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A fascinating sales enamel badge from the late 1950s promoting the Japanese camera maker Yashica. The badge encapsulates the notion of 'America' through the use of the slab serif typeface, the highway related shield signage and the 'razzle dazzle' flash bulb lighting.
This was an image far removed from 1950s Japan but a clever ploy to enter the American and wider western markets. (Sales of Japanese products in the UK were restricted up to the start of the1960s due to the hostilities with Japan during WW11 - Yashica cameras were part of this regulation).
Moves to capture new markets saw the company form a subsidiary section in New York (234, Fifth Avenue) which was called Yashica Inc. Running parallel to this 1957 wider market initiative was the move to adopt the distinctive slab serif typeface - a variation of French Clarendon, often connected with late 19th Century and early 20th Century western 'Wanted' posters.
The 'Wanted' style slab serif Yashica font was applied liberally to brochure/packaging/publicity material as well as on the cameras themselves between the mid 1950s and mid 1960s. For example, the 1959 Yashica brochure showed the newly adopted branding within the publication and on the following cameras:
Yashica D Twin Lens Reflex Camera (between the two lenses)
Yashica 35mm YF, YK, YL1 & YL2
Yashica 8mm Movie Camera, 8E3
Yashica Y16, 'subminiature' camera
Yashica Automat Exposure Meter (accessory)
During the mid 1960s, Yashica abandoned the afore mentioned slab serif typeface in preference for the 'clean lines' of a modernist sans serif font - not too dissimilar from other Japanese camera makers of the late 1960s and early 1970s such as Nikon and Olympus. The reason for this is not clear but a calculated guess would assume that Yashica, having established a foothold in the western markets, helped by its 'Americanised' branding, no longer needed an image that was so overly identifiable with the US.
Yashica began in 1949 as the Yashima Seiki Co. and by 1953 the name changed to the Yashima Optical Industry Company Ltd. Up until 1953 the company was a camera component maker but the launch of the Yashimaflex camera in the same year witnessed the company's transformation into a fully-fledged (whole) camera manufacturer.
In 1983, Yashica was aquired by Kyocera and in 2008 the latter sold the trademark rights of Yashica to the Hong Kong-based MF Jebsen Group or, more precisely, its subsidiary business JNC Datum Tech International Ltd.
Photography, layout and design: Argy58
(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a variety of print sizes
e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi)
Oh the possibilities, sadly missed through poor design and negligence! You cannot deny then that it's a British Leyland product, taking a car with a fantastic premise, but through sloppy workmanship make it something of nightmares! No car seems to encapsulate the problems with the nationalised company more than the humble Triumph Stag.
To compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL, British Leyland started work on a luxury Grand Tourer, styled by the world renowned Giovanni Michelotti, who had previously designed the Triumph 2000, the Triumph Herald and the Triumph TR6, and would later go on to design the ambiguous Austin Apache and the Leyland National bus. But either way his styling was sensational, but at the same time the car had substance too. In the late 1960's America was on the verge of banning convertible cars to increase safety. So the engineers at Triumph designed what was a very clever T-Bar rollcage over the passenger cabin, meaning the car was not only safe, but also allowed the owners to enjoy what was craved most in a Grand Tourer, drop-top open-air fun! This was complimented by a selection of cars with removable Hard-Tops, although not as popular due to being slightly more complicated. The name was great too, sounding very manly with a hint of beast-like qualities, which for the most part helps to form the image, a strong and noble creature of the wild stood proud amongst its peers...
...only without the antlers!
In 1970 the car was launched to the motoring press with some very favourable initial reviews, admiring the styling, the firm suspension that resulted in a smooth ride and the well-balanced handling. The car was immediately an image setter for the new-money, like the Mercedes it was competing with it had the image of being something for those who had made their money through more underhanded methods, a cads car if you will. But we've all got to make our money somehow I guess!
However, lest we forget that this was a British Leyland product, so of course trouble was brewing. Very quickly the car gained a reputation for unreliability, which can be traced back to that all important piece of machinery known simply as the engine. In 1969 whilst the Triumph Stag was in development, Rover began using their new license built V8 engine derived from an American Buick 215 3L powerplant. Originally this was installed into the Rover P5, but a 3.5L version was installed as standard to the Rover P6 and the later SD1, as well as becoming the motive power behind the almighty Range Rover. The Rover V8 was an incredibly reliable and endlessly tunable engine, making it one of the most popular and successful powerplants in automotive history. It made its way into the TVR Chimera, the Morgan Plus 8, the TVR 350i, the Land Rover Defender, the Land Rover Discovery, the Sisu Nasu All-Terrain Military Transport, the MG RV8, the MGB GT, the TVR Griffith, the TVR S-Series, the Leyland P76, the Triumph TR8 and so on! It was eventually removed from production in 2006, being replaced in the Range Rover it had served so well by a BMW powerplant.
