Entitled Militarism in China. Here are specimens of the Soldiery who protect the people by dominating them, who protect property by looting it Liao Chow, Shansi, China [c1925] IE Oberholtzer (probable) [RESTORED] I did light scratch and spot repair, adjusted tone, contrast, added a sepia coloration, and cropped away the partial view of the individual on the far right edge.

From a private collection discovered on Picassa Web Albums (Google's free picture gallery) as hosted by generous netizen Joe. He has a collection of images that (from what information I could gather on his gallery), seems to have been taken by one I.E. Oberholtzer in or around the Liao Chow area of Shansi, (I suspect this may be modern day Liaozhou, Shanxi Province, but I'm having a bit of difficulty getting cross referenced confirmation), China, during the 1920-1930s. Once again, it is due to the dedication of private citizens that images which would otherwise be lost to history, is instead seen by all. This validates and burnishes that part (in this case, of a part of China), and makes indelible an isolated stitch in the fabric of time. Woven together with the contributions of others, that fabric becomes a tapestry that testifies to our collective history in a vital visual record. We all hold a debt of gratitude to the generosity of such net contributors.

Other pictures from this series and Joe's magnificent galleries can be seen here:

picasaweb.google.com/LlamaLane

Most people consider the China of today as a nation that has 5000 years of continuous unbroken history as one political entity; that is not so. As recent as a century ago, China was politically fractured akin to a nation say, like Pakistan, where the central government held political sway in name only. Genuine authority outside central urban areas resided in the hands of well financed individuals, called warlords, each armed with their own personal army.

Warlords held their positions by strength of the sword, and areas under their control were effective fiefdoms that the Chinese central government had little or no control over. At times, even central government commerce movement needed to tender road tariffs to these local governments before being allowed passage. These regional governments functioned by their own rules, often created at the whim of their leader. They fought not only with the government but with each other. Between the years of 1912 and the second world war, most people understand and remember the national struggle between the communists and the nationalists in China. In fact, the nationalist government was only in nominal control, with the communists being but one external factor, along with a variety of warlord cliques and subordinate factions that competed for overall supremacy in 8 major geographic areas. Opportunistic coalitions often formed to work either against, or with the Nationalist government; though allegiances were well acknowledged to be something ephemeral as parties easily traded loyalties according to their individual needs of the moment. Regional armies with fidelity to a local leader instead of a national government wasn't an entirely new concept to the Chinese of the times. In fact this was business as usual as far as Chinese history was concerned. During the monarchy, Qing standing regional Bannermen armies could likewise have been a template for the Warlord phenomenon. Each Banner was separate and distinct from the others and only loyal to themselves, and not to any idea of national government, per se. They fought for the throne because they were paid to. Thus, they were similar to mercenary armies at the service of the government

During this period of national crisis, Outer Mongolia, long a part of the Qing empire, (under strong Soviet influence) successfully broke free and became, de facto, independent from China in 1921 . The Chinese nationalists successfully kept Xinjiang and Xizang (aka Tibet) from breaking away, and were also successful in keeping most other nations from further colonizing what was essentially a broken and defenseless China.

The Warlord private armies in essence were regionally raised militias that were privately trained. They were armed with a variety of western and traditional equipment and in one battle alone (Central Plains Battle of 1930, in which three warlords allied against the central Nationalist government), involved an estimated one million troops. These troops rode roughshod over the populace with impunity. They were notorious for robbing, raping, and pillaging everywhere they went. If they didn't have enough men to perform support functions (like build fortifications or carry away loot), they would gang impress local manpower as slave labor. They would often take whatever crops there were, and allowed the local population to subsist on starvation rations. As patronage mills, they allowed men of affluence to buy officer postings either for themselves or their sons, to serve as midlevel leaders within a warlord's army. The situation was so socially severe and dire that the populace hungered for relief and easily bought into the communist message of land ownership reform, equality of treatment, shared burden, and national defense. This helped set the stage for the mass support that Mao needed to overthrow the nationalists and take the country by force of arms.

Mural entitled "Awakening" by Vannessa Circe aka @v.circe seen in St Petersburg, Florida.

Photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee.

billbarber.blogspot.com/

From my set entitled “Boats and Ships”

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/3206986832/in/set-7215...

In my collection entitled “Transportation”

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215761271...

In my photostream

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/

Cordova Lake in the City of Kawartha Lakes is about two hours northeast of Toronto. Karen the kids, the grandkids and I rented a cottage at Cordova Lake for the first week of August. This is the second year we've been there.

Condensed from "History of Cordova Village and Cordova Mines"

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=...

It’s unsure just who discovered gold at Cordova Mine, but the property eventually came into the hands of H. Strickland. In 1897 it was acquired by The Cordova Exploration Company, in 1897, and was worked between 1898 and 1903. In 1911, it was purchased by Cordova Gold Mines Ltd. The mine site included housing as well. Its head office was in Toronto. The mine shut again in 1917 when it was again reopened under the ownership of Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada (COMINCO). It remained open only until 1940, and has been closed since

www.clrm.ca/cottages_haliburton_kawartha/cordova_cottage....

Cordova Lake is just 15 minutes north of Highway 7 so is very easily accessible. Explore the surrounding area and visit the delightful riverside town of Campbellford to the south, take a drive to Bon Echo Provincial Park or visit the ‘rocks that speak’ in Petroglyphs Provincial Park. And if you haven’t visited Kingston or Ottawa, it’s an easy day trip to both.

From Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawartha_Lakes,_Ontario

The City of Kawartha Lakes (2006 population 74,561) is a city in east-central Ontario, Canada. Although designated as a "city", it is a largely rural area. The municipality is named for the Kawartha lakes ("Kawartha," shortened from Gaa-waategamaag, means "shining waters" in the Ojibwe language).

The main population centres are:

* Omemee

* Lindsay

* Fenelon Falls

* Woodville

* Bobcaygeon

The municipality was created in 2000 by the Progressive Conservative government of Ontario through the amalgamation of the constituent municipalities of the former County of Victoria, and officially came into effect on January 1, 2001.

In a close vote (51% for, 49% against), the citizens of Kawartha Lakes voted to de-amalgamate in a November 2003 local plebiscite, but the provincial and municipal governments have not taken any steps since the vote to initiate de-amalgamation.

I've included links to Cordova Lake cottage rentals, not because I want to rent you cottages, but because the ads feature great pictures of the lake and of cottage exteriors and interiors.

www.atthecottage.com/forrent/cordova/index.html

www.clrm.ca/cottages_haliburton_kawartha/cordova_cottage....

www.start.ca/users/mharris/waterfalls/cordova-falls.html

toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/vac/843395047.html

Imagekind link

www.imagekind.com/member/image.aspx?IMID=0e1eff0c-6b9d-49...

*****

The Silken whisper of Flickering Desires

A Chronicle

Adapted from the Final Entry Entitled:

Their Regal Gambit

Subtitled:

While Sherlock Holmes vacationed

The first score had been made, now for the Coup de Grace! So far their little operation had gone as smooth as silk, or in this case, satin. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then Mollie would let her husband know that with the coast clear, freeing him to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping an eye on all evening. The one who was wearing the exquisite necklace of fiery flickering diamonds, just daring someone to expertly slip it away the throat of its unsuspecting owner.

And therein lay the rub, She happily thought….

As Mollie made her way down the quiet corridor to the gentlemen’s smoking lounge, she lovingly played through her mind the series of unfortunate ( or fortunate?) events that had led her and her husband to this place. It had all began with an innocent one named Tabitha…….

Mollies’ Flash back

They had first come across Tabitha at a resort casino deep in the Catskills. Mollie and her husband had been there about three days, scoping out the grounds, and its wealthy clientele. At the casino they both spotted Tabitha at the same time. She was seated at a baccarat table, really standing out in an elegant dress of gold and black striped silk and velvet Her well-toned body displayed numerous pieces of expensive jewelry. A fat little purse dangled, unheeded by her side. Tabitha had held Mollie’s attention mainly due to the strong resemblance she had to herself. Tabitha’s jewelry, a flashy diamond journey style necklace, matching earrings, wide diamond tennis bracelet, and multiple gem encrusted rings, had held Mollies pickpocket husbands’.

Mollie went on to the bar and watched as her husband waited for the seat next to Tabitha to become vacant. Then he sat, asking for chips, while unobtrusively eyeing Tabitha’s bracelet. He began striking up a conversation with Tabitha, finding her to be an easy mark. He soon learned from the chatty girl that she was a divorced, upper executive for a well-known digital arts company servicing the movie industry. It was during this conversation that Tabitha babbled about the upscale, invitation only(you know), black tie formal ball she would be attending in England the next month. Now, as her husband was keeping Tabitha occupied Mollie had walked by the pair, ‘tripping’ into her husband, who palmed off to her , the diamond bracelet which had been ever so subtly slipped from around the unwary Tabatha’s’ wrist. Walking away with the bracelet secured in her purse, Mollie made her way to their small bungalow. Her husband did not break in his conversation with Tabitha; a mark would seldom suspect a friendly person of stealing from her.

Later that evening, Mollie wore the pricy bracelet while mutually admiring it over a bottle of merlot with her husband. They discussed the high-class affair Tabitha had been bragging about. Wistfully, Mollie admitted it was a shame they had not received an invite. Her husband smiled, and pulled a thickly embossed and crested envelope from his pocket. Easily adopting a British accent, he said “The silly little twit was carrying this in her purse!” The envelope revealed a pair of invitations to the Princess’s Jubilee Royal Ball. As the pair continued to empty the bottle of fine merlot, what had started as speculation, turned towards reality, and soon plans had been laid.

