Memory boxes
Heritage consultant Ann McEwan puts her life on the line for you, the reader.
Many years ago, when I was much younger but no taller, I wrote a column for the Christchurch Press called ‘‘Above the Veranda’’. I would take it in turns to write a feature article every couple of weeks with two friends and fellow architectural historians, both of whom I am currently working alongside at the Christchurch City Council. The premise of the series was that heritage buildings in the city centre are often easy to ignore at street level, but once you cast your eyes above the veranda, there’s many a historic fac¸ade with a story to tell.
In this digital age, there’s no need to leave my office in the Waikato to work for a council down south and as I spend my days writing about Christchurch buildings, I am reminded that our region also has its share of above-the-veranda heritage moments. I snapped a photo of one such building in Victoria Street on my way to a social function the other night (yes, I was that person standing in traffic – thank you for not running me over).
Snapshot Cameras has also had to adapt to the digital age, but as it is still in the business of retailing, I dare say that the c.1910 brick building it shares with a Chinese restaurant can cope with what goes on inside. Above the veranda, a thoughtful paint job has recently made the most of the parapet that partially screens a pop-up roof on the northern half of this two-part structure.
Fluted piers frame the parapet atop the veranda and divide it into two sections, one for each shop. Each pier is finished with a sunburst motif that makes one think of Art Deco, but which can also be found in the Art Nouveau style of the turn of the 20th century.
If you compare the photograph I took the other night with the street view offered on Google Maps, it is immediately obvious what a difference a lick of paint can make. Google does have the advantage, though, of showing Victoria Street over two years ago, when the median trees were much smaller and only just coming into leaf the day the Google car drove down Victoria Street.
Looking above the veranda is one of the pleasures of urban life, but when the council decides to grow trees along the main street of your town or city, it is hard to appreciate the architectural treats that century-old buildings have to offer. But take it from me, if you stand on the roadway, you can still have an unimpeded view of the fac¸ade of Snapshot Cameras. Just keep an eye out for the cars! Postscript: Kudos to Hamilton City Council for taking note of last week’s article and coming up with a user-friendly URL to help us all access publicly notified resource consent applications. This address will take you to the same spot as last week’s unwieldy address: http:/ /www.hamilton.govt.nz/pna.