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Boris Yeltsin , Cementerio Novodévichi, Moscú - Boris Yeltsin , Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow - Бори́с Е́льцин , Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Москва
Borís Nikoláievich Yeltsin (en ruso: Бори́с Никола́евич Е́льцин) Butká, óblast de Sverdlovsk, Unión Soviética, 1 de febrero de 1931-Moscú, Rusia, 23 de abril de 2007) fue presidente de la Federación de Rusia, cargo que ejerció entre 1991 y 1999.
El 11 de julio de 1990, durante la celebración del XXVIII Congreso del Partido Comunista de la Unión Soviética, Borís Yeltsin anuncia su baja en el PCUS. En las elecciones presidenciales de junio de 1991 Borís Yeltsin, presentándose como independiente, sale elegido presidente de la República Socialista Federativa Soviética de Rusia con el 57 % de los votos.
Fue reelegido en 1996, derrotando a Guennadi Ziugánov del revivido Partido Comunista. Sin embargo, Yeltsin nunca recuperó su popularidad inicial después de una serie de crisis económicas y políticas en Rusia durante la década de 1990.
En agosto de 1991, Yeltsin se ganó los aplausos internacionales al promoverse a sí mismo como un demócrata y por desafiar el intento de golpe de Estado de agosto de 1991 llevado a cabo por los comunistas de línea dura en el gobierno soviético y en la KGB. Tras la disolución de la Unión Soviética en diciembre de 1991, Yeltsin se comprometió a transformar la economía socialista de Rusia en una economía de libre mercado e implementó la terapia de choque económico, la liberalización de los precios y los programas de privatización. Debido al método de privatización, una buena parte de la riqueza nacional cayó en manos de un pequeño grupo de oligarcas.
La era Yeltsin estuvo marcada por la corrupción generalizada, el colapso económico, dos guerras en Chechenia y enormes problemas sociales y políticos que afectaron a Rusia y a otros antiguos Estados de la Unión Soviética. Durante los primeros años de su presidencia, muchos de los partidarios políticos de Yeltsin se volvieron contra él y el Vicepresidente Aleksandr Rutskói denunció a las reformas como un «genocidio económico». Los constantes enfrentamientos con el Parlamento culminaron en la crisis constitucional rusa de octubre de 1993, cuando el Parlamento intentó apartar de su cargo a Yeltsin y este, como respuesta, asedió la Casa Blanca rusa, en la que murieron cientos de personas. Yeltsin se deshizo de la Constitución vigente, prohibió temporalmente la oposición política y prosiguió con su experimentación económica. A continuación, introdujo una nueva Constitución con un fuerte poder presidencial y que fue aprobada por un polémico referéndum antes de finalizar el año.
El 31 de diciembre de 1999, Yeltsin hizo un sorpresivo anuncio de su renuncia, dejando la presidencia en manos de su sucesor, el entonces primer ministro, Vladímir Putin. Yeltsin dejó el cargo siendo ampliamente impopular entre la población rusa. Según algunas estimaciones, sus índices de aprobación al dejar el cargo fueron tan bajos como el 2 %.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borís_Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (Russian: Бори́с Никола́евич Е́льцин; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. During the late 1980s, Yeltsin had been a candidate member of the Politburo, and in late 1987 tendered a letter of resignation in protest. No one had resigned from the Politburo before. This act branded Yeltsin as a rebel and led to his rise in popularity as an anti-establishment figure.
On 29 May 1990, he was elected the chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet. On 12 June 1991 he was elected by popular vote to the newly created post of President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR). Upon the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev and the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 25 December 1991, the RSFSR became the sovereign state of the Russian Federation, and Yeltsin remained in office as president. He was reelected in the 1996 election, in which critics widely claimed pervasive corruption; in the second round he defeated Gennady Zyuganov from the revived Communist Party by a margin of 13.7%. However, Yeltsin never recovered his early popularity after a series of economic and political crises in Russia in the 1990s.
