Dan Antion

2018 in Review – #ThursdayDoors

Taxi stand outside of Grand Central Station

This is the final official Thursday Doors post of 2018, as Norm has decided to take next Thursday off. Norm suggested that we spend this final Thursday by revisiting our favorite doors from 2018.

That’s easier said than done. I doubt that I have the most doors of any door nerd, but I posted over 900 door images in 2018. Fortunately, all of my Thursday Doors posts are in the category of “Thursday Doors” and I added a menu option at the top of this page that lets me (and you) filter this blog by category. Still, 900 doors is a lot to distill down to 20 favorites. I think I can do it. I scanned my posts and selected 38 favorite doors. I think I can delete 18 of them as I assemble the gallery. But, before that, I want to take advantage of this opportunity to complete some research that events didn’t allow enough time for during the year.

The door to Hipwell Manufacturing is one of my favorites, and judging from your comments, it was a crowd favorite as well. Hipwell, founded in 1887 and made lamp wicks. As electricity became more common and electric lights more convenient, Hipwell (HipCo) invented the single cell battery and later produced flashlights that utilized those batteries. The company manage to fend off foreign competition for many years, but in 2005, it was forced to close. My friend David will appreciate that in the early 1950s, Hipco also produced a line of electric lamps, tin signs and tin houses for use with Lionel and American Flyer electric trains. They produced 400,000 lamps and over 100,000 miniature houses.

Within a ½ mile of the old HipCo building is Calvary United Methodist Church. This is another building that proved to be very popular, but at the time, I didn’t even know what church it was. I wasn’t able to learn much about it, but I did discover that the Gothic Revival styled church was built from 1892 to 1895. When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, the North Side was a low-income area. However, in the 1870s, that was not the case. From the church’s website:

“Allegheny City was built by millionaires, and the area that Calvary was built was known as ‘Millionaire’s Row’. By the 1870’s and 1880’s there were more millionaires living in a one-square mile radius (Allegheny City) than anywhere else in the world.”

OK, enough research. Let’s look at the favorites. Note, on some of these, I have edited the description from the original text.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment and thank our wonderful host, Norm Framptom for a year of Thursday Doors. If you want to see Norm’s favorite 2018 doors, head over to his place. If you ant to see everyone elses favorite doors, click on the little blue frog after you look at Norm’s doors. Also, in case you won’t be around until next week, or perhaps the week after, I hope you have a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and a Happy New Year (if you recognize the passage of time).

Willoughby Tower. Don’t get off the tour at this stop.
National Louis University – I included this because a nice woman commented that she works here and that the building is equally as beautiful on the inside.
This is the most used entrance door.
“Looks like a nice morning for a walk.”
Yes! the little egg-shaped thing is a door!
The door to our suite at the historic hotel room in the Milwaukee Road Terminal
I think this is a hotel. It’s a pretty cool building, but I’m not sure about that balcony.
This is the only Cathedral in Texas that the Pope has visited. I love the cabinet.
White Castle – part of a miniature train layout in Minneapolis.
The B&O Brassiere. I had a beer, but they weren’t serving food due to some mechanical problems in the kitchen. Also a corner door.
Doors to one of the platforms in Baltimore Penn Station.
Boiler doors in Collinsville. CT
Well, yeah, the mailbox.
Front door of the Bennett Library
I am glad I had to make that U-turn.
Magnificent!
Hat box and antique dresses.
This portculis is outside of the welcome desk, above the main entrance.
Police station – also part of the old high school.
Norm also has a close-up view of these magnificent doors.

55 comments

  3. 900 doors? You are the Prince to King Norm. :-) Handsome doors, all of them, and I love the mailbox. But, of course, my favorite is your door with Maddie. Sorry, can’t help it. Being President of the New Hampshire Maddie Fan Club is a lot of responsibility, and I have to remain true. :-) Hope you, the Editor, Faith, and Maddie have a Merry Christmas and the healthiest and happiest 2019 as you work towards that last day of work in Corporate America. 🎄

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Judy. Maddie appreciates your support. I knew I had to include that one. I appreciate your support, for the redhead and for my efforts on this page. I have a couple more trips to Burlington to make, maybe we can connect for fish tacos and a beer in 2019.

      Have a very Merry Christmas!

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  4. Since I am usually very absent from Thursday Doors, thanks for your top ten from 2018.

