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A 1961 first edition photography book and memoir. It is billed as one of the very first environmental photobooks serving as a warning, and fashioning an eloquent plea." Author Peter Merom created a "prescient study of the conflict between Israel’s need for water and the environmental effects this caused."
This 1908 whodunit is the author’s first. Rachel is a middle-aged spinster who has had custody of her orphaned niece and nephew since they were children. Halsey and Gertrude are now 20 and 24, respectively, and they talk Rachel into renting a house in the country for the summer. The house they choose belonged to a bank defaulter who had hidden stolen securities in the walls.
The first night Rachel is there, there is a mysterious trespasser and something falls down the stairs in the middle of the night. After Halsey and Gertrude arrive on the second night, there is a murder, and Halsey and the friend he’s brought to stay disappear. Halsey returns a few days later, without his friend and without an explanation, but by then other strange goings-on have occurred to the dismay of the residents.
In the Introduction to his book “The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin” Houdini says:
“This book is the natural result of the moulding, dominating influence which the spirit and writing of Robert-Houdin have exerted over my professional career. My interest in conjuring and magic and my enthusiasm for Robert-Houdin came into existence simultaneously. From the moment that I began to study the art, he became my guide and hero. I accepted his writings as my text-book and my gospel. What Blackstone is to the struggling lawyer, Hardee’s “Tactics” to the would-be officer, or Bismark’s life and writings to the coming statesman, Robert-Houdin’s books were to me.
“…When it became necessary for me to take a stage name, and a fellow player, possessing a veneer of culture, told me that if I would add the letter ‘i’ to Houdin’s name, it would mean, in the French language, ‘like Houdin,’ I adopted the suggestion with enthusiasm. I asked nothing more of life than to become in my profession ‘like Robert-Houdin.’”
That is high praise indeed! But the rest of Houdini’s book is not so flattering. It exposes his hero and the source of his name as a thief and fraud. Houdini judges Robert-Houdin harshly after discovering that a number of the effects that he claimed to have invented were not invented by him at all. Houdini uncovered the evidence only after a great deal of research. He even offered a prize of $250 if anybody could name a book that had taken as much time, energy, travel and money, “with such authentic data regarding real magical inventions.” He traced the origins of some effects decades, even a century before Robert-Houdin.
Houdini built a strong case against his former hero. Effects that Robert-Houdin claimed to be his own invention were almost identical to effects invented by earlier magicians. Could he have reasonably believed himself to have created those effects? No one can know for sure. Robert-Houdin didn’t devote anywhere near as much “time, travel, energy and money” as did Houdini in researching the effects, so he may well have believed them to be his own. In any case, Houdini’s book was roundly castigated, especially in France, the home of Robert-Houdin.
Houdini could have avoided the controversy if he had simply called the book the “The History of Magic” instead of “The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin.” It contains a great deal of historical research into the illusions and effects of magic. The effort that went into it was considerable. But, it seems, Houdini wanted the public to know of his disenchantment with his former hero who he, in effect, accuses of stealing and lying.
From the book "Peter and Wendy" by J. M. Barrie. London: Hodder & Stoughton, (1911). First edition. This is the first book that tells the story of Peter Pan, Wendy and their exploits in Neverland along with the now familiar cast of characters that includes Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and Tiger Lily.
“We’re just two punks, Frank. God kissed us on the brow that night. He gave us all that two people can ever have and we just weren’t the kind that could have it. [I]t’s a big airplane engine, that takes you through the sky, right up to the top of the mountain. But when you put it in a Ford, it just shakes it to pieces. That’s what we are, Frank, a couple of Fords.”
― James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice
Set in London of 632 A.F. (“After Ford”), the novel portrays a futuristic society in which the individual is sacrificed for the state, science is used to control and subjugate, and all forms of art and history are outlawed. The novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, classical conditioning and psychological manipulation that combine profoundly to change society. Modern Library ranked “Brave New World” fifth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. [Source: Wikipedia]
The plot of the novel follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London.
