Oktoberfest Pins

The Tyrolean German Hat is also referred to as a Bavarian or Alpine hat.  It is a type of headwear tht originally came from the Tryol are in the Alps which is now part of Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.  It is an essential and distinctive element of the local folk costume or tracht (traditional garments in German-speaking countries and regions). The          hat is typically deep forest green, grey or hazelnut brown. 

The pins on traditional German, Austrian and Swiss Alpine hats are decorative and symbolilc badges that tell the story of the wearer's life, travels, and affiliations.  Pines often feature the names, crests or landmarks of cities, mountain peaks and regions visited. Special pins comemorate attendance at major events like Oktoberfest. Many pins include regional symbols like the Edelweiss flower, beer steins, pretzels and cuckoo clocks.

Most modern pins are crafted from pewter, zinc alloy, brass or silver/gold plating, using soft or hard enamel for color.

 

Ian Fleming

1908-1964

Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British writer best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels.  Fleming moved through several jobs before he began writing. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail and depth of his James Bond novels.

Fleming wrote his first novel, Casino Royale, in 1952 at age 44.  It was a success and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand.  Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stores followed between 1953 and 1966.  The novels centered around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6.  Bond is also known by his code number, 007 and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide.  

Ian Fleming used a gold-plated Royal Quiet Deluxe Portable typewriter which he purchased in 1952 for $174 from a New York dealer after finishing the first draft of Casino Royale.  He kept the typewriter at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica where he wrote the James Bond novels.  

 The gold-plated machine sold at Christie's in London for $89,229 on May 5, 1995.

 

Beach Glass is weathered tumbled glass found along the shorelines of fresh water sources like lakes and rivers. It starts as discarded glass from mostly bottles that breaks and enters the water. Waves, sand and rocks act as a natural tumbler to smooth the sharp edges over many years.  Fresh water beach glass is often less frosted than sea glass. 

Uncommon beach glass colors are aqua, cobalt blue and amber. Common colors are clear/white, brown (from beer and whiskey bottles) and green (frome wine and soda bottles) are the most frequent.  Rare colors are red (roughly 1 in 5,000 pieces), orange and yellow (roughly 1 in 10,000 pieces).

Beach glass is used for jewelry making, mosiacs, wire wrapping and picture frames. It is often collected in glass jars, shadow boxes or used as table scatters for beach-themed weddings. 

If you prefer crafting without beachcombing, pre-tumbled or manufactured craft glass is widely sold by suppliers starting around $13 to $24 per bag.

Did you know it takes an ocean about thirty years to break down glass into these jewels? Sea glass can be found at *Hanapepe Bay Glass Beach in Kauai, Port Townsend Glass Beach in the Seattle area and Summerland Beach outside Santa Barbara. 

*Hanapepe Bay Glass Beach beachcombers are encouraged to leave the glass behind.

A Rainbow of Colors

And if you wish to find a wide array of beautifully created beach glass jewelry, look no further than a business called Relish Studio & Gallery in Erie, PA located at 3835 W. 12th Street.

 

At the Beach in California  with a Kodak camera

Circa 1920

The woman on the left is ready to snap some pictures with her Kodak Brownie camera.

South Boston, Massachusetts

Circa 1920

"Smile for the Camera!"

No. 2 Folding Autographic Brownie

Circa 1915-1926

The vintage Kodak Brownie is an iconic series of simple, affordable box and roll-film cameras introduced by Eastman Kodak in February 1900. Frank A. Brownell designed the first model which sold for $1.00 and made snapshot photography popular for everyday people. Kodak named the line after the cartoon "Brownies" created by Canadian author and illustrator, Palmer Cox.

Commerical Legacy:  The Brownies became the first major comic characters licensed for mass merchandising in North America (appearing on toys, games and soap) and directly inspired the name of the iconic Eastman Kodak Brownie Camera.

Kodak produced nearly 100 different models over more than eight decades ending production around 1986 with the Brownie II. Depending on the model, Brownies used modified roll films such as the Target Six-20.

