who ever invented umbrellas, i thank you.

there was a chance on saturday that i could've been washed away. i was out on a walking tour of melbourne's moderne buildings from the 30s and 40s and it rained. and rained. and rained. if this sort of thing continues there will be a pair of bright wellington boots purchased. but even with the rain and the cold (i was told the temperature reached a high 9 degrees C) i loved it. and of course there were many pictures taken.

this first shot is of the gorgeous mcphersons building. it used to be a hardware showroom and now the ground floor is all cafes. from the outside it reminds me of what a food automat would've been.

can you see the lights inside collins hill house? they remind me of frankenstein lights - you know that contraption hanging over the bed when the monster is brought to life "it's alive... alive".

and we struggled bravely through the elements.


me trying to be a little arty.



how fantastic is the alkira building? need to get back there for more pics when the weather is a little clearer.



robin related an urban myth that the flagpole on this building was taken from a german submarine. no evidence, but it's a good story.

this isn't deco but it's pretty fabulous. inside the anz bank on collins. shocking photo but the reflection off the wet glass wasn't helpful. another one to get back to and hopefully inside with camera.

these next few photos are from mitchell house on lonsdale street. it used to be the site of a cobb & co stables. this gorgeous moderne building was completed in 1937. i love it.







the tour ended at mitchell so i walked back to the bourke street mall to wander through the stores.

sunday was another art deco-ish morning. i had an film showing by the art deco society at the sun theatre in yarraville. oh...my...goodness. it is a beautiful complex. originally opened in 1938, it had one screen and seats for 1050 people. it was in disrepair for a long time until the current owners bought it in 1995. it now houses 6 screens and they have renovated and remodelled the building gloriously. the film that was showing was miss pettigrew lives for a day, light entertainment, beautifully deco.

this theatre can be seen from the carpark of the sun. another gorgeous building needing some tlc.


and in other news, larissa and her team won their first netball game on the weekend. i'd better be a better aunt and ask her what position she plays. :)