The Old Curiosity Shop was one of two novels (the other being Barnaby Rudge) which Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial Master Humphrey's Clock, which lasted from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York readers stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final installment arrived in 1841. The Old Curiosity Shop was printed in book form in 1841. [Source: Wikipedia]
In 1954, Ellison decided to write about youth gangs. To research the issue, he joined a street gang in the Red Hook, Brooklyn, area, under the alias "Phil 'Cheech' Beldone". His subsequent writings on the subject include the novel "Web of the City"/"Rumble", the collection "The Deadly Streets", and part of his memoir "Memos from Purgatory".
The novel “Web of the City” was originally bought by Walter Fultz, an editor at the small independent publishing company Lion Books. The company went out of business before it could publish the novel, so it was sold to Pyramid Books. Pyramid changed the name to “Rumble” and published it in 1958, while Ellison was a Private in the army. The first Ellison knew of the title change was when he received a copy of the book (with other volumes) to review. . . In 1975, Pyramid reprinted the novel with the author's original title, "Web of the City." [Source: Wikipedia]
In 1987, the Bachman novel The Running Man inspired the Paul Glaser film of the same name. King insisted that his name not be on the credits, and the screen credit for the film went to Richard Bachman. [Source: Wikipedia]
Car: GWM Ora Funky Cat First Edition.
Engine: Electric motor.
Year of manufacture: 2023.
Date of first registration in the UK: 26th May 2023.
Place of registration: Bristol.
Date of last MOT: First MOT due 25th May 2023.
Mileage at last MOT: Not applicable.
Date of last change of keeper: No previous recorded keepers.
Number of previous keepers:0.
Date taken: 4th December 2023.
Album: Carspotting 2023
Guarini, Giovanni Battista [1538 AD – 1612 AD], Il Pastor Fido The Faithfull Sheperd, IL/ PASTOR FIDO,/ The faithfull Shepherd./ A PASTORALL/ Written in Italian by BAPTISTA/ GUARINI, a Knight/ of ITALIE./ And now Newly Translated out of/ the ORIGINALL./[Printer’s device]/ LONDON,/ Printed by R. Raworth, M DC XLVII. . London, R. Raworth, MDCXLVII (1647), first edition of this translation.
This book presents the librettos of the first two operas in Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle accompanied by 34 color plates by Arthur Rackham. “The Rhinegold” is the first of the four operas that constitute Wagner’s “The Ring of the Nibelung.” “The Valkyrie” is the second opera in the Ring. They were first performed together as part of the complete Ring Cycle on August 14, 1876 at Wagner’s Bayreuth Festival. The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and The Song of the Nibelungs, an epic German poem that tells the story of dragon-slayer SiegfrIed at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife’s revenge.
The final two operas in Wagner’s Ring, “Siegfried” and “The Twilight of the Gods,” were published in a separate volume in 1911 and were also illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
www.flickr.com/photos/57440551@N03/15056838138/in/photost...
From "The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie" by Richard Wagner. New York: Doubleday Page & Co., 1910. First American Edition
Electric Drive
IAA 2019
Internationale Automobil Ausstellung
Frankfurt
Duitsland - Germany
September 2019
I am currently working on a replica of Shakespeare's 1623 folio. Bound in calf leather, the cover features a Cambridge panel design (bound in the style of Paul Tronson, Master Bookbinder) with hot blind tooling. The leather was hand-dyed using a combination of vegetable dyes, aniline dyes and tattoo inks. The text block was sewn on recessed cords with hand-wound headbands and laced-in covers. An oxford hollow with false raised bands was used for the spine.
See more projects here:
Credits: Project inspired by and created in the style of Master Bookbinder, Paul Tronson.