    While I love the Hipco door and painting on the wall, the dolls in the cabinet made me smile. My grandmother’s China doll peers out at me every day from the China cabinet, dressed in garb that dad had sewn by a local woman many years ago. It’s a priceless memory.

    So, why are you going to do with yourself next Thursday? Relax?

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Next Thursday? Oh my…I hadn’t considered that.

      There’s a funny story associated with the china cabinet photo – maybe I’ll share that next week.

      Thanks for the support, Mary. I hope you’re having a great week.

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. You certainly have a wide variety of doors – from the miniature, to the doll cabinet, to that magnificent cathedral! 900 doors says you had a great year 🙂

    Merry Christmas, Dan, and I look forward to more in 2019!

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  6. This was a fine year in doors for you too, I see. I love your selection of personal favourites and crowd pleasers and how often they are the same (why is “pleaser” underlined?). Here’s to another like it. Go, Dan and Maddie!

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  7. That’s a whole lotta doors–but I so enjoy seeing them! Two more days of work and then a 4-day (count ’em!) weekend. I can do this…..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too, Dan.

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  8. Taxi stand, hands down is my favorite. Wellllll that and the magnificent Cathedral door! And THANK YOU for the history lesson. You amaze me by the amount of information I seem to always find here. Thank you, Dan, for this effort but forth and the effort you made all year in 2018. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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    • The Taxi Stand is a clear favorite. I think I like the boiler doors (although I wish the truck wasn’t there). They are all special to me, and there are 18 others that didn’t make the cut.

      Thanks for adding your thoughts to these images during 2018, Amy. It always means a lot when my photographer friends comment on pictures I’ve taken.

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    • Once you get going with a theme, it’s hard to stop. I’m cutting down in 2019. From a max of 20 images to a max of 18. I’m trying to make sure I can still fit into my WordPress plan.

      Thanks for your support.

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  10. I hope the birds don’t mind when they hear of your nefarious plan to cut down. As for the doors what a nice collection. Getting back to the birds for a moment – are those multiple bird doors above the egg shaped door ? And I am still trying to wrap my head around that portculis. I tend to think of sliding doors as a horizontal contraption. Not as a door that slides up ! Where is Andre the giant when we need him to open the portculis ? And remember just in case you are tempted to answer that rhetorical question – he is the goon squad. Between the portculis and the wick factory I have two new fun facts to carry around. Good history lessons sir.

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    • It was never clear to me what those openings were for, John. It is my experience that if you have openings like that, you will have birds, but that’s in the northeast where winter is a thing. This was in San Antonio, so maybe the quest for shelter isn’t as strong.

      I didn’t know it was a portculis until you asked. Apparently, it is, but no mention of the giant.

      Thanks John!

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  12. Great collection of doors today. My favorites are the blue door on the church, Maddie and ‘her’ door, the ‘egg shaped’ door, the HipCo door and painted advertising, and that stunning church. And the mail box!!

    Thanks for the rerun. It was fun!,
    🔹 Ginger 🔹

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I knew I had to include Maddie’s door for her fans (even though that’s supposed to be something she doesn’t do). I like the boiler doors, but clearly, I like all of these.

      Thanks for your continued support, Ginger. I always look forward to your comments.

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  13. Wow, 12 months of doors makes for so many to choose from doesn’t it? You found a lot of beauties this year Dan. I’m gonna go for your phone booth and the egg shaped one as my best of the best. I give the mailbox an honorable mention too. Come to think of it, they ALL deserve an honorable mention.
    Have a wonderful Christmas my friend :-D

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  15. Thanks for all the comments on the one-liner, and doors this week! Right now I’m too scatter brained to even do any review, because I have painting on my mind:)
    But of all your doors, I knew right away the second on the top row is my very favorite – the shapes and the colors make such a beautiful design!

    Have a very merry Christmas, you and your family, including your pets:):)

    Liked by 1 person

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  16. Excellent collection – you chose wisely! Merry Christmas to you and your family – may many happy memories enter in and out of your front door over the holidays! Cheers to you!

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  20. Great collection! Love the TZ reference OF COURSE. Love the “egg-shaped thing” that’s a door. And thank you for including the White Castle. When I was expecting, White Castle sliders were the only thing that would settle my stomach. True story.

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  23. What a good year. 900, eh? Wow! Lots of good stuff — still love that teal door and those police lamps — totally remember those! I have to laugh — ‘if you recognize the passage of time’. BAHAHAHA! Great line. Merry Christmas to you and yours! :)

    Liked by 1 person

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