View allAll Photos Tagged OF
IN the city of Ballarat by the end of September, nearly a 1000 miners were digging for gold on the Ballarat field - By 1853, there were more than 20,000 miners of many nationalities working on the field.
In that same year, 10,000,000 grams of gold were transported under police escort to the Melbourne Treasury. Probably as much again was never recorded but sold secretly and illegally. Over the next four (4) years, more than 77,700,000 grams reached Melbourne under escort. On June 10th 1858, the great Welcome Nugget was found. It weighed 68,956 grams and contained an estimated 68,272 grams of pure gold.
Ballarat's last mine closed down in 1918. The total recorded yield from the Ballarat Goldfield amounted to 20,592,000 Troy ounces (Ballarat Historical Society Publication No. 1) and based on a gold price of $A500 per ounce the total value would be around $10,000,000,000. A remarkable figure when it is realised that a large amount of the gold discovered in the district was never recorded.
Ballarat was the scene of Australia's most famous civic insurrection. On 3 December 1854 at Eureka, miners clashed with police and detachments of the 12th and 40th regiments. In all, 28 men were killed and a large number wounded.
Ballarat was proclaimed a township in 1852, created a municipality in 1855, a borough in 1863, and was proclaimed a City on 9 September 1870.
Note: 31.1034 grams = 1 ounce
1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams
The constant battle of the photographer and the waves. Trying to catch just the right motions, without getting wet, is really just foolish. I think if I had any advice for a new seascape photographer, it would be, expect to get wet, use a ten stop filter, and just play with different shutter speeds until you're consistently getting something that you like, and don't get your $5,000 camera wet with sea water. Because salt water and electronics ... well they just don't mix. I was shooting an XT1 next to a rock once in San Diego and took the equivalent of a bucket of sea water on the camera. It still worked fine, weather sealed, but over time things began sticking. Doesn't matter the camera, sea water is eventual death. It will also probably kill your tripod. The price we pay I suppose.
I like this shot because I was alone this night. No one else there. Such a beautiful place, and wonderful soft light to be alone. I fully expected the usual hordes. No one. Not sure why, don't care, it was relaxing to not have to worry about being in anyone's way and not have to stake out my spot. I think I love freedom in general, so when expecting to be bogged down, it's nice to have wings and be able to flutter a bit.
In the heart of Verona, where ancient stones whisper tales of love and tragedy, a man named Luca strummed his weathered guitar. Seated in his wheelchair, he played beneath an archway near the Arena, his music a bittersweet contrast to the hurried footsteps of tourists.
Luca had learned long ago that even the simplest things could be stolen. He secured his few belongings with a chain, a silent barrier against those who saw his misfortune as an easy opportunity. The first time someone had tried to take it, he had fought back, his voice louder than the thief’s greed. But he had learned—music could soothe a heart, but it could not protect an instrument.
And so, as the sun cast golden light upon Verona’s cobblestones, Luca played on. His guitar, though bound in chains, sang with the freedom of a soul that refused to be silenced.
00334257w
I'm just north of Snohomish
I have only seen this bird like 4 times in the last 3 months and he has always eluded me because he is spooky as hell, tonight I was sitting on the couch an spotted him on my suet feeder, didn't want to risk opening the door like I tried in the past which didn't work so shot him through the window and after getting a few shots I tried to open the door but he took off before it was even cracked open.
The first couple times I spotted him it was almost dark out and he looked like a bird that got into some sort of paint or chemical like creosote but the 3rd time it was late morning and got a better look at him and could see his white feathers were unaffected so I figured it was a case of leucism, that is what I am guessing it is.
Do Not copy or use this image in any way without my explicit written permission.
All rights reserved G. R. Hensen
Luckily the sun rises at a reasonable time these days, that and the convenience of having this tree only two miles from where I live meant only a short but hazardous journey in wellies to capture this cracking dead tree...
Please stop by and view my website and blog....
comments and feedback are most welcome..
In honor of winter I thought I’d put up another from Abraham Lake taken nearly a year ago on a trip up to Canada with Alan and David. This evening was an eventful shoot at the Belly of Abraham Lake with storm like conditions raging over the mountains. It was blistering cold and wickedly windy on the lake surface but the dramatic light made it worthy to be out.