Target Six-20

The Target Six-20 camera with its original box.

Kodak Brownie No. 2 Model F

Circa 1924

No. 1 Brownie Model B

Circa 1904-1916

Kodak Brownie Advertisement

Brownie Flash III

Made in England by Kodak Limited London

Circa 1957-1960

A camera competitor in the 1960s was the Weston Speed Argus C-3 "brick" 35 mm rangefinder film camera with a 50mm lens.  It was a classic and reliable choice for film photography enthusiasts.  Made in the United States by Argus, known for its quality craftsmanship. It sold over 2 million units and became one of history's best-selling rangefinder cameras.  Argus Camera Company stopped making original American cameras by the late 1960s.

Argus C-3 Rangefinder

1939-1966

The Argus Musuem

Argus was founded and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan as a subsidiary of the International Radio Corporation. Located in the historic Argus building in Ann Arbor preserves the company's history prototypes and a collection of over 4,800 items.

"Kodakery" refers primarily to historical publications, an employee newsletter and an official media program created by the Eastman Kodak Company or inspired by its legacy. Inspired by Kodak's monthly magazine of the same name that appeared from 1913 to 1932, Kodakery featured photography tips, photo-essays and included a free one-year subscription with the purchase of any Kodak or Brownie camera.

Issued monthly by Eastman Kodak Company

Rochester, New York 

A complete set

Circa 1916

"Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away!"

..recorded by American singer-songwriter, Paul Simon..

Release Year 1973

 

The Mighty Mac

Mackinac Bridge

Mackinaw City, Michigan

The Mackinac Bridge is a massive suspension bridge that connects the Lower and Upper peninsulas of Michigan.  It spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting Mackinaw City  (south) and St. Ignace (north).  Its total length is 26,372 feet (about 5 miles) making it one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.  The bridge opened to traffic on November 1, 1957.  Its designer was Dr. David B. Steinman.  Its two man towers rise 552 feet above the water.  The main suspension span is 3,800 feet long.  

Before the bridge ferries ran between Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula.  The state automobile ferry service began in 1923, expanding to a large fleet that included ships like the City of Cheboygan and the Vacationland.  Earlier railroad car ferries, established around 1881 by the Mackinac Transportation Company, also transported train cars across the straits.  

The 5-mile crossing took about an hour, but wait times to board a ferry often lasted hours or even up to 24 hours during peak travel periods like holidays or deer hunting season. Trafic lines for the ferries could stretch for many miles during peak summer tourist weekends. 

Construction History

Official construction began on May 7, 1954. Workers sank massive steel caissons into the bedrock to anchor the bridge towers. Spinning the massive steel suspension cables started in the summer of 1956.  The bridge was engineered to handle extreme winter winds up to 150 miles per hour. Over 11,000 workers helped built it.  Sadly, five men lost their lives during construction. 

Over 3,500 skilled men including ironworkers, divers and laborers braved terrifying heights and brutal conditions to construct the bridge.  They did this long before modern federal safety agencies existed, risking life and limb daily.  

Walking on Clouds

Twenty-one-year-old ironworker, Joe Oldeck recalled walking 550 feet p the narrow catwalk on a foggy fall morning.  He explained that they suddenly cleared the fog halfway up, revealing a beautiful surreal view where it felt "almost as if you could walk on the clouds."

Defying the Gales

Ironworkers frequently stood on steel beans just 12 inches wide, hundreds of feet above the water, facing powerful open-water winds coming off Lake Michigan with nothing to slow them down.

The Untimate Sacrifice

Tragically, five workers lost their lives during the project. They were Albert Abbott, Jack Baker, Robert Koppen, Frank Pepper and James LeSarge. All five men were officially memorialized on a plaque in Bridge View Park.

Opening Day Ceremonies

The bridge officially opened on a cold, breezy morning fulfilling a decades-long dream.

