After having dinner with a friend on the Plaza, we took the opportunity to drive around the Plaza and enjoy the holiday lighting. The lights are turned on each Thanksgiving evening by local celebrities and the crowds attending have number as high as 250,000 people. This tradition got started back in 1925 with one single string of lights.
I first took photos of the lights in 1966 using an old 35mm camera, a tripod, light meter, and Kodachrome slide film. As I recall, it took 8 seconds of exposure time for each photo. Since I had my Canon 5D Mark III with me for dinner, I decided to take a few photos of the lights. I didn't have a tripod but that wasn't a problem given the capabilities of the camera. All the new photos are handheld using HDR.
I have included a few of the newly taken photos and the ones from 1966 in this post. It is interesting to compare the buildings and the decorations with the 51 year gap in time. Many of the same "core" buildings from 1966 are still in place on the Plaza. They have been surrounded by modern office buildings, hotels, and condos.
For years, the lights were almost all white. I found that boring although I am sure they were easier to maintain using the same color. In the last few years, I have noticed a return to more colored lights. You can still see the many colors in the 1966 photos as well as large candles and street light decor. They don't have as much "extra" decorating now.
The 2017 photos are first up followed by the 1966 slides.
The remaining photos are from 1966.
One of the many fountains on the Plaza and in Kansas City. KC is known as the city of fountains.
I can't believe that I waited 51 years to take new photos on the Plaza.