These bubbles are a bit different from my previous posts as these are deeper below as if they are trying but unable to reach the surface. In the background is Mt Abraham with soft evening light and wispy clouds dithering off the summit. Hope you all stay warm for the remainder of winter.
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
The calmly flowing waters of a swollen Kickapoo Creek gently touch the concrete footings currently supporting the passage of this heavy, 131-car, southbound Union Pacific coal drag as its two, lead, AC six-axles ride their dynamic brakes, coasting downhill across a combination deck plate and lattice through truss bridge along the former C&NW "SI Line" outside Bartonville on a gloomy July morning. This train of loaded aluminum BethGons -- symbol CNAPW 14 -- are topped out with over 18,000 tons of Wyoming's finest black diamonds; Filled at Peabody's North Antelope Mine in the state's rich Powder River Basin, these hoppers have only a few short miles left to travel before reaching their destination at NRG Energy's Powerton Generating Station, near Pekin. The train will soon cross the Illinois River drawbridge and immediately make a right turn onto the IMRR and down into Crescent Yard for interchange where they'll tie down and the loads will wait for an Illinois & Midland crew to spot the cars at the plant for final dumping. Slated for decommission come the end of 2028 due to the country's relentless insistence on "cleaner" energy alternatives, Powerton is the sole remaining, actively burning coal-fired power plant to still remain standing in the greater Peoria area, outliving the facilities at Havana, Hennepin and Canton's Duck Creek (2019), and eventually the E.D. Edwards Station at Bartonville (2022). Once closed, it'll be another major hit in activity levels for a route that is already down in traffic. Twice weekly scheduled manifest service between Peoria and Clinton, IA, as needed coal, grain and ethanol unit traffic, and seasonal ballast trains are pretty much the bulk of what traverses this line.
For southbounds, this is the final, and most dramatic, crossing atop a snaky Kickapoo Creek which twists and turns beneath the rails of the Peoria Subdivision in six different locations within just about a short, two mile stretch of track. Just about a half mile back from this bridge, the train is still working through the CTC controlled interlocking at "Peoria JCT" where the Peoria Sub main to South Pekin splits from UP's "Low Line," which routes trains for Peoria area interchange into and out of their small Adams St. Yard just a short distance away on the city's southwest side. The single-tracked Peoria Subdivision, which runs south out of Nelson away from the busy Geneva Sub, uses a combination of CTC, TWC and ABS infrastructure to route what little traffic runs down this line and is also the only class 1 of four that has a "through route" through the city. A line that does not get much attention from photographers, an older "winged" EMD SD70ACe on the point of a well timed coal load just was enough for me to grab the camera and quickly pick it off at this very seldom shot location.
I sure could do without that walkway.
The hidden gem of a waterfall, Gljúfrabúi(Canyon dweller) that is right next to the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall. To get to this one you have to wade through a small river and then you are greeted with the worst spray you'll ever encounter to get a photo, my camera was that soaked you would've thought someone had thrown a bucket of water over it and I had to constantly wipe the lens - hence this is the best of a soaked selfie bunch and 10 seconds to get up on that rock and to stand still getting a shower, so there is movement from me and a few wet spots.
If you like my work and are on facebook, then please feel free to like/share my page.
www.facebook.com/SteveClasperPhotography
Thanks for looking.
All images are © Steve Clasper Photography, 2015 - All Rights Reserved.
Of course we have been taught to never judge a book by it's cover, but we still tend to read the cover of each other with out reading the full story. Someone is always looking (reading you),may never speak but always have a wondering eye, trying to figure out what isn't seen. So why not give them something magnificent to look at? (LOOK DETAILS HERE: letmeupgradecha.blogspot.com/2014/08/thunder.html.)