But back to the Stag, and seeing as Triumph and Rover belonged to the same parent company, you'd think that their first instinct would be to place this heavenly engine into the Stag. Apparently that was too much to ask for, and so Triumph, still thinking they were Triumph, decided to develop their own engine because apparently the Rover V8 wouldn't fit in the engine bay of the Stag. Rather than doing the simple task of redesigning the engine bay to accommodate the new engine, Triumph developed their own ragtag V8 by welding together two of the Straight-4 engines you'd find in a Triumph Dolomite. Chucked together at the last minute, the new Twin Dolomite V8 was not a stellar piece of engineering like the Rover variant, its main downfall being the failure to install a proper cooling system. This illogical oversight of something so obvious meant that the engine would heat up easily, and result in the cylinder heads warping, rendering the engine totally useless. The engine was also prone to corrosion and roller link chains that would fail before 25,000 miles causing expensive damage.
As a result of the bad press of the engine, mixed with the terrible build quality that we'd all come to expect from British Leyland, the Stag was removed from the American market in 1973, and finished off here in 1977 by its spiritual replacement, the Triumph TR7, an equally as flawed concept that chose not to learn its lesson and use exactly the same flawed engine, dashing that car's hopes of success too whilst adding a less than stellar body design to its troubles. Eventually the Stag slipped quietly away after 25,000 examples were built, although one did feature in the James Bond film 'Diamonds are Forever', being driven to Amsterdam by Bond after half-inching it from Diamond Smuggler Peter Franks.
This particular story maddens me because I consider the Triumph Stag my favourite of the British Leyland range as it really is a beautiful car and performs very well. Like I said, it's very smooth to ride in and very easy to drive, but the sheer lack of communication and cooperation between two parts of the same company resulted in it being one of the biggest flops in motoring history, and has often been cited as one of the worst cars ever.
Today however there is still quite a sizeable fanbase for this car, with 9,000 Stags still registered as roadworthy, making it one of the most numerous British Leyland products to remain in ongoing use, especially when you compare it to the Austin Allegro's 291 survivors, Morris Marina's 674, and the Rover SD1's 310. The surviving Stags are mostly made up of cars that have had their original Triumph engines replaced by the Rover V8 to improve the performance and reliability. With a Rover V8 under the hood, this car is simply one of the best classic cars ever in my mind, a mixture of style, speed, performance and that wonderful rumble from under the bonnet. For the remainder still with the Twin Dolomite V8, most have been fixed by installing a proper cooling system and solving the corrosion issues. Today the Stags enjoy the popular life that British Leyland had envisaged for their luxury machines way back in 1970, 45 years late mind you but I suppose you can't have everything first time round!
The Trellchem® Hands-Free Visor Light System is a short throw illumination system for hands-free operation, designed to offer improved visibility and a safer working environment for the hazmat responder.
• LED (Light Emitting Diodes) - long life time, durable quality & energy efficient
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• US patent pending
For more information on the Trellchem® Hands-Free Visor Light System go to protective.ansell.com/en/Products/Trellchem/Accessories/T...
On 19 November 2024 at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, Earth-observer Sentinel-1C and its payload adapter were encapsulated inside the Vega-C rocket fairing that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space.
Earth-observer Sentinel-1C is set to launch on Vega-C rocket flight VV25. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of Sentinel-1C into its orbit.
The fairing is a nose-cone that splits vertically in two once the rocket has passed Earth's atmosphere, revealing Sentinel-1C to space.
Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar.
The mission benefits numerous Copernicus services and applications such as those that relate to Arctic sea-ice monitoring, iceberg tracking, routine sea-ice mapping, glacier-velocity monitoring, surveillance of the marine environment including oil-spill monitoring and ship detection for maritime security as well as illegal fisheries monitoring.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Credits: ESA - M. Pédoussaut
Lockheed Martin’s sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) protected communications satellite is encapsulated in its protective fairings ahead of its expected March 26 launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. AEHF-6 is part of the AEHF system -- a resilient satellite constellation with global coverage and a sophisticated ground control system -- that provides global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for national leaders and tactical warfighters operating across ground, sea and air platforms. The anti-jam system also serves international allies to include Canada, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia. For more information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/aehf
(Photo credit: United Launch Alliance)
NASA's Lucy mission is encapsulated in the 14-ft (4-m) diameter large payload fairing (LPF), which will be mated atop the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
nhq201610110010 (Oct. 11, 2016) --- Workers prepare the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft for encapsulation in its fairing on Thursday, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, and Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
The Parker Solar Probe mission for NASA is encapsulated inside its payload fairing in preparation for launch atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
The Sentinel-5P satellite during the encapsulation within the launcher fairing.
Read more about Sentinel-5P: www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus...
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
Technicians encapsulate NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite in its payload fairing in the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is NASA's eighth satellite in the Landsat series and continues the Landsat program's critical role in monitoring, understanding and managing the resources needed for human sustainment such as food, water and forests. As our population surpasses seven billion people, the impact of human society on the planet will increase, and Landsat monitors those impacts as well as environmental changes.
Image credit: NASA/VAFB
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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The Sentinel-5P satellite during the encapsulation within the launcher fairing.
Read more about Sentinel-5P: www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus...
