terra non firma

designer manholes: insert your own joke here

Originally uploaded by yamahi.

the latimes has declared the beginning of the designer manhole era for southern california, starting with hermosa beach. apparently, ornate manhole covers were a symbol of civic pride before WWII, but their design and construction were eventually outsourced.

clearly Japan has had no such problem. even their manhole covers reflect their strange preoccupation with the cute and cuddly. how can hermosa's "ocean waves, an old-time rancho cattle brand, a modern-day house and a baseball bat, tennis racket and lawn-bowling ball — all wrapped around a stylized Hermosa Beach monogram encircled by a sunburst" compete with that?

posted by marissa @ 4:49 PM