A wonderful illustration by Clare Turlay Newberry in "April's Kittens," published by Harper & Brothers; First edition (1940)
Bononcini, Giovanni [1670 AD -1747 AD], Astartus an Opera as it was Perform'd at the Kings Theatre for the Royal Accademy. London: J. Walsh and J. Hare, [1721], First Edition, 2 leaves, 81 pages, engraved throughout, table of songs and advertisement. Size: folio (34.2 x 22.8cm). Condition: early inscription ("Giv'n to ye Musick-Club by Mr. Professor Goodson Aug: 30 1722") and stamp of 'Musical Society Oxford' to title, Dolmetsch Library stamp and pencil shelfmark ("II C 45") to verso of title, manuscript Dolmetsch Library label affixed to head of spine with translucent adhesive tape, old manuscript labels to upper cover ("21"; "915 V"), contemporary marbled boards, red morocco label gilt to upper cover ("Astartus"), with later endpapers (watermarked "1804"), cracked at lower hinge, old ink stains to outer edges, covers worn. RARE. The last copy we have traced at auction was sold at Sotheby’s on 9 December 1999 (lot 42). LITERATURE: RISM B 3557 and BB 3557; Smith and Humphries, no.191. A revised version of Bononcini's original opera of 1715 was premiered at the King's Theatre in London in November 1720. It was one of only two London operas for which Bononcini, Handel's great London rival, published the overture and arias.
The Illustrated News of the World – First Edition 1858.
‘The Illustrated News of the World and National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Personages’ was a new publication with the strong visual emphasis of numerous large woodcuts to illustrate local and world events, and also featuring a number of fine steel engravings of eminent persons. The publishers stated their hopes that the publication would match or supplement the existing illustrated magazines:- The Illustrated London News and Punch Magazine .
Published by Illustrated News of the World, The Strand, London. Annual bound collection, red cloth boards 338 pages 29cm x 42cm.
Doughty’s short-lived magazine “The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports” is an important imprint in the history of American printing. It contained the first colored sporting prints made in America. Issued in monthly parts and published from the end of 1830 until the spring of 1834, “The Cabinet” featured articles on hunting, detailed descriptions of newly discovered flora and fauna, and some of the finest examples of early American hand-colored lithography. It was originally the work of the Doughty brothers, Thomas and John, with virtually all of the plates being the work of Thomas, who also founded the Hudson River School. But, by the spring of 1832, the partnership had broken up and Thomas had moved to Boston. An abbreviated third volume (not included here) lacked Thomas’ touch.
“We catched a lot of the nicest fish you ever see.”
“Tom Sawyer Abroad” features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of adventure stories like those of Jules Verne. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world’s greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. The story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn and is a sequel, set in the time following the title story of the Tom Sawyer series, “Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” [Source: Wikipedia]
“She” originally appeared as a serial in London’s weekly “Graphic” magazine between October 1886 and January 1887, with illustrations by E. K. Johnson. Longmans, Green and Co. first published the story in book form in 1887 but without any illustrations. Then an illustrated version of the book came out in 1888 with 32 illustrations by Maurice Greiffenhagen and Charles H. M. Kerr.
“She” is a bizarre tale of a lost African civilization, a 2,000-year-old queen, and the intrepid Englishmen who seek her. On his twenty-fifth birthday, Leo Vincey opens the ebony box left him by his father, long since dead. Within the box is a strange silver chest, which contains a letter from the elder Vincey and an ancient potsherd, inscribed with a fantastic story by Amenartas, an Egyptian princess, more than 300 years before the birth of Christ.
Amenartas’ charge to her descendants – the sixty-seventh of whom is Leo Vincey – is to avenge her lover Kallikrates, who was slain by the queen who knew no death. As Leo learns from his father’s letter, several of Vincey’s forebears had indeed set out on such a mission – but none had ever succeeded in finding the mysterious white queen, “She-who-must-be-obeyed.”
Leo does succeed, and therein lies the spellbinding tale of SHE.
