PICNIC TABLES <«- Plate II A-l

10

r icnio U*P)G — — Don n a m O t a t a Carlo — — loras

M i in i I- r i i • .1 r i ora is piozuroa tag, moa: asDGalmg oi the, picnic, o n e s con-i • I r I i j i I I r O • ' . Tl 11 Drivaa root:-: sqoarc-a \umaz-r or room me-rciaf s i zes . 1 he- wfrH proporDionaoq splayaa lops are- viae o u c s z a n d m a lacoor its Tarl'rt«.rt'rtO ok>s i a p s n o n l y o f onis example, iaihe vWiat-2K shown on one opposizo p&ejp. ln*ne is its th is spocimzr? an aamirab'c apozaranoW o; bairhip sciostanDiallv bnacea apanss t ove-rtcii-n: rig.

ii O - C O O

Plate II A-2 ->» PICNIC TABLES

American Island Metropolitan Park, Chamberlain, South Dakota Millersylvama State Park, Washington

PICNIC TABLES OF SQUARE-SAWN MATERIAL

The examples here pictured are more or less closely related to the table detailed on the facing page. Square-sawn lumber of generally commercial sizes is the material used for all, except for the ex­ceedingly thick slabs which are the seat and table tops of the Millersylvania State Park example. The freehand lines of these hewn slabs do much to insinuate this man-made object into a harmony with its surroundings.

Two examples illustrate fabrication of table top with spaces between the component members so

that there are no narrow cracks or joints in which food and other accumulations can lodge. The South Dakota table indicates a careful rounding of the edges of seat and table tops so that danger of damage to clothing is minimized. The Pickett Forest table appears particularly sturdy and well-braced. The Piatt National Park table is also sub­stantially braced and has a center of gravity so low that it could only be overturned by intent and much effort. All might, and perhaps some do, have a buried length of leg to give fixity of location.

Pickett State Forest, Tennessee Piatt National Park

I I

P I C N I C T A B L E S <«- Plate II A-3

1 2

PicnicUml

O u c r n s c y L a b e o t a t e . Pack- — — — Wyoming

>A heavy rus f ie type- in which t h e s c a t s are carr ied o r cress-• c a m s coltcd to the-legs or tr?e> tacle-. I L o r e is t h e possibi­lity or ex tend ing fcne. l eng th of t h e l e e s t o allow rot- prantirtd • -*tL_ -. C l Oi I O . r ii i T L O m roe Orocjoo to p reven t casual -moving Or the a n r . J pre, basic t ype or tao le is widely u s e d in fbV plains a n d moun-i • lyi M -I 11 -2 i r fi i- i • tain stares. Happily t he very n a t u r e or the rwstie materi­al employed s e r v e s so save a n y o n e un i t from appearing" to be one exact d u p l i c a t e or its next n e i g h b o r as zhz oppa-

•l It I i • I I I I O s i te i l l u s t r a t i o n s d e m o n s t r a t e .

Plate I I A-4 •m PICNIC TABLES

These variants of the table detailed on the opposite page exhibit the quality of handcraftedness in a wide range of scale. The more noticeable differ­ences between them are in seat and table tops. At upperleft these are of sawn lumber; at upper right only the top of the table is dressed material—the seat tops are half logs. The examples shown below employ half logs for both seat and table surfaces.

It will be noted that the legs of the Crowley's Ridge table, apparently, and of the Gebhards

Woods table, certainly, are buried in the ground. In point of fact the lack of any longitudinal bracing in the latter example makes firm anchoring of the legs a virtual condition of stability under the rack of use. Rigid bracing, both lateral and longi­tudinal, is very necessary if the picnic unit is to withstand the stresses and strains to which a single season in facilitation of picnicking is certain to subject it. To this the experienced park man charged with maintenance will be quick to testify.

Gebhards Woods State Park, Illinois

Crowley's Ridge State Park, Arkansas Dollivcr Memorial State Park, Iowa

PICNIC TABLES WITH SUBSTRUCTURE MEMBERS IN THE R O U N D

Denver Mountain Metropolitan Parks, Colorado

*3

PICNIC TABLES «-5- Plate II A-5

14

-KICK) 10 U n i t

Ooutn M o u n t a i n Keservat ion — - Ne«- J e r s e y

Mquare-d a n d r o u n d t i m b e r s in satisfy] no combina t ion that is nei ther boo -'.marznore-d nor ceo machined in a p p e a r a n c e •An exce l l en t compromise- rav'orirjq e q u a l l y v/i loerne-ss scc-tinq and the need for q r c a t n u m b e r s or practical picnic- units, oppropria.be a n d yet not costly, r r e s e n t a r e suitable thick­ness 01 saac a n a table- planks, adequacy or c leats to prevent t hav -a rp ino or t he tabic top, a n d a s s u r a n c e or des i rable fix­ity or location by virtue or tnc deep-planted support ino members.

