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This is the old River Rea bridge at Deritend the picture may well have been taken when widening of the road was planned. It is taken from the south (Bradford Street side. One feature of the bridge is the "Green Man" on the keystone. The River Rea runs in a brick lined culvert, originally when it was in the open, it could make for a difficult crossing through fertile marsh land to get livestock over to the Bull Ring livestock market. A few street names in the area echo the taming of the Rea, River Street and Floodgate Street both refer to the river and nearby Heath Mill Lane referred to a water mill.
Crossing the bridge is an open balcony tramcar, it is working route 17, City Centre to Hall Green, the tram route lasted until January 1937 when it was replaced by motor buses and re-numbered 37. Tram tracks are being prepared to bring trams along Digbeth/Deritend once again.
The only link between the past and the scene today is the distinctive chimney above the tram.
Collection Geoff Dowling
Unknown photographer
It is winter in Australia now and the weather is grey and wet, but if you remember to bring an umbrella, you can still enjoy some sightseeing outdoors.
Daisy and I live in Melbourne. The city is known for it`s skyline and high skyscrapers, but spread out all over the city you will find a lot of beautiful buildings and landmarks from the Victorian era too, like this statue of Queen Victoria in the Botanical Gardens.
This is my second entry in the Pullip-Tography contest: Man-Made beauty!
Whithorn is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa "White/Shining House", built by Saint Ninian about 397 CE.
Dogwood is the state tree of four states, but Californians don't seem to have noticed this beautiful tree and blossom. Yesterday, I notice that, thanks to our record rains, the valley is dotted with these beautify trees. The only times I've seen these has have been at Yosemite, Mt. Diablo, and Sequoia.
Found a lower branch on a 15 foot tree and got the right angle. But I appreciate these blooms more than ever before now that they're literally sprouting as offshoots of parent trees.
Stop and smell the flowers!
“Easter is about more than candy. It’s about peace, love and family.”
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+ - BOTH - Components Details +
♦️Shape:Kidorable– Personal *Not Sale*
♦️Body:Bebe – Bebe Body Fitted
♦️Head:ToddleeDoo – Bento Head
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+Apparel Details +
♦️Binky: [Jester Inc.] Easter Light Up Binky! – 2 versions, static glow & blinking version
♦️Onesie: LMC Shorties – (8 Common / No Rare) HIM – Cars / HER – Stripes
♦️Socks: . tiptoes – Slouch Socks
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+More Details +
♦️Bucket: [Starries] Crayon Club / Round:11 ( Join the Crayon Club: [Starries] Crayon Club – Art By YOU! )
♦️Planter: DISORDERLY. / Flower Bunnies – Hold / Head / Shoulder/ Loose
♦️Tree: TBF – Easter Tree
The Torre Velasca is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership, in Milan, Italy. The tower is part of the first generation of Italian modern architecture, while still being part of the Milanese context in which it was born, to which also belongs the Milan Cathedral and the Sforza Castle.
The tower, approximately 100 metres tall, has a peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape. It stands out in the city skyline, made of domes, buildings and other towers. Its structure recalls the Lombard tradition, made of medieval fortresses and towers, each having a massive profile. In such fortresses, the lower parts were always narrower, while the higher parts propped up by wood or stone beams. As a consequence, the shape of this building is the result of a modern interpretation of the typical Italian medieval castle. At the same time, BBPR in this building satisfied the functional needs of space: narrower surfaces on the ground, wider and more spacious ones on the top floors. The town planning laws, then, imposed specific volumes (depending on the buildings' purpose); in this tower, the latter being the mixed functions of residential and commercial use.
The tower is located in the city centre of Milan, Italy, near the Duomo (Milan Cathedral) and the headquarters of the University of Milan, between the streets "corso di Porta Romana" and "via Larga". One of the exits of the Missori metro station is located right in front of it.
In 2011, the tower was placed under protection as a historic building.
Here is another July sunrise at Lake Wassookeag in the Central Maine Highlands. (image m1a3398) Please also visit: acadiamagic.com.
