Photowalk: Early Entry into 1892 Bishop's Place, Galveston

http://www.galveston.com/bishopspalace/logo/logo.gif

1892 Bishop's Place is one of Galveston's most interesting and well known buildings. It is toured by thousands of people each year.

About Our Visit

HoustonPhotowalks has been invited to visit one hour early so photographers can enjoy the beautiful home for a while before the general public arrives. See the "Please Note" section below for more information.

They request we limit the group size to 40 photographers, no tripods, lighting equipment or models.

The self-guided tour starts at 9am, and HoustonPhotowalks wil be donating $10 per-person to the museum.

About Bishop's Place

The Bishop's Palace, also known as Gresham's Castle, is an ornate Victorian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_architecture)-style house, located on Broadway and 14th Street in the East End Historic District of Galveston, Texas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston,_Texas). The Gresham mansion was made all of stone, and was sturdy enough to withstand the great hurricane of 1900 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane).

The house was built between 1887 and 1893 for lawyer and politician Walter Gresham The home is estimated to have cost $250,000 (over $5.5 million today).

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5152/5915782004_0f0001b138.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/galvestonisland/5915782004/)

The Galveston Historical Foundation provides self-guided tours of the house daily. Funding from the tours go to help the preservation and restoration of the house.

It has many distinctive touches, ranging from varicolored stone to round Romanesque and depressed Tudor arches. Its facade features highly articulated carvings of plants, animals, people and other creatures.

The nearly 21,000 square feet of interiors are as lavish, with rare woods and ornate and idiosyncratic details. The front parlor boasts a large fireplace mantel made of Santo Domingo mahogany. In the adjoining music room is a mantel made of onyx, pewter and silver.

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/2009press/BishopsPalace-stairs-m.jpg

Please Note

As a condition of our visit, they ask that no tripods or lighting kits be included in our visit. Anything hand-held is welcome. They have specific fees for modeling or portraits, you will need to arrange that on your own directly with the venue. Please do not bring models.

You must be able to negotiate tall stairs, it is three stories above a raised basement. Please maintain your gear so you do not rub bags or gear against walls, artifacts or banisters. Please do not ware sandals, flip-flops or shoes with heels or straps (you will be asked to leave or you will fall and break a hip).

RSVP / PAYMENT / EVENT FAQ:

(This is the "read this before posting a question" section)

I am all signed up, when do I pay?

Before midnight tonight. Folks that haven't paid by end of the day are removed to make room for other folks wanting to join.

I am all signed up, how do I pay?

Check out this quick walkthrough: How to use Paypal to pay (https://www.meetup.com/HoustonPhotowalks/pages/Paypal_-_How_to_Pay_For_An_Event).

I had an emergency / my fish tank went green / I have to change my RSVP. / I had to no-show / I need a refund.

We always expect people not to show up for various reasons. Life happens. Unfortunately we have to pay for your seat if you are there or not. Refunds are not available for this event.

Even though I can't get a refund, I have to change my RSVP for the event that starts in 10 minutes.

Please change your RSVPs with plenty of time for someone on the waiting list to attend. RSVP changes with less than 24 hours notice will be considered a no-show.

The "Waiting List" is huge, should I even bother signing up?

Absolutely. The more people on the waiting list, the more likely we will repeat the event. Also, many (MANY) people sign up but never pay, so the waiting list moves rather fast.

I'm on the "Waiting List", should I go ahead and pay now?

Nope. Wait until you are promoted into the "Going" list before trying to pay please. Also, make sure you have edited your email settings so that you are receiving all email from the group. That way, when a spot opens up, you will receive an email.

I am on the "waiting list", can I just show up anyway?

No. The waiting list folks will get moved in on a first-come-first-promoted basis. Please respect the RSVP list. Unexpectedly showing up creates havoc and confusion of epic proportions that usually lead to being marked as a 'no-show' even though you didn't RSVP.

I was on the "List" yesterday, but I just got an email saying I've been removed!

HPW does not require people to instantly pay to secure their initial RSVP. This gives folks the ability to quickly RSVP for a spot, even if they are on a smart phone and cannot paypal the funds. However, we do like to see the money within 24 hours. After 24 hours, if your RSVP isn't paid, we hand your spot to someone on the waiting list. (NOTE: I'm flexible. If you need a few extra days for your payment to paypal to complete, just send me an email BEFORE you lose your spot.)

I am on the "waiting list", but we're good buddies and I've been in the group for years, can you move me up on the list, good-ol'-boy style?

Nope. I love you like family. And just like family, I hate drama. The wait-list will move in order of first-come-first-promoted. Its the only fair way.

I have a complant and I want to post it in open-air comments?

Please address your comments / complaints / gripes to me via personal email. If you think something's not right and I agree, it will get addressed ASAP. The "comments" section is for things you think would be interesting to the entire group -- if you have something I need to know, address it to me.

I'm seriously new to the group / This is my first event. I don't understand what to do next.

No problem. A couple of nights before each event, I send out the "last minute updates". This email contains a lot of extra info not posted on the open meetup. If you are horribly confused after reading that email, reply back and I'll walk you through your questions.

I don't use PayPal. What are my options?

Start using paypal. Unfortunately people who pay "when I get there" rarely show up. RSVPs are secured by your paypal payment. Paypal is a big part of how we manage this group.

How does the RSVP policy work?

The RSVP, Paid RSVP, and No-Show policies are posted here: http://www.houstonphotowalks.com/about/

There were too many words in this FAQ, so I didn't bother reading it, is that a problem?

Not really. I wrote it and didn't bother reading it. But if something goes screwy, we both will be referring to it for answers.

I have another question not listed here, how do I contact the group organizer or host?

Information about how to contact a Meetup group organizer can be found at this link: "How do I contact an organizer? (https://www.meetup.com/help/How-can-I-contact-the-Organizer-of-a-Meetup-Group/)"