and what they represented. Mr. Craven loved collecting oil lamps, loved knowing and learning about them, and loved sharing them with others. His wife, slightly less interested in lamps, diligently attended the glass club meetings with him. Dean Six, the glass expert who drove down from West Virginia to facilitate the meetings, shared his knowledge with Mr. Craven and learned from him, too.

When Mr. Craven died, his lamps were donated to the Museum of American Glass (MAG) in Weston West Virginia. Thanks to the Cravens and Dean, who facilitated the acquisition, people with a love of oil lamps, American glass, and Americana in general, can see many of the lamps on display. The above photo, MAG's current window display, features but a few examples of the oil lamps. The Cravens donated over 4,000 oil lamps to the museum, and upwards of 7,000 pieces of glass when you consider chimneys and other lamp parts. How wonderful that the lamps ended up where they will be appreciated.

We thought it would be appropriate to share this post with a Greensboro/West Virginia connection today as today is West Virginia's 153rd birthday. If you are ever driving on I-79 and are at exit 99, we suggest you stop and visit this museum* and ask them to point you in the direction of Mr. Craven's lamps! As of the last census, the population of Weston was 4,110, at least a lamp apiece for each resident! 

*more information, here.

J is for "Juice" Flask

The above flasks were spotted at the tent vending area of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. They commemorate the battle. They are made of recycled wine and beer bottles, by a man whose family has been blowing glass for generations. From the lip on the vessel to the rough pontil mark in the front, they are made to look as authentic as possible.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds Series, "J" is for "juice flask." The more we look at it, the more we wish we'd purchased one. The vendor lives in Virginia, so, hopefully, he'll be back next year. He had several interesting vessels, but this "juice flask" impressed us, because it is specifically dedicated to our community and a local battle. 

Blenko at Replacements

This weekend, Walter Blenko (left) and Dean Six were at Replacements, Ltd, in Guilford County on Knox Road. They drove here from the factory in Milton, WV to do a meet-and-greet and to offer hand-blown, glass items for sale. These items can be purchased at the Blenko Glass Company's factory store, online, and at select stores around the United States. The Blenko Glass Company has been in Milton, WV since 1922. They are known not only for hand-blown glass, but also for hiring designers to develop creative and innovative items. While Blenko does have some clear/crystal items, as seen from the photograph above, their hallmark is their use of color in their pieces. Blenko is also known for making sheet glass for stained glass windows, including the glass in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

Dean Six, a leading authority on glassmaking in the United States, especially West Virginia glass, is no stranger to Greensboro. Before Blenko hired Dean as Vice President of Marketing and Sales, he worked for Replacements, and one Thursday a month, he hosted a glass club meeting at Replacements. People came from miles around to share information, to learn about their glass collections, and to take advantage of Dean's great expertise.

Both men were delightful to talk to on Saturday; however, once Mr. Blenko started engraving his signature on pieces of glass, he hardly had time for a drink of water or to even look up. Not featured in the above photo is his lovely wife, Patti Blenko who chatted with customers who were waiting in line to get their glass signed. She is the Brand Ambassador and Assistant to the President, and indeed, a good one. She is so enthusiastic about the glass and has been busy getting the Blenko Museum in Milton is good order for all to enjoy. We hope to see the trio at Replacements again, soon.

 

Olé

We hope you had a fabulous Fourth of July and that you had a chance to celebrate all that it means to be American. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day are the holidays that define summer. Yesterday's heatwave in Greensboro made those chunks of watermelon and cups of Italian ice taste even better. In the above photo, we feature a slice of the Mexican food truck near us in traffic the other day.

Olé Mexican Foods was started by a woman, Veronica Moreno, who began selling tortillas on a street corner in Atlanta. Now, it is a major corporation delivering a little taste of Mexico, in Greensboro and beyond. While waiting in traffic, we were struck by the fact that the driver was eating an apple. So often we think of truck drivers eating greasy truck stop food. Not this driver! Here's to eating healty and living the American dream. One of those food trucks you patronize in Greensboro may just become a giant Greensboro-based corporation. Keep those dreams alive!