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
To the casual viewer, the dizzying density of domes, minarets and guldastas seen from this view would likely be one of the most romantic encapsulations of the variation of materials and symmetrical hierarchy. For more learned students of history, on the other hand, this off-center, shallow angle might evoke images of Shah Jahan languishing under house arrest in Agra Fort during the later years of his life. After falling ill in 1657, a war of succession was ignited between Shah Jahan’s four sons. The conflict was short-lived, with Shah Jahan’s third son, Aurangzeb, emerging victorious and seizing his father’s throne. When he gradually recovered from his illness, Shah Jahan was placed under house arrest in Agra Fort in 1658. Built by his grandfather Akbar the Great between 1565 and 1573, Agra Fort had been Shah Jahan’s royal residence until 1638 when the capital was moved from Agra to Delhi. Little did the former emperor know at the time, that his once illustrious palace would soon become his prison. The only solace during the eight years of his imprisonment before he died in 1666, was that he could look through the fort’s multi-lobed arches upon the tomb of his beloved Mumtaz. The view which Shah Jahan was afforded would have been from opposite the pictured direction. His body was then enshrouded and unceremoniously brought to Taj Mahal in the dead of night, where he was interred alongside Mumtaz Mahal.
At a time when the most colossal undertaking in Europe was St. Peter’s Basilica, Shah Jahan was commissioning great works at an astonishing pace. From the Red Fort of Delhi and large sections of Agra Fort, to grand mosques across Pakistan and northern India, the architectural revolution brought about by Shah Jahan’s projects was matched only by the empire’s cultural influence. Having presided over the zenith of Mughal architecture, and the broader Indo-Islamic movement, his most impactful work remains Taj Mahal. His devotion to seeing the project through to completion is exemplary of the devotion he had for his wife. I would like to think that such inspiring devotion is the reason why so many of the descendants of the original builders still call Agra home, and still work to preserve that legacy for future generations.
Burke and Wills Menindee Camp Pamamaroo Creek 26/10/1860 to 26/01/1861.
The story of Burke and Wills has become an integral part of the Australian consciousness. Burke and Wills and their fate seem to encapsulate and justify the fear that many urban Australians have of the vast, lonely, dry wilderness which occupies over two-thirds of the continent. Of course the truth about the ignominious demise of Burke and wills is more pedestrian. What went wrong with their expedition can best be summed up by those well-known human failings - incompetence, arrogance, inflexibility and racial bigotry. The expedition was ill-conceived from the outset. It is now generally agreed that the raison d'etre of the whole undertaking was overwhelming pride. This pride was a result of the newly found wealth of Melbourne (a direct result of the gold rushes) and the newly created colonial independence of Victoria. Public enthusiasm for the expedition was high. Public subscriptions exceeded £3000 and the government contributed £6000. Under ordinary circumstances this would have been adequate funding but over half of the funds were spent on purchasing and importing twenty-four camels from Afghanistan. The committee then advertised for a man to lead the expedition. They had thirteen applicants out of whom they chose Irish-born police inspector Robert O'Hara Burke. Burke had no experience and no apparent knowledge of the Australian bush. Why he was chosen to lead an expedition which was going to travel across thousands of miles of rugged and unknown terrain remains a mystery. It was not so much an expedition as a public display. The camels and packhorses were carrying twenty-one tons of equipment including 120 mirrors as presents for Aborigines, sixty gallons of rum, four gallons of brandy, supplies of rockets, arms and vast qualities of dried food.
On 6 September when the expedition reached Swan Hill Burke sold off a large quantity of stores and hired two new men. In Balranald the foreman, Ferguson, quit; Burke dismissed Creber, Cowen, Fletcher, the cook Drakeford, and Langan; and some stores including the expedition's entire supply of lime juice were sold. At the Darling River camp at Pamamaroo Creek Burke insisted that all items weighing over thirty pounds be abandoned. This decision meant that neither Dr Beckler nor the naturalist Ludwig Becker could carry their instruments. Becker left the expedition at Menindee. Prior to Becker's departure the second-in-command, Landells, realised that he would never be able to work with Burke and resigned. At Menindee news arrived from Melbourne that another continental crossing was about to commence. All pretence about the desire to 'enquire into the report upon the exploration of the Australian interior' was abandoned. Burke could not tolerate the thought that he might be beaten. On 19 October Burke, Wills, Brabe, King, Gray, McDonough, Patton and an Afgan cameleer Dost Mohammed left Menindee. Wright was left behind with instructions to bring stores and provisions and to follow the main party in a week to Cooper’s Creek. The main party reached Cooper Creek on 11 November and on 27 November the famous Camp 65 was established under a coolibah tree on the banks of the river. On 16 December 1860 with six camels, one pony, and Wills, Gray and King, Burke began the final push north to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Disaster now followed disaster on the trip north and back to Cooper Creek. On 17 April on the way back Charley Gray died. Four days later Burke, Wills and King reached the Cooper Creek depot. They were exhausted and in desperate need of fresh supplies. To their horror the depot had been abandoned only hours earlier. On a tree William Brahe, the depot foreman, had carved DIG. Confronted with an empty depot, a small cache of supplies and the prospect of starvation, Burke had to decide whether he was going to go back to Menindee or attempt a 320 kilometre walk across the desert to a cattle station at Mount Hopeless. Once again Burke made the wrong decision. He decided to head for Mount Hopeless. It is perhaps the most telling comment about the character of Burke he ignored his only chance saving himself, Wills and King. It is almost certain that the local Aborigines could have saved the trio. But Burke saw himself as the conqueror, as a member of a superior civilisation. The idea that he could be saved from death by a group of 'savages' was unthinkable. The base camp in Menindee was thus occupied by part of the group from 19 Oct 1860 to 26 Jan 1861 before they headed back to Melbourne. Only John King made it back alive from Cooper Creek because he had accepted the hospitality of the Aboriginal people there. Dost Mahomet returned and lived in Menindee and worked for Ah Chung the Chinese baker. He died in 1880 and was buried just outside the town. The base camp at Pamamaroo Creek near Menindee was occupied from 19 October 1860 to 26 January 1861. Before setting off north Burke stayed in the hotel in Menindee and not with his men at Pamamaroo Creek depot. The main weir on the River Darling diverts water into Lake Pamamaroo which becomes the water supply of Broken Hill and the source of irrigation water for the fruit and vines around Menindee.