Two movies based on Haggard’s novel have been produced:
One in 1965 with Ursula Andress in the title role (www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqD7pkVyoOw)
And another produced in 1935 by Merian C.Cooper (of King Kong fame):
Shipwrecked Englishman Edward Prendick meets Dr. Moreau’s Beast Folk, comprising Leopard-Man, Hyena-Swine, Satyr-Man, Fox-Bear Witch, Dog-Man, Ape-Man and the Sloth Creature. The novel has been the source for no less than six movies, including a version in 1977 with Burt Lancaster and Michael York and one in 1996 with Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis and Ron Perlman. H. G. Wells in his 19th century novel anticipated the conversion of animals into human-like beings by way of vivisection. A little over a century later, the introduction of human DNA in an animal’s genetic code may be a feasible way of doing it, a scary possibility explored in the 1996 film.
“David Copperfield” is one of Dickens’ most popular and critically acclaimed novels. The story follows David’s life from childhood to maturity and many of its elements follow events in Dickens’ own life, especially in the early chapters describing David’s provincial upbringing. The story is filled with vivid characters such as Uriah Heep, Mr. Micawber, the Pegottys, and eccentric Aunt Betsey and it ranks as the finest of Dickens’ works. “Of all my books,” Dickens wrote in the preface to the 1867 edition, “I like this the best… like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield.”
Publisher Bradbury & Evans first released the story in monthly parts from May, 1849 through November, 1850, and in book form in 1850. The text was embellished with full-page, black & white engravings by H. K. Browne (“Phiz”). Subscribers who wished a hardcover edition for their libraries would either purchase a copy from the publisher when available or have the serial parts bound into book form, often in leather.
Der Lotus Emira ist der letzte Lotus mit reinem Verbrenner-Motor. Er erhielt Vier- und Sechszylinder-Motoren. Die First Edition mit V6 hat einen Preis von 95.995 Euro und kam im Frühjahr 2022 auf den Markt.
The Lotus Emira is the last Lotus with a pure combustion engine. It received four and six-cylinder engines. The First Edition with V6 has a price of 95,995 euros and came onto the market in spring 2022.
The bloody death toll of WWI had left so many bereaved that people who had never been able to say goodbye to loved ones flocked to mediums in hopes of re-establishing contact. One of the key figures stirring the revival in Spiritualism was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had himself lost a son, a brother and nine other relatives in the war. He became a proselytizer for Spiritualism, writing books about it, including two in 1918 alone, and became one of the public leaders of the movement.
Contemptuous of frauds and fakes, Houdini desperately wanted to believe in things undreamt of in his philosophy, but he was continually disappointed. His time at the carnivals had made him aware of many of the tricks used by unscrupulous mediums, and his experience as an illusionist made it easy for him to disprove them. He began to resent how he and bereaved people in general had been bamboozled by scam-artists who preyed on vulnerability, and he grew active in exposing them. He stepped up his exposure of dishonest mediums with his book “A Magician Among the Spirits,” which revealed the secrets behind floating handkerchiefs, “spirit hands,” and messages from the beyond. Following the deaths of Houdini and Doyle, Spiritualism fell into disrepute, once again the province of carnival fortune tellers and con men. [Source: www.biography.com/news/houdini-arthur-conan-doyle]
This is Screamin' Angus. He is a new member of the family too. He definitely stands out in the crowd ;D
The time is far enough into the future so that man has long been established on the Moon. Conducted tours for vacationers have become entirely common, and one of the high points of each tour is a cruise around the Sea of Thirst – a body of fine volcanic dust – in a specially designed vessel called the Selene. It’s an eerie voyage but one that is considered perfectly safe.
And then the old, dead Moon plays an appalling trick on the Selene, and there follows a most complicated and perilous rescue operation. How do you locate a small vessel buried beneath fifteen meters of dust in one of the craters of the Moon? If you find it, how do you rescue the passengers and crew? If you are on board, how do you feel and what do you do while brave men and expert technicians join forces, on your behalf, in a desperate race against time?
