Escalation by Chipka
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Description
When I was younger, I was constantly bombarded with expectations of the future. Infomercials—before there were infomercials—in the guise of educational film strips (remember those?) always extolled the virtues of forward thinking, of doing good in school so that you too could be a thriving citizen in the world of the future.
The world of the future always resembled an enormous, minimalist shopping mall concourse. Everything was white with rounded contours. Everyone had actual leisure time in which they could do futuristic things like dial up a vacation, or take their personal plane out to the unspoiled country, where rabbits and chipmunks did rabbitish and chipmunkish things. Campfires were automatic. Push a button, and poof: instant campfire. Once you’ve enjoyed the campfire and consumed your food pills. Push another button and poof: no more campfire. Everything was supposed to be push-button. There were supposed to be hovercars, electrically-powered roller-skates, blimps the size of Texas, ferrying passengers on dance floors across the Atlantic and docking with mile-tall skyscrapers perched, delicately atop giant, Babylonian-inspired ziggurats filled with escalators, pneumatic tube elevators, and everything was supposedly run with punch cards emblazoned with the Xerox logo.
Snap forward to…well…the present. At one time, this was the future. In many ways the omen-like declarations from educational film strips have come true. Chicago resembles a vast shopping mall with imported palms, displaced wild animals scrounging through garbage, and…well…gadgets galore. Still no personal airplanes, no push-button campfires, no robots to do all of your work for you, and no battery-powered roller skates for that commute to work. We DO have iPods, and really swanky escalators. One of the hallmarks of the bright and shiny future was always the really swanky escalator…or the airport converyor-belt-pedway…only not restricted to airports. I am satisfied that I can ride an escalator that looks a bit like something out of George Lucas’ THX-1138. I’m quite glad that the sterile futures I’d been told about hadn’t come to pass. I don’t think I’d look good in a truncated toga with Lucite sandals, and little compartments on my utility belt for my food tablets, and my roller-skate battery pack in my inner truncated-toga pocket. I rather like the present as it is: grungy, outright dirty in spots, and without push-button campfires. Okay, the idea of Lucite sandals is kinda cool, for people with feet that might look good in Lucite, but that’s about as far as I take my interest in a derailed, unrealizied future.
I will say, however, that I like the presence of metal-surrounded escalators, and I like the way the Belmont public transportation hub looks. In total truth it looks more Norwegian than futuristic…ah, but some of the stuff that Norway habitually secretes onto interior and exterior design catalogues is oddly futuristic even by today’s standards. And so, with a retrograde glance to the future (sans Lucite footwear) here is the future as once imagined, way back in the dim, dark days of the twentieth century. Here is an homage to all of the futures I’d been told I’d be a part of. I like my present a lot more...it includes promises stranger than electrical roller skates. It includes a particular Russian (who doesn't skate) and friends who aren't in the habit of wearing Lucite. Food still comes on a plate, and not in a pill-dispenser.
And so, in honor of the future: here is an escalator and minimalist Norwegian-inspired metal. I’m glad to see it, and I’m glad to see that in this future (now known as the present) people still ride bikes, though I am troubled by the fact that no one calls them velocipedes any more! Oh well.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week/weekend.
Comments (21)
NefariousDrO
And yet, think of all the things nobody expected would happen... Futurists are notoriously off when it comes to technology, but I recently re-read Alvin Toffler and boy was his sociological predictions spot-on! I like the perspective in this, the escalator goes somewhere, but we only see the sign and it's stylized "cartoony" look fits quite well with your thoughts.
Sepiasiren
the angle of this shot as well as its framing causes a great emotional reaction--a grate one--another nostalgia piece for me although have no idea of the basis--very beautiful work.
beachzz
Oh yes, the future--all those years ago, things seemed impossibly romantic when you thought about how easy it would be. Didn't quite turn out like that, but still, it's ok. I love this shot, the light is super and the bike thru the frosted window somehow makes it even better. Escalators are trippy things, they fascinated me as a kid. I always wanted to know where those steps went when they disappeared!!
MrsRatbag
I'm still waiting for the future; stuck in the now! I love escalators...
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
bimm3d
great POV and photo!!