As they lay in bed later that night, Mollie turned to her husband, just think about the jewels that will be worn at the English Ball, she shivered with the delightful thoughts. Do you remember the last time we were in England? Mollie looked at her husband slyly, you remember, the Wriggling Whelp Whispering Wisk! She stated teasingly. Mollie knew the quickest way to get her husband’s goat was coming up with silly phrases to describe his more outlandish endeavors. Such phrases like The Tingling Touch Ice Melt, The Slippery Slick Taffeta Pull, The Glossy Gowned Dangling Peel, or her personal favorite, The Ticklish Wedge Clam Dip, never failed to get a response. In this case the response was a brief pillow fight leading into a romantic interlude, ending up with them in bed as they reminisced about the last time they had “visited” England a few years back…..

It had proven a fairly profitable venture with the jewelry alone netting almost 100,000 pounds. It all had culminated quite nicely at one of the posh events they had crashed that final weekend. Their final score had come about from a rambunctious doe eyed Fourteen year old in a shiny dress who had been oblivious to the valuably delicious gold pendent studded with small rubies and emeralds that sparkled ever so invitingly as it swung from her throat. A pair of matching dangling earrings dripped from her ears as she has run around unminded by her elders. Mollie had indignantly stated to her husband that the antique trinkets were simply just too expensive for a child so squirminly young to be trusted with. Her husband then went about the task to prove his wife correct in her statement.

After talking a bit about the English Girls parents reaction to the unsolved disappearance of their daughters ultra-pricey pendent , Mollie came back to the present and asked if the lady in the maroon silk that her husband pointed out the previous evening would be wearing the same jewels to the dance tomorrow night? Or better her husband replied sleepily, good Mollie pronounced, I did like her emeralds.

In Merry Ole England

They had arrived in England several weeks before the Royal Ball and began the preparations.

In an irony of fate, the profit they had realized from poor Tabitha’s bracelet had paid for a large chunk of their little excursion. Keeping his accent, and adding a trim beard, Mollies husband looked radically different from the man Tabitha had encountered. During the weeks following their arrival, the pair had practiced like they always did before undertaking a new venture. But this time it was with a more daring edge, they quite simply could not afford being caught red handed in a foreign country. Mollie assumed her practice the role. That of the richly dressed, well jeweled quarry. Her husband would stalk and attempt to relieve her of a piece of her jewelry as she went about her business, shopping! The idea being that, If he was able to do so without being caught by an obviously aware Mollie, than he should have no problem at the Royal Ball. As it usually happened when they practiced in this manner, her husband did incredibly well. Mollie had had several pieces of jewelry vanish from her person during the week, without her noticing how or when.

The final night of practice Mollie decided to dress to kill. Looking quite devastating in a glossy gold halter and a long brown velvet skirt with gold stiletto heels clicking as she moved. A diamond heart pendant hung down from her neck, swaying provocatively out from between her breasts. A bracelet, similar to Tabitha’s purloined diamonds, was wrapped around her wrist.

She left their penthouse and made her way to the street outside. Some type of festival was going on as she waded through the crowded streets to the nightclub. Her rings sparkled as they kept rhythm with her swaying diamond waterfall earrings. Just daring her husband to make a move for any of them.

Mollie drank and danced the night away with no hide or hair of her husband until she returned late that evening to their apartment. She found him in the hot tub, smirking. She undressed and joined him. Okay, how did u do it she demanded? I felt nothing, no one bumped or brushed against me all evening that I was not aware of. He opened his fist, allowing her heart diamond pendant to dangle freely in front of her. A magician never reveals his tricks my little cat, he purred, as the pendant swayed in a sparkling arch.

Cat was short for “Cat Lady”, a moniker he had placed upon her when she had broken into a sleeping woman’s room and removed the jewels from her gold case, and even managed to slip off a ring she was wearing. The fact that she was passed out in a drunken stupor, still dressed in her long party gown, didn’t count , or so her husband teased.

You should have been a surgeon! , my dear, Mollie exclaimed with pride. Then she leaned towards him, her green eyes gleaming in earnest, time for a real practice run Mon Cherie, she said in dead seriousness. Then Her eyes opened wide, I got it she exclaimed, I’ll call it The Slinking Sneaky Shearing Snag she pronounced joyfully, getting a face full of water in reply to her effort. Okay Cat, let’s get down to business he retorted, I know just the affair. Mollie listened intensively as her Husband described their next plans, derived while eavesdropping on a couple of ladies shopping in a jewelers.

The next weekend (two weeks to the evening before the Royal Ball) Mollie found herself at a quaint upscale wedding reception held in the large gardens of a country church. She was attired in the same bewitching ensemble that she had been wearing on the final night of practice. Her only jewels were a recently acquired pair of sparkly cascading earrings set with emeralds and diamonds. The affair of the plump piqued peacock plucking she had mused while getting dressed. The only other exception was that the long fiery red hair she had inherited from her Irish namesake grandmother had been cut and dyed blond. Blue contacts had also been added to the disguise to hide her vivid green eyes.

They soon targeted an older jewel laden snob at the reception. An older lady , well jeweled, of the arrogant know it all, obey me totally type whom everyone tries to avoid. While Mollie engaged the mark in a mostly one sided conversation(the older ladies) the lady had become so deeply engrossed about talking about herself and her ties with royalty, that she never detected being relieved of a heirloom antique gold chain and jeweled pendent by Mollies husband who had approached her unnoticed from behind.

It was all Mollie could do no to bring attention to it by looking at the wickedly expensive piece as it was slipped up and away from the Dowager’s ruffled heavy satin blouse.

This time it was mollies turn to keep chatting as her husband headed to the door. He had almost made it when two youths ran into him as they scurried away from a rather sullen looking tween girl they had been teasing, and now were in possession of her purse. Mollie stole a look as she saw her husband topple onto the chasing girl. He managed to extracted himself from the girls long slinky gown that she had probably been forced into by an overly conceited mother. He apologized, and left the girl to go after her antagonizes. Later, when Mollie had caught up to him she teased him about his clumsiness. He just smiled, and pulled out from his vest pocket the most exquisitely matched pearls that the youth had been openly displaying from around her throat and wrist at the reception!

They were, most definitely, ready. The fated evening could not come soon enough. But it finally did.

They had had no problem with using the fancy invitations to gain entrance. Security was heavy, as expected, but with a very lax atmosphere. Mollie was wearing the salmon coloured gown she had had especially made for such occasions, her new blond hair style and the blue contacts. In a coup foray of sorts, Mollie wore the pearls that had been taken by her husband during his run in with the sullen girl at the wedding reception. Her husband was wearing his usual tux with a hand tied bowtie. His ruffled sleeves easily moved up and down along his wrists.

Mollie and her husband split up, each spending the first few hours mingling solo, and taking it all in as they thoroughly enjoyed the Ball and all its many stimulating attractions. It had gone smooth as silk. Spending the first few hours prowling while the guests liquored up Mollie scoping out exactly the right candidates. Dangling jewels with easy clasps were everywhere!, it was surprising how the best of jewel makers skimped on the clasps required to keep the expensive pieces in place. Clothing also made a difference. Silks and satins were quiet and slipped easily. Taffeta could be whispery, more of a challenge. Velvet could easily snag as a piece was being lifted. But these were the costliest of materials, and the wearers would logically be wearing the costlier of jewelry.

Mollie and her husband regrouped several hours later, unobtrusively under the pretense of dancing. Gently discussing their plans. They settled on three likely prospects amongst the almost three hundred present. The first was an older spinster type wearing a luxurious dress of embroidered navy silk and displaying jewelry studded with diamonds and sapphires. The second was a middle aged snotty blonde wearing a shamelessly low cut green silk taffeta gown (which Mollie secretly liked)wearing a thick gold bracelet studded with vulgarly large rubies surrounded by a sea of small sparkly diamonds. She was alone, and a heavy drinker. The third was a longshot. A lanky , flighty brunette wearing immensely valuable jewels of blindingly sparkling Diamonds. Her necklace alone was in the upper hundred thousand range, with a clasp that was one of the easiest to coax open. The only problem was that she came with an obviously newlywed husband who doted on her every move. Both were heavy drinkers, and if he would only leave his wife’s side for, say about fifteen minutes, the necklace would be theirs!

They had decided that any one of the three would produce results worth a king’s ransom, appropriately enough, all things considered. The plan was for her husband to take his time selecting the easiest jewel to acquire from amongst the ones the three marks were displaying , make his move, and pass it off to Mollie who would leave forthwith, while her husband stayed a little while longer to make sure everything remained calm before making his exit stage right via the hallway.

As Mollie went to her station, she saw the Blue silken lady, along with her sapphires and diamonds, leaving with a rather unsavory looking male, eyeing her with a look Mollie knew all too well. Mollie decided to follow them, thinking to herself that some women are just prone to being victimized. Good luck with that one Mollie thought unkindly, as she stole one last look at the ladies glistening sapphires, hope he leaves her with something she sarcastically wished wickedly to the couple’s backside as they went out the exit at the end of the hall. One down and out she thought. Then she spied the husband of the newlywed pair heading down the hall towards her with an older, grey bearded man. Getting close she heard them talking about the Gentlemen’s smoking lounge. Mollie decided to give her husband a signal, but when she found him he was already in the arms of the blond. Molly immediately noticed the absence of the jeweled bracelet from his partners’ wrist. She went back to her table. Immediately she was set upon by some drunken snob asking her to dance. She allowed herself to be taken up into his arms. Spending a few unenchanting minutes with Mr. two left feet, before her husband tapped him on the shoulder cutting in. They danced, Mollie placing a hand into his pocket and feeling something cold and metal wrapped her hand around it. Looking him in the eyes she told him about the now unguarded bride, as she palmed the willowy blonde’s bracelet. They decided to go for it, and as the music ended, Mollie made her way to the hall, where she secreted the blondes bracelet safely away

One down, one more to go! An exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be nimbly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then to let her husband know that with the coast clear, he was free to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping a drooling eye on all evening. The one wearing the exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be so expertly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer.