The Strategic Speech

The realization of the bridge was championed heavily by political figures.  Critics originally called the project "Soap's Folly" claming the underwater soil couldn't hold the weight and that winter ice packs would destroy the pillars. 

An Emotional Unity

During the formal ceremony in the middle of the bridge span, Governor G. Mennen Williams declared ..

"Where nature divided us, we have bound ourselves together with this web of steel."

Vehicles lined up for miles, waiting through the night for the ferry docks to close and the bridge gates to open.

The First Official Passenger

Governor Williams paid the very first toll.  Interestingly, because the Governor had not driven a car in a long time and did not have an active driver's license, his wife Nancy took the wheel and drove their official vehicle across.

The First Paying Customer

A colorful Chicago native named Albert Carter secured the spot as the first playing member of the general public.  Carter was an eccentric traveler who specialize in  being first in line for historic events including world's fairs and major expressway openings.  He paid $3.25 to drive his green1951 Chevrolet Deluxe Station Wagon across the Mighty Mac. 

It goes without saying what the economic impact the bridge immediately had on the Upper Peninsula.

The Mighty Mac

The bridge closes on rare occasions during severe winter weather including extremely high winds, low visibility or falling ice.  According to Google, there have only been approximately 33 ice related closures.

 

Big Donut Drive-In

805 W. Manchester Blvd.

Inglewood, California 

"That's one Big Donut"

Built in 1953 as the second location in the chain, this is the most famous example featuring a 32.5-foot rooftop donut.  It operates 24 hours a day.

Novelty architecture is a style of design where buildings and structures are shaped like everyday objects, anmals or famous landmarks usually to advertise what is sold inside or to draw in roadside travelers. One example of novelty architecture is the Big Donut Drive-In.

The Big Donut Drive-In was a pioneering mid-century Southern California fast-foot chain created in the early 1950s by Russell C. Wendell featuring a 32-foot-diameter giant donut. Wendell was a doughnut machine salesman and started the chain in 1950 in the Los Angeles area.  Wendell built 10 locations there featuring the giant rooftop donut to catch the eye of passing drivers. One of his most famous surviving locations is the Inglewood shop which was later renamed Randy's Donuts

The location has appeared in tons of movies, TV shows and music videos. 

Opened in 1953.  Architect was Henry J. Goodwin.

Circa 2005

Circa 1977

Robert Eskow bought the Inglewood shop from Wendell and renamed it Randy's Donuts after his son. The colossal donut sign atop its original building near Los Angeles International Airport and the Manchester Boulevard off-ramp of the San Diego Freeway (I-405) is considered as "one of Los Angeles' most iconic landmarks.  It intersects with La Cienega Boulevard

The 1959 opening of the Van Nuys branch of Big Donut Drive-In (L to R) Russell C. Wendell, co-founder Royal Stearns, Miss Nan Nuys Jan Richards and Nels LaVally from the Van Nuys Chamber of Commerce. 

Russell C. Wendell

(1919-1992)

 

Theme Building

201 World Way

Los Angeles, California

Circa 2007

The Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport is a mid-century modern architectural icon shaped like a landed flying saucer on four sweeping arches. Designed by the firm Pereira & Luckman. Construction began in 1957 and was completed in 1961. Founded in 1950 by University of Illinois classmates William Pereira and Charles Luckman, the partnership brought togther Pereira's background in West Coast architectural design and Hollywood art direction with Luckman's executive expertise as the former president of Lever Brothers.  At its peak, the firm was one of the largest in Los Angeles, employing over 300 architects including renowned figures like Paul Williams.

The Theme Building was built as a visual anchor after an ambitious central glass dome master plan was scaled back.

It was designated the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 570 on December 18, 1993. It features a massive tuned mass damper or counterweight to reduce vibrations added in 2010 to protect the structure against seismic activity. 

The structure was dedicated on June 25, 1961 by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

It exemplifies Space Age architecture, representing postwar optimism for the Jet Age and space exploration. The crossed stucco-covered steel arches create an illusion of motion and structural lightness, serving as a symbollic gateway to Los Angeles.

