Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, and also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is a widely worshipped deity in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.

 

Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

 

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. He was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.

 

ETYMOLOGY AND OTHER NAMES

Ganesha has been ascribed many other titles and epithets, including Ganapati and Vighneshvara. The Hindu title of respect Shri is often added before his name. One popular way Ganesha is worshipped is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama, a litany of "a thousand names of Ganesha". Each name in the sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha. At least two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist; one version is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu scripture venerating Ganesha.

 

The name Ganesha is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system and isha, meaning lord or master. The word gaņa when associated with Ganesha is often taken to refer to the gaņas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name "Lord of the Gaņas" to mean "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of created categories", such as the elements. Ganapati, a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning "group", and pati, meaning "ruler" or "lord". The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit lexicon, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja (equivalent to Vighnesha), Dvaimātura (one who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (equivalent to Ganapati and Ganesha), Ekadanta (one who has one tusk), Heramba, Lambodara (one who has a pot belly, or, literally, one who has a hanging belly), and Gajanana; having the face of an elephant).

 

Vinayaka is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. This name is reflected in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Ashtavinayak (aṣṭavināyaka). The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu theology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).

 

A prominent name for Ganesha in the Tamil language is Pillai. A. K. Narain differentiates these terms by saying that pillai means a "child" while pillaiyar means a "noble child". He adds that the words pallu, pella, and pell in the Dravidian family of languages signify "tooth or tusk", also "elephant tooth or tusk". Anita Raina Thapan notes that the root word pille in the name Pillaiyar might have originally meant "the young of the elephant", because the Pali word pillaka means "a young elephant".

 

In the Burmese language, Ganesha is known as Maha Peinne, derived from Pali Mahā Wināyaka. The widespread name of Ganesha in Thailand is Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikhanesuan, both of which are derived from Vara Vighnesha and Vara Vighneshvara respectively, whereas the name Khanet (from Ganesha) is rather rare.

 

In Sri Lanka, in the North-Central and North Western areas with predominantly Buddhist population, Ganesha is known as Aiyanayaka Deviyo, while in other Singhala Buddhist areas he is known as Gana deviyo.

 

ICONOGRAPHY

Ganesha is a popular figure in Indian art. Unlike those of some deities, representations of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons, playing with his family as a boy, sitting down or on an elevated seat, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.

 

Ganesha images were prevalent in many parts of India by the 6th century. The 13th century statue pictured is typical of Ganesha statuary from 900–1200, after Ganesha had been well-established as an independent deity with his own sect. This example features some of Ganesha's common iconographic elements. A virtually identical statue has been dated between 973–1200 by Paul Martin-Dubost, and another similar statue is dated c. 12th century by Pratapaditya Pal. Ganesha has the head of an elephant and a big belly. This statue has four arms, which is common in depictions of Ganesha. He holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and holds a delicacy, which he samples with his trunk, in his lower-left hand. The motif of Ganesha turning his trunk sharply to his left to taste a sweet in his lower-left hand is a particularly archaic feature. A more primitive statue in one of the Ellora Caves with this general form has been dated to the 7th century. Details of the other hands are difficult to make out on the statue shown. In the standard configuration, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a goad in one upper arm and a pasha (noose) in the other upper arm.

 

The influence of this old constellation of iconographic elements can still be seen in contemporary representations of Ganesha. In one modern form, the only variation from these old elements is that the lower-right hand does not hold the broken tusk but is turned towards the viewer in a gesture of protection or fearlessness (abhaya mudra). The same combination of four arms and attributes occurs in statues of Ganesha dancing, which is a very popular theme.

 

COMMON ATTRIBUTES

Ganesha has been represented with the head of an elephant since the early stages of his appearance in Indian art. Puranic myths provide many explanations for how he got his elephant head. One of his popular forms, Heramba-Ganapati, has five elephant heads, and other less-common variations in the number of heads are known. While some texts say that Ganesha was born with an elephant head, he acquires the head later in most stories. The most recurrent motif in these stories is that Ganesha was created by Parvati using clay to protect her and Shiva beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant. Details of the battle and where the replacement head came from vary from source to source. Another story says that Ganesha was created directly by Shiva's laughter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly.

 

Ganesha's earliest name was Ekadanta (One Tusked), referring to his single whole tusk, the other being broken. Some of the earliest images of Ganesha show him holding his broken tusk. The importance of this distinctive feature is reflected in the Mudgala Purana, which states that the name of Ganesha's second incarnation is Ekadanta. Ganesha's protruding belly appears as a distinctive attribute in his earliest statuary, which dates to the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries). This feature is so important that, according to the Mudgala Purana, two different incarnations of Ganesha use names based on it: Lambodara (Pot Belly, or, literally, Hanging Belly) and Mahodara (Great Belly). Both names are Sanskrit compounds describing his belly. The Brahmanda Purana says that Ganesha has the name Lambodara because all the universes (i.e., cosmic eggs) of the past, present, and future are present in him. The number of Ganesha's arms varies; his best-known forms have between two and sixteen arms. Many depictions of Ganesha feature four arms, which is mentioned in Puranic sources and codified as a standard form in some iconographic texts. His earliest images had two arms. Forms with 14 and 20 arms appeared in Central India during the 9th and the 10th centuries. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms. According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck. Other depictions of snakes include use as a sacred thread wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead may be a third eye or the Shaivite sectarian mark , which consists of three horizontal lines. The Ganesha Purana prescribes a tilaka mark as well as a crescent moon on the forehead. A distinct form of Ganesha called Bhalachandra includes that iconographic element. Ganesha is often described as red in color. Specific colors are associated with certain forms. Many examples of color associations with specific meditation forms are prescribed in the Sritattvanidhi, a treatise on Hindu iconography. For example, white is associated with his representations as Heramba-Ganapati and Rina-Mochana-Ganapati (Ganapati Who Releases from Bondage). Ekadanta-Ganapati is visualized as blue during meditation in that form.

 

VAHANAS

The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana (mount/vehicle). Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana, Ganesha uses a mouse (shrew) in five of them, a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, a peacock in his incarnation as Vikata, and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja. Mohotkata uses a lion, Mayūreśvara uses a peacock, Dhumraketu uses a horse, and Gajanana uses a mouse, in the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the Ganesha Purana. Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock.

 

Ganesha is often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Martin-Dubost says that the rat began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century; the rat was always placed close to his feet. The mouse as a mount first appears in written sources in the Matsya Purana and later in the Brahmananda Purana and Ganesha Purana, where Ganesha uses it as his vehicle in his last incarnation. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag. The names Mūṣakavāhana (mouse-mount) and Ākhuketana (rat-banner) appear in the Ganesha Sahasranama.

 

The mouse is interpreted in several ways. According to Grimes, "Many, if not most of those who interpret Gaṇapati's mouse, do so negatively; it symbolizes tamoguṇa as well as desire". Along these lines, Michael Wilcockson says it symbolizes those who wish to overcome desires and be less selfish. Krishan notes that the rat is destructive and a menace to crops. The Sanskrit word mūṣaka (mouse) is derived from the root mūṣ (stealing, robbing). It was essential to subdue the rat as a destructive pest, a type of vighna (impediment) that needed to be overcome. According to this theory, showing Ganesha as master of the rat demonstrates his function as Vigneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) and gives evidence of his possible role as a folk grāma-devatā (village deity) who later rose to greater prominence. Martin-Dubost notes a view that the rat is a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places.

 

ASSOCIATIONS

 

OBSTACLES

Ganesha is Vighneshvara or Vighnaraja or Vighnaharta (Marathi), the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order. He is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked. Paul Courtright says that "his task in the divine scheme of things, his dharma, is to place and remove obstacles. It is his particular territory, the reason for his creation."

 

Krishan notes that some of Ganesha's names reflect shadings of multiple roles that have evolved over time. Dhavalikar ascribes the quick ascension of Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon, and the emergence of the Ganapatyas, to this shift in emphasis from vighnakartā (obstacle-creator) to vighnahartā (obstacle-averter). However, both functions continue to be vital to his character.

 

BUDDHI (KNOWLEDGE)

Ganesha is considered to be the Lord of letters and learning. In Sanskrit, the word buddhi is a feminine noun that is variously translated as intelligence, wisdom, or intellect. The concept of buddhi is closely associated with the personality of Ganesha, especially in the Puranic period, when many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence. One of Ganesha's names in the Ganesha Purana and the Ganesha Sahasranama is Buddhipriya. This name also appears in a list of 21 names at the end of the Ganesha Sahasranama that Ganesha says are especially important. The word priya can mean "fond of", and in a marital context it can mean "lover" or "husband", so the name may mean either "Fond of Intelligence" or "Buddhi's Husband".

 

AUM

Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum, also spelled Om. The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa attests to this association. Chinmayananda translates the relevant passage as follows:

 

(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Om. (That is to say, You are all this).

 

Some devotees see similarities between the shape of Ganesha's body in iconography and the shape of Aum in the Devanāgarī and Tamil scripts.

 

FIRST CHAKRA

According to Kundalini yoga, Ganesha resides in the first chakra, called Muladhara (mūlādhāra). Mula means "original, main"; adhara means "base, foundation". The muladhara chakra is the principle on which the manifestation or outward expansion of primordial Divine Force rests. This association is also attested to in the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. Courtright translates this passage as follows: "[O Ganesha,] You continually dwell in the sacral plexus at the base of the spine [mūlādhāra cakra]." Thus, Ganesha has a permanent abode in every being at the Muladhara. Ganesha holds, supports and guides all other chakras, thereby "governing the forces that propel the wheel of life".

 

FAMILY AND CONSORTS

Though Ganesha is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths give different versions about his birth. In some he was created by Parvati, in another he was created by Shiva and Parvati, in another he appeared mysteriously and was discovered by Shiva and Parvati or he was born from the elephant headed goddess Malini after she drank Parvati's bath water that had been thrown in the river.

 

The family includes his brother the war god Kartikeya, who is also called Subramanya, Skanda, Murugan and other names. Regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesha is considered the first born. In northern India, Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when worship of him declined significantly in northern India. As Skanda fell, Ganesha rose. Several stories tell of sibling rivalry between the brothers and may reflect sectarian tensions.

 

Ganesha's marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories. One pattern of myths identifies Ganesha as an unmarried brahmacari. This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India. Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha's wives. He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Sanskrit: daşi). Another pattern connects Ganesha with the goddess of culture and the arts, Sarasvati or Śarda (particularly in Maharashtra). He is also associated with the goddess of luck and prosperity, Lakshmi. Another pattern, mainly prevalent in the Bengal region, links Ganesha with the banana tree, Kala Bo.

 

The Shiva Purana says that Ganesha had begotten two sons: Kşema (prosperity) and Lābha (profit). In northern Indian variants of this story, the sons are often said to be Śubha (auspiciouness) and Lābha. The 1975 Hindi film Jai Santoshi Maa shows Ganesha married to Riddhi and Siddhi and having a daughter named Santoshi Ma, the goddess of satisfaction. This story has no Puranic basis, but Anita Raina Thapan and Lawrence Cohen cite Santoshi Ma's cult as evidence of Ganesha's continuing evolution as a popular deity.

 

WOSHIP AND FESTIVALS

Ganesha is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions; especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. K.N. Somayaji says, "there can hardly be a [Hindu] home [in India] which does not house an idol of Ganapati. [..] Ganapati, being the most popular deity in India, is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country". Devotees believe that if Ganesha is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.

 

Ganesha is a non-sectarian deity, and Hindus of all denominations invoke him at the beginning of prayers, important undertakings, and religious ceremonies. Dancers and musicians, particularly in southern India, begin performances of arts such as the Bharatnatyam dance with a prayer to Ganesha. Mantras such as Om Shri Gaṇeshāya Namah (Om, salutation to the Illustrious Ganesha) are often used. One of the most famous mantras associated with Ganesha is Om Gaṃ Ganapataye Namah (Om, Gaṃ, Salutation to the Lord of Hosts).

 

Devotees offer Ganesha sweets such as modaka and small sweet balls (laddus). He is often shown carrying a bowl of sweets, called a modakapātra. Because of his identification with the color red, he is often worshipped with red sandalwood paste (raktacandana) or red flowers. Dūrvā grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other materials are also used in his worship.

 

Festivals associated with Ganesh are Ganesh Chaturthi or Vināyaka chaturthī in the śuklapakṣa (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of bhādrapada (August/September) and the Gaṇeśa jayanti (Gaṇeśa's birthday) celebrated on the cathurthī of the śuklapakṣa (fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of māgha (January/February)."

 

GANESH CHATURTI

An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesha Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival begins with people bringing in clay idols of Ganesha, symbolising Ganesha's visit. The festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, when idols (murtis) of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water. Some families have a tradition of immersion on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 7th day. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha's wide appeal as "the god for Everyman", Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai, Pune, and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples.

 

TEMPLES

In Hindu temples, Ganesha is depicted in various ways: as an acolyte or subordinate deity (pãrśva-devatã); as a deity related to the principal deity (parivāra-devatã); or as the principal deity of the temple (pradhāna), treated similarly as the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon. As the god of transitions, he is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati’s doorkeeper. In addition, several shrines are dedicated to Ganesha himself, of which the Ashtavinayak (lit. "eight Ganesha (shrines)") in Maharashtra are particularly well known. Located within a 100-kilometer radius of the city of Pune, each of these eight shrines celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with its own lore and legend. The eight shrines are: Morgaon, Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Theur, Lenyadri, Ozar and Ranjangaon.

 

There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar; Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: Kanipakam in Chittoor; the Jambukeśvara Temple at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram in Tamil Nadu; at Malliyur, Kottarakara, Pazhavangadi, Kasargod in Kerala, Hampi, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.

 

T. A. Gopinatha notes, "Every village however small has its own image of Vighneśvara (Vigneshvara) with or without a temple to house it in. At entrances of villages and forts, below pīpaḹa (Sacred fig) trees [...], in a niche [...] in temples of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as well as Śiva (Shiva) and also in separate shrines specially constructed in Śiva temples [...]; the figure of Vighneśvara is invariably seen." Ganesha temples have also been built outside of India, including southeast Asia, Nepal (including the four Vinayaka shrines in the Kathmandu valley), and in several western countries.

 

RISE TO PROMINENCE

 

FIRST APEARANCE

Ganesha appeared in his classic form as a clearly recognizable deity with well-defined iconographic attributes in the early 4th to 5th centuries. Shanti Lal Nagar says that the earliest known iconic image of Ganesha is in the niche of the Shiva temple at Bhumra, which has been dated to the Gupta period. His independent cult appeared by about the 10th century. Narain summarizes the controversy between devotees and academics regarding the development of Ganesha as follows:

 

What is inscrutable is the somewhat dramatic appearance of Gaņeśa on the historical scene. His antecedents are not clear. His wide acceptance and popularity, which transcend sectarian and territorial limits, are indeed amazing. On the one hand there is the pious belief of the orthodox devotees in Gaņeśa's Vedic origins and in the Purāṇic explanations contained in the confusing, but nonetheless interesting, mythology. On the other hand there are doubts about the existence of the idea and the icon of this deity" before the fourth to fifth century A.D. ... [I]n my opinion, indeed there is no convincing evidence of the existence of this divinity prior to the fifth century.

 

POSSIBLE INFLUENCES

Courtright reviews various speculative theories about the early history of Ganesha, including supposed tribal traditions and animal cults, and dismisses all of them in this way:

 

In the post 600 BC period there is evidence of people and places named after the animal. The motif appears on coins and sculptures.

 

Thapan's book on the development of Ganesha devotes a chapter to speculations about the role elephants had in early India but concludes that, "although by the second century CE the elephant-headed yakṣa form exists it cannot be presumed to represent Gaṇapati-Vināyaka. There is no evidence of a deity by this name having an elephant or elephant-headed form at this early stage. Gaṇapati-Vināyaka had yet to make his debut."

 

One theory of the origin of Ganesha is that he gradually came to prominence in connection with the four Vinayakas (Vināyakas). In Hindu mythology, the Vināyakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created obstacles and difficulties but who were easily propitiated. The name Vināyaka is a common name for Ganesha both in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. Krishan is one of the academics who accepts this view, stating flatly of Ganesha, "He is a non-vedic god. His origin is to be traced to the four Vināyakas, evil spirits, of the Mānavagŗhyasūtra (7th–4th century BCE) who cause various types of evil and suffering". Depictions of elephant-headed human figures, which some identify with Ganesha, appear in Indian art and coinage as early as the 2nd century. According to Ellawala, the elephant-headed Ganesha as lord of the Ganas was known to the people of Sri Lanka in the early pre-Christian era.

 

A metal plate depiction of Ganesha had been discovered in 1993, in Iran, it dated back to 1,200 BCE. Another one was discovered much before, in Lorestan Province of Iran.

 

First Ganesha's terracotta images are from 1st century CE found in Ter, Pal, Verrapuram and Chandraketugarh. These figures are small, with elephant head, two arms, and chubby physique. The earliest Ganesha icons in stone were carved in Mathura during Kushan times (2nd-3rd centuries CE).

 

VEDIC AND EPIC LITERATURE

The title "Leader of the group" (Sanskrit: gaṇapati) occurs twice in the Rig Veda, but in neither case does it refer to the modern Ganesha. The term appears in RV 2.23.1 as a title for Brahmanaspati, according to commentators. While this verse doubtless refers to Brahmanaspati, it was later adopted for worship of Ganesha and is still used today. In rejecting any claim that this passage is evidence of Ganesha in the Rig Veda, Ludo Rocher says that it "clearly refers to Bṛhaspati—who is the deity of the hymn—and Bṛhaspati only". Equally clearly, the second passage (RV 10.112.9) refers to Indra, who is given the epithet 'gaṇapati', translated "Lord of the companies (of the Maruts)." However, Rocher notes that the more recent Ganapatya literature often quotes the Rigvedic verses to give Vedic respectability to Ganesha .

 

Two verses in texts belonging to Black Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Saṃhitā (2.9.1) and Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (10.1), appeal to a deity as "the tusked one" (Dantiḥ), "elephant-faced" (Hastimukha), and "with a curved trunk" (Vakratuņḍa). These names are suggestive of Ganesha, and the 14th century commentator Sayana explicitly establishes this identification. The description of Dantin, possessing a twisted trunk (vakratuṇḍa) and holding a corn-sheaf, a sugar cane, and a club, is so characteristic of the Puranic Ganapati that Heras says "we cannot resist to accept his full identification with this Vedic Dantin". However, Krishan considers these hymns to be post-Vedic additions. Thapan reports that these passages are "generally considered to have been interpolated". Dhavalikar says, "the references to the elephant-headed deity in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā have been proven to be very late interpolations, and thus are not very helpful for determining the early formation of the deity".

 

Ganesha does not appear in Indian epic literature that is dated to the Vedic period. A late interpolation to the epic poem Mahabharata says that the sage Vyasa (Vyāsa) asked Ganesha to serve as his scribe to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed but only on condition that Vyasa recite the poem uninterrupted, that is, without pausing. The sage agreed, but found that to get any rest he needed to recite very complex passages so Ganesha would have to ask for clarifications. The story is not accepted as part of the original text by the editors of the critical edition of the Mahabharata, in which the twenty-line story is relegated to a footnote in an appendix. The story of Ganesha acting as the scribe occurs in 37 of the 59 manuscripts consulted during preparation of the critical edition.[174] Ganesha's association with mental agility and learning is one reason he is shown as scribe for Vyāsa's dictation of the Mahabharata in this interpolation. Richard L. Brown dates the story to the 8th century, and Moriz Winternitz concludes that it was known as early as c. 900, but it was not added to the Mahabharata some 150 years later. Winternitz also notes that a distinctive feature in South Indian manuscripts of the Mahabharata is their omission of this Ganesha legend. The term vināyaka is found in some recensions of the Śāntiparva and Anuśāsanaparva that are regarded as interpolations. A reference to Vighnakartṛīṇām ("Creator of Obstacles") in Vanaparva is also believed to be an interpolation and does not appear in the critical edition.

 

PURANIC PERIOD

Stories about Ganesha often occur in the Puranic corpus. Brown notes while the Puranas "defy precise chronological ordering", the more detailed narratives of Ganesha's life are in the late texts, c. 600–1300. Yuvraj Krishan says that the Puranic myths about the birth of Ganesha and how he acquired an elephant's head are in the later Puranas, which were composed from c. 600 onwards. He elaborates on the matter to say that references to Ganesha in the earlier Puranas, such as the Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas, are later interpolations made during the 7th to 10th centuries.

 

In his survey of Ganesha's rise to prominence in Sanskrit literature, Ludo Rocher notes that:

 

Above all, one cannot help being struck by the fact that the numerous stories surrounding Gaṇeśa concentrate on an unexpectedly limited number of incidents. These incidents are mainly three: his birth and parenthood, his elephant head, and his single tusk. Other incidents are touched on in the texts, but to a far lesser extent.

 

Ganesha's rise to prominence was codified in the 9th century, when he was formally included as one of the five primary deities of Smartism. The 9th-century philosopher Adi Shankara popularized the "worship of the five forms" (Panchayatana puja) system among orthodox Brahmins of the Smarta tradition. This worship practice invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, and Surya. Adi Shankara instituted the tradition primarily to unite the principal deities of these five major sects on an equal status. This formalized the role of Ganesha as a complementary deity.

 

SCRIPTURES

Once Ganesha was accepted as one of the five principal deities of Brahmanism, some Brahmins (brāhmaṇas) chose to worship Ganesha as their principal deity. They developed the Ganapatya tradition, as seen in the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana.

 

The date of composition for the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana - and their dating relative to one another - has sparked academic debate. Both works were developed over time and contain age-layered strata. Anita Thapan reviews comments about dating and provides her own judgement. "It seems likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana appeared around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries", she says, "but was later interpolated." Lawrence W. Preston considers the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana to be between 1100 and 1400, which coincides with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by the text.

 

R.C. Hazra suggests that the Mudgala Purana is older than the Ganesha Purana, which he dates between 1100 and 1400. However, Phyllis Granoff finds problems with this relative dating and concludes that the Mudgala Purana was the last of the philosophical texts concerned with Ganesha. She bases her reasoning on the fact that, among other internal evidence, the Mudgala Purana specifically mentions the Ganesha Purana as one of the four Puranas (the Brahma, the Brahmanda, the Ganesha, and the Mudgala Puranas) which deal at length with Ganesha. While the kernel of the text must be old, it was interpolated until the 17th and 18th centuries as the worship of Ganapati became more important in certain regions. Another highly regarded scripture, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, was probably composed during the 16th or 17th centuries.

 

BEYOND INDIA AND HINDUISM

Commercial and cultural contacts extended India's influence in western and southeast Asia. Ganesha is one of a number of Hindu deities who reached foreign lands as a result.

 

Ganesha was particularly worshipped by traders and merchants, who went out of India for commercial ventures. From approximately the 10th century onwards, new networks of exchange developed including the formation of trade guilds and a resurgence of money circulation. During this time, Ganesha became the principal deity associated with traders. The earliest inscription invoking Ganesha before any other deity is associated with the merchant community.

 

Hindus migrated to Maritime Southeast Asia and took their culture, including Ganesha, with them. Statues of Ganesha are found throughout the region, often beside Shiva sanctuaries. The forms of Ganesha found in Hindu art of Java, Bali, and Borneo show specific regional influences. The spread of Hindu culture to southeast Asia established Ganesha in modified forms in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. In Indochina, Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced side by side, and mutual influences can be seen in the iconography of Ganesha in the region. In Thailand, Cambodia, and among the Hindu classes of the Chams in Vietnam, Ganesha was mainly thought of as a remover of obstacles. Today in Buddhist Thailand, Ganesha is regarded as a remover of obstacles, the god of success.

 

Before the arrival of Islam, Afghanistan had close cultural ties with India, and the adoration of both Hindu and Buddhist deities was practiced. Examples of sculptures from the 5th to the 7th centuries have survived, suggesting that the worship of Ganesha was then in vogue in the region.

 

Ganesha appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god Vināyaka, but also as a Hindu demon form with the same name. His image appears in Buddhist sculptures during the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god Vināyaka, he is often shown dancing. This form, called Nṛtta Ganapati, was popular in northern India, later adopted in Nepal, and then in Tibet. In Nepal, the Hindu form of Ganesha, known as Heramba, is popular; he has five heads and rides a lion. Tibetan representations of Ganesha show ambivalent views of him. A Tibetan rendering of Ganapati is tshogs bdag. In one Tibetan form, he is shown being trodden under foot by Mahākāla, (Shiva) a popular Tibetan deity. Other depictions show him as the Destroyer of Obstacles, and sometimes dancing. Ganesha appears in China and Japan in forms that show distinct regional character. In northern China, the earliest known stone statue of Ganesha carries an inscription dated to 531. In Japan, where Ganesha is known as Kangiten, the Ganesha cult was first mentioned in 806.

 

The canonical literature of Jainism does not mention the worship of Ganesha. However, Ganesha is worshipped by most Jains, for whom he appears to have taken over certain functions of Kubera. Jain connections with the trading community support the idea that Jainism took up Ganesha worship as a result of commercial connections. The earliest known Jain Ganesha statue dates to about the 9th century. A 15th-century Jain text lists procedures for the installation of Ganapati images. Images of Ganesha appear in the Jain temples of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

 

WIKIPEDIA

 

❝The Right To The Truth❞

 

( Subtitle:

 

“For families & friends of patients with cancer” )

 

Foreword by Emeritus Prof. Peter Goldstraw

 

Provocative book reveals widespread abuse of cancer patients' rights:

 

The book presents the case for the patients’ right to be aware of their own cancer diagnosis. It also proposes a way on how to break bad news.

 

❝…A valuable plea for honesty between medical professionals and their patients.❞ — Kirkus Reviews

  

Paperback, 5½ × 8½" sized, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1977834744

 

Also an ebook, available at Amazon ( kindle ed.) & Apple Books.

 

The book’s webpage:

 

www.papachristos.eu/righttothetruth

Exploitant : Transdev CSO

Réseau : Poissy Aval – 2 Rives de Seine

Lieu : Gare Sud de Poissy (Poissy, F-95)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/id/50645

Conecto G de démonstration sur le réseau RGTR exploité par Emile Weber.

Le miellat des pucerons est prélevé par les fourmis dites éleveuses. Ces dernières caressent avec leurs antennes les pucerons qui libèrent le miellat récolté alors par les fourmis.

 

Les fourmis profitent donc d'une ressource de nourriture sucrée et abondante et le puceron d'une protection contre les prédateurs et contre les champignons qui se développeraient (fumagine) si le miellat tombait simplement sur les feuilles.

 

[Wikipédia]

Ce sont les vestiges extérieurs des exploitations minières des lieux. J'ai patienté 3 ans pour rentrer dedans, enfin .... Et je pourrais vraisemblablement y retourner croquer mais toute seule, parce que personne y veut venir, trop froid ! M'en fiche , j'irai toute seule :p

Enfin , celui ci c'est dehors car j'ai pu rentrer dans la mine mais au pas de course.

 

Je trouve que notre Terre est généreuse par nature, une résurgence , une mine ...... ^^

British Real Photograph postcard. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

 

Lupe Velez (1908-1944), was one of the first Mexican actresses to succeed in Hollywood. Her nicknames were 'The Mexican Spitfire' and 'Hot Pepper'. She was the leading lady in such silent films as The Gaucho (1927), Lady of the Pavements (1928), and Wolf Song (1929). During the 1930s, her well-known explosive screen persona was exploited in a series of successful films like Hot Pepper (1933), Strictly Dynamite (1934), and Hollywood Party (1934). In the 1940s, Vélez's popularity peaked after appearing in the Mexican Spitfire films, a series created to capitalise on Vélez's well-documented fiery personality. She had several highly publicised romances and a stormy marriage. In 1944, Vélez died of an intentional overdose of the barbiturate drug Seconal. Her death and the circumstances surrounding it have been the subject of speculation and controversy.

 

Lupe Vélez was born María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez in 1908 in the city of San Luis Potosí in Mexico. She was the daughter of Jacobo Villalobos Reyes, a colonel in the army of the dictator Porfirio Diaz, and his wife Josefina Vélez, an opera singer according to some sources, or vaudeville singer according to others. She had three sisters: Mercedes, Reina and Josefina, and a brother, Emigdio. The family was financially comfortable and lived in a large home. At the age of 13, her parents sent her to study at Our Lady of the Lake (now Our Lady of the Lake University) in San Antonio, Texas. It was at Our Lady of the Lake that Vélez learned to speak English and began to dance. She later admitted that she liked dance class, but was otherwise a poor student. Denny Jackson at IMDb: "Life was hard for her family, and Lupe returned to Mexico to help them out financially. She worked as a salesgirl for a department store for the princely sum of $4 a week. Every week she would turn most of her salary over to her mother, but kept a little for herself so she could take dancing lessons. By now, she figured, with her mature shape and grand personality, she thought she could make a try at show business." She began her career as a performer in Mexican vaudeville in 1924. She initially performed under her paternal surname, but after her father returned home from the war, he was outraged that his daughter had decided to become a stage performer. She chose her maternal surname, "Vélez", as her stage name and her mother introduced Vélez and her sister Josefina to the popular Spanish Mexican vedette María Conesa, "La Gatita Blanca". Vélez debuted in a show led by Conesa, where she sang 'Oh Charley, My Boy' and danced the shimmy. Aurelio Campos, a young pianist, and friend of the Vélez sisters recommended Lupe to stage producers, Carlos Ortega and Manuel Castro. Ortega and Castro were preparing a season revue at the Regis Theatre and hired Vélez to join the company in March 1925. Later that year, Vélez starred in the revues 'Mexican Rataplan' and '¡No lo tapes!', both parodies of the Bataclan's shows in Paris. Her suggestive singing and provocative dancing was a hit with audiences, and she soon established herself as one of the main stars of vaudeville in Mexico. After a year and a half, Vélez left the revue after the manager refused to give her a raise. She then joined the Teatro Principal but was fired after three months due to her "feisty attitude". Vélez was quickly hired by the Teatro Lirico, where her salary rose to 100 pesos a day. In 1926, Frank A. Woodyard, an American who had seen Vélez perform, recommended her to stage director Richard Bennett, the father of actresses Joan and Constance Bennett. Bennett was looking for an actress to portray a Mexican cantina singer in his upcoming play 'The Dove'. He sent Vélez a telegram inviting her to Los Angeles to appear in the play. Vélez had been planning to go to Cuba to perform, but quickly changed her plans and traveled to Los Angeles. However, upon arrival, she discovered that she had been replaced by another actress.

 

While in Los Angeles, Lupe Vélez met the comedian Fanny Brice. Brice recommended her to Flo Ziegfeld, who hired her to perform in New York City. While Vélez was preparing to leave Los Angeles, she received a call from MGM producer Harry Rapf, who offered her a screen test. Producer and director Hal Roach saw Vélez's screen test and hired her for a small role in the comic Laurel and Hardy short Sailors, Beware! (Fred Guiol, Hal Yates, 1927). After her debut, Vélez appeared in another Hal Roach short, What Women Did for Me (James Parrott, 1927), opposite Charley Chase. Later that year, she did a screen test for the upcoming Douglas Fairbanks feature The Gaucho (F. Richard Jones, 1927). Fairbanks was impressed by Vélez and hired her to appear in the film with him. The Gaucho was a hit and critics were duly impressed with Vélez's ability to hold her own alongside Fairbanks, who was well known for his spirited acting and impressive stunts. Her second major film was Stand and Deliver (Donald Crisp, 1928), produced by Cecil B. DeMille. That same year, she was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars. Then she appeared in Lady of the Pavements (1929), directed by D. W. Griffith, and Where East Is East (Tod Browning, 1929), starring Lon Chaney as an animal trapper in Laos. In the Western The Wolf Song (Victor Fleming, 1929), she appeared alongside Gary Cooper. As she was regularly cast as 'exotic' or 'ethnic' women that were volatile and hot-tempered, gossip columnists took to referring to Vélez as "Mexican Hurricane", "The Mexican Wildcat", "The Mexican Madcap", "Whoopee Lupe" and "The Hot Tamale". Lupe Vélez made the transition to sound films without difficulty. Studio executives had predicted that her accent would likely hamper her ability to make the transition. That idea was dispelled after she appeared in the all-talking Rin Tin Tin vehicle, Tiger Rose (George Fitzmaurice, 1929). The film was a hit and Vélez's sound career was established. Vélez appeared in a series of Pre-Code films like Hell Harbor (Henry King, 1930), The Storm (William Wyler, 1930), and the crime drama East Is West (Monta Bell, 1930) opposite Edward G. Robinson. The next year, she appeared in her second film for Cecil B. DeMille, Squaw Man (Cecil B. DeMille, 1931), opposite Warner Baxter, in Resurrection (Edwin Carewe, 1931), and The Cuban Love Song (W.S. Van Dyke, 1931), with the popular singer Lawrence Tibbett. She had a supporting role in Kongo (William J. Cowen, 1932) with Walter Huston, a sound remake of West of Zanzibar (Tod Browning, 1928) which tries to outdo the Lon Chaney original in morbidity. She also starred in Spanish-language versions of Universal films like Resurrección (Eduardo Arozamena, David Selman, 1931), the Spanish version of Resurrection (1931), and Hombres en mi vida (Eduardo Arozamena, David Selman, 1932), the Spanish version of Men in Her Life (William Beaudine, 1931) in which Lois Moran had starred.

 

In 1932, Lupe Vélez took a break from her film career and traveled to New York City where she was signed by Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. to take over the role of "Conchita" in the musical revue 'Hot-Cha!'. The show also starred Bert Lahr, Eleanor Powell, and Buddy Rogers. Back in Hollywood, Lupe switched to comedy after playing dramatic roles for five years. Denny Jackson at IMDb: "In 1933 she played the lead role of Pepper in Hot Pepper (1933). This film showcased her comedic talents and helped her to show the world her vital personality. She was delightful." After Hot Pepper (John G. Blystone, 1933) with Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen, Lupe played beautiful but volatile, characters in a series of successful films like Strictly Dynamite (Elliott Nugent, 1934), Palooka (Benjamin Stoloff, 1934) both opposite Jimmy Durante, and Hollywood Party (Allan Dwan, a.o., 1934) with Laurel and Hardy. Although Vélez was a popular actress, RKO Pictures did not renew her contract in 1934. Over the next few years, Vélez worked for various studios as a freelance actress; she also spent two years in England where she filmed The Morals of Marcus (Miles Mander, 1935) and Gypsy Melody (Edmond T. Gréville, 1936). She returned to Los Angeles the following year where she appeared in the final part of the Wheeler & Woolsey comedy High Flyers (Edward F. Cline, 1937). In 1938, Vélez made her final appearance on Broadway in the musical You Never Know, by Cole Porter. The show received poor reviews from critics but received a large amount of publicity due to the feud between Vélez and fellow cast member Libby Holman. Holman was irritated by the attention Vélez garnered from the show with her impersonations of several actresses including Gloria Swanson, Katharine Hepburn, and Shirley Temple. The feud came to a head during a performance in New Haven, Connecticut after Vélez punched Holman in between curtain calls and gave her a black eye. The feud effectively ended the show. Upon her return to Mexico City in 1938 to star in her first Mexican film, Vélez was greeted by ten thousand fans. The film La Zandunga (Fernando de Fuentes, 1938) co-starring Arturo de Córdova, was a critical and financial success. Vélez was slated to appear in four more Mexican films, but instead, she returned to Los Angeles and went back to work for RKO Pictures. In 1939, Lupe Vélez was cast opposite Leon Errol and Donald Woods in the B-comedy, The Girl from Mexico (Leslie Goodwins, 1939). Despite being a B film, it was a hit with audiences and RKO re-teamed her with Errol and Wood for a sequel, Mexican Spitfire (Leslie Goodwins, 1940). That film was also a success and led to a series of eight Spitfire films. Wikipedia: "In the series, Vélez portrays Carmelita Lindsay, a temperamental yet friendly Mexican singer married to Dennis 'Denny' Lindsay (Woods), an elegant American gentleman. The Spitfire films rejuvenated Vélez's career. Moreover, they were films in which a Latina headlined for eight films straight –a true rarity." In addition to the Spitfire series, she was cast in such films as Six Lessons from Madame La Zonga (John Rawlins, 1941), Playmates (David Butler, 1941) opposite John Barrymore, and Redhead from Manhattan (Lew Landers, 1943). In 1943, the final film in the Spitfire series, Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event (Leslie Goodwins, 1943), was released. By that time, the novelty of the series had begun to wane. Velez co-starred with Eddie Albert in the romantic comedy, Ladies' Day (Leslie Goodwins, 1943), about an actress and a baseball player. In 1944, Vélez returned to Mexico to star in an adaptation of Émile Zola's novel Nana (Roberto Gavaldón, Celestino Gorostiza, 1944), which was well-received. It would be her final film. After filming wrapped, Vélez returned to Los Angeles and began preparing for another stage role in New York.

 

Lupe Vélez's temper and jealousy in her often tempestuous romantic relationships were well documented and became tabloid fodder, often overshadowing her career. Vélez was straightforward with the press and was regularly contacted by gossip columnists for stories about her romantic exploits. Her first long-term relationship was with actor Gary Cooper. Vélez met Cooper while filming The Wolf Song in 1929 and began a two-year affair with him. The relationship was passionate but often stormy. Reportedly Vélez chased Cooper around with a knife during an argument and cut him severely enough to require stitches. By that time, the rocky relationship had taken its toll on Cooper who had lost 45 pounds and was suffering from nervous exhaustion. Paramount Pictures ordered him to take a vacation to recuperate. While he was boarding the train, Vélez showed up at the train station and fired a pistol at him. During her marriage to actor Johnny Weissmuller, stories of their frequent physical fights were regularly reported in the press. Vélez reportedly inflicted scratches, bruises, and love-bites on Weissmuller during their fights and "passionate love-making". In July 1934, after ten months of marriage, Vélez filed for divorce citing cruelty. She withdrew the petition a week later after reconciling with Weissmuller. In January 1935, she filed for divorce a second time and was granted an interlocutory decree that was dismissed when the couple reconciled a month later. In August 1938, Vélez filed for divorce for a third time, again charging Weissmuller with cruelty. Their divorce was finalised in August 1939. After the divorce became final, Vélez began dating actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams in late 1940. They were reportedly engaged but never married. Vélez was also linked to author Erich Maria Remarque and the boxers Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey. In 1943, Vélez began an affair with her La Zandunga co-star Arturo de Córdova. De Córdova had recently moved to Hollywood after signing with Paramount Pictures. Despite the fact that de Córdova was married to Mexican actress Enna Arana with whom he had four children, Vélez granted an interview to gossip columnist Louella Parsons in September 1943 and announced that the two were engaged. Vélez ended the engagement in early 1944, reportedly after de Córdova's wife refused to give him a divorce. Vélez then met and began dating a struggling young Austrian actor named Harald Maresch (who went by the stage name Harald Ramond). In September 1944, she discovered she was pregnant with Ramond's child. She announced their engagement in late November 1944. On 10 December, four days before her death, Vélez announced she had ended the engagement and kicked Ramond out of her home. On the evening of 13 December 1944, Vélez dined with her two friends, the silent film star Estelle Taylor and Venita Oakie. In the early morning hours of 14 December, Vélez retired to her bedroom, where she consumed 75 Seconal pills and a glass of brandy. Her secretary, Beulah Kinder, found the actress's body on her bed later that morning. A suicide note addressed to Harald Ramond was found nearby. Lupe Vélez was only 36 years old. More than four-thousand people filed past her casket during her funeral. Her body was interred in Mexico City, at Panteón Civil de Dolores Cemetery. Velez' estate, valued at $125,000 and consisting mostly of her Rodeo House home, two cars, jewelry, and personal effects were left to her secretary Beulah Kinder with the remainder in trust for her mother, Mrs. Josephine Velez. Together with Dolores del Rio, Ramon Novarro, and José Mojica, she was one of the few Mexican people who had made history in the early years of Hollywood.

 

Sources: Denny Jackson (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV

Identification : 2671 (BL-445-JA)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

Dépôt : Centre d'Exploitation du Lac (CEL)

Véhicule parmis les premiers Citelis à passer en livrée TBM pour le changement d'identité du réseau.

 

Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)

Ligne : 18 NAVETTE STADE EURO 2016

Voiture : 1811

Destination : Mise en Ligne

 

À l'occasion de l'UEFA EURO 2016 (coupe d'Europe de football), une ligne spéciale a été créée pour délester le Tram C de l'afflux de supporters, malgré les renforts mis en place. Cette "Navette Stade" porte le numéro 18, et fait la liaison entre le Parc des Expositions (et Nouveau Stade) et la station Tram B "La Cité du Vin" (anciennement "Bassins à Flot"), pour une correspondance depuis/vers le Centre-Ville. Cette Navette est mise en place avant et après le match, pour répartir les mouvements sur 2 axes. Pour l'occasion, un large périmètre avait été bloqué à la circulation autour du Stade Matmut Atlantique pour faciliter la circulation des supporters et des bus, et un arrêt spécial a été aménagé parallèlement à la station de Tram. Une zone de stationnement était mise en place pendant le match pour les bus assurant la Navette sur les "Rue du Vergne" et "Avenue de la Jallère". Cette Navette a été pérennisée au sein de l'offre TBM pour les événements au Stade Matmut Atlantique.

 

02/07/2016 21:28

Rue du Vergne ; F-33 BORDEAUX

Dedicated to all these unfortunate Child labor in the May Day (International Workers' Day).

 

Bangladesh – a country where child labor is used more than anywhere else. child labor in Bangladesh is more than 12 percent of the total labor force. The exploitation of child labor in most cases due to the fact that even those parents who wish to send their children to school, often can not afford it. As a result, children are sent to work in fields, factories and even in the mines.They work 12 hours a day and receive for their work only 100 taka ($ 1.5) per day.

Stop Child labor

"...The 488 GTB name marks a return to the classic Ferrari model designation with the 488 in its moniker indicating the engine's unitary displacement, while the GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The new car not only delivers unparalleled performance, it also makes that extreme power exploitable and controllable to an unprecedented level even by less expert drivers..."

  

Source: Ferrari

  

Photographed in Dublin, Ireland.

 

____________________________________________________

  

Like my Fanpage

 

Follow me on Instagram

 

The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.

Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum

Last updated January 2014

Architecture in Vienna

Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.

Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.

Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom

The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.

The baroque residence

Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.

Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)

Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.

Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.

Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900

Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made ​​the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.

With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).

Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing

After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.

Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.

Expulsion, war and reconstruction

After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made ​​of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.

The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).

The youngsters come

Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) ​​by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.

MuseumQuarter and Gasometer

Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.

The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.

New Neighborhood

In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of ​​the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.

In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).

Flying high

International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.

Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.

Info: The folder "Architecture: From Art Nouveau to the Presence" is available at the Vienna Tourist Board and can be downloaded on www.wien.info/media/files/guide-architecture-in-wien.pdf.

They said if I add some cute animals to my pictures I'd get more likes. Lets put this to the test! :D

Ligne C4 - Arrêt : Grand Quartier

Exploitant : Keolis Rennes

Réseau STAR - Rennes

National Animal Rights Day march in Edmonton, AB

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Why veganism:

www.vegankit.com/why

Exploitant : Cars Hourtoule

Réseau : SQY Terre d'Innovations

Ligne : 10

Lieu : Gare de Plaisir – Grignon (Plaisir, F-78)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/id/41511

A lovely shot of 8750 class 0-6-0PT No 9610 coming off shed at Croes Newydd, in 1966

 

Croes Newydd West Signalbox controlled access to and from the shed on the Wrexham and Minera line. The Wrexham and Minera Railway was one of several constructed to serve the intensive quarrying, mining and iron founding operations in the area west of Wrexham, which was undergoing considerable expansion in the mid 19th century thanks to the exploitation of the underlying Middle Coal Measures.

The section of line between Brymbo and Minera had originally been part of the former North Wales Mineral Railway, built in 1844 and later incorporated into the Great Western Railway. This line's operation was constrained by the rope-worked inclines, locally known as "brakes", and tunnels along its route through the hilly country between Wheatsheaf Junction, near Wrexham, and Brymbo. As a result, an Act of 1861 proposed that a new railway, the Wrexham and Minera Railway, would be constructed from Croes Newydd, at Wrexham on the main Shrewsbury-Chester line of the Great Western Railway to Brymbo, where it would join the GWR's existing route to Minera. The new railway company would have a capital of £48,000 in total (£36,000 of which would be in shares) and the power to enter into an agreement with GWR on operational matters and division of receipts. George Robert Jebb, who had previously worked on the Shrewsbury-Chester route, was appointed Resident Engineer. The line was fully completed and jointly leased to the GWR and LNWR, within whose "sphere of influence" it also fell, in June 1866. A short branch was also constructed through to the colliery at Vron, owned by William Low, one of the Wrexham and Minera company's directors. In the 1870s a further extension, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway, was built from Brymbo through to an end-on connection with the LNWR's Ffrith Branch, which ran from Llanfynydd to Coed Talon near Mold. This line was jointly operated by the GWR and the LNWR - the only line in North Wales to be so operated. The completion of this link through the Cegidog valley not only gave the GWR a route to Mold but allowed the LNWR access to the North Wales Coalfield. The construction of the Wrexham-Brymbo line led to the immediate abandonment of the North Wales Mineral Railway's original Brymbo (or "Brake") tunnel and incline. The lower section of the NWMR route from Wheatsheaf Junction, through Summerhill Tunnel, to Moss remained in use until 1908 for colliery traffic.

Between 1882 and 1905 the GWR gradually introduced passenger services between Wrexham and Minera, in response to requests from local communities. Halts or stations were located at Plas Power (Southsea), the Lodge, Brymbo, Brymbo West, Pentresaeson (for Bwlchgwyn), Coedpoeth, and Vicarage Crossing (Minera), with a passenger terminus at the rather remote Berwig Halt. From 1905 the GWR began operating a railmotor service, with as many as fifteen workings on Saturdays. ] The LNWR ran its own passenger trains from Mold south to the joint station at Brymbo. In 1905, the businesses of Coedpoeth campaigned for the Great Western Railway Company to lay a new branch from the existing Coedpoeth Station into the village centre. The local business's claimed the station was too far away (being effectively located in Minera) to serve them properly and was of little convenience. Regardless, their petition failed miserably. This may have been because the gradient was simply too steep for conventional rail, as well as the little profit for a large undertaking. Despite this situation, Coedpoeth station remained a main focal point for the area, serving several villages with a combined population of around 9000 people.

At the top end of the line, there was a mile-long spur, the New Brighton branch, along the flank of Esclusham Mountain serving the Delafield Minera Lead Mines (which operated their own locomotive Henrietta, a Manning Wardle 0-6-0). The mines closed in 1910 and the spur was pulled up, only to be opened again for several years from 1920 to serve silica clay beds. The line ran west from Croes Newydd, steadily climbing through the farmland west of Wrexham. Shortly beyond Croes Newydd yard, the GWR's Moss Valley branch (serving several collieries near Moss, with a spur running as far as Ffrwd north of Brymbo) diverged. The main Brymbo branch continued westwards passing the industrial villages of New Broughton and Southsea, where there were connections to more collieries. Swinging northwards and still climbing, it ran along the eastern side of a rather steep valley to Brymbo, where the joint line to Coed Talon diverged just beyond the main joint station. At Brymbo Middle signal box a short trailing branch south-west to Vron served the collieries there, passing through the steelworks en route. The section from Brymbo West onwards to Minera remained solely in GWR ownership: traversing the rural area west of Brymbo, it passed the brickworks at Cae-llo and the steel company's siding at the Smelt mine, where fireclay and coal were mined, before reaching Minera, 3 miles and 1234 yards beyond Brymbo West. This part of the route featured a large number of level crossings over minor roads. Competition from new bus services meant that the GWR's passenger service from Wrexham was cut back to Coedpoeth from 1926, and discontinued entirely at the end of 1930, but the small goods office and water tower were left standing at Coedpoeth, as steam locomotives needed replenishing after the hard climb from Croes Newydd. All lines continued in use for freight traffic, however, and the passenger service from Mold to Brymbo (now operated by the LNWR's successor, the LMS) continued with five trains a day on weekdays throughout the 1930s, despite there now being no onward connection to Wrexham. The end section of the Vron branch was closed in 1930 along with the collieries it served, but part of its length from Vron Junction remained in use to serve the increasing steelworks traffic. Passenger traffic on the joint line from Brymbo to Coed Talon declined during the Second World War, however, with only two passenger trains a day in each direction, largely maintained for schoolchildren attending school in Mold. The passenger service was finally withdrawn in 1950 by British Railways, with the final closure of Brymbo station, although its goods siding remained open. The Brymbo-Coed Talon line was taken out of use in 1952, although it was not formally closed until 1963.

The route from Croes Newydd to Brymbo was double-tracked and built to a standard designed to cope with heavy coal and freight trains to and from the steelworks. These trains were usually worked by train crews from Croes Newydd shed using GWR 2800 Class locomotives based there; given the steep climb from Wrexham to Brymbo, which reached gradients of 1 in 36, a bank engine (such as a GWR 57xx or 56xx Class locomotive) was often used. The more lightly built section beyond Brymbo West to Minera was worked by smaller locomotives, such as the 5700 Class, with engine 9610 being used almost exclusively on this line. In later years BR class 9F and ex-LMS 8F locomotives were also used on steelworks traffic. Steam locomotives continued in use on the line until relatively late under British Railways, with BR Class 24 and 25 diesel's being introduced to Croes Newydd shed from 1967-8.

One unusual aspect of workings on the line was that gravity shunting was permitted at Brymbo on shorter trains even as late as the 1970s. The gradients here could be problematic: there was an incident in the 1970s in which a train ran out of control on the former Vron Branch, and broke through level crossing gates in Brymbo. By the early 1970s, the section of line from Brymbo West to Minera saw only two trains a week, and it was closed in 1972, shortly before Minera Limeworks was itself closed. The last part of the system, the 3-mile line from Brymbo West to Wrexham, remained open for freight trains to and from the steelworks, and as late as the mid-1970s there were 7 return workings a day. This section of line was taken out of use on 1 October 1982, due to increasing amounts of steelworks traffic being sent by road. The steelworks itself closed in 1990-91, along with a final section of the Vron Branch that had remained in use as part of the works' internal railway system. After a period of abandonment, the track was lifted in the late 1980s. Many of the line's bridges and other structures, including the platforms of the former Brymbo station, were not demolished until the 1990s.

A number of structures remain, including a large stone viaduct near Ffrith on the former Joint Railway from Brymbo to Coed Talon. The Moss Valley spur between Wrexham Maelor Hospital and the site of Moss and Pentre Station has now been re-surfaced as a cycle route. Croesnewydd West Signal Box was a post-war G.W Type 14 Box with asbestos roof and 37 lever frame, which controlled the west end of the yard of the same name, to the west of Wrexham. The box was closed at the same time as the line to Brymbo on 4th May 1983. to those who are familiar with Wrexham Maelor Hospital, the photographer is standing behind the bridge which carries Croes Newydd road and the car park for the Hospital.

Exploitant : Keolis Argenteuil Boucles de Seine

Réseau : IDF Mobilités – Argenteuil – Boucles de Seine

Lieu : Centre Opérationnel Bus d'Argenteuil (Argenteuil, F-95)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/22074

Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset

Exploits River Grand Falls Windsor,NL

an exciting exhibition in the Völklingen ironworks, which is itself an exciting place...

 

voelklinger-huette.org/en/exhibitions/the-true-size-of-af...

 

"The Diaspora series references historical portraits of Black individuals who achieved social prominence in their diasporic lives but were largely ignored by traditional histories due to racism. Diop revisits these exceptional life stories, incorporating soccer accessories into the portraits to draw parallels with modern African athletes striving to succeed in Europe."

  

The Völklingen Ironworks (German: Völklinger Hütte) is a former blast-furnace complex located in the German town of Völklingen, Saarland. Pig iron production occurred at the site from 1882 through 1986. As one of the only intact ironworks surviving from the 19th and early-20th centuries in Europe and North America, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its exceptional preservation and its testimony to ferrous metallurgy and the Industrial Revolution.

Rosia Poieni

Police from Tameside investigating modern slavery and drugs trafficking between Tameside and #Humberside have made arrests this morning.

 

Warrants were executed at addresses in #NewtonHeath, #Failsworth, and the #NorthernQuarter area as part of an operation dedicated to disrupting a drugs line between Tameside and #Hull that involves the criminal exploitation of vulnerable children.

 

The action is part of #OperationMarconi which was formed in June 2020 and concerns the exploitation of children from Tameside aged between 16 and 17.

 

It is one of over 20 investigations being led by GMP Tameside's Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) team dedicated to modern slavery and the exploitation of vulnerable people who have been coerced into criminal activity in the district.

 

The CCE team have already made an additional eight arrests as part of those investigations and four people have been charged with modern slavery and drug offences.

 

A number of vulnerable individuals coerced into 'county lines' and identified as high-risk have been safeguarded and re-housed with support from local partner agencies.

 

County lines describes organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines.

 

Children and vulnerable adults are often exploited to move and store the drugs and money often through coercion, intimidation, violence and weapons.

 

Police continue to collaborate with social services and schools, in particular, to help spot the signs of any children that may have been identified to be at risk of such exploitation.

 

Detective Constable Laura Hughes, of GMP Tameside's Child Criminal Exploitation team, said: "Today's action is a significant statement as we continue to tackle the pernicious exploitation of vulnerable young people for illicit gains.

 

"We have been working tirelessly in the CCE team in Tameside to work with local agencies in identifying and safeguarding potential victims of this criminality, while pursuing those that we believe are responsible for such exploitation.

 

"Tackling 'county lines' by its nature requires closely co-ordinated work, not just with local partners, but also policing partners from across the country and I would like to thank Humberside Police for their support during this operation so far.

 

"A lot of our work is based on intelligence and we are forever gaining a clearer picture as to how these criminal enterprises operate and are developing a real understanding of how these groups recruit and coerce vulnerable young people.

 

"It is important people know to spot the signs of when someone may be being exploited; whether it being withdrawn from family and friends and skipping school, to having more than one phone and going missing from home more regularly.

 

"Anyone with suspicions or concerns should contact police online via our website, call 101 and always dial 999 in an emergency. Details can be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

 

The term circus freak is a tough one to discern. Deemed barbaric and exploitive by modern terms, it was actually the preferred expression…by the “freaks” themselves during the long 100 year heyday of the American traveling circuses and sideshows. These were individuals who made a living (in most cases) the only way they could…by exhibiting their unusual attributes…even playing up their abnormalities to fearful crowds. By most accounts I’ve read, many of the intelligent ones were treated well. In fact some were revered in the highest regard; they were well paid, lived as extravagantly as Hollywood celebrities of their day, traveled the world and made acquaintances with royalty and the social elite. They found love, often with other freaks from the traveling shows, but it wasn’t uncommon to marry normal patrons who frequented the shows. Freaks with limited mental capabilities, however, didn’t fare as well as their smarter counterparts. Some had compassionate handlers but most were deemed less than human and were subject to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

 

In the heyday of the traveling circus there were several kinds of freaks and most of which I tried to portray in this painting…your biological freaks…were born with (or later acquired) physical abnormalities they couldn’t do anything about. These were your giants, dwarfs, fully or partially conjoined twins, your lobster boys and bearded ladies.

 

Another category are your self made freaks…often with an unwavering desire to be a part of the circus life, folks would cover themselves in tattoos or piercing and play up an exotic or monstrous persona. Often ticket sales dictated something more compelling than a clever name and tattooed flesh so frequently these folks also gained “acquired” skills like sword swallowing, acrobatics or fire juggling.

 

Another category are your exotic freaks. An individual would qualify into this theme simply by being of a faraway land or culture different from what was deemed as modern or civilized. Tribesmen from Africa, South America, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines and the Polynesian islands were often exhibited as head hunters, cannibals, witch doctors, voodoo priests, and savages whether or not they actually engaged in these practices in their homelands. The most extreme and controversial case of this was an African Pygmy tribesman named Ota Benga who was exhibited in a cage in the monkey house at the Bronx Zoo from 1903-1906. He was dressed in animal print loincloths, had apes as companions and was encouraged to act wild whenever patrons drew near. He was played up as “The Missing Link”, bridging the gap between apes and man.

 

A type of freak I chose not to portray in this painting but are still important to note were the carnival geeks. The term geek nowadays describes a nerdy type or someone extremely interested in a particular brainy subject but in the original meaning, these were considered the lowest of the low; they were not permitted to socialize with other carnival folk. These were vagrant drunks or drug addicts, often picked up when the carnival came to town and left there as the show departed. Its known that addicts of the worst order will usually do anything for their next fix…even act like a maniac in a cage, sling their own urine and excrement around, fight each other and most notably…bite the heads off chickens. This was undoubtedly the most exploitive facet of the traveling freak show but it was well proven that people would pay good money to see people in such a depraved state.

 

Not really freaks but an equally important part of the traveling show was the pickled punks and other curios. These were often malformed fetuses and animals preserved in jars. Usually they were fakes created to instill awe…most notably the fearsome Fiji Mermaid.

 

I did this painting with no intent to exploit but only to learn more about our strange world and history. Purposefully I wanted an eerie, yet whimsical representation of the traveling freak show but with a respectful, uplifting, celebratory message. Here we have a freak show owned and operated by Dr. Z…a freak himself (see if you can spot him in the detail pics). In spite of my good intentions, I did meet with what I figured to be weird karma as I was doing the research for this piece. I approached a lady at the town library with an extensive list of books…all of them with “freak show” and “circus freaks” in their titles. As I handed her the list, she looked up from her computer and I saw that she had a severely disfigured face and malformed hands. My gut instinct was to retract the list and maybe approach someone else (or leave and nix this project altogether!) but she seemed unfazed with my list of questionable reading material. She called her associate on another floor, read off the list of books (much to my embarrassment), smiled happily and told me her co-worker was gathering the books now and I should take the stairs or the elevator to find him. I thanked her, then followed her instructions to retrieve my books. It turns out her associate was a severe hunchback, nearly bent in half with his affliction but he happily located and gathered my books for me. Both did an excellent job at their work but had me leaving there with an uneasy feeling of guilt.

 

In 1984 an “uppity Madison Avenue woman with lofty connections and who has never been to a freak show”…(every book I read made it a point to mention that)…lobbied her connections in congress to pass a law that would deem it illegal to exploit, exhibit or make money off of any type of physical abnormality. Already waning out of popularity, the freak show was deemed illegal with both freaks and patrons alike subject to arrest. Freaks were suddenly at a loss. Even “self-made” heavily tattooed or pierced individuals were at a loss for work. Some had lost considerable incomes, large homes, all of their possessions and the sense of belonging, love and community that the circus life once provided. In some cases, without the means to purchase the expensive medications they required, some have even died or endured the loss of spouses or children. Currently some folks with severe abnormalities are institutionalized, living a solitary life or at best eking a living on welfare or disability.

 

Whether deemed exploitive or a place for the different among us to find fame, love and a sense of community and belonging, the traveling freak show was an undeniable part of American…and world history. Incidentally, I’ve logged more hours on this painting (about 66) than any other. I hope you enjoy it and if you’ve made it this far…thanks for reading.

The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.

Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum

Last updated January 2014

Architecture in Vienna

Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.

Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.

Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom

The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.

The baroque residence

Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.

Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)

Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.

Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.

Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900

Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made ​​the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.

With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).

Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing

After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.

Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.

Expulsion, war and reconstruction

After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made ​​of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.

The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).

The youngsters come

Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) ​​by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.

MuseumQuarter and Gasometer

Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.

The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.

New Neighborhood

In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of ​​the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.

In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).

Flying high

International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.

Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.

Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV

Identification : 2663 (BL-089-JA)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

 

Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)

Dépôt : Centre d'Exploitation du Lac (CEL)

Ligne : 14 NAVETTE RELAIS TRAM C

Voiture : 30022

Destination : Gare Saint-Jean

 

Suite à l'incendie du parking souterrain des "Salinières" le 18 Mai 2019, la circulation des tramways de la ligne Tram C (passant au-dessus) a été suspendue entre Quinconces et Gare Saint-Jean. Il s'agit pour les équipes techniques d'experts d'évaluer l'état de la structure après le sinistre, pour ainsi déterminer les travaux à engager, et la date de rétablissement de la circulation des rames.

Des navettes de substitution ont donc été mises en places, en mobilisant le parc articulé disponible, et en délestant des bus standards de réserve sur les lignes pour libérer des articulés supplémentaires.

 

21/05/2019 16:36

Quai des Salinières ; Bordeaux

Plaque beneath this image of Jimmy Melrose reads:-

“Charles James (Jimmy) Melrose (1913–1936)

During the glamorous mid 1930s, few rivalled the celebrity of charismatic South Australian aviator Jimmy Melrose. Image a young 19 year old boy, 6 feet tall, blue eyes, unruly blond hair with a freckled face.

 

Born in Burnside and raised here on Glenelg’s Esplanade at Glenwood Mansions (now Melrose Apartments) Jimmy captivated the world with his aviation exploits across the globe.

He established several Australian flying records and set world records, all within 3 short years.

In August 1934 Jimmy flew his DH Puss Moth, affectionately named ‘My Hildergarde’ 8,000 miles (12,875 km) solo around Australia.

This slashed the previous record by 2 days to 5 days, 10 hours, 57 minutes.

 

Tragically, on 3 July 1936, aged 22, Jimmy died on a charter flight from Melbourne to Darwin when his Heston Phoenix broke up over South Melton, Victoria in turbulent conditions.

His death sent shock waves around the world as people mourned their chivalrous young knight of the air.”

 

Jimmy Melrose was the youngest competitor in the 1934 MacRobertson Trophy London-Melbourne air race in October 1934 and the only Australian to finish the race. He made the record solo flight in 8 days and 9 hours coming third on handicap.

 

The event was held in 1934: dreamt up by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Harold Smith to celebrate Victoria’s centenary. It was sponsored by the Melbourne chocolate manufacturer Sir MacPherson Robertson, to test the feasibility of scheduled air services between Europe and Australia.

 

In 1936 Melrose was killed when his Heston Phoenix monoplane VH–AJM disintegrated in mid air at Melton South, Victoria. The tragedy was reported world-wide in the media at the time.

 

*Jimmy Melrose’s memorial is located on the edge of the Stirling Centenary Oval and was handed over to the District Council of Stirling. There was an infantile paralysis epidemic at the time and an unveiling was considered unwise.

It was erected by public subscription: Melrose was once a resident of the district. Of the £101 cost, £22 was raised by children of the following schools Stirling East, Bridgewater, Aldgate, Mylor, Scotts Creek, Heathfield, Upper Sturt and Crafers. [Ref: Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser 10-3-1938]

 

*Melrose Killed when Plane Crashes

MACHINE BURST INTO FRAGMENTS

Was on flight to Darwin

MR A G CAMPBELL ALSO A VICTIM

Charles James Melrose, 22, of Glenelg, Australia’s most popular airman, and Alexander George Campbell, 47 of Brighton, Victoria, who had a distinguished career as a soldier and as a mining engineer, were killed instantly when Melrose’s Heston Phoenix high-wing monoplane broke to pieces in dense clouds and crashed at South Melton, Victoria on Sunday morning.

 

They were on their way from Melbourne to Parafield on the stage of a flight to Darwin. Miss Lily Melrose, a cousin of the aviator, was about to leave Adelaide for the flying field to join the fliers when she received news of the fatality.

 

The wreckage was found over an area of two square miles, and the bodies of the two men were 400 yards apart.

 

Warm tributes were paid to the young airman by the Prime Minister (Mr Lyons), and by the Premier (Mr Butler), who recently took the air for the first time with Melrose as his pilot.

 

Melrose's place in the affection of South Australians was strikingly evidenced when the news was received. Mention of his death was made in many churches, and the Government immediately decided to arrange for a State funeral, subject to the approval of Mrs Melrose.

 

The tragedy of the disaster was increased by the fact that Mr Campbell had intended originally to go to Adelaide by train and join Mr Melrose there. Mr Melrose, however, flew his mother to Melbourne on Thursday for a holiday visit and then waited to fly Mr Campbell to Adelaide.

 

Mr Campbell had chartered Mr Melrose's machine on behalf of a syndicate of Melbourne and Adelaide business men. He intended to fly to Darwin, where he was to inspect gold mining areas at Pine Creek. He expected to be away for between 10 and 14 days.

 

The party was to comprise Miss Lily Melrose, cousin of Mr Melrose, and Mr O V Roberts, both of Adelaide, who intended to make the flight an opportunity for a holiday. Mr J Smith Roberts, a mining expert, was to be picked up at Tennant Creek.

 

Mrs Melrose went to the scene of tragedy and she wished to see her son's body at the City Morgue, but she was suffering from such prostration that it was considered inadvisable for her to do so.

The body was identified by the manager of the Oriental Hotel.

A watch which Mr Melrose was wearing had stopped at 8.34 am, indicating the time of the crash. A police wireless patrol prevented the souveniring of fragments from the main wreckage.

 

On the way to the Essendon aerodrome Mr Melrose and Mr Campbell were in high spirits, joking and discussing the projected flight to Darwin.

Mr Campbell had travelled in a taxi cab from his home in Brighton, and joined Mr Melrose at the Oriental Hotel, Collins street.

 

Light rain was sweeping over the aerodrome when they arrived, and Mr R Hart, of the Hart Aircraft Service Pty, Ltd, in whose hangar Mr Melrose had left his plane, advised Mr Melrose not to fly because of the inclement weather.

 

Mr Melrose had on Saturday postponed his flight because of the bad flying conditions, and when he saw a break in the clouds this morning he decided to make the flight, as he wished to reach Oodnadatta before night. He told Mr Hart that he expected to reach Port Augusta or Adelaide in three hours by flying at a height of 3,000 feet above the clouds.

 

Ascending toward a patch of clear sky, the machine reached a height of about 2,500 feet before it passed out of sight of the party on the aerodrome. Apparently Mr Melrose experienced difficulty in finding the break in the clouds, because the time which the machine took to travel the 15 miles to South Melton - 24 minutes - indicates that he spent some time searching for a clear sky.

 

Residents of South Melton saw the machine emerge from low-lying clouds above the railway station. Almost immediately there was a loud roar and many fragments were seen falling from the machine and drifting in the wind.

 

The engine and most of the fuselage spun at a steep angle toward the ground, while the starboard wing drifted in another direction towards the Toolern Creek, and hundreds of smaller fragments were carried by the wind to paddocks near the Ballarat road, which is about a mile and a half from the scene of the crash.

 

The two occupants were hurled out of the machine, but so many fragments were falling that none of the residents was certain of having seen them fall.

