Adaptive Reuse of the Bead-board Ceiling & the Benches & the Chautauqua Salute

Miller Park Commemorative Stump (L) & Benches (R)

The Miller Park Stump was cemented over to mark the location of the first platform erected in 1874. It all started right there with a small covered platform and simple benches.  Then it was on to the ravine where the Amp sits today with a canvas covering. Then the first Amp was build which lasted only 14 years before Chautauqua’s leadership decided to build a new improved version of the Amp to better accommodate the performers, lecturers and the growing assembly. In the summer of 1893 one Chautauquan was quoted in the Assembly Herald saying the cemented over stump looked like a giant amalgamation. There was no commemorative object for the first Amp, except of course for the new Amp built between the  1892-93′ seasons that replaced it. I noticed there was no send off or other commemorative event for the first Amp as I did the research in the 1892-93′ Assembly Heralds except for the following quote which I previously highlighted in my post, A Tale of Two Amps.

The Amphitheatre has served its purpose well, but it has outlived its day, and while it will be parted with regretfully its successor will be welcomed most gratefully.

I’m sure Chautauqua will come up with something for next season to send out the old girl in style. See my post, Debunking Myths & Bad Analogies Part 1 (Link Here –  https://driftoftheday.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/debunking-myths-bad-analogies-part-1/) which delves into what the Yankees did to commemorate the last game at the original Yankee Stadium along with a link to their website covering the entire days events. Truly a class act as the new Yankee Stadium was being completed across the street.

Memorial Plaques (L), Bricks (R), Maple Trees & Home Plate

Chautauqua has made it very clear that they will reuse the 701 Memorial Plaques and Bricks currently displayed in, on, and around the Amp. The bricks were part of the Second Century Fundraising Campaign whereby donors of $1,000 or more received a commemorative brick on the back wall of the bleachers finished in 1983. This continued a long time Chautauqua tradition of fund raising thru Chautauquans sponsoring plaques; on the benches in the Amp and maple trees in Miller Park, along with small pieces of real estate that have been sponsored. As an example Shorty Follansbee’s mother sponsored home plate at Sharpe Field for him as he spent so much time there.

Thoughts on Adaptive Reuse of Some Amp Materials & Another Look at the Chautauqua Salute

The Bead Board Ceiling

The Bead Board Ceiling can be carefully removed, the paint stripped off and turned into wainscot paneling and applied to every room in the back of the Amp. Maybe Chautauqua can get some LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) credit for the adaptive reuse of the ceiling in the back of New Amp as LEED certification is one of the stated goals of the new Amp project. The remaining ceiling can be sold to Chautauquans and friends of Chautauqua in 4′ and 8′ sections to benefit the Chautauqua Fund. Just imagine, homes all over Chautauqua get to have their own piece of the Amp as wainscot is applied to kitchens and bathrooms all over the grounds. I’m also pretty sure all the petitioners of the committee and the National Trust and the other Preservationist organizations would want to own a piece of that as well, as they tried so hard to save it. Definitely a target demographic. Officially licensed Amp Wainscot is exported all over North America – shipping and handling, of course is extra. Chair-rail and Baseboard are not included.

Current Amp Benches Adaptively Reused As…?

I was trying to come up with a reuse for the benches but they are so uncomfortable I’m not sure of any of this but here we go. That being said maybe some may want to personally pick out their favorite bench and cut them down to size and use them on their porches in addition to the wicker chairs. I guess you could sprinkle a few around the grounds for people to sit on, possibly even use some as benches at club as SAC meets by the wall with no space on the benches on the waterfront. Consider them V.I.P. seating for the SAC Groups in the back rows. Taking it to the logical extreme the benches could be cut up and turned into flower boxes, porch coffee tables, gliders/swings on porches (seat back and seat cushions recommended), desks, shelving, porch steps, and other less obvious uses only limited by your imagination and craftsmanship abilities. All proceeds benefit the Chautauqua Fund.