Plate II A-6 -V» PICNIC TABLES

Rocky Creek State Park, Oregon Riverside State Park, Washington

PICNIC TABLES OF FIXED LOCATION

Common to these variants of the picnic table de­tailed on the facing page is that degree of anchorage which effectively discourages the public's inclina­tion to move tables about, and yet does not prevent the maintenance crew from moving them when the picnic ground must be vacated for a period of recuperation.

The subtle differences in these examples hold interest if studied in the light of such potent affect­ing and related influences as climate, location, and available timber supply. The wide slabs which serve as table tops in three examples are, generally

speaking, indigenous only to the Pacific slope. The top of the Oklahoma table is not a single board it is true, but the several pieces that comprise it are of a very satisfying thickness and are spaced sufficiently far apart to do away with unsightly, clogged joints.

The two illustrations above show a substructure of squared material in contrast with one in the round. The fine slabs which serve for table top and seats in the Deception Pass State Park example have astonishing bulk, and show an agreeable dis­regard for true planes and straight edges.

Deception Pass State Park, Washington Osage Hills State Park, Oklahoma

l5

P I C N I C T A B L E S «f> Plate II A-7

Picnic Table

C ra t e r Lalce National Parle - — — Oredon

A table of substantial proportions tbat fully aebno'dedoss tbe impressive' sca le or floe trees native to Hoc Kac-irio 3iops and so is appropriate in tlois a n d otloet-4 western National Partes wkoro it loas been built. A practical advantage in t b e type is t b e a b s e n c e or undcrbracina so orteto in­conveniently restrictive ot led room.

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Plate II A-8 •m PICNIC TABLES

Rocky Mountain National Park

PICNIC TABLES WITH BURIED SUPPORTS

The table and bench combination detailed on the facing page and the variations here pictured have in common vertical round supports buried in the ground and benches quite independent of table construction.

At upper left is an example that substitutes three half logs for the two which form the top of the Crater Lake table. At upper right is shown a table with single half log, roughly squared, serving as table top. The Woahink Lake table frankly adopts a sawn slab for this purpose, but half logs still pro­

vide the seating. The Deception Pass example goes all the way. Its table and bench top parade the unexcelled timber resources of that region in the form of massive slabs having hewn surfaces and freehand edges.

Shifting of tables of this type is not impossible, yet hardly a light task to be assigned annually to the maintenance crew. There are other types bet­ter suited to areas where the wearing-out process is rapid, and frequent relocating of picnic tables is practiced as a maintenance measure.

Woahink Lake State Park, Oregon Deception Pass Stale Park, Washington

l7

Mohawk Metropolitan Park, Tulsa, Oklahoma

P I C N I C T A B L E S <«- Plate II A-9

1 8

L i C YlI o U r? i b

C a d d o Lace, S l o i o P a r k _ - _ Texas

I roc tron? acoqsaxon or r raa i l ity, ye t capable, or beind reloca­ted i, occasion demands , this cmffc and tbe va r ia t ions sbosen ot? "bo Diatc opposi te r a t e well for primitivene-ss and practicabili­ty'. 'Wood ccnsLrcic-tion or Ibis bosky c b a r a o t e r is only truly appropr ia te- it ib?e s u r r o u n d i n p ' s t a n d i n d t imber is in scale vit'n t o o ioo m e m b e r s o) bbe table- a n a berzebe-a.

Plate II A-10 ->» PICNIC TABLES

Caddo Lake State Park. Texas Scenic State Park. Minnesota

appearance should discourage the persistent whim of the public for casually shifting tables about. As with the preceding groups, here are differences in the construction of table and bench tops, and of understructure, which make for considerable indi­viduality in spite of a basic similarity of parti. With tables of this type, probably the major shortcoming, in a strictly practical sense, is the requirement of a perfectly level site. Lacking such, it is surely more desirable to obtain a full bearing by "scooping out" the ground so as partially to bury the supporting logs than to resort to a shim as illustrated at upper right.

