Author Archive
February 17, 2018 by tomdalzell
Murals – First Quarter 2018
This mural showed up recently on the northeast corner of 10th and University – a nice greeting as you come into town. It was called to my attention by a Quirky Berkeleyian with a great eye. It evokes the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. It was erected by Western Neon in 1959. It is […]
February 10, 2018 by tomdalzell
Susan Brooks: Mirth and Desire, Stances and Glances – Work that’s Quirk and for sale
This is the work of Susan Brooks. Helen Holt, who is Quirky Berkeley Royalty and whose Helly Welly Lamp Shop is a must-go-zone, told me last summer that I had to meet Susan. I finally did. Boy am I glad I did. I tell you – you must meet her and see her quirk. Brooks grew up […]
February 3, 2018 by tomdalzell
The Inspired Madness of the Plaster Palace
That’s quite a bedroom, no? There is a skylight above the columns of the rotunda. I am not convinced that “rotunda” is the correct word here. The room is not circular, which seems to be a key component of a true rotunda. I am open to suggestions on the correct terminology. I have heard this […]
January 28, 2018 by tomdalzell
Berkeley Typewriter – An Outstanding Upstanding Longstanding Business
When the Quirky Berkeley fellow traveler OH first suggested that I occasionally visit Berkeley businesses that have been around for at least 50 years, I thought it was a good idea. My opinion has changed. You guessed it! I now think it was a GREAT idea and a powerful reminder to trust your crazy ideas. And […]
January 20, 2018 by tomdalzell
Random Acts of History – The 1980s
I have published several posts about Ken Stein (front row, second from the left in the photo above), first about his collection of Berkeley-themed souvenir spoons and then about his collection of Berkeley buttons. Stein has been part of Berkeley’s DNA for almost five decades. He is a rare combination of righteous hell-raising political activist, writer/journalist, collector, and […]
January 13, 2018 by tomdalzell
2819 Prince Street – Second-Time-Around Quirk
We remember the myth, right? A phoenix finds new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. The lead photo above is a Quirky Berkeley Phoenix, 2819 Prince Street. And these two photos are the ashes, from a 2013 post about a quirky small world at 2828 Russell. The children of 2828 Russell were the driving force behind the […]
January 6, 2018 by tomdalzell
Beds
In what seems like a march up to a major series on quirky home interior design, I have previously posted on: Doors Garage doors Out buildings Gardens and living roofs Bathrooms Today, for the first new post of 2018, I present a collection of quirky beds. Yes, I have seen quirky beds. They are by […]
January 1, 2018 by tomdalzell
The Best of 2017
Quirky Berkeley evolved in 2017. While most the majority of many of my posts remained rule-conforming examinations of quirky material culture visible from the street, sidewalk, or path, I took liberties with the parameters that I established in the beginning. My favorite post of the year was about the Village, at 2556 Telegraph. In 1971, Larry […]
December 30, 2017 by tomdalzell
End of the Year Wish: A Safety Pin
Valeriya Safronova wrote this about the short-lived safety-pin-as-political-statement in the New York Times on November 16, 2016: The latest political fashion statement? The safety pin, an object that’s been adopted in the past by statement-making celebrities (remember Elizabeth Hurley’s Versace dress?) and the punk movement. After the election of Donald J. Trump, fears are growing that segments of […]
December 25, 2017 by tomdalzell