Visit Through Our Parents' Eyes Native American Community
A new website was recently added to the Through Our Parents' Eyes Architecture section: "The Blenman House: 1878 Victorian Territorial Architecture"
The Blenman House was constructed in 1878 by Charles Rivers Drake. It is thought to be the only example of San Francisco-style Victorian architecture built in Territorial-style adobe mud. While Drake used 20 inch thick adobe bricks for the home's exterior, it is the interior's wood detailing and leaded-glass skylights that distinguish it from any other homes in Tucson. Drake lived in the home until the late 1890s when he sold the home to Charles Blenman and relocated to Southern California.
Within this website we feature some spectacular QuickTime Virtual Realitiy (QTVR) panoramas of the lobby and six rooms that today carry the names of Charles Blenman's children. The QTVR panoramas were masterfully created by Gary Mackender of the UA's VR Annex.
In addition, one of the Blenman House's current owners, Jeff DiGregorio recorded a digital story about this historic building's early history. Jeff has researched the house, included it's original designer/owner Charles Rivers Drake. The digital story "The Blenman House: A Victorian Adobe Mansion in Tucson, Arizona" can be downloaded and viewed in QuickTime and iTunes.
The Missions Initiative has a new website that is published in both English and Spanish. You may like watching many of the videos from the November 2008 TICRAT AZ | SON, International Workshop on the Conservation and Restoration of Earthen Architecture Arizona|Sonora. Specialists in the areas of traditional earthen building skills, preservation and conservation from the United States and Mexico presented sessions on adobe and adobe coatings, documentation, conservation, restoration and preservation. The videos are streaming so you won't need to download them (large file sizes) but you will need a highspeed Internet connection and fairly recent computer to display the video without it breaking up on the screen.
Missions Initiative Goals
Conceived at the start of the 21st century, the Missions Initiative guides the development of an international, multidisciplinary partnership for cultural resource management. The Missions Initiative involves hundreds of Spanish Colonial Mission sites in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Representatives from the United States National Park Service (NPS) and the Mexico Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) are collaborating to protect cultural resources and promote heritage tourism through the re-establishment of historic links among Spanish Colonial missions. The initiative has already begun to foster cooperation among independent research organizations, academic institutions, non-profit agencies, ecclesiastic authorities, and partners in federal, state, and local governments.
The Royal Elizabeth B & B may be the only example of Adobe Victorian architecture in existence. It is an amazing experience to walk in the lobby and see the splendid wood work.
Gary Mackender, our QTVR wizard, was at the Royal Elizabeth B & B on S. Scott Street earlier this week and shares his first spliced image. Gary will be making 360 degree click and drag panoramas of the lobby and all six rooms. These QTVRs will complement the digital stories that Jeff DiGregorio is working on. Gary's image is pretty abstract looking at this point but will become a spectacular panorama.
This is one I shot with my iPhone.
Just uploaded a link to streaming QT video of Vandessa Bechtol's talk at PCC's Jaunary 22, 2009, event "National Heritage Areas: Celebrating Heritage and Empowering Communities."
Vanessa Bechtol is the Programs Manager for the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance. The Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, represented by a broad range of private and public supporters, is seeking federal designation of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area. Her talk described Southern Arizona regional heritage education projects and what they mean to our local communities.
As I've written before, the Military Nose Art website attracts a lot of visitors and of all our websites, receives the most contributions. A couple years ago a Cpl in the Australian air force sent images of nose art photos that his father had shot in New Guinea during WW II. Aussie troops supported U.S. Army Air Corps bombers and those planes often featured nose art.
This past month the son of career Marine sent images from his late father's collections. Frank Cline enlisted in the Marines in 1942 and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel before retiring. His service began in the Philippine Islands as a radio man and with the 22nd Bomb Group was stationed at Anquar, one of the Palau Islands. His collection includes excellent examples of WW II nose art, and photos of the Philippines, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
I hope to have it available to the public soon. Lt. Colonel Cline's son has been researching the aircraft featuring nose art. In the meantime, here are a few images from this collection.
Maiden Montana
F4F Wildcats Guadalcanal
Frank Cline: "Taken at Yonpo beside the barracks we stayed in.
Taken the day we evacuated the strip. North Korea, early 1951"
I'm sure you are familiar with Bonnie Henry's column in the Arizona Daily Star. On Monday the 30th she wrote "Book tells enticing story of wealthy husband-killer." This is about Patricia Stephenson's new book, Trial and Triumph, The Life and Accomplishments of Louise Foucar Marshall. The Star provides articles for free up to a week after they've been published so you have until the 5th to follow the above link to read it.
Pima Community College Community Education Lecture Series' next event is Fresh Ink: Student Stories from Sunnyside and Desert View High Schools. The event will be held on Wednesday March 25, 2009 at 6:30pm at Sunnyside High School Auditorium, 1725 East Bilby Road, Tucson Arizona. The event is free and open to the public.
Fresh Ink is an after-school project devoted to developing the newest, "freshest" voices of Sunnyside and Desert View High Schools through the stories of its ninth-grade students. Join us for a multi-media presentation of student works and a celebration of these two high schools.
The participating students are part of a six-year college readiness program called GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs). Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Tucson GEAR UP Project is a collaboration among the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Tucson Unified School District and Sunnyside Unified School District and numerous community and business partners. As part of The UA Office of Early Academic Outreach, the mission of The Tucson GEAR UP Project is to prepare ethnic minority, low-income, and first-generation students to enter and succeed in post secondary education.
Tallia Cahoon grew up in Ruby, Arizona, during the mining town's heyday. Tallia has been leading tours of Ruby for Pima Community College as part of its Day Tours program. Several years ago, PCC produced a 12 minute video and we have everyone's permission to digitize it for Through Our Parents' Eyes.
Join Tallia Cahoon on a tour of the ghost town of Ruby, Arizona. She shares tales and history of the mine, the school house, the jail and more. Presented in partnership with Pima Community College's Community Education Series. The video is available as QuickTime streaming video.
PCC has announced its next Discovering Southern Arizona Community Education Lecture Series. It is Flavors of Southern Arizona: A PCC Study Tour Sampler
- Tales from Ruby, Arizona - Tallia Cahoon, PCC Study Tour Leader
- The Tales of Geronimo - Jack Lasseter, PCC Study Tour Leader
- If Only the Walls Could Talk - Jeff DiGregorio, Royal Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast
- Exploring Arizona Backroads and Trails - John Dell, PCC Study Tour Leader
The lecture will be held at PCC's Community Campus, 401 N. Bonita Ave., on March 5, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. Like all of these events, it is free. download the Flavors of Southern Arizona Postcard.pdf announcement [PDF]
PCC's Community Campus, 401 N. Bonita Ave
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