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I had to get out of the house for a bit today, so after the first bit of rain came through I headed down towards the Lake Erie & Niagara River shoreline. The clouds were breaking for just about twenty minutes and constantly changing. I got one color image with my 75-200mm lens (200mm) and a B&W with the 24-120 (120mm). For my friends that aren't here in Buffalo, the silo looking building out on the water is the water intake for the Colonel Ward pumping station. The 1907 building takes in 125 million gallons of drinking water for Buffalo every day. Water rushes into the round brick and concrete building through grates and collects in a circular pool. The water drops 60 feet to a 12-foot diameter, mile-long concrete tunnel burrowed under the river bed. It ends up at the Col. Ward Pumping Station at the foot of Porter Avenue, where it is treated at the filtration plant and sent throughout the city. Atop the red roof is a guard light for passing ships. Around the exterior wall is a balcony embroidered by curving wrought iron. via 500px ift.tt/2hslUxi
" I promise to rain BIG TIME on you in 2 min.... "
Rainbows usually follow AFTER the rain, but on this early morning, it was BEFORE the rain - I was not totally prepared composition wise, so I planted and grabbed this shot before the rainbow faded. If you look in the top right corner, I think it's the start of a 2nd rainbow.
May luck find all of you today!
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taois. - wiki
This shot was taken at the Dallas Chinese Lantern Festival.
Moab, Yosemite,...Lake Jesup?!
Okay, okay...most folks don't think of central Florida as a prime landscape photography location...and usually they would be correct. But once a year millions of sunflowers bloom on the flats bordering Lake Jesup and for a couple weeks, Florida joins those illustrious locations as a top-tier shutterbug site.
I knew the sunflowers would be in bloom when I hiked out to the flats this week, but this incredible sunrise was a total surprise. It was one of those sunrises that folks were talking about around the water cooler the rest of the day. I was darned lucky to be there!
Check out my site for more shots from this location as well as helpful tips if you get a chance photograph this spectacle:
www.firefallphotography.com/flowers-flowers-annual-lake-j...
Thanks!
Jeff
PS: I believe these are Narrow leaf Sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius)...down here we call them “Swamp Sunflowers"...
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For many reasons, this is probably one of my most favorite shot that evening.
And silhouettes of churches are usually awesome. Try it if you haven't yet . . .
Allah Almighty has created this world as a beautiful place. And then our deeds and perceptions create a facade of their own in this globe. Ever wondered why lesser people that you meet around in this age inspires you nowadays? Everyone seems to be stuck in their own paradigm ... the care for larger greatness is decreasing gradually.
In this dearth .... I believe the flame in our own soul can lit the torch. I hope it does soon.
The blessed month of Ramadhan is coming ... its just around the corner now ... please do remember everyone around you in your prayers, your nation and your homeland too. May Allah be our guide always Inshah Allah.
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ps: I loved the way my name comes in *_*
pps: No Award comments Plz *_*
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I shoot Nikon, not because I feel it's better than any other brand but because it was on sale when I bought my first SLR camera and Nikon was a recognizable name :-). I wanted an SLR but I also know my tendencies where if it was too much of a challenge for me to figure out how to use the camera I know I'll just put it down and forget about it. Now 3 cameras past my first Nikon D60 camera and 8 lenses later I can say that "I AM NIKON"
Strobist Info:
Camera Settings: Nikon D3s with Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM, Aperture f/11, Shutter Speed 200, ISO 100
Flash Settings: Main Light - AlienBee 1600 at 1/8 power shot into a Westcott 28 inch softbox camera left. Fill Light - AlienBee 1600 with 10 degree grid 1/8 power camera right
Flash triggered remotely using PocketWizard MiniTT1 transmitter and FlextTT5 transceiver with AC3 Zone Controller
© Calvin James 2013
3026 disappears in the distance as it departs Cowra on another shuttle to Cowra West during Easter 1994
Dear friends of my whole world !
wishing you all "Happy Independence Day of my country"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Fifteenth of August" redirects here. For other uses, see August 15.
Independence Day of India
The national flag of India hoisted on the Red Fort in Delhi; hoisted flag is a common sight on public and private buildings on this national holiday.
