Thai & Intercourse

Photography Now & Then #150

Another place we often visit when we come to Wisconsin is Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. An interesting and beautiful part of the gardens is the Thai Pavilion and Garden.

Now: Thai Pavilion, Olbrich Gardens, Madison, Wisconsin, June 3, 2018 (Apple iPhone 6s)

Thai Pavilion¹

A pavilion, or sala, is a common structure in Thailand generally used as a shelter from rain and heat. Olbrich’s pavilion is more ornate than most roadside salas in Thailand and represents those found at a temple or on a palace grounds. However, Olbrich’s pavilion is not a religious structure.

The pavilion was a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai Government and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. UW-Madison has one of the largest Thai student populations of any U.S. college or university.

Olbrich was chosen as the site for the pavilion because of its garden setting and its proximity to water. Water is important to Thailand because of its implications for good health and prosperity.

The pavilion was built in Thailand, then disassembled and packed in shipping crates. The pavilion traveled seven weeks by sea, then by rail to Chicago, and to Madison by truck. Nine Thai artisans traveled to Madison to reassemble the pavilion after building it in Thailand. It took three weeks to reconstruct.

Amazingly, the pavilion is able to withstand the winter weather of Wisconsin with no protection because it is constructed of plantation-grown teak and weather-resistant ceramic roof tiles. The gold leaf, however, is delicate and not able to withstand the oils of the human hand.

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Then: Intercourse gift shop, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, May 20, 2009 (Pentax K10D)

Another favorite over the years, we last visited Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 2009. Some of the more interesting shops are in a town called Intercourse.

How Intercourse, PA Got Its Name²

Formerly known as “Cross Keys”, this village was founded in 1754. The name was changed to “Intercourse” in 1814. There are several explanations concerning the origin of the name of Intercourse, but none can be fully substantiated:

The first centers on an old race track which existed just east of town along the Old Philadelphia Pike. The entrance to the race course was known as “Entercourse”. Some suggest that “Entercourse” gradually evolved into “Intercourse”.

Another theory is based on the fact that two major roads crossed here: Old King’s Highway, which ran from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (now called the Old Philadelphia Pike, route 340), and the road from Wilmington, Delaware to Erie, Pennsylvania. The intersection of these roads was thought to be the basis for calling the town “Cross Keys”, or, eventually, “Intercourse”.

A final idea comes from English used in the early 1800’s. The word “intercourse” would have been a reference to the fellowship, social interaction and friendship that was so much a part of the culture in an agricultural village. These roots mark the community of faith to this day, still experienced by those who care to dig a bit more deeply while visiting the area.

References:

1. Thai Pavilion and Garden – Olbrich Botanical Garden website (accessed June 3, 2018
2. Intercourse, PA – An Amish Country Treasure – LancasterPA.com (accessed June 3, 2018)

Photography Now & Then Notes:

Series Photos

• The Now  photo is one that is almost always taken the day of the blog post.  In some instances, posts may be backdated if internet access is not available on the day of the photo or other reasons prevent posting Photography Now and Then.
• The Then  photo is usually a randomly selected older photograph from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Photography Now and Then.
• Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
• Reference links were accessed on the date the blog post was published, unless otherwise stated.
• The title convention for Photography Now & Then blog posts evolved early on from one word related to each photo separated by “&” to usually being the first word in the caption description for each photo.