And through the Window in the Wall...

Sunlight through the windows of Grand Central Terminal. I remember as a child seeing sunlight striking down in solid white beams from the windows on winters' days, in scenes much like this one. It's something you don't see anymore, and will probably never see again in my lifetime, since people aren't allowed to smoke indoors anymore.

It was a smelly habit, and we're probably best off without it, but it's worth remembering that for most of the twentieth century, indoor spaces smelled of tobacco smoke, the stale old smell mingling with the rich new smell, and the sunlight was a solid substance. The past was a different place.

*****

Best headline of the year, so far: Residents disgusted after woman's body found in hotel water tank