PHOTOGRAPHER AND MODEL: MYSELF
This is the nebula rich region in the constellation of Monoceros the Unicorn with the dark Cone Nebula (left of centre) and the small V-shaped and bright Hubble’s Variable Nebula at bottom, a reflection nebula that varies in form and brightness. Above the Cone Nebula is the triangular Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC 2264, here upside down as the bright blue star 15 Mon is the base of the tree. The large region of nebulosity is Sharpless 2-273. The V-shaped dark nebula above centre is LDN 1603.
Near 15 Mon is a blue reflection nebula. Another blue reflection nebula IC 2169 and associated star cluster Collinder 95 is at left — I framed the field to contain this nebula. Other bits of reflection nebulosity surround it - clockwise: NGC 2245, NGC 2247 and IC 446 above the main nebula. The rich faint cluster near centre is Trumpler 5.
This is a blend of 8 x 5-minute exposures at ISO 800 unfiltered with 6 x 8-minute exposures at ISO 1600 shot through an Optolong L-Enhance dual-band nebula enhancement filter (it lets through only Oxygen III blue-green and Hydrogen-alpha red to really enhance the nebulosity). All exposures with the Canon EOS Ra mirrorless camera through the SharpStar HNT150 Hyperbolic Newtonian Astrograph at f/2.8, from home on a very clear moonless night January 26, 2020. All stacked, aligned and blended in Photoshop 2020.
Ornamental Pond,full of colour Armadale Castle Gardens, the bronze otter sculpture is by Laurence Broderick.
Thank you for all your comments and visits
© Ralph Stewart 2015
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
'Bowl of Beauty' Peony is famous for its huge, hot-pink outer petals that surround a soft and frilly ivory-yellow center, with each bloom measuring up to 10" across. One of the most attractive peonies available,
The world's third favorite flower after roses and orchids...maybe tied with tulips.
Some of you may need a bit warmth and color.
So here it is.
HFF to you, dear Flilckr-Friends.
Thank you for your visits, faves and comments.
Tampa (/ˈtæmpə/) is a major city in, and the county seat of, Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is located on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay, near the Gulf of Mexico, and is the largest city in the Tampa Bay Area. The city had a population of 335,709 at the 2010 census, and an estimated population of 369,075 in 2015.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the shores of Tampa Bay were inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Safety Harbor culture developed in the area around the year 1000 AD, and the descendant Tocobaga and Pohoy chiefdoms were living in or near the current city limits of Tampa when the area was first visited by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Interactions between native peoples and the Spanish were brief and often violent, and although the newcomers did not stay for long, they introduced European diseases which brought the total collapse of native societies across the entire Florida peninsula over the ensuing decades. Although Spain claimed all of Florida and beyond as part of New Spain, it did not found a colony on the west coast. After the disappearance of the indigenous populations, there were no permanent settlements in the Tampa Bay area until after the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821.
In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of today's Tampa Convention Center downtown. The first civilian residents were pioneer ranchers and farmers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population. The town grew slowly, and had become a minor shipping port for cattle and citrus by the time of the United States Civil War. Tampa Bay was blockaded by the United States Navy during the war, and Tampa fell into a long period of economic stagnation that continued long after the war ended. The situation finally improved in the 1880s, when the first railroad links, the discovery of phosphate, and the arrival of the cigar industry jump-started its development, helping Tampa to grow from an isolated village with less than 800 residents in 1880 to a bustling city of over 30,000 by the early 1900s.
Today, Tampa is part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the "Tampa Bay Area". For U.S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.9 million residents,making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States, behind Miami, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U.S. Census data showed an average annual growth of 2.47 percent, or a gain of approximately 97,000 residents per year. Between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Tampa Bay Market experienced a combined growth rate of 14.8 percent, growing from 3.4 million to 3.9 million and hitting the 4 million population mark on April 1, 2007.[13] A 2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people and a 2017 projection of 4,536,854 people.
Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes in 2008.[15] Tampa also ranks as the fifth most popular American city, based on where people want to live, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study.[16] A 2004 survey by the New York University newspaper Washington Square News ranked Tampa as a top city for "twenty-somethings." Tampa is ranked as a "Gamma+" world city by Loughborough University, ranked alongside other world cities such as Phoenix, Charlotte, Rotterdam, and Santo Domingo.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
Statute of Liberty / colour solarization. The Statute of Liberty, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island are managed by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
End of my RGB triptych.
