Old things

One of the neat things about living in a 98-year-old apartment is that some of the features are still here from years past, even if they would not be built in today's times or don't even seem to have a purpose anymore.  There are fixtures that have been painted over, closed up, or just become obsolete due to changes in codes, family sizes, mores, living arrangements, etc., but they give such a clue to times past.  Some are just a mystery.

There are a few former windows in my apt. that are sealed shut.  Perhaps once there wasn't a building next door, so they were opened and the inhabitants breathed freely.  Or maybe once people just used to them toss out the trash.

We also have a tiny ironing board hidden in a panel in the kitchen.  The board itself is sorta broken and we don't use it; in fact, we have stuff in front of the door.  But it's pretty neat...

Inside the door:  An ironing board that drops down!

I can also look outside past the fire escape and see threads from old clotheslines that extended out to the trees and poles.

There's a tile in the bathroom that has pictures of vegetables painted on it. Kind of strange. Was the bathroom part of the kitchen once?

Anyway, sometimes things break and new things need to be brought in. The apartment is adjusted again for modern times, but it loses a bit of its charm. Then again, signs of what used to be there remain for future dwellers to marvel at.