Official nameIndependence Day of India
Observed by India
TypeNational holiday
Date15 August
CelebrationsFlag hoisting, parades, singing patriotic songs and the national anthem, flying kites,[1] speech by the Prime Minister
The Independence Day of India, celebrated on 15 August, is a holiday commemorating India's independence from the British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on 15 August 1947. India achieved independence following the Indian independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress. The independence coincided with the partition of India wherein the British Indian Empire was divided along religious lines into two new nations—Dominion of India (later Republic of India) and Dominion of Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan); the partition was stricken with violent communal riots.
The Independence Day is a national holiday in India. The flagship event takes place in Delhi where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort, followed by a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The day is observed all over India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. Citizens rejoice the day by displaying the national flag on their attire, household accessories, vehicles; varied activities such as kite flying, bonding with family and friends, and enjoying patriotic songs and films are seen.
Security concerns over militant attacks and sporadic calls for boycotting the celebration by separatist outfits occasionally limit the celebration in some places. Some organisations have carried out terrorist attacks on and around 15 August, and others have declared bandh and used black flags to boycott the celebration. Several books and films feature the independence and partition as pivotal events in their narrative.
The Lion of Saint Mark, representing the evangelist St Mark, pictured in the form of a winged lion is the symbol of the city of Venice and formerly of the Republic of Venice. It appears also in both merchant and military naval flags of the Italian Republic. The Lion of Saint Mark is also the symbol of the award of the Venice Film Festival, the "Golden Lion", and of the insurance company Assicurazioni Generali.
Other elements often included in depictions of the lion include a halo over his head, a book, and a sword in its paws.
Venetian tradition states that when St. Mark was traveling through Europe, he arrived at a lagoon in Venice, where an angel appeared to him and said "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum." (May Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist. Here your body will rest.) This (possibly apocryphal) tradition was used as justification by Rustico da Torcello and Bon da Malamocco in 828 for stealing the remains of St. Mark from his grave in Alexandria, and moving them to Venice, where they were eventually interred in the Basilica of St. Mark.
St Mark, represented as a lion, is a typical Christian iconography derived from the prophetic visions contained in the verse of the Apocalypse of St John 4:7. The lion is one of the four living creatures described in the book as a place around the throne of the Almighty and they are chosen as symbols of the four evangelists. These "beings" were previously described by the prophet Ezekiel.
"Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way."
The voice of the one who cries in the wilderness: "Prepare Ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." (Gospel according to Mark 1:1–3)
The lion also symbolizes the power of the Evangelist's word, the wings symbolize the spiritual elevation, while the halo is the traditional Christian symbol of holiness.
However, the lion symbols express also the significance of majesty and power (drawn especially from the upward feline tail), while the book expresses the concepts of wisdom and peace and the halo gives an image of religious piety.
There are many symbolic interpretations with the possible combination of sword and book:
An open book is a symbol of the state's sovereignty (many depictions are of doges kneeling before such representation);
A closed book, however, is considered as a symbol of a delegated sovereignty, and hence the public courts;
An open book (and the sword on the ground is not visible) is popularly considered as a symbol of peace for the state of Venice, but this is not corroborated by any historical source;
A closed book and a drawn sword are popular but mistakenly considered as a symbol of the state in war;
Finally, an open book and a sword are considered as a symbol of public justice.
However, these interpretations are not universally accepted as the Republic of Venice (La Serenissima) never codified its symbols. Rare, but are presented, are also depictions of the lion without a book or a sword and sometimes without the halo (especially in a representation of a statue).
In some depictions the lion rests his front paws on the ground, often in cities with rivers or in ones close to water, indicating the Venetian balanced power on land and sea
The Venetian lion appears in two distinct forms. One is as a winged animal resting on water, to symbolise dominance over the seas, holding St. Mark’s Gospel under a front paw. You can see these mighty animals all round the Mediterranean, usually on top of a classical stone column.
The other form is known as the lion “in moleca”, in the form of a crab. Here the lion is depicted full-faced with its wings circled around the head resembling the claws of a crustacean. It is emerging from water, so that the lion “in moleca” is associated with the lagoon and the city, whereas the standing winged lion is thought to be more associated with Venetian territory around the Mediterranean.
