ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2021. "Send in the Bugs. The Michelangelos Need Cleaning" [= Laboratori Enea i batteri 'restauratori' per riparare dipinti, affreschi e statue], NYT (31 May, 2021): C1. S.v., "Roma, Casina Farnese sul Palatino," in: ADNKRONOS / ARTE (10/04/2015). wp.me/pbMWvy-1vZ

1). ITALIA - Send in the Bugs. The Michelangelos Need Cleaning. NYT (31 May 31, 2021): C1.

Last fall, with the Medici Chapel in Florence operating on reduced hours because of Covid-19, scientists and restorers completed a secret experiment: They unleashed grime-eating bacteria on the artist’s masterpiece marbles.

FLORENCE — As early as 1595, descriptions of stains and discoloration began to appear in accounts of a sarcophagus in the graceful chapel Michelangelo created as the final resting place of the Medicis. In the ensuing centuries, plasters used to incessantly copy the masterpieces he sculpted atop the tombs left discoloring residues. His ornate white walls dimmed.

Nearly a decade of restorations removed most of the blemishes, but the grime on the tomb and other stubborn stains required special, and clandestine, attention. In the months leading up to Italy’s Covid-19 epidemic and then in some of the darkest days of its second wave as the virus raged outside, restorers and scientists quietly unleashed microbes with good taste and an enormous appetite on the marbles, intentionally turning the chapel into a bacterial smorgasbord.

“It was top secret,” said Daniela Manna, one of the art restorers.

On a recent morning, she reclined — like Michelangelo’s allegorical sculptures of Dusk and Dawn above her — and reached into the shadowy nook between the chapel wall and the sarcophagus to point at a dirty black square, a remnant showing just how filthy the marble had become.

She attributed the mess to one Medici in particular, Alessandro Medici, a ruler of Florence, whose assassinated corpse had apparently been buried in the tomb without being properly eviscerated. Over the centuries, he seeped into Michelangelo’s marble, the chapel’s experts said, creating deep stains, button-shaped deformations, and, more recently, providing a feast for the chapel’s preferred cleaning product, a bacteria called Serratia ficaria SH7.

“SH7 ate Alessandro,” Monica Bietti, former director of the Medici Chapels Museum, said as she stood in front of the now gleaming tomb, surrounded by Michelangelos, dead Medicis, tourists and an all-woman team of scientists, restorers and historians. Her team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and apparently Alessandro’s phosphates as a bioweapon against centuries of stains.

In November 2019, the museum brought in Italy’s National Research Council, which used infrared spectroscopy that revealed calcite, silicate and other, more organic, remnants on the sculptures and