May 3rd, 2010

Posted | 3 comments

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Loading ...

Today’s the BIG DAY! Since you’re the people of Oklahoma City, I would like to see every one of you there tonight. Consider this a personal invitation!

Remember that the unveiling tonight doesn’t conclude the project…it’s only the beginning, really. Our committee is doing interviews with people involved in the transformation of OKC, as well as those who witnessed Oklahoma City’s history. We’re mining the I.M. Pei archives for OKC-related material, and I’m personally going to research some of his archival material at the Library of Congress this summer. Our group is also reviewing plans to create an exhibit conveying the history of OKC via maps, blue prints (we have the Ramsey Tower blue prints at OHS!), photos, etc., to provide an educational context for the model.

And finally, to give some more dimension to what you’re about to see tonight, please take a look at the interactive map of pre-urban renewal Oklahoma City HERE. I created the map with our OHS web master Jennifer Towry. Also be sure to review the bibliography for some of my favorite resources on the history of OKC. Thanks Jennifer, for putting up with all of my visions and revisions!

I did the research for the map while scanning photos taken by Z.P. Meyers in the Hillerman collection. As a side note, the Hillerman Collection is comprised mostly of commercial images taken by Z.P. Meyers of Meyers Photo Shop (formerly at 325 N. Robinson in downtown OKC). Here’s some more about the collection.

3 Responses to “May 3rd, 2010”

Ryan says:

May 12, 2010 at 8:56 pm

How long will the model be on display?
admin says:

May 12, 2010 at 10:53 pm

The model will be on display at the Cox Convention center’s North East lobby until approximately June 20th. At which point it will be moving to the Downtown library for an undetermined amount of time. One of the main goals of this project is to find a permanent home for the display that will be accessible to the public! More information to come!
Steve Lackmeyer says:

July 18, 2010 at 2:48 am

For those of you still wanting to view the model, it is now on display in the second floor lobby of City Hall, 200 N Walker Avenue.

Mark your Calendar!

Thanks for stopping in! This is a really exciting project for Oklahoma City. The scheduled date for unveiling is May 3rd, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the northeast lobby of the Cox Convention Center. Speakers will include Mayor Mick Cornett and state historian Dr. Bob Blackburn. In addition to the model, the display will include new information panels about the history of downtown and the urban renewal era, and original paintings that were produced almost 40 years ago in conjunction with the introduction of the Pei Plan.

History

Renowned international architect I.M. Pei was contracted in 1964 by the Urban Action Foundation, a non-profit formed to help launch an urban renewal program for downtown Oklahoma City. His work included a creating a 10- by 12-foot model showing how downtown might look in 1989 after the program's completion. The model was part of an ambitious public relations effort aimed at gaining support for tearing down hundreds of old buildings...
Read More