Menindee. The first white explorer to come along this stretch of the Darling River was Major Mitchell in 1835. Charles Sturt followed him in his 1844 explorations of central arid Australia. The white pastoralists came later as the River Darling usually has ample water for grazing and stock. Once Captains Cadell (Goolwa) and Randell (Mannum) of SA proved in 1854 that the Murray River was navigable to the junction with the Darling River the NSW government began to issue pastoral leases for runs along the Darling River in 1855. South Australians featured among these leaseholders. SA explorer John McKinley of Gawler took up Menindel run which was later renamed Kinchega; the Cudmores took up the Avoca run near Wentworth; and Captain Francis Cadell of Goolwa took up land where Menindee now stands. Thomas Pain is believed by some to be the first white man to settle in Menindee in 1852 and in 1853 he began a hotel. But who were the customers when land had not officially been leased to pastoralists? Francis Cadell built a store near the Menindee Hotel in 1856 to capture the river boat trade of supplies to the pastoralists on upstream journeys and wool bales on the downstream journeys. More growth occurred in the 1860s when more stations were taken up and after the notoriety of Burke staying in the Menindee Hotel whilst his men stayed in the camp at Pamamaroo Creek. George Urquhart purchased a 1,000 square mile run in December 1862 which had access to the shores of Lake Menindee. It became Kinchega station. In June 1863 Urquhart bought the 800 square miles of the Menindee run which included Lake Pamamaroo and added it to Kinchega. A South Australian pastoralist John Bristow Hughes of Booyoolie station at Gladstone SA bought Kinchega station from George Urquhart in 1870. Within a few years he had grown that run to two million acres from near Broken Hill to Kinchega. Hughes had his own paddle steamer on the Darling River.
In January 1859 Lieutenant Perry of the NSW Native Police took Aboriginal officers up the Darling River to the Menindee area to settle unrest with the local Aboriginals and to explore new areas of the region. This is probably why the town was first called Perry. Perry township began around 1861 when the first post office opened. Communications were vital to any new town. Perry was changed to Menindie (Menindee from 1918) when the town was officially surveyed and gazetted in 1863. By 1862 Menindee had a police station and lockup as well as the Post Office and hotel and a few shacks as the first land sales had taken place earlier in September 1862. The town grew very slowly and in a few years Wilcannia higher up the Darling River became the major port along the river rather than Menindee. Today Menindee has around 550 residents and town facilities include the hotel, Post Office/store, an Anglican church with services once a month and a Uniting Church, fire station, school and a caravan park and motel. 36% of the population are of Aboriginal descent. The Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth travels through the town twice a week and a weekly train from Sydney to Broken Hill also stops in Menindee. Menindee has an annual rainfall of about 250 mms (9 inches). A few kms outside the town the Menindee Aboriginal Mission was established by the NSW government in 1933 with people from as far away as Wilcannia, Pooncarie and Broken Hill sent there. Conditions were terrible and the mission closed in 1949. The main heritage structure in Menindee is Ah Chung’s bakery built around 1880 and still standing in the main street.
most of snow melted yesterday, rained all night, then chilled...
front yard, Home
photo By Diane M Kramer
aka She Wolf
December 22, 2013
The ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite, comprised of the Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli, seen during the encapsulation within the launcher fairing. The conical shape to the left is the launch vehicle adapter, through which the spacecraft is attached to the Breeze upper stage.
The first half of the fairing has already been rolled into place underneath the spacecraft assembly, and the second fairing half is being manoeuvred into place by means of an overhead crane.
Credit: ESA - B. Bethge
Read more here.
A couple of lingering leaves on one of the viburnum in my back
yard completely encased in ice following last Friday's ice storm.
Amherst, Ohio.
