Comments on: Site Seeing

Site Seeing

Miko — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:05:31 -0800

Wiki Loves Monuments: "World's largest photo contest" seeks to create a visual record of world monuments and historic sites on the Wikimedia Commons. The USA version focuses on sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Canadian version here. If you don't see your country among the 30 participating so far, you can volunteer!

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 22:47:22 -0800

There are a dozen or so in town here all without images. I know what I'm doing tomorrow.

By: thecjm

thecjm — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:09:48 -0800

This monument list, at least for Canada, is a little weird. I checked my neighbourhood and the only "momument" listed is the local postal distribution centre (well, it's listed as a succursal postale for some reason). Not the masonic temple or the Carnegie library down the street, or the huge 110 year old high school nearby, or the 100 year old pedestrian bridge. Not even anything in one of the biggest urban parks in the city. Nor any of the monuments and cenotaphs lining the lakeshore between the Humber River and Sunnyside. Looking around Toronto, a lot of the listings are in French. Glitch in the system on Francophone database?

By: peppermind

peppermind — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:17:27 -0800

I agree, the St. John's listings are odd too. Nearly every third building in the downtown area is listed, but often by the building name, or the name of a business that was once there. Newfoundlanders have long memories and all, but that's a bit absurd. As well, several of the churches are listed multiple times. None of them have photos attached yet. As it happens, the city is holding Doors Open Days this weekend, so lots of these sites are open to the public. I was planning to play tourist anyway. Might as well go all out and get snaphappy while I'm at it.

By: DU

DU — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 04:44:55 -0800

This is neat. An incredible 102 historic sites in my nowheresville county. Three sites in my tiny town, sadly all already photographed. But one missing in the next town over!

By: joost de vries

joost de vries — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 06:45:33 -0800

The Dutch page on that site reminded me that this weekend is Openmonumentendag. And in Germany Tag des offenen Denkmals. All over Europe there are similar days. If you care about old factories, fortresses, old luxurious bank buildings etc etc this is a wonderful opportunity to view these buildings that are otherwise inaccessible as they're in use as office buildings and such. Wonderful old buildings that you pass by everyday not knowing of the spaces and ornaments within. Heartily recommended!

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 07:35:43 -0800

thecjm writes "This monument list, at least for Canada, is a little weird. I checked my neighbourhood and the only 'momument' listed is the local postal distribution centre (well, it's listed as a succursal postale for some reason)." It's only drawing from the National Registry. A handful of sites I thought would have been listed locally turn out to be only provincially or municipally listed.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 08:27:18 -0800

What a brilliant idea for filling a catalog of images! There's a bunch in Nevada City I may be able to get in a couple of weeks. Even San Francisco has lots of holes. The California lists are reasonable: National Register of Historic Places and California's List of Historic Landmarks. Which certainly includes some unusual buildings, but at least it's somewhat of an authoritative source and not just some random crap some editor made up.