NOTE: All images are Copyrighted by Greg A. Hartford. No rights to use are given or implied to the viewer. All rights of ownership and use remain with the copyright owner.
This is Becca, she's just extremely wonderful really. If she wasnt so nice and funny and one of my bestest best friends I would probably hate her for being so fantastic. :) I mean that In a good way. :)
This is Fynn dozing on the scratching post in the garden. The capture was taken a few days ago when it was quite warm. Today we only have about 5°C and even Fynn has opted for a place in the warmth of the house.
Model is Evan Borges.
This was a quick portrait taken just as the sun tucked behind the mountains, I had an idea like this in my head and instantly I knew that it was the right time.
I wanted to capture that moment in a season that you are filled with the memories of the previous, content with the current, and wonder for the next.
Evan is seriously one of the funniest and cool people I've ever met, I'm so glad that we finally had the chance to meet and work together and I'm hoping it happens again soon!
The church is located at the level of the Vieux-Bourg de Cravant, but as the urbanized core of the town moved one kilometer further south in the 19th century it got deconsecrated in 1863. In 1865 it was sold to the French Archaeological Society.
The church was first mentioned as Carolingian ("sanctuaire carolingian"). It was probably built between the end of the 9th and the 11th century. It is possible that its location was chosen to Christianise a nearby spring, which had previously been the object of pagan worship.
In the 12th century, the west façade was remodelled with the opening of a new gate. At the same time, the apse was demolished to make way for a square bay that formed a transept. This transept, perhaps with a northern arm that has since been destroyed, is surmounted by a bell tower that was built in the 15th century.
Corbels
This is probably one of the most famous places to visit with many visitors all year round. Luckily, I was able to get a shot with no visitors in it.
Waimea Canyon, Kauai
"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." - Paulo Coelho
What is your first thought after Friday work? "Let's go home and rest"? - Well I've decided to run to Switzerland and find something beautiful to my eyes... after a very difficult waterfall shooting (I'll share that photo later) I came down from the mountain and sit to rest... well this was the spot where I could relax and enjoy the moment.
This is a 300 feet water fall on the river Aiyaru, located in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. The steps leading to the falls from Arapaleeshwarar temple tests your endurance to the core. The entire area was getting sprayed with water and keeping the equipment dry was a big challenge. This is the only shot, I didn't have water sprayed on my UV filter.
This moment before Houdini's daring feat is just one of the photographic slices of time featured in the “Not an Ostrich” exhibition currently on display in Los Angeles, California. Read more about the photos included in the exhibit in our recent Picture This blog post “Not an Ostrich”—Exhibition of Library of Congress Photos.”
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Thurston, John H. (John Henry), 1852-, photographer
[Houdini jumps from Harvard Bridge, Boston, Massachusetts] / John H. Thurston, stereopticons
[1908 April 30]
1 photograph : glass lantern slide ; 82 x 102 mm.
Summary: Photograph shows Houdini standing by the side of the Charles River wearing chains and handcuffs.
Notes:
• Title devised by Library staff.
• Master of the "Impossible Possible," Houdini performs one of his stunning manacled jumps from Harvard Bridge, followed by an under-water escape in the Charles River. As with his upside-down straitjacket escapes, Houdini's jumps drew huge crowds and publicized his stage appearances. In 1908, he appeared in Boston for two weeks at Keith's theater, a major venue on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit.
• Forms part of: McManus-Young collection of pictorial material relating to magic.
• Exhibited as a digital copy in: "Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America's Library" at the Annenberg Space for Photography, 2018; Arts section.
Subjects:
• Houdini, Harry,--1874-1926--Performances.
• Magic--Massachusetts--Boston--1900-1910.
• Magicians--1900-1910.
• Bridges--Massachusetts--Boston--1900-1910.
• Jumping--Massachusetts--Boston--1900-1910.
• Handcuffs--1900-1910.
• Escapes--Massachusetts--Boston--1900-1910.