The U.S. Air Force’s Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Flight-4 satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, completed encapsulation on January 9, 2018. SBIRS GEO Flight-4 will be the latest satellite to join the Air Force’s SBIRS constellation, which enhances our military's ability to detect missile launches, supports ballistic missile defense, expands technical intelligence gathering, and bolsters situational awareness on the battlefield. SBIRS GEO Flight-4 is expected to launch on January 18 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
“In the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2), the petals on the Mars Pathfinder lander are being closed for flight and won’t open again until the lander has touched down on the Martian surface in July 1997. Tucked inside the compact lander are the Surveyor small rover, which will become the first vehicle to traverse the Martian surface, and the lander’s Mars Pathfinder Imager, a stereo-imaging system camera that will capture images of both the surrounding terrain as well as the rover’s excursions, and the other instrumentation and equipment. The outside of the tetrahedral-shaped lander is padded with airbags that will help cushion the lander from the impact of landing. Once assembly of the entry vehicle is complete, it will be mated to the cruise stage that will carry Pathfinder on its direct trajectory to Mars, and then to an upper stage booster. The Mars Pathfinder is slated for launch aboard a Delta II expendable launch vehicle on December 2 at the beginning of a 24-day launch period.”
Oh ho! Now this is a car! Something space age from the early 70's that truly took the idea of futuristic car design from 60's TV shows and made them real. This was all encapsulated in the beauty and raw innovation that is the Citroen SM!
The Citroen SM's story begins back in 1961, where the company began work on a project called 'Project S', a sports variant of the revolutionary Citroen DS. Throughout the decade the car went through a myriad of running prototypes, ironing out faults and pushing the innovative nature of the car to the highest possible level. In 1968 the company purchased Maserati, and took on their knowledge of high-performance cars and engine technology to produce a true Gran Turismo car, combining the sophisticated Citroën suspension with a Maserati V6.
This marriage of raw power and sublime innovation and style was unleashed upon the public in March 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, going on sale in September of the same year. Dubbed the 'SM', a portmanteaux of Project 'S' and the 'M' in Maserati, the car quickly became the company's flagship, looking like nothing on earth and being able to take on the Jaguar's, Lotus', Ferrari's, Aston Martin's, Alfa Romeo's and Porsche's of the day, the first time France had developed a sports production vehicle of this calibre since the end of World War II.
Power was derived from a 170hp 2.7L V6 engine, with a 0-60 of 8.9 seconds, which made it somewhat mediocre when compared to the likes of the Jensen Interceptor and its 288hp powerplant, and a 0-60 of 6.4 seconds.
Nevertheless, the car's biggest party piece was its mixture of raunchy power and incredible style and comfort, the likes of which had never been experienced before. The car is dripping with French panache and style, with the design being the brainchild of Citroen Chief Designer Robert Opron, who intended to keep the stlye similar to that of the DS but gave it some 70's flair for the new, more angular age. It was also fitted with the same hydro-pneumatic suspension found on the earlier DS, as well as the self-leveling lights that swiveled with the steering.
Sadly though, unlike its sporty competitors the SM, like many promising, outside-the-box, French products such as the Renault Avantime, didn't sell in the way the company wanted it to, largely being due to its image and design, looking less like a sports coupé and more a luxury saloon car, sort of along the lines of the Aston Martin Lagonda. At the same time and with much better performance, Maserati was selling the Merak, which looked much more like a sports car and felt just the same. In a similar way to the later Avantime, the SM fell into a gap between two markets, one market being sports coupé's, and the other being large luxury cars, of which it appealed more to one but not the other.
The SM did though make it big in the world of sports, winning its first competitive outing, the gruelling 1971 Rallye du Maroc, and a Twin Turbo V6 SM snatched the world record as the fastest production car on the Bonneville Salt Flats, achieving a top speed of 202mph.
Sadly though, the Citroen company fell into financial decline during the early 1970's, and officially declared bankruptcy in 1974, being rescued by Peugeot. Attempting to cut the costs wherever possible, the company axed the Citroen SM in May 1975 and sold off the Maserati division of the company to DeTomaso, with only 115 SM's produced in 1975 before production ended.
This setback and sad demise however doesn't mean the SM was an unpopular egg. During its 5 years of production, 12,200 SM's were built, and also managed to garner a selection of awards, including the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award, as well as coming 3rd in the 1971 European Car of the Year, a competition won by another Citroen product, the GS.
Today these cars are very hard to find and incredibly exotic. In France you'll probably find a fair few and the United States and Canada also imported a good number. In the UK however they're something of a rarity, but so rewarding when you actually capture one!
The Sentinel-5P satellite during the encapsulation within the launcher fairing.
Read more about Sentinel-5P: www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus...
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
This picture encapsulates 3 well known local structures in Reading covering almost 900 years and was taken on the day of the 2014 Waterfest celebrations. The building in the background is the contoversial Blade office block completed in 2009 which can be seen from virtually every part of the town centre. The statue is the Maiwand lion erected in 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men of the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot killed during the Afghanistan campaign of 1878 and 1880. Their names are shown on the black plaques attached to the plinth. The Maiwand Lion appears on the logo of Reading Football Club and the masthead of the local paper, the Reading Post. To the left of the lions rear leg is the Abbey Gateway - one of only two remaining parts of Reading Abbey that is intact although the arch is in a poor state of repair. The Abbey was founded in 1121 by Henry 1 who is reputed to be buried somewhere within the grounds. The Abbey was destroyed in 1538 on the orders of Henry VIII. The ruins are now closed to public for safety reasons.
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, encapsulating the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi), it is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages at least 1 mile (1.6 km) in thickness.
The Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft is seen after being rotated into a horizontal position in preparation for encapsulation in its fairing on Thursday, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, and Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
At the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft was rotated into position 8 December for its encapsulation into the upper stage of its Soyuz booster rocket. The Soyuz spacecraft will launch 15 December to send Expedition 46-47 crewmembers Tim Kopra of NASA, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency and Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov
Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is mated to a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37 on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The Parker Solar Probe is being prepared for a mission to perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.
Photo credit: NASA/Leif Heimbold
At the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, RSC-Energia technicians look on as the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is encapsulated into the upper stage of its Soyuz booster rocket 8 December. The Soyuz spacecraft will launch 15 December to send Expedition 46-47 crewmembers Tim Kopra of NASA, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency and Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov
The sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center is encapsulated inside a 5-meter-diameter payload fairing in preparation for launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
The ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite, comprised of the Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli, seen during the final stages of encapsulation within the launcher fairing.
The first half of the fairing had already been rolled into place underneath the spacecraft, and the second fairing half is being lowered into place by means of an overhead crane.
Credit: ESA - B. Bethge
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The Bently Reserve in San Francisco is an iconic landmark that beautifully encapsulates the grandeur of early 20th-century architecture. Originally constructed in 1924 as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, this Beaux-Arts masterpiece was designed by George W. Kelham, a prominent architect who left a significant mark on the city’s architectural landscape. The Bently Reserve's imposing facade, with its row of towering Corinthian columns, commands attention and exudes an air of classic elegance that contrasts strikingly with the modern high-rises that now surround it.
Stepping through the grand entrance, visitors are greeted by an interior that is just as impressive as the exterior. The marble-clad lobby, adorned with intricate bronze detailing and opulent chandeliers, harks back to a time when buildings were constructed not just for utility but as a testament to the city’s prosperity and ambition. The Reserve’s main banking hall, now a prestigious event space, features soaring ceilings, massive arched windows, and meticulously restored murals that offer a glimpse into the building’s storied past.
Today, the Bently Reserve is a sought-after venue for high-profile events, weddings, and corporate gatherings. Its historic charm and prime location in the Financial District make it an ideal spot for those seeking a unique and sophisticated setting. The building has been thoughtfully renovated to preserve its historic elements while incorporating modern amenities, ensuring that it continues to serve as a vital part of San Francisco’s urban fabric.
For those interested in San Francisco’s architectural heritage, the Bently Reserve is more than just a building; it’s a living piece of history that continues to play a prominent role in the city’s cultural and social scene.
Technicians have finished encapsulating the European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will travel around the Moon on the first Artemis mission.
Like most spacecraft Orion will be launched inside protective fairings on top of its Space Launch System rocket. The spacecraft adapter jettison fairings have now been installed that protect the European Service Module during launch and are ejected shortly after liftoff.
The next time the European Service Module will be visible it will be in space, when the four 7-m-long solar wings unfold to start generating power for the spacecraft. The three fairings are each around 4 m square, the size of a small room, after launch they will be blown away by small pyrotechnic explosions revealing the four solar panels and the European Service Module underneath.
Above the European Service Module is the Crew Module where up to four astronauts will live and work on a typical two-week flight to the Moon and back. The first mission, Artemis I, will be uncrewed and is set to launch next year.
With the spacecraft jettisonable adapters installed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, the European Service Module will not be easily visible on Earth again, although technicians can access the module to service it and fill the tanks with fuel, helium, nitrogen and ammonia for the cooling system and other consumables.
The final assembly activities for the spacecraft include installation of the forward bay cover, which protects the upper part of Orion including its parachutes throughout its mission, final adjustments of the main parachutes, securing and testing of electrical connections, along with closure and latching of the side hatch.
As each area of the spacecraft is closed out, it will undergo final inspections to complete production. The spacecraft will then begin its path to the pad, including stops along the way to be fuelled and integrated with its launch abort system and, ultimately, the SLS rocket for launch.
In December the European Service Module will be officially handed over to NASA’s launch preparation teams with ESA in a supporting role for Exploration Ground Support, during the mission and for post-flight analysis, as the spacecraft heads into final preparations for launch – a milestone for the hundreds of people involved who worked securely and tirelessly to make humankind's next-generation exploration vessel.
Meanwhile in Bremen, Germany, work is progressing smoothly on the second and third European Service Modules that will send astronauts around and to the Moon. Technicians are currently installing the four propellant tanks for the European Service Module for Artemis II.
Credits: NASA
Lockheed Martin’s sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) protected communications satellite is encapsulated in its protective fairings ahead of its expected March 26 launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. AEHF-6 is part of the AEHF system -- a resilient satellite constellation with global coverage and a sophisticated ground control system -- that provides global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for national leaders and tactical warfighters operating across ground, sea and air platforms. The anti-jam system also serves international allies to include Canada, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia. For more information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/aehf
(Photo credit: United Launch Alliance)
nhq201610110009 (Oct. 11, 2016) --- Workers prepare the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft for encapsulation in its fairing on Thursday, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, and Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19. Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)
Female Bolitotherus cornutus (Panzer, 1794). Found at Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods SNA in east-central Wisconsin. Dodge County, Wisconsin, USA.