She was able to see the groom in windowed room, the husband and his friend were smoking a pair of long cigars and drinking brandy in large glass snifters. Mollie passed unnoticed as she mad e her way to the ladies powder room. He was still there, only halfway through a long stogie as she passed again on her way back. Neither time was she observed. Mollie mad her way back to the Ballroom. She sat down at one side of the room, once again allowing the sights of so many bejeweled women to soak in. Her husband was dancing with a lady in a flowing red ball gown, jewels sparkling in abundance, not aware of the danger so close at hand, nor that even with her husband and his particular skill set so close to them, that at that moment nothing could be safer from his fingertips. Finally she caught her husband’s eye. Mollie innocently rubbed a finger along the side of her nose, a subtle signal that it was safe for him to precede.

Mollie was now uncharacteristically having butterflies in her stomach; it was a huge gamble, trying to get away with a pair of thefts in this inhospitable atmosphere. She kept second guessing herself, Bird in hand she kept thinking. But the lure was too great, and it was with a heavy sigh of relief when Mollie saw her husband finally kiss the hand of the young bride after their dance. Mollie could see that she was no longer sporting the thin silver necklace and its row of at least two caret diamonds that had been encircling her throat with their rippling flashy brilliance all evening. Molly stayed put, not daring to leave until her husband had brushed by her in passing and made his way out the hallway to the exit. She waited for a long fifteen minutes, then curling her hand around the necklace that had been dropped into her lap as he had passed; she gained the safety of the hallway. Just in time. For coming down the hallway was none other than the lady in the long luxurious gown and now bare throats groom and his distinguished looking friend. She passed by them, feeling the men eyeing her with roving wolfish gazes. Then she passed them, and proceeded unhindered to once again enter the ladies’ powder room where the necklace soon joined with the Blondes bracelet in its hiding spot.. Than calmly Mollie left, walking past two security Bobbies, virtually unnoticed. The Groom had been absolutely ignorant to the fact that his young Bride’s ridiculously valuable necklace had walked right past him out the door.

Mollie did not let herself really breathe until she had gained the safety of the street. She allowed herself to imagine the commotion as the news of the missing jewels were circulated around the cavernous Ballroom. There would be a flurry of activity, flashes and sparkles as the women checked themselves reassuringly that they were still in possession of their trinkets. Mollie would have loved to have stayed and watched, but obviously could not do so. She rejoined her husband at their meeting place and they drove off. They made their way to Ireland where they spent a cautious week touring before leaving for the states.

Once the profit was realized from their haul that eventful evening, including obnoxious Dowagers the jeweled antique pendent, and was added in to the modest amount they had already accumulated from previous adventures, Mollie and her husband were able to retire to Ireland and live quite an unpretentious life together in a small stone manor in the woods.

Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

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DISCLAIMER

All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents

The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.

No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.

These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only, and should never be attempted in real life.

We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.

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Although the book entitled "The Story of the Geisha Girl" by Taizo Fujimoto, first published in 1917, briefly mentions that some geisha learn “the sword-dance” as one of their accomplishments (pages 2 and 99), it gives no further details. It is difficult to say whether the author is referring to the Katana Odori (sword dance), also known as the Hana Odori (flower dance), a four hundred year old harvest dance from the Mima region of Japan; or to Kenbu (sword dancing) a martial arts dance performed to poems sung by a single vocalist with or without musical accompaniment; or to “Shiranami Gonin Otoko” (The White Wave Five) a scene from the Kabuki play “Benten Kozo”, the story of five Edo era bandits.

youtu.be/-Znxt2UT6rc?si=OeKxYZ8ONyEQx7kw

Missouri painter Sidney Larson completed this painting entitled "6,000 Years Later" in 1969 as part of the "The Riback Mural," commissioned by Harold H. Riback for the Riback Pipe and Steel Company building on the east end of Business Loop 70 in Columbia, Missouri.

The Ribacks sold the business to Plumb Supply Company in 2015. The building housing the mural is scheduled to be remodeled in January of 2022, and the paintings will be destroyed. According to the State Historical Society of Missouri's Art Collections Manager Greig Thompson, the mural can't be preserved due to the method the mural was installed.

Notley Hawkins took photographs of the mural on December 21, 2021, at the request of Vicky Riback-Wilson to preserve a record of the paintings. Notley Hawkins studied painting and drawing with Sidney Larson at Columbia College and earned his BFA in 1987.

With the help of S.C. Steinberg, Sidney Larson published a booklet entitled The Riback Mural in 1980. The following description was included when noting the painting:

"The first panel depicted what life may have been like during the time of pre-historic man, 6,000 years ago. Little by little we have advanced through the years until we reach this the final panel. Pictured here is modern industry and its use of all the advances that have been made over these 6,000 years. True, our panel shows very little involving the plumbing industry but it must remain true that without all the advancements in the plumbing field, it is extremely doubtful that we would have anything like the modern industry shown in our panel. It is so integrated with big business that it is hard to separate the advances of the plumbing field and industry as a whole."

The photograph was taken with a Canon EOS R5 camera with a Canon RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM lens at ƒ/5.6 with a 1/160-second exposure at ISO 800. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

www.notleyhawkins.com/

©Notley Hawkins. All rights reserved.

This photograph featured in an online magazine article in SCRIBOL entitled: '' IF YOU FIND YOURSELF FACE TO FACE WITH A BEAR, A NAVY SEAL REVEALED EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD DO '', by James Cannon on March 5th 2020.

SCRIBOL is a UK based company owned by PUB OCEAN Ltd and based in Sevenoaks, Kent.

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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This photograph was taken an altitude of Four hundred and eighty six metres, at 16:19pm on Wednesday May 11th 2016 past Liard River Hot springs at Mile 475 on the Alaska Highway 97, heading towards Smith River Fort Halkett Protected area in British Columbia, Canada.

This is a large adult American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus), a medium sized bear native to North America, and found in abundance in the Yukon territory and Alaska. Black bears have a small tail, up to nine inches long foot length and males can wigh up to 250kgs. On my trip I encountered several bears and, although it is strongly reccommended that you do not leave your vehicle to photograph these beautiful wild animals, needless to say, with care and caution I did just that to capture my photographs.

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Nikon D800 500mm 1/50s f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14Bit) Hand held with Nikon VR Vibration reduction enabled. Nikon back focus button enabled. AF-C Continuous point focus with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance. Nikon AF Fine tune on (+10).

Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6G ED VR. Power up 95mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL15 batteries. Nikon DK-17M 1.2x Magnifying Eyepiece. Nikon DK-19 soft rubber eyecup. Digi-Chip 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC card. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW Photo/ 15.4" Notebook Backpack camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

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LATITUDE: N 59d 32m 24.30s

LONGITUDE: W 126d 24m 0.44s

ALTITUDE: 486.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 15.25MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D800 Firmware versions A 1.10 B 1.10 L 2.009 (Lens distortion control version 2)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Mural entitled "Serenity" by Everett Reynolds aka @everettreynolds27 for Mural Mania, seen in the Racine Avenue viaduct north of 16th Street in the Pilsen area of Chicago, Illinois.

Photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee

Entitled: Seated Man Amid Baskets Of Fish & Hanging Dried Fish, Eastern Districts, Hong Kong Island [c1946] H Morrison [RESTORED] Minor spot and scratch touch up, contrast and tonal adjustments, with a final sepia.

Hedda Morrison was a tremendous resource for images from the latter part of the Republican China years, photographing extensively with a 2 1/4 Rolleiflex Twin Lens (my personal roll film favorite) during her 13 year stay in China (from 1933 - 1946). Coincidentally, she then married into the family of and bears the name of another very famous China photographer; she married George Ernest Morrison's son, Alastair in 1946. Besides photography in China, she was also known for a large body of image work in Malaysia and Australia (where she died in 1991). Her husband, generously donated her life's work, divided between Harvard University and Australia's Power House Museum of Science & Design.

This image was found on Harvard University's VIA (Visual Information Access) Search Engine under Record Identifier olvwork351295.

An exhibition on contemporary design in Slovenia entitled "Silent Revolutions" was held at WIPO from October 7 to 26, 2015. The exhibition was inaugurated during the WIPO Assemblies, held in Geneva from October 5 to 14, 2015.

WIPO co-organized the exhibition with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the UN Office in Geneva, the Slovenian IP Office (SIPO), and the Slovenian Museum of Architecture and Design.

In this photo: .LLSTOL Chair by Luka Ločičnik, with co-designer Tadej Glažar, for Stol & Stol (2010).

Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Violaine Martin. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License.

NASA artist's concept of first stage separation/second stage ignition during the nighttime ascent of a Nova launch vehicle on a “Lunar Return Mission”, aka “Lunar Landing”. This stunning work was part of a presentation/paper entitled “A Rocket for Manned Lunar Exploration”, given by Milton W. Rosen and Francis C. Schwenk at the Tenth International Astronautical (Federation?) Congress in London, 31 August 1959.

