This weekend brought news of the nearly-final demise of Robert Wyland’s “Whaling Wall” on the parking deck that overlooks the old World of Coke/Underground Atlanta plaza. The sea mammal mural is peeling, poorly executed (visible spray paint strokes everywhere), and totally inappropriate for its surroundings – you miiiight think it had something to do with the Georgia Aquarium except that it was completed 12 years before the aquarium and about a mile away from it.
It would be great if the parking deck’s possible new mural celebrated to Atlanta’s railroad roots, specifically as they relate to that exact location in the city, but the surface will be used for GSU promotion. I appreciate the existing whale painting in a “just another weird thing about Downtown Atlanta” way but it has nothing to do with that part of Downtown and distracts from the real beauty adjacent to the wall – the 1869 Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. The parking deck covered in this mural is also home to the zero milepost that put Atlanta on the map, almost literally.
Which brings me to my next point – the date is set for the next Unseen Underground tour, planned for Saturday, October 16. Cited as the “best intro to Atlanta history” by Creative Loafing (although they read it here first!), this is an excursion you really don’t want to miss, especially as your friendly and knowledgeable tour guide Jeff Clark only leads these a few times a year. The tour takes about 2-1/2 hours and covers a lot of area.
Contact me if you want Jeff’s email with full details so you can RSVP or ask him to include you in news of future tours. UPDATE: The tour is now full, but Jeff is planning another one this fall to try to keep up with demand!
Previously: Unseen Underground
Tags: downtown, underground atlanta, unseen underground, whaling wall
This is too pretty a piece of Atlanta history to be shadowed by a parking deck. Gack. I hunted this building down a couple of years ago after reading about it in a book on Atlanta history and was pretty disappointed to see that it’s in such an unglorified spot.
But if you really want a slap in the face, try seeking out the zero-point marker for the center of Atlanta. It’s well hidden and fairly inaccessible.
Please send me Jeff’s email with full details so you can RSVP or ask him to include you in news of future tours. terry@surf303.com
i would like jeff’s email for the tour!
i love that whale mural!
I’d like to know more about the tour
Just wanted to say ‘thanks’ for publicizing this Unseen tour here. I took it today and really enjoyed it. Hard to believe that so much of Atlanta’s history is underground and/or paved over by parking lots.