Mr. Tiny Goes to Washington

I had every intention of publishing a patriotic post for the 4th of July, but in preparing for the big day I was all consumed by shopping, cooking, and cleaning.  In the battle for independence, America was the victor.  In the battle for holiday precedence, hot dogs won the day.

It would have been entirely apropos for me to post this in a timely manner; after all, what better way to celebrate the independence of the United States of America than by visiting its capitol, Washington, D.C.?  As much as I wish Jean Arthur was there, I'm glad that I was able to visit as a tourist rather than a pawn in the corrupt machinations of corpo-political graft a la Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  Nevertheless, I did feel a bit of Frank Capra's dichotomous reverence and revulsion for the workings of our political system as I wandered the busy streets of my nation's capitol (for the very first time) looking for the wacky tacky.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Trailer

I know that there is much more to be seen than we were able to accomplish in just two days but we really got a solid primer of Washington, D.C. thanks to some last minute planning and a good friend.

MT. VERNON

The first stop on our whirlwind tour was actually outside of the city at the home of none other than George Washington, Mt. Vernon.  Nestled along the banks of the Potomac River, this country estate really did offer a view into the life of our first president and into early America.  Sadly, visitors are not allowed to take photos of the home's fascinating interior but images can be viewed here.

Mt. Vernon's Neoclassical facade was actually achieved through a technique called "rustication" (chiseling, painting, and applying pulverized sandstone to standard wooden siding to give the appearance of stone blocks)....seems like a lot of work.

A view from George & Martha's back porch

Mr. Tiny makes like Mr. President

Mt. Vernon Travel Tip:  The docents don't like when tour guests make reference to George Washington's flatulence when viewing his private bed chamber.  Nor do they like it when tour guests say, "Bye-bye, have fun at the glue factory," to a small herd of goats that have just been loaded up into a cart.

It goes without saying that the history and grandeur of Mt. Vernon were
built on the backs of slave laborers.  We saw where George Washington was
originally entombed and his current resting place; the most hallowed ground,
 however, was the plot of land filled with the unmarked graves of Mt. Vernon
 slaves.  As we stood there thinking about the troubling realities of American
 history, this turtle emerged from the graveyard - spooky and thrilling!!!

Since we were in the area, we also saw another historic home with presidential
provenance.  This is the house in which my mother spent her high school days.
The car port on the left was built by my grandfather using lumber reclaimed
from the platforms used at LBJ's inauguration.

THE WHITE HOUSE

It was kind of a progressive, presidential real estate tour.

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

When I asked for recommendations on what to do in D.C., overwhelmingly the response was "The Smithsonian."  The Smithsonian Institution is comprised of many museums, galleries, and research centers so one could ostensibly spend many days in the exclusive pursuit of seeing each and every one of those facilities; we couldn't afford that luxury.  We did happen to be in town on the best possible day as the three museums (American History, Natural History, Portrait Gallery) that I had to visit were open late.  Gladly, we made it to all three.

  

A portrait of famous abolitionist, John Brown.
This looks a little too close to some of my
 immediate family members for comfort!

Beyond Kermit and Julia Child's kitchen, I had no idea what I'd be seeing at the
American History Museum.  Other visitors had no idea that the squeal I let out upon
seeing the fritillaries cape from Now Voyager from across the room was emanating
 from a grown man.  What can I say?  I love Hollywood history...and Frito's!!!

Some people want to meet the man who put the "Bop" in the
"Bop-shoo-bop."  I want to meet whomever signed off on this
stunning interpretation of wildlife - spread-eagle, giraffe taxidermy!

Mr. Tiny as ancient man...and wife.

THE CAPITOL BUILDING

One of our oldest family friends works as a political advisor for a senator and she arranged a private tour of the Capitol Building for our ragtag bunch.

The Capitol Dome

The Capitol Building is beautiful and full of history but the most awesome part of our visit
 was the opportunity to ride in the underground subway/trolley reserved for senators
 (pages, interns, advisors, etc.) to get to and from their offices and Capitol Hill.

Corny cornice???
Technically, it is the "capital" but cornice sounds better, doesn't it?

"Dome" seems to be the operative word; they're everywhere!

Inside the Capitol Dome
It is interesting to recognize the inherent religious symbolism and the effort to deify George Washington.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

My favorite part of the trip to Washington, D.C. and the moment I felt closest to Jimmy Stewart's character was visiting Abraham Lincoln.  Maybe I was getting overly dramatic but it became clear that this memorial was a place of redemption, a reminder that even great wrongs can be made right.  It was a place to acknowledge that every life has meaning. 

Mr. Lincoln & Mr. Tiny
I'm not too proud to say that I got a little (if altogether unexpectedly) weepy upon
meeting Mr. Lincoln.  I'm sure it is some combination of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln"
being one of my favorite attractions at Disneyland, the fact that Lincoln is one of America's most
venerated presidents, and my admiration for a man who used his life with real and significant
purpose.