The abstract:

"One of the significant human accomplishments of the next decade will be the manned exploration of the moon. Previously, the uncharted regions of the earth, the Arctic and Antarctic, the Amazon and Himalayas challenged the skill and fortitude of explorers. But these regions cannot long retain their status—the new frontier lies beyond the confines of our planet—on the nearest sizeable aggregation of matter in space—the moon.

Significantly, man’s exploration has been paced by his technical progress. The discovery of America was made possible by ships and sails of sufficient size and by advances, however crude, in the art of navigation. Oxygen masks made possible the conquest of Everest, and rockets—the exploration of the upper atmosphere.

The exploration of the moon is within view today. If it may be assumed that Project Mercury in the U.S.A. and similar efforts by the U.S.S.R. will establish that man can exist for limited periods of time in space, then a trip to the moon requires mainly the design, construction and proving of a large rocket vehicle.

In one concept of a manned lunar vehicle the entire mission, the trip to the moon and the return, is staged on the earth’s surface. A highly competitive technique, one favored by many engineers, is to stage the lunar mission by refueling in a low earth orbit. This would permit the use of a smaller launching vehicle but would require development of orbital rendezvous techniques. In any case, a vehicle of the larger type will be needed for lunar as well as other exploratory missions.

This paper presents a parametric study of vehicle scale for the direct flight manned lunar mission. The main parameter is the take-off thrust which is influenced by many factors; principally the propellants in the several stages and the flight trajectory. A close choice exists in the second stage where conventional and high energy propellants are compared. The size of the final stage and hence the entire vehicle is governed mainly by the method of approach to the earth’s surface, whether it is elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic. The various methods are applied to an illustrative vehicle configuration.

Reliability will be a major factor in the success of any manned lunar flight. While no formula is proposed for improving component reliability, certain operational procedures can be used to advantage in enhancing the probability of a successful round trip to the moon."

Some really cool things to take notice of:

Primarily, the parachute descent of the expended first stage - for recovery! Talk about forward-leaning thinking - reusability - in 1959! I thought the Saturn booster recovery concept (via Rogallo wing) evolved a few years later, damn.. VERY impressive.

up-ship.com/blog/?p=5311

Credit: "The Unwanted Blog" website

www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/000880.html

Credit: collectSPACE website

Note the enigmatic terrain below, commensurate with the exotic launch site depicted in photo no. 219. I still maintain it’s Nova Scotia...Southern Nova Scotia of course. Get it, NOVA? Complete with the destination beckoning in the sky.

Note also the folded up/retracted landing gear with its footpads ringing the conical-shaped lander. However, ignore the fact the nearer footpad is facing the wrong direction (I think) and the two on the sides, although correctly oriented, probably should’ve been ripped off during max-Q. Minor stuff that in no way detracts, just the observation of a pathetic old(er) man.

Finally, windows and a hatch are visible, along with what might be a separation plane or hinge-line near the apex.

Again, this is 1959, I love it.

As if the above information wasn’t enough, M. W. Rosen is none other than Milton “Milt” Rosen, of Viking & Vanguard rocket ‘fame’. The real deal. Confirmation:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Rosen

Credit: Wikipedia website

Francis C. Schwenk, possibly originally of the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory/Lewis Research Center (btw, Cleveland Rocks) appears to have been a prolific researcher & valued asset to NACA/NASA. He even worked on the Satellite Power System concept, as late as 1980! Super smart, motivated, with longevity; traits you want in a rocket scientist. Also the real deal.

Being part of a NASA presentation, I assume this to be an in-house NASA work, which pretty much kills the chance of artist identification, especially for something from 1959. Damnit.

See:

www.alternatewars.com/SpaceRace/SP-4205/Chapter_01.htm

www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4205/ch1-2.html

Yet again, as is all too often the case, a far superior, much more informative item - from a non-NASA site:

www.wired.com/2014/01/rosen-schwenks-moon-rocket-1959/amp

Credit: WIRED website

An unexpected & welcome surprise. Although not an artist’s identification, a small win nonetheless, filling in at least a few additional pieces of the historical puzzle.

Obviously, with the ‘space flight/exploration’ field wide open, there are quite a few creative & original presentations within:

link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-39914-9

Specifically:

link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-662-39914-9_27

Credit: Springer Nature Switzerland AG/Springer Link website

Last, but NOT least, the following obscure website appears to have the entire presentation available to view, which includes the imagery. Bravo!!!:

dokumen.tips/reader/f/a-rocket-for-manned-lunar

Credit: Indonesia DOKUMEN website

However, this presentation - due to its historical significance - should reside & be readily available at some NASA or otherwise ‘official’ site. Something like what the NTRS once was.

Instead, it’s on an Indonesian document sharing site. Although I'm grateful that it is...you're kidding me, really?

This bronze, entitled 'Comedy and Tragedy' is by Sir Alfred Gilbert, cast 1891-1892. It features a nude boy, holding the mask of comedy and wearing the mask of tragedy on his head. Along with his statue to Perseus, it represents what Gilbert described as the ’climax to my cycle of stories...It represents a boy carrying a comic mask. He is stung by a bee - the symbol of love. He turns, and his face becomes tragic. The symbol is in reality fact. I was stung by that bee typified by my love for my art, a consciousness of its incompleteness, my love was not sufficient...I was living a kind of double life at that time, enjoying the society of Irving and Toole and other famous and pleasant members of the Garrick Club going to the theatre at night, and with Tragedy in my private life, living my Comedy publicly, if not enjoying it'.

ift.tt/1YnRmYw New video Entitled 🔥On fire 🔥featuring @gryofficial myself @Ricokashif youtu.be/wwEhN4iygvk Like and subscribe @grmdaily daily 🎬 #ricokashif #Grime #Rnb #grmdaily #trap

Entitled: Manchu Vista [1909] By TC Chamberlin [RESTORED]. Despite its age, the photograph was nearly perfect except for the need of a contrast boost. I did light spot elimination and then added a false duo-tone.

Thomas C Chamberlin was a noted geologist and educator. He founded the famous Journal of Geology in 1893, and was its editor for many years. The journal is an exceptionally well referenced title that remains in publication to this day. His work in US geology is widely recognized as being the bedrock of our current understanding in North American glaciation. He also served as the president of the University of Wisconsin. In his permanent collection of papers held at his alma mater, Beloit College, there is also a large body of photographs that he took whilst traveling on a geologic survey in China. The original picture above can be found at dcms.beloit.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/chamber/id/592/...

Quiet lane in a Manchu section. While it would be currently looked upon as racist and politically incorrect, the Manchu rulers were strict segregationists for fear of their being subsumed by the much larger Han population (much like how the Vikings invaders eventually became English or Norman, despite their having conquered them). The Manchu initially were fierce nomadic tribesman, similar in many respects to their Mongol neighbors. In order to maintain their racial and cultural purity, Manchus were forbidden to intermarry with Han, and lived in separate Tartar (older, alternate name for Manchu) enclaves. They were also forbidden to be merchants for fear that commercial dealings would divide their loyalty to the Qing state. Each Manchu family lived off imperial stipends and belonged to a clanish hierarchy called a "banner," so named after their distinctive clan flags. In times of turmoil, each Manchu family were required to send their soldiers in support of their banner when called upon by the emperor.

However, all of this only delayed the inevitable. The banners, because of their feted isolationism, soon lost their steppes honed martial edge. Annual imperial funds sent for military purposes were often squandered and banner readiness was only valid on paper. In reality, musters were short and corruption was rampant. In the latter Qing, the Taiping Civil War dealt a death blow to the Manchus as nearly all available Manchu men were called upon to fight against the Taipings of which only an estimated twenty percent survived. The Manchu as a race was thenceforth marginalized and their dynasty soon collapsed, having had their greatest fear of being eventually assimilated by their Han subjects realized.

Entitled: Imperial Gate of The Imperial City, Looking North, Peking China [1901] HC White Co. [RESTORED] I did the usual spot and defects repair, adjusted for tone and contrast, rotational corrected, and added a sepia tone. The original is from a pair of stereoscope images and can be found in the US Library Of Congress by reproduction number LC-USZ62-137033.

From the Hawley C. White Company and now residing in the US Library of Congress, an image that bridges two cultures, both of which have faded into history long ago (the Chinese monarchy and Qing Dynasty are both gone almost a century). Hawley C. White's company was one of the most prolific stereoscope image companies ever. His catalog reportedly listed over 13,000 assorted images from around the world, covering the end of the 1800's through 1915. Moreover, he was able to mass produce his pictures by his invention of an automated darkroom process in which negatives were placed on photographic print paper, properly exposed, and then chemically developed, all automatically by machine. In the present day, it's not much to hoot and holler about; back in the early 1900's however, it was considered an engineering miracle. HC White Company's images were not only of higher quality, but were consistent, and produced quickly in much greater numbers vastly eclipsing both his larger rivals, Keystone or Underwood's (the other stereoscope view companies) daily production. Keystone was to eventually buy out White's company when he decided to retire.

The southern gate to the imperial city, considered the ceremonial gateway to China, had stood since Ming times. Under Qing rule, it had been renamed as The Great Qing Gate 大清門, and also bore its public title in a rare display of both Chinese and Manchu text. Upon the fall of the Qing however, the gate was renamed once more, to be called the Gate of China 中華門. Sadly, the historic gate itself fell not to conquerors, but to urban planning. It was demolished in 1954 in order to expand Tiananmen Square, and would later become the site of Mao's mausoleum after his death in 1976.

