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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!)
SN/NC: Syagrus romanzoffiana, Arecaceae Family
This is a palm with an identity crisis! A few decades ago the queen palm was assigned the name Cocos plumosa. During the late sixties and seventies most experts began referring to it as Arecastrum romanzoffianum. Now this queen has been placed in the genus Syagrus, the species name became romanzoffiana - hopefully Syagrus romanzoffiana will stick! The Queen palm is mostly found in Subtropical areas. It was once very popular as a garden tree; but in areas like Southern California where the climate is considerably dryer, it has since been taken over by other palms, such as Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, and other Archontophoenix as well, it is still the dominate pinnate palm, in places like Central Florida, where it thrives on the humidity, and tolerates the occasional 25 degree F. nights. Its fruit is edible to wildlife, often being sought after by birds. It was originally classified in the Coconut or Cocos genus, was moved to Arecastrum, then Syagrus. As a result of this, they often retain a previous name in retail trade. Usually called the "Cocos plumosa palm". (Palmpedia.net)
Esta é uma palmeira com crise de identidade! Há algumas décadas, a palmeira rainha recebeu o nome de Cocos plumosa. Durante o final dos anos sessenta e setenta, a maioria dos especialistas começou a referir-se a ele como Arecastrum romanzoffianum. Agora que esta rainha foi colocada no gênero Syagrus, o nome da espécie passou a ser romanzoffiana - espero que Syagrus romanzoffiana permaneça! A palmeira rainha é encontrada principalmente em áreas subtropicais. Já foi muito popular como árvore de jardim; mas em áreas como o sul da Califórnia, onde o clima é consideravelmente mais seco, desde então foi assumido por outras palmeiras, como Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, e outras Archontophoenix também, ainda é a palmeira pinada dominante, em lugares como a Flórida Central, onde é prospera com a umidade e tolera noites ocasionais de 25 graus F. Seu fruto é comestível para a vida selvagem, sendo frequentemente procurado por pássaros. Foi originalmente classificado no gênero Coco ou Cocos, foi transferido para Arecastrum, depois Syagrus. Como resultado disso, muitas vezes mantêm um nome anterior no comércio varejista. Geralmente chamada de "palmeira Cocos plumosa". (Palmpedia.net)
Dit is een palm met een identiteitscrisis! Enkele decennia geleden kreeg de koninginnenpalm de naam Cocos plumosa. Eind jaren zestig en zeventig begonnen de meeste experts het Arecastrum romanzoffianum te noemen. Nu deze koningin in het geslacht Syagrus is geplaatst, is de soortnaam romanzoffiana geworden - hopelijk blijft Syagrus romanzoffiana behouden! De Koninginnenpalm komt vooral voor in subtropische gebieden. Ooit was hij erg populair als tuinboom; maar in gebieden als Zuid-Californië, waar het klimaat aanzienlijk droger is, is het sindsdien overgenomen door andere palmen, zoals Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, en ook andere Archontophoenix. Het is nog steeds de dominante geveerde palm, in plaatsen als Centraal-Florida, waar hij voorkomt. gedijt op de luchtvochtigheid en tolereert af en toe nachten van 25 graden F. De vrucht is eetbaar voor dieren in het wild en wordt vaak gezocht door vogels. Het werd oorspronkelijk geclassificeerd in het geslacht Coconut of Cocos en werd verplaatst naar Arecastrum en vervolgens naar Syagrus. Als gevolg hiervan behouden ze vaak een oude naam in de detailhandel. Meestal de "Cocos plumosapalm" genoemd. (Palampedia.net)
Questa è una palma con una crisi d'identità! Alcuni decenni fa alla palma regina venne assegnato il nome Cocos plumosa. Tra la fine degli anni Sessanta e gli anni Settanta la maggior parte degli esperti cominciò a chiamarlo Arecastrum romanzoffianum. Ora questa regina è stata inserita nel genere Syagrus, il nome della specie è diventato romanzoffiana - speriamo che Syagrus romanzoffiana rimanga! La palma regina si trova principalmente nelle aree subtropicali. Un tempo era molto apprezzato come albero da giardino; ma in aree come la California meridionale, dove il clima è notevolmente più secco, da allora è stata sostituita da altre palme, come Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, e anche da altri Archontophoenix, è ancora la palma pennata dominante, in luoghi come la Florida centrale, dove è prospera sull'umidità e tollera le notti occasionali di 25 gradi F.. Il suo frutto è commestibile per la fauna selvatica, spesso ricercato dagli uccelli. Originariamente classificato nel genere Coconut o Cocos, fu spostato in Arecastrum, poi Syagrus. Di conseguenza, nel commercio al dettaglio spesso mantengono il nome precedente. Solitamente chiamata "palma Cocos plumosa". (Palmpedia.net)