Mr Melrose's body was found on the southern end of the gorge of the Toolern Creek, about 50 yards from the engine, and the remnants of the fuselage, while Mr Campbell's body was found about 400 yards away in a paddock on the north side of the gorge. Both men had been killed instantly.

 

The two petrol tanks were found on different sides of the gorge. Tools and luggage were on the cliffs or in the flooded creek, and innumerable pieces of wood and fabric were scattered over an area of nearly two square miles to the north of the creek.

 

The desperate thoughts which must have passed through the minds of the victims in the few seconds before the crash were indicated by the condition of the safety belts. The pin had been drawn to release one safety belt, but in the other belt the pin was bent but still in the socket.

Apparently Mr Campbell had undone his belt so that, if he survived the crash, he could crawl from the machine.

Mr Melrose, who was probably struggling with the controls, apparently did not have time to withdraw the pin of his belt, consequently Mr Campbell was hurled further from the plane than Mr Melrose.

 

A close examination of the area over which the wreckage was strewn was made by the Air Accidents Investigation Committee soon after the tragedy.

The committee has no theory of the cause of the crash at present, but it is understood that it has reached several interesting conclusions.

 

From the range and position of the fragments it is considered possible that the machine disintegrated while it was in a wide spin with the engine running. If the spin was fast enough the strain might have caused the machine to collapse.

 

Because the port wing was found much farther from the engine and fuselage than the starboard wing, it is considered probable that the port wing was the first to crumple. The machine would then have become wholly out of control, and the increased strain would have quickly caused the collapse of the other wing, the tailplane, and other light parts of the machine.

 

The breaking up of the machine was described by Mr. Edward Wickham, of Melton South, who was gathering wood in the back yard of his home.

“For some time I heard the drone of an aeroplane in the clouds,' he said, 'but I could not see it. The clouds were low and a strong southerly wind was driving misty rain. Suddenly there was a roar and the plane came spinning out of the clouds. Just as it came into full view, the machine appeared to burst into fragments and the roar stopped.

“The engine and fuselage hurtled at a fairly steep angle towards the ground, but the other fragments drifted quite slowly with the wind and fell in the paddocks between the Toolern Creek and the Ballarat Road.

“With three other residents, I ran over the paddocks. We lifted the refuse expecting to find someone beneath, but no one was there. Then we searched among the rocks at the edge of the gorge and we found Mr Melrose lying shockingly injured on two flat rocks, just below the top of the cliff about 50 yards from the wreckage. Mr Campbell's body was then found on the other side of the gorge.”

 

Although Mr Campbell had flown many miles on mining business, his wife did not like his flying, and had tried to dissuade him from continuing it. He insured his life for £2,000 for the period of the flight to Darwin.

 

“I regret exceedingly to learn that yet another of Australia's great airmen has passed away,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Lyons).

“In his brief flying career, Melrose won considerable fame,” continued Mr Lyons. “Not the least of his achievements was his skilful search for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith last year. Australia loses a chivalrous young knight of the air whom it can ill afford to lose.

“The sympathy of all the Australian people will, I feel sure, go to his devoted mother.”

 

Before the evensong service at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, the organist (Dr A E Floyd) extemporised in the form of a threnody.

The Precentor (Rev Oliver Hole) announced that, in view of the sudden and tragic death of a brave young airman, the anthem had been changed. The choir sang the Memorial Anthem by Sir George Elvey from the Book of Wisdom:— “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God: in the sight of the unwise they seem to die, but they are in peace.” [Ref: Chronicle (Adelaide) Thursday 9 July 1936]

 

* MELROSE'S MEMORY HONOURED

Crowds Attend Mourning Services In Two Cathedrals

Moving tributes were paid in Melbourne and Adelaide yesterday to the memory of Mr C J Melrose, who was killed when his plane crashed at South Melton, Victoria, on Sunday. Melrose's body was cremated at the necropolis, Springvale. Melbourne, yesterday afternoon.

The ceremony was preceded by a simple service in St Paul's Cathedral, which was crowded. The Archbishop of Melbourne (Dr Head), in his address, referred to "this boy, who was so wonderfully young and so attractive in personality, that he can only be called just lovable”.

 

Adelaide mourned the loss of Melrose at a special memorial service in St Peter's Cathedral which, at the request of the aviator's mother, synchronised with the funeral service in Melbourne.

As the crowds left the Cathedral after an inspiring address by the Bishop of Adelaide (Dr Thomas), three Royal Aero Club machines soared overhead in a last tribute to the club's distinguished member.

Tributes were paid and the sittings of both Houses of Parliament were suspended, the Assembly rising until the evening. [Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide), Wednesday 8 July 1936]

 

*LONDON, July 5

The news of the death of Melrose has caused sorrow in aviation circles. Mr Pemberton Billing, the uncle of Melrose, said:— “What a rotten shame. Jimmie was a protege of mine, and always stayed with me. I do not know what his mother will do now. When Jimmie was here, his thoughts were always with his mother, in Adelaide”.

 

The Agent-General for South Australia (Mr McCann) who bade farewell to Melrose when he flew to Australia in April, says:— “I am dreadfully sorry. He was one of the most charming men it was possible to meet”. [Ref: Chronicle 9-7-1936]

 

*SIMPLE SERVICE IN MELBOURNE

St Pauls Cathedral Crowded July 7

Simplicity marked James Melrose's funeral today. There was no display, the only uniform to be seen being that worn by the officer representing the Air Board.

Long before the service in St Paul's Cathedral was timed to begin, all the available pews were occupied, and knots of silent people gathered in Flinders street.

Inside the Cathedral, the coffin of dark wood rested on a bier of flowers in the choir. Placed on it were only two wreaths, one of laurels from the dead airman's mother, and the other of purple flowers and dark green leaves, inscribed simply ''From Rosebank." [Rosebank has been the station home of Mr Melrose's family in South Australia for nearly a century.]

 

"We have come together today in very sad circumstances,” Archbishop Head said. "Your first thought will be of sadness and terribleness of such an event, and how frightful it is that so precious a life should have been cut off so suddenly.

 

After another hymn, the blessing was pronounced by Archbishop Head from the altar, and the congregation stood while Beethoven's "Funeral March on the Death of a Hero" was played.

 

Then the coffin was carried along the aisle down which Melrose had walked on the day he finished the Centenary air race to Evensong. The people in the crowded street stood bareheaded and silent. Through the suburbs, where streets were lined by children from the schools, the procession passed, and along the Prince's Highway to Springvale. Six planes circled overhead.

The service was brief. The last prayers were offered by Archbishop Head.

The chief mourners were Mr Melrose's mother and his cousins, Mr Melrose MP, and Mrs Melrose, and Miss L M Melrose, all of South Australia, and Mr Brian and Mr F Hickling, of Melbourne (second cousins).

 

Those who attended included Mr Schofield MHR (representing the Prime Minister and Commonwealth Government). Mr Hyland MLA, and Major H A F Wilkinson (representing the Premier and State Government), Mr McIntosh (South Australian Commissioner of Crown Lands and Minister of Repatriation), and Mr Young MLC, (representing the Premier and Government of South Australia), Mr J D Malcolm (NZ), Mr F Emerson (Queensland), Mr L F Bruce (Tasmania), Flight-Lieutenant C S Wiggins (Air Board), Mr R Bennett (Lord Mayor of Melbourne), Mr J W Collins (Australian Aerial Medical Services), Mr B Bremner (Australian Broadcasting Commission), and Mr A P Bevan (Elder, Smith & Co, Ltd, Adelaide).

The pallbearers were the Director-General of Civil Aviation (Captain E C Johnston). Mr T P Manifold (the Aero Clubs of Australia), Mr F Penny (Shell Company of Australia), Mr G R Lamprell (South Australian Government representative), Mr E H Chaseing (Holyman’s Airways), and Mr R Hart.

 

Mr Melrose MP, who is remaining in Melbourne with Mrs James Melrose, said tonight that she had no plans for the future.

It had been arranged, he said, that she should go to Sydney and wait there for her son to join her after his flight to Darwin, but it was now impossible to say what her movements would be or her plans for the future. In the meantime, she would remain in Melbourne.

 

At the funeral, Mrs Melrose wore a brown costume, a fur, and a green hat with a black armband. She thought that her son would have preferred that she wear the colours in which he liked her best.

 

Telegrams were received from persons in all parts of the world, including the Governor-General (Lord Gowrie) and Lady Gowrie, the Governor of South Australia (Sir Winston Dugan), the Prime Minister (Mr Lyons), and the Minister for Health (Mr Hughes). [Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide) Wednesday 8 July 1936:

 

* On his return today from Melbourne, where he represented the State at the memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral to the late Mr C J Melrose, the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr McIntosh) said that Melbourne's sorrow was a magnificent tribute to a wonderfully beloved young hero.

"Victoria had taken him to its heart equally with South Australia," said the Minister. "His fame in Melbourne was as renowned as in Adelaide. and his memory as dearly cherished”.

 

Mr McIntosh said that the cathedral was crowded long before the time for the commencement of the service, and thousands, unable to gain admission, congregated outside.

The route from the cathedral to the crematorium, a distance of 16 miles, was lined the whole way by thousands of citizens, who stood with heads bowed in final homage to a young hero, triumphant even in death.

The service at the crematorium, said Mr. McIntosh, was equally impressive as at the cathedral, and the wonderful fortitude and courage displayed by Mrs Melrose at both ceremonies provided an example and inspiration to all who mourned with her. There would be some solace for her in the wonderful tributes paid by the people to the memory of her son.

 

Combined with the deep sorrow for Mrs Melrose. there was a deep sympathy for Mrs A G Campbell and her young family in the death of Colonel Campbell, who was killed with Melrose. [Ref: News (Adelaide) 8-7-1936]

 

*Funeral of Mr A G Campbell

There were impressive scenes at the funeral of Mr Campbell.

Officers and men of the 8th Battalion, with whom Mr Campbell served in the Great War, and of the 39th Battalion, of which until recently he was Lieutenant-Colonel commanding, paid many touching tributes to his memory.

 

Every returned soldier present filed past the open grave and dropped his poppy on to the coffin, after which the whole gathering stood to attention as “Last Post” was sounded. [Ref: Chronicle 9-7-1936]

 

**From an article by Craig Cook, published in the Advertiser (Adelaide) 13 September 2013 –

The long lost possessions of world famous aviator Jimmy Melrose were recently discovered in Victoria. Among the items are his white leather flying helmet and documents signed by the aviator.

The possessions were given by his mother to Clive Hamer, who had dinner with Melrose the night before his last flight, and asked him to pack and store them. She never asked for their return. The artefacts were then passed on as part of the estate of a deceased relative, ending up with Wayne and Judy Perry of Victoria. Subsequently they were given to the South Australian Aviation Museum.

 

There also is a permanent exhibition of Melrose’s achievements at the Bay Discovery Centre in Glenelg. It is suitably entitled, Australia’s Forgotten Hero.

 

Such was Melrose’s fame at the time of his death the then state government of Sir Richard Butler considered a proposal to build him a memorial, to “fly over the city”, on Montefiore Hill. The idea was finally scrapped when the statue of Colonel Light, then situated in Victoria Square, was moved to the hill instead.

 

In the first clear sign the local hero’s story was already fading from history, Melrose failed to be recognised among the initial 170 “SA Greats”, that includes his uncle, Sir John Melrose, to have their name on a bronze plaque on the Jubilee 150 Walkway.