Peters Bridge (L) & Peters Bridge 1901 (R)

For all those concerned about Peter’s Bridge I have a suggestion for that as well. The bridge can be shortened and placed over the ravine at club (possibly under thunder bridge) so the kids don’t have to wade through, hoping from rock to rock or walk around when the water level is high.  I rode my Schwinn Sting Ray across that bridge almost every day on the way to club, and rarely got scolded for it – you know, back in the day. At the back of the Amp, if its practical, a replacement can be built that arcs higher over the driveway so the 18 wheelers that approach the loading dock can clear it or alternately or in combination some excavation work could be done to add to the clearance height.

Chautauqua Salute With Hankies (L) Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towels (R)

My Chautauqua Grandma and Myron Cope were talking on the front porch of the Refectory in Heaven (yes in Heaven it’s still called the Refectory) and have come up with the following idea to revive the Chautauqua Salute tradition of waving hankies to salute speakers/performers in the Amp. For those of you not familiar with the Terrible Towel (if there are any) see the picture on the right above. It was conceived and marketed by the longtime voice of the Steelers, Myron Cope in the mid 70’s as the Steelers were on their way to their 2nd consecutive Super Bowl. It is universally considered to be the first and most famous rally towel. Myron suggested that Chautauqua should create a Horrible Hanky. A standard size white cotton handkerchief with the Belltower/CHQ logo emblazoned in CHQ green on one side. In the first summer of the Hankie the bookstore could sell thousands of these each week during the season as the population on the grounds turns over. Obviously it can also be used by those in attendance for the drooping of the lilies on Old First night. Don’t leave home without it. I would however recommend that Chautauquans not wave the Horrible Hanky as wildly as Steeler fans wave the Terrible Towel. Discretion is a must. I was once asked by a young lady why the Steelers towel is terrible and didn’t have a good answer.

Editors Note: Yes I realize the “Horrible” moniker doesn’t make a lot of sense for Chautauqua but it follows suit in context with the Terrible Towel. A thought starter at the very least.

 

Ship Of Theseus Paradox & Grandma’s Favorite Bench

The ship of Theseus’ paradox is a thought experiment that raises the question of whether an object which has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object. The paradox is most notably recorded by Plutarch in Life of Theseus  from the late first century. The paradox had been discussed by more ancient philosophers such as Heraclitus, Socrates, and Plato prior to Plutarch’s writings; and more recently by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.

According to Plutarch’s  Life of Theseus, the ship Theseus used on his return from Crete to Athens after slaying the Minotaur was kept in the Athenian harbor as a memorial for several centuries.The ship had to be maintained in a seaworthy state, for, in return for Theseus’s successful mission, the Athenians had pledged to honor Apollo every year henceforth.

To preserve the ship, any wood that wore out or rotted was replaced with new and stronger timber; it was, thus, unclear to philosophers how much of the original ship actually remained, giving rise to the philosophical question whether it should be considered “the same” ship or not.

Regardless of these issues of the originality of the ship’s structure, for Athenians the preserved ship kept fresh their understanding that Theseus had been an actual, historic figure – which none then doubted – and gave them a tangible connection to their divine providence.

Chautauqua’s Amp Paradox

So all of this begs the question of what are they trying to save of all the pieces and parts of the Amp that have already been rebuilt/replaced. The 3rd roof, the 4th stage, the 4th backstage, the added structural supports in the roof, and all the benches that have already been replaced. The only components that remain original are the out of plumb steel columns, some of the “asymmetrically stressed” superstructure, the rotting and warped battens, beams and tresses that make up the roof structure, and the bead board ceiling.

The bottom line is that whether it’s the current Amp, the first Amp, or a brand new Amp, it is still the Amp. The iconic venue for the largest part of Chautauqua’s program. For 122 years it all happened in the structures built over that ravine so we don’t vacate that history, we better prepare for Chautauqua’s future by building a new Amp.