Custer State Park, South Dakota Sibley State Park, Minnesota

*9

LOG PICNIC TABLES IN VARIETY

The table at upper left is a virtual duplicate of the one detailed and illustrated on the opposite page. Both are of interest as illustrations of the subtle dif­ferences of line which can result between units built from the same blueprint. Though the table tops of these Caddo Lake units are supported by legs, the method of supporting seats on short lengths of log laid on the ground here makes its initial appearance.

In the three other tables pictured, this style of support is variously and interestingly developed to carry the table top as well. The resulting massive

PICNIC TABLES m- Plate II A-ll

2 0

KiCntO U n i t

Ahisstssipoi Ka.ii53.aos o f a U . Park - - - I l l ino is

M a s o n r y a n a sp l i t lops combmea i ^ a u n i t of a x f r o w o a a ra­b i d l y t h a t has teat t o e p r a c t i c a l a a v a n r a q a of r e a d y H?OD;-iifcy w r e n coo rests r p or s i t e becomes des i r ab le . I bo rree-h a n d l inos of cbe sofTb lobs are Qdreeaoie I b e shone m a s o n r y has we! i - rel atc-d ree ' i no ' or i n f o rma l i ty . I n c a I'saavanLade* of tne hxoc. loca t ion is pe rhaps of fset by a n indicated f ree ­dom f r o m m a i n t e n a n c e costs. O p p o s i t e a re shown other pic­n i c a n i l s Gont r ived or s tone and t i m b e r

Plate II A-12 -»> P I C N I C TABLES

inherent in all boulder masonry, and serves to harmonize the two materials.

The two examples from Minnesota parks illus­trate the interesting variety possible in tables developing from the same basic idea. In these two the differences in the seat and table top construc­tions, and in the character and form of the stone end supports, may be compared with interest. In both there seems to be lack of tone harmony be­tween wooden and masonry parts; in the one case, the apparently untreated wood is glaringly white, in the other, the planks appear to be stained too dark, to an unpleasant contrast with the masonry.

Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota

21

Foster County Park, California

At upper left is an informal combination of masonry table and half log seats for accommodating the short-legged (first aisle to the right) and the gang­ling (next aisle to the left). Thus is a hillside site utilized to practical and coincidently picturesque advantage. The rock-faced edge relieves the severity of the stone top.

At upper right the starting handicap of an at-hand material difficult to handle has been over­come in large degree by a careful selection and painstaking laying up of the boulders. The weathered, rounded treatment of the wooden parts is a nice gesture toward the " lumpy" character

Saxon Woods, Westchester County, New York

PICNIC TABLES COMBINING MASONRY AND WOOD

Whitewater State Park, Minnesota

PICNIC TABLES «<- Plate II A-13

22

Picnic labio/ - - B a s t r o p ufcate. P a r L ' - - Tc-xas

Docarjsc/ of to&r&l f anomar i ty wif.b> porolo a ^ J lawn fcir-rjifrjr<L< navinc1 a IrarooworL or nocial tubirjrt, itois oxpcntr;orr taJ picnic fab[e> Soonos povoi rafloor lloato revo lu t ionary it evolved from a n u r c e to create- a prac t ica l , comfortable, da-rablOj inconspicuous unit wbiclo would dive promise, or immu­nity rrorx? vandalism. I bo copper tubirop wiin s t r e a m lino cas t b r a s s riitinqs, p e r t n a P e n t l y soia&rcd, will take on a pat-oral oxidised woa tno r ind . i loo troweled a r d pumice, stone, f imsncd conc re t e tables, iop noay b e .staifc>ed o r i n t e g r a l l y coioroOj a n d fne wbute pine, s o a r cops noay be s t a i n e d , all to a c e r t a i n Yj3.rmony wiLVo n a t u r a l surrocnoditops. 1 loo pritocipal a d v a n t a g e s oi floe emit a r c adap tab i l i ty to tr?ass production mctnoas a n d a pVactiC/al i naos t ruoPb i l i t y if, woipns l o u r h u n d r e d pounds.