***Sidebar*** Many historic buildings in Beijing, had their dual Chinese - Manchu signs replaced by pure Chinese ones after the fall of the Qing, though some may still have both and can be found if one is persistent enough. Sadly too, the Manchu language itself today is expected to be extinct in a just a few more years, as the last remaining native speakers die off. This presents unique problems for Qing historians as there is no longer anyone who natively understands the written Manchu text found in about 20% of Qing dynasty archives.

Mura entitled "Filha de Floresta"l by Aracê aka @arace.art for AOTA 2024, seen at 1466 NW 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Drone photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee

Aviemore back in 1982 would not have been entitled to TWO 4x4 vehicles.

The Land Rover would have been the General Purpose vehicle for Aviemore - until the escalating fuel costs meant it was used infrequently and usually only for Mountain Rescue/Weather-related incidents.

The Range Rover would be the vehicle used to patrol the A9 within Badenoch Sub Division, primarily at the south end (Drumochter). It was a wonderful patrol vehicle, espeically in the inclement weather but its thirst would have restricted its outings!

The Vauxhall (I am now informed it was a Viceroy) would be the "Traffic" car based at Aviemore

The Ford Escort would either be based at Aviemore for GP duites, or at one of the satellite stations (Carr Bridge or Boat of Garten)

All the vehicles are displaying PERIOD 2 (1980-1995)(roundel era) livery, with the "Traffic" (which incudes 4x4s) ones having the "jam sandwich" red stripe. This was a real bone of contention as the chances are the first vehicle to attend at a serious Road Traffic Accident on a trunk road (or indeed ANY road) would be a GP vehicle - generally all white.

As time went on, the GP vehicles based at such locations as had a trunk road on their doorstep duly received red stripes, and in 1995 when the new PERIOD 3 livery came in, ALL marked vehicles were given a YELLOW stripe.

This is taken in the yard behind the former Police Station at Aviemore.(back of Red MacGregor Hotel can be seen behind) It very quickly became too small for purpose and was demolished, the current Station being erected on the opposte side of Grampian road from it.

Thank to Angus (ex-542) for photo

Mural entitled "The Meaning" by Pixel Pancho aka @pixelpanchostudio, seen at 102 North 7th Street in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Drone photo by James aka Urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee.

Entitled: House Interior Showing A Woman At A Brick Stove, A Bucket & A Ladle Made From A Gourd In The Lost Tribe Country [1936] H Morrison [RESTORED]

The original image was a very low resolution (less than 1MB image area JPG) that I doubled the size of. I then did spot and size induced artifact removal. I smoothed and evened the woman's skin. The area in front of the stove, next to the bucket was an empty shadow that I repaired and reconstructed with either enhanced, cloned or manufactured detail. Random noise was added to give it a "grainy" feeling like that of old film, and to blend some of the jpg lossy jaggedness. A sepia was added, then a faux duotone (blue shadow, yellow highlight).

Hedda Morrison was a tremendous resource for images from the latter part of the Republican China years, photographing extensively with a 2 1/4 Rolleiflex Twin Lens (my personal roll film favorite) during her 13 year stay in China (from 1933 - 1946). Coincidentally, she then married into the family of and bears the name of another very famous China photographer; she married George Ernest Morrison's son, Alastair in 1946. Besides photography in China, she was also known for a large body of image work in Malaysia and Australia (where she died in 1991). Her husband, generously donated her life's work, divided between Harvard University and Australia's Power House Museum of Science & Design.

This image was found on Harvard University's VIA (Visual Information Access) Search Engine under Record Identifier: olvwork80229

According to the notes from the collection:

"Album containing 193 black and white photographs of the "Lost Tribe," descendents of 17th century Chinese rebels living in the Xiang Hills, ca. 160 kilometers west of Beijing in Hebei Sheng. Subjects include landscape views, portraits, monasteries, villages, sculpture, coiffures, jewelry, embroidery, religious traditions, and incense-making."

Mural entitled "Burst Your Bubble" by @artbyfio seen at 320 NW 29th Street in Miami, Florida.

Photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee.

Missouri painter Sidney Larson completed this painting entitled "Saturday Night-Bath Time" in 1969 as part of the "The Riback Mural," commissioned by Harold H. Riback for the Riback Pipe and Steel Company building on the east end of Business Loop 70 in Columbia, Missouri.

The Ribacks sold the business to Plumb Supply Company in 2015. The building housing the mural is scheduled to be remodeled in January of 2022, and the paintings will be destroyed. According to the State Historical Society of Missouri's Art Collections Manager Greig Thompson, the mural can't be preserved due to the method the mural was installed.

Notley Hawkins took photographs of the mural on December 21, 2021, at the request of Vicky Riback-Wilson to preserve a record of the paintings. Notley Hawkins studied painting and drawing with Sidney Larson at Columbia College and earned his BFA in 1987.

With the help of S.C. Steinberg, Sidney Larson published a booklet entitled The Riback Mural in 1980. The following description was included when noting the painting:

"Just ascertain as Sunday morning was time to go to church, Saturday night was bath time and the scene pictured was repeated in countless homes over the nation. Water put in the wooden tub earlier in the day and placed near the pot-bellied stove, was usually warm enough by bath time. Many a staunch American who now bathes in a modern tub in a modern bathroom, had his first bath in a tub under conditions like or similar to the one pictured.

In the summer time it was not unusual to move the tub out in the sun near the barn and rely on solar heat to warm the water."

The photograph was taken with a Canon EOS R5 camera with a Canon RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM lens at ƒ/5.6 with a 1/160-second exposure at ISO 1600. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

www.notleyhawkins.com/

©Notley Hawkins. All rights reserved.

This is one of a series of images entitled Soho Neons taken around the London West End

My other photos from this series are here

P1030644

Mural entitled "Endangered" by Jeremy Fish aka @mrjeremyfish, Daniel Antelo aka @downtowndaniel, and Guillaume Ollivier aka @funkysquash, seen at 222 NW 23rd Street in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida.

Drone photo by James aka Urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee

Photo taken from a book entitled "The Santo Niño of Cebu"

The fourth photograph in the series is entitled “The Death of Obi-Wan Kenobi” and is based upon Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Socrates. David focuses on the story of Socrates death. As the history books tell it, Socrates is given the option of death or exile, he chooses death... Like most Renaissance paintings, The Death of Socrates is open to interpretation.

After looking for countless hours for a painting or photograph that depicted a one on one fight, I could not find one that I thought would have translated well to the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Instead, I have taken a little creative license to show this critical moment of A New Hope. Although this is not true visual recreation of the infamous lightsaber duel, it does contain all of the same meaning. Kenobi replaces Socrates in the centre of the scene at the moment before his death. He is surrounded by the usual suspects so to speak; Han, Leia, Artoo, Threepio and Chewbacca. Similarly, Socrates is surrounded by many of his followers. Luke, Kenobi’s last pupil, takes the place of Socrates’ most well known student; Plato, and sits in shock, perhaps questioning his master’s choice of death. Finally; Vader holds his lightsaber in place of the deadly hemlock, both items chosen by the soon to be dead.

Enjoy!

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Visit our Cast of Star Wars Characters at www.365DaysofClones.com.

yesterday this was entitled happy birthday to the man i love ...

3/5/07..

this afternoon we found out that tori's true love nashua has a very, very serious health condition (please see my comment below from today) .. so the title has been changed to hopefully gather healing energies, prayers and light for our lightbulb nashy.. as this is going to require powerful spirit medicine *

am keeping the birthday wishes here for him, below .. together with the dearly-held hope that a miracle will happen.. and we will all be celebrating precious nash's birthday with him again next year *

~

3/4/07..

nashy, we're celebrating your 12th birthday today!

since your mother-by-heart rescued you at 7 1/2, we're not sure of the day in march you were born ~ so we celebrate you all the year through.. :)

~ may this be your healthiest, happiest year so far dear nashua angel, heart of light ~

* we're so glad and grateful you were born .. surrounding you with love! .. lulu and alight *

1. Angel in the clouds, 2. I know that is mine, 3. the only one, 4. Outake 3, 5. Nashua, 6. nash yawn, 7. love, 8. Soft Nash, 9. Alight, 10. peaceful, 11. setter beg, 12. the satisfied deer hunters, 13. nash sleep

photos by mama tori ~ montage created with fd's Flickr Toys

Mural entitled "Isla" by David Zayas aka @zayasart and Alexis Diaz aka @alexis, seen at 276 NE 27th Street in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida.

Photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee.

St Pancras New Church (so entitled to differentiate it from an older building that remains several blocks away to the north east) was built in 1819-22 to the designs of William & Henry Inwood and is a remarkable example of the then prevalent taste for Neo-Classical architecture. Few churches can claim to be as Grecian in style as this one, which boasts the unique features of two porticoes flanking the east end copied directly from the famous caryatid porch of the Erectheum on the Athenian Acropolis, complete with column figures in terracotta (molded in sections around cast-iron columns). The spindly octagonal tower is a major landmark to visitors arriving at nearby Euston Station just over the main road (as it has welcomed me on many visits to the capital).

The interior of the church continues the theme of Classical severity, with a broad flat coffered ceiling spanning the nave with the apse beyond adding a touch of enrichment. The Victorian glass in the windows does make the space a little gloomier than it could be. The galleries remain and create side aisles beneath them but otherwise the interior retains the impression of a large unified space.