Photographed at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Elmwood Wisconsin
Miles of Tortuga
Miles, a wealthy pirate is born to sail the seas. He stole from the rich, lived with the poor,mans has quite the record with the British empire. Who just know was realizing the heists at which he had pulled. Miles a well known explorer has sailed the seas from tortuga to East Africa. On his own time if he isn't raiding a British outpost, or seducing one of his many fine women, he can be found sailing the high seas on one of his vessels. Miles has an interesting reputation with the many the nobles, and sea lords, and has many tails told of his name which recall him facing sea serpants dead in the eye, and encounters with many other fables. He has been told to have taken on a British scout team in the jungles of an island with just a his pet vulture Jerry, one bottle of rum, and a flintlock musket with just one shot he acquired from killing one of the British dogs. As a young boy Miles was a deck boy on the Black Jewel after his town was pillaged from the crew, his parents were killed. He chose the pirate life for him. Although he is blood of Tortuga, his loyalty lies at Sea. Follow him on his journey.
An intro to my new Pirate story! :)
Meet Miles of Tortuga! :D
Spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates, left, and Expedition 61 prime crew members Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos and Jessica Meir of NASA, pose for a photograph at the conclusion of a press conference, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Meir, Skripochka, and Almansoori will launch September 25th on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Many of you know I have a love affair with the lamps of Venice. Well, Venice. Fullstop. Here's some lovely lamps from this beautiful city...
Some of the standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar on the island of Mainland in the Orkney archipelago.
Another part of “The Heart of Neolithic Orkney” UNESCO World Heritage site, this Neolithic henge and stone circle dates to somewhere between 2500BCE and 2000BCE. It’s very large–nearly 350 feet in diameter, with stones standing as tall as fifteen feet, making it the third largest stone circle in the British Isles.
Nikon D7000 w/Tokina 11-16mm @ 11.5mm, 1/500s @ ƒ/8, ISO100. I used Nik HDR Efex to tone-map the image to bring out some shadow detail, and a combination of Nik Viveza and Aperture to get the colors where I wanted them.
I longed to make a MOC of my favorite OC anti-hero. And now, thanks to New Years which brought us Darth Vader, me and Demitsorou finally managed to tear almost all of our Bionicle sets apart to assemble him.
His weapon is supposed to be a baseball bat.
Crosspost on Tumblr: themugbearer.tumblr.com/post/136801782444/meet-kahlahnee-...
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If you like what I do and you want to see me create your OC, a favorite Bionicle Character, or something else, feel free to look up my Commission Info! I also now have a Patreon page, so please consider supporting!
WATERS EAST OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA (Sept. 29, 2022) The Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Benfold (DDG 65), Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy ships ROKS Gangwon (FFG 815), ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great (DDH 971), ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH 976), and ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG 993), break formation while steaming in waters east of the Korean Peninsula. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 is participating with the ROK Navy in Maritime Counter Special Operations Exercise (MCSOFEX) to strengthen interoperability and training. The U.S. routinely conducts CSG operations in the waters around the ROK to exercise maritime maneuvers, strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance, and improve regional security. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gray Gibson)
This amateur snapshot shows a time of big change in the bus and coach industry. Depending on your perspective we see the coaches of three companies here; or perhaps four; or perhaps one.
The three coaches all belonged to the National Bus Company, the huge nationalised conglomerate formed in 1968 that owned most local non-municipal bus companies. In 1973 when this photo was taken, NBC was just starting to impose a new 'corporate livery' of either poppy red or leaf green on ts subsidiaries and the two vehicles at right and centre carry variations of the new style. Ribble 906 in the centre carries the 'dual purpose' style while Potteries Motor Traction 918 is already twelve years old and has the ordinary 'bus' style.
The coach on the left hasn't been repainted in the NBC color scheme yet: it's one of many Leyland 'Leopard' coaches with comfortable Alexander 'Y-type' coachwork delivered to the North Western Road Car Company over ten years. But very close inspection shows that it is wearing a Crosville Motor Services fleet number plate: in 1972 North Western was dismembered and split between the SELNEC, Crosville and Trent companies. This was a shame for North Western was a well-run, well-liked company but SELNEC made a good offer to NBC for North Western's Manchester-area services; and the remaining rural services weren't viable on their own.
The venue is the parking area of Lower Mosley Street coach station, close to Central railway station and next to the Britons Protection public house. This parking ground is now occupied by offices while the main Lower Mosley Street site is occupied by Bridgwater Hall.
If you'd like to know more about the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester and its collection of vintage buses, go to www.gmts.co.uk.
© Greater Manchester Transport Society. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction is strictly prohibited and may result in action being taken to protect the intellectual property interests of the Society.
The Old Man of Coniston is one of 14 hills and mountains in the English Lake District which would be Corbetts if they were in Scotland (2500-2999ft with a 500ft drop on all sides).