Plate II A-14 ->» PICNIC TABLES

23

Picioio l ab l c / - - B a s t r o p O t a t e , P a r t s - - 1 e-xa5

A o o U o e r c a p e r i m o r d a l p i cn i c t a b l e purposed to provide, a. com-fortable orjit or e a s i l y ob ta inab le s tocb ma tc r i a l s , a n d assoro-b lab lc wi tbouf tloe e n d l e s s c u t t i n d a n d f i t l f i od -o f jo in ts r e -aolrod tor lop tab les . A l l s u r f a c e s a r c Smoofb, t l oe e n d supports* c a n be- e a s i l y s t r a d d l e d , too b races i n t e r f e r e / w i t b b n c e - r o o m a n d t b e no r i eon ta l brace/5 are- low a n d easy t o step over. Iroto slooes, w b i c b tn ipbf a lso bo cast witn oxterr siotos to atocbor tloe tab le to its l o c a t i o n , b e e p a l l wood&n m e m b e r s of f f loe proutod a n d pr&v&ni r o t t i n d 'T loe u n i t is l o w e r fbar? a v e r a p e , w i t lo w i d e r fbar? usua l s c a t s , atod bas round f a v o r f o r i ts m v i t m p conotorf atad r idid cons t ruc­t i on . I t is f u r f / b c r r n o r e e c o n o m i c a l of m a t e r i a l as to Icrnd aiod a m o u n t , w e i p b m d foot over o n e rjunar&a a n d t b i r t y r i v e poatods.

PICNIC TABLES Wr Plate II A-15

Moran State Park, Washington

VARIFORM PICNIC TABLES

The turnstile or merry-go-round table at upper left passeth understanding and defieth explanation. It deserves some sort of award for originality and doubtless brings a measure of novelty to a jaded picnicker. There is an agreeable freehandedness in the lines of the Pennsylvania table of unusual design at upper right. The California table introduces a ventilated cupboard for stowing away the picnic basket and other picnic gear. The seat and table tops are dressed smooth with edges rounded well for the protection of light clothing against tearing.

The Alabama combination of table and detached benches will wisely be adopted only in areas where destruction of natural values is not likely to attend the casual moving around of picnic facilities by the public, or where nontypical circumstances might make detached and readily movable seats extra­ordinarily useful equipment. Sturdy and well-braced in a degree that should protect the items themselves from demolition in the process of being moved, they are here shown for their reference value in special cases.

Palornar Mountain State Park, California

24

Mount Pcnn Metropolitan Reservation, Reading, Pennsylvania

De Soto State Park, Alabama

Plate II A-16 ->» PICNIC TABLES

Springbrook State Park, Iowa Springbrook State Park, Iowa

RUSTIC WOODEN PICNIC TABLES

At upper left is maximum exemplification of the weather-worn primitive. Rough and raw edges are nonexistent. There is present something of "driftwood" quality that infers great age, unau­thentic but ingratiating.

The table at upper right is a rawboned render­ing that pleases by its very awkwardness. There is affinity with Nature in man-made things in which it is not sought to eliminate all inherent imperfec­tions of line and surface.

The Deception Pass table evidences opportunism

applied in utilization of superlative materials at hand. By converting huge half log to table top and exceedingly heavy planks to seats, a picnic table of massive scale results.

At lower right the typical Caddo Lake picnic unit, detailed on a previous page, is extended to almost indefinite length for the benefit of family reunions and al fresco foregatherings of the gre­garious Rotarian or Elk. The most meager picnic fare becomes a banquet when it can be served on a board so vigorously rustic.

25

Deception Pass State Park, Washington Caddo Lake State Park, Texas

PICNIC TABLES <«- Plate II A-17

Mohawk Metropolitan Park, Tulsa, Oklahoma Round Top Metropolitan Park, Wyoming

MISCELLANY OF PICNIC FACILITIES

Here is a motley assortment, no item of which is any less interesting because unrelated to the others. At upper left is a wood and stone combination, pic­turesque in the extreme, but very definitely com­mitted to its location, come flood or tornado, or need for recuperation of outworn area, when it becomes a "frozen asset" until the site is renewed.

Judging from its vacant expanse of background, the roofed picnic table at upper right is by way of being the outstanding feature, natural or man-made, of this metropolitan park area. The table pinch-hits for Nature and provides its own shade,

certainly a legitimate function in such a setting". The monumental table at lower left is known in

Texas as a barbecue table. Starting in Lampasas State Park, it ends we know not where. The great length is probably a protest against "second table" seating and its usual accompaniment of chicken wings and watered lemonade. At lower right is a first step in the direction of buffet picnicking, touched on in the preliminary discussion. When the hang-over formality exhibited in the bench can be shaken off, the theory of the truly informal picnic unit will have been put into practice.

Lampasas State Park, Texas Clifton State Park, Texas

26