Round Museum

Once a power tool, this rusted Round saw blade has been an iconic feature outside of the Primate Reserve exhibition at the Philadelphia Zoo since 1999.

Primate Reserve, Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia, PA

07.31.17

Flapjacks. Club Sandwiches. Onion Rings. Scrapple. For more than 50 years you've had all of this and more at Mrs. K's Diner in the heart of Old City, Philadelphia. Sporting a classic lunch counter style, there are plenty of spots to park yourself on a stool and order breakfast from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. But whatever hour you're staggering in there, just look before you sit. One spot is missing a stool. Good to know. Good to know.

07.30.17

This community park used to be a parking lot. Nowadays, the King of the Round can conquer this spherical jungle gym right in downtown Hickory, NC. Community members, local artists and craftsmen worked to build the park, creating colorful mosaics, benches, and other cool features based on a wagon wheel theme as a memorial to Piedmont Wagon which was Hickory's original driving industry.

07.28.17

If an emergency happens on the subway, you have some options. So if you see some sort of crime, or a fire breaks out, or you think you're having a heart attack, just behind this thin Round cover is your bat signal. Break the cover, pull lever down and help will be on the way. Oh... and if a guy in a Batman suit does show up, that's probably not the help you want.

07.25.17

What do we have here? The Better Boy? A Polbig? Or a Perfect Flame, maybe? Whatever the variety, when the summer sun starts peeking over the horizon at Spring Ledge Farm in New London, New Hampshire, the tomatoes in the greenhouse are about ready. This little baby has an extra special spiral marking to Round it out.

07.23.17

Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor theatre in the world. Built in the wake of the stock market crash of 1929, the Hall opened on December 27, 1932. Home to the Rockettes, the "Mighty Wurlitzer" organ, and a three sectioned hydraulic-powered stage with mechanisms that can shoot fountains of water, sheets of rain, fog or clouds, the "palace for the people" does not skimp on the razzle-dazzle.

07.22.17

Tall archways accent the entrance to the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall at West Chester University. The apex of the arches in the ceiling features this decorative, floral Round. A performing arts venue which first opened in 1927 and was renovated in 2000, the theatre is dedicated to Emilie K. Asplundh who was a graduate of the University in 1927 and a substantial donor to the renovation efforts.

07.21.17

Up on Mt Rainier in Washington there's some exceptional tree growth. Dating to the year 1290 and cut down in 1963, this cross-section of the Longmire Tree is labeled along its rings with significant historical dates and a record of environmental events such as the eruption of Mount St. Helens. By examining the growth rings of a tree, dendroclimatologists can discern a picture of Earth’s temperature over a period of time. The larger the tree, the farther back in time you can peek.

07.19.17

Though not fully automatic, the Gatling gun was a huge leap in weapon technology when patented in 1862. It took a four-man crew to power this gun during its debut in the American Civil War. Though not accepted by the Army until 1866, some Union commanders personally purchased the weapon for use in trenches and on gunboats.

07.18.17

At some point this rusty door was not rusty. Could have been the passageway to many things - opportunity, the future, the next room. Probably had a door knob, too. Somewhere along the line things break down and don't get the attention needed. Knobs fall off, holes covered over, doors get sealed shut. Rust creeps in.

07.17.17