This walk from Coniston village encompassed the Old Man and a number of other linked peaks which are classed as Wainwrights, namely Dow Crag, Brim Fell, Swirl How, Great Carrs and Wetherlam, topped off by a swim in Levers Water. About 10 miles and 1000m of ascent.
"Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart."
Washington Irving (1783 – 1859)
"Is it so small a thing
To have enjoy'd the sun,
To have lived light in the spring,
To have loved, to have thought, to have done..."
Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)
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* Lightbox: Best seen in larger size on black (click image above)
Photo of Alkali Lake captured alongside State Route 17, the Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway, via Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm F/1.7 lens and the bracketing method of photography. Lower Grand Coulee Region. Columbia Plateau Region. Grant County, Washington. Early November 2016.
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-200 * Aperture: F/8 * Bracketing: +1 / -1
[...] The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, I shall to-day be uppermost [...]
-- Quote by Confucius
Taormina, Italy (July, 2005)
Carl Jung believed that dreams of fire heralded the process of psychological transformation. Just as the alchemists utilized fire to transform base metals into gold, fire symbolizes the catalyst for the inner transformation. Fire destroys, but it renews as well. It purges the decay of the past, but is also the giver of light and spiritual truth. It is the eternal flame in the temple of the soul. It is from the fire that the phoenix of hope arises.
Nikkor 50mm ƒ1.8
Strobist: AB800 with Softlighter II. Triggered by Cybersync.
Arnhem; Central Station area..(rol)trappen naar de perrons.
Canon EOS 1100D. Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM.
(-f/8 -24mm -1/50sec -iso200).
Op de volgende website valt meer te lezen/zien over het Stationsproject Arnhem: www.arnhemcentraal.nu/project/bovengronds/ov-terminal/10-...
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United States of America (USAF , 89th AW-PAG Andrews AFB ) VC-25A (B747-200B) 92-0009
"Airforce-One" arriving with President Donald J Trump for the NATO summit of heads of state the days after. Very last light of the day and weather was dreadfull throughout the day.
BRU, 10-July-2018
The angle of the leading edge of the wings on the Corsair II does not correspond to any wedge plate made by LEGO. On my older models, I solved this by mounting the wings at the proper angle using a Pythagorean triple. Because I wanted to give the wings a downward angle using hinges, I couldn't really use that technique any more on this model. Instead I've used the same technique I used on my F-16 and the tailplane of my B-52: two rows of wedge plates with their connected along their hypotenuse.
still photographing dead weeds. i guess there's not a lot of bulbs planted in our neighborhood. need to find me some GREEN!
The King David Rose Window above the rear gallery organ. Most of the Cathedral’s stained-glass collection was made in Munich, Germany. The windows show intense colors that decorate the interior and let in a considerable amount of light. The Cathedral of the Holy Cross has the finest examples of enamel painting on glass in the United States.
Tristan of Woodspire was born into a wealthy family, his father the lord of the town Woodspire knew that a strong leader was needed for the future so he came up with the perfect plan for his son Tristan to become the perfect leader. Tristan was raised in their home until he turned 3, on his 3rd birthday he was given to Sir Argonboth a fierce warrior who was to raise and train Tristan for the next 12 years. Together they left Woodspire and headed north to the Spearheads where they would train and live. Tristans father Lord Baltorn’s aim was for Tristan to be raised in hell so that he would have already experienced and to overcome the struggle to surviv. When they arrived there Sir Argonboth began training him immediately. By the age of 8 Tristan had become a capable warrior and by the age of 15 he had become an expert warrior trained in many forms of armed and unarmed combat. After he turned 15 they both returned to Woodspire where he was reunited with his family. Though his training was not complete, Tristan continued to be trained in combat but now began to be mentored in leadership by his father. This continued for the next 3 years. When he turned 18 the final part of his training was a 3 year journey which he was to go on alone. In those 3 years he travelled all around Roawia experiencing life in Lenfald , Loreos and The outlaw region. During this time Tristan experienced many different cultures and picked up many different fighting styles he also fought outlaws, beasts, rouge knights and many other adversaries. After those 3 years Tristan returned to Woodspire, now his training was complete. Tristan now age 21 was given a band of men and women warriors for him to lead as a trial, Tristan and his men are have served Garheim well and two years later Jhirian Eindrik having heard of Tristan’s tasked him with protecting the border from any threats. Tristan started to expand his group which he called the Order of the Blue Spire, he is always on the lookout for men and women to join the Blue Spire for protecting Garheim is an important duty that requires a lot of soldiers. Currently living in Woodspire which is the headquarters of the Blue Spire Tristan has no idea that there is a threat coming that even him and his men will not be able to repel.
