Back in the summer of 2019, along with two photo friends, I climbed up the steep, rickety, wooden stairs inside the clock tower in town hall. We made it to an outside landing to about where the red arrows point.
There was a rooftop platform of sorts up there: unfenced and not completely horizontal. We had made that arduous ascension to take a photo similar to this ↓ one. We weren't there in winter but the viewpoint would be similar.
It was the town's 200th anniversary, and we three amigos were charged with taking photos comparing historical pictures to the present.
However, I experience a bit of vertigo. In addition to that, my somewhat lame foot causes me to feel a bit unbalanced. So I exited the rooftop tout de suite.
My two steeplejack friends stayed up there. Later, I composited one of their photos with the original for the town's memorial calendar.
So, why am I posting this four years later?
Well, it is because one of you recently asked how they change the flag way up there above the steeple.
I had never thought about it.
But then I did think about it.
If you squint on the right image of the first photo of this post, you can see a rope (or something) that comes all of the way down from the flag to the rooftop landing that I briefly accessed that day.
And that must be how someone would raise or lower the flag.
I just hope the rope is made to last for a very long time because swapping that out would not be for the faint of heart.
That certainly wasn't my favourite photo from the calendar. I like the following ones better.
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| Looking downriver |
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| Bridge Street (ie Main Street) From the Queen's hotel |
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| Looking upriver from the trail bridge toward town hall |
Just thinking about it is enough! Nowadays I expect a drone would take the pictures?
ReplyDeleteWhat great composites, AC, and I too would have not been able to do that climb as heights and myself are not compatible. As you know from my blog posts, I M always fascinated by then and now images, so these changes were so interesting, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLove then/now photo comparisons. These are great!
ReplyDeleteAmazing changes to the same landscape. I enjoyed your descriptions.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you for answering that question! I am once again able to sleep at night.
ReplyDeleteBlog reading raised up questions in me that I never knew I had.
Despite your vertigo, you at least had the experience of a lifetime. I walked up the Statue of Liberty when I was 29 and had no trouble. I could not do it now at age 77.
ReplyDeleteLove these photos. You are braver than I.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comparison photos of how time has changed your town.
ReplyDeleteI own a handful of books that are essentially modern photographs comparing to historical ones. I find them fascinating, especially when they get the perspective exactly right.
ReplyDeleteHow much greener the town is!
ReplyDeleteI love these. It is fun to try to spot the changes. There seem to be alot more trees in the modern ones which is interesting.
ReplyDeleteThose are wonderful photos; you live in a beautiful place. I get vertigo too.
ReplyDeleteI'm dizzy just reading this. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteReally like the then & now comparisons.
ReplyDelete@Ed: Equipment and lenses are so different now that maintaining perspective is not easy. This bothered me back then, but it was what it was. Even now, I look at the the old and now, especially from the roof scene, and wish we could have done better.
ReplyDeleteI do not like heights. When we were in Paris, Art decided to have us climb up the Arc de Triomphe. When we got to the top, I had to put my head between my knees because I got so lightheaded I thought I would faint. We now take elevators when there's one available.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are absolutely awesome, John. It's really interesting to see the long ago photos compared to the present day shots together.
I never thought about how flags are changed on spires like that. My word, what a scary job. Great photos, AC!
ReplyDeleteThere are some very crazy things they let people go out on. I've often wondered how they built the church steeples in the "olden " days.
ReplyDeleteI remember Rick Mercer doing a bit where he was at the very top of the Peace Tower.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool. Well done.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter changed the flag on the Peace Tower one year during a co-op placement.
That's a fun calendar and assignment to be given but I think I would have passed on the climb. I get a little vertigo looking at a movie that is looking straight down!
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