Format:
Lantern slides--1900-1910.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a27316
Call Number: LOT 7427 [item]
This is one of those locations we didn't even plan to visit on our trip. But while exploring around the Pittsburgh area looking for the Union we took a wrong turn. While looking at the map I soon realized we were near a very famous railroad location I always wanted to see so decide to come check out this spot.
This shot looks down from RIver Road at the famous bridge over the Youghiogheny River where CSXT's modern day Mon Sub (at MP PLM 15.3) splits off from the Pittsburgh Sub (at MP PLY 15.1). All of this trackage is former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (with B&O trackage rights as part of their east west mainline).
This is a relatively young structure having was erected in 1968 by the P&LE. This bridge in conjunction with another longer one upriver over the Youghiogheny at Liberty Boro, allowed the removal of the former B&O RR tracks through the heart of McKeesport that had long plagued city fathers.
Anyway, with perfect light we decided to wait it out figuring we had reasonably good chances since the Pittsburgh Sub is part of CSXT's core east-west mainline coming from Cumberland. Alas despite committing over an our we never were rewarded with the eastbound or southbound we sought and instead only go this giant westbound Q349-19 (Cumberland, MD to Avon Yard, IN) with a classic SD40-2 trailing.....oh well...can't win 'em all. Still a great spot just to hang out.
And for those interested, dominating the right side of this scene is the 761 ft long Jerome Street Bridge. Built in 1937 with depression era Public Works funding it is one of the few crescent arch bridges found in North America.
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Wednesday August 19, 2020
Tranquilla is an album spotlighting a few selections of the incredible and stunning places available to visit in Second Life. Consider it a virtual travel log of places to see and things to do. This month the focus is on Autumn and Thanksgiving.
www.flickr.com/photos/sadiezeephotos/albums/7217772032183...
Agnes is thrilled with the advent of summer temperatures here in Toronto and spent her Saturday skateboarding around town :)
Credits:
Agnes is a 'Night Fall' Agnes on a 'Poppy Parker' body (modified)
Top - Vintage Mattel
Shorts - Mattel
Shoes - Momoko
Bag - Mattel - Harley Davidson
Hat - Clear-Lan
Jewelry - OOAK
This is the second of three minks that swam up to the shore within 10 minutes during low tide. I was standing on a dock above them and each time they'd hear the camera clicking and would turn around, trying to figure out where the sound came from.
This is a shot my wife Sammy took of me on a hot, humid July day in 1992 after I had finished scything a section of a field that the tractor mower couldn't get to on her parents' farm in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts. I loved working with that scythe, and I still have it displayed next to our fire place.
HSS
Mittens is looking for someone to come play hockey with her. Pisa and a neighbour came by but they forgot to bring their skates so she scolded them and chased them away. She really takes hockey seriously.....a good Canadian!.
The big blizzard was not so bad where I live..at least my neighbourhood didn't seem to get the biggest winds and we only had about a foot of snow.
No invites please..this new flickr page is still confusing me
A sunset is better when there are clouds.
Una puesta de sol es más bella cuando hay nubes.
(my mother used to say)
Primero la música, deliciosa, de la gran Rosa Passos, Retrato en branco e preto: youtu.be/kLC6fFfMF1c, si os gusta, no dejéis de escuchar su álbum Amorosa, con delicatessen como Bésame mucho y otras...
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Una puesta de sol es más bella cuando hay nubes. Mi madre siempre me repetía esta frase cuando nos coincidía contemplar una puesta como esta, de esas que te ponen la piel de gallina y emocionan hasta la médula. Lo decía con esa mirada al horizonte, entre perdida y visionaria, con esa luz y esa calma que la caracterizaba a partes iguales. Seguro que en esta escena se encontraba Tom, nuestro perro, a sus pies, aparentemente dormido, pero con un ojo entreabierto, sintiéndose en la obligación de velar por su ama, atento, por otro lado, por si mencionaba esa palabra mágica: playiña, que lo haría saltar de un brinco y abrir los ojos como platos, en lo que equivalía a una sonrisa amplia de los humanos.
