I’ve been carrying these two photos around for a month or so, waiting for a reason to go out to the stadium and have a look around. They are misdated as “September 1950.” That simply can’t be right–it’s not the end of the original stadium construction but the beginning of an addition–but I can easily see how the mistake might have been made.
While I was out there this afternoon I wanted to see if I could figure out exactly what it was. Friends, I could not. This area has become an astonishing hodge-podge, with pieces sticking out all over the place and weird twists and turns in all directions. It makes Abercrombie seem rational. It has also, if I may be frank, seen better days.
I took these two pictures looking across the top of the additions on the back from either side of the R Room:
I have not given up, though, and vow to go back and have another look (in blue jeans and work boots) after I’ve done some research.
Bonus: Those people in Circulation are complete maniacs.
Google maps satellite view is helpful in seeing the general layout of the old and new structures.
Oh good heavens, I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you!
The forms outline the walls of the current dressing rooms, and the gap between is the tunnel into the stadium.
The entire area was open to the sky in ’73, except for the seats and the R-Room.
The Athletic Department offices above the tunnel, “behind” the R-Room were added later.
Facing downhill, there was a staircase on the right side that went from the tunnel to a door that opened onto the concourse, under the R-Room.
There is a photo of this space, taken with a Widelux camera, accompanying the article about the ’73 A&M show written by Jackson and Blankenhorn.
(I currently can’t access that online.)
Thank you, Grungy! That’s a huge help.
Here’s the picture I was thinking of.
You should have a copy of the original (paper) in the Woodson.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245179/m1/1/zoom/
Hodge-podge is an understatement!
So is “seen better days”!
http://woodson.rice.edu/fondren/woodson/buildings/aerial2.gif
This shows the stadium in the mid-to-late ’70s, along with what the tunnel looked like back then.
What’s the black circle on the side of the pool?