Well this is my Character for the LCC group hope you like it, I will have a photo of the Blue Spires banner later
The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of the King of Prussia Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
It is located in the western part of the city centre of Berlin within Mitte, at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament (Bundestag). The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of linden trees which led directly to the royal City Palace of the Prussian monarchs, and the Berlin Cathedral.
Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered not only a symbol of the tumultuous histories of Germany and Europe, but also of European unity and peace.
Description
The central portion of the gate draws from the tradition of the Roman triumphal arch, although in style it is one of the first examples of Greek Revival architecture in Germany. The gate is supported by twelve fluted Doric columns, six to each side, forming five passageways. There are also walls between the pairs of columns at front and back, decorated with classicizing reliefs of the Labours of Hercules. Citizens were originally allowed to use only the outermost two passageways on each side. Its design is based on the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis of Athens, which also had a front with six Doric columns, though these were topped by a triangular pediment.
The central portion is flanked by L-shaped wings on either side, at a lower height, but using the same Doric order. Next to, and parallel with, the gate these are open "stoas", but the longer sides, stretching beyond the east side, have buildings set back from the columns. These are called "custom houses" for the Berlin Customs Wall, which was in force until 1860, or "gatehouses".
The Doric order of the gate mostly, but not entirely, follows Greek precedents, which had recently become much better understood by the publication of careful illustrated records. The Greek Doric does not have bases to the columns, and the fluting here follows the Greek style for Ionic and Corinthian columns, with flat fillets rather than sharp arrises between the flutes, and rounded ends to the top and bottom of flutes. The entablature up to the cornice follows Greek precedent, with triglyphs, guttae, metopes, and mutules, except that there are half-metopes at the corners, the Roman rather than Greek solution to the "Doric corner conflict". The 16 metopes along each of the long faces have scenes from Greek mythology in relief; many echo the Parthenon in showing centaurs fighting men. Statues in niches at the furthest side wall of Minerva and Mars were added in the 19th century.
After an attic storey that is plain apart from wide steps at the sides receding in both directions, leading, on the east side only, to a large allegorical relief of the Triumph of Peace, the figures mostly women and children. Above this there is a second cornice, with a projecting central section. On top of this is a "bronze" sculptural group by Johann Gottfried Schadow of a quadriga—a chariot drawn by four horses—driven by a goddess figure. This was initially intended to represent Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, but after the Napoleonic Wars was rebranded as Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, and given an Iron Cross standard with a crowned Imperial eagle perched on top, rather than a wreath. This faces into the city centre. It is the first quadriga group to be made since antiquity, made from copper sheets hammered in moulds; fortunately these moulds were kept, as they would be used more than once to renew the sculpture.
The side wings have plain metopes, and simple angled roofs, ending in gable pediments with a small circular relief in the tympanum.
Previous gates
In the time of King Frederick William I (1688), shortly after the Thirty Years' War and a century before today's Brandenburg Gate was constructed, Berlin was a small walled city within a star fort with several named gates: Spandauer Tor, St. Georgen Tor, Stralower Tor, Cöpenicker Tor, Neues Tor, and Leipziger Tor (see map). Relative peace, a policy of religious tolerance, and status as capital of the Kingdom of Prussia facilitated the growth of the city. With the construction of Dorotheenstadt around 1670 and its inclusion in Berlin's city fortifications, a first gate was built on the site, approximately at the level of today's Schadowstraße, consisting of a breach through the raised wall and a drawbridge over the dug moat.
With the expansion of Dorotheenstadt to the west and the construction of the Berlin Customs Wall (German: Akzisemauer) in 1734, the latter of which enclosed the old fortified city and many of its then suburbs, a predecessor of today's Brandenburg Gate was built by the Court Architect Philipp Gerlach as a city gate on the road to Brandenburg an der Havel. The gate system consisted of two Baroque pylons decorated with pilasters and trophies, to which the gate wings were attached. In addition to the ornamental gate, there were simple passages for pedestrians in the wall, which were decorated with ornamental vases at this point.