I am unsure what normal opening times are for this church but I believe it is usually open in office hours during the day.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_New_Church

Mural entitled "Bloom to Doom" by Collin van der Sluijs, aka @collinvandersluijs, on the north wall of a building at 1006 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The mural was installed as part of the "Big Walls" project by Columbia College in the Wabash Arts Corridor.

Inspired by the special patients that the Sheffield Children’s Hospital treats every day, Clare Pentlow’s elephant, entitled It’s Parade Day, is a nod to one of her favourite childhood reads – Elmer. This lively elephant is bedecked with multi-coloured geometric shapes painted against a bright white background, intended to help it stand out against Sheffield’s city streets. Splashes of blue, red, green, yellow and orange interspersed with bold, black triangles and circles make this elephant one of the loudest in our herd. Elmer may have felt out of place with his extraordinary patterns but he would fit right in with elephants like this roaming around the city.

Designed by: Clare Pentlow

Clare enjoys using shapes, colours and patterns in her work. She primarily works in paper layering, transforming flat ordinary sheets into unusual three dimensional patterns by folding and cutting. It is her continued love of patterns which continue to inspire and intrigue. Her work has attracted attention internationally, with famous French luxury brand Hermes commissioning pieces of her work for an exhibition of its porcelain collections in Paris. She has also contributed to television presenter Kristie Allsopp’s book, Kirstie’s Christmas Crafts and collaborated on projects for London-based jewellery designer Laura Lee.

Sponsored by: Sheffield Theatres Crucible Lyceum Studio

Auction Price: £5000

Summer 2016, a herd of elephant sculptures descended on Sheffield for the biggest public art event the city has ever seen!

58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen. Did you find them all?

The trail of elephants celebrates Sheffield’s creativity with over 75% of artists from the city. Some well-known names include Pete McKee, James Green, Jonathan Wilkinson and Lydia Monks – each of which has put their own creative mark on a 1.6m tall fibreglass elephant sculpture. They are all very difference, take a selfie with your favourite as they will be on display until the end of September.

International artist Mark Alexander, who is currently working with Rembrandt for an exhibition in Berlin, flew to Sheffield especially to paint his elephant and international players from the World Snooker Championship signed SnookHerd, an elephant celebrating the heritage of snooker in Sheffield.

The Arctic Monkeys, famous for their love of their home city, added their signatures to their own personalised sculpture which pays homage to the striking sound wave cover of the band’s 2013 album “AM”.

By supporting the Herd of Sheffield you are investing in the future of Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Every penny raised will go towards our Artfelt programme, which transforms the hospital’s walls and spaces with bright art, helping children recover in an environment tailored to them. The programme also puts on workshops for youngsters to provide distraction during anxious moments – such as before an operation, and to breakup long stays on the wards.

This exciting Wild in Art event brought to you by The Children’s Hospital Charity will:

Unite our city – bringing businesses, communities, artists, individuals and schools together to create a FREE sculpture trail which is accessible to all.

Attract more visitors – both nationally and regionally as well as encouraging thousands of people to become a tourist in their own city.

Invest in the future – with a city wide education programme that can be used for years to come and by funding a life-saving piece of medical equipment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital from the Herd auction at the end of the trail.

Showcase our city – celebrating Sheffield’s heritage and cementing our status as a vibrant and culturally exciting city through this world-class initiative.

The Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend was held on 14-16 October and was your chance to say a last goodbye to all 58 large elephant sculptures as they gather in one place for a final send-off at Meadowhall.

This special event gave visitors a chance to see the entire herd in all its glory – from the signed Arctic Monkeys’ ‘AM’ elephant, right through to ‘SnookHerd’, autographed by a host of international snooker players including current world champion Mark Selby.

Please note that the Little Herd elephants will not be on display as they will be returned to their school for pupils to enjoy.

Meadowhall, along with its joint owners, British Land are very proud to be supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity as host sponsors for the Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend.

Auction: Hundreds of elephant enthusiasts gathered at the Crucible on 20 October for the Herd of Sheffield Auction, which raised a total of £410,600 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.

Entitled: Chinese Aviatrix Receives Gift Of New Plane From Colonel Roscoe Turner, Washington, D.C. [1939] Harris & Ewing [RESTORED] I did very little correction to this digitize image found in the US Library of Congress under Reproduction Number LC-DIG-hec-26410. The original glass plate negative from 1939 was assumed to be 4 x 5 inch standard.

Hilda Yen, (1905-1970) came from a family of well to do and influential Chinese. Her father studied medicine at Yale and her uncle was a Chinese ambassador to the United States. She herself attended Smith College, and was a graduate of Yale in China. For a woman to have gone to college in those days, much less a Chinese woman, was already astounding. But not one to sit on her laurels, she also learned to fly airplanes. One has to remember that flying in the 1930's wasn't like aviation in the present day. There were no computers, very little in terms of cockpit aids, and pilots flew quite literally by the seat of their pants. It was a skill that few could attain and Yen was spoken of in the same breath with the likes of her contemporary, Amelia Earhart. She took her flying skill to China to instruct others on how to fly. She returned to the US to barnstorm and drum up charity aid for China, which at the time was already at war with Japan since 1937. In the picture above, she accepts a gift of an airplane, on behalf of the "Friends Of New China," from an American military officer, Colonel Roscoe Turner. Unfortunately, this plane almost killed her one month later, when she crashed while attempting to take off from a field near Montgomery, Alabama. Upon her recovery, she nonetheless continued to campaign and lobby on behalf of China until the end of the war.

Now, THAT was a beer-and-food pairing!

In 1927, Baltimore, Maryland, writer H.L. Mencken (1880 – 1956) —despite (or, more likely, in spite of) Prohibition— enjoyed a "Breakfast in the Free State."

******************

▶ In 1864, Maryland was first recognized as the "Free State" because of its constitutional abolition of slavery. Much later, the nickname "Free State" was again used, but "in a different context by Hamilton Owens, editor of the Baltimore Sun. In 1923, Georgia Congressman William D. Upshaw, a firm supporter of Prohibition, denounced Maryland as a traitor to the Union for refusing to pass a State enforcement act. Mr. Owens thereupon wrote a mock-serious editorial entitled 'The Maryland Free State,' arguing that Maryland should secede from the Union rather than prohibit the sale of liquor."

— State of Maryland.

*******************

▶ I don't believe Mencken —a brilliant satirist on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements (and a racist)— would have had much truck with the highfalutin airs of today's 'craft' beer.

"He jeered at American sham, pretension, provincialism, and prudery, and he ridiculed the nation’s organized religion, business, and middle class (or 'booboisie')."

—Encyclopedia Brittanica.

***************

▶ Photo via Wisconsin Historical Society. Public Domain.

▶ Uploaded by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.

▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).

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This lovely scene of a public park entitled "Public Park in an unknown location" has a suggestion that it may be Sandymount Green! What I find very disappointing is that a beautiful tree like that does not have a dog to water its roots!

I am surprised that the Dublin contingent have not been complaining (Letters to the Irish Times etc.) that it took over a week after we started posting again to share a photo from Dublin!

The suggested location of Sandymount was confirmed in jig time by sharon.corbet Niall McAuley and beachcomberaustralia well done all of you.

OwenMacC points out that we had a confirmed date for an O'Connor photo before of 15th August 1927 see here, which suggests that our date range of 1900 - 1920 could be (is) incorrect - more research needed

Photographer: Fergus O'Connor

Date: No date but circa 1904 to 1920 or later??

Reference: OCO 338

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Hollow-cast aluminium green sculpture entitled "Grow Your Own", designed by artist James Angus, and erected in August 2011 at a cost of $1.1 million. The Perth railway station precinct in Oct 2011 is visible in the background.

Forrest Place is bounded to the west by the Commonwealth Bank building, the General Post Office building and Albert Facey House

Forrest Place is a pedestrianised square located within the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was created in 1923, and has a history of being a focal point for significant political meetings and demonstrations.

Description

Forrest Place connects Perth Railway Station on Wellington Street with the Murray Street Mall, outside the Carillon City shopping centre. It is 150 metres (490 ft) long, and is paved and landscaped as a pedestrian mall, with seating, public artwork, and trees. The eastern side of the street is lined by shops from the Forrest Chase shopping complex, while the historic General Post Office and Commonwealth Bank buildings are located to the west.

Forrest Place is used in many ways throughout the year, including cultural displays, children's activities and parades, and contains the City of Perth visitors centre.

Nearby transport facilities include Perth railway station and Perth Busport, and Perth Central Area Transit (CAT) buses run along Wellington Street,

Entitled: Drache Am Schleusenrand Im Túngchou-Kanal (Dragon On The Edge Of A Sluice In The Túngchou Canal), Peking, Chihli Province [c1906] Ernst Boerschmann [RESTORED]

Ernst Boerschmann was a German architect detailed by the Kaiser's government to closely study Chinese architecture. In this endeavor he spent three years in China from 1906 - 1909, and returned with drawings and photographs, many of which were displayed in Berlin in the summer of 1912. In 1923, a compilation of this work was published in the form of a photographic book, entitled "Picturesque China - Architecture and Landscape - A Journey through Twelve Provinces." A copy of this rare book is held by the Toyo Bunko Archive in Japan, and digital copies of its pages can be accessed at the link here:

dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/creator/ernst_boerschmann.html.en

This photograph was found in Toyo Bunko's scan of the book, page 34.

