Sunday, July 31, 2011

Day 153 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Safe

This safe is currently located in the south entrance of the Hotel Boulderado. This is the actual safe where the management would keep the money coming in to the hotel between trips to the bank. Back then, there weren't daily deposits done like many businesses today are familiar with. Instead, the money was kept on property until enough was accumulated for a deposit.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Friday, July 29, 2011

Day 151 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ DBA Sticker

Since 1909, the Hotel Boulderado has been a proud member of the downtown Boulder community. In fact, we still have our original "Downtown Boulder Association" sticker in the window of the south entrance. The Downtown Boulder Association was incorporated in 1984 to form Downtown Boulder, Inc. -- but we still keep our DBA sticker out of pride for being associated with them for so long.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 150 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Wallpaper in 316

The only thing missing in this wallpaper pattern from 316 here at the Hotel Boulderado is a lady bug!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Day 149 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Catacombs' Clock

For the most part, when I'm capturing the photos for 365 Days of Boulderado Photos, I wander about the building for up to an hour trying to see it with fresh eyes. Once in a while, though, I'll notice something I never did before and have to run and grab my camera. The clock you see here was a result of the latter process, and it features the managers of Catacombs Bar.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Day 148 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ South Entryway Tiles

The tiles that can be found in the entryways of the Hotel Boulderado is also original to our 1909 opening, like the tiles in the lobby.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Day 147 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Armoire

For some reason, this armoire on the third floor of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado always reminds me of the wardrobe entrance to Narnia in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 146 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Flowers for Deployment

Every week, our Housekeepers put fresh flowers in all the guest rooms at the Hotel Boulderado. I managed to capture a shot of the flowers all ready to march out.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Day 145 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mezzanine Molding

The next time you are on the Mezzanine of the Hotel Boulderado, be sure to look up at the interesting and intricate moldings in the woodwork.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Day 144 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mr. Anderson

So obviously this photo is a bit different from the others so far in the 365 Days of Boulderado Photos series, because this is the first photo of a person as opposed to an object or piece of the building. But in all fairness, our General Manager, Sid Anderson (seen here) has been running the Hotel Boulderado since the late 1970s. And today is his birthday! Happy Birthday, Mr. Anderson!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Day 143 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mezzanine Ceiling from the Southeast

Here's a shot of our stained glass canopy ceiling from a different angle, so that you also see the west area of the Mezzanine and our Front Desk.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Day 142 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Reservations Nook

To the casual observer, this might look like the swinging door into an old-school Western saloon. In reality, it's a way of keeping the Reservations department private and quiet behind the Front Desk.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Day 141 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Staircase Cubby

You've actually seen this cubby before (part of it, at least) if you've been following my 365 Days of Boulderado photos diligently. It's just a closet that is built into the staircase, but for me, it's the entrance to Narnia.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Day 140 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Close Up Shot of Leaded Windows

With this shot, you get both a closeup shot of the leaded glass windows at our entrance on 13th Street and a peek into the lobby.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Dat 139 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mirror in 319

Once in a while, I'll find a spot in the hotel where it's very easy to imagine it's 1909 again, especially when you're around such beautiful antiques like the mirror in this photo from 319. Of course, as soon as I turn around and see the flatscreen TV, I know I'm really in the 21st century.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Day 138 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Painting by Megan McCarthy

Megan McCarthy painted this piece and now it lives in the Sales Office under the watchful eye of two wedding coordinators and our director of sales.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 137 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Detail on Piano's Foot Pedals

This is a close-up shot of the detailed work on the foot pedal of the piano Winnie Hutson bought when she was an owner during the 1940s or 1950s.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Day 136 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 86'ed Squirrel