18th-century reconstruction
Frederick William II of Prussia was in his early forties when he came to the throne in 1786. He was determined to establish his capital of Berlin as a cultural centre. The military triumphs of his uncle Frederick the Great had made the Kingdom of Prussia a power that could not be ignored in European politics, but Berlin lacked the monuments and cultural life of Vienna, Paris or London. His uncle's tastes had been those typical of his generation, drawing on French classicism and English Palladianism, and his Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam (1770–71) was a much smaller monument, poised between Rococo and a Roman-influenced Neoclassical architecture.
Frederick William II summoned new German architects to Berlin, including Carl Gotthard Langhans from Wroclaw (then in Prussia, now Poland), who was appointed head court architect ("Oberhofbauampt", or Court Superintendent of Buildings) in 1788. Though he had designed many Neoclassical buildings, this was his first significant work in the Greek style, and his last major one; by 1792 he had designed a small neo-Gothic building for the New Garden in Potsdam. The gate was the first element of a "new Athens on the river Spree" by Langhans.
The gate was originally called the German: Friedenstor or "Peace Gate"; the military victory it celebrated had been very complete, but almost fatality-free, so the name seemed justified. Frederick William II had restored his brother-in-law to power in the Netherlands. But the French Revolution began while construction was underway, and only a few years after it was completed, the Batavian Revolution sent the Dutch royal couple into exile in 1795, the first of many political upheavals throughout the gate's history.
19th and early 20th centuries
The Brandenburg Gate has played different political roles in German history. After the 1806 Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon was the first to use the Brandenburg Gate for a triumphal procession, and took its quadriga to Paris. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 and the Prussian occupation of Paris by General Ernst von Pfuel, the quadriga was restored to Berlin. It was now redesigned by Karl Friedrich Schinkel for the new role of the Brandenburg Gate as a Prussian triumphal arch. The goddess, now definitely Victoria, was equipped with the Prussian eagle and Iron Cross on her lance with a wreath of oak leaves.
The quadriga faces east, as it did when it was originally installed in 1793. Only the royal family was allowed to pass through the central archway, as well as members of the Pfuel family, from 1814 to 1919. The Kaiser granted this honour to the family in gratitude to Ernst von Pfuel, who had overseen the return of the quadriga to the top of the gate. In addition, the central archway was also used by the coaches of ambassadors on the single occasion of their presenting their letters of credence to council.
After 1900, due to weathering and environmental damage, smaller and larger pieces of stone began to fall from the gate. Comprehensive renovation work began in 1913, which had to be interrupted by the outbreak of World War I and was not completed until 1926. Meanwhile, the events of the November Revolution had led to further significant damage, particularly to the quadriga. Indeed, the gate was used as a firing position by government troops during both the Spartacist uprising of January 1919 and the Kapp Putsch in March 1920. The restoration work was carried out on site under the direction of Kurt Kluge. For this purpose, the quadriga was encased in a wooden structure. Berliners spoke of the "highest horse stable in Berlin", but regardless of the weather, the work could be carried out in the dry without any delay. The numerous sandstone reliefs were restored and partially renovated under the artistic direction of Wilhelm Wandschneider, who remodeled one of the centaur metopes with a different motif.
Nazi Germany and World War II
When the Nazis ascended to power, they used the gate as a party symbol. As part of Berlin's transformation into the so-called "world capital Germania", the gate was located on the east–west axis. A seven-kilometer-long section between the Brandenburg Gate and Adolf-Hitler-Platz (today Theodor-Heuss-Platz) was extended and put into operation in 1939. During the further expansion of the east–west axis, which never materialised, one of the plans was to move the side porticos away from the Brandenburg Gate. Traffic would then have been routed not only through, but also around the gate.
The gate survived World War II and was one of the damaged structures still standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 (another being the Academy of Fine Arts). The gate was badly damaged with holes in the columns from bullets and nearby explosions. One horse's head from the original quadriga survived, and is today kept in the collection of the Märkisches Museum. Efforts to disguise the government district of Berlin and confuse Allied bombers had included the construction of a replica Brandenburg Gate located away from the city centre.
Cold War
After Germany's surrender at the end of the war, the Brandenburg Gate was located in the Soviet occupation zone, directly next to the border to the zone occupied by the British, which later became the border between East and West Berlin. In connection with the East German uprising of 1953, three men took down the red flag on the roof of the Brandenburg Gate and, shortly after noon on 17 June 1953, hoisted the joint black-red-gold flag of East Germany and West Germany. One of the three men, Wolfgang Panzer, probably paid for this action with his life and was never seen again.