Found in mixed hardwood forest. It was on a bracket fungus (Ganoderma?) growing out of the trunk of a standing dead hardwood tree. When I was photographing it, it seemed to be defecating on the fungus. When I processed the photos, I was surprised to see that it was actually encapsulating an egg it had laid on the surface of the fungus.
Single exposure, moderately cropped, handheld, in situ. Canon MT-26EX flash unit, Ian McConnachie and plastic cup diffuser.
Lockheed Martin’s sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) protected communications satellite is encapsulated in its protective fairings ahead of its expected March 26 launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. AEHF-6 is part of the AEHF system -- a resilient satellite constellation with global coverage and a sophisticated ground control system -- that provides global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for national leaders and tactical warfighters operating across ground, sea and air platforms. The anti-jam system also serves international allies to include Canada, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia. For more information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/aehf
(Photo credit: United Launch Alliance)
The Parker Solar Probe mission for NASA is encapsulated inside its payload fairing in preparation for launch atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
Oh the possibilities, sadly missed through poor design and negligence! You cannot deny then that it's a British Leyland product, taking a car with a fantastic premise, but through sloppy workmanship make it something of nightmares! No car seems to encapsulate the problems with the nationalised company more than the humble Triumph Stag.
To compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL, British Leyland started work on a luxury Grand Tourer, styled by the world renowned Giovanni Michelotti, who had previously designed the Triumph 2000, the Triumph Herald and the Triumph TR6, and would later go on to design the ambiguous Austin Apache and the Leyland National bus. But either way his styling was sensational, but at the same time the car had substance too. In the late 1960's America was on the verge of banning convertible cars to increase safety. So the engineers at Triumph designed what was a very clever T-Bar rollcage over the passenger cabin, meaning the car was not only safe, but also allowed the owners to enjoy what was craved most in a Grand Tourer, drop-top open-air fun! This was complimented by a selection of cars with removable Hard-Tops, although not as popular due to being slightly more complicated. The name was great too, sounding very manly with a hint of beast-like qualities, which for the most part helps to form the image, a strong and noble creature of the wild stood proud amongst its peers...
...only without the antlers!
In 1970 the car was launched to the motoring press with some very favourable initial reviews, admiring the styling, the firm suspension that resulted in a smooth ride and the well-balanced handling. The car was immediately an image setter for the new-money, like the Mercedes it was competing with it had the image of being something for those who had made their money through more underhanded methods, a cads car if you will. But we've all got to make our money somehow I guess!
However, lest we forget that this was a British Leyland product, so of course trouble was brewing. Very quickly the car gained a reputation for unreliability, which can be traced back to that all important piece of machinery known simply as the engine. In 1969 whilst the Triumph Stag was in development, Rover began using their new license built V8 engine derived from an American Buick 215 3L powerplant. Originally this was installed into the Rover P5, but a 3.5L version was installed as standard to the Rover P6 and the later SD1, as well as becoming the motive power behind the almighty Range Rover. The Rover V8 was an incredibly reliable and endlessly tunable engine, making it one of the most popular and successful powerplants in automotive history. It made its way into the TVR Chimera, the Morgan Plus 8, the TVR 350i, the Land Rover Defender, the Land Rover Discovery, the Sisu Nasu All-Terrain Military Transport, the MG RV8, the MGB GT, the TVR Griffith, the TVR S-Series, the Leyland P76, the Triumph TR8 and so on! It was eventually removed from production in 2006, being replaced in the Range Rover it had served so well by a BMW powerplant.
But back to the Stag, and seeing as Triumph and Rover belonged to the same parent company, you'd think that their first instinct would be to place this heavenly engine into the Stag. Apparently that was too much to ask for, and so Triumph, still thinking they were Triumph, decided to develop their own engine because apparently the Rover V8 wouldn't fit in the engine bay of the Stag. Rather than doing the simple task of redesigning the engine bay to accommodate the new engine, Triumph developed their own ragtag V8 by welding together two of the Straight-4 engines you'd find in a Triumph Dolomite. Chucked together at the last minute, the new Twin Dolomite V8 was not a stellar piece of engineering like the Rover variant, its main downfall being the failure to install a proper cooling system. This illogical oversight of something so obvious meant that the engine would heat up easily, and result in the cylinder heads warping, rendering the engine totally useless. The engine was also prone to corrosion and roller link chains that would fail before 25,000 miles causing expensive damage.
As a result of the bad press of the engine, mixed with the terrible build quality that we'd all come to expect from British Leyland, the Stag was removed from the American market in 1973, and finished off here in 1977 by its spiritual replacement, the Triumph TR7, an equally as flawed concept that chose not to learn its lesson and use exactly the same flawed engine, dashing that car's hopes of success too whilst adding a less than stellar body design to its troubles. Eventually the Stag slipped quietly away after 25,000 examples were built, although one did feature in the James Bond film 'Diamonds are Forever', being driven to Amsterdam by Bond after half-inching it from Diamond Smuggler Peter Franks.
