February 10, 2013 – Preservation in Pink

A Preservation in Pink blog update: now when you visit the site there is a new page for better blog organization. Visit the “Series” page (click on the top menu) and you’ll be able to browse through the past and present series featured on Preservation in Pink, from Preservation ABCs to Preservation Basics and more.

Hopefully readers find this useful. It’s all part of the 2013 goal to make PiP more searchable and accessible, and to share the many topics discussed over the years. More improvements are on the way. Thanks for reading!

The giant stride is a long-since-removed playground apparatus that dates from early 1900s. Simply put, it was a tall pole with ropes/ladders attached to it. Children could grab hold of the handles and run in circles, so fast that their feet would leave the ground. For safety reasons, it was mostly removed from playgrounds by the 1960s, though some remain.

Another Giant Stride – at a playground in New York City, ca. 1910-1915. Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division (click).

In graduate school I researched the manufacturing and development of the giant stride, and was fortunate to find a few images of giant strides. I’m jumping back into that research. Readers, have you come across any giant strides or remnants of giant strides? If so, would be willing to share those photographs? If so, please let me know. Your help would be very much appreciated. Here’s what one might look like today: