First Genuine Rppc's That I've Aquired....continued

For our foreign friends - what is an RPPC?

Peter

There are a lot of things to like about the G K Engles Restaurant real photo post card, starting with the tin ceiling!

Real Photo Post Card (RPPC)

Great photo...with the ductwork, wiring, and pastry cases. You can almost imagine yourself sitting there with your feet on the tile floor.

Q/ What is that object traversing the ceiling? The second floor's sewer pipe?

Ikey, I am hoping that it is exposed ductwork rather than sewer pipe above the tables.

Today, the exposed ducting is quite stylish for urban lofts. Back in those days, it was probably just the cheapest way to do the job.

Ductwork? For their A/C? You sure that these guys were not still loading ice into their ice box?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who suspects that chimney pipes that ran level did not run for long)

You are probably correct. The color and "look" is not correct for heat, and on closer inspection, I don't see any vents. So, maybe I wouldn't be having my cake and coffee there after all.

The health department closed down a location of nationally franchised restaurant chain here about 20-25 yeears ago for just such a violation.

Maybe it was coal gas being pumped through the pipe?

Correct color and size for sewer pipe (or vent), but a run that long should angle down quite a bit (but did they follow or even have a code?). Hard to tell from that perspective. Possible it's from boiler to radiator(s), but that's usually several runs. Big for gas, but maybe not back then. I found much smaller gas pipes in our ceiling used for natural gas lighting.I

Love that tin ceiling, we put one in our kitchen.

Gas sounds about right.

Water (potable or 'used') would be too heavy to travel that distance without support.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I was thinking maybe steam. I asked my wife who has an architectural historian background, but she really couldn't tell what the pipe was made of. She did suggest exhaust from a cooking area. Does anyone know where this restaurant was located?

Zooming in too get a closer look only raises more questions. For example, what is the waiter holding??

Will, please tell the wife that I said that soot'n'grease would gather in no time, with potentially catastrophic results, and report back what she thinks.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who is neither architect or historian)