In the late 1970s I spent a few Sunday mornings photographing the Chrysler building. In case you’re wondering, getting permission was involved and gaining access to the Cloud Club even more so. But when I climbed the stairs to the main dining room I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Titanic. For a few minutes I was on top of the world!
Recently, I got a call from a picture editor doing a piece on the club. She told me it was gone. In my mind’s eye the club was still there, its intrinsic value obvious, a sort of Art Deco time capsule.
Well the club is indeed gone and for reasons unknown the magazine opted not to use the photos. The result is an article bemoaning the loss of what appears to be an empty shell with some oddly shaped windows. Its a before and after piece without a “before”.
There seems to be some mystery surrounding the club’s demise and the whereabouts of its contents. But let me pose another mystery. If I told you there was an exclusive club, with Art Deco decor virtually unchanged from the 1930s, atop the Chrysler building would it strike you as plausible that nobody could find a use for it?
At Decopix we try to stay focused on documenting Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings. But every so often we find something so spectacular, we make an exception. Such was the case with the Hadley-Dean building.
At the time of the King Tut craze, Hadley-Dean was the Vitrolite distributor for the St. Louis area.
I’m sad to report that this unique relic of “Egyptomania” has been dismantled so the building can be put to other uses.
A frequent question: "How did you get permission to take that photo?" The short answer is, I asked. In places like Manhattan "asking" usually means making a formal request in writing to the building's owner. This works more often than not and in cases where it doesn't, you're probably out of luck.
The reasons for property owners' reluctance are numerous and and sometimes justified. In any event, after 9/11, I would advise against photographing government buildings unless arrangements have been made in advance. I speak from experience.
But what if you want to take a picture of an old gas station or the neighbor's moderne house? I cannot offer legal advice but my understanding is that if something can be seen from a public place, without obstruction (meaning you cannot climb a fence) you may take photos and no permission is required.
I'd like to say its always good to ask permission anyway, but based on experience you may want to take your photo first. As the saying goes "It is better to ask forgiveness, than permission".
Images & Text Copyright (c) Randy Juster