*** Sidebar *** Historically, old photographs that appeared in print were sometimes retouched before publication. This was necessary as less than visually optimal image areas (under or over exposed, or blurred) often needed pencil or brushed dyes and toner to "fill in" for missing details. This usually encompassed the adding of darker lines or lighter highlights in order to emphasis an outline; or to create faux details. Hence, depending on the skill of the retouch artist, some resulting images were either very good or shockingly poor. Unfortunately, several images from the book held by Toyo Bunko are afflicted with this sort of enhancement work, some more obvious than others.

Entitled: Qing Court Return 1902 The Empress Dowager [1902] GE Morrison. I did the usual spotting, contrast adjustment, and sepia tone.

George Ernest Morrison was certainly not the only western photographer of imperial China, but he was definitely one of the most remembered. The bulk of his extensive body of work in albums and photographs have survived to this day. One of his best works, An Australian In China can be easily net accessed and remains a delightful invitation to late 1800's China. Additionally, his personal library holdings of books that he collected in China subsequently became the basis of the Oriental Library of Tokyo (otherwise known as Tōyō Bunko 東洋文庫) one the world's five largest and premiere libraries on Chinese culture.

What is even more important, and perhaps lesser appreciated, is that Morrison, a trained medical doctor but then working as a journalist, also happened to be in the right place at the right time. He personally witnessed and recorded many of the images of the tumult during the Boxer Rebellion, as he too was trapped within the Peking foreign legations during their nearly two month holdout. Though he had begun the siege as only a correspondent for the Times newspaper; by his directness, force of personality and natural leadership ability, Morrison became an active and commanding participant in the defense of the legation quarter. Wounded in battle, had he been officially in uniform, his bravery and actions would have certainly merited commendation or military award.

This is a fascinating and perhaps rare and unique photograph. For those that don't remember the story of the Boxer Rebellion; suffice it to say that the Qing court, in 1900, after it's defeat by foreign troops, fled Beijing (then called Peking) into the interior of China. Once it was firmly established that the foreign governments were willing to allow the Manchu emperor to return without fear of reprisal (as the foreign powers needed someone local, but servile, to be in charge of the populace) the Qing court re-ensconced itself back into the Imperial city with pompous celebration. Morrison was on hand to record the parade of Qing royals and their "triumphant" return into the Chinese capital from their supposed 'inspection tour' of the countryside.

In accordance with ceremonial pomp, all militaries around the world have traditional postures or stances, to signal their respect for an honored dignitary or a high official. In this case, the imperial soldiers were saluting the passing of the Empress Dowager's sedan chair. What is so interesting about this photograph then, is the western military posture of 'present arms' (holding a rifle in front of one's self in the vertical position) combined with the typical Chinese or Asian posture of genuflection (at the bended knee) displayed by the Qing troops lining the road. The soldier in the foreground, whose legs are concealed, does not readily reveal this, however if one examines more closely the troops (across the road) beyond the haze of road dust, one can clearly see saluting Chinese soldiers on their knees.

This curious amalgam of Western and Eastern military etiquette was probably short lived, and in many ways was perhaps emblematic of the dilemma and indecisiveness of Qing China. That is, they were eager to adopt the many new things of the west, but were still reluctant to discard the trappings and traditions of the old.

In all my years of looking at military images, I can't recall ever having seen another instance where soldiers presented a salute with both western style and eastern style honors combined. A remarkable and striking photograph.

Mural painted on the north facing wall of an apartment house above a service garage at the corner of 24th Street and South Van Ness in the 'Mission District' of San Francisco, California.

The mural, created by community artist Daniel Galvez, is entitled "Carnaval". Galvez, together with Mauricio Aviles and Lou Dematteis, painted the mural over 30 years ago. In 2014, the City of San Francisco awarded Galvez a San Francisco Community Challenge Grant to restore the landmark mural to its original and now present state.

The 24 X 75ft. mural depicts scenes and real-life characters from the first-ever Mission Carnaval parade photographed by Dematteis in 1979.

Entitled: A Boat On A River With Rolling Hills In The Background In The Kiangsu Province Or Yunnan Province In China [1946] A Rothstein [RESTORED] Very little spot correction, mild contrast added, tonal adjustments with a final sepia.

An extraordinary image found on the US Library Of Congress under Reproduction Number LC-DIG-ppmsca-07797.

The Duomo HDR-Tuscany 2010

The heart of the Piazza del Duomo is, obviously, the Duomo, the medieval cathedral, entitled to Santa Maria Assunta (St. Mary of the Assumption). This is a five-naved cathedral with a three-naved transept. The church is known also as the Primatial, the archbishop of Pisa being a Primate since 1092.

Construction was begun in 1064 by the architect Busketo, and set the model for the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style of architecture. The mosaics of the interior, as well as the pointed arches, show a strong Byzantine influence.

The façade, of grey marble and white stone set with discs of coloured marble, was built by a master named Rainaldo, as indicated by an inscription above the middle door: Rainaldus prudens operator.

The massive bronze main doors were made in the workshops of Giambologna, replacing the original doors destroyed in a fire in 1595. The central door was in bronze and made around 1180 by Bonanno Pisano, while the other two were probably in wood. However worshippers never used the façade doors to enter, instead entering by way of the Porta di San Ranieri (St. Ranieri's Door), in front of the Leaning Tower, made in around 1180 by Bonanno Pisano.

Above the doors there are four rows of open galleries with, on top, statues of Madonna with Child and, on the corners, the Four evangelists.

Also in the façade we can find the tomb of Busketo (on the left side) and an inscription about the foundation of the Cathedral and the victorious battle against Saracens.

At the east end of the exterior, high on a column rising from the gable is a modern replica of the Pisa Griffin, the largest Islamic metal sculpture known, the original of which was placed there probably in the 11th or 12th century, and is now in the Cathedral Museum.

The interior is faced with black and white marble and has a gilded ceiling and a frescoed dome. It was largely redecorated after a fire in 1595, which destroyed most of the medieval art works.

Fortunately, the impressive mosaic, in the apse, of Christ in Majesty, flanked by the Blessed Virgin and St. John the Evangelist, survived the fire. It evokes the mosaics in the church of Monreale, Sicily. Although it is said that the mosaic was done by Cimabue, only the head of St. John was done by the artist in 1302 and was his last work, since he died in Pisa in the same year. The cupola, at the intersection of the nave and the transept, was decorated by Riminaldi showing the ascension of the Blessed Virgin.

Galileo is believed to have formulated his theory about the movement of a pendulum by watching the swinging of the incense lamp (not the present one) hanging from the ceiling of the nave. That lamp, smaller and simpler than the present one, it is now kept in the Camposanto, in the Aulla chapel.

The impressive granite Corinthian columns between the nave and the aisle came originally from the mosque of Palermo, captured by the Pisans in 1063.

The coffer ceiling of the nave was replaced after the fire of 1595. The present gold-decorated ceiling carries the coat of arms of the Medici.

The elaborately carved pulpit (1302-1310), which also survived the fire, was made by Giovanni Pisano and is one the masterworks of medieval sculpture. It was packed away during the redecoration and was not rediscovered and re-erected until 1926. The pulpit is supported by plain columns (two of which mounted on lions sculptures) on one side and by caryatids and a telamon on the other: the latter represent St. Michael, the Evangelists, the four cardinal virtues flanking the Church, and a bold, naturalistic depiction of a naked Hercules. A central plinth with the liberal arts supports the four theological virtues.

The present day reconstruction of the pulpit is not the correct one. Now it lies not in the same original position, that was nearer the main altar, and the disposition of the columns and the panels are not the original ones. Also the original stairs (maybe in marble) were lost.

The upper part has nine panels dramatic showing scenes from the New Testament, carved in white marble with a chiaroscuro effect and separated by figures of prophets: Annunciation, Massacre of the Innocents, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Flight into Egypt, Crucifixion, and two panels of the Last Judgement.

The church also contains the bones of St Ranieri, Pisa's patron saint, and the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII, carved by Tino da Camaino in 1315. That tomb, originally in the apse just behind the main altar, was disassembled and changed position many times during the years for political reasons. At last the sarcophagus is still in the Cathedral, but some of the statues were put in the Camposanto or in the top of the façade of the church. The original statues now are in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo.

Pope Gregory VIII was also buried in the cathedral. The fire in 1595 destroyed his tomb.

The Cathedral has a prominent role in determining the beginning of the Pisan New Year. Between the tenth century and 1749, when the Tuscan calendar was reformed, Pisa used its own calendar, in which the first day of the year on March 25, which is the day of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. The Pisan New Year begins 9 months before the ordinary one. The exact moment is determined by a ray of sun that, through a window on the left side, hit a shelf egg-shaped on the right side, just above the pulpit by Giovanni Pisano. This occurs at noon.

In the Cathedral also can be found some relics brought during the Crusades: the remains of three Saints (Abibo, Gamaliel and Nicodemus) and a vase that it is said to be one of the jars of Cana.

The building, as have several in Pisa, has tilted slightly since its construction.

Mural entitled "Mamba" by Natanael Marrero aka @coessneakers, seen at 281 NW 24th Street in the Wynwood Arts District of Niani, Florida.

Drone photo by James aka @urbanmuralhunter on that other photo site.

Edit by Teee

Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com.