Es curioso cómo se recuerdan estos momentos; cómo se recuerdan estas enseñanzas de vida de los que tanto has aprendido. No las órdenes que te imponían por obligación, en lo que se supone que un padre debe decir a un hijo por su bien o en pro de su futuro. Y sin embargo, lo que ahora queda, lo que en tu memoria perdura como grabado a fuego, son esas pasiones, esas emociones compartidas y a las que a cierta edad de tu vida te aferras como el único vínculo que te une a esas personas que ya no están, y a las que tanto añoras. Que te unen a lo que, visto lo visto, consideras importante y verdadero en tu vida.
No sabrías de física o química, de trigonometría o biología, pero tenías una inteligencia especial para lo que, tras todos estos años, considero realmente importante en la vida, en la esencia de la misma. Tú me enseñaste a amar todas estas pequeñas cosas que, en aquellos momentos me resultaban intrascendentales, pero que, ahora, al contemplar una puesta de sol así, doy su verdadera importancia y sentido. Como siempre tan inteligente para la vida, tenías razón, y esas nubes negras, que a veces nos acompañan en el horizonte… esas nubes hacen, si cabe, más bella una puesta de sol como esta, que tanto me hubiese gustado volver a compartir a tu vera.
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"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
...Another submission to the "Mi-Fi" microscale LEGO contest:
www.thelivingbrick.com/2012/05/meeza-thinks-weeza-gonna-b...
Petra is, of course, known for its spectacular landscape and unusually well-preserved architecture of an ancient Nabataean city (that has yet to be completely excavated). I must have taken hundreds of shots of Ad Deir, al-Khazneh, and al-Siq, some of which I'll share later.
Maybe it's just me that didn't know this before going there, but Petra also has a ton of beautiful crevices that serve as stages for unique portrait shots (as hopefully illustrated here).
My personal suggestion if anyone visits (after COVID, of course) is not to visit Jordan - and especially Petra - as part of a large tour. Arrange for a private tour around the country, and reserve at least one day's worth of free time to explore around Petra. I really hope that I can be back to discover more in the near future.
(@ Petra, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan)
Rainton Meadows is a nature reserve, created some years ago after the site was previously an opencast coal mine. It is also the location of the main offices of the Durham Wildlife Trust, which despite its name, is not just confined to the boundaries of County Durham.
There are a number of different habitats across the site, including stretches of open water, popular with birdwatchers.
Available in : Slink, Maitreya, Vista, Omega
inworld: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cherry%20Isle/163/134/2434
Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/219967
Cefalù is a little and charming town on the North tip of Sicily, about 70 kilometres from Palermo. The town got a high touristic relevance only in these recent years, due to a its charming landscape and architectural style. The town lies on a rock cliff overhanging the Tyrrhenian sea, while the surface of the sea level is surrounded by a sandy and shining beach, included among the best beaches of Italy. For this reason, the town is also among the most visited places of Sicily, especially in the summer, where tourists coming from the rest of Italy and the world crowd its hotels, bars and restaurants. The most important touristic attractions of Cefalù are the beach, the village hanged on a towering rocky cliff and its monuments, such as churches, temple ruins and the cathedral. Indeed, for these monuments, the town is regarded as an important destination to visit along with Palermo and Monreale. The monuments of Cefalù also hide an ominous secret. In 1920, indeed, this town was the home of an occultist who built his abbey near the cemetery. For its stunning beauty, in 2015 Cefalù was included by Unesco in the list of the world heritages and in the list of the best hamlets of Italy. The landscape of the town is also included in the famous Parco dei Nebrodi, where tourists can also admire the most spectacular mountains of Sicily.
This one is for the GOLDEN BEARS of the University of California, who beat Stanford at Big Game this weekend 34-28! GREAT game.
The Campanile, or Sather Tower, is the symbol of the University of California, often called the world's best public university. The tower stands 307 feet tall and houses 61 bells which are rung three times daily by a carillon choir. It was originally built in 1914.
This is a shot I've been planning since I moved to Berkeley this summer. The University had been repairing the scaffolded Campanile all fall, and it was finally unveiled last week.
Go Bears! Go Cal!
