Swisscom telephone booth in Zürich. Following up on a recent blog describing a barometer pavilion in Gratz, Austria, I concluded by mentioning that “Happily, much urban furniture has survived as design problems, and I am pleased to see that many of those artifacts have been reborn through the talent of some of the most notable contemporary architects.” I included photographs of one of my favorite public telephone booths in Zürich, Switzerland, thus this blog to describe more in depth about this particular artifact.

Barometer pavilion in Graz, Austria. When planning a stopover with students in the Austrian city of Gratz, I had made sure that our sightseeing intentions for the day were well laid out.

Miniature diecast airplanes. When rekindling memories of childhood, one might have in mind what were considered boy’s toys versus girl’s toys. This blue versus pink connotation was ever present when I grew up. Marketing data and research had much to say when inflecting distinctions. For example, “girls” toys were seen as more aesthetic, domestic and nurturing, while “boys” toys often underscored action-oriented play and an interest in construction.

Denoyer-Geppert Polar Air Age World chart. Over the past decades I have collected maps and expanded my collection to a degree that it has literally ended up covering each wall of my home office, which I fondly call the map room (without any aspiration to Churchill’s war room!) Most maps in my collection feature cities that I have either lived in or visited and continue to admire as part of my autobiographical experience as an urban flâneur.

Rajasthani handmade stuffed animals. Now that the holiday season is rapidly approaching—and as I skipped Halloween this year like many of my friends—I have already brought down from the attic some of my favorite holiday decorative items. Over the years, I have collected Rajasthani handmade stuffed animals and made a point to add to my collection every time I return to India.