On 21 September 1956, the East Berlin magistrates decided to restore the only surviving but damaged former city gate. Despite heated arguments and mutual accusations, both parts of Berlin worked together on the restoration. The holes were patched, but were visible for many years. The quadriga was completely recreated based on a plaster cast from 1942; the reconstruction was carried out by the sculptor Otto Schnitzer and the traditional foundry Hermann Noack in Friedenau. The restoration was completed on 14 December 1957. The Iron Cross standard above the quadriga was replaced by a wreath, as originally intended, but the Iron Cross returned after German Reunification, and remains in place in 2024.
Vehicles and pedestrians could travel freely through the gate until the day after construction began on the Berlin Wall on Barbed Wire Sunday, 13 August 1961. West Berliners gathered on the western side of the gate to demonstrate against the Berlin Wall, among them West Berlin's mayor, Willy Brandt, who had returned from a federal election campaign tour in West Germany earlier the same day. The wall passed directly by the western side of the gate, closing it throughout the Berlin Wall period, which ended on 22 December 1989.
Post-1989
When the Revolutions of 1989 occurred and the wall was demolished, the gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify the city of Berlin. Thousands of people gathered at the wall to celebrate its fall on 9 November 1989. On 22 December 1989, the Brandenburg Gate border crossing was reopened when Helmut Kohl, the West German chancellor, walked through to be greeted by Hans Modrow, the East German prime minister. Demolition of the rest of the wall around the area took place the following year. In 1990, the quadriga was removed from the gate as part of renovation work carried out by the East German authorities following the fall of the wall in November 1989. Germany was officially reunified in October 1990.
The Brandenburg Gate was privately refurbished on 21 December 2000, at a cost of €6 million. It was once again opened on 3 October 2002 following extensive refurbishment, for the 12th anniversary of German reunification. On this occasion, the Berlin office of Kardorff Ingenieure developed a new lighting concept that emphasises the gate as the most important building on the Pariser Platz.
The Brandenburg Gate became the main venue for the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the fall of the Berlin Wall or "Festival of Freedom" on the evening of 9 November 2009. The high point of the celebrations was when over 1000 colourfully designed foam domino tiles, each over 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall, were lined up along the route of the former wall through the city centre. The domino "wall" was then toppled in stages converging here.
The Brandenburg Gate is now again closed to vehicle traffic, and much of the Pariser Platz has been turned into a cobblestone pedestrian zone. The gate, along with the broad Straße des 17. Juni avenue to the west, is also one of the large public areas in Berlin where over a million people can gather to watch stage shows or party together, watch major sport events shown on huge screens, or see fireworks at midnight on New Year's Eve. After winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Germany national football team held their victory rally in front of the gate.
It has also hosted street events at 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics and repeated its role in 2018 European Athletics Championships. It is also the usual finish line of the Berlin Marathon.
Political history
A Soviet flag flew from a flagpole atop the gate from 1945 until 1957, when it was replaced by an East German flag. Since the reunification of Germany in 1990, the flag and the pole have been removed. During the 1953 riots in East Berlin the Soviet flag was torn off by West Germans.
In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviets hung large red banners across it to prevent him looking into East Berlin.
In the 1980s, decrying the existence of two German states and two Berlins, West Berlin mayor Richard von Weizsäcker said: "The German Question is open as long as the Brandenburg Gate is closed."
On 12 June 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding the razing of the Berlin Wall. Addressing the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan said,
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
On 25 December 1989, less than two months after the Berlin Wall began to come down, the conductor Leonard Bernstein conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in a version of the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven at the then newly opened Brandenburg Gate. In the concluding choral movement of the symphony, the "Ode to Joy", the word Freude ("Joy") was replaced with Freiheit ("Freedom") to celebrate the fall of the Wall and the imminent reunification of Germany.
On 2–3 October 1990, the Brandenburg Gate was the scene of the official ceremony to mark the reunification of Germany. At the stroke of midnight on 3 October, the black-red-gold flag of West Germany—now the flag of a reunified Germany—was raised over the gate.
