Posted by Ron (Saint Louis, United States) on 8 March 2008 in Architecture and Portfolio.
Built in a French Romanesque style, rusticated limestone, buff brick and terra cotta color its façades. A griffin carved in limestone and vine like scrolls on the base carry the themes of the structure into its details. Inside, iron steps spiral around the standpipe. On the top of the tower, under a bell-shaped roof of terra cotta tiles, is an observation deck offering a 360-degree view of St. Louis.
The Compton Hill Tower was declared a city landmark in 1966, added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972. A $19 million renovation was completed in 1999.
I have no idea of the significance of the 18.
Great perspective, clarity and composition Ron. Truly a wonderful capture.
8 Mar 2008 12:32am
That tower is cool. Nice shot. Just wondering, if one were to go to the right of the 18 near the next corner if there would be a 98. I know I have seen some things that split up the first two digits of the year and the last two digits of the year. It appears that it was built in 1898.
8 Mar 2008 1:00am
lovely photo..simply awesome..and I checked.. you are right, Bonj..it was built in 1898.. very smart of you!! :)
8 Mar 2008 2:16am
A beautiful POV and I really like the stone carvings. A dramatic image.
8 Mar 2008 2:53am
I like the way the dragon like sculpture reaches upwards, as if following the tower towards the sky.
8 Mar 2008 8:12am
I like how you've composed this, with different heights and textures, which makes it visually interesting.
8 Mar 2008 9:13am
What a superb structure, and the angle you chose is just genial, wow Ron!
8 Mar 2008 10:15am
Gosh! This is good! Well done , great angle and colors!
8 Mar 2008 11:14am
Very nice. I like all the details and the sky makes a great backdrop.
8 Mar 2008 2:44pm
Specially like the gargoyle, great framing
8 Mar 2008 4:27pm
Such an imposing place; great POV to shoot it.
8 Mar 2008 10:15pm
Angle is perfect, colours, composition and textures make this an outstanding shot. Well done.
9 Mar 2008 3:05pm
I love this, Ron! I have nothing new to add that hasn't already been mentioned. Beautiful job!
10 Mar 2008 10:51am
great shot! excellent composition, perspective, detail.
10 Mar 2008 5:30pm
Excellent pov, Ron!! Fantastic shot!!
10 Mar 2008 9:35pm
They sure don't build them like this anymore. Bonj may be right, but the number "18" also has significance in several different religions. In the Judeo/Christian tradition it is supposed to symbolize "life" --which seems pretty compatible with a water tower. But as there is none that "lives" and "sinneth not," it is said also to represent sin and death intertwined with life. What may be even more appropriate in this context is the symbolism from the Hebrew words that combine numerically to make the term "The Fountain of Life" which = 414, which = 18 (life) x 23 (live).
16 Mar 2008 9:52am
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Canon EOS 40D1/400 secondF/4.0ISO 12517 mm
watertower
TEXERE: fabric of life
#gallery 1bd26ac8bd995ee97c0fad2df745562e
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TEXERE: fabric of life