Now we are three - leopard tripletts

People's Building, Broad St., Charleston, SC  

I always stop to say hello to the leopard statues in front of the People's building on Broad St. if I am in the area. I was heart broken when vandals destroyed one of them and pleased when the talented folks at the American College of the Building Arts built a new one to keep the twin company. Yesterday I learned on facebook that both of the leopards outside are new replicas and the original is safely protected inside the building.

Wikipedia: Mullaly installed the two white marble leopards at the main entrance. Carved from Italian marble by an unknown 18th-century artist, the leopards were brought to Charleston from an estate near Boston, Mass. In 1990, a plan was approved by the Board of Architectural Review which would have replaced the leopards with gas lamps, but the plan was not executed. The leopards were removed for repair in 2003 and reinstalled the following year. In June 2011, the leopard on the right of the entrance was destroyed by vandalism. The remaining statue was moved indoors, and both were reproduced in 2013 by Kevin McLean, an art student at the College of Charleston.

Facebook: Professor Simeon Warren with help from incoming freshman Josiah Vice installed the People's Building lion statue in their lobby today. Simeon created the base to house the one surviving statue safely in the lobby. (photo below from their facebook site)
 

Here's looking at you, kid!

Seeing eye to eye on Broad St. , Charleston, S.C.

BLFs Forever! That would be Best Leopard Friends Forever.

In the summer of 2011 I wrote this entry after vandals had destroyed one of the pair of leopards in front of the Peoples Building on Broad St. The poor lonely leopard on the left was left alone with no partner to share a joke with or to catch his eye as they overlooked the passing traffic on Broad St. It was so sad to see his empty spot. This weekend as I drove by I almost hit a parked car when I spotted two leopards! I pulled over to say hello and got this shot.

The work on the replacement leopard is very well done. A year or so ago a stone mason in the upstate found my earlier images and asked for more so he could see clear pictures of the missing leopard. At that time he wasn't sure if he had the contract so I don't know if my shots were used for the new model but I am very pleased. Things are as they should be.

Broad Street's Lonely Leopard

People's Building, Broad St., Charleston, S.C.

This is the saddest picture. I've taken quite a few photos of the pair of leopards guarding the doors of the People's Building on Broad St. but now this one is missing his mate. Vandals knocked over and destroyed his companion. I'd really like someone to solve this crime. The crime stopper number is at the bottom of the Post & Courier blurb below.

Vandals Destroy Leopard:

Vandals destroyed one of two marble leopards that have graced the entrance to a Broad Street landmark since 1957.

Sometime between 6 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday, someone smashed one of the leopards and left it in pieces near the front entrance of the Peoples Building at 18 Broad St., according to a Charleston police incident report.

The pair of centuries-old Italian marble leopards were taken down from their pedestals in 2003 for restoration. They were returned in 2004. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked call Charleston police at 577-7434 or Crime Stoppers at 554-1111

Wildlife on Broad

People's Building, Broad St., Charleston, S.C.

This fella and his twin guard the People's Building on Broad St. which is on my regular walking route so it only seems polite to say hello when I go by. He doesn't look like much of a threat up close, does he?

The eight story high rise was the highest building on the Charleston peninsula when it was built in 1911. It's all condos now. Googling around I found this article with pictures of the top floor. Wow. 72 windows. Quite incredible.

Good weekend I hope. I worked too hard today catching up with chores and yard work. Blah.