21 Comments
User's avatar
Marjie Alonso's avatar

Amazing parallels!

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Truly!! I was very excited.

Thanks for reading and commenting, faithful follower :)

Expand full comment
Sabrina Simpson's avatar

Ohh, so interesting! I loved the photos showing their interpretations of the natural world. This is the way history should be taught! Thank you for sharing this story with us! And I am relieved you didn't get a bronchial infection.

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Yes, it was so moving to see how these designers viewed, appreciated, and respected nature and re-created it there work for all to enjoy. I found it striking too that Gaudi did it with rolling, curvy, shapes and colors and Sullivan did his in iron and metals but each, in my opinion, are equally breathtaking and inspired. Fascinating how the mind works so differently. I guess that's part of being a genius.

Fortunately, a warm shower and change of clothes does wonders. As does drying our wet boots and socks with a hair dryer.

Expand full comment
Jayne Marshall's avatar

Wow, what a great story. I love how you found and weaved these connections through one another. Even right up until the end of their lives. How did it make you feel when you started connecting all these dots? It must have felt, as you say in your subtitle, like your own worlds (past, present) colliding...

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Yes, Jayne, that's exactly what it felt like. Life forces and universes coming together. It was a bit thrilling to see these connections between the men but more than them, the whole world. Learning about the significance of the World's Fairs puts these events into a whole new light in terms of bringing technologies, science, innovation, and inventions to the guy on the street. Root beer! Bananas!

Expand full comment
Jayne Marshall's avatar

Absolutely! How thrilling 🥰 Also, I now want a root beer!

Expand full comment
Betsey Drake's avatar

Gorgeous symmetry! Loved these intersecting stories! It’s no surprise you’re drawn to Gaudí!! Xx

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thanks, Betz. It's taken me way too long to appreciate his work but now I'm on the other side. Hopefully, these posts will spark interest in Gaudi's work in others before and when they get to Barcelona :). Including YOU!

Expand full comment
Larry Falkenau's avatar

Interesting story. It would have been fascinating if all three had met each other face to face. Imagine the conversations they may have shared over coffee!

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Right!! And even more interesting what they would have shared over a whisky over two. :)

Thanks for your thoughts, LLL.

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Bonbright's avatar

Fabulous piece. I especially love how you showcase connections from the past and present generations and align the work of Gaudi and Victor through the similarities in their individual styles influenced by social, economic and artistic happenings of their times.

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thank you for your kind and insightful comments, Beth. The most amazing thread throughout all of these was that despite the enormous distance between geographies and cultures, there were so many coincidences. Like something in the universe was moving them together :)

Expand full comment
Jolene Handy's avatar

What a weaving of story!

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thanks, Jolene! It was great fun and exciting to see how these similarities and coincidences unfolded.

I appreciate your reading and commenting.

Expand full comment
Practical Globetrotters's avatar

I love the fascinating parallels you are uncovering!

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thank you! Me too. It was great fun.

Thanks for your reading and commenting!

Expand full comment
Tim Little's avatar

You capture the time period so well. It's interesting to reflect that during this time America and the rest of the world seemed ripe for the picking. There were few barriers to progress: healthy dose of creativity and dedication seemed destined to bear fruit.

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thank you, Tim. Yes, it was just the right time; it seems like the world was exploding with possibility at that time. I'd add that perseverance and dream also had a lot to do with each man's vision and success.

I appreciate your reading and commenting. Thanks.

Expand full comment
Thalia Toha's avatar

Andrea- Every time I revisit Gaudi’s work, I always find new and exciting things to learn. I suppose deriving so much of his work from nature, this should be expected. But it’s always a joy to rediscover. Thanks for the prompt!

Expand full comment
Andrea Eschen's avatar

That's great, Thalia. Glad to hear this Snippet served as a prompt. It also gave me an appreciation for his work that I certainly didn't have before. It's so rich, one could study it for a long time and still derive new ideas and meaning.

Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts.

Expand full comment