Why are there tiny doors all over Atlanta?

[boingboing]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/30/why-are-there-tiny-doors-all-over-atlanta.html

…

[FGD135]

I can haz 177.8 mm door?

[ClutchLinkey]

[p96]

There are fairy doors in several cities.

Fairy door

[FGD135]

(The door is in the kerbstone.)

[EricHunting]

My first thought was Dr. Ratón Pérez, but that’s usually the little doors in the dentist’s office.

[DreamboatSkanky]

Among my favorites of the Tiny Doors is the one at Atlanta’s wonderful Center For Puppetry Arts.

[Oboo_San]

They are a hangover from the days of the speak easy. Some of the entry requirements were quite onerous.

Quote:

The Relics Of The Speakeasy Age

The speakeasy’s lasting allure lies mainly in its characteristic features, which continue to inform modern bar management techniques.

Hidden Entrances And Secret Codes

A hallmark of speakeasies was their concealed entrances and access codes, which were required to grant entry to patrons. Establishments used doors disguised as bookcases, telephone booths, and even sliding walls. This secretive nature provided an added layer of excitement and anticipation—a marketing tactic that modern speakeasy-style bars still use today.

In addition to hidden entrances and codes, speakeasies often employed numerous innovative measures to maintain their secrecy. Think secret stairways, disguised windows, and hidden rooms - all contributing to the allure and excitement of these underground establishments.

Modern-day speakeasies emulate this element of secrecy and mystery, not just in their entrances but also in their interiors and service offerings. The aesthetic incorporates hidden cubbies, velvet curtain partitions, and, at times, even menus hidden in books, capturing the essence of a fascinating chapter in American history.##

[Kilkrazy]

It reminds me of the cat sculptures used for dispensing illegal gin in olden times.

Londoners Once Drank Gin From A Cat's Mouth

[Fred_Cairns]

My friend John Rivers makes Fairy doors and sells them online and in his “Quercus Magical Emporium”. I have one installed in my house.

Quercus Magical Emporium (Facebook Page)

[jonathanpeterso]

There’s more than a few of those scattered about neighborhoods as well and some of the ATL doors are what you’d consider a fairy door, embedded in the bases of trees,etc.

But tiny doors atl has been doing this for more than 10 years alongside the development of the Beltline and reworking of infrastructure of the city. Some are more art project, but most are tiny openings that match the parent building, for things like the Fox theatre, symphony hall, botanical garden, state farm arena.