Strobist info -
Bottle and glass over black acrylic sheet. Contents of the bottle are bubble bath with added green food colouring. Bottle held in the air by Irish leprechaun magic.
Metz 48af-1 firing into tracing paper background on 1/4 power with a green gel. Biscuit cooling grid held in front of flash to produce waves on the surface.
The coast of California is truly a treasure. If you haven't taken a stretch of Highway 1, I would highly recommend it. I insisted on stopping at Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park to see this idyllic waterfall. We didn't stay for sunset because we wanted to get to our hotel before dark.
About McWay Falls: McWay Falls is an 80 foot waterfall located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park that flows year-round. Like Alamere Falls, this waterfall is one of only two in the region that are close enough to the ocean to be referred to as "tidefalls". It is located on McWay Creek.
Although it can be viewed via a trail from above, the beach and scenic cove below is difficult to access by land, however, it could be easily reached by boat. Even with this possibility, it is not recommended that people visit the beach as a safety precaution due to crumbling cliffs and environmental reasons.
Lake of Toblino
A fairytale landscape that is found in Trentino (Italy), this small alpine lake at the bottom of the valley and its surrounding area have been declared a biotope for both botanical and ethical naturalistic interests, and is protected as such by the Autonomous Province of Trento. It is located at an altitude of 245 meters s.l.m., and occupies the terminal part of the Valle dei Laghi, not far from Trento and the inhabited areas of Padergnone, Sarche, Vezzano and Calavino. It really deserves to be seen and photographed.
Another snapshot of last weekends windy photo walk which turned out to look really nice after a bit of processing. I'm just so in love with autumn and all it's colors :) I hope you like it!
Jesus Christ (on the left an icon made fairly recently by Taliadorou Kalliopi, Nicosia/Cyprus) being the Son of God did not come as a surprise to the Greeks and Romans. The gods used to have sons and daughters who were then gods in their own right such as, on the right, Hermes, the son of Zeus. Some say that this Hellenistic-Roman religious tradition is responsible for the deification of the Son of Man (Jesus) - something neither Jews nor Muslims would accept. What did come as a surprise to the ancient world was that Christ the God would offer men and women immortality. One LED daylight lamp and three LED spotlights in a dark room. Processed in Fujifilm's raw converter and macOS High Sierra photo editor.
the sand was damp from the morning tide, and the air hung heavy with the scent of salt and seaweed. he leaned forward, bracing himself against the world, his eyes locked on the horizon, as if searching for something just out of reach. the sunday quiet of santa ponça was broken only by the occasional cry of a gull. the beach, normally alive with sun and laughter, was still and waiting. behind him, the sea whispered its endless stories. the kind of stories he carried on his shoulders, each ripple a reminder of something lost, something found.
One of the beautiful blue and green hydrangeas at Filoli.
Wishing everyone a great weekend. Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all.
© Melissa Post 2015
All rights reserved. Please respect my copyright and do not copy, modify or download this image to blogs or other websites without obtaining my explicit written permission.
Season of Touit - picture 13
Week 39 - Wednesday
Today's picture is something that was already shot some time ago. And it was actually taken by Sari, Aura's mother, while me and Aura were playing in the lake. One of my favorites of this summer for sure. There are two reasons why I wanted to include this picture in to 'Season of Touit'. First of all it's a good example how nice the Touit 2.8/50M can be shooting in standard range. Even though it is labeled as a macro lens, many times it works very nicely in standard photography too. The second reason is that the picture also exemplifies the optical quality of this lens: taken straight into sun the Touit 2.8/50M delivers very good colors but also almost non-existent chromatic aberrations. With a SEL50F18 the lake and it's reflections would have screamed of purple and green edges. I understand that it is relatively easy to get rid of it in Lightroom for example, but it doesn't substitute real optical excellence (no corrections done for this picture). The Touit 2.8/50M having a very little chromatic aberrations, almost apochromatic by its nature, means of course better edge contrast and color accuracy.
