I've been watching a lot of Proper People urbex videos on YouTube, and they go out of their way to recognize the design that went into ordinary places, back whe

I've been watching a lot of Proper People urbex videos on YouTube, and they go out of their way to recognize the design that went into ordinary places, back when those places were somewhat extraordinary. You see, in the 1930s, electric power _was_ glamorous, even its generation. The idea of a municipal utility _serving the public_ was a big deal. All the modern miracles that enabled dense cities to grow upward, electric water pumps and elevators and inter-office telephones, were shiny and new and worth celebrating. So, celebrate they did. Telephone central offices built in the 1920s and 30s are cathedrals to the tamed electron, with ornate Art-Deco carvings and stone arches and tile inlay adorning their entrances. I've had the privilege (yes!) of working in quite a number of them, and while the asbestos precautions are a hassle sometimes, there is a palpable feeling, even a century later, of showing up to work somewhere respectable. Proud. Exalted.