CoreyBlack
Oh yes, THE FUTURE. I can remember being a kid in school in the 1970s watching film strips (with sound that never quite synched up with the visuals)about THE FUTURE. And THE FUTURE was a very exciting place! (Which some how only seemed to involve America) Hey, we had been to the moon and back, baby; we had the technology and we were going to use it. We were all going to have flying cars like George Jetson. We would live in strange pie shaped apartments made entirely of white extruded plastic with egg shaped windows that looked out onto outerspace. These apartments were all connected together on space stations that vaguely resembled The Mall of America crossed up with the interior of the starship Enterprize. We would all wander about in brightly colored genderles polyester unitards, covering the vast distances with our nuclear powered shoes while listening to music that sounded like the theme to "Space:1999" on our big yellow plastic headphones. You'd take the 3:15 shuttle craft to see grandma on Alfa Centari. Everybody had vague jobs working in bright white rooms pushing lots of butttons... Well, they got the pushing buttons part right. Like Marilyn, I was always fascinated by escalators as well and also wondered where the stairs went when they diasppeared. To China? ( I now know that they come from China). Anyway, before I ramble on indefinately on a Dr. Pepper fueled manic episode, I should say that I love the wonderful (almost German ?) austerity and clean coldness of this shot which is warmed up slightly by that cartoonish hair removal ad at the buttom of the stairs. Always interesting to see someone else's take on something you've become almost over familiar with. Oh, and your text captured our childhood ethos brilliantly. Very funny stuff and a great picture!
whaleman
I like the shadow view of the alternate transportation in the background. Altogether a very nice image, especially being immediately preceeded by Corey's view of another way of getting to the next floor!
auntietk
I'm still waiting for cars that track on the line down the middle of the road so all you have to do is sit in comfort and read a book while zipping to your destination. Of course I get sick when I read in the car, but that's beside the point. My future present includes a driver and a 4G (or whatever) connection so I can Google anything while zipping to my destination. Good stuff. I hope I don't get carsick doing it! LOL! Escalators are somehow SO freakishly future past future future that they transcend science fiction. We had them THEN, we have them NOW, and they pretty much work the same way, but they LOOK like they should be a Jetson's thing. I'll know they've really got it going when the handrail goes at the same speed as the steps. (How come the damned thing always goes faster than you? If you leave your hand on the handrail, eventually it will pull your arm out of the socket.) I love this shot, and your musings. I especially like the bicycle, and the really large, vaguely alien shadow behind it.
bmac62
Well written and well illustrated Chip. Escalators...moving stairs...they've been with us as long as I can remember and that goes back into the 1940s. Macy's, Gimbles, Montgomery Wards...today Penny's, Sears, etc., etc. But I just found out the most amazing thing...your Marshal Field's in Chicago had the very first escalators in department stores! So, here's to the future...I can't wait to see it! Think it will be here by the day after tomorrow? :-)
durleybeachbum
A great read with my Marmite on toast! This is a wonderful pic, and strangely timeless. But ( and here she goes) when I was little there was a real person working the lift in the department stores, often in a brown overall.."2nd floor,Ladies Lingerie and Haberdashery. Going up.." And NO MUSIC to accompany vertical travel, Marvellous!
Bothellite
But did anyone guess that "Viagra" would take center stage? Great piece (read) and very enjoyable especially for an old mind.
flavia49
fantastic picture!!
helanker
HAHAHA ! I remember I saw them as a very little girl too. My mom took me to a big department store, where they had these escalators. I was always fascinated by them, but I laughed, when Tara mentioned the rolling banisters, that are always going faster than the people. It is true, but I didnt know they do it all over LOL ! This is an excellent shot Chip and I loved reading the narrative too. AMAZING/AMUSING what you can get out of an escalator :)))
Orinoor
Really nice shot, kind of gives me the willies as I think about stepping onto it. I think I must have missed a great deal of that future projection, more likely I was hanging out in some tree or hiding in the tall grass. I didn't like the Jetson's, seemed to be a very sterile and uninteresting life compared to the earth worms and puddles I was so fond of. Excellent bit of writing!
sandra46
I LOVE THIS ESCALATION/TOR... SPLENDID IDEA
danapommet
How do you find these people less places to photograph. Always spot on. Dana
jac204
Great point of view and I like the bike showing through the glass. Great take on the "future".
-Jordi-
Perfect match of the image and the story, and the shot is great. When I saw the thumb it looked like a space ship, what an original framing of the stair!
myrrhluz
What I remember when talking about the future was the obligatory "If we don't blow ourselves up first." There was a sense that if we survived, we'd be out in space exploring and seeking out new life and new civilizations. I remember the naive notion that religion would lose it power to sway nations and lobotomize people. Excellent image and narrative. Beautiful color, light, and perspective. I like the bicycle and cartoony sign. I don't think I've seen an escalator with walls like this. It's a little claustrophobic. Very futuristic looking though. I have a childhood memory of going on escalators where the sides moved too and I leaned on them as I went up. It must have been a dream, because it would be totally impractical.
minos_6
Great capture - it looks kinda tawdry and run down, so maybe this is the future in the eyes of Ronald D Moore and David Eick! Caprica City after the invasion! (Although the woman on the poster at the foot of the escalator looks more like a socialator from the Glen Larson days......)