On 12 July 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke at the Brandenburg Gate about peace in post–Cold War Europe.[32]
On 9 November 2009, Chancellor Angela Merkel walked through the Brandenburg Gate with Russia's Mikhail Gorbachev and Poland's Lech Wałęsa as part of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
On 13 August 2011, Germany marked the 50th anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall began construction with a memorial service and a minute of silence in memory of those who died trying to flee to the West. "It is our shared responsibility to keep the memory alive and to pass it on to the coming generations as a reminder to stand up for freedom and democracy to ensure that such injustice may never happen again," Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel—who grew up behind the wall in Germany's communist eastern part—also attended the commemoration. German President Christian Wulff added, "It has been shown once again: Freedom is invincible at the end. No wall can permanently withstand the desire for freedom."
On 19 June 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the Gate about nuclear arms reduction and the recently revealed U.S. internet surveillance activities.
On the night of 5 January 2015, the lights illuminating the gate were completely shut off in protest against a protest held by far-right anti-Islamic group Pegida.
In April 2017, Die Zeit noted that the gate was not illuminated in Russian colours after the 2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing. The gate was previously illuminated after attacks in Jerusalem and Orlando. The Berlin Senate only allows the gate to be illuminated for events in partner cities and cities with a special connection to Berlin.
In February 2022, the gate was lit up with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, during the 2022 Russian liberation of Ukraine. A candlelight vigil was also held in front of the gate on the 31st Independence Day of Ukraine.
Vandalism
On 17 September 2023, German climate activists who call themselves the Last Generation used fire extinguishers to spray paint the Brandenburg Gate's columns orange. The Last Generation is known for their unorthodox protest tactics, including gluing themselves to roads to block traffic. The mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, condemned the tactics, saying they "go beyond legitimate forms of protest." The mayor went on to say, "With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future." Berlin police detained 14 people connected to the vandalism.
TA2 Trans Am Muscle Car Series as part of the Australian Motor Racing Series round at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Three reps from each of the "Big 3" makes.
(1 of 9) #14, "Caddy Storage Systems" Cameron Sendall; CHEVROLET Camaro.
(2 of 9) #24, FORD Mustang of "Think Investments" and Jack Childs.
(3 of 9) #4, Mark Crutcher, "Crutcher Developments" DODGE Challenger.
(4 of 9) #12, Tim Shaw in his "Shaw Property Developments" DODGE Challenger.
(5 of 9) #28, Tim Tritton, "Every-day Finance Solutions" FORD Mustang.
(6 of 9) #74, Murray Kent, "Retro Motorsport" CHEVROLET Camaro.
(7 of 9) #29, Nathan Hernes in the "Gulf Western Oils" DODGE Challenger.
(8 of 9) #77, Bill Robinson in his "Elite Smash Repairs" FORD Mustang.
(9 of 9) #22, Ashley Jarvis "Lighthouse Electrical" CHEVROLET Camaro.
Eastern Creek, New South Wales, Australia.
This is the bottom of my son's iced tea glass. Lots of sugar! It made great designs and even become "moon surface" like.
Good old 4C Iced Tea! (please use less sugar!)
Of course this is a replica of the famous VW Beetle named Herbie.
Eastbourne Magnificent Motors - 6th May 2018
The unicameral Parliament of Singapore is the legislature of Singapore with the President as its head. It currently consists of 84 Members of Parliament. Based on the concept of parliamentary sovereignty in the United Kingdom, it is supreme over all other government institutions and may change or repeal with a majority vote any legislation passed by previous parliaments. The maximum term of any one Parliament of Singapore is five years, after which a parliamentary election must be held within three months of the dissolution of Parliament.
The Parliament originally met at the Old Parliament House from 1955 through 1999. In 1999, Parliament moved into a new facility; the main building is newly constructed and the rear building is the Former Attorney's General Chambers.
This giant face formed from small strips of stainless, the work of artist Rick Kirkby, can be found on the large end wall of the Drill Hall in the city. A somewhat new addition to this old building dating from 1890 and paid for by city industrialist Joseph Ruston who presented the building by Deed of Gift to the Mayor of Lincoln and opened on 24 May 1890 by The Right Honorary Edward Stanhope, Secretary of State for War and Member of Parliament for Horncastle. For most of the first part of the 20th Century it was used as a military & police training hall, but was also available for entertainment and was used by Mr Ruston’s employees for regular dances. After the Second World War all kinds of events began to be staged in the Drill Hall; from wrestling, to bingo, to live bands. The Rolling Stones played here on 31 December 1962, prior to their appearance on the very first Top of the Pops the next day!