Observatory is one of four wood-engravings that Wagener used to illustrate his stories of growing up in Southern California in his self-published (Mixolydian Editions) book of 2006, Cracked Sidewalks. This is the Palomar Observatory, an astronomical research observatory in northern San Diego County, California, that was built atop Palomar Mountain. Palomar Observatory has been at the forefront of astronomical research since the mid-20th century.