It wasn't all solemnity though.
This blurry photograph is to show the Lincoln Memorial's incredible, if unintentional, marble slide.
Did I have to shove a few kids out of the way to get a turn?  Yes.
After seeing me slide down at lightning speed only to fall off the end
and land on my butt, did a mother run over to see if I was okay?  Yes.
Did I walk a little funny for the rest of my trip?  Uh-huh.
Was I going to let an opportunity to desecrate the monument pass me by?  No way.
Would I do it again?  You betcha.  FUN!!! 

I loved this place!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Filibuster Scene

We saw so much in the short time we had in Washington that we left feeling nearly as exhausted as Jefferson Smith in the waning moments of his filibuster.  Yet we'd still love the chance to return with more time and a better idea of the cool neighborhoods and surrounding areas.

When someone offers you the opportunity to sit in the lap of a genius, you'd be awful dumb to pass it up!!!

Have you ever been to Washington, D.C.?  What was your favorite part?  What did we miss?  I hope you had an awesome 4th of July whether you are a U.S. citizen or not!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

It's AUTOMAT-ic

Whatever happened to the automat?  A major advance in the movement towards convenient, casual, and cost-conscious dining, the automat was the unprecedented, and brilliant, invention of Horn & Hardart.  Yes, before McDonald's, before KFC, before Taco Bell, the biggest names in "fast food" were Joseph Horn & Frank Hardart.

Proprietors of dinettes in the late 1800's, Horn & Hardart developed a novel style of food service that had never been seen before.  In 1902, the first Horn & Hardart Automat opened its doors to the hungry residents of Philadelphia, PA.

(Source)

Reduced to its essence, the automat was a living vending machine - a wall of louvered doors behind which sat perfectly portioned roast beef, mixed vegetables, fruit salad, or bread pudding to be had for mere nickels.  On the other side of the wall was a fully-functioning kitchen and a staff of food service specialists placing and replacing food in every window.  I don't know about you, but the novelty of a coin-operated food dispenser would not have been lost on Mr. Tiny; I would have been the first in line!

Can you follow directions?

(Source)

Patrons of an automat would make a brief stop at the cashier to exchange their folding money for coins; with a handful of nickels, an empty stomach, and a dream, the possibilities would have seemed endless!

Wrong or right, I most closely associate automats with the 1930's, because warm, hearty food bought for mere change seems like a practical option during a time when many city dwellers, reduced in means by "The Crash," would have found even a nickel a pretty dear price to pay for a meal.  

By the the early 1940's, Horn & Hardart
 operated over 150 automats.
(Source)

Basically everything I know was learned by watching classic movies.  Does that leave me with a sub-public school level, Hollywood-revisionist's understanding of history?  I guess so.  Does that leave me constantly shouting, "Chuck Heston" when the correct answer to the Sunday School question is "Moses?"  Yea, it doth.  Does that leave me breaking into musical numbers every time it rains in California?  Sue me.  

My favorite classic movies that feature the function and unique atmosphere of American automats are Easy Living and That Touch of Mink.   Could you hope for two better heroines - Jean Arthur and Doris Day - I ask you?!!!  If you've never seen one or both of these movies, do yourself a huge favor and rectify the situation.

Easy Living (1937)

with Jean Arthur and Ray Milland

That Touch of Mink (1962) 

with Doris Day, Cary Grant, Audrey Meadows, and Gig Young

A fixture of America's largest cities in the first half of the 20th Century, automats began a steady decline in the 1960's, owing to post-war suburban sprawl, increased mobility of the average citizen, and the rise of America's most infamous and long-lasting culinary tradition - fast food.  I guess the shenanigans shown in both films (a pessimistic, albeit realistic, portrayal of an automat's deficiencies) probably did nothing to aid in perpetuating this particular dining innovation.

In my mind, the automat should still be a viable source for feeding hungry folks of the 21st Century.  It goes without saying that modern food could not be had for pocket change, but card swipers would be a practical alternative.  Although as I said, my mind is addled by the unholy amount of cinema I have viewed and the facts show that my theory is baseless and totally without merit.

The end of an era
(Source)

Horn & Hardart tried unsuccessfully to revive the medium in the 1980's.  As recently as 2006, a short-lived revival was underway in New York City, subsequently hammering the last nail into the automat coffin.

Bamn Automat, NYC (2006-2009)
(Source)

The inherent problem with Dutch import, Bamn Automat, was that it strayed from the original Horn & Hardart formula with menu offerings that were subpar versions of food that could be had at any number of familiar, adjacent fast food restaurants.  The beauty of Bamn's forebears was that the menu consisted of hearty, homestyle cooking.  Moreover, the originals had gleaming dining rooms with clean tables attended by uniformed employees.  The differences are glaringly obvious, making this just another edition of "Why can't things be like they used to be?"

Fortunately, in our neck of the woods we have a Great Depression survivor/holdover in the form of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria (see our "Chow Time" post here).  It is currently under renovation in the hands of new ownership, but we are promised a revived and restored Clifton's to be opened this year; if we can't have an automat, we'll happily survive on cafeteria fare.  Where else can you get a bowl of shimmering, shimmying, confetti Jell-O? 

"Automatic" - The Pointer Sisters

Because "The Neutron Dance wouldn't make any sense.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny