Municipal Buildings (Springfield, MA)
Item Information
- Title:
- Municipal Buildings (Springfield, MA)
- Description:
-
This hand-colored lantern slide shows an illustration of the Municipal Group in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Creator:
- Victor Animatograph Co
- Date:
-
[1914?–1932?]
- Format:
-
Photographs
- Location:
- Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
- Collection (local):
-
College Archives Digital Collections
- Series:
- Lantern Slide Collection
- Subjects:
-
Lantern slides
City & town halls
Bell towers
Clock towers
Buildings
- Extent:
- 3x4 in
- Link to Item:
- http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/3613
- Terms of Use:
-
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
- Publisher:
-
Springfield College
- Language:
-
English
- Notes:
-
The Municipal Group refers to three prominent buildings representing the center of government and culture in the city: Symphony Hall (left), City Hall (right), and a three hundred foot Italianate campanile (center). The tower has a clock fourteen feet in diameter as well as twelve bells that play George Handel’s "Messiah." It was originally powered by water and was the city's largest structure until 1973. In 1905, Springfield's first city hall was destroyed by fire. The city, then an industrial powerhouse in New England, financed the construction of a grand municipal complex. On December 8, 1914, President Taft presided over the opening ceremonies and called the Municipal Group “one of the most distinctive civic centers in the United States, and indeed the world.” Over time, financial trouble prevented the city from repairing the structures, and the Municipal Group deteriorated. However, in 2006 Springfield’s Finance Control Board authorized a capital investment plan which included money to renovate the entire complex. During the 1930s, the International YMCA College, now known as Springfield College, used this slide as part of a recruitment presentation that included images of campus buildings, faculty, and students engaged in athletic and cultural activities.
Part of the Story of the Cinema of Springfield College Lantern Slide Series
- Identifier:
-
LS-02-48