"Day after day, day after
day,
We stuck, nor breath nor
motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean."
William Andrew Pogány (1882-1955) was born in Hungary, studied art in Budapest, and worked in Paris briefly before moving to London in 1905 where he worked as a book illustrator for ten years. He moved to New York in 1915 and had success as a book illustrator and designer of stage sets and hotel interiors. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is one of Pogany’s best-known books. It is a bold artistic experiment in unifying text and images. Every page is elaborately decorated in Pogany’s distinctive style, which attempts to create a printed version of a medieval illuminated manuscript. He was responsible for the beautiful calligraphic text, green and mauve page decorations and borders, and the many black and white drawings and tipped-in plates in full color.
TYPOGRAPHIE: MANUAL OF TYPOGRAPHICAL DESIGN
First Press
www.thenewgraphic.com/2011/01/typographie-manual-of-typog...
From "Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods" by Richard Wagner. New York: Doubleday Page & Co., 1911. First American Edition
This is the story of a free black citizen of Saratoga, New York who was kidnapped in Washington in 1841, trapped in a system of brutal subjugation and rescued in 1853 from a cotton plantation near the Red River in Louisiana. Northup’s powerful and insightful memoir was published just three months after his liberation and it stunned the nation. It is among the most detailed and accurate firsthand accounts of slavery in America. Northup’s slave narrative was the basis for the film “Twelve Years a Slave” which won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture.
The seven wood engravings in Northup's book are by Nathaniel Orr, based on illustrations by Frederick M. Coffin.
Solomon Northup was a renowned fiddler so, at the end of “Twelve Years a Slave,” he included the tune to “Roaring River – A Refrain of the Red River Plantation.” It invited his nineteenth-century readers to engage with his story in some small way by performing the tune. Here is a link to that page in the book:
pastispresent.org/wp-content/uploads/199111_0007.jpg
A twenty-first-century movie-goer was inspired to read the book and perform that old-time plantation tune. Here is a link to his musical performance:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LApDW18pfO0
For more information, check out the American Antiquarian Society Blog at:
pastispresent.org/2014/good-sources/twelve-years-a-slave-...
Bound in brown half calf and marbled boards.
The plot of the novel follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London.
The Old Curiosity Shop was one of two novels (the other being Barnaby Rudge) which Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial Master Humphrey's Clock, which lasted from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York readers stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final installment arrived in 1841. The Old Curiosity Shop was printed in book form in 1841. [Source: Wikipedia]
“Bleak House” was first published as a 20- episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and partly by an omniscient narrator. At the center of “Bleak House” is a long-running legal case in the Court of Chancery, “Jarndyce and Jarndyce,” which came about because a testator has written several conflicting wills. In a preface to the 1853 first hardcover edition, Dickens claimed there were many actual precedents for his fictional case. One such was probably the “Thellusson v. Woodford” case in which a will read in 1797 was contested and not determined until 1859. Though the legal profession criticized Dickens's satire as exaggerated, this novel helped support a judicial reform movement which culminated in the enactment of legal reform in the 1870s. [Source: Wikipedia]
Created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, this artwork is based on the original illustration by A. C. Michael and the accompanying description in Wells' book:
"Presently the English Channel was bridged -- a series of great iron Eiffel Tower pillars carrying mono-rail cables at a height of a hundred and fifty feet above the water, except near the middle, where they rose higher to allow the passage of the London and Antwerp shipping and the Hamburg-America liners.
"Then heavy motor-cars began to run about on only a couple of wheels, one behind the other... All this gyroscopic and mono-rail development naturally absorbed a vast amount of public attention..." [Wells' description of a mono-rail crossing the English Channel]
The Illustrated News of the World – First Edition 1858.