Down in Catacomb's Bar, there is a system for keeping track of troublemakers known as the "86'ed Wall." This collection features photos and descriptions of people who have not behaved themselves in the Catacombs. The photo you see here is the 86 report for one of the most dangerous patrons ever seen on the premises. In case you can't read the description, let me reiterate for you, in case you ever come across this treacherous character.
Name: Squirrelly McNutts
Height: 5"
Age: 3 months
Gender: Male
Hair: Light Brown to Brown
Eyes: Black as Sin

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Day 135 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Detail over Door to Events Center

I'll be the first to admit this. I'm short, and I don't look up that often; as a result, I often miss out on things that are obvious to others. I missed this detail for years before finally noticing it while on a hunt for 365 Days photos. It's just a little decorative touch over the entrance to the Events Center from Pine Street, but now I'm constantly looking up to see what else I may have missed.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Day 134 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Old vs New Bricks

Yesterday I shared with you a little bit of history of the bricks that make up the exterior of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. The Historic Section was built between 1906 and 1908, while the North Wing came in two additions during the 1980s. The picture you see here is one of the places where the Historic Section and the North Wing meet. You might notice a difference in the amount of mortar used. According to some, mortar was more precious one hundred years ago, and so buildings like the Historic Section were built using a lesser amount. By the time our North Wing was being constructed, the price of mortar had fallen significantly with the result that more was used. You can see this visual historic intersection where the two building meet.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 133 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Historic Section Exterior Bricks

What you are seeing here is a close up of the bricks making up the exterior of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. The material for the bricks was brought from a quarry in northern Colorado. At the time that the Boulderado was being built (1906-1908), Boulder was full of brickyards, so the material was pressed into bricks and then laid on the foundation.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Day 132 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Chandelier

Continuing with my newly discovered fascination with light fixtures, I never really noticed this one that hangs in the Hotel Boulderado lobby until just recently. Coming from a Broadway-obsessed family, I of course thought of the chandelier in The Phantom of the Opera.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Day 131 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Catacomb's Bike

At first glance, you may think that we confiscated a patron's bicycle and are raffling it off. In reality, you can sign up for the CataCard at Catacomb's Bar in the basement of the Hotel Boulderado, receive happy hour prices whenever you visit, and can be entered in a weekly drawing. The bicycle is just one of the lucky prizes!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Day 130 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Radiators

When the Hotel Boulderado opened in 1909, radiators like the ones you see here were in each guest room to heat the room using steam. The steam was generated from the furnace in our basement, which was tended 24 hours a day by men shoveling coal in to keep it going.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Day 128 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Water Heater

If you look very closely at this water heater in the Hotel Boulderado, you can see it came from Pittsburg -- as in, it was made before Pittsburg became Pittsburgh.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Day 127 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Wallpaper in 509

Here is another dazzling print for you to check out. This wallpaper pattern can be found in 509, or, as I like to think of it, "the Red Room."

Monday, July 4, 2011

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Day 125 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photos of Mr. Lawry

This photo is of the Hotel Boulderado in the early to mid 1970s and captures a local legend. The gentleman you see dozing off in his chair is Walter Lawry. Mr. Lawry was a common sight at the Boulderado during his later years, as he was one of our permanent residents. Beginning in the 1950s, the Boulderado noticed that a good deal of our business was heading for the new motels with swimming pools in town. To compensate for the lost revenue, the management accepted permanent residents who lived comfortably at the hotel. Rent was paid to the hotel manager, meals could be taken in our dining room, housekeeping and laundry needs were met by the staff, mail was collected at the front desk, and so on. Mr. Lawry became so famous within Boulder that the city named an alley, Lawry Lane, in his honor.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Day 124 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Julia Dordoni-Copeland's Painting

Many people have used the Hotel Boulderado for artistic inspiration. Julia Dordoni-Copeland is one such person. Julia created this painting and gifted it to the hotel, and it now sits in the Sales Office. To see more works of art featuring the Hotel Boulderado, please click here.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Day 123 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Exterior in July

Even though the Fourth of July is still a few days away, we are showing our spirit with red, white, and blue bunting both inside and outside of the Hotel Boulderado.