Canon 5D, Canon 100-400L, f/13, 6s, ISO 50. Two exposure blend to retain the detail in the water and the color in the sky.
See more at:
This message is brought to you by Victoria's Secret! We wish all of you will have a very Happy Holiday! May be even in "Victoria's Secret" style?! Heheeee...... ^_*
Ok, VS/joking aside, the D7000 is certainly one of the best, if not, the best high ISO performance crop sensor camera in the market at the moment! This photo was taken @ ISO1600, no flash, noise reduction using Nikon's CaptureNX2 when processing from RAW, then apply another noise reduction one more time using Photoshop Element 8 before resizing & a slight amount of unsharp mask for web use.
I took a few photos back in Halloween @ ISO3200/6400, they are still perfectly fine for web usage, may be even for small prints too! (yeah, those are even more impressive give it's high ISO, I could post up some sample if you are interested)
Honestly, I don't think one could get much better than what the D7000 would offer @ high ISO unless you jump into the full frame world.
Nikon D7000
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G
If you like my photos, hope you'll LIKE my Facebook page too.
I swear IT IS'NT A PHOTOSHOP FAKE. No es un fotomontaje.
El futuro en sus manos
Feel free to contact me on "facebook"
LIGHTING: hot-shoe flash (1/4) with handmade softbox 30x30cm 90 grades left. Hot-shoe flash (1/4) whit handmade honeycomb 45 grades right directed to bulb.
ILUMINACIÓN: flash portátil (1/4) con softbox casero de 30x30 cm 90º a la izquierda. Flash portátil (1/4) 45º a la derecha con panal casero dirigido a la bombilla.
Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the Into the Subway! MOC for the contest I spoke about. I made this to go along with it. Making it was the easy part, but to get the lighting effect was not easy, but I got it. I think I captured the dark subway feel.
Anyway enjoy!
The Dresden Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. An earlier church building was Catholic until it became Protestant during the Reformation.
The old church was replaced in the 18th century by a larger Baroque Lutheran building. It is considered an outstanding example of Protestant sacred architecture, featuring one of the largest domes in Europe. It was originally built as a sign of the will of the citizens of Dresden to remain Protestant after their ruler had converted to Catholicism. It now also serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.
Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden during World War II. The remaining ruins were left for 50 years as a war memorial, following decisions of local East German leaders. The church was rebuilt after the reunification of Germany, starting in 1994. The reconstruction of its exterior was completed in 2004, and the interior in 2005. The church was reconsecrated on 30 October 2005 with festive services lasting through the Protestant observance of Reformation Day on 31 October. The surrounding Neumarkt square with its many valuable baroque buildings was also reconstructed in 2004.
The Frauenkirche is often called a cathedral, but it is not the seat of a bishop; the church of the Landesbischof of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony is the Church of the Cross. Once a month, an Anglican Evensong is held in English, by clergy from St. George's Anglican Church, Berlin.
A church dedicated to 'Our Lady' (Kirche zu unser Liebfrauen) was first built in the 11th century in a Romanesque style, outside the city walls and surrounded by a graveyard. The Frauenkirche was the seat of an archpriest in the Meissen Diocese until the Reformation, when it became a Protestant church. This first Frauenkirche was torn down in 1727 and replaced by a new, larger church with a greater capacity. The Frauenkirche was re-built as a Lutheran (Protestant) parish church by the citizenry. Even though Saxony's Prince-elector, Frederick August I, had converted to Catholicism to become King of Poland, he supported the construction which not only gave an impressive cupola to the Dresden townscape but also reassured the Saxonians that their ruler was not going to force the principle cuius regio, eius religio upon them.
The original Baroque church was built between 1726 and 1743, and was designed by Dresden's city architect, George Bähr, who did not live to see the completion of his greatest work. Bähr's distinctive design for the church captured the new spirit of the Protestant liturgy by placing the altar, pulpit, and baptismal font directly centre in view of the entire congregation.