But what about the compromises regarding the Touit 2.8/50M? As I've already dealt with the Touit 2.8/12 and I didn't found much that would compromise it, I feel I should also write about the compromises regarding the Touit 2.8/50M. Being a makro-planar design the Touit 2.8/50M is very versatile lens that does macro and standard photography very well. However, this versatility comes with couple of compromises which are good to know if you planning to get it for your Sony Alpha system. First of all being able to focus at both macro and standard range means that the focusing system needs to move quite a bit inside the lens barrel. While this doesn't bother much in good light, it makes the Touit 2.8/50M very slow to focus in dim light. If the camera doesn't find the focus immediately it usually moves through the whole focus range and it takes time. For me this is a limitation of this lens that needs to be considered when using it. Another characteristic of the Touit 2.8/50M, which could be seen as a compromise, is the bokeh it delivers. When working in the macro range, the bokeh is superb and there is no question about it. However, in standard ranges it might sometimes turn out to be a bit nervous, depending how far the background is and its characteristics. Don't get me wrong, the Touit 2.8/50M can certainly deliver a nice bokeh in standard use too and I've used it with good results. But if it would be my only option for shallow depth of field pictures, I would certainly crave for more. Part of this relates to maximum aperture being 'only' f/2.8 , but from time to time there is also a bit of nervousness bokeh character.
Year of the Alpha – 52 Weeks of Sony Alpha Photography: www.yearofthealpha.com
The face of 2020 will haunt us for a long time to come. We were true to these times of fear and courage, despair and hope, helplessness and help. But above all it has been a time when we had nothing to prove but fidelity to the spirit of holding on. Kipling could not have been more proud.
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
As the priority of privileges goes, she and her family may be a long way from getting immunised. But then may be as nature’s priorities go, they may develop herd immunity sooner than science comes to their rescue.
I have seen several such faces, some of them I have shared on Flickr. I am thankful to you for showing support, encouragement and hope.
I have received heart warming responses to my rather scattered gallery of nature and birds and streets.
Fabulous work from Francesc Candel, www.flickr.com/photos/141453264@N07/, Pascal Reiemann, www.flickr.com/photos/95566715@N08/, Nancy Charlton , www.flickr.com/photos/32927502@N07/, has kept me inspired. If it was not for the generosity and kindness of @Leon Van Kemenade, @Jeanne @Paul Gallagher @RavenXXIII @Jean-Marc Depreux Raven, @Laszlo Bacs @James R. Page, @ Eduardo Vales, @robert moushi I would have been but a dull photographer. Your own work is so wonderful, I have learnt many a line and light from you.
With hope in my heart and a little mist in my eyes, my heart-felt thanks to all of you my dear Flickr friends for showing me how to hold on!
This fountain is in the vast garden of the Villa d'Este located in Tivoli and among other things is noted for its many many fountains; it is not to far from the Villa of Hadrian that was the subject of a couple earlier photos. This scene is only part of the fountain that is a tribute to ancient Rome. Rome is named after Romulus who murdered his twin brother Remus in a dispute over where and who the new city would be named for. The wolf is a symbol of Rome. There is more information below from Wikipedia.
The Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Villa was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (1509–1572), second son of Alfonso I d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara and grandson of Pope Alexander VI through his mother Lucrezia Borgia. The Este family had been lords of Ferrara since 1393.
In this photo is a large statue of Rome Victorious, made in 1568 by the Flemish sculptor Pierre de la Motte, Another statue by the same artist, The She Wolf Nurses Her Twins, was placed in the garden in 1611.
In ancient Roman religion, Roma was a female deity who personified the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state. She was created and promoted to represent and propagate certain of Rome's ideas about itself, and to justify its rule. Her "Amazonian" iconography shows her "manly virtue" (virtus) as fierce mother of a warrior race, augmenting rather than replacing local goddesses. Roma's official cult served to advance the propagandist message of Imperial Rome. In Roman art and coinage, she is usually depicted in military form, with helmet and weapons.
