Thursday Doors – ISU Part-I

Family, Photography, Thursday Doors 68 comments
Chemistry Building
Chemistry Building

I spent a really long weekend in Ames, Iowa, visiting family. We aren’t from Iowa, but my brother and mother now live there. My brother graduated from Iowa State University (ISU) and never left. A few years ago, when my mother needed to be closer to family, we moved her from Pittsburgh to Iowa. So, it’s pretty easy to visit both of them, as well as my niece and her husband, with one flight.

My brother is a good sport, doesn’t mind driving, and is familiar with the phenomenon that is Thursday Doors.

Thursday Doors, if you’re not familiar, is a weekly tribute to doors around the world, organized and supported by Norm Frampton. How does it work? I’m glad you asked. Take your one flight over to Norm’s place. Oooh and Aaaaah over his doors – they’re always awesome. Then, look for the blue button with the frog on it. That’s right, blue button, frog. Press that button and you will be invited to add your door to the collection. If you don’t have a door photo, you can substitute a painting, a poem, a description or just about anything that seems like a door. If you don’t have any of those things, you can still see all the other doors.

I couldn't resisit
I couldn’t resist

As for me, I have photos of doors. I have photos of a lot of doors. What I don’t have is a lot of time to prepare this post. So, I’m going to share some doors today, including the ones behind that photoshopped sign – that’s right, the sign is a hoax – sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

Those doors are on the home of the President of ISU. Pretty nice digs, nice doors and, at least he didn’t release the hounds while I was taking pictures. Actually, my brother told me that, back in the 70s, he was part of a crowd outside this residence, protesting a tuition increase. For you younger folks, I shouldn’t tell you that the tuition increase was probably something like increasing from $600 to $650 a semester.

Another group of doors in the gallery are from State Gym. This building opened in 1913 and was built at the staggering cost of $150,000. It was supposed to be an armory and field house. 1913, is too early for what strikes me as an Art Deco feel. Let me know if you see that, maybe there was a precursor movement we don’t know about.

Across the street from State Gym is the new gym. It was built in the 60s and it looks like it. I’m including it to illustrate why I love buildings that were build when form and function were important.

I also included doors from the Chemistry Building. My undergraduate degree is in chemistry, so I liked seeing this building.

I’ve tried to describe the doors as best I can in the captions. I hope you enjoy today’s doors.

The University President lives here
Door to the president’s residence. No protestors please.
The real sign is not so friendly.
This is a storage building near the fire training area
This house is at a fire training center. They periodically set it on fire for training.
One of the side entrances to the State Gym
This is the main entrance to the State Gym. Looks like you’d get some exercise just getting in the door.
This is the new gym. There are people riding bikes and walking on treadmills in the part the spans the highway.
The Chemistry building
Chemistry building doors
Pi Kappi Phi – my brother’s fraternity.
Pi Kappa Phi
This is the entrance that gives me an art deco impression
Walking up to that, then up those stairs, I think you’d be ready to workout.
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this random door.
I wanted to knock and ask the people if they would mind moving their car.

68 comments

    1. Thanks Judy. That storage building is one of my favorite doors. I should have made my brother stop but I had been driving him nuts with “stop” “go back” and “oh, that was a nice door”

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    1. Thanks Norm. The storage building is a clear favorite. It’s funny that we like what is probably the least expensive door on campus. I’m glad you enjoyed the sign. I thought about adding an official disclaimer under it, something like “bail is not part of the agreement” – but…

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  7. Really like the doors at the chemistry building. I’ve always heard lovely things about Iowa. But I get conflicting info about the temperature — from not bad at all to horribly cold… Thanks for letting us visit with you. Have a thriving Thursday.

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    1. Thanks Teagan. I have a soft spot for any chemistry building. Re: the temp. my brother has always said: “we have four seasons, June, July, August and winter” but it was quite mild this visit. They do get very cold, they do get very hot in the summer and theycan get a bunch of snow. They also get tornadoes, and the town floods because it’s so flat that a little water goes a long way.

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  8. The French were employing what they called Style Moderne as early as 1868. It got the name Art Deco later. So — good eye, as always! Wow, what beautiful buildings! I love those track doors; I’ll bet they make a lovely rumble-rumble when they slide open or closed. And the sign is brilliant!

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    1. Thank you SO MUCH for that style insight, Marian! I had no idea. That really made me smile.