This particular story maddens me because I consider the Triumph Stag my favourite of the British Leyland range as it really is a beautiful car and performs very well. Like I said, it's very smooth to ride in and very easy to drive, but the sheer lack of communication and cooperation between two parts of the same company resulted in it being one of the biggest flops in motoring history, and has often been cited as one of the worst cars ever.
Today however there is still quite a sizeable fanbase for this car, with 9,000 Stags still registered as roadworthy, making it one of the most numerous British Leyland products to remain in ongoing use, especially when you compare it to the Austin Allegro's 291 survivors, Morris Marina's 674, and the Rover SD1's 310. The surviving Stags are mostly made up of cars that have had their original Triumph engines replaced by the Rover V8 to improve the performance and reliability. With a Rover V8 under the hood, this car is simply one of the best classic cars ever in my mind, a mixture of style, speed, performance and that wonderful rumble from under the bonnet. For the remainder still with the Twin Dolomite V8, most have been fixed by installing a proper cooling system and solving the corrosion issues. Today the Stags enjoy the popular life that British Leyland had envisaged for their luxury machines way back in 1970, 45 years late mind you but I suppose you can't have everything first time round!
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A classic grouping of 1930s Art Deco themed swimming, diving and fashion badges.
Mayfair Jersey Hotel (top left)
This badge encapsulates the very essence of Art Deco styling. The three dimensional raised profile of the 'Mayfair Belle' against a sea of blue is visually stunning - the blue enamelling gives a strong representation of water . The compositional elements work in harmony as the geometric arrangement of the various planes give a strong visual dynamic.The badge dates to the 1930s and promotes the Mayfair Hotel in St Helier, Jersey. An early holiday guide described the hotel as 'The House of Sports'. Additional information included 'For young society and enjoyment we strongly recommend the 'Mayfair Hotel', to those who require a really carefree holiday full of amusements and beach sports'. The guide also showed photograps of the 'Mayfair Bathing Belles', diving and gymnastics activities.
Windsor Water Woollies swimwear (top right)
This charming early 20th Century fashion badge shows a reclining model with parasol in a one piece bathing costume promoting the swimwear of 'Windsor Water Woollies". Made by the renowned badge maker Miller, its intricate cut out figural style became a typical trait of this manufacturer. The composition of the badge is so strong; the model's leg and parasol cleverly 'break' away from the circle of the badge and the portrayal of a model reclining is brilliantly captured. The intense enamelling and subtle treatment of the typography creates an outstanding design. (This badge was also made with different colour combinations).The badge gives a fascinating insight into 1930s fashion swimwear as more and more fabric was being cut away to reveal more of the body. The backs of women's costumes became lower and lower and alternatives to thin straps were halter necks and straps that crossed at the back. A 1933 newspaper advertisement for Windsor Water Woollies promoted the company's 'large variety of plain colours, contrast effects and fancy designs in one-piece suits', adding, 'the costumes are made of the finest wool, medium weight and classic knit...........Windsor for Style, Quality and Wear'.
'Diving Girl' c1930s (bottom)
This classy and original Art Deco 'Diving Girl' enamel badge, with no identifiable text, was undoubtedly inspired by the famous 'Diving Girl' logo of the Jantzen Swimwear Company, USA. The famous Jantzen logo debuted in 1920 and was first applied to swimwear in 1923. It was designed by Frank and Florenz Clark and the image quickly became a global trademark and its strong influence can be seen within this particular badge as a streamlined adaptation.The vintage Jantzen trademark was characterised by a young female dressed in a red, once-piece swimsuit and matching bathing hat. Her arms were outstretched with an arched back that conveyed an elegant graphic marque. In comparison to this, the above badge retains the elegance of the vintage Jantzen logo with changes to the green matching colours and the more streamlined alignment of the back. The above badge would have been worn in the 1930s as a decorative enamel brooch but its style is very much rooted in the 1920s Jantzen version. Measuring approximately 1.5 inches in length, the badge was made in Britain by Stratton's of Birmingham and is typical of the quality of craftsmanship often seen in this maker's work.
From a fashion perspective this badge showcases the one-piece swimwear and matching bathing hat of the period. The conservative nature of swimwear is now being discarded for a more risqué, figure hugging material that's starting to reveal more of the body. During the 1920s it was the Jantzen Company who promoted the idea of a swimsuit instead of a bathing suit with the famous slogan, 'The Suit That Changed Bathing to Swimming'.
Photography, layout and design: Argy58
(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a variety of print sizes
e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi
Built by Lockheed Martin, DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-4 satellite is enclosed in the four-meter fairing that will then be placed atop an Atlas V 401 rocket. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance.
The Alphasat satellite is seen for the last time before being encapsulated by the Ariane 5 fairing, in preparation for launch on Thursday 25 July. The integration took place in the Batiment d’assemblage final of Europe's Spaceport, on 15 July 2013.
Credit: CNES
The Parker Solar Probe mission for NASA is encapsulated inside its payload fairing in preparation for launch atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
The U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite, secured inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s payload fairing, is shown inside SpaceX’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California following encapsulation on Nov. 3, 2020. Sentinel-6 is scheduled to launch on Nov. 21, 2020, at 12:17 p.m. EST (9:17 a.m. PST), from Space Launch Complex 4E at VAFB. The Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin