Harley Baldwin
HARLEY BALDWIN 1945 - 2005
Harley Baldwin Harley was an Air Force brat often rumored to be heir to the Baldwin Piano fortune. Harley had a reputation, among those who didn’t know him very well, for being a tough business man and rather stingy with his time and his money.
In truth he was a soft touch and his generosity was the stuff of stories that will live for many generations. He just had an infuriating tendency to name-drop that gave him an aura of snobbism. It did put me off on many occasions, and I would leave the room feeling "less than" for not knowing of what he spake AND not wanting to admit it to him. I always attributed this annoyance to his need for approval.
At his core, Harley cared desperately about every living thing. I remember catching him with tears in his eyes, deep in a canyon on a camping trip to Lake Powell in 1970. There was a snowy egret perched high above us. It had reminded H.B. of the egret that had died when he and I both had jobs feeding the animals at the Syracuse Zoo during college.
–
Georgia Herrick Hanson
Re: the ASTC comment: "We are still trying to find someone who actually graduated." I say hehe
Like good soldiers who never die, they just fade away, same could be said for former ASTC "students."
ASTC truly was the most clever and funniest thing! It still tickles me silly when I think about it. I loved the idea, and their little store, and still use ASTC as my "college of choice". Classmates.com even has it listed as a real college: http://www.classmates.com/registration/registration.jsp?cType=college&communityId=19436311 . It says it has 17 members listed, lol. When I found ASTC listed there several years ago, I got such a kick out of it, I added myself to the members.
Having put in five years at the ASTC School of Hard Knocks 1975-1980, when it was time to move on back into the "real world culture shock," I considered that to be the "graduation ceremony" in and of itself. ;-/ No cap and gown or graduation certificate, but two "send off parties" by Aspen Times workmates (they needed little reason to throw a party in those days) rounded out the farewell, as did the July 4th parade 1980, after which we departed the greatest "college city" anywhere. (My Mom who had come out to Aspen for the first time, to help me move, exclaimed, "I can't believe you are leaving THIS place!")
I say "ASTC School of Hard Knocks" because those days were prior to the "employee housing" program, so during the first three years in Aspen, I had to move 15 times! When the "turkeys" came to town, the landlords had little mercy on the locals' need for housing. ;-/
(And I was so broke with seasonal job hopping and housing-hopping those first three years, I didn't even get to take ski school and buy ski-passes until my last two years there!)
Then the Lord was gracious and I began working at the Aspen Times in 1977, and life became more steady (no more seasonal job searching or waitressing!). Within a year, thanks to Aspen's Greatest Boss Ever, Bil Dunaway, who by that time had acquired one or two "employee apartments", I finally was blessed with a "home" on Park Circle for the last two years in Aspen, with it's OWN balcony AND compact W/D right INSIDE the apt.! and it only cost me $200/month! (Aside from that, Bil Dunaway was truly the wisest and kindest boss I ever had.)
I still have an aging box of "Aspen Memorabilia" tidbits such as the ASTC green felt pennant with white print, and I kept about a dozen "Clean Sweeps" for many years but did eventually let them go, unfortunately. They were always a riot to read!
There's also a few "Sal-A-Mander for President" buttons in there, too, lol, plus an Aspen BiPlane Juice and Jazz Festival poster, and a Winterskol poster from that era.
Thanks for the walk down Memory Lane!
Rah Rah Sis Coom Bah for Aspen State Teachers College!
PS: You don't really have to print this, or you can edit as you see fit. It's more of a personal "memory lane" thing than anything. /bg
Reply to this
Arriving in Aspen in 1988 i was friends with the late Architect C.Welton Anderson eventually inheriting his business upon his death in December 1991. I had power of attorney regarding his business until his death and inherited his personal automobile and $10,000 in cash to keep the business going.
He had worked with Mr. Baldwin designing the much publicized studio apartment on the second floor corner of the Brand Building back in 1981.
Mr. Anderson was extremely displeased with Mr. Baldwin's business & personal ethics as many contemporaries can attest to his frequent exaggerations some of which were also lies or misrepresentations.
Mr. Anderson parted ways with Mr. Baldwin in 1990
when Architectural Digest published with Mr. Baldwin's interview - crediting the building restoration and many of the condominium renvoations to a personal friend of Mr. Baldwin instead of correctly naming Mr. Anderson as the architect. I myself gave the orginal restoration drawings by C. Welton Anderson to the Aspen Historical Society archives after his death.
Reply to this