I was browsing through my copy of Atlanta: Triumph of a People, a hefty illustrated history of the city by Norman Shavin and Bruce Galphin, when I came across this drawing of “an artist’s 1910 conception of how Peachtree Street would appear a century later” – as in 2010. This futurist was still not quite forward-thinking enough to imagine Portman’s “honky tubes.”
Well, now I feel disappointed.
Here’s what Peachtree Street looked like around the time of the above rendering.
Looking north at Peachtree from Auburn Ave, 1908, from the Atlanta History Center
Previously: We got scooped
Tags: peachtree street
I have no love for the honkey tubes, but I think I prefer having them hover overhead rather than these screaming eagle-topped, phallic columns (they do kinda resemble the screaming eagle statue in front of the Fed building on Peachtree in Midtown).
That 1908 photo is awesome. I love that view of the Flatiron building. I read it used to be painted purple and I’d love to see that.
Remarkable! The High Museum should sell reprints.
Another view:
http://bit.ly/dkfkMo
Ooh, cool photo Chris. Love the way pedestrians, trolley and autos are sharing the street so well! Complete streets — the once and future king.
what i find most interesting about the real photo is: the caption implies thateither auburn av. used to meet peachtree further south before woodruff park was added, or it should say “toward auburn” rather than “from.”
or else i’m really turned around.
first time here due to your CL shout-out. yep.
Re: @Chris’ photo
Really nice. I just wish we had had enough sense to keep the cable cars. Look at how clean Atlanta used to be!
Can you tell me where that drawing came from? who owns it or where I can find a copy?