2004.01.31

One of the first entries in the Demolition Diary was an anonymous Powerpoint presentation that had been floating around emails for quite some time. It shows various photos of the sections of the Boeing Long Beach plant scheduled for "renewal" after manufacturing work had stopped, but before the demolition work had started. These images offer a rare inside view of the buildings, some of which have since been torn down. These photos may have been taken in 2002.

The presentation has been tucked away on a corner of this website, out of the mainstream for a while, so it seems appropriate to bring it to the forefront now. Also, many Wilexa readers do not have Powerpoint, so these photos have been extracted so that all visitors can view them. If you know the date(s) these photos were taken, or if you are the photographer and would like credit, please send us an email.

View the slide show or examine individual pictures below:

Click on a picture to see a larger image:

2004.01.12

Some new activity, at long last, is visible around the corner of Bldg 2. A crane dropped off a portable office on January 8, and stakebed trucks have been seen going in and out of the barricades. It seems as if most of the work is going on betwen Bldgs 1 and 2 and Bldgs 35 and 36. Unfortunately, getting good photos is a bit of a problem in this area, since it is not visible from the street.

Visit the map for reference.

View the slide show or examine individual pictures below:

Click on a picture to see a larger image:

2004.01.07

The 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade offered the traditional floral extravaganzas on New Years Day. The theme of this year's parade was "Music, Music, Music". Both Boeing and the City of Long Beach entered floats in the annual Pasadena event.

The Boeing float, Music of the Spheres, "portrays Greek philosopher Pythagoras holding a gyroscope of mathematical ratios found in musical scales and celestial charts. The elements at the rear of the float represent the abstract art of music and planetary exploration."

The Long Beach float was a spectacular award-winning entry featuring the best of Long Beach all done up in flowers. In addition to huge whales, it had a myriad of details, such as Grand Prix cars, the Queen Mary, sunken teasure and more. Underwater Melody captured the Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for "Most beautiful entry from a non-commercial sponsor".

Images snapped at the post-parade viewing are showcased in the Outside the Fences gallery. Just click on a thumbnail picture to visit the Rose Parade gallery.

[Editors note: This entry may seem a bit off-topic for this web site, but it does relate to Boeing and Long Beach!]