Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: complex

The folks who settled Eaton County, Michigan, called the swamp that covered much of Windsor Township " The Old Maid Swamp ." Nowadays, to the extent it's called anything, it's the Secondary Complex Marsh or (if you're an old state employee) Lake Austin. At least in this corner of the bog. I think we should resurrect the old name.... Photo shot from the parking lot of the Secretary of State building, where I worked more or less forever without knowing the swamp's True Name.

There are six large office buildings between Michigan's Capitol and the Hall of Justice, but they're arranged so that you cannot easily see all at once. In this photo: The Van Wagoner Building. Murray Van Wagoner was Michigan's governor in the early 1940s. The building houses the Transportation Department, which he championed. The Hannah Building. John Hannah was president of Michigan State University for 28 years. This building houses the Education Department, of course. It was originally called The South Tower, though it's not particularly tall. Stevens T. Mason Building. Mason was the governor of Michigan Territory, and first governor of the State of Michigan. This Equals That would dominate this photograph if it had not been removed. I was never a fan of the sculpture, but the State's treatment of the piece was disgraceful.

I am not particularly enamoured of this building's exterior; it's really just a gilded box. The Capitol's interior, however, is simply wonderful , and the dome is quite attractive. On January 1, 1979, the centennial of this building was celebrated under the dome. I participated in that celebration as a member of Lansing's Da Capo Singers. Someday I'll have to find a way to explain about Da Capo; it's a good story....

I had a downtown meeting yesterday afternoon, so I took along my camera and shot a few photographs of the Capitol Complex. Michigan's government is scattered all over the state, and I work in a rural office complex, but the heart of everything is here--anchored on one end by the Capitol Building, and on the other by the Hall of Justice. Between those large buildings are a bunch of quite substantial office buildings.