Yeltsin transformed Russia's socialist economy into a capitalist market economy, implementing economic shock therapy, market exchange rate of the ruble, nationwide privatization and lifting of price controls. Yeltsin proposed a new Russian constitution which was popularly approved at the 1993 constitutional referendum. However, due to the sudden total economic shift, a majority of the national property and wealth fell into the hands of a small number of oligarchs. Rather than creating new enterprises, Yeltsin's policies led to international monopolies hijacking the former Soviet markets, arbitraging the huge difference between old domestic prices for Russian commodities and the prices prevailing on the world market. In the foreign policy Yeltsin offered cooperative and conciliatory relations, particularly with the Group of Seven, CIS and OSCE, as well as adherence to arms control agreements, such as START II.
Much of the Yeltsin era was marked by widespread corruption, and as a result of persistent low oil and commodity prices during the 1990s, Russia suffered inflation and economic collapse. Within a few years of his presidency, many of Yeltsin's initial supporters had started to criticize his leadership, and Vice President Alexander Rutskoy even denounced the reforms as "economic genocide".[4] Ongoing confrontations with the Supreme Soviet climaxed in the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis in which Yeltsin ordered the unconstitutional dissolution of the Supreme Soviet parliament, which as a result attempted to remove him from office. In October 1993, troops loyal to Yeltsin stopped an armed uprising outside of the parliament building, leading to a number of deaths. On 31 December 1999, under enormous internal pressure, Yeltsin announced his resignation, leaving the presidency in the hands of his chosen successor, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin left office widely unpopular with the Russian population.
Yeltsin kept a low profile after his resignation, though he did occasionally publicly criticise his successor. Yeltsin died of congestive heart failure on 23 April 2007.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin
El Cementerio Novodévichi (en ruso Новодевичье кла́дбище, Novodévichiye kládbishche) es el cementerio más famoso de Moscú, Rusia. Forma parte del conjunto conventual del Monasterio Novodévichi, que data del siglo XVI, declarado en 2004 Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco.
Fue inaugurado en 1898, cuando ya existían muchos enterramientos en los muros del monasterio. Uno de los primeros personajes notables en ser enterrado en el cementerio fue Antón Chéjov, cuya tumba es obra de Fiódor Shéjtel.
El cementerio alberga más de 27 000 tumbas, entre las que se encuentran las de distinguidos escritores, actores, poetas, científicos, líderes políticos y militares. Se asemeja a un parque, con pequeñas capillas y grandes conjuntos escultóricos. Es un lugar más para visitar en Moscú. Existe la posibilidad de solicitar un plano en la oficina del cementerio.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cementerio_Novodévichi
Novodevichy Cemetery (Russian: Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Novodevichye kladbishche) is the most famous cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site.
The cemetery was designed by Ivan Mashkov and inaugurated in 1898. Its importance dates from the 1930s, when the necropoleis of the medieval Muscovite monasteries (Simonov, Danilov, Donskoy) were scheduled for demolition. Only the Donskoy survived the Joseph Stalin era relatively intact. The remains of many famous Russians buried in other abbeys, such as Nikolai Gogol and Sergey Aksakov, were disinterred and reburied at the Novodevichy.
A 19th-century necropolis within the walls of the Novodevichy convent, which contained the graves of about 2000 Russian noblemen and university professors, also underwent reconstruction. The vast majority of graves were destroyed. It was at that time that the remains of Anton Chekhov were moved outside the monastery walls. His grave served as the kernel of the so-called "cherry orchard" – a section of the cemetery which contains the graves of Constantin Stanislavski and the leading actors of his company.
Under Soviet rule, burial in the Novodevichy Cemetery was second in prestige only to burial in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. Among the Soviet leaders, only Nikita Khrushchev was buried at the Novodevichy rather than at the Red Square. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin Wall is no longer used for burials and the Novodevichy Cemetery is used for only the most symbolically significant burials. For example, in April 2007, within one week both the first President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin and world-renowned cellist Mstislav Rostropovich were buried there.
