12635 Central Avenue, Alsip, IL
Year: 2015
Mausoleum de Balcony is the latest incarnation of a rather unusual yard display in Alsip. What's most unusual about it is that there is no yard - it's on a balcony (hence the name). When we first saw this one it was called Cemetery de Balcony and had a cemetery theme (surprise!). Last year it was called Spirit Parlour de Balcony and had a seance theme, which was very clever. This time around it's a mausoleum.
We have to give high marks to this display just for the effective use of space. There is very limited space on the balcony, yet this setup always seems to make it look larger, and also gives a lot of depth to what is only a narrow overhang. The way items are positioned makes it seem as though there is more space in the background than there actually is, and the lighting also enhances this effect. While thematically similar to the 2013 incarnation, the 2015 version has some enhancements, including stained glass church windows on either side of the main display and a hologram inside the doorway of the mausoleum that made it seems as though ghostly figures were emerging from time to time. The hologram added to the illusion as it didn't show figures constantly, so visitors might see nothing or might catch something out of the corner of their eye depending on the time they looked at the setup. Overall, this is a clever and creative display that changes from year to year and makes excellent use of extremely limited space. For that alone it deserves a look. Enjoy! |
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