Thomasson at the Kennedy Center

A "Useless Doorway" Thomasson

[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]

A colleague recently introduced me to the concept of Thomasson, and I realized I've enjoyed seeking them out for much of my life! What is a Thomasson, you may ask? From the Super Ordinary Life blog: "Thomasson are essentially useless architectural remnants left behind as our cities evolve and expand. At times these Thomasson are oddly well maintained and other times, they are left to deteriorate."

Former water fountain, previously featured in
Architectural Archaeology: Kennedy Center II

Thomasson fits into what I've been calling Architectural Archaeology. They both give a look into how things were before the present. The focus with Thomasson is on visually apparent remnants. With Architectural Archaeology, I've used it more broadly, so some of my remnants only are apparent as remnants when you consider the Center overall, old photos, and/or blueprints. Some of the things I have featured are still functioning, and aren't useless at all! Today, however, I want to focus my attention solely on Thomasson. So here are some I've found at the Center:

Useless Door

A "Useless Doorway" Thomasson

At the top of this post, I featured this picture of a doorway walled off. This used to be one of many doors into the Theater Lab from the Atrium. When the Theater Lab was reconfigured in 2012, it moved its entrance and, no longer needing the doors, built walls behind them. While they are locked most of the time, occasionally you can find them unlocked, and can pretend to make your grand entrance through these large slabs of wood. Just watch out for the wall on the other side. 

"There were bells on a hill, but I never heard them ringing"

Alarm Bell

During the winter months of the Kennedy Center closure due to COVID, I sometimes meandered around the empty parking garage via scooter. On one of my excursions, I noticed there was an alarm bell that was clearly inoperable. Its power cord cut, it hangs as a reminder to fire safety days gone by.

Close-up on the bell

Missing Sanitary System

In one men's staff bathroom I frequent, there is a little sign explaining how to operate the fancy technology the toilet seat has. Or had. The sign's still up, but the toilet seat is normal. The juxtaposition of this situation is heightened by the fact that you have to stare right at the sign for a (sometimes lengthy) time on the very toilet the sign is supposed to be describing. 

Close-up on the sign

 

"For your convenience and Protection

SANITARY TOILET SEAT

After use, the plastic cover is destroyed and can never be reused. 

Please notify Management if seat is out of plastic or malfunctioning.

PUSH RED BUTTON ONCE BEFORE USE

For a new sleeve of sanitary plastic

Bella Bagno Inc."

Bella Bagno Inc is still around, offering their Sanitary Toilet Seat System.

Here is also a 19-20 second video showcasing another brand's similar sanitary system:

Bonus: No Smoking?

So this is what I'm going to call a gray area. Is it useless? Not sure. It might still be in use! This is an ashtray in a mechanical room. More specifically, it's one of (if not THE) last ash tray in a mechanical room. 

Smoking in the United States was a lot more commonplace in the Kennedy Center's early decades. The Kennedy Center used to sell KC-branded matchboxes, ashtrays, and lighters. The opening performance program even featured a full page Marlboro ad on the back cover! It wasn't until the 1990's and 2000's that smoking became prominently stigmatized and legislated against. Smoking at the Center became permissible in only certain locations, and definitely not inside the building. Ash trays like this one were removed. But this one was not.

Ash tray with cigarettes

With cigarettes still present in the tray, it's unclear to know if it is truly out-of-use. You would have to figure out how old the cigarettes are. Not a skill I know how to do. Or want to do.

What Thomasson can you find in the built world around you? Keep your eyes peeled!

Thank you to Scott Bushnell for sending me the Thomasson article! Thank you also to Kate Roberts for showing me the old ash tray!

Architectural Archaeology: Kennedy Center II

Kennedy Center in snow, January 2019

[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]

As usual, I'm procrastinating other personal writing projects. So we're at this again with entirely new spots around the Kennedy Center! For some reason, they're all about wall features. Didn't plan it, that's just what it ended up being. Enjoy...

PAYPHONES

I alluded to this last time: Where are the payphones? They used to be everywhere. When cell phones became common in everyone's pockets, payphones were deemed superfluous. Most were either taken down or abandoned.

As a building from the 1970's, the Kennedy Center most certainly had payphones. Today, there none still on the walls.* As someone who arrived at the Center post-payphones, I have absolutely no idea where they were located. Except...

