April 24, 2010

Gulf Coast Deco XI

A few posts ago was Gulf Coast Deco X & 1/4, so-named because I had only a few Art Deco structures to share. I've since gone back to Houston and found a couple of other things, so I decided to combine it all together into a whole Gulf Coast Deco post.

Let me begin with the Houston Municipal Airport Terminal. It was built in 1940 and designed by Joseph Finger.


houston municipal airport terminal




houston municipal airport terminalhouston municipal airport terminal


 
houston municipal airport terminal
houston municipal airport terminal
houston municipal airport terminal frieze crop
houston municipal airport terminal
houston municipal airport terminal
houston municipal airport terminal
houston municipal airport terminal

The terminal is right down the street from the Houston Municipal Airport Hangar, from 1940, also designed by Joseph Finger:



houston municipal airport hangar

Also from 1940 is the Hamman Exploration Co. building. I half expected Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to come out dancing cheek to cheek:



hamman exploration co.
hamman exploration co.
hamman exploration co.




The former Garden Oaks Theater, from 1947:
garden oaks theater
garden oaks theater
garden oaks theater

I don't believe it's Art Deco, but this business has been around for at least sixty years (which is around the period of Deco's peak influence). They also have a pretty cool, vintage (I'm assuming) neon sign:



adolf hoepfl  garage
adolf hoepfl  garage neon sign




And another relic of that distant age:
prince's hamburgers neon sign
prince's hamburgers neon sign





peden co. building
Last time I tried to get the 1929 Peden Co. Building, I wasn't too happy with the results. This one is a little bit better.




tower community center
Barely visible in the background of another picture, this the Tower Community Center c.1937, architect: Joseph Finger




tower community center

It may not seem like much now, but here it is back in 1938:
Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library





pilgrim's cleaners
This Pilgrim's Cleaners on Westheimer (in Houston) looks like Deco to me, but I'm not sure about that. It's pretty neat though.




pilgrim's cleaners

A different cleaners, a frickin' cool vintage neon sign:
warren's laundry & cleaners neon sign


Past episodes:



  • Gulf Coast Deco







  • Gulf Coast Deco II







  • Gulf Coast Deco III







  • Gulf Coast Deco IV







  • Gulf Coast Deco V







  • Gulf Coast Deco VI







  • Gulf Coast Deco VII







  • Gulf Coast Deco VIII







  • Gulf Coast Deco IX







  • Gulf Coast Deco X







  • Gulf Coast Deco XII
  • 4 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    You aways find some very cool and inspiring stuff. Tanks!

    Chris said...

    Thank you, Kevin! Tank you, tank you very much.

    Retro Hound said...

    If that Tower Community Center would re-do the building to look like it did in the 30s, it would get more attention and still be classy, not garish.

    Chris said...

    You're preaching to the choir there, Retro Hound.