In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of a she-wolf suckling the twins in their infancy has been a symbol of the city of Rome and the ancient Romans since at least the 3rd century BC. Although the tale takes place before the founding of Rome around 750 BC, the earliest known written account of the myth is from the late 3rd century BC. Romulus and Remus were born in Alba Longa, near the future site of Rome. Their mother, Rhea Silvia, was a vestal virgin. In some sources, their father, the god Mars, visited her in a sacred grove dedicated to him.
King Amulius ordered them to be killed and they were abandoned on the bank of the river Tiber to die. They were saved by the god Tiberinus, Father of the River, In the most well-known episode, the twins were suckled by a she-wolf, in a cave now known as the Lupercal. Eventually, they were adopted by Faustulus, a shepherd. They grew up tending flocks. [Wikipedia]
The Mirror of Erised is a magical mirror that is kept within the Hogwarts castle and shows the most desperate desire of a person's heart, a vision that has been known to drive men mad. In 1992, it was used to hide the Philosopher's Stone when Prof. Quirrell tried to steal it for the Dark Lord and was thwarted by young Harry Potter. This item is quite significant as it appears in both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. When Harry Potter looks into it, he sees himself with his deceased parents as shown in this scaled-down recreation. Personally, I see myself holding the grand prize for this contest. :)
This is my entry for the Hogwarts item category of the Magical Builds of the Wizarding World contest on Lego Ideas.
Alfa Romeo 4C Launch edition.
Follow My Instagram account: K.Moshe99
For others of my photos PLEASE click on the link:
"-----------------------"
Danilo Dolci: Verso un mondo nuovo
“----------------------”
-----------------------------------------------------------------
click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;
or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
……………………………………………………………………….
A story of Sicily: the Sicilian Gandhi (but he was not Sicilian ...).
This photographic story is connected, at least in part, with the previous one, whose link is represented by the nephew of the painter Robert Kitson, Miss Daphne Phelps: in life she was a psychiatric social worker (she collaborated with Anna Freud, daughter by Sigmund Freud), on the death of his uncle in 1948 he moved to Sicily to take care of Casa Cuseni, having inherited it: initially he wanted to sell it and then return to England, instead he ended up falling in love with Taormina and Sicily, deciding to stay there for the rest of his life. Daphne ran Casa Cuseni welcoming paying guests, there are many illustrious names of artists, writers, well-known personalities who have stayed there: Danilo Dolci was one of these guests, and it is precisely about him that I wish to speak. He was born in 1924 in Sesana (Trieste), after a somewhat eventful life, in 1952 he moved to Trappeto (between Palermo and Trapani), a country among the poorest and most disadvantaged in Italy: that same year the first of numerous fasts, going to bed and fasting in the bed of a child who died of malnutrition, a protest that will end only when the authorities undertake to build a sewer. Danilo Dolci continues with numerous initiatives, from the publication of a book ("Banditi a Partinico", which makes public opinion aware of the poor living conditions of western Sicily, to this book and many others will follow), to the "strike at reverses ”, when the workers went on strike, hundreds of unemployed began to work to reactivate an abandoned municipal road, an initiative that was then stopped by the police; Dolci also initiates an activity of denunciation of the mafia phenomenon and its relations with politics. There are numerous certificates of esteem and solidarity that he receives from important personalities from Italy and abroad, but despite this, for others Danilo Dolci is a dangerous subversive, to be hindered, denigrated, locked up in prison. Yet Dolci does not pose as a guru, boss, or teacher, his working method is based on the conviction that change is based on the involvement and direct participation of those concerned, his idea of progress enhances local culture and skills; he tries, working closely with the people and the most disadvantaged and oppressed groups of western Sicily, to free the dormant creativity in every person, calling this research "maieutic", a term coming from philosophy, precisely from Socratic maieutics: it is "the 'art of the midwife ", every educational act is to bring to light all the inner potentialities of the one who wants to learn, like a mother who wants to give birth to her own child from her womb, so no to notions imparted a priori, yes to help the student to bring their knowledge to light, using dialogue as a tool; however, Socratic maieutics is unidirectional, while in Danilo Dolci's "reciprocal maieutics", knowledge comes out of experience and its sharing, therefore it presupposes the reciprocity of communication. During meetings with farmers and fishermen, the idea was born to build the dam on the Jato River, which is important for the economic development of the area, but also to remove a powerful weapon in the hands of the mafia, an instrument of power which controlled the few available water resources; however the request for "water for all" will be heavily hindered, popular mobilizations and long fasts will be necessary to finally see the project realized: now the dam exists, and others have been built, thus modifying the lives of thousands of people, with the development of numerous companies and cooperatives. Among the many activities of Dolci, thanks to the contribution of international experts, the experience of the Mirto Educational Center, attended by hundreds of children, should be mentioned. Returning to Daphne Phelps and Casa Cuseni, here is a lithograph by Tono Zancanaro, dedicated to the birth of one of Danilo Dolci's daughters, but, among the most important, there is a correspondence between the pacifist philosopher Bertrand Russel and Daphne Phelps, in which the English thinker invited Robert Kitson's niece to participate in the gatherings of progressive intellectuals and literary and scientific personalities of the time, among them, besides Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Carlo Levi, there was Danilo Dolci, sociologist, educator, still recognized today as one of the most important figures of nonviolence worldwide.
