The Downing Planetarium Construction
Production of this site is one of the most satisfying things I have ever done. When Dr. Harold Downing contacted the University about donating money for a planetarium, I found myself on the planning committee for its construction. The site for the Planetarium was right outside my office window. Armed with my new digital camera, I started photographing the site preparation.
Dr. Downing was in poor health at the time, so members of the Physics department arranged for him to have an internet connection at home. I took pictures almost every day and posted them for him to see, along with a bit of commentary. Soon I was given my own hard hat and invited inside the fence. I got it all, from First Dirt Moved to the Gala Opening Ceremony.
The site now resides on a server maintained by the Downing Planetarium and Space Museum. Use the link on the right to go directly to Dave's Planetarium Scrapbook. Forgive the retro look of the site. It was all hand-coded HTML, but got the job done.
I routinely get e-mails from all over the world from planners and architects who are about to build a planetarium of their own. Apparently this site is one of the most complete records ever made of a planetarium construction.