It formerly hosted the elevated 360-degree view observation deck (closed in 2018) and the futuristic Encounter Restaurant (operated 1997-2013).  A $4 million renovation with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering* was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened.  An airport spokesperson said that because of its appearance and views, some people thought it revolved after visiting it, even though it did not revolve.

  The Encounter Restaurant closed for business in December 2013 with no future plans to reopen.  The reason cited was that the restaurant was in a non-secure area of the airport being located outside the airport's secured area, necessiating passengers to pass through security lines twice which was a significant deterrent.  

*Walt Disney Imagineering was founded by Walt Disney in 1952.  The connection between Walt Disney Imagineering and the Encounter Restaurant is one of the rare instances where Disney's master theme designers were hired to create an experience outside of their traditional theme parks.  In the mid-1990s, LAX underwent a massive upgrade to its food and beverage facilities.  Concessionaire CA-One Services secured the contract to revamp the restaurant space inside the iconic, flying saucer-LAX Theme Building originally built in 1961.  Looking to maximize the building's striking mid-century architecture, they hired Walt Disney Imagineering to completely reimagine the interior. Led my Senior VP of Concept Design, Eddie Sotto, WDI turned the space into a high-concept, retro-futuristic dining experience.  

Disney Imagineers treated the space as if it were a Tomorrowland attraction, spending $4 million to execute a vision Sotto described as a place where "George Jetson, James Bond and Barbarella could drink together".

The experience began at the ground level, where guests stepped into an elevator featuring custom galactic graphics and sound effects to simulate as ascent into an alien spacecraft.  The center of the restaurant featured a crater-shaped bar equipped with custom "bar guns" that emitted interactive laser lights and space-age sound effects whenever a bartender poured a drink. Renowned designer, Lisa Krohn was brought in to create pod-like chairs that appeared to float in mid-air.  The flowing, abstract linework on the carpet was intentionally designed so that no pattern repeated anywhere on the floor.  WDI lighting specialist, Michael Valentino designed an exterior and interior lighting system that bathed the Theme Building arches in shifting shades of electric blue and magenta making the entire structure look dynamic at night.

The restaurant officially opened as Encounter in January 1997.  Thanks to its Disney pedigree and striking atmosphere, it initially thrived as a hotspot for both tourists and Hollywood celebrities like John Travolta and Quentin Tarantino.  However, the restaurant faced severe operational hurdles following the September 11 attacks which restricted airport access to ticketed travelers and closed the building's popular observation deck.  Combined with subsequent structural repairs and retrofitting closures, foot traffic plummeted.   The Encounter Restaurant permanently closed its doors in December 2013, leaving the iconic WDI-designed interior urrently inaccessible to the dining public.

LAX is currently undergoing a massive $30 billion modernization overhaul ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games which includes the construction of an Automated People Mover train system.  While a LAX planning document noted that the train will bring significantly more foot traffic into the general vicinity of the Theme Building, the transit system will not connect directly to the building. 

Former Walt Disney Imagineering Senior VP, Eddie Sotto (who designed the original restaurant) has publicly noted that the configuration of the new People Mover severely lacks proper integration with the historic landmark, missing a prime opportunity to easily funnel visitors into the space.

As of 2026, the upper restaurant level is reportedly being used primarily for storage and official airport fact sheets have confirmed there is no active plan or designated timeline for its future.  The lower ground level of the Theme Building does remain active, but strictly as a USO center providing lounge and travel services to military service members and their families.  The building's famous observation deck which briefly opened on weekends after the restaurant's closure has also been entirely closed to the public since late 2018.

While aviation enthusiasts frequently discuss a desire to bring a restaurant back to the space, airport officials have found the logistics unviable in the modern era of aviation travel.  For now, the Imagineered interior remains frozen in time as an historic relic.

Encounter Restaurant

Circa 2013