subject: Lights In History, Lights In Life [print this page] I was recently wandering around the virtual environment called Second Life, and I found a place based on several locations in Wyoming. There was a railroad station, Devil's Tower, and even Old Faithful, which erupted about once every ten minutes, which was still pretty cool, albeit nine times more active than its real life counterpart in Yellowstone National Park.
I noticed, as I watched the virtual geyser erupt, that across the way was a virtual replica of the Old Faithful Inn. I have been to the Inn several times and am familiar with its internal features, so I moved my avatar over to this virtual hotel to see how accurate the creators had built it. To my surprise and joy, they managed to capture the look and feel of the hotel lobby, which once served as the grand ballroom of the inn. The room itself has a high, vaulted ceiling, lined with rustic wooden railing from which people would mix and mingle during the dances, and a widow's perch where a band could regale the dancers with music from above. I was very pleased with the attention to detail that the designers had put into the virtual version, right down to the rustic ceiling lighting, shining in this imaginary hall.
In the real thing, the rustic ceiling lights have been carefully refitted and maintained to keep them up to code and to maintain the Old West feel of the Old Faithful in. These same types of lights can be found in the towns of Cody, West Yellowstone, and Jackson, respectively situated at the east, west, and south gates of Yellowstone National Park. The themed inns, saloons, and shops in these three towns, especially those with historic value, have worked diligently to maintain the look and feel of the Old West, right down to the style of lights that are used.
For anyone trying to restore a period venue, or create a new one complete with that genuine look and feel of the Old West, I would recommend studying the buildings in these locations, in person if possible. Take careful note of the style of furniture, the materials used for the walls and flooring, and more especially to the type of lighting used. Nothing could run your Old West theme more than having florescent bulbs, casting their blueish-gray light across your rustic bar and poker table. Make sure that you get the right type of rustic ceiling lighting to make your venue look and feel like the Old West.