We're sharing this photo with our friends at Weekend Reflection who will zero right in on that mirror! Olé!

Through the Window of Thai Pan

Thai Pan is a Thai restaurant downtown at 217 South Elm Street. This time of year, it looks especially festive. From the street, the interior looks so warm and cozy and full of old-world charm. This is about as close as Greensboro gets to resembling an old European city. Actually, Elm Street is known for its frozen-in-time façades. The cute, small coziness seems particularly intimate.

We haven't had the chance to try the food but is did look tasty.Tuesdays tend to be quiet in Greensboro. Perhaps we'll head on down and see what they are serving up at Thai Pan. If not, we've a photo and will just imagine that we're eating there! Happy Tuesday!

 

Lights, Camera, Action.... On Elm Street

Elm Street is the pulse of downtown Greensboro. The above reflection was taken while walking past the Blu Martini Bar. Of course martinis are the featured beverage at the establishment. However, it is also known for music and a light show. The dots of light in the center of the photo are constantly changing color and add such visual interest to the 300 block of Elm.

While we were outside capturing the aggregate of light, the bartender invited us inside to photograph. Somehow, at the end of the photo shoot, this shot with the vehicle zipping past and the reflection of windows, branches, and lights- against a backdrop of cement gray- is the one that won out. It seems to captures the dynamic feeling of this little slice of Elm Street. Can't you almost hear the photo? 

Cheers dear readers, may you have a great weekend. For the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day. Here's a virtual toast to you! We're sharing this post with Weekend Reflections where mirror images and playing around with light are de rigueur.........

St. Benedict's Catholic Church

St. Patrick's Day is a great day for Catholics. We couldn't help but think of St. Patrick* as we drove around Elm Street and then past St. Benedict's Catholic Church on West Smith Street. In the photo above, we see the Elm Street side of the church. The doors looked especially colorful in the bright sun. When we photographed the church three years ago, the stained glass window above the doors was not in place (see here). The good news is that the beautiful window was replaced. The bad news is that the church's website doesn't appear to be active any longer. If you are interested in this church's history, see our link above. Tracing it's roots to 1877, St. Benedict's is one of the oldest catholic churches in the Diocese of Charlotte. 

This is our weekly religious piece. Don't forget to go to the lake at Country Park early morning if you want to take part in the church service with the reenacters of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The battle will be reenacted at 2pm. 

*Was St. Patrick Catholic? Irish? If you are interested, read more here.

October 1: Mystery Objects at City Daily Photo Sites

Today's first-of-the-month theme for the city daily photo community is "mystery object." Our mystery object was found on Elm Street last week. It is a photo gliceé,  submerged under water in what looks like a gallon pickle jar; reminiscent of what you would see at the house of horrors at a carnival. This entrapped photo has been underwater since July 2009 for the purpose of showing the archival qualities of the gliceé process.

William Heroy is the Greensboro photographer and restoration specialist who has this display in his store front downtown. We originally took the photo for Skywatch Friday as that square of blue hovering at the top is actually a slice of sky. Since Friday is over, but there IS a reflection, we get to double dip (pun intended) and also offer this "mystery object" up for Weekend Reflections. See what we meant when we said the memes can do wonders for keeping your perspective fresh. Had we not been on the lookout for a Skywatch/Weekend Reflection/City Daily Photo themed photo, the above scene would have passed us by. Maybe Mr. Heroy will get a FLOOD of requests for this technique for Halloween.

If you want more of the City Daily Photo theme.... Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy Easter!

According to their website, the stained glass windows at the West Market Street United Methodist Church (WMSUMC) were purchased at the Columbian Exhibition at the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. The windows were donated to the church as memorials. From this view of the stained glass windows at the WMSUMC, it is easy to reflect on the glory of the season. Christians, worldwide, are celebrating Easter today. Easter is a time of hope, rebirth, renewal, and reflection. We hope you have are in the position to nurture your spiritual self today as well as finding time to enjoy time with family.