‘The Illustrated News of the World and National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Personages’ was a new publication with the strong visual emphasis of numerous large woodcuts to illustrate local and world events, and featuring a number of fine steel engravings of eminent persons. The publishers stated their hopes that the publication would match or supplement the existing illustrated magazines:- The Illustrated London News and Punch Magazine .
Published by Illustrated News of the World, The Strand, London. Annual bound collection, red cloth boards 338 pages 29cm x 42cm.
Gateway is a space station built into a hollow asteroid (or perhaps the dead heart of a comet) constructed by the Heechee, a long-vanished alien race. Humans have had limited success understanding Heechee technology found there and elsewhere in the solar system. The Gateway Corporation administers the asteroid on behalf of the governments of the United States, the Soviet Union, New People's Asia, the Venusian Confederation, and the United States of Brazil.
Nearly a thousand small, abandoned starships are at Gateway. By extremely dangerous trial and error, humans learn how to operate the ships. The controls for selecting a destination have been identified, but nobody knows where a particular setting will take the ship or how long the trip will last; starvation is a danger. Attempts at reverse engineering to find out how they work have ended only in disaster, as has changing the settings in mid-flight. Most settings lead to useless or lethal places. A few, however, result in the discovery of Heechee artifacts and habitable planets, making the passengers (and the Gateway Corporation) wealthy. The vessels come in three standard sizes, which can hold a maximum of one, three, or five people, filled with equipment and hopefully enough food for the trip. Some "threes" and many "fives" are armored. Each ship includes a lander to visit a planet or other object if one is found. [Source: Wikipedia]
Christine is the story of a vintage 1958 Plymouth Fury that is possessed by supernatural forces. John Carpenter directed the film adaptation of King’s book:
“Martians, Go Home” is a broad satire of the human race as seen through the eyes of a billion jeering, invulnerable Martians who arrive not to conquer the world but to drive it crazy.
The following is a brief biography of Fredric Brown from the Goodreads website (at www.goodreads.com/author/show/51503.Fredric_Brown):
"Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.
"Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons."
Leni Riefenstahl was a world-famous actress, artist, photographer and film director. One of her pre-war successes was the documentary film called “Triumph of the Will,” about the 1934 Reich Party Congress in Nuremberg. Her filming expertise not only impressed Hitler but it also impressed the International Olympic Committee who commissioned her to produce a documentary about the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Her film, titled “Olympia,” was radically different from all sporting films made before it. She chose to highlight the aesthetics of the body by filming it from every angle. The film brought about new perspectives in cinematography and still remains without equal. It pioneered many of the techniques now common in the filming of sports.
Riefenstahl experimented with anything and everything available to her. Camera operators were placed into foxholes and trenches so they could film the Olympic athletes and minimize the disruptions to their levels of concentration. She used miniature cameras in situations where a human camera operator was not a practical solution. Camera units were placed on rails and they followed the athletes around the track as they ran. Additional camera operators were allowed to roam around in the audience to get good emotional and crowd reaction shots. During diving meets, a camera operator dove alongside the diver both above and below the water. No cameramen had ever been allowed to work so close to the athletes at any other Olympics. Sports imagery rose to new aesthetic heights.
“Although the film “Olympia” has become an acknowledged classic, her book of photographs, “Schönheit im Olympischen Kampf” (Beauty in the Olympic Games), is less known but no less spectacular. Sometimes Riefenstahl relied on poses modeled on the antique Greek ideal… But far more original were her depictions of superbly athletic bodies soaring gracefully through the air and knifing effortlessly through the water. Riefenstahl applied certain devices characteristic of the new German photography – strong diagonals, tight croppings, and bird's-eye and worm's-eye views. No longer was the camera an earthbound witness; it took to the air and the water with the athletes.” (Source: William A. Ewing, “The Body”).
Riefenstahl’s book is illustrated with 273 full-page, black & white photographs with picture captions in English, German, Spanish and French.