      I love the track doors. I have one on my workshop, which I will feature once my garage is refurbished. Even when the track was brand new, it had a nice rumble to it.

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        1. Haha, well, I still think it looks new, but I’m sure you’re right if there are others about. Maybe it’s all been recently ‘cleaned.’
          Or maybe I should put on my glasses. :P

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  9. I want those people to move their car, too. Ugh, to be practical instead of properly setting the shot, what were they thinking?!?
    Love the chemistry doors — those are spectacular door specimens.
    Before art deco, there was art nouveau, but I must agree, the staggered arch aspect looks more art deco than nouveau, cause it sure doesn’t look nouveau, and I believe that arch is new, even if it looks old. Just my doorpinion. Not a fan of the white replacement, either.
    Also, Iowa looks more autumnal than here, and I am jealous. Why is our fall so late, Dan? What’s it even doing?!?
    Anyway, great doors all around! :)

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    1. Thanks Joey. I don’t know about the arch being new. I have photos of several entrances, so unless they redid them all, it’s original. Also the windows all have an arch. I’ll ask my brother if there’s a way to get a historic photo of the building.

      See Marian’s comment (above) about the style. In any case, I think I was close and I’m giving myself an extra M&M cookie – I already ate it, so…

      Iowa was further along in autumn than we are too! Not sure what’s going on. However, when I got back, I managed to find some nice color here in CT. I have to work that into a post soon, because the leaves are falling fast.

      And yeah, buddy, move your car. Don’t you know there are door-o-philes out there?

      Sheesh, some people.

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  11. Your photoshopped sign is brilliant!

    I really like the old chemistry building doors, and the state gym’s staircase, and door. It does look art deco to me too. The house the fire dept occasionally sets fire to is pretty neat looking. It’s located in a pretty setting too.

    I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to ask a driver to move their car.

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    1. Thanks Deborah.The chemistry building caught my eye for multiple reasons, but the house and “shed” at the fire training site are actually my favorites in this group. And yes, we should have the authority to ask people to move away from the door :)

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  14. Somehow I always end up reading your posts at 3 am. Weird. Anyways, I loved the State Gym stairway. We don’t have tall buildings like in the States, but I have at one time climbed up 16 floors because the elevator was busy. I also usually take stairs and not the escalator to keep my stamina in order.

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  16. When I first saw that “fixed sign” I said no way! LOL What pure genius of you and that sign needs to be the what? mascot (no that’s not right) but you know what I mean, the Central doohickey announcing Thursday Doors. That house of the President is quite the spread and I just have to say must pay good to be a President of a collage. Loved your gallery. And that’s about all I got. I need a little higher octane these days …. geeze this girl is dragging’! Whew!! <3

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    1. Thanks Amy. “This girl” is trying to fit a lot into her life these days.

      I would guess that the university president does pretty well. Plus, I’m guessing that he lives there rent free. I think that means he can tolerate a few door photographers.

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  19. You’re so dedicated Dan. Another wonderful collection of doors. My favorite? The presodent’s residence. It has a nice poetic ring to it. They are indeed very old buildings. We know what they didn’t spend that extra tuition on. 😉

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  20. Great post! You had me going with that doctored sign and when you explained what you did I crashed ROFLOL! But here’s my suggestion of what you need to do and I hope Norm is listening; print your fantastic sign as a graphic on a business card and on the reverse side your great explanation of what Thursday Doors is about including the frog and post it so we can print it for our get out jail card when we pry into people’s property to shoot their doors!

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    1. Ha! Thanks. I’m glad you liked this post. I think Norm is working on a badge, but I am thinking of printing something up, because I take other photos as well. I need something with my blog and Flickr site.

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  21. This was quite a variety of lovely and interesting doors, Dan. It really makes me appreciate the doors community when barns and university buildings are combined together! I loved the one where the driveway to the pretty home of the university President is featured plus the introductory one with beautiful columns or stone framework around the doors.

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    1. Thanks Robin. Universities, as you well know, are good sources of doors. I really liked the shed, with it’s sliding door, and I hope the university president is a good sport. We didn’t turn around in his driveway.

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  23. The framing around the chemistry building doors is really impressive, Dan. That and the bas-relief art by the gym are my favorites. You’re right — it definitely motivates you to work out!

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  24. Pingback: Thursday Doors – ISU Part II | No Facilities

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