While perusing eBay, I found one unusual clue: a September 2000 Program.

September 2000 Kennedy Center Stagebill program for the Balanchine Celebration.
Caption inside: A member of the Bolshoi Ballet takes time for a phone call before a
performance of Don Quixote. Photo by Carol Pratt.

I love old Kennedy Center programs. Their cover photos range from architectural beauty shots to quirky ideas like this. This sort of situation could only happen to you at the Kennedy Center!

So where is this photo taken? There are a couple clues. The marble floor, the "Teatro Scala" poster, the Bolshoi Ballet dancer. Bolshoi Ballet usually performs in the Opera House. Most previous show posters at the KC are only displayed in backstage areas. Marble floors are usually only in public areas. 

The answer is the Opera House Stage Door Lobby. It's a liminal space, the gateway from the public Hall of Nations to the private backstage. Somehow, the Teatro Scala still seems to be in the same spot that it was in 2000!

Corner of the Opera House Stage Door lobby

Under the poster is even two covered outlet covers, exactly where payphones were located in the 2000 program cover.

The former payphone location.
Note the two outlet covers.

It's also interesting to note the lighting reflection on the Teatro Scala poster in 2000. It's circular, like the lights that still hang in the Opera House Stage Door's Inner Antechamber. Now in 2021, the lights are modern fluorescents. 

* There is one staff member who has a Kennedy Center payphone at their desk, but I don't believe it is plugged in/operating.


WATER FOUNTAIN

In a storage room by the Atrium is this odd, boxy protrusion sticking out from the wall. It is sometimes used as a shelf.

It appears to be an old water fountain, just covered up! This area used to be part of a large bathroom complex next to the Atrium. For some reason, this fountain was never removed from the wall.

Taped-over water fountain spigot

The black and gold polished rock is gorgeous. It's interesting to see how features, like water fountains, have changed over the decades, and thus change the feel of the built environment. 

GOLDEN FIRE ALARM

For some reason, the Kennedy Center has different colored fire alarms throughout the building. You have your standard red fire alarms in the Grand Foyer:

Red Fire Alarm in the Grand Foyer

When you go upstairs, the Nations and States Galleries' fire alarms are white.

White Fire Alarm in the Nations Gallery

And then in the Atrium and Atrium Foyers are fire alarms that are gold colored.

Gold Fire Alarm in an Atrium Foyer

Gold fire alarm in the Atrium

The different colors are most likely due to renovations that happened at different times. Out of the three colors, I'm really digging the gold ones. Red is standard, everyone understands they have to be there so it's permissible. But now with other colors available... my response to red fire alarms is Ryan Gosling saying "Be better than the Gap" from Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011). Let's bring our fire alarm game up a notch! White is nicely camouflaged on top of the marble, but won't work as well with wood paneling or beige walls. Gold, though, is part of the color scheme throughout the building. They blend in very nicely. Just the right detail. Still stands out, but fits in to the surroundings.

WALL CARPET NO MORE

I regret to announce my favorite administrative hallway stretch will no longer feature wall carpet. After decades of service (I'm willing to bet almost 50 years), they pulled the carpet down last week. It wasn't anything special, just a thick beige wall carpet, but its anachronistic dated style made me happy.

Some before pictures from a month or so ago:

(It was hard for me to photograph)

Wall Carpet detail on right. 

And then here is the hallway right after they tore it down:

Wall detail, interesting pattern created
from ripping carpet off the wall

Wall carpet rolled up, waiting to head for the dumpster
The edge had a metal frame around it

They've done more work on the hallway since these pictures, it won't be left in that state. It'll just be a normal stretch of hallway, just like all the rest. RIP Wall Carpet. (It's gonna be really funny if wall carpets become a popular interior design trend soon) (Probably not, both to wall carpets becoming popular again real soon, or it being really funny)

PRODUCTION AUTOGRAPH

Ending this on a high note. Many of the touring shows that come through tag somewhere in the backstage. Some are on the ground, some are in tech booths. They can just be their logo, or they can get elaborate, adding dates, a list of stagehands who were on those tours, etc.

This tagged alcove is one of my favorites, just a fun mix of shows. And looks like there's already a new black wall available for when they fill up every inch of the current section!