Weekend Snapshot: Brass Magnolias

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Here is spring as it gently, slowly, quietly transforms Waterbury into a leafy old city. The magnolia in the top photo stands outside the Chase Building, pictured in all its aging glory in the second shot. Waterbury is full of such treasures, and I love walking about and taking them in.

This building was designed by Cass Gilbert, the architect of the Woolworth Building in New York and, later, of the U. S. Supreme Court. The Chase family, whose Chase Brass Company was at the top of the city's economy, also spearheaded and paid 75 percent of the cost of the building of City Hall, which is across the street. Gilbert designed that building, too.

The Chase family was also instrumental in developing a complex of other buildings nearby, all designed by Gilbert, that was a showplace of the latest in architecture and city planning. This complex exemplified the interdependent roles of government, business, and charities in building a prosperous and progressive city, and it promised to be a source of pride for generations to come. (This information comes from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.)

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51 Comments

  1. I'm somehow reminded of Chase Bank and moneybags :P heehee..
    Hope your weekend was a great one Sandy!

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  2. Beautiful shots and an interesting post too. I hope you have a happy week.

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  3. That is a beautiful building. Thanks for teaching me something! :) Have a good week!

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  4. These dose look a great building, and one worthy of study and looking after.

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  5. I think this building and around will be good for a walk-around :)

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  6. a great post again. Happy Sunday!

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  7. Sandy, these are beautiful shots for Weekend Snapshot. You are introducing me to all the beautiful towns and cities in all of Connecticut. Thank you! :D

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  8. Beautiful building and interesting history to accompany it!

    I finally got my BYBS up. . .

    Hope your computer troubles are soon all just a small memory.

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  9. Anonymous12:08 PM

    Lovely shot as always, Sandy. I just love spring :)

    Have a safe week ahead!

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  10. Anonymous1:17 PM

    Beautiful building with a beautiful magnolia tree! Next to our house is a big magnolia tree too but with pink blooms...I think this flower is beautiful...great shade during the summer too!

    Have a fine week ahead!

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  11. Anonymous1:38 PM

    I didn;t know magnolia actually is a tree...ah, silly me

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  12. connecticut is indeed a beautiful place to live inhave a great weekend my friend!

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  13. signs of spring are all around us

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  14. Anonymous4:32 PM

    What lovely photos! I have never been to Connecticut, so I have a lot to learn!

    www.mamapj.com

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  15. I love magnolia flowers... mine's up too hope you can drop by...

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  16. Anonymous6:01 PM

    i would love to take a stroll around that place.. nice relaxing photos! :)

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  17. Anonymous7:04 PM

    I love the magnolia shot, until I came to live in the south I had never seen a magnolia up close, what a beautiful flower when nice and white!

    I wish you a nice week

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  18. Anonymous7:55 PM

    A magnolia tree in CT. I thought it was a southern tree.

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  19. Definitely a sign of spring...

    Great shot, Sandy!

    Happy WS!

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  20. It is a beautiful building. I love coming here and learning something new.

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  21. Anonymous8:48 PM

    lovely shots! love the structure of the building!

    happy ws!
    mine is up too...
    http://www.pinoynetwork.org/vera
    see yah!

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  22. Anonymous9:12 PM

    Great composition! :-)

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  23. Anonymous9:21 PM

    I love the photo and that was a good info on the architecture, interesting

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  24. It's a lovely shot of the magnolia. The Chase Building looks like a nice structure. Thank you for sharing more about its background.

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  25. tranquil photograph :)

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  26. beautiful magnolias. haven't seen one here in the Philippines yet. i hope i get to see it blooming soon in our posts.

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  27. Anonymous10:46 PM

    I love your punon "Brass Magnolias", especially since I enjoyed producing "Steel Magnolias" so much in New Jersey. Remind me to tell you about the "wet paint telephone" sometime!

    I planted a star magnolia 12" tall in the back yard of our house in Stratford CT in, oh, about 1983, so it would be, gosh, 25 years old now, if anyone took care of it. I wonder if it blooms.

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  28. That is a lovely shot - I have been experimenting with this sort of shot with a new camera and might post some up soon.

    There's just my first attempts up now - my "playing with it" shots.

    As always, I can come here for inspiration and tips. Thanks.

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  29. Those pictures are just beautiful (as always)!

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  30. wow beautiful photos! And very interesting post! Thank you

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  31. I'm a big fan of beautiful architecture, so I really appreciate your photo and the information about the building. How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful town. :)

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  32. Anonymous11:40 PM

    Spring means cooler temperature, right? Here it's so hot! Summer's bringing in scorching heat!

    My weekend snapshots are now up, too! If you have time, please check it out here, here and here. Thanks. Have a great week ahead.

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  33. Yay for spring. That tree will be gorgeous once the buds open.

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  34. I love the magnolia shot..actually, first time for me to see one..

    Have a blessed week ahead!

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  35. Lovely magnolia tree and interesting building!
    Mar

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  36. Anonymous2:36 AM

    beautiful capture and info. thanks

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  37. Anonymous7:55 AM

    spring is here!

    wonderful entry. I have a tag for you Sandy.

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  38. Anonymous9:41 AM

    What beautiful photos and interesting history :)

    It must be nice in CT in all the different seasons. What is your favorite season, Sandy?

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  39. Anonymous11:20 AM

    having come from a tropical country, i'm very fascinated with the changing of the seasons. although we can't really feel it all that much here in texas. :)

    i like reading about interesting buildings and their architects because i was an architect for a brief period of time. hahaha! :)

    have a great week! :)

    Mapped Memories
    Cafe Munchkin

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  40. Just lovely. I love chitecture. That's when they really knew how to design and build something interesting and lasting.

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  41. Anonymous12:27 PM

    its interesting how artists can render natural living things into brass and still keep their softness. :)

    have a great week! :)

    MyMemes: Beauty Pageant
    MyFinds: Capt. Mario's

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  42. beautiful pictures

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  43. Anonymous3:54 PM

    Nice catpion: "Brass" Magnolias. We have a beatiful magnolia tree in one corner of our backyard. I must look closely today, to see what stage it's at, compared to yours.

    I enjoyed the history lesson too. Architecture is a fav. subject.

    Blessings, e-Mom

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  44. Anonymous4:14 PM

    thats pretty shots...

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  45. Anonymous5:49 PM

    Our magolia is in bloom!
    (I should look outside more often.) Too much time spent on the keyboard. :~D

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  46. beautiful, beautiful beautiful shots!

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  47. oh my! it was beautiful! thanks for sharing the info! now i know! :) Happy WS, Sandy!

    Jean Chia

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  48. First time I did see Magnolias in Blossom was in end of April 1968 - in Nancy, NE France, just before the riots in Paris.
    I was there representing Norway during a Theathre festival.

    When I observed the magnolia in full blossom, I sat down for allmost two hours. It was a wonder

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  49. Anonymous10:47 AM

    Great pictures. Signs of spring right around the corner always brightens the day!

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Thanks for being here.