post Scriptum:
- the images with Danilo Dolci come from the Casa Cuseni archive: they are cuttings from original periodicals, often full pages, from English newspapers, carefully preserved by Miss Daphne Phelp; these images were also taken by photographing some pages of James McNeish's book, "Fire under the ashes - The life of Danilo Dolci";
- the photographs taken in various countries of Sicily, are prior to the covid-19 pandemic;
- thanks to the surgeon colleague dr. Franco Spadaro and his kind wife, Mrs. Mimma Cundari, owners of Casa Cuseni (declared in 1998, Italian National Monument), for their hospitality and availability, having made the Danilo Dolci archive available to me.
Una storia di Sicilia: il Gandhi siciliano (ma siciliano non era…).
Questo racconto fotografico, è connesso, almeno in parte, con quello precedente, il cui anello di congiunzione è rappresentato dalla nipote del pittore Robert Kitson, la signorina Daphne Phelps: lei nella vita era una assistente sociale psichiatrica (lei collaborava con Anna Freud, figlia di Sigmund Freud), alla morte dello zio nel 1948 si trasferì in Sicilia per occuparsi di Casa Cuseni, avendola ereditata: inizialmente la voleva vendere per poi ritornarsene in Inghilterra, invece finì con l’innamorarsi di Taormina e della Sicilia, decidendo di restarvi per il resto della sua vita. Daphne gestiva Casa Cuseni accogliendo ospiti paganti, numerosi sono i nomi illustri di artisti, scrittori, note personalità che vi hanno alloggiato: Danilo Dolci è stato uno di questi ospiti, ed è proprio di lui che desidero parlare. Egli nasce nel 1924 a Sesana (Trieste), dopo una vita un po’ movimentata, nel 1952 si trasferisce a Trappeto (tra Palermo e Trapani), un paese tra i più poveri e disagiati d’Italia: quello stesso anno inizia il primo di numerosi digiuni, coricandosi e digiunando nel letto di un bimbo morto per denutrizione, protesta che terminerà solo quando le autorità si impegneranno a costruire una fogna. Danilo Dolci prosegue con numerose iniziative, dalla pubblicazione di un libro (“Banditi a Partinico”, che mette a conoscenza dell’opinione pubblica delle misere condizioni di vita della Sicilia occidentale, a questo libro poi ne seguiranno molti altri), allo “sciopero alla rovescia”, quando i lavoratori fecero sciopero, centinaia di disoccupati si misero a lavorare per riattivare una strada comunale abbandonata, iniziativa però poi fermata dalla polizia; Dolci avvia anche una attività di denuncia del fenomeno mafioso e dei suoi rapporti con la politica. Numerosi sono gli attestati di stima e solidarietà che egli riceve da importanti personalità provenienti dall’Italia e dall’estero, ma nonostante ciò per altri Danilo Dolci è un pericoloso sovversivo, da ostacolare, denigrare, chiudere in prigione. Eppure Dolci non si atteggia né a santone, capo, od un maestro, il suo metodo di lavoro è basato sulla convinzione che il cambiamento è basato sul coinvolgimento e diretta partecipazione degli interessati, la sua idea di progresso valorizza la cultura e le competenze locali; egli cerca, lavorando a stretto contatto con la gente e le fasce più disagiate ed oppresse della Sicilia occidentale, di liberare la creatività sopita in ogni persona, chiamando tale ricerca “maieutica”, termine proveniente dalla filosofia, precisamente dalla maieutica socratica: è “l’arte della levatrice”, ogni atto educativo è far venire alla luce tutte le potenzialità interiori di colui che vuole imparare, al pari di una madre che vuol far nascere la propria creatura dal suo