Monday, December 9, 2013

Surrender Dorothy (Open Thread)

Wikipedia - Washington LDS Temple as seen from Interstate 495.
The graffito originally was drawn on the second of the three bridges, seen here painted green
 
"The famous graffito in the D.C. metropolitan area first appeared on the outer loop of I-495, the "Capital Beltway", on a railroad bridge near the Washington, D.C temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kensington, Maryland, beginning in late 1973. The graffito was put up by an anonymous artist and was removed by the Maryland State Police; however, it has been periodically repainted in various forms by equally unknown persons since the initial police removal. The imposing architectural design of the Temple apparently reminded the perpetrators of the Emerald City." ... Wikipedia entry

"Surrender" grafitto, as it appears today on Google Map 

Cheap Trick - Surrender (Live)

14 comments:

chickelit said...

Rockford, IL

The Dude said...

I remember when the temple was built, and that graffiti was classic. Brightened up an otherwise miserable drive around the beltway.

chickelit said...

"Surrender...but don't give yourself away"

No wonder the Japanese loved them so.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I found the location on Google map, where the sign is, but the temple is nearly invisible.

The sign was still there as of last year.

I wanted to link the spot but the new Google map is too unwieldy I cant do what I used to be able to do.

YoungHegelian said...

At night, the Mormon Temple has bright lights that shine up the columns from below. Driving east on I-495 (the graffito bridge is seen going west) some years ago in a winter's fog, I saw the illuminated spires rise out of the fog like a giant alien mothership that had just touched down on our fair planet.

chickelit said...

I have no idea what the graffito says which seems familiar to you and Sixty.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I got it.

Apparently I had turned location off earlier while trying to turn on twitter.

If you click on Location at the bottom of the post... Surrender Dorothy.

chickelit said...

There's an LDS temple near the freeway in La Jolla: link. My kids used to treat it as a landmark and called it "The Castle."

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I have no idea what the graffito says which seems familiar to you and Sixty.

I'm going to have to put up (copy paste) the Wikipedia entry.

Unless you know it doesn't make much sense w/o it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Surrender Dorothy scene.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Would saying something like 'Surrender Dorothy' come to mind, as your car is skating over the ice, about to plow off the road?

Maybe not.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Trooper update:

Hey guys guess what?

The doctor was backed up with emergencies so sat here for six hours doing nothing.

I have to stay over night and I am rescheduled for 2pm tomorrow.

You never want to be the last burger on the grill.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Great bit of graffiti, I remember seeing it too

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Is this link Crack bait?

Haven't heard that goofy clown ranting about "cults" and racism in a while.