Alfons Maria Mucha also know internationally as Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), was a Czech graphic artist, painter and illustrator. He lived in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, and is best know for his noticeably stylized and decorative theatrical posters like those of Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress in paris at the time. Mucha produced paintings, advertisements, book illustrations as well as designs for carpets, jewelry and theatre sets, in what was called the Mucha style. His works featured beautiful young women in neoclassical robes surrounded by flowers which formed as haloes. Enjoy these printable high definition public domain illustrations, downloadable under the Creative Commons 0 license.

Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: https://www.rawpixel.com/board/1295682/alphonse-mucha-art-nouveau

From my set entitled “Roses”

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/

In my collection entitled “The Garden”

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.

Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.

A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.

Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.

Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes

What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii

O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose

Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.

Entitled "Venta", but more of a typical cafe-rest stop in Iberia or the Balearics. This scene, another of Gauger's "pintura nuifs", bears the specific date of 1976.

Tom J Newell’s elephant, entitled The Beat Goes On, references imagery relating to Lizzie, the elephant employed to work at Sheffield Steel Works during World War One. Tom elephant weaves abstract shapes and patterns representing steel, with iconography of Indian elephant and culture. He also used to his design as an opportunity to reference the travelling circus from which Lizzie originated.

Designed by: Tom J Newell

Tom J Newell is an artist, illustrator, record collector and turntable tinkering DJ who has worked and exhibited internationally with his intricately hand drawn black and white artworks. Tom is head designer at Twisted Burger Company, paints murals for The Kraken Rum, plays records at his weekly SHOWBOAT event at Picture House Social, and is sponsored by Posca Pens and Pink Pig Sketchbooks.

Sponsored by: Crystal Peaks Shopping Mall

Auction Price: £6500

Summer 2016, a herd of elephant sculptures descended on Sheffield for the biggest public art event the city has ever seen!

58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen. Did you find them all?

The trail of elephants celebrates Sheffield’s creativity with over 75% of artists from the city. Some well-known names include Pete McKee, James Green, Jonathan Wilkinson and Lydia Monks – each of which has put their own creative mark on a 1.6m tall fibreglass elephant sculpture. They are all very difference, take a selfie with your favourite as they will be on display until the end of September.

International artist Mark Alexander, who is currently working with Rembrandt for an exhibition in Berlin, flew to Sheffield especially to paint his elephant and international players from the World Snooker Championship signed SnookHerd, an elephant celebrating the heritage of snooker in Sheffield.

The Arctic Monkeys, famous for their love of their home city, added their signatures to their own personalised sculpture which pays homage to the striking sound wave cover of the band’s 2013 album “AM”.

By supporting the Herd of Sheffield you are investing in the future of Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Every penny raised will go towards our Artfelt programme, which transforms the hospital’s walls and spaces with bright art, helping children recover in an environment tailored to them. The programme also puts on workshops for youngsters to provide distraction during anxious moments – such as before an operation, and to breakup long stays on the wards.

This exciting Wild in Art event brought to you by The Children’s Hospital Charity will:

Unite our city – bringing businesses, communities, artists, individuals and schools together to create a FREE sculpture trail which is accessible to all.

Attract more visitors – both nationally and regionally as well as encouraging thousands of people to become a tourist in their own city.

Invest in the future – with a city wide education programme that can be used for years to come and by funding a life-saving piece of medical equipment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital from the Herd auction at the end of the trail.

Showcase our city – celebrating Sheffield’s heritage and cementing our status as a vibrant and culturally exciting city through this world-class initiative.

The Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend was held on 14-16 October and was your chance to say a last goodbye to all 58 large elephant sculptures as they gather in one place for a final send-off at Meadowhall.

This special event gave visitors a chance to see the entire herd in all its glory – from the signed Arctic Monkeys’ ‘AM’ elephant, right through to ‘SnookHerd’, autographed by a host of international snooker players including current world champion Mark Selby.

Please note that the Little Herd elephants will not be on display as they will be returned to their school for pupils to enjoy.

Meadowhall, along with its joint owners, British Land are very proud to be supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity as host sponsors for the Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend.

Auction: Hundreds of elephant enthusiasts gathered at the Crucible on 20 October for the Herd of Sheffield Auction, which raised a total of £410,600 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.

I entitled this "Sunset Gecko" because it's a gecko and I shot him during the waning moments of the setting of the big fiery orb in sky.

You with me here?

This one is not near as nice as the one catbutler posted earlier today.

Anyone who mentions the name of that sleazy car insurance company will be blocked.

You can see the gecko better like this.

Inspired by the special patients that the Sheffield Children’s Hospital treats every day, Clare Pentlow’s elephant, entitled It’s Parade Day, is a nod to one of her favourite childhood reads – Elmer. This lively elephant is bedecked with multi-coloured geometric shapes painted against a bright white background, intended to help it stand out against Sheffield’s city streets. Splashes of blue, red, green, yellow and orange interspersed with bold, black triangles and circles make this elephant one of the loudest in our herd. Elmer may have felt out of place with his extraordinary patterns but he would fit right in with elephants like this roaming around the city.

Designed by: Clare Pentlow

Clare enjoys using shapes, colours and patterns in her work. She primarily works in paper layering, transforming flat ordinary sheets into unusual three dimensional patterns by folding and cutting. It is her continued love of patterns which continue to inspire and intrigue. Her work has attracted attention internationally, with famous French luxury brand Hermes commissioning pieces of her work for an exhibition of its porcelain collections in Paris. She has also contributed to television presenter Kristie Allsopp’s book, Kirstie’s Christmas Crafts and collaborated on projects for London-based jewellery designer Laura Lee.

Sponsored by: Sheffield Theatres Crucible Lyceum Studio

Auction Price: £5000

Summer 2016, a herd of elephant sculptures descended on Sheffield for the biggest public art event the city has ever seen!

58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen. Did you find them all?

The trail of elephants celebrates Sheffield’s creativity with over 75% of artists from the city. Some well-known names include Pete McKee, James Green, Jonathan Wilkinson and Lydia Monks – each of which has put their own creative mark on a 1.6m tall fibreglass elephant sculpture. They are all very difference, take a selfie with your favourite as they will be on display until the end of September.

International artist Mark Alexander, who is currently working with Rembrandt for an exhibition in Berlin, flew to Sheffield especially to paint his elephant and international players from the World Snooker Championship signed SnookHerd, an elephant celebrating the heritage of snooker in Sheffield.

The Arctic Monkeys, famous for their love of their home city, added their signatures to their own personalised sculpture which pays homage to the striking sound wave cover of the band’s 2013 album “AM”.

By supporting the Herd of Sheffield you are investing in the future of Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Every penny raised will go towards our Artfelt programme, which transforms the hospital’s walls and spaces with bright art, helping children recover in an environment tailored to them. The programme also puts on workshops for youngsters to provide distraction during anxious moments – such as before an operation, and to breakup long stays on the wards.

This exciting Wild in Art event brought to you by The Children’s Hospital Charity will:

Unite our city – bringing businesses, communities, artists, individuals and schools together to create a FREE sculpture trail which is accessible to all.

Attract more visitors – both nationally and regionally as well as encouraging thousands of people to become a tourist in their own city.

Invest in the future – with a city wide education programme that can be used for years to come and by funding a life-saving piece of medical equipment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital from the Herd auction at the end of the trail.

Showcase our city – celebrating Sheffield’s heritage and cementing our status as a vibrant and culturally exciting city through this world-class initiative.

The Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend was held on 14-16 October and was your chance to say a last goodbye to all 58 large elephant sculptures as they gather in one place for a final send-off at Meadowhall.

This special event gave visitors a chance to see the entire herd in all its glory – from the signed Arctic Monkeys’ ‘AM’ elephant, right through to ‘SnookHerd’, autographed by a host of international snooker players including current world champion Mark Selby.

Please note that the Little Herd elephants will not be on display as they will be returned to their school for pupils to enjoy.

Meadowhall, along with its joint owners, British Land are very proud to be supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity as host sponsors for the Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend.

Auction: Hundreds of elephant enthusiasts gathered at the Crucible on 20 October for the Herd of Sheffield Auction, which raised a total of £410,600 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.

From my set entitled “Escarpment” (under development)

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157608204080206/

In my collection entitled “Halton”

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760820...

In my photostream

www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/

Reproduced from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. It is composed of the Lockport geological formation of Silurian age, and is similar to the Onondaga geological formation, which runs parallel to it and just to the south, through the western portion of New York and southern Ontario. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges to form Niagara Falls, for which it is named.

The Niagara Escarpment is the most prominent of several escarpments formed in the bedrock of the Great Lakes. It is traceable from its easternmost point in New York State, starting well east of the Genesee River Valley near Rochester, creating one large and two small waterfalls on the Genesee River in that city, thence running westwards to the Niagara River forming a deep gorge north of Niagara Falls, which itself cascades over the escarpment. In Southern Ontario it stretches along the Niagara Peninsula hugging close to the Lake Ontario shore near the cities of St. Catharines and Hamilton and Milton where it takes a sharp turn north toward Georgian Bay. It then follows the Georgian Bay shore northwestwards to form the spine of the Bruce Peninsula, Manitoulin, St. Joseph Island and other islands located in northern Lake Huron where it turns westerwards into the Upper Peninsula of northern Michigan, south of Sault Ste. Marie. It then extends southwards into Wisconsin following the Door Peninsula and then more inland from the western coast of Lake Michigan and Milwaukee ending northwest of Chicago near the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

In February 1990, the Niagara Escarpment was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, making it one of 12 in Canada. Development and land use adjacent to the escarpment is regulated and the biosphere protected by the Niagara Escarpment Commission, an agency of the Ontario government.