Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Monday madness, What am I
A surprise architectural wonder known the world over. A historic precedent accompanied by modern design. Large quantities of examples. Once something people fought over but today being changed so that it doesn't look like itself. Asymmetrical, cultural symbol, presented as individualism but in reality was anything but. Featured at the 1939 Fair. Presented in a variety of forms but oh so obvious. What am I talking about? First review comments after noon.
Re: Monday madness, What am I
To maintain decorum, I won't give away the answer.
Misappropriated by Hitler?
Of all, not him.
His drawings are much too grand
It's the little droid *LINK*
Starring as himself in that timeless classic
Hardware Wars
I was going for the swastika...
but it was just a guess...
S
Not it but
That thought is far more interesting than my question. As it happens, I have a 7� high intricately cast seated bronze Buddha sculpture with a reversed swastika on his chest from (I'm told) the early 1800's. That design is supposed to represent a good luck symbol. I bought it for next to nothing (no one would bid) because of the symbol--even though it predated Hitler by at least 100 years. I have seen Iroquois bead work with the same symbol. Interesting thing that design.
Hint
I love Steve's answer but what I'm thinking of is architecture of a type of building. Huge examples in California, Arizona, Michigan. May you discover the answer.
I've heard it was ancient Greek in origin
which makes it 2000+ years old...
Even more info... *LINK*
History of the Swastika
Answer
The architectural wonder is the ranch style home. Taken from pioneer homes and modernized by Cliff May and others it took on a new look for the post war boom. Communities of 100 to 200 of the same $8,000 to $10,000 home were common, but huge plots, mostly in the west, but also places like Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, totaled 1500 homes. Some of the developers put up three homes a day. One story, low pitched roof, open plan, picture windows, exposed rafter beams, rambler. Homey touches like Dutch doors, board and batten siding, shake shingles, overhang roofs, and rustic brick and stone fireplaces were supposed to excite the pioneer spirit. In the 1950's people stood in line to walk through and fought to be the owner of these modern informal horizontal "grassroots" homesteads. By the 70's with land at a premium "up" became better and the once coveted ranch stood for the ticky tacky tracts that were now in disfavor. Today, the picture windows are gone, dormers and second floors added. The ranch of the 1950's is the magazine makeover of today. Oh, and yes the ranch did show as a house of tomorrow type in the 1939 fair--but in San Francisco.