Riefenstahl’s film “Olympia” documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics may be viewed on youtube:
Olympia Part 1: Festival of Nations
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLnGqMoNXRI
Olympia Part 2: Festival of Beauty
Welcome to the next episode of "Stuff I Bought in Vancouver". Tonight, I bring you something that is, as always exotic, but more importantly, something that again, I probably wouldn't have run into while in Toronto. The subject of tonights review is the S.H. Figuarts Sailor Moon figure, First Edition.
So, Sailor Moon. The Figuarts releases I've picked up two of them up to this point - Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Venus, so clearly they exist here in Toronto. I had gotten lucky so far with regards to pricing thus far, finding the right person at the right time who was willing to make a deal just to get rid of it. It was a similar situation for this particular figure, which I ended up paying $60 CAD for, making it the most expensive figure I purchased during my time out West. For those paying attention, that's pretty much MSRP - why did I do that??? Well, the answer lies in the second part of the title - First Edition. First Edition releases of Sailor Moon came with two additional face plates that were not available later on, and to be honest they're ones that should have been standard, but I digress. The point is, if one were to take into account the First Edition perks, and the fact the figure had never been opened, $60 CAD ends up being a pretty good buy.
Sailor Moon is, of course, the titular character from the Sailor Moon series. The superhero guise of Usagi Tsukino (Serena in the US dub), Sailor Moon starts off, like all many other anime heroes, kind of clumsy, childlike, but eventually matures into a competent leader of her fellow Sailor Senshi in their battle against the forces of evil and enemies of the Moon Kingdom, from whence she originated from. In superhero form, Usagi maintains her trademark twin pigtails, gets a few more pieces of jewelery, and is generally decked out in the now legendary ensemble of high school girl outfit combined with some bows and a kickass pair of boots. Being Sailor Moon, however, her outfit has a few extra bells and whistles not present on the other Sailor Senshi, like the moon on her choker, a jewel encrusted pendant on her chest ribbon, moons on her boots, and jewels in the buns of her hair.
Sailor Moon comes with the most accessories I've seen in a Sailor Moon Figuarts thus far (I admittedly haven't seen that many). There's the figure, of course, with five additional faces (winking and crying faces being the exclusives... FINALLY, a winking face), Moon Crescent Wand, Moon Crescent Wand with the Imperium Silver Crystal installed, seven additional hands with one dedicated for holding her wand, two for her trademark pose, and additional hand/effect piece for her Moon Tiara Action, a mini Luna, and a stand. To the surprise of nobody, it appears that Luna and Artemis are effectively repaints of one another, though I found that Luna stood very easily, whereas Artemis was required some futzing to get him to pose for photos. Points of articulation on Luna are her head and tail, both on ball joints.
The figure of course, looks very faithful to the the animation model. General silhouette is there, and compared to Sailor Venus, slightly more accurate body proportions, mostly with the legs, which seem to have a shorter lower leg as compared to the statuesque Sailor Venus. Otherwise, you have the same general slender high school girl physique. Sailor Moon, to me, has a more accurate facial structure as well.. in fact, if I didn't know better, I'd say they adapted Sailor Moons base face plates for use on Venus. Both are, IMO, a bit too narrow and could stand to be a bit wider at the temples. Sailor Moon fares much better at actually being able to use the included stand properly, as she does not have a giant mound of hair getting in the way of the dynamic arm of the stand. Speaking of hair, good recreation of the hair on the character, with the added "bonus" of being made from translucent plastic that is painted yellow so she has the shimmering effect on her head. The down side is tolerances, as evidences by the fact her right pigtail keeps popping out of the socket. Otherwise, you get some good sculpting in terms of detailing of the outfit and hair, both of which has been pretty consistent in terms of quality across the three characters that I have.
As mentioned above, this First Edition release comes with two additional face plates that are very much essential to Sailor Moon as a character. I can sort of get the crying face as an exclusive, as its usage is relatively limited (unless you're willing to be a bit creative, like me) but for magical girl figures to not come with winking faces ought to be made a crime punishable by public ridicule. The other faces are your typical smiling, neutral, attacking, and one face with no tiara painted on it with the intent of use with the Moon Tiara Action hand effect.