We have featured WMSUMC before, as well as the Stations of the Cross related to Christ's life. If you really love stained glass, you might want to read about other stained glass pieces from the 1893 Fair, commemorating the 400th year of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the new world, by seeing more stained glass here and here. 

If you can't get out to an Easter Service today, this video is the next best thing to being there. Unfortunately, we don't have one from Greensboro but this one from Mt. Olive UMC, Arlington, VA is a great representation of the traditions of the holiday. Pay special attention to how the church transforms and oh, the music............ Feel free to open your windows and sing along!

  

 

Richard Ritter's Glass @ Green Hill

Richard Ritter, a North Carolinian originally from Michigan, has been a glass artist since 1968. Here we see two of his fabulous pieces on display at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, where his glass will be on display until May 9th (link). The pieces in the photo are part of his floral core series. They remind us of pearls emerging from oysters with a touch of Italian cane glass. If you appreciate glass art, this exhibit is a must-see. Green Hill even has a video set up so that you can learn more about Ritter's creative process.

Thanks to Skywatch Friday, we snapped the above photo from this angle, ever mindful to show a slice of the sky-- and to situate the photo in Greensboro! The building in the background is downtown on Elm Street.

 

Where is Spring?

The S.H. Kress & Company building was constructed in downtown Greensboro in 1930 and was a department store for 40 years.  The chain's founder Samuel Kress took pride in his buildings and tried to make them architectural gifts to the communities in which they were built. Our Kress building is no exception. The art deco architecture sparkles today. While the department store is long gone, the building houses a night club on one side and an event center on the other. Information about the architecture can be found here and information about the event center, known as Kress Terrace, here.

Today's post does not feature the building but the brilliant art display in the front window. After the wintry days we've had lately, we just fell in love with the BURST of color and with the message, Where is Spring? Here is a display in the same window that we shared last year. Thank you Kress Terrace for these arranging these wonderful works of community art. Finally, we're sharing this photo with the great group of photographers at Weekend Reflection.

 

Gran Poder

Just down from Fanta City-- yesterday's GDP post-- at 4516 West Market Street, you will find the store "La Vaca Ramona." This grocery store caters to the large Hispanic population in Greensboro. For today's Sacred Sunday, we are featuring a few of the prayer candles sold at La Vaca Ramona. Here, we see various depictions of Christ and, to the left, San Juan Diego. In Mexican Catholicism, San Juan Diego was a Mexican who had a Marian apparition in 1531. Recently, in 2002, San Juan Diego became the first indigenous American saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church. In a different (unseen) shelf at La Vaca Ramona, you will find the religious candles with women on them (e.g., The Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Santa Barbara). 

For Greensboro's Hispanic Catholics, many of whom are thousands of miles from home, $1.69 must seem like a small price to pay for the comfort and culturally relevant tradition of lighting a prayer candle. 

 

iPod, You Pod, We All Pod

The Apple Computer Store at Friendly Center is quite the destination. People of all ages love to hang out here. For teens, no trip to Friendly Center is complete without going to the Apple Store, taking your picture, and showing your Facebook world who is hanging out with whom. Since February 2009, we in Greensboro no longer need to drive to Southpoint Mall in Durham to buy, try out, and learn about 21st century technology.

Technology has the power to bring us together and to pull us apart. Here's to our knowing when to use these rainbow gizmos and when to  communicate the old fashioned way-- by knocking on doors for a good dose of person-to-person. Today, we're sharing this photo with the Weekend Reflection Group.

Friendly Park Pool and Tennis: July 4th Swim for Cancer Event

Here we see a picture of the Fourth of July Celebration at Friendly Park Pool, a big day for their Swim-for-Cancer fundraising. Kids were bouncing around on the inflatables, supporting a good cause. As we approached the pool, we noticed a lot of Friendly Frogs walking around with pink streaks in their hair. Carrie Drees of Orrell Design volunteered her time and supplies to pink-streak hair for a small donation to Swim-for-Cancer. This was only one of many local businesses donating time and materials for the cause. We will find out at the annual City Swim Meet, which of the area club teams raised the most money for Swim-for-Cancer. 

