A weekly round-up of my favorite preservation related stories from around the web and in the news. Click on the title of each story to jump through to the original article/blog post.

Jobs House Added As ‘Historic Resource’ – San Jose Mercury News

Steve Jobs’ childhood home. Image via San Jose Mercury News

The humble home where Silicon Valley tech titan Steve Jobs built some of his first computers and co-founded Apple was added to a list of historic Los Altos properties Monday night.  The designation will add another layer of review if renovations to the home are ever sought. The commission would be able to make a recommendation to the city council about any proposed changes.

Diversity in Preservation: Rethinking Standards and Practices – Time Tells

Image via Time Tells

A recap of one of my favorite sessions from last week’s National Trust Conference in Indianapolis by the inestimable Vince Michael, who moderated the discussion.  The question posed:  how do we get more minorities and inner-city dwellers involved in preservation? The answer: “Wrong Question. They are involved. … The question was more appropriately, how do we integrate our efforts with theirs? This is the same question National Trust President Stephanie Meeks (president and CEO of the National Trust) has been asking – how do we reach local preservationists?” To answer the question, “the  Diversity Task Force has been talking with the National Park Service about Standards and Practices and how they might be amended or altered to create and recognize more diverse historic sites.” Read more for some of the panel’s conclusions!

The Traffic Cutting Gamble Charms Pedestrians – Irks Drivers – NPR

Les Berges, or the banks, is set up for pedestrians. The area was once filled with cars speeding by, but now it’s a place to take a stroll, ride a bike or just sit and hang out. It was designed to be totally reversible. Image via NPR

In a daring gamble, the mayor of Paris recently shut off a major vehicle thoroughfare through the city, the highway along the Seine River.  The move is part of his plan to reduce traffic in the city. The new space delighted Parisians and tourists this summer, but many wonder if it’ll be such a hot idea during the cold winter months.  Xavier Janc, the head of the Berges project at Paris City Hall, says it’s designed to give Parisians what they want: nature, culture and sport. “But most of all we wanted to get rid of this urban highway that marred the historic heart of the city,” Janc says. “We wanted to give the river back to people who love Paris.”

A Discovery Becomes a Dilemma – Rembrandt’s Room

Holes drilled into van der Hart’s 1815-17 plaster ceilings reveal 17th century bird paintings (© MD) Image via Rembrandt’s Room

“In an earlier post I reported on the recent discovery of 17th century ceiling paintings in the Trippenhuis, the home of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam. They were hidden behind an early 19th century plaster ceiling and the dilemma arose whether the plaster ceiling should be preserved or whether the 17th century paintings should be uncovered. In order to do the latter, the entire plaster ceiling would have to be removed. A seeming dilemma – but is it? Time to take a closer look. Last week I was able to visit the house which is not normally open to the public and to take photos.”

The Brooklyn Bridge Painstakingly Redesigned in Letterpress – The Atlantic Cities

This image of the Brooklyn Bridge is composed entirely out of letters. Image via The Atlantic Cities

Sarasota, Florida-based designer Cameron Moll spent three years researching and designing an intricate illustration of the Brooklyn Bridge composed entirely of type.  In creating the drawing, Moll tried to capture some of the history behind the bridge. He chose fonts that honor the Germanic heritage of the the bridge’s architect, John Roebling. And he incorporated the names of Roebling, his son, and the last names of the men who died during the bridge’s construction into the design.