Esta es una palma con una crisis de identidad! Hace unas décadas a la palmera reina se le asignó el nombre de Cocos plumosa. A finales de los años sesenta y setenta la mayoría de los expertos empezaron a referirse a él como Arecastrum romanzoffianum. Ahora que esta reina ha sido incluida en el género Syagrus, el nombre de la especie pasó a ser romanzoffiana. ¡Ojalá Syagrus romanzoffiana se mantenga! La palma reina se encuentra principalmente en zonas subtropicales. Alguna vez fue muy popular como árbol de jardín; pero en áreas como el sur de California, donde el clima es considerablemente más seco, desde entonces ha sido reemplazada por otras palmeras, como Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, y también otras Archontophoenix, sigue siendo la palmera pinnada dominante, en lugares como Florida central, donde prospera con la humedad y tolera noches ocasionales de 25 grados F. Su fruto es comestible para la vida silvestre y, a menudo, lo buscan las aves. Originalmente se clasificó en el género Coconut o Cocos, se trasladó a Arecastrum y luego a Syagrus. Por ello, en el comercio minorista suelen conservar su nombre anterior. Generalmente llamada "palma Cocos plumosa". (Palmpedia.net)
C'est un palmier en crise d'identité ! Il y a quelques décennies, le palmier royal a reçu le nom de Cocos plumosa. À la fin des années soixante et soixante-dix, la plupart des experts ont commencé à l'appeler Arecastrum romanzoffianum. Maintenant que cette reine a été placée dans le genre Syagrus, le nom de l'espèce est devenu romanzoffiana - j'espère que Syagrus romanzoffiana restera ! Le palmier royal se trouve principalement dans les zones subtropicales. Il était autrefois très populaire comme arbre de jardin ; mais dans des régions comme la Californie du Sud où le climat est considérablement plus sec, il a depuis été remplacé par d'autres palmiers, comme l'Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, et d'autres Archontophoenix également, il est toujours le palmier penné dominant, dans des endroits comme la Floride centrale, où il se développe grâce à l'humidité et tolère les nuits occasionnelles à 25 degrés F. Ses fruits sont comestibles pour la faune sauvage et sont souvent recherchés par les oiseaux. Classé à l'origine dans le genre Coconut ou Cocos, il a été déplacé vers Arecastrum, puis Syagrus. De ce fait, ils conservent souvent un ancien nom dans le commerce de détail. Généralement appelé « palmier Cocos plumosa ». (Palmpedia.net)
Dies ist eine Palme mit einer Identitätskrise! Vor einigen Jahrzehnten erhielt die Königinpalme den Namen Cocos plumosa. In den späten sechziger und siebziger Jahren begannen die meisten Experten, sie als Arecastrum romanzoffianum zu bezeichnen. Jetzt wurde diese Königin in die Gattung Syagrus eingeordnet, der Artname wurde romanzoffiana – hoffentlich bleibt Syagrus romanzoffiana bestehen! Die Königinpalme kommt hauptsächlich in subtropischen Gebieten vor. Einst war er als Gartenbaum sehr beliebt; Aber in Gegenden wie Südkalifornien, wo das Klima deutlich trockener ist, wurde sie inzwischen von anderen Palmen wie Archontophoenix cunninghamiana und anderen Archontophoenix-Palmen übernommen und ist immer noch die dominierende gefiederte Palme, beispielsweise in Zentralflorida lebt von der Luftfeuchtigkeit und verträgt gelegentliche 25-Grad-F-Nächte. Seine Früchte sind für Wildtiere essbar und werden oft von Vögeln gesucht. Es wurde ursprünglich in die Gattung Coconut oder Cocos eingeordnet, dann nach Arecastrum und dann nach Syagrus verschoben. Dadurch behalten sie im Einzelhandel häufig einen früheren Namen. Wird normalerweise als „Cocos plumosa-Palme“ bezeichnet. (Palmpedia.net)
これはアイデンティティクライシスを抱えたヤシです！ 数十年前、この女王ヤシにはココス・プルモーサという名前が付けられました。 60 年代後半から 70 年代にかけて、ほとんどの専門家がそれを Arecastrum romanzoffianum と呼び始めました。 現在、この女王は Syagrus 属に属し、種名は romanzoffiana になりました。Syagrus romanzoffiana が定着することを願っています。 クイーンヤシは主に亜熱帯地域で見られます。 かつては庭木として非常に人気がありました。 しかし、気候がかなり乾燥している南カリフォルニアのような地域では、その後、アルコントフェニックス・カニンガミアナや他のアルコントフェニックスなどの他のヤシに引き継がれていますが、中央フロリダのような場所では、依然として優勢な羽状ヤシです。 湿気で生育し、時折25℃の夜にも耐えます。 その果実は野生動物に食用とされ、鳥がそれを求めて訪れることもよくあります。 元々はココナッツ属またはココス属に分類されていましたが、アレカストルム、次にシャグルスに移されました。 この結果、小売業界では以前の名前が残ることがよくあります。 通常は「ココス・プルモサ・ヤシ」と呼ばれています。 (Palmpedia.net)