 

The Walkway, commissioned as part of the celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the state, was established along North Terrace in 1986. Fellow air pioneers, Sir Ross and Keith Smith are honoured but, despite the year being the 50th anniversary of Jimmy’s death, he missed out.

  

The greater irony is that Melrose had agreed to be a major attraction at the 100th anniversary of the founding of South Australia, distributing flyers in the lead-up and flying over Adelaide on the anniversary day, December 28, 1936. He died five months before the event.

 

An only child from a prosperous family, Jimmy Melrose grew-up with his mother, Hilda, in a grand house, on the Glenelg South esplanade. His prominent pastoralist father, James, had died in 1922 when his son was aged nine.

 

Throughout his life he had a fascination with the number 13, never regarding it as unlucky. It was both the date and year of his birth and the number of his imposing home, demolished in 1969.

 

A natural athlete, he exercised daily including a morning swim from the beach just outside his home. He was a fanatical early riser, neither smoked nor drank alcohol, and a devotee of the “Oslo lunch” that consisted of a wholemeal bread sandwich filled with cheese and salad, a glass of milk and an apple or other seasonal fruit.

 

While still a student at St Peter’s School he took flying lessons with the (Royal) Aero Club of South Australia at Parafield, gaining his licence at 19. As reward, his mother bought him his own plane, a DeH Puss Moth, which he named My Hildergarde, deliberately using 13 letters, in her honour.

 

In August 1934, aged 20, he flew 12,875km solo around Australia, reducing the previous record by almost two days, to five days, 10 hours, 57 minutes.

 

On his twenty-first birthday he left Parafield in his beloved Puss Moth for England, reaching Croydon in a record eight days, nine hours.

He became a global sensation, as the youngest entrant and only solo competitor, coming third, in the 1934 Centenary Air Race from England to Australia.

 

A dedicated diarist, he recorded the scenes as he left England: “Saturday 20 October 1934, the start of the greatest air race the world had ever seen. 60,000 people came around the aerodrome at Mildenhall at dawn. Thrilling is not the word: we raced across the countryside east of London, the Thames, the Channel off Dover. I shall never forget it!”

 

Soon after returning to Australia [After his search for the missing Sir Charles Kingsford Smith], and in his first major accident, Melrose crashed his Percival Gull, used in the search for Smith, at Penrose in New South Wales. Recovering quickly from severe injuries he sailed to England and flew back in a five-seater Heston Phoenix he intended to use to start the nation’s first flying taxi service.

 

An incredible crowd of 8000 assembled in Adelaide on Anzac Day, 1936, to greet him on his return. Just six weeks later he was dead.

 

In 1968, when his mother died, Jimmy Melrose’s ashes were buried with her at the North Road Anglican cemetery at Nailsworth, north of Adelaide.

 

There are some commemorations to the life and times of Jimmy Melrose. The suburbs of Melrose Park in South Australia and New South Wales, a look-out tower at the Glenelg Surf Life-Saving Club, Jimmy Melrose Park on the Glenelg foreshore and James Melrose Road bordering Adelaide airport are all named after him.

 

Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, where the 1934 Air Race began, has Charles Melrose Close and there is a simple inscribed cairn close to the fatal crash-site at Melton South.

    

Billboards can be interesting, fun, or artistic. They tend to reflect our popular culture. BUT ... Does this billboard for Calvin Klein Jeans, on Houston Street in New York City, constitute youth exploitation in advertising? This model looks a bit young to me. You be the judge. Post your comments below.

Taken at Pembroke Bay on October 30th 2021, CT Plus Guernsey 1952 27718 is one of a highly standardised fleet of Wright Streetvibes used around the island. The tower behind is one of the Loophole Towers built to defend the island from French invaders in Elizabethan times.

Ville: Saint Laurent du Var

Réseau: Lignes d'Azur

Exploitant: Régie Ligne d'Azur

Numéro de parc: 483

Ligne: 12 Centre Commercial Cap 3000 - Palais des Expositions

Véhicule : IRISBUS Agora L GNV

Identification : 2278 (DD-352-KR)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

Réseau : TBM (Bordeaux Métropole)

Dépôt : Centre d'Exploitation du Lac (CEL)

Ligne : 14 NAVETTE RELAIS TRAM C

Voiture : 1411

Destination : LE BOUSCAT Place Ravezies

 

Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV

Identification : 2601 (BC-416-WN)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

 

Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV

Identification : 2667 (n.c.)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

 

Véhicule : IRISBUS IVECO Citelis 18 GNV

Identification : 2666 (n.c.)

Exploitant : Keolis Bordeaux Métropole

 

Du Lundi 15 au Jeudi 25 Avril 2019, 2 phases d'interruptions se sont succédé sur la ligne Tram C, pour que les équipes de maintenance effectuent des travaux sur les voies.

Durant la première phase, la ligne était coupée entre les stations "Grand Parc" et "Gare Saint-Jean". Lors de la seconde phase, l'interruption a été réduite à la section de "Quinconces" à "Gare Saint-Jean".

 

17/04/2019 15:56

Allée de Bristol ; Bordeaux

From here, curious to exploit a spot I've never used before, I took position on the corner of the 'Pazzo Gelato' building to get a good shot of buses coming both ways - and paid off that certainly did! This one was taken mid-phone call, but it kicked off that series of photos from here, and if you want my advice? It's a good spot to go to if you're careful around the unbarriered road and occasional pedestrian traffic. As well as if you don't mind the cold.

 

Exactly a year to the day since I last got a photo of this bus, Stagecoach in Hull's 11194, a 2019 ADL Enviro 400MMC - I wonder when the repaints scheme will get around to these? - swings out of North Point Shopping Centre on a 2 to Boothferry Estate.

This early-cycle small box edition of "Schoolgirls in Chains" (1973) was a 'common' back in the day, but now quite rare. The film gained a minor cult following for being a cut above the usual grindhouse fare of the era. Released on the prolific Samboo label.

Exploitant : RATP

Réseau : RATP

Ligne : 291

Lieu : Pont de Sèvres (Boulogne-Billancourt, F-92)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/id/9064

After my exploits last summer and autumn, I'm good for photos of the brown and purple E200s, which is just as well since several faced sudden withdrawal last month. Not among them was 370; the one that doesn't have any branding on the front. You'd've thought it would have made a prime candidate for being sold on, as part of the de-branding job is already done.

 

Mansfield Road, Nottingham, 31.1.22

"Exploitation of the deep leads, which was complicated and costly, required capital to fund the shaft sinking and underground tunnelling, the infrastructure of poppet heads, machinery, equipment, steam engine houses, puddling machines, water pumps and sluice apparatus, and the employment of miners and support workers."

This is the horse drawn tram at Victor Harbor that I took a few days ago.

Since this is probably the 1 millionth photo taken of this tourist attraction I thought I would give it an entirely different look. This is close to how a scene may have appeared as a photo taken 170 years ago. (except for the guys with the cameras on top :)

 

The albumen print, also called albumen silver print, was published in January 1847 by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard, and was the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative. It used the albumen found in egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper and became the dominant form of photographic positives from 1855 to the turn of the 20th century, with a peak in the 1860-90 period. During the mid-19th century, the carte de visite became one of the more popular uses of the albumen method. In the 19th century, E. & H. T. Anthony & Company were the largest makers and distributors of the Albumen photographic prints and paper in the United States.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albumen_print

 

Navette Aéroport - Arrêt : Trentemoult

Exploitant : SEMITAN

Réseau TAN - Nantes

«Le Malannoy» ou lieu dit «La Ferme Malannoy» était auparavant une ancienne forteresse, devenue de nos jours une exploitation agricole.

Exploitant : STIVO

Réseau : STIVO

Ligne : 34

Lieu : La Marnière (Vauréal, F-95)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/8781

Ligne 36 - Arrêt : Greneraie

Exploitant : SEMITAN

Réseau TAN - Nantes

In his lecture, Jol Thoms questions the influence of colonialism, reclamation, exploitation and desecration on modernity. Through a large amount of archival and visual material from early European history, Thoms provides an insight into animistic and alchemical knowledge that was popular in Europe before René Descartes' theory of the separation of body and mind. Thoms views this supposed division, and that between nature and culture, through the lens of renewable energy production and nuclear fusion.

 

Experimental fusion reactors use rare earth minerals and extremely strong magnetic fields to burn pure hydrogen at temperatures around 150 million degrees Celsius. These nuclear fusion reactors can be seen as a miniature sun, an idea that emphasizes the connection between this modern technology and the historical, pre-modern alchemical tradition. Despite these technological developments and decades of efforts by physicists, atomic nuclei have still not been able to fuse together.

 

Thoms, along with Julian Weaver, investigated the largest nuclear fusion experiment in the world, called the Joint European Torus (JET) in the United Kingdom, and the International Thermonuclear Energy Research (ITER), a huge project being built in France. Weaver recorded the sound of magnetic plasma and combined it with the sounds of experimental sites to create a soundtrack that was added to this film.

The rain will fall soon …

 

* * *

Algérie. Région de Boufarik. La Ferme Javal sous un ciel d'orage. Octobre 1962.

 

En arrière plan, les chais avec une inscription sur le Fronton :" Clos xxxx" … (indéchiffrable).

Cette fermes produisait des agrumes et du raisin.

Exploitant : Transdev Ecquevilly

Réseau : Bus O'Mureaux

Lieu : Médiathèque (Les Mureaux, F-78)

Isfandiyâr's fifth exploit - he kills the sîmurgh

Shahnama de Firdawsi

Copenhagen, David Collection

Miniature from a copy of Firdawsi’s Shahnama.

‘Isfandiyar’s Fifth Ordeal; He Must Slay the Simurgh’

www.davidmus.dk/?culture=en-us

Recommended View Large

 

From yesterday... #2 Taken one evening with my bud Grantthai while sipping a cool one looking for an alluring capture to take place.. along she came hustling to us the perfect shoeshine... Just a kid driven by some greedy individuals.. who thrive on exploiting kids... all is done in a good natured way but you can see and feel their pain.. while on the other side of the street a man is watching... smoking and drinking the fruits of his labor..:-(

 

==========================

 

Suite d'hier de la meme serie #2... Prise voici deja un petit bout de temps avec mopn pote Grantthai.. Elle est venue cette gamine avec son approche de vente directe a qui veut bien l'entendre.. Une gentille mais aguerrie petire gamine sous la tutelle d'idiots de premiere qui en profite et exploite leur jeunesse pendant qu'eux se gavent de Mekong avec une cigarette tout en surveillant leur proie..

 

Du classique en Asie helas.. Celle-ci etait tres lucide et affaires... On sent aussi qu'ils sont surveilles par des connards de la pire espece.. On exploite les gamins ici et en pleine vue du tout venant.. Pas rellement drole :-( Mais une realite tres dure ..

Exploitant : Transdev Val d'Europe Airports

Réseau : Magical Shuttle

Lieu : Centre Opérationnel Bus de Bailly-Romainvilliers (Bailly-Romainvilliers, F-77)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/id/27300

Exploitant : SAVAC

Réseau : Express (Île-de-France)

Ligne : Express 307

Lieu : Vélizy 2 (Vélizy-Villacoublay, F-78)

Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/id/57820

Ligne 6 - Arrêt : Gare Jardins

Exploitant : TCAT

Réseau TCAT - Troyes