Articulation.. boy, is it nice coming back to something that is not maddening to make use. Points of articulation, again, are consistent with the other Sailor Senshi - ankles, single jointed knees, hips with pull down action to improve range of motion, waist, upper torso swivel, shoulders with some chest collapse, single jointed eblows, wirsts, and head. As stated above, there is one point of articulation on each of the pigtails to allow for some dynamic posing of the pigtails, though it mainly allows for side to side displays of hair rather than dashing forward displays. I found that perhaps due to a more pliable rubber (or maybe I just tried harder), Sailor Moon, while unable to kick high, was able to at least maintain a proper seated position. Hands come off the wrist pegs easily.. perhaps a bit TOO easily. I've read that subsequent releases of the figure (most notable being the anime coloured edition), the wrist pegs have been changed such that they have balls on the end of them to improve the grip.
Paintwork is again that lovely combination of good and meh that is present on Venus and Chibi moon. One again, the outfit itself is painted with pearl based paints on the whites, which makes for a lovely shimmering effect, if a bit thick in terms of application. Coloured sections of the outfit, along with various metal pieces are painted with metallic paints. These metallic paint apps can get a bit messy, especially on detailed areas like the small lines on her hair bun jewels, her pendant on the chest, the tiaras on her foreheads, and her earrings. The hair appears be partially solid plastic with some translucent plastics (bangs, pigtails), all of which is painted, which does make for an effective glowing effect at the cost of some less than stellar tolerances. Paint work on the hair itself is surprisingly smooth, with no splotches of colour that not only would look bad, but would also interfere with the translucent quality of the hair. Fleshy bits appear to be the base plastic colours, which are slightly different from Sailor Venus (more tan). In terms of paint masking, some weakness was observed at most transition points, with the most notable being between her outfit and her blue skirt.
Decals are applied well, with no bubbles observed, and no misalignment issues to report. In general, fit and tolerances are pretty good, with the only real issue I can mention is the one with that one pigtail that likes to fall out. Otherwise, there aren't any issues with tolerances or poorly mating parts to report. Some improvements on the parts finish side would have been nice, as mould lines and various seams were more prevalent on Sailor Moon than Venus or Chibi Moon. It's not like the latter two were perfect, and neither is Sailor Moon the worst figure ever made, it's just that by comparison to the other two, Sailor Moon does exhibit significantly weaker traits from this perspective, so I know a better product is technically possible. Build quality is the typical Figuarts level of excellence, with tight joints and a generally solid toy that can withstand some typical handling by a collector.
This is undeniably a great Sailor Moon figure, though one that is for... reasons, worse off from a parts finish perspective than her peers that I own. The base figure doesn't really offer anything that the other Sailor Senshi don't have (other than perhaps a slightly more appropriate face), but that's no surprise (or an issue) when they're all based off a pretty decent platform, though keep in mind I was able to get her seated when I couldn't get Sailor Venus or Chibi Moon to do so. While the base accessory set is pretty good (considering all the main Senshi cost the same), the First Edition faces truly make this figure shine. So while the figure is clearly a recommend for fans of the series, I'm going to do something I normally don't do, and recommend that you hunt down a First Edition version. While you may not benefit from the improved wrist pegs, the crying and winking expressions are a HUGE part of the character, and are worth going the extra mile for. If you're gonna hunt this figure down, I'd strongly recommend finding a First Edition and hassling the seller until a price that is agreeable to you can be reached.
A scientist by the name of Griffin (we never learn his full name) finds a way to make himself invisible but doesn’t know how to reverse the process. He becomes consumed with power, resorts to crime for survival and, eventually, goes crazy. It paints an unflattering picture of a scientist as someone who is selfish and lacks a conscience and humanity. Bah humbug! Ripping good story, though.