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January 17, 2015 by tomdalzell

Tools

As I was preparing this post on tools as decorative accessories, I saw on Daniella Thompson’s Facebook page a story about this sign being stolen.

Photo posted by Gene Anderson at OurOakland.net

Photo posted by Gene Anderson at OurOakland.net

It is from the former Pacific Saw Works, at 4401 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Oakland, founded in the 1930s by Alexander J. Ponchione. Today the building is home to artists’ studios.  It is a great sign.

The best tool sign in Berkeley is from Hido Japanese tools.

1333 San Pablo

1333 San Pablo

We have another,

Quirky Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif. is seen on March 21st, 2017.

1022 Murray Street

They make custom bikes.

Other decorative uses of saws:

2948 Pine

2948 Pine

2734 Milvia

2734 Milvia

Formerly Magic Gardens, Heinz Sreet

Formerly Magic Gardens, Heinz Sreet

930 Ashby

930 Ashby

59 Poppy

59 Poppy

Next up in the tool-as-decoration category is the spade or shovel.  I only have one well-taken photo in this posting, and it is of a spade and so I will start spades strong.  It is a photo by John Storey of a Mark Bulwinkle gate at the Maybeck Sack House on Twin Maybeck Drive:

1 Twin Maybeck Drive

1 Twin Maybeck Drive

Great photo!  Greater gate!  Shovel!  Or – spade!

2645 Shasta

2645 Shasta

Another Bulwinkle shovel/spade, this one in an arbor he made for gardener/lamp-maker Jana Olson.

The next spade/shovel is a relatively new piece of tool sculpture on Monterey between Colusa and Sonoma, on the north side of the street.

1056 Monterey 2

1056 Monterey

1056 Monterey 3

1056 Monterey

 

1056 Monterey

1056 Monterey

So far I have three more tool photos but I suspect that there are more.

1114 Derby

1114 Derby

1912 Glenn

1912 Glenn

2480 5th

2480 5th

1436 Curtis (terrible photo by me!)

1436 Curtis (terrible photo by me!)

Is  wheel handle of an outdoor faucet a tool?  You debate.  I am going to include it.  I was struck by the whimsy of their use as lawn art and am struck by the photos that John Storey took of them:

1722 Beverly

1722 Beverly

1722 Beverly

1722 Beverly

Or this stream control valve in Jana Olson’s ravine:

2645 Shasta

2645 Shasta

Sculpture from tools:

22 Tunnel Road (Oakridge Path)

22 Tunnel Road (Oakridge Path)

1505 Acton

1505 Acton

2430 Jefferson

2430 Jefferson

1540 Tyler

1540 Tyler

1511 Ada

1511 Ada

Julie Partos Clark is the artist responsible for the movable-feast art installations on the south side of Webster just west of College.  In the “Happy Birthday Superheroes” installation she give us some tools:

"Quirky Berkeley-03/19/2015"

A few blocks west on Webster is a yard full of ceramics created by Samsel Ceramics.  They are for another time and another place, but for here and now is this lovely little tool sculpture:

2526 Webster

2526 Webster

These next photos are – I know – a little of a cheat.  In the window of the Helly Welly Lamp Shop is this tool sculpture, fashioned by Helen Holt from hand tools from her parents’ home.

"Quirky Berkeley" "Quirky Berkeley"

And then even more cheating with these final two. They are from the home and garden of Keeyla Meadows, a garden artist.  They are cheating because neither is visible from the street and they are cheating because she lives in Albany.  A few houses into Albany.  A mid block city limit line established by Codornices Creek.  But they are good and deserve to be here – says me.

"Quirky Berkeley in Albany, Calif., is seen on May 29th, 2015."

"Quirky Berkeley 05-29-2015"

My friend wandered into my library as I was finishing the draft of this post.  I showed him the photos and asked what he thought?

As is often the case, he thought a lot.  He wondered when it was that we could no longer say “spade” in any context without sounding racist.  Answer – probably in the 1970s.  Certainly by the 1980s.

He bemoaned the lack of any giant tool signs in Berkeley.

He wondered why the iPhone photos are very good sometime and other times not so good.  (Hint – I am the problem, not the iPhone camera).

We shot the bull a little about these issues and then I pinned him down – what about these photos of tools as decorative accessories?

IMG_3677

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