It is difficult to convey to people who do not live in Sydney, how iconic the Coke sign at the top of The Cross is. Kings Cross is an inner-city suburb of Sydney - on the first ridge eastwards - and has a reputation for crime and a range of unsavoury behaviours. When I was coming of age it was the suburb with the highest density of people per-square-whatever, although I suspect this has now been overtaken by Pyrmont.
The neon sign - erected in 1966 - dominates William Street and is a recognised Sydney meeting point, along with "under the clock at Central" and "on the Town Hall steps". This old newsprint image - taken at the end of 1974 - shows KX tunnel under construction.
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13 comments:
Lovely shot! I can almost hear a muted trumpet playing the blues.
Julie, you are really rockin' with these night shots. I feel as if you're giving us a sense of place that would be invisible to us in daylight (or at least feel a lot different). Thank you for taking us there. And thank you for your comments on my blog. I can't tell you how much your kind, receptive, thoughtful observations mean to me.
This is a great piece of night photography, Julie. Very atmospheric with the cars moving.
About dewberries, they're like blackberries but they grow low to the ground on brambles. The season is almost over but we've frozen some for a cobbler.
This is very atmospheric...it's amazing how long that sign has been their considering how ephemeral most advertisements are.
I guess different cities have various landmarks that people used for meeting places. In New York City, there was always a billboard for Castro Convertibles (sofas that fold out into beds) at the north end of Times Square, and people would use that as a meeting point. I understand from our visit to Melbourne that under the clock tower at the Flinder's Street Railway Station was a meeting point.
Today, with everyone having cell phones, there is a lot more flexibility to stay in touch and find a meeting spot, as it does not have to be arranged hours in advance.
This is a terrific shot, love the blur of movement in the traffic. How long was your exposure?
Dave: I almost mentioned the impact of mobile phones in my text. I can recall one time waiting for ages for a friend, to phone and realise that she was just on the other side of the pillar.
Ann: Don't ask me that sort of question!!! I set the aperture at F11. I adjusted the s/s until the dial was zero. I focussed. I shot. It took a perceptible length of time to take, like seconds. It was about 10pm Saturday night: I only did the course that morning. I pretty much think that I guessed!!
We have a similar iconic sign in Boston in Kenmore Sq. of a Citgo Oil sign. I'll have to post a picture one of these days:)
Another great night shot which captures the essence of the icon you want to show. I haven't ventured to the Cross much so seeing this sign is about my total experience of the place.
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So many tows have these icons. They only have real significance to "natives."
Another great night shot Julie!
Is it a coincidence that many of these signs are from Coke? I am thinking of the one in Piccadilly Circus in London.
When I stayed in Kings Cross, I used to like walking towards the sign at night. It gave me a strange feeling of familiarity. A solid feeling of where I was heading.
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