Christmas Along the Esplanade
by Paula Bosse
A festive Pegasus…
by Paula Bosse
The holiday lights and “dancing waters” of the Esplanade in Fair Park are always worth a visit. I took these photos the other day after doing some volunteer research at the Dallas Historical Society, based in the beautiful Hall of State. I’m particularly fond of dusk, but nighttime is the really the time to see the lights and fountains at their best.
Above, the Pegasus pylon, by French artist Pierre Bourdelle, one of the many artists who worked on the Centennial Exposition in 1936, the year the Esplanade and many of the buildings in Fair Park were built. (All photos are larger when clicked.)
Below, a look toward the Hall of State from the end of the Esplanade.
One of the six sculptures along the Esplanade, this one represents Texas, by artist Lawrence Tenney Stevens:
The Automobile Building with the statue representing France, by French sculptor Raoul Josset:
A closer look, after the sun has gone down, showing the impressive lighting design:
Impressive even from the side:
“Texas” again, lit up and in silhouette:
The illuminated “dancing waters”:
Another view toward the Hall of State:
The jewel of Fair Park, the Hall of State:
Below are two images of the Esplanade from 1936, when all of this was brand new:
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Sources & Notes
All photos by Paula Bosse.
More information on the statues along the Esplanade can be found at the French Sculpture Census page highlighting “Fair Park, 1936” here, and “The Six Ladies of Fair Park” page from the Texas Escapes site, here.
A very large aerial photo of Fair Park from 1936 can be seen here. Zoom in on the Esplanade.
More Flashback Dallas posts about Christmas can be found here.
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Copyright © 2018 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Those are Gorgeous photos Paula, especially the night shots of the sculpture. Thanks for posting them.
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Thank you!
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Spectacular pictures. You are right, night is the time to see. Thank you so much, talented lady!
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Thanks Paula
Once again one of your post sent me down the Fair Park time sink
this time it was the French artist’s for an hour or so last weekend
Nice photo’s of the Esplanade, and that overhead from 1936 gives a much better lay of the land
I need to get down the when it’s lit up for the holidays
BTW do you know if the Dallas Historical Society has the architectural drawing of
Fair Park, I like to pretend I’m a billionaire sometimes and I’m going fund the resurrection
of those otherworldly neon bordered light columns that went down the center of the Midway
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Those light posts were cool. If anyone would have drawings of Fair Park Centennial buildings, it should be the Dallas Historical Society.
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[…] And the last photo is another self-indulgent bonus, because it’s one I took myself — just last week: the Hall of State at Fair Park, from the post “Christmas Along the Esplanade.” […]
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