هذا كف يعاني من أزمة هوية! منذ بضعة عقود مضت، أُطلق على نخلة الملكة اسم كوكوس بلوموسا. خلال أواخر الستينيات والسبعينيات، بدأ معظم الخبراء يشيرون إليها باسم Arecastrum romanzoffianum. الآن تم وضع هذه الملكة في جنس Syagrus، وأصبح اسم النوع romanzoffiana - نأمل أن يظل Syagrus romanzoffiana موجودًا! تم العثور على نخلة الملكة في الغالب في المناطق شبه الاستوائية. كانت ذات يوم تحظى بشعبية كبيرة كشجرة حديقة؛ ولكن في مناطق مثل جنوب كاليفورنيا حيث يكون المناخ أكثر جفافًا إلى حد كبير، فقد تم الاستيلاء عليها منذ ذلك الحين من قبل أشجار النخيل الأخرى، مثل أرتشونتوفونيكس كننغهاميانا، وغيرها من أرتشونتوفونيكس أيضًا، ولا تزال هي النخلة المهيمنة، في أماكن مثل وسط فلوريدا، حيث يزدهر على الرطوبة ويتحمل أحيانًا 25 درجة فهرنهايت في الليل. ثمارها صالحة للأكل للحياة البرية، وغالبًا ما تبحث عنها الطيور. تم تصنيفها في الأصل ضمن جنس جوز الهند أو جوز الهند، وتم نقلها إلى Arecastrum، ثم Syagrus. ونتيجة لذلك، غالبا ما يحتفظون باسمهم السابق في تجارة التجزئة. يُطلق عليها عادةً اسم "نخيل
كوكوس بلوموسا". (بالمبيديا.نت)
SN/NC: Agapanthus Africanus, Fam. Amarylidaceae
The great majority is purple-blue. This one is a bit intermediate between white, purple and blue. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ is the only genus in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the flowering plant family Amaryllidaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales. The name is derived from scientific Greek: αγάπη (agape) = love, άνθος (anthos) = flower.
Some species of Agapanthus are commonly known as lily of the Nile (or African lily in the UK), although they are not lilies and all of the species are native to Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique) though some have become naturalized in scattered places around the world (Australia, Great Britain, Mexico, Ethiopia, Jamaica, etc.) (Wikipedia)
A grande maioria é azul-roxo. Este é um pouco intermediário entre branco, roxo e azul. Agapanthus /יæəəəənφəs/ é o único gênero na subfamília Agapanthoideae da família de plantas em floração Amaryllidaceae. Algumas espécies de Agapanthus são comumente conhecidas como lírio do Nilo (ou lírio africano no Reino Unido), embora não sejam lírios e todas as espécies sejam nativas do sul da África. (Wikipedia)
De overgrote meerderheid is paarsblauw. Deze is een beetje intermediair tussen wit, paars en blauw. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ is het enige geslacht in de onderfamilie Agapanthoideae van de bloeiende plantenfamilie (Amaryllidaceae). Sommige soorten Agapanthus zijn algemeen bekend als lelie van de Nijl (of Afrikaanse lelie in het Verenigd Koninkrijk), hoewel het geen lelies zijn en alle soorten inheems zijn in Zuidelijk Afrika. (Wikipedia)
La grande majorité est violet-bleu. Celui-ci est un peu intermédiaire entre le blanc, le violet et le bleu. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ est le seul genre de la sous-famille des Agapanthoideae de la famille des Amaryllidaceae. Certaines espèces d’agapanthes sont communément connues sous le nom de lys du Nil (ou lys africain au Royaume-Uni), bien qu’elles ne soient pas des lys et que toutes les espèces soient originaires d’Afrique australe. (Wikipédia)
La gran mayoría es de color azul púrpura. Este es un poco intermedio entre blanco, púrpura y azul. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ es el único género de la subfamilia Agapanthoideae de la familia Amaryllidaceae. Algunas especies de Agapanthus se conocen comúnmente como lirio del Nilo (o lirio africano en el Reino Unido), aunque no son lirios y todas las especies son nativas del sur de África. (Wikipedia)
La grande maggioranza è viola-blu. Questo è un po 'intermedio tra bianco, viola e blu. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ è l'unico genere della sottofamiglia Agapanthoideae della famiglia delle Amaryllidaceae. Alcune specie di Agapanthus sono comunemente conosciute come giglio del Nilo (o giglio africano nel Regno Unito), anche se non sono gigli e tutte le specie sono originarie dell'Africa meridionale. (Wikipedia)
Die große Mehrheit ist lila-blau. Dieser ist ein bisschen zwischen Weiß, Lila und Blau. Agapanthus /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ ist die einzige Gattung in der Unterfamilie Agapanthoideae der Blütenpflanzenfamilie Amaryllidaceae. Einige Arten von Agapanthus sind allgemein als Lilie des Nils (oder afrikanische Lilie in Großbritannien) bekannt, obwohl sie keine Lilien sind und alle Arten im südlichen Afrika beheimatet sind. (Wikipedia)
大部分は紫がかった青です。これは白、紫、青の間の色です。アガパンサス /ˌæɡəˈpænθəs/ は、顕花植物科ヒガンバナ科のアガパンサス亜科の唯一の属です。アガパンサスの一部の種は一般にナイルユリ（英国ではアフリカユリ）として知られていますが、それらはユリではなく、すべての種がアフリカ南部原産です。 (ウィキペディア)
الغالبية العظمى من الأرجواني والأزرق. هذا هو واحد قليلا وسيطة بين الأبيض والأرجواني والأزرق. أغابانثوس / ˌæɡəˈpænθəs / هو الجنس الوحيد في Agapanthoideae subfamily من عائلة النبات المزهرة Amaryllidaceae. بعض أنواع أغابانثوس معروفة باسم زنبق النيل (أو زنبق الأفريقية في المملكة المتحدة)، على الرغم من أنها ليست الزنابق وجميع الأنواع هي أصلية في الجنوب الأفريقي. (ويكيبيديا)
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!