City Meet, by the way, is held today through Saturday at Lindley Pool. We cannot say enough about the wonderful swim programs at our local community pools. Children have fun with their respective team's events; they learn to swim competitively;  they learn to fundraise for good causes; and they get plenty of great exercise. Boy do they get plenty of exercise! Backstyle, breast stroke, butterfly, free, IM, relays......

This is our contribution to Theme Thursday: Celebration! Hope you enjoyed it!

Stained Glass at St. Paul's Catholic Church

St. Paul's Catholic Church is the visual version of surround sound. Technicolor abounds.  Here, is an example of four of the many stained glass windows on the rounded exterior walls. People may question the architect when viewing the exterior of the church. However, on the inside, the sanctuary is breathtaking. As you can see from the above windows, the one on the left is more washed out, indicating that the sun is beaming directly through that window and it has already passed the other three all of which seem darker.

Easter Sunday: Christ's Blessing

Happy Easter! Today, we present this ecclesiastical window, Christ's Blessing, which was installed in the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro circa 1903. According to the sign, posted beside the window, "(t)he theme for this beautiful Tiffany-style window comes from the Gospel verse, 'Let the little children come unto me... for such is the kingdom of heaven.' It was sponsored by members of the Scales family in memory of their mother Effie and father Junius, who was a prominent 19th-century Greensboro attorney and state legislator."  Today, the window is housed on the property of the original First Presbyterian Church which is now part of the Greensboro Historical Museum.

             

Stained Glass Window at Greek Orthodox Church

The stained glass window is found at the entrance of the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church at 800 Westridge Road.  Greensboro isn't filled with stained glass like the European cities; however, we do have some beauties like the one above and will feature other examples in upcoming posts.  Today crept up on us and we didn't get back to learn more about the window. If you attend this church and know the history of this window, please share the information in a comment below. From an artistic point of view, we love the way the colors of the window reflect onto the brass name plates on the wooden plaque on the left. The scene appears to be God handing Jesus to Mary (Theotokos).

If your church has stained glass windows and you need replacement pieces or you are a crafter looking for sheets of stained glass, we suggest contacting Blenko Glass Company in nearby West Virginia. Blenko has a fascinating process for hand blowing sheet glass in a process that has not changed for over 100 years. 

              

West Virginia Glass Pears in North Carolina

Today's theme for City Daily Photo is GLASS. At Greensboro Daily Photo, we love to photograph glass, so this photo is entered in the CDP theme day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. The first of these  three pears was made by Rainbow Glass in West Virginia. The other two are from WV but do not have stickers.

While North Carolina is not known for glass blowing, we are famous  for the selling of glass treasures on the secondary market. Replacements, Ltd. located at 1089 Knox Road, in Greensboro, is known worldwide for its offering of glassware and china, old and new. With an inventory of 13 million pieces, likely Replacements has glass like these pears available for sale! 

              

Glass Valentine Hearts at Ellenburg & Shaffer

Happy Valentine's Day! We hope you have someone special this Valentine's Day and that you are able to enjoy the day together. To be sure, we'll be out looking for interesting pictures to share with you later in the month. Here we see some glass hearts hanging in the window at Ellenburg & Shaffer Glass Art Studio at 334 South Elm Street. For the glass collector on your list, Ellenburg & Shaffer has fabulous stained glass for sale. It is a treat to visit their store (and the other places downtown on Elm Street) even if you just want to have a look.

            

West Virginia Glass Vignette for Valentine's Day

Vintage West Virginia glass is widely available in Greensboro's antique stores. Most of the Fenton hobnail pieces in the photo are from Thrill of the Hunt (3122 Battleground Ave #B). For each holiday, we decorate our entrance hallway with a collection of vintage glass and arts and crafts items. We made the heart stopper and LOVE embellishment from polymer clay to fit with the Valentine's Day theme. Do you enjoy making holiday vignettes? Do you like antique West Virginia glass? Happy Valentine's Day, tomorrow. We hope you plan something special.