Background Blitz - Ashland Avenue Lighthouse Closed

[jwalt]

I recall a warning that beginning a Blitz with a long reading assignment was not a good idea. Nonetheless, here it is. This is a bit from the book Chicago Medium Rare by Robert J. Casey (1890-1962). It tells about his growing up in the Chicago area in the 1900s:

----------

They were plowing up the last celery patch in Lake
View to make room for Weiblinger's saloon when Bad-News Tillie
moved into Ashland Avenue near Cornelia Street. Her advent
was considerably more spectacular than the unloading of Gentry
Brothers' Circus half a block down the street, and was reviewed
with unmasked interest by all the kids of the neighborhood and
most of the adults.

Tillie didn't bring any moving van filled with the customary
oddments of furniture generally revealed on such occasions. She
was more practical. She appeared on the scene seated by the side
of the driver of a steam roller behind which, on four stonemason's
trucks, was hitched a long, narrow, two-story house.
Tillie's possessions, whatever they were, remained where they had always
been inside the house. And nobody got a look at them until long
years afterward.

A moving crew got the house onto its waiting foundations before
the day was out. In this work they were greatly encouraged
by Tillie, who cursed at them with a spectacular vocabulary in
English, Polish and German. When they had finished she chased
away the observing children and retired through her somewhat in-
accessible front door via a stepladder. The spectators then moved
on to the circus which, after Tillie's show, seemed to be lacking
in savor.

Next day it became obvious that Tillie had come to stay. By the
time the mannerly little children had gathered around she had a
nondescript washing hung on a line in what was to be her back
yard, and bricklayers were filling up holes in the underpinning of
her house. Moreover, as determined by test, the ladder had been
attached to the house with wooden cleats. Public interest waned
rapidly.

The house, when it was permanently emplaced, looked like
what it was a large square box, badly in need of the coat of paint
it was never going to get. But Tillie had some eye for improvement.
Maybe she found it inconvenient to get in and out of the
place on a ladder. Anyway, at the end of the week a brewery truck
arrived at her address carrying a spiral staircase of rusted iron.
Afterward came workmen who argued for a long time with
Tillie about what they were going to do with the staircase. It was
too long to serve the front door, the foreman mentioned in two
languages. It couldn't be cut off with a hacksaw because it was
the wrong curve. It was going to look pretty ghastly no matter
what was done with it. And he suggested that maybe she might
throw the thing away and get somebody to make her some stairs
and a porch out of wood.

Tillie solved the problem with the directness that the neighborhood
was presently to recognize as her most charming characteristic.
"Run it up to the second floor and make a door out of the upstairs
front window on the east," she directed in German. "Then
you can nail up the front door downstairs. I won't be needing it."
The foreman translated this order to his workmen and thereby
let the neighborhood know what to expect.

"She's certainly going to have a fine-looking place," he men-
tioned to give the message a personal touch. And he was right
about that.

The result was something that people came from miles around
to see. The little children would linger for hours just to observe
Tillie making her exits and entrances. Unfortunately they were
never around when she emerged at night swinging a lantern in
front of her 200 pounds of bulk. John Spetti and Mike Mullen,
conductors on the Ashland Avenue car line, who were frequent
witnesses to this odd procedure, christened her place "The Ashland
Avenue Lighthouse." And the name stuck.

----------

So, how about picking something from those paragraphs and coming up with a suitable background: the circus come to town; the arrival of the house, the arrival of the staircase; a night scene of Tillie descending the stairs?

I intend to rip Snarky's criteria:

Concept: The coolest, most creative idea; the one that offers the best response to the rules and spirit of the Blitz topic.

Artistic Execution: The most technically and artistically accomplished image; the most successful expression of a personal artistic style.

Playability: The screen that would work best as an adventure game background (with possible interactions, walkable areas, exits, etc); a screen that would be fun to play.

So go forth, gentle souls, and Help me visualize Casey's words.

Edit: Deadline extended until June 15, 2014.

[jwalt]

I suspect most of you talented folks are able to Google Images. Still, I found a few that might be "inspirational:"





Looks like the first "engine" is really a steam tractor, but it conveys the general idea.

Edit - Added these links:

Sorry for the "ad" nature of this image, but it might help visualize the workman's problem in fitting the spiral stairs to the house, or see Tillie and her lantern descending the stairs at night.



It looks like Gentry Brothers Circus, at its high point, had four shows traveling the country. This image of Elephants playing baseball is probably from the 1920s, but you can fudge it a bit, if you want to.

[siliconangel]

just one question. I'm new to this contest does the background have to be animated?
thanks.
p.s. the pictures are neat. I love old photos.

[jwalt]

Most of the time, they're static images. From time to time, the criteria might ask for animations. I have no preference here. You can animate it if you want, or not.

[jwalt]

Bump...

I'm becoming concerned that I've created another no-interest Blitz. So, I decided to extend the deadline, a bit, until June 15, 2014. And I decided to open up the topic a bit, to include another possible lighthouse I recently found, down Three-oh-Four's way. The Shark Island Lighthouse:









It appears to be an Australian National Park, and you can get a bit of a virtual tour at:

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/sydney-harbour-national-park/shark-island/picnic-bbq

No wonder Ben 304 produces such neat pictures. Whole thing reminds me of Myst. Images of the Ashland Avenue Lighthouse will still be gladly accepted!

Edit: June 7, 2014

Decided to do an Anim8or model of the Shark Island Lighthouse. Not quite accurate. Starfield from Bryce.

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/addOcean1_zps875a367b.gif[/imgzoom]

[jwalt]

<sigh>

Looks like I've been unable to interest anyone in this topic. If it's just a matter of needing additional time, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll drive a stake into its heart, and try again. Unless Snarky wants to pull my bacon out of the fire and suggest something that will generate some input.

<sigh>

[Giraffadon]

Hey Jwalt.

I felt sorry for the lack of entries so i made myself a quick lighthouse.

when i saw yours i was inspired...for about 30 minutes

[CaptainD]

Awesome dithering in the sky Griffadon!

[Giraffadon]

Nope. I cheated, used a pattern overlay.

That would have taken hours lol

Edit: BTW i don't want to win by default. But jwalt can you take this request?

Pick a simpler topic next time.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with 

[CaptainD]

Awesome dithering in the sky cheating Griffadon!

[Armageddon]

What's the overlay pattern? I'd like to use it. Also What 3D package do you use I really like the sky it created.

[Giraffadon]

It's just a 2x2px checkerboard saved as a pattern in photoshop.
Then overlay the image and use opacity to vary the blend.

I use Cinema 4d but not the latest version.

[jwalt]

I'll declare Giraffadon the winner. Hopefully, his topic choice will generate some interest.

[Giraffadon]

I really think you should have another go jwalt as you were the deserving winner last time.

[Gurok]

Yes, I vote for jwalt to have another go too! Something more general this time.

[AprilSkies]

Yes, I vote for jwalt to have another go too! Something more general this time.

+ 1

[jwalt]

I'm establishing a poor track record, here. Nevertheless, I'll post something shortly. I'll try to keep it simple and avoid the long reading assignment.