An HDR representation of Eastern Washington's impressive summer sunset from the campus of my alma mater, Washington State University.
Catch me on facebook (I refer to it as the book of face):
This painted wooden door is decorated on both sides. It sealed the innermost chamber of Sennedjem's tomb.
On the external face on a yellow background is a scene in two registers, with a hieroglyph representing the sky at the top.
In the upper register, Sennedjem, his wife Iyneferty and his daughter Irunefer are standing before Osiris and the goddess of justice Maat, to whom they are paying respectful homage.
In the lower register, the sons of Sennedjem are portrayed in the same pose before Ptah-Sokar-Osiris and Isis. Sennedjem and his eldest son have their hands raised in an act of adoration. The two women hold a vase with a long neck while the other six sons each hold a lotus flower with a long stem.
New Kingdom, 19th dynasty
Tomb of Sennedjem TT1, Deir el-Medina
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
Found moments on the streets of Lincoln
A series of photographs showing Lincoln street scenes from various viewpoints. Lincoln Asylum Steampunk Festival 2017.
The Asylum Steampunk Festival is the largest and longest running steampunk festival in the world, attracting participants from around the globe. It takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend in the historic cathedral city of Lincoln.
See: www.asylumsteampunk.co.uk/
You can see a random selection of my photos here at Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/9815422@N06/random/
And I'm gradually posting a chosen selection to my Instagram account: www.instagram.com/street.watcher/?hl=en
We spotted this Raven on a Crescent City, CA beach, USA, Oct. 8, 2015. Very unusual coloration...at least I've never seen it. For members of the Bird ID group: I know it's a raven, but might it be some variation the members of the group might be familiar with?
1. Arizona summers make me wilt, but they make wildflowers like the Golden Poppy very happy. I chose this pattern because I think summertime=flowers & bright colors.
2. This pattern can be found in the Hoop Love and Vintage Embroidery Pattern groups. Shared by niccivale, www.flickr.com/photos/luckypalm/6873590453/in/photostream/
3. From September 1985 issue of The Workbasket
Font is KG Like a Skyscraper by Kimberly Geswein
A moquette is the densely patterned carpet-like fabric that covers the seats of London’s Tubes, buses, trams and Overground trains. And the thing is, despite its long history, it’s never been fully documented – until now.
In conjunction with the London Transport Museum, the author Andrew Martin has just written a comprehensive, richly illustrated and hugely readable history of moquette. Published by Safe Haven Books, Seats of London – a field guide to London Transport moquette patterns is a 192-page absorbing and surprising guide to the many dozens of different moquette patterns that have graced the capital’s public transport system for more than a hundred years.
And why am I bringing this to your attention? Well, I have no shame, so I’m ruthlessly plugging the fact that I’ve contributed a photographic image to this fine book – and if that’s not enough to make you rush out and buy a copy, then I don’t know what is.
Seriously… this is a lovely book, a ‘must’ for anyone interested in fabric design and London’s Underground transport system, and I was more than happy to be asked to provide a photograph. It’s one that’s here on Flickr, in my short Eltham Palace series.
The running of a private charter for Soundtracks 2 to Rochester by 707 Operations over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of April 2024 sees V/Line's A66 and N471 "City of Benalla" as well as the groups' own A62 running as 8096 on the southbound run seen powering through Kangaroo Flat on the 21/4/24; the latter unit making its' mainline debut in the original V/Line orange and grey livery first applied when rebuilt in the early 1980's.
A62 was included on the train for another mainline test as part of it's ongoing restoration to heritage service and although it hasn't yet been fitted with an ICE radio to allow it to lead, the sight of double V/Line liveried A's together is a very welcome one.
Video available at: youtu.be/N4XD76aykjo
Statue of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Royal Oak, Michigan.
CLICK TO READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
One of the most basic and effective strategies for composition is the well-known Rule of Thirds. In a tic-tac-toe fashion, you mentally divide the image into nine rectangular areas by drawing two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines. The result will give you three equal horizontal and vertical layers, with four points where the lines intersect.
Once you mentally divide the image into that nine part grid, you then place the elements of the scene according to that grid. There are several possibilities:
1. Place elements, especially important subjects, at one or two of the intersection points, what some call the “power points.”
2. Place elements along the vertical or horizontal lines. For example, put the horizon on the bottom line to emphasize the sky, or on the top line to emphasize the landscape.
3. Place elements neatly within the horizontal and/or vertical layers.
4. Combine these strategies in interesting ways.
But how exactly do we “place” elements? It happens in one’s ability to see a scene through the viewfinder according to this grid. That visual skill might come naturally for some people. Others might have to work at it. Bryan Peterson recommends getting a piece of glass or clear plastic with dimensions similar to the camera viewfinder, using a marker to draw the grid onto it, and then looking at the world though it while trying to compose shots. If you take shots that roughly approximate the Rule of Thirds, you might later fine-tune the proportions by cropping.
Why is the Rule of Thirds so important in visual design? The human mind doesn’t particularly like disorder and chaos. It naturally seeks out patterns and quickly detects their presence, often on an involuntary, subconscious level. The three part geometry of the Rule of Thirds is particularly catchy to the eye. It feels interesting, dynamic. It conveys tension and energy, especially at the power points. As I mentioned in the chapter on diagonal lines, the number 3 is psychologically compelling, sometimes even mystical. Think of mother/father/child, the love triangle, the Pyramids, the Holy Trinity. Think of the Three Stooges and the Three Little Pigs.
Here’s a more subtle aspect of the Rule of Thirds grid. Hopefully, the dimensions of the nine rectangular areas are aesthetically pleasing, as in the “golden ratio” of 8:5. The frame of the typical camera is very close to this ratio, which results in nine areas that also approach those dimensions. Applying the rule of thirds to images of unusual dimensions may result in divisions with proportions that are not as aesthetically pleasing.
Taking the Rule of Thirds as a rigid “rule” is a mistake. It’s best to consider it a guideline. Strict placement of elements according to the grid may be too predictable, too obviously geometric. A more subtle and loose interpretation stimulates that satisfying reaction in which our mind perceives order, but we cannot immediately verbalize why. Place elements near the lines or power points, but not right on them. Organize fields of color and texture close to the horizontal and vertical layers, but not squarely within them. Place a prominent subject at a power point and other elements more loosely around the grid.
In Pensare the subject’s head appears at the upper right power point, which creates a feeling of mental activity, while the blue blanket rests more peacefully within the lower third layer. In Weed the crabgrass lands directly on the lower right power point (a hint of its tenacity) while the slate stepping stones suggest a vertical division of thirds without falling directly on the horizontal lines.
In the photograph at the top of this page, the old tree rests comfortably within the right side layer, with its extended branch in the upper third, its trunk in the middle third, and its base in the bottom. The various layers of the background fall loosely within these vertical layers, while the three smaller trees emphasize the sensation of thirds. We tend to think of the lines and shapes of nature as being continuous, intricate, and flowing together in very complex ways. When the eye senses, perhaps subconsciously, that a photograph organizes this complexity according to a familiar geometry of thirds, the results can be very appealing.
In an image with a single subject and lots of background or negative space, we might apply the Rule of Thirds by creating twice as much background or space as subject. Usually, we would place the subject in the right third. Based on how people read, in many cultures the eye moves more naturally from left to right, so the viewer will feel more secure entering the background or space on the left and moving naturally to the subject on the right. The position of the subject will look more grounded. However, in some shots, we might instead place the subject on the left to create a sense of uneasiness and tension. The eye lands on the subject, trails off into the empty space on the right, and then tries to jump back to the subject, resulting in a “shifting” feeling. The photograph Suspicion illustrates this uneasy shiftyness.
We aren’t limited to Rule of Thirds proportions. We might also apply a Rule of Halves where the grid contains two lines, two vertical and horizontal halves, four rectangles, and only one intersection point at dead center. Usually we try to avoid placing subjects right at the middle of a shot because it looks static and boring. We also usually try to avoid dividing an image in half, which tends to create the appearance of two separate images and no unity. But in some shots a Rule of Halves geometry might be quite interesting.
It’s also possible to design an image based on a Rule of Fourths or a Rule of Fifths, as long as the viewer’s mind can detect this underlying pattern. If the placement of elements becomes too geometrically complex, the viewer might not sense any order.
Of course, we might completely ignore any guidelines based on geometric patterns. Breaking the rules can lead to very interesting compositions because they defy the traditions.
* This image and essay are part of a book on Photographic Psychology that I’m writing within Flickr. Please see the set description.
The gallery of designer Christmas trees on Kuznetsky Most near the Central Department Store has already become a good tradition of the Journey to Christmas festival. Decorated by designers, famous musicians, artists and media personalities, Christmas trees are on display here for the sixth time. The main theme of the project this year is “Christmas Trees in Big Cities. New Year Traditions”, therefore, walking along this festival site, you can visit Paris and Madrid, New York and Lisbon, Seoul and Copenhagen. And, of course, see the Christmas tree inspired by Moscow.
Галерея дизайнерских елок на Кузнецком Мосту рядом с ЦУМом стала уже доброй традицией фестиваля “Путешествие в Рождество”. Украшенные дизайнерами, известными музыкантами, артистами и медиаперсонами новогодние ели выставлены здесь уже в шестой раз. Главная тема проекта в этом году — “Елки больших городов. Новогодние традиции”, поэтому, гуляя по этой фестивальной площадке, можно побывать в Париже и Мадриде, Нью-Йорке и Лиссабоне, Сеуле и Копенгагене. И, конечно, увидеть елку, на украшение которой вдохновила Москва.
See more car pics on my facebook page!
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SH Arnolt Inc. of Chicago and Warsaw Indiana sold four different manufacturer's cars with Bertone bodies during the period 1953 to 1968.
Stanley H. "Wacky" Arnolt was a Chicago industrialist, who began importing foreign cars in the 1950s to the United States. Though sold as American cars, the cars were true hybrids, with British mechanicals, Italian bodywork, and U.S. sales and distribution, as well as in some cases final assembly and body work. SH Arnolt Inc. was a licensed automobile manufacturer in the State of Illinois.
A fortuitous meeting with Bertone at the Turin Auto Show in 1952 resulted in four collaborative efforts between Arnolt and Bertone.
The first was the Arnolt-MG, a four-seater Bertone-bodied car based on the MG TD chassis and XPAG 54 hp engine. The Arnolt MG was designed by Giovanni Bertone, his son Nuccio, and Giovanni Michelotti. Of a planned production of 200 cars, 103 have been documented as built between 1953 and 1954 (67 coupes and 36 convertibles). Out of this total, the whereabouts of 36 are unknown and three are known to have been scrapped (as of 1993).
The initial price was $3145. In 1954, MG informed Arnolt that it could no longer supply chassis and engines due to demand for its own complete cars (as well as the replacement of the TD by the TF), so Arnolt began looking for a larger-engined car.
(Wikipedia)
Digging through some of my old pictures and found this one. I remember getting soaked shortly after, but having a great trip to Isle of Skye.
Today I am packing my bags and heading off to Iceland with Murphyz. It looks like I am going to be taking some pictures of clouds and rain...anyway, can't wait. This is my second trip there and I know it will not be my last.
Malaga Harbour in Spain has been the subject of great attention recently as to the changes and reforms that have been taking place.
..
This promenade along the edge of the new port and marina is well worth a visit and is invitingly named the ‘El Palmeral de las Sorpresas’, (The Palm Garden of Surprises) designed by the architect Jerónimo Junquera.
www.totallyspaintravel.com/2018/01/19/must-sees-in-andalu...
The Gharials or Gavials (Gavialis gangeticus) are pure fish eaters, though a crab or two may be unlucky to be swallowed by these majestic river dwellers. They are the kings of few North Indian rivers, especially Ganges! Since they spend most of their time in water, their eyes are telescopic, placed well on top of their heads. This allows only their periscope-like eyes to come out of water when they surface. Also notice the thin translucent membrane called as 'Nictating Membrane' that is there in the frontal part of the eyes, ready to move backwards to protect the eyes once the animal is submerged. This acts as a water-screen or swimming goggles, which improves the vision of the submerged gharials. This morphological adaptation is there in all 23 crocodilian species around the world!
Seventh Sense: Note that their eyes with vertical pupil are bordered with small pressure sensors (clearly visible in the lower eyelid) that appear like dark spots. With these, they are able to assess the changes in water pressure around them and gives them better navigation and fishing efficiency even in darker and murkier waters, where vision might not be of great assistance. Moreover, these pressure sensors sense the movement of fish and other elements around their mouth (since their jaws are ridden with several of these), leading them to accurately catch fish. Even though this is an extension of touch mechanism, but can be recognized before touching something, since the fish are too smart to swim close to or touch a hungry gharial. The fish have a "lateral line" running along their body from mouth to tail that acts as their pressure sensing mechanism.
Fishing Strategies: Since both prey and predator have these, the predator has 3 strategies. It either waits without any movements for the fish to swim close by to swiftly snap shut its mouth and get its meal. Otherwise, it frightens and chases fish to nooks and corners close to the river beds and bends. Once they are trapped between its huge body and the bank, it feasts on them. The third way is to capture the overconfident huge fishes that do not care about the presence of this huge reptilian in their vicinity.
The dark slit behind the eye is its ear, which also is shut in a watertight manner after diving.
I can't say I remember it that well. like most books I read when young I know they remain important even if the plot is the vaguest memory. horses don't need to be unicorns to be magical
This is a detail of "Portrait of Maria Salviati de' Medici and Giulia de' Medici Pontormo" by Pontormo in the Walters Gallery in Baltimore.
About this painting (from the Walters website:
"Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci, but known by the name of his birthplace, the town of Pontormo) was esteemed by the Medici family, rulers of Florence, for his ability to capture the individuality of his sitters, while emphasizing their aristocratic demeanor. Maria Salviati, as in other contemporary portraits of her, wears the clothes of mourning for her deceased husband, the famous military leader Giovanni delle Bande Nere de' Medici (d. 1526). The little girl holding her hand here is Giulia, a Medici relative who was raised in Maria's household after the murder of the child's father, Duke Alessandro de' Medici (1511-1537). As Alessandro was born of a liaison between a Medici cardinal and an African slave, this formal portrait is the first of a child of African ancestry in European art. Giulia grew up with all the status of a Medici and married another aristocrat. Descendents of hers are alive today. By the nineteenth century, as the painting changed hands, the identity of the figures was lost. Toward the end of the century the painting surfaced again, identified as Victoria Colonna, a famous Renaissance poet, widow, and friend of Michelangelo. Good portraits of the poet are known today and the widow in the Walters' painting is not her! Presumably because of Colonna's ongoing fame (and the difficulty for a potential buyer to check on such things then), the dealer thought this name would make the painting easier to sell. The problem is that Colonna had no children; so probably to make the painting consistent with its new name, the child was painted out. Although the painting was acquired by Henry Walters in 1902, little attention was paid to it until after Walters' collection was bequeathed to the city of Baltimore in 1931 and the Walters Art Gallery was established. Then in 1937 the painting was xrayed and cleaned, revealing the presence of a child. For years the proposed identification of the child was as Maria Salviati's only child, Cosimo de' Medici (1519-1574), who went on to become Grand Duke of Tuscany. According to this theory, Cosimo, as a young adult, commissioned this image of his mother and himself to honor her attention to his upbringing after his father's death. The problem with this solution is that the child is clearly a girl with her hair in braids and a girl's clothing. In the 1990s the scholar Gabrielle Langdon proposed that the child was actually Giulia. After her work came to our attention and considerable research was carried out to confirm this proposal, the identification was changed here at the Walters and the idea slowly began to take shape for a project that would eventually become the 2012 Walters' exhibtion "Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe". The accompanying publication, edited by Joaneath Spicer, is available as a free ebook."
'' The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competative '' - Donald John Trump
"It's really cold outside, they are calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal. Man, we could use a big fat dose of global warming!" - Donald John Trump
'' This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice! '' - Donald John Trump
'' It's freezing in New York - where the hell is global warming? '' - Donald John Trump. Republican and 45th president of the United States of America.
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This photograph was taken at 14:41pm on Monday May 16th 2016 of Bear Glacier, situated on Highway 37A heading in towards the Town of Stewart, and descending towards Strohn Lake along Bear River Pass, Northern British Columbia, Canada.
The area was declared a Provincial park in 1998, and the glacier which began receeding in the 1940's, once spanned the lake and met the highway, but is now a shadow of it's former self, partly due to global warming. It is estimated that 80 per cent of British Columbia, Yukon and Alberta's mountain glaciers will be gone within the next fifty years. Another sign of imminent chaos which we are finally starting to take notice of.... well at least some of us are!
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Nikon D800 Focal length 60mm Shutter speed 1/1200s Aperture f/11.0 iso100 RAW (14Bit)Hand held. Nikon back focus button enabled. AF-C Continuous point focus with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance. Nikon AF Fine tune on (+9).
Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF. Jessops 77mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL15 batteries. Nikon DK-17M 1.2x Magnifying Eyepiece. Nikon DK-19 soft rubber eyecup. Digi-Chip 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC card. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW Photo/ 15.4" Notebook Backpack camera bag.
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RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB (NEF 73,6MB)
PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 30.00MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D800 Firmware versions A 1.10 B 1.10 L 2.009 (Lens distortion control version 2)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU processor. AMD Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX2 Version 2.10.3 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
The "River of Light" is a large scale light painting done with a collaborative effort from member of the Light Painting World Alliance who met in Nevadas Hobgoblins Playground during the super moon to photograph as a group.
More on the FB... www.facebook.com/BlaisOneLP/
Or Maybe the IG... www.instagram.com/toddblaisdell/
This is in memory of the event which happened on November 21 1936.
www.history-articles.com/lake-huron-shipwrecks.html
This tells the story of the event, which is no longer recognized other than this plaque to the best of my knowledge. Several members of the ship are resting in the local cemetery and I have visited their memorials. Be at peace.
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Nikon D810 with the Nikon MB-D12 Multi Battery Power Pack / Grip for D800 and D810 Digital Cameras allows one to shoot at a high to catch the action FPS! Ballerina Dance Goddess Photos! Pretty, Tall Ballet Swimsuit Bikini Model Ballerina Goddess! Captured with the 50mm F1.4 Art Lens and the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens! Ballerina dancer dancing ballet in pointe shoes! Jete! Arabesque!
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Ballerina dancing ballet! Pretty ballerina girl with dark brown hair and black eyes!
A pretty goddess straight out of Homer's Iliad & Odyssey!
New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
New facebook: www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Pretty, Tall Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess!
New blog!
Ask me any questions! :)
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic odyssey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Been busy traveling and shooting landscapes and working on my books The Golden Hero's Odyssey about the golden rectangle and divine proportion I use in a lot of my compositions! Also working on my physics book on Dynamic Dimensions Theory! The equation d4/dt=ic is on a lot of the 45surf swimsuit and shirts and all! :)
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Expression of joy : A group of kids playing at Valiyathura beach, Trivandrum, Kerala. They were so excited to see me with camera. They were literally fighting to pose for me... and none of them couldn't pause the action. :-p
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Leica M2
Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 IV "King of Bokeh"
Kodak Tri-X 400
Ars Imago FD 1+30
7 min 30 sec 20°C
Scan from negative film
City of La Crosse, Wisconsin Police Department Ford Police Interceptor Utility. La Crosse is the county seat in La Crosse County.
The Eagle Nebula, also known as the Queen of Stars Nebula, was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1746. It was later observed by Charles Messier, who categorized it as Messier 16 or M16. It is a young open cluster of about 500 stars in the constellation Serpens, approximately 5,700 light-years from Earth.
This nebula is famous for containing several ultradense structures such as the Pillars of Creation, captured by the Hubble Telescope in 1995, and the Stellar Spire or Fairy of the Eagle Nebula, a fantastic column of dust, a site of star formation, that proudly rises above the region.
I, too, am fascinated by these shapes. I had photographed it in 2024 with a 150-600 Newtonian telescope: M 16 - NGC 6611 Nebulosa Aquila - Gruppo Astrofili E. E. Barnard - GAEEB Ciriè Torino Astrofili GAEEB, but the field was too wide to highlight this natural beauty. Now, with the Ritchey-Chretien RC8 telescope, I've been able to take a closer look, and you can see the difference.
Recording and integration data:
• 62 frames of 180 seconds recorded at -10°C with an IDAS NBZ II filter
• 7 frames of 240 seconds recorded at 0°C with an IDAS NBZ II filter
• 71 frames of 120 seconds recorded at 0°C with an IDAS NBZ II filter
For a total of approximately 6 hours, recorded from June 16 to 18, 2026, from Nole (TO)
and integrated on July 14 with
• 58 frames of 30 seconds, equal to approximately 30 minutes, recorded at 0°C with an Optolong L-Pro filter, also from Nole.
Equipment:
•Tecnosky RC8 telescope, ASI 294 MC Pro imaging camera
•60/240 guide scope, ASI 120 MM Mini camera
•Sky-Watcher HEQ5 SynScan GOTO equatorial mount
•Acquisition via Asiair Pro, RGB processing with Pixinsight.
La Nebulosa Aquila, nota anche come Nebulosa Regina delle Stelle, fu scoperta da Philippe Loys de Chéseaux nel 1746. Inseguito fu osservata da Charles Messier che la catologò come Messier 16 o M16. È un giovane ammasso aperto di circa 500 stelle nella costellazione del Serpente, a circa 5700 anni luce dalla Terra.
Questa nebulosa è famosa per contenere al proprio interno alcune strutture ultradense come i Pilastri della Creazione, immortalati dal telescopio Hubble nel 1995 e la Guglia Stellare o Fata della Nebulosa Aquila, una fantastica colonna di polveri, sede di formazione stellare che si innalza orgogliosamente nella regione.
Anch’io affascinato da queste forme, l’avevo ripresa nel 2024 con telescopio Newton 150-600: M 16 - NGC 6611 Nebulosa Aquila - Gruppo Astrofili E. E. Barnard - GAEEB Ciriè Torino Astrofili GAEEB, ma il campo era troppo ampio per dare evidenza di questa bellezza della natura. Ora col telescopio Ritchey-Chretien RC8 ho potuto riprenderla in modo più ravvicinato, e potete vedere la differenza.
Dati di ripresa ed integrazione:
•62 frames da 180 sec ripresi a -10°C con filtro IDAS NBZ II
•7 frames da 240 sec ripresi a 0°C con filtro IDAS NBZ II
•71 frames da 120 sec ripresi a 0°C con filtro IDAS NBZ II
Per un totale di circa 6 ora ripresi dal 16 al 18 Giugno 2026 da Nole (TO)
ed integrati in data 14 Luglio con
•58 frames da 30 sec pari a circa 30 minuti ripresi a 0°C con filtro Optolong L-Pro ripresi sempre da Nole.
Attrezzatura:
•Telescopio Tecnosky RC8, Camera di ripresa ASI 294 MC Pro
•Telescopio guida 60/240, Camera ASI 120 MM Mini
•Montatura Equatoriale Sky-Watcher HEQ5 SynScan GOTO
•Acquisizione tramite Asiair Pro, Elaborazione in RGB con Pixinsight.
Collaboration with John Rudy, Patrick Taylor, Joshua Brooks and Sam Schmidt for our 2nd Annual Brickfair Virginia Civil War Display. This was a great success, although it took a long time to set up, and we wish we had more of both trees and ground cover. Nominated for Best Historical.
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The Battle of The Wilderness, May 5-7th 1864, was the first battle fought between Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of Grant's Overland Campaign to reach Richmond. Grant attempted to move quickly through the dense underbrush of the Wilderness of Spotsylvania, but Lee launched two of his corps on parallel roads to intercept him. Heavy fighting on the 5th was inconclusive but resulted in terrible casualties.
The day of the 6th, as portrayed here in our collaboration, also resulted in heavy casualties, starting with a Federal attack Under General Winfield Hancock which drove back AP Hill's forces. Confederate General James Longstreet (far left on horseback) stopped the Federals and followed up with a surprise flanking attack from an unfinished railroad bed (on the right) that drove Hancock's men back to the Brock Road, but the momentum was lost when Longstreet was severely wounded by his own men.
Years later, when Hancock and Longstreet met, they discussed the attack from the Railroad Cut, to which Hancock famously summarized, "You rolled me up like a wet blanket!"
While a tactical success for the Confederates, it was a strategic victory for the Union, as Grant refused to retreat and instead started a bloody stepped advance of battles which eventually led to the end of the war.