In 1736, famed organ maker Gottfried Silbermann built a three-manual, 43-stop instrument for the church. The organ was dedicated on 25 November and Johann Sebastian Bach gave a recital on the instrument on 1 December.
The church's most distinctive feature was its unconventional high dome, 96 metres high, called die Steinerne Glocke or "Stone Bell". An engineering feat comparable to Michelangelo's dome for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Frauenkirche's 12,000-ton sandstone dome stood high resting on eight slender supports. Despite initial doubts, the dome proved to be extremely stable. Witnesses in 1760 said that the dome had been hit by more than 100 cannonballs fired by the Prussian army led by Friedrich II during the Seven Years' War. The projectiles bounced off and the church survived.
The completed church gave the city of Dresden a distinctive silhouette, captured in famous paintings by Bernardo Bellotto, a nephew of the artist Canaletto (also known by the same name), and in Dresden by Moonlight (1839) by Norwegian painter Johan Christian Dahl.
In 1849, the church was at the heart of the revolutionary disturbances known as the May Uprising. It was surrounded by barricades, and fighting lasted for days before those rebels who had not already fled were rounded up in the church and arrested.
For more than 200 years, the bell-shaped dome stood over the skyline of old Dresden, dominating the city.
Burials include Heinrich Schütz and George Bähr.
On 13 February 1945, allied forces began the bombing of Dresden in World War II. The church withstood two days and nights of the attacks, and the eight interior sandstone pillars supporting the large dome held up long enough for the evacuation of 300 people who had sought shelter in the church crypt, before succumbing to the heat generated by some 650,000 incendiary bombs that were dropped on the city. The temperature surrounding and inside the church eventually reached 1,000 °C. The dome finally collapsed at 10 a.m. on 15 February. The pillars glowed bright red and exploded; the outer walls shattered and nearly 6,000 tons of stone plunged to earth, penetrating the massive floor as it fell.
The altar, a relief depiction of Jesus' Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives by Johann Christian Feige, was only partially damaged during the bombing raid and fire that destroyed the church. The altar and the structure behind it, the chancel, were among the remnants left standing. Features of most of the figures were lopped off by falling debris and the fragments lay under the rubble.
The building vanished from Dresden's skyline, and the blackened stones would lie in wait in a pile in the centre of the city for the next 45 years as Communist rule enveloped what was now East Germany. Shortly after the end of World War II, residents of Dresden had already begun salvaging unique stone fragments from the Church of Our Lady and numbering them for future use in reconstruction. Popular sentiment discouraged the authorities from clearing the ruins away to make a car park. In 1966, the remnants were officially declared a "memorial against war", and state-controlled commemorations were held there on the anniversaries of the destruction of Dresden.
In 1982, the ruins began to be the site of a peace movement combined with peaceful protests against the East German regime. On the anniversary of the bombing, 400 citizens of Dresden came to the ruins in silence with flowers and candles, part of a growing East German civil rights movement. By 1989, the number of protesters in Dresden, Leipzig, and other parts of East Germany had increased to tens of thousands. On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall "fell" and the inner German border dividing East and West Germany toppled. This opened the way to German reunification.
During the last months of World War II, residents expressed the desire to rebuild the church. However, due to political circumstances in East Germany, the reconstruction came to a halt. The heap of ruins was conserved as a war memorial within the inner city of Dresden, as a direct counterpart to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed by German bombing in 1940 and also serves as a war memorial in the United Kingdom. Because of the continuing decay of the ruins, Dresden leaders decided in 1985 (after the Semperoper was finally finished) to rebuild the Church of Our Lady after the completion of the reconstruction of the Dresden castle.
The reunification of Germany, brought new life to the reconstruction plans. In 1989, a 14-member group of enthusiasts headed by Ludwig Güttler, a noted Dresden musician, formed a Citizens' Initiative. From that group emerged a year later The Society to Promote the Reconstruction of the Church of Our Lady, which began an aggressive private fund-raising campaign. The organisation grew to over 5,000 members in Germany and 20 other countries. A string of German auxiliary groups were formed, and three promotional organisations were created abroad.
