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Sunday, August 1, 2010
Delgany Street
From inside
Henry Wagner building at 15th St. and Delgany St.
looking S.W. at the Daniels and Fisher Warehouse No. 2
1986
The 1400 block of Delgany Street has seen enormous
changes in the past 20 years. Former buildings of
another age have grudgingly given way to a new
generation of buildings and the exciting rebirth of a
new community and usage.
The large Daniels and
Fisher Building and the tiny Henry Wagner remain, and new
prosperous buildings of residential density along with the
prominent MCA Denver have created a dynamic block to
move forward for future generations.
From billboard looking N.E.
onto 1400 block of Delgany St. 1989
The Daniels and Fisher building tower over Delgany
Street, the 15th,16th, and 20th Street Viaducts are in the
distance. To the East, the huge now demolished Post
Office Annex, Union Station and the Ice House complete
the landscape of distant buildings.
Tiny little Louie's Forge
building on the bottom right was the last building, and
Cherry Creek River bordered it to the S.W. Beginning
infrastructure work of large underground water pipes can
be seen on Delgany Street.
Train Trestles span the Cherry
Creek River in the foreground
and the Monarch Mills Grain building is on the left 1992
Looking N.E. from Speer Boulevard onto Delgany this view
gives you an idea of what the block looked like in the
late 1890's and early 1900's. Trains and grain ruled and
the distant Ice House beyond the 15th and 16th Street Viaducts.
This street was basically
desolate when I photographed the area. Truck
traffic from the Post Office was busy under the 15th Street
Viaduct and auto's dominated the top of the viaduct.
Wazee Super Club was out of view to the right and My
Brother's bar was out of view to the left.
Employee's of the Post Office parked in huge lots
nearby; merchants and hipsters occupied the otherwise
forgotten area.
It was unique; we had the area to ourselves and it was
a special time in it's own way!! Having said that, time
moves on, and the area, for the most part ,was a little ghost
town. We had our haunts...
Onto the future, the new generation has created it's own
identity and the next generation will do the same, good
luck to you all.
For additional images and
commentary, please
refer to the MCA Denver section.
City Spirit
Books, 1434 Blake Street, wall, art work and mosaic tile
art by
Susan Wick. "Self portrait " photo by Kim Allen 1991
City Spirit Books was a
very small bookstore that featured its content on the
subjects of the Arts and Architecture. The location of
City Spirit Books was 1434 Blake Street
under the City Spirit restaurant and bar.
City Spirit was founded by Mickey Zeppelin and Susan
Wick. It featured wonderful healthy food, great
cocktails and great draft beer. Inspired local musicians
and hip art events were evening celebrations.
Artwork by Susan Wick was painted on the walls and her
mosaic work was prominent everywhere.
Tracy Weil was the manager, a wonderful artist of
painting as well. City Spirit was its name and that is
what it was - a spirit of the city...
City Spirit Cafe -
left of center, 1434 Blake Street
1990
City Spirit Books was the creation of Michael Fagan and
an early visionary as well to feed and nourish our soul
for books relevant to Architecture and Arts.
A friend of mine Alex from Telluride, Colorado had
wanted to go to Camera Obscura Gallery in Denver and
also visit City Spirit Books. As he was leaving town, I was given a book by Alex that was titled
"Arnold Newman - Five Decades" , a book he purchased at City
Spirit Books.
The cover of the book has a photograph of an eye, the
eye of Pablo Picasso. Arnold Newman made that image as a
photographer that is one of many in an unbelievable book
of portraits that he is respected for as one of the
finest portrait photographers to ever live.
Arnold Newman usually placed his subjects face or body
only as a part of the image. The remainder of the image
captured the surrounding essence of his subject to
complete the image for
the story to be told, two parts becoming one...
A master photographer, aspiring young photographers
take note, he is an incredible mentor, you would be wise
to learn something from him.
http://www.arnoldnewmanarchive.com/
My friend Alex left me
with the book and wrote inside.
" To
inspire you to never stop photographing. Your
friend, Alex
April 1989 "
Well my friend, the magic is still there. It is
buried deep under layers of debris, storms, now
clouds, rays of vision may return...
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