Today, the cemetery holds the tombs of Russian authors, musicians, playwrights, and poets, as well as famous actors, political leaders, and scientists. More than 27,000 are buried at Novodevichy. There is scant space for more burials. A new national cemetery is under construction in Mytishchi north of Moscow.
The cemetery has a park-like ambience, dotted with small chapels and large sculpted monuments. It is divided into the old (Divisions 1–4), new (Divisions 5–8) and newest (Divisions 9–11) sections; maps are available at the cemetery office.
1. constance, 2. once, 3. gardening 365, day 11, 4. Inspiration
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
I have just created my first flickr group!! To see what it is about please follow this link and join if you feel inspired.
Hexham Bridge is a road bridge in Northumberland, England linking Hexham with the North Tyne valley. It lies north of the town of Hexham and is the main access to the A69 bypass.
The Tyne was crossed by two ferries called the east and the west boats. As a result of persistent agitation, a bridge was started in 1767 and completed in 1770. It was built by Mr Galt and consisted of seven arches. Less than a year later it was swept away in the great Tyne flood of 1771. In that flood, eight bridges shared the fate of Hexham. In 1774 a new attempt was made 46 metres to the west by Mr Wooler, an engineer who had been working on the new Newcastle bridge. Piles were sunk to carry the piers but work was abandoned on discovering that the "soil beneath the gravel was a quicksand with no more resistance than chaff". This first bridge, Hexham Old Bridge, was about 2 km upstream of the present bridge.
The authorities next approached John Smeaton, whose name as an engineer was famous. Henry Errington of Sandhoe was given the contract for the sum of £4,700, and work started in 1777. Although the half-completed piers were washed away the following year, work continued and the new bridge was opened to traffic in 1780. The Newcastle Chronicle, Saturday 8th July 1780 had "Saturday last, the passage along the New Bridge over Tyne at Hexham was opened, the Most Noble Errington was the first that passed it, who made a handsome present to the workmen." However, on 10 March 1782, there was a heavy fall of snow followed by a violent hurricane. The valleys of the north and south Tyne were inundated and the nine arches were completely overturned. They are still visible and act as a sort of weir. Robert Mylne, a famous architect and engineer, was called in to report on the feasibility of rebuilding Smeaton's bridge. He was eventually given the contract to build a fourth bridge, and the work was completed in 1793. It is listed as a Grade II* building by Historic England.
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,4676
Subject (TGM): Animals in human situations; Amphibians; Frogs; Tobacco pipes; Smoking; Picture frames; Pictures;
Persistent poor weather/light and uncooperative wildlife are combining to make an unhappy photographer. So another dip into images from Yellowstone proved good for the morale !!
There's enough gulls out here to make your head spin. I'm not sure if this is a Herring, Glaucous-winged, Western Gull or something else. It would repeatedly pick up this mollusk and drop it in flight onto the rocks below until it cracked open.
Esquimalt Lagoon.
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/253446
Title: Senator George Smathers Reports - America's Manned Space Program
Date of film: ca. 1964
Physical descrip: b&w; sound; original length: 4:23
Local call number: V-183 AA320; M89-17
General note: Sen. Spessard Holland acts as host of Sen. George Smathers' television program. Renowned scientist Lloyd Brickner advocates the continuance of the Manned Space Program, specifically the "moon race." He details the space program's contributions to the fields of medicine, science, technology, military strategy and diplomacy. Produced by the Senate Recording Studios.
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/snyder,3772
Subject (TGM): Women's education; Agricultural machinery and implements; Country life;
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,3746
Subject (TGM): Coffee industry; Humorous pictures; Animals in human situations; Crows; Ravens; Owls; Flowers;
All rights reserved. Please do not use this or any of my images in anyway without my written permission.
Please also REFRAIN FROM POSTING YOUR OWN IMAGES within my Photostream. I consider this rude and unwelcome. Posting an image of your own within my stream will not encourage me to visit / award, but will infact have the complete opposite affect. Persistent offenders will simply be blocked.
award count
www.cameralenscompare.com/photoAwardsCounterDetails.aspx?...
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,4010
Subject (TGM): Coffee industry; Animals in human situations; Cats; Musical instruments; Marching bands;
Y310 departs Kirk Yard behind CSX 8662, presumably the last ex-Conrail SD50-3 still active on the roster.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,
‘What are you doing for others?’
{ Martin Luther King, Jr. }
- - - - -
Will catch up on your streams today. Been quite busy playing host to my family.
Thank you for coming here still, and leaving comments. =)
Wolcott, Marion Post,, 1910-1990,, photographer.
Harvesting oats, southeastern Georgia?
ca. 1940
1 slide : color.
Notes:
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.
Subjects:
Harvesting
Oats
United States--Georgia
Format: Slides--Color
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 11671-9 (DLC) 93845501
General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a34310
Call Number: LC-USF35-124
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/322854
Title: Learned it in Back Days and Kept It: A portrait of Lucreaty Clark
Date of film: 1981
Physical descrip: color; sound; original length: 28:40
General note: In this documentary produced by the Florida Folklife Program, Folk heritage award recipient and white oak basket maker Lucreaty Clark discusses the long tradition of basket making in her Jefferson county family.
To see full-length versions of this and other videos from the State Archives of Florida, visit www.floridamemory.com/video/.
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/36872
Local call number: RC15258
Title: Passengers on a Pan Am Boeing 307
Date: ca. 1946
Physical descrip: 1 photoprint - b&w - 8 x 10 in.
Series Title: Reference Collection
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent Prayer Print by Brandon Kidder. Find this work of art and others like it at www.inhisnamedesign.com!!
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,734
Subject (TGM): Butterflies; Household soap; Cosmetics & soap; Chemical industry;
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/35723
Local call number: rc13388
Title: Ricou Browning in his movie costume at Wakulla Springs
Date: ca 1953
Physical descrip: 1 photoprint - b&w - 10 x 8 in.
Series Title: Reference Collection
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
It took a few visits at this spot along the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island to get a nice sunset, but persistence finally paid off.
If you're interested in being guided to some cool places on Vancouver Island like the one you see in this photo or if you're interested in landscape photography instructions - lessons while out in the field please click on the link below to see my rates:
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/snyder,2109
Subject (TGM): Student organizations; Literature; Group portraits;
Persistent URL: floridamemory.com/items/show/84311
Local call number: C672755
Title: Mansion at Parrish Park - Titusville
Date: 1967
Physical descrip: 1 photoprint - b&w - 4 x 5 in.
Series Title: Department of Commerce Collection
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida
500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL, 32399-0250 USA, Contact: 850.245.6700, Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Bain News Service,, publisher.
Mrs. H.K. Duryea
[between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]
1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
Notes:
Title from unverified data provided by the Bain News Service on the negatives or caption cards.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).
Format: Glass negatives.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.26357
Call Number: LC-B2- 4517-16
El fracaso es inevitable y a veces se produce al azar. Lo importante es lo que haces después del fracaso. La gente de éxito es constante y persistente. No abandonan.
Daniel Levitin
This is day 14 of the fire. The fire has retreated from near my home but the smoke prospects are bad and might well get worse than this.
BBC Weather - 31.01.14
A cold frosty start with some fog patches. It will soon turn windy with gales along coasts and high ground. Rain spreading eastwards, reaching all parts by lunchtime will be persistent for many.
Goodbye January :)
Persistent pain experienced when we are young and active is unlikely to be accepted as something which is ‘normal’. Indeed, we are likely to do everything we can to ensure we obtain the best available help and find the treatment most effective to manage the pain.
Such attitudes and beliefs should not change with older age. Yet, pain in older people is highly prevalent and widely accepted as something to be expected and regarded as ‘normal’ in later life. Hence, suffering associated with persistent pain in older people often occurs without the appropriate assessment and treatment.
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,4454
Subject (TGM): Sewing machines; Sewing machine industry; Sewing equipment & supplies; Appliances; Appliance stores; Children sewing; Girls;
Format: Glass plate negative.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Thomas Lennon Photographic Collection, Powerhouse Museum www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/collection=Thomas_Lennon_Photographic
Part Of: Powerhouse Museum Collection
General information about the Powerhouse Museum Collection is available at www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database
Persistent URL: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=387509
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,1178
Subject (TGM): Typewriters; Stores & shops; Machinery industry;
Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, a charitable trust founded in 1282. The bridge was constructed to give better access to the East End of London, which had expanded its commercial potential in the 19th century. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1894.
The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length and consists of two 213-foot (65 m) bridge towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of bascules that can open to allow shipping. Originally hydraulically powered, the operating mechanism was converted to an electro-hydraulic system in 1972. The bridge is part of the London Inner Ring Road and thus the boundary of the London congestion charge zone, and remains an important traffic route with 40,000 crossings every day. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways, and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
Tower Bridge has become a recognisable London landmark. It is sometimes confused with London Bridge, about 0.5 miles (800 m) upstream, which has led to a persistent urban legend about an American purchasing the wrong bridge.
History
In the late 19th century, commercial development in the East End of London increased, leading to demand for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge at street level could not be built because it would cut off access by sailing ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London between London Bridge and the Tower of London.
A Special Bridge or Subway Committee chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman was formed in 1877 to find a solution. More than fifty designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, which was rejected because of a lack of sufficient headroom. A design was not approved until 1884 when it was decided to build a bascule bridge. Sir John Wolfe Barry was appointed engineer and Sir Horace Jones the architect (who was also one of the judges). An Act of Parliament authorising construction was passed in 1885. It specified that the opening span would provide a clear width of 200 feet (61 m) and headroom of 135 feet (41 m). The design had to be in a Gothic style. Construction was funded by the City Bridge Foundation, a charity established in 1282 for maintenance of London Bridge that subsequently expanded to cover Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Southwark Bridge and the Millennium Bridge.
Barry designed a bridge with two bridge towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side spans were suspension bridges, with rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained in the bridge's upper walkways.
Construction
Construction started in 1886, with the foundation stone laid by the Prince of Wales on 21 June, and took eight years. Major contractors included Sir John Jackson (foundations), Armstrong, Mitchell and Company (hydraulics), William Webster, and Sir William Arrol & Co. 432 people worked on the site; E W Crutwell was the resident engineer for the construction.
Two piers, containing over 70,000 long tons (78,400 short tons; 71,123 t) of concrete, were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction. More than 11,000 long tons (12,320 short tons; 11,177 t) of steel were used in the framework for the towers and walkways, which were then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone to protect the underlying steelwork.
Jones died in 1887, and George D. Stevenson took over the project. Stevenson replaced Jones's original brick façade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which made the bridge a distinctive landmark and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London. The total cost of construction was £1,184,000 (equivalent to £143 million in 2021).
Opening
Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Carrington and the Home Secretary, H. H. Asquith. An Act of Parliament stipulated that a tug boat should be on station to assist vessels in danger when crossing the bridge, a requirement that remained in place until the 1960s.
The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horselydown Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.[13] Until the bridge was opened, the Tower Subway – 0.25 mi (400 m) to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was among the world's earliest underground ("tube") railways, but it closed after just three months and was reopened as a tolled pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, as there was no toll to cross. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.
The high-level open-air walkways between the towers gained a reputation for prostitutes and pickpockets. Since they were only accessible by stairs, the walkways were seldom used by regular pedestrians and were closed in 1910. The walkway reopened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
20th century
Britain
During the Second World War, Tower Bridge was seen as a major transport link to the Port of London, and consequently was a target for enemy action. In 1940, the high-level span took a direct hit, severing the hydraulic mechanism and taking the bridge out of action. In April 1941, a parachute mine exploded close to the bridge, causing serious damage to the bascule, towers, and engine room. In 1942, a third engine was installed in case the existing ones were damaged by enemy action. It was a 150 hp horizontal cross-compound engine, built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at their Elswick works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was fitted with a flywheel having a 9-foot (2.7 m) diameter and weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm. The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974 and was donated to the Forncett Industrial Steam Museum by the City of London Corporation.
The southern section of the bridge, in the London Borough of Southwark, was Grade I listed on 6 December 1949. The remainder of the bridge, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, was listed on 27 September 1973. In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House, with the original final pinions driven by modern hydraulic motors.
In 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition opened, housed in the bridge's twin towers, the long-closed high-level walkways, and the Victorian engine rooms. The latter still houses the original steam engines and some of the original hydraulic machinery.
21st century
The bridge closed for a month in 2000 to repair the bascules and perform other maintenance. A computer system was installed to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. However, the system proved unreliable, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005 until its sensors were replaced.
In April 2008, authorities announced that the bridge would undergo a £4 million refurbishment that would take four years to complete. The work entailed stripping existing paint down to bare metal and repainting in blue and white. Before this, the bridge's colour scheme dated from 1977, when it was painted red, white, and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Its colours were subsequently restored to blue and white. Each section was enshrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures were inevitable. The completed work should stand for 25 years. The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009. The renovation of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using a state-of-the-art coating system requiring up to six different layers of paint. A lighting system based on RGB LED luminaires was installed, concealed within the bridge superstructure, and attached without drilling holes, owing to the bridge's Grade I listing.
On 8 July 2012, as part of the London Olympics, the west walkway was transformed into a 200-foot-long (61 m) Live Music Sculpture by the British composer Samuel Bordoli. 30 classical musicians were arranged along the length of the bridge 138 feet (42 m) above the Thames behind the Olympic rings. The sound travelled backward and forwards along the walkway, echoing the structure of the bridge.
Following the Olympics, the rings were removed from Tower Bridge and replaced by the emblem of the Paralympic Games for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
In 2016, Tower Bridge was closed to all road traffic from 1 October to 30 December. This was to allow structural maintenance work to take place on the timber decking, lifting mechanism and waterproofing the brick arches on the bridge's approaches. During this, the bridge was still open to waterborne traffic. It was open to pedestrians for all but three weekends when a free ferry service was in operation.
Design
Structure
The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules, or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes.
The two side spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide and accessed by lifts and staircases.
There is a chimney on the bridge that is painted to look like a lamppost. It was connected to a fireplace in a guardroom located in one of the bridge piers.
Hydraulic system
The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in several hydraulic accumulators. The system was designed and installed by Hamilton Owen Rendel while working for Armstrong, Mitchell and Company of Newcastle upon Tyne. Water at a pressure of 750 psi (5.2 MPa) was pumped into the accumulators by a pair of stationary steam engines. Each drove a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a 20-inch (51 cm) ram which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.
The entire hydraulic system along with the gas lighting system was installed by William Sugg & Co Ltd. The gas lighting was initially by open-flame burners within the lanterns, but was soon updated to the later incandescent system.
In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House. The only remaining parts of the old system are the final pinions, which fit into the racks on the bascules and were driven by hydraulic motors and gearing. Oil is now used in place of water as the new hydraulic fluid.
Signalling and control
Originally, river traffic passing beneath the bridge was required to follow several rules and signals. Daytime control was provided by red semaphore signals, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both of the bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both of the piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a gong was sounded as well.
Vessels passing through the bridge were required to display signals. By day, a black ball at least 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter was mounted high up where it could be seen. Night passage called for two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship's steam whistle. If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about 1,000 yards (910 m) downstream, at Cherry Garden Pier, where boats needing to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the Bridge Master.
Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and is housed in the Tower Bridge's museum.
Traffic
Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames, used by more than 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians) every day. The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone (drivers do not incur the charge by crossing the bridge).
To maintain the integrity of the structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed a 20-mile-per-hour (32 km/h) speed restriction, and an 18-tonne (20-short-ton) weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, using a number plate recognition system to send fixed penalty charges to speeding drivers.
A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. Induction loops and piezoelectric sensors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles of each vehicle, with drivers of overweight vehicles also receiving fixed penalty notices.
Pedestrian
From the outset, the high-level connection was a pedestrian route and was intended to allow pedestrian movement to continue while the bridge was open. This was closed in 1910 due to growing crime in this hidden area but was reopened in 1982 when a glass floor was also installed.
River
The bascules are raised about a thousand times a year. River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge, and opening times are published in advance on the bridge's website; there is no charge for vessels to open the bridge.
Proximity to Underground
The nearest London Underground tube stations to Tower Bridge are Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines and Bermondsey on the Jubilee line, and the nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway. The nearest National Rail stations are at Fenchurch Street and London Bridge.
Cycling
Transport for London have proposed Cycle Superhighway 4 to run across Tower Bridge.
Exhibition
The Tower Bridge Exhibition is a display housed in the bridge's twin towers, the high-level walkways, and the Victorian engine rooms. It uses films, photos, and interactive displays to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original steam engines that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in a building close to the south end of the bridge.
The exhibition charges an admission fee. The entrance is from the west side of the bridge deck to the northern tower, from where visitors ascend to level 4 by lift before crossing the high-level walkways to the southern tower. In the towers and walkways is an exhibition on the history of the bridge. The walkways also provide views over the city, the Tower of London and the Pool of London, and include a glass-floored section. From the south tower, visitors can visit the engine rooms, with the original steam engines, which are situated in a separate building beside the southern approach to the bridge.
Reaction
Although Tower Bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure", wrote Henry Heathcote Statham, while Frank Brangwyn stated that "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river".
Benjamin Crisler, the New York Times film critic, wrote in 1938: "Three unique and valuable institutions the British have that we in America have not: Magna Carta, the Tower Bridge and Alfred Hitchcock." Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected Tower Bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain's Best Buildings. The bridge and its surrounding landscape was depicted in an official BBC trailer for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (in reference to London being one of the host cities).
Tower Bridge has been mistaken for the next bridge upstream, London Bridge. A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert P. McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, believed that he was buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the vendor of the bridge.
A partial replica of Tower Bridge has been built in the city of Suzhou in China. The replica differs from the original in having no lifting mechanism and four separate towers. The Suzhou replica was renovated in 2019, giving it a new look that differs from the original London design.
Tower Bridge is the emblem of the Greater London Scout Region of The Scout Association and features on the badges of the six London Scout counties.
Incidents
On 10 August 1912, the pioneering stunt pilot Francis McClean flew between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short Brothers S.33 floatplane. McClean became a celebrity overnight because of the stunt, and went on to fly underneath London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.
On 3 August 1922, a 13-year-old boy fell off a slipway next to the south side of Tower Bridge. A man jumped into the Thames to save him, but both were pulled under a barge by Butler's Wharf and drowned.
In December 1952, the bridge opened while a number 78 double-decker bus was crossing from the south bank. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the raising of the bridge. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver Albert Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate, clearing a 3-foot (1 m) gap to drop 6 feet (2 m) onto the north bascule, which had not yet started to rise. There were no serious injuries. Gunter was given £10 (equivalent to £310 in 2021) by the City Corporation to honour his act of bravery.
On 5 April 1968, a Royal Air Force Hawker Hunter FGA.9 jet fighter from No. 1 Squadron made an unauthorised flight through Tower Bridge. Unimpressed that senior staff was not going to celebrate the RAF's 50th birthday with a flypast, the pilot flew at low altitude down the Thames without authorisation, past the Houses of Parliament, and continued towards the bridge. He flew beneath the walkway, at an estimated 300 miles per hour (500 km/h). He was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a court martial.
On 31 July 1973, a single-engined Beagle Pup was twice flown under the pedestrian walkway of Tower Bridge by 29-year-old stockbroker's clerk Peter Martin. Martin, who was on bail following accusations of stock market fraud, then "buzzed" buildings in the city before flying north towards the Lake District, where he died when his aircraft crashed some two hours later.
In May 1997, the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton was divided by the opening of the bridge. The Thames sailing barge Gladys, on her way to a gathering at St Katharine Docks, arrived on schedule and the bridge was opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Clinton was less punctual and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying: "We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn't answer the phone."
On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a Freeman of the City of London, drove a flock of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising a claimed ancient permission, granted as a right to freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way their rights were being eroded.
Before dawn on 31 October 2003, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner climbed a 100-foot (30 m) tower crane near Tower Bridge at the start of a six-day protest dressed as Spider-Man. Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and East London.
On 11 May 2009, six people were trapped and injured after a lift fell 10 feet (3 m) inside the north tower.
On 9 August 2021, the bridge remained open after a technical failure. The bridge had opened to let the Jubilee Trust Tall Ship through from 2 p.m. before getting stuck. The bridge was closed and reopened to traffic approximately 12 hours later.
Here he is again, he'll do anything to get at those seeds, as you can see he's still keeping a close
eye on me & me on him! He'll even hang upside down on this feeder! Poor birds don't have a
chance at their own food! LoL!!!
Despite the bad weather and persistent rain, today turned out to be a good day. About two hours before Sunset, the rain stopped and the skies cleared, so I grabbed my gear and rushed to my favorite spot, hoping for a good light for some shots. While I was sitting this Great Cormorant made four passes by me before it landed near a natural pond for a refreshing bath. You would think with all the rain that that wouldn't be necessary :) This is the shot that I liked the most of it passing by me. I think I got enough material for next few days, so even if it rains I have new stuff to look at. Cheers everyone.
________________________________
Contact Luis Gaspar:
luis.gaspar.fotografia@gmail.com
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,3128
Subject (TGM): Thread industry; Sewing equipment & supplies; Cats; Animals in human situations;
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show253128
Title: Food for Tomorrow's World
Date of film: ca. 1960
Physical descrip: b&w; sound; original length: 20.00
Local call number: V-42 BA124; S. 828
General note: This film shows the work at Hydroponics International where the "farmers" carry walkie-talkie radios and have an extensive lab to develop and test mineral solutions that modify the soil and result in optimum produce. Viewers see shots of a two-foot long bean developed here, as well as tobacco, ornamentals, vegetables and fruits. The produce was packed under the name "Vita-Veg."
To see full-length versions of this and other videos from the State Archives of Florida, visit www.floridamemory.com/video/.
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: floridamemory.com/items/show/319544
Local call number: PR78632
Title: Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Bridge with their dogs in Dade City
Date: ca 1920
Physical descrip: 1 photoprint - col. - 3 x 4 in.
Series Title: Print Collections
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida
500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL, 32399-0250 USA, Contact: 850.245.6700, Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: floridamemory.com/items/show/159041
Local call number: PC1338
Title: "Indian Boy Wrestling Alligators at Musa Isle Indian Village, Miami, Fla."
Date: ca. 1940
Physical descrip: 1 postcard - col. - 9 x 14 cm.
Series Title: Postcard Collection
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida
500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL, 32399-0250 USA, Contact: 850.245.6700, Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: www.floridamemory.com/items/show/245253
Local call number: JJS0336
Title: Bird's eye view of the beach near Sarasota, Florida
Date: ca. 1970
Physical descrip: 1 transparency - col. - 60 mm.
Series Title: Joseph Janney Steinmetz Collection
Repository: State Library and Archives of Florida, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 USA. Contact: 850.245.6700. Archives@dos.myflorida.com
Persistent URL: digital.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,2429
Subject (TGM): Roses; Flowers; Perfumes; Pharmacists; Drugstores;