03 January, 2009

Painting Postcard

The postcard shows a painting by Lourdes Oben Santos entitled Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise. I was not able to find a biography or other works of the painter. The back of the postcard mentions some information about the painting, but not if it's in a private collection or museum:

2002
Acrylic on canvass

Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise Postcard

The painting title is actually one of the sayings of Jesus on the cross (second saying to be exact):
(2) Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)

SOURCE:
Sayings of Jesus on the cross Wikipedia Entry

02 January, 2009

UPDATE: Paniqui Church

In my blog entry on June 5, 2008 I mistakenly named the church in the postcard as the Paniqui Church of Nazarene. The church in the postcard is actually the St. Rose of Lima Church.

St. Rose of Lima Church Postcard

The St. Rose of Lima Church was built in 1686 by the Dominican friars in honor of the first Catholic saint of the Americas. Its first parish priest was Rev. Fr. Gregorio Echevarria.

RELATED ENTRY:
Paniqui Church of the Nazarene Postcard

01 January, 2009

Manila City Hall Postcards

The postcards show the Manila City Hall and its clock tower. The original Manila City Hall was built during the early days of American occupation. A new city hall was constructed in 1937, with then Manila Mayor Juan Posadas, Jr., lobbying for a new City Hall. The building had an initial appropriation of Php500,000. Building plans were prepared by Architect Antonio Toledo of the Bureau of Public Works. In 1939, with only a major southern portion of the complex was built, Mayor Posadas died.

Manila City Hall Postcard 1

The edifice is a four-level floor with the clock tower located five levels higher on the north side, and with a garden at the center of the complex. The present city hall is a restoration after it was partially destroyed during World War II. The building proper, if seen from above, resembles a coffin with the clock tower as its candle.

Manila City Hall Postcard 2

The clock tower became a distinctive trademark of the city and the city hall. The clock tower is part of the 5000 square meter Manila City Hall building bounded by Taft Avenue on the West side, Concepcion Road on the north and Arroceros Street on the east. It took about four years to complete the whole complex with the signature clock tower in its northern portion. It was patterned after the famous "Big Ben" clock tower in London.

Manila City Hall Postcard 3

In November 1998, the clock tower (three meters in circumference) was restored to its original state, with the four faces synchronized.

Manila City Hall Postcard 4

SOURCES:Senor Enrique's Blog Entry on Manila City Hall
Manila City Hall Wikipedia Entry

City Hall Clock Tower: On time, same time by Remia Bibit-Eugenio
Cruising Magazine Vol. VI No. 4 September 2004 page29

31 December, 2008

Cagayan de Oro City Hall Postcard

The postcard shows the Executive Building (Old Cagayan de Oro City Hall) which was the former site of the Casa Real de Cagayan or the Spanish Provincial Governors residence. The building however was demolished and the existing City Hall was built in its place. Inaugurated on August 26, 1940 as the new Municipal Hall of Cagayan town, it became the City Hall of the new Cagayan de Oro City in 1950. It is among the buildings that survived the Japanese, Filipino and American bombardment in World War II.

Cagayan de Oro City Hall Postcard

When the city hall was renovated, the new architect tried to retain some of its colonial lines by installing new dentils and dentil bands beneath the media-agua. The old capiz windows, however, were removed and replaced with modern French windows.

SOURCES:
Cagayan de Oro Wikipedia Entry
Heritage Structures in Cagayan de Oro

30 December, 2008

Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol Postcard

The postcard shows the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City which was built from 1924 to 1935 in the style of American neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture favored by the city planner Daniel Burnham. The capitol complex is located three blocks north of the cathedral, bound by Gatuslao and Lacson Streets.

Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol Postcard

The capitol is planned as an E. The central section is marked by a three story colonnade crowned by Corinthian capitals. Entrance to the capitol is through wide stairs equal in length to the colonnade. Three entrances lead to the central lobby. Directly in front twin staircases in tropical hardwood lead to the main session hall of the building on the second floor. From the second floor secluded and narrow flights of stairs lead to an upper gallery (corresponding to the attic in the Neoclassical design). Sculptures decorating the capitol and the adjacent lagoon are attributed to Guillermo Tolentino, National Artist for Sculpture.

SOURCE:
Bacolod City Tour: The Provincial Capitol