Virtual 1221 -- construction resumed!
On the basis of photographs by Grayson Mattingly,
Howie Mitchell, and Vince Cottone, plus two published photographs from
about 1909, I've gradually been able to add more details to the model
of 1221 Massachusetts Avenue. There are still many things to add,
some of the subtle and others really obvious.
Comparing the basic dimensions of the
model, as inferred from counting bricks, with various editions of the Sanborn
Insurance Maps of Washington D.C. revealed that most of the later "OSH" was added in the 1909 renovation (see
The Mysterious History of 1221).
The picture below shows how the southeast side of the building may
have looked before the OSH was added (third floor dormers not shown).
The pictures below compare photographs of the building taken between 1958 and 1964 with similar views of the model.
The reconstruction is based on simple geometric shapes, except for the third floor railings and the
slates on the tower which are actually taken from the 1963 yearbook
cover photograph; eventually I'll put slate texture on the rest of the
roof. The model was rendered with
POV-Ray. (Read more about
how the model was constructed.)
Compared to
the earliest version, the
model
is beginning to look a bit less surreal (too bad, really).
The rendering now takes reflected light into account (radiosity), so
I've lightened the grass and the sky to obtain better illumination in
the shadows. Much remains to be done, and right now I'm
concentrating on the details of the third floor, with dormers and chimneys
next on the list.
If anyone has interior or exterior photographs, measurements, souvenir
bricks (for color and dimensions), sketches, or other materials which could help
me accurately model the building and determine the floor plan, I would
be very grateful to obtain copies, scans, photographs, or measurements.
Also, please let me know if some detail doesn't match your recollection.
-- Dana Sawyer
Copyright © 2004-2006 by Dana Sawyer
This page last updated December 26, 2006