grembo, quindi no a nozioni impartite a priori, si ad aiutare lo studente a portare alla luce la propria conoscenza, usando il dialogo come strumento; però, la maieutica socratica è unidirezionale, mentre nella “maieutica reciproca” di Danilo Dolci, la conoscenza viene fuori dall’esperienza e dalla sua condivisione, quindi presuppone la reciprocità della comunicazione. Nel corso di riunioni con contadini e pescatori, nasce l’idea di costruire la diga sul fiume Jato, importante per lo sviluppo economico della zona, ma anche togliere un’arma potente in mano alla mafia, che faceva del controllo delle poche risorse idriche disponibili uno strumento di potere, però la richiesta di “acqua per tutti” verrà pesantemente ostacolata, saranno necessarie le mobilitazioni popolari, lunghi digiuni, per vedere infine realizzato il progetto: ora la diga esiste, ed altre sono state poi realizzate, modificando in tal modo la vita di migliaia di persone, con lo svilupparsi di numerose aziende e cooperative. Da menzionare, tra le tante attività di Dolci, grazie al contributo di esperti internazionali, l’esperienza del Centro Educativo di Mirto, frequentato da centinaia di bambini. Ritornando a Daphne Phelps e Casa Cuseni, qui è presente una litografia di Tono Zancanaro, dedicata alla nascita di una delle figlie di Danilo Dolci, ma, cosa tra le più importanti, esiste un carteggio tra il filosofo pacifista Bertrand Russel e Daphne Phelps, nel quale il pensatore inglese invitava la nipote di Robert Kitson a partecipare ai raduni di intellettuali progressisti e personalità letterarie e scientifiche dell’epoca, tra di loro, oltre Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre e Carlo Levi, c’era Danilo Dolci, sociologo, educatore, ancora oggi riconosciuto tra le figure di massimo rilievo della nonviolenza a livello mondiale.
post scriptum:
- le immagini con Danilo Dolci provengono dall'archivio di Casa Cuseni: sono ritagli di giornali originali dell'epoca, spesso pagine intere, provenienti da quotidiani inglesi, accuratamente conservati dalla signorina Daphne Phelp; tali immagini sono state realizzate fotografando anche alcune pagine del libro di James McNeish, "Fire under the ashes - The life of Danilo Dolci";
- le fotografie realizzate in diversi paesi della Sicilia, sono antecedenti alla pandemia da covid-19;
- si ringrazia il collega chirurgo dott. Franco Spadaro e la sua gentile consorte, signora Mimma Cundari, proprietari di Casa Cuseni (dichiarata nel 1998, Monumento Nazionale Italiano), per la loro ospitalità e disponibilità, avendo messo a mia disposizione l'archivio relativo a Danilo Dolci.
Accordions of London, Kilburn London NW6.
Prevoius attempts to get an unobstructed shot of this shop were thwarted by parked cabs, but struck lucky when passing recently, although sadly some of the signage has been removed since i last visited the area.
A of L are still operating & have a website which says their staff are "accordionholics" !
They supply the complete range of instruments belonging to the accordion family.
The signage has nearly the complete range of London, post 1966 phone codes - 01, 071 & 0171, just the present version is missing.
depth of field enhanced the beauty of the flower. the flower seems like floating.
thanks for every one for views, faves, and comments.
Taken of the last sunrise of January earlier this past winter. It was a cold and humid morning, and for about two minutes the fog rose and thinly filled the air, giving this saturated, soft and painterly look. Thanks for looking!