Variations of the Paradox

George Washington’s Axe

George Washington’s axe is the subject of an apocryphal story of unknown origin in which the famous artifact is “still George Washington’s axe” despite having had both its head and handle replaced numerous times. This thought experiment is “a model for the philosophers as the handle and blade are repeatedly replaced”; some say, “it remained the same,” some saying, “it did not remain the same”.

John Locke proposed a scenario regarding a favorite sock that develops a hole. He pondered whether the sock would still be the same after a patch was applied to the hole, and if it would be the same sock, would it still be the same sock after a second patch was applied, and a third, etc., until all of the material of the original sock has been replaced with patches.

 Modern Day

With all these bands from the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s making comebacks with some of the original members the same Paradox can be applied. The Beach boys play Chautauqua with only 1 of the original members but they are still called the Beach Boys. Below CCR* plays the Amp in 2009. I hadn’t read the Daily that day so I walked toward the Amp with a friend expecting Credence Clearwater Revival and they started the concert as we were a block away and I knew right away that John Fogarty wasn’t singing lead vocals and was quite disappointed. The bands revival was as Creedence Clearwater Revisited* with two of the originals, but it’s just not the same without Fogerty.  Talk about a tough act to follow.

Chautauqua Summer of 2009 CCR* plays the Amp

Proposed Resolution to the Paradox – Then & Now

Aristotle’s 4 Causes  (Material, Formal, Efficient, Final)

According to the philosophical system of Aristotle, four causes or reasons describe a thing; these causes can be analyzed to get to a solution to the paradox. He wrote that “we do not have knowledge of a thing until we have grasped its why, that is to say, its cause.”

The “cause” of the Amp is to be the iconic venue for supporting the largest performances, lectures, and worship services in Chautauqua’s program. Therefore the newly rebuilt Amp achieves this cause much more efficiently and safely.

The formal cause or ‘form’ is the design of a thing, while the material cause is the matter of which the thing is made. The “what-it-is” of a thing, according to Aristotle, is its formal cause, so the ship of Theseus is the ‘same’ ship, because the formal cause, or design, does not change, even though the matter used to construct it may vary with time.

The ‘form’ of the new Amp is larger in the back and a little wider and deeper in the bowl but is quite similar in many of the design aspects, including it’s openness, simple design, the ceiling, choir loft and retains the Massey organ while adding an orchestra pit that can be raised up to stage level for larger performances.

The ‘materials’ will be designed to look very much the same especially under the canopy and will be non-combustible while the structure will be a substantial improvement. The back will be bigger and functionally superior with care being taken to have it be aesthetically similar to the surrounding structures.

The ‘end’ or final cause, which is the intended purpose of a thing. The ship of Theseus would have the same ends, those being, mythically, transporting Theseus, and politically, convincing the Athenians that Theseus was once a living person, though its material cause would change with time. The efficient cause is how and by whom a thing is made, for example, how artisans fabricate and assemble something. In the case of the ship of Theseus, the workers who built the ship in the first place could have used the same tools and techniques to replace the planks in the ship or with modern day versions of the tools and techniques to rebuild the New Amp and my Grandma’s Favorite Bench.

As you walk through the gates to the New Amp, see the stage and search for your family or friends you will be transported back to any point in your own history in the Amp as it will look and feel the same. The new benches will be an upgrade and the building will be much more safe and efficient for those who work, perform, and gather there. I’m pretty sure if Theseus could come back today he’d rebuild his ship to make it larger, stronger, safer and faster.

Benches Being Rebuilt (L) & Grandma’s on Bench

Editors Note: None of the women on the Amp benches pictured above are my Chautauqua Grandma. They are however, metaphorically all of our Chautauqua Grandma’s sitting on all of their Favorite Benches. If you’re keeping score at home, odds are pretty good that their favorite bench(s) have already been replaced with a replica. Now the new benches will be more comfortable (ergonomically correct) and much safer to get to.

Ship of Theseus Text From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus