Enough Activity to Fill Two Days (Part 1) - Sun., July 12, 2015

Hannibal Pianta was an excellent concrete artist in the early 1900s who crafted ornamental "cast stone" (concrete) for houses and buildings. The cast stone was displayed on capitals at the tops of columns on the exterior of homes as well as in decorative lunettes and egg-and-dart designs. You can read more about Pianta in my blog titled Hannibal Pianta Lecture from August 14, 2014.

Today's blog is all about putting together a couple of Volksmarches for September 2015 highlighting Pianta's work. Susan had a 5k (3.1 mi.) route planned for us today. We walked throughout Monte Vista historic neighborhood near Trinity University in San Antonio. Homes with Pianta's known work are along the route. It's a lovely walk.

The Volksmarch will start at the Chapman Center on the Trinity University campus, then go through beautiful a neighborhood before returning to the Chapman Center start point. Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploratory walk with Susan. Here are photos from the first part of our day.

"The Scholar is Student of the World,"
by Waldine Tauch

 Homes in the Monte Vista historic neighborhood:

Beautiful trees

William Knox Holt Center at Trinity University

Possible Pianta work

Close-up of brickwork on the home above.

Could be Pianta lunette and capitals

Lunette in "cast stone"

Gramercy Place portals

Rose bush in the middle of a sidewalk

Pianta's "cast stone" work above door,
on the pillar capitals, the two planters and
on the eave braces.

Pretty doorway

Close up of concrete work

Might be Pianta's work

So may variations on the "cast stone" work

Nice rock work on this home.

More interesting arches and columns.

Very cool gate

Fountain at Trinity University

T. Frank Murchison Memorial Tower (1964)

 Around the campus are banners with quotes from students. Here are two of my favorites...

Susan at Chapman Center working on route.

After our walk, we jetted home, changed clothes, and took off for the second half of our day. See next blog for part 2.

To be continued...