The project gathered momentum. As hundreds of architects, art historians and engineers sorted the thousands of stones, identifying and labeling each for reuse in the new structure, others worked to raise money. IBM provided a key element by contracting with RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in Research Triangle Park NC to create an interactive virtual reality representation of the Church. The VR drew donations large and small, helping to make the project possible.
Günter Blobel, a German-born American, saw the original Church of Our Lady as a boy when his refugee family took shelter in a town just outside Dresden days before the city was bombed. In 1994, he became the founder and president of the nonprofit "Friends of Dresden, Inc.", a United States organization dedicated to supporting the reconstruction, restoration, and preservation of Dresden's artistic and architectural legacy. In 1999, Blobel won the Nobel Prize for medicine and donated the entire amount of his award money (nearly US$1 million) to the organization for the restoration of Dresden, to the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche and the building of a new synagogue. It was the single largest individual donation to the project.
In Britain, the Dresden Trust has Prince Edward, Duke of Kent as its royal patron and the Bishop of Coventry among its curators. Dr. Paul Oestreicher, a canon emeritus of Coventry Cathedral and a founder of the Dresden Trust, wrote: "The church is to Dresden what St. Paul's is to London". (Referring to St. Paul's Cathedral.) Additional organizations include France's Association Frauenkirche Paris and Switzerland's Verein Schweizer Freunde der Frauenkirch.
Rebuilding the church cost €180 million. Dresdner Bank financed more than half of the reconstruction costs via a "donor certificates campaign", collecting almost €70 million after 1995. The bank itself contributed more than seven million Euros, including more than one million donated by its employees. Over the years, thousands of watches containing tiny fragments of Church of Our Lady stone were sold, as were specially printed medals. One sponsor raised nearly €2.3 million through symbolic sales of individual church stones.
Funds raised were turned over to the "Frauenkirche Foundation Dresden", with the reconstruction backed by the State of Saxony, the City of Dresden and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony.
The new golden tower cross was funded officially by "the British people and the House of Windsor". It was made by the British silversmith company Grant Macdonald of which the main craftsman on the project was Alan Smith whose father was one of the bomber pilots responsible for the destruction of the church.
Using original plans from builder Georg Bähr in the 1720s, the Dresden City Council decided to proceed with reconstruction in February 1992. A rubble-sorting ceremony started the event in January 1993 under the direction of church architect and engineer Eberhard Burger. The foundation stone was laid in 1994, and stabilized in 1995. The crypt was completed in 1996 and the inner cupola in 2000. Seven new bells were cast for the church and rang for the first time for the Pentecost celebration in 2003. The exterior was completed ahead of schedule in 2004 and the painted interior in 2005. The intensive efforts to rebuild this world-famous landmark were completed in 2005, one year earlier than originally planned, and in time for the 800-year anniversary of the city of Dresden in 2006.
The church was reconsecrated with a festive service one day before Reformation Day. The rebuilt church is a monument reminding people of its history and a symbol of hope and reconciliation.
As far as possible, the church – except for its dome – was rebuilt using original material and plans, with the help of modern technology. The heap of rubble was documented and carried off stone by stone. The approximate original position of each stone could be determined from its position in the heap. Every usable piece was measured and catalogued. A computer imaging program that could move the stones three-dimensionally around the screen in various configurations was used to help architects find where the original stones sat and how they fit together.
Of the millions of stones used in the rebuilding, more than 8,500 original stones were salvaged from the original church and approximately 3,800 reused in the reconstruction. As the older stones are covered with a darker patina, due to fire damage and weathering, the difference between old and new stones will be clearly visible for many years after reconstruction.
Two thousand pieces of the original altar were cleaned and incorporated into the new structure.
The builders relied on thousands of old photographs, memories of worshippers and church officials, and crumbling old purchase orders detailing the quality of the mortar or pigments of the paint (as in the 18th century, copious quantities of eggs were used to make the color that provides the interior with its almost luminescent glow).
When it came time to duplicate the oak doors of the entrance, the builders had only vague descriptions of the detailed carving. Because people (especially wedding parties) often posed for photos outside the church doors, they issued an appeal for old photographs and the response – which included entire wedding albums – allowed artisans to recreate the original doors.
The new gilded orb and cross on top of the dome was forged by Grant Macdonald Silversmiths in London using the original 18th-century techniques as much as possible. It was constructed by Alan Smith, a British goldsmith from London whose father, Frank, was a member of one of the aircrews who took part in the bombing of Dresden.[8] Before travelling to Dresden, the cross was exhibited for five years in churches across the United Kingdom including Coventry Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and St Paul's Cathedral in London. In February 2000, the cross was ceremonially handed over by The Duke of Kent, to be placed on the top of the dome a few days after the 60th commemoration of D-Day on 22 June 2004. The external structure of the Frauenkirche was completed. For the first time since the last war, the completed dome and its gilded cross grace Dresden's skyline as in centuries prior. The cross that once topped the dome, now twisted and charred, stands to the right of the new altar.
Builders decided not to reproduce the 1736 Gottfried Silbermann organ, despite the fact that the original design papers, description, and details exist, giving rise to the Dresden organ dispute ("Dresdner Orgelstreit"). When installed, the Silbermann organ had three manuals with 43 ranks and over the years had been remodeled and expanded to five manuals with 80 ranks. Daniel Kern of Strasbourg, Alsace, completed a 4,873 pipe organ for the structure in April 2005 and it was inaugurated in October of that year. The Kern organ contains all the stops which were in the Silbermann organ and attempts to recreate their sounds. The Kern work contains 68 stops and a fourth swell manual in the symphonic 19th century style which is apt for the organ literature composed after the baroque period.
A bronze statue of reformer and theologian Martin Luther, which survived the bombings, has been restored and again stands in front of the church. It is the work of sculptor Adolf von Donndorf from 1885.
There are two devotional services every day and two liturgies every Sunday. Since October 2005, there has been an exhibition on the history and reconstruction of the Frauenkirche at the Stadtmuseum (City Museum) in Dresden's Alten Landhaus.
Helio is an immigrant from Mozambique living in Barcelona. He's a drummer and healer, who believes in the healing power of stones and works as a waiter.
I stopped him and we had a quick chat before the rain made take shelter in the closest subway station. During this 5 minute talk showed me some of his works as musician. He also told me that he collaborates with some ONGs and they're building a school in his home country.
This portrait is #3 of my 100 Strangers Flickr Project
E43116 is the rear power car of a HST set which has arrived at York, 7th February 1981.
Locomotive History
43116 was built at Crewe works and entered service (as part of set 254031) in March 1979. It was one of a batch of sixty six power cars built to power the thirty two, eight car HST sets for Eastern Region services. It has remained on these Eastern Region duties (currently operated by East Coast) since it entered service. It was admitted to the Brush works, Loughborough in August 2007 to be “re-engineered” and has had its original Paxman Valenta engine replaced by a MTU unit. It re-entered service on the East Coast Main Line in October 2007 and renumbered 43316.
With the end of East Coast Main Line HST services in mid December 2019 it has re-entered service with East Midlands Railways in May 2020.
Withdrawn in April 2021 it was exported to Mexico in February 2024 for further use.
Canon AT1, Kodachrome 64
Art of war is defeat your enemy without fighting...
L'art de la guerre, c'est de soumettre l'ennemi sans combat...
Sun Tzu
Listening : The Partisan by Leonard Cohen
This composition use free capture in royalties free from Stock.xchng
Remember our past change our future my friends...
Best Regards
Today is Sunday, cloudy with a little rain,temperature is about 10℃ to 18℃, a boring temperature. I keep on my ordinary but still content holiday living. Biking in this morning, listen to the music in the afternoon and pizza for dinner this night. This is all my Sunday.
I stand before my bedroom window, looking far away in the sky and thinking about one thing, a thing I never understand. I have ever heard from a wise man that say, ''Nothing venture, nothing have''. But every time when I take a venture in stock market, why I always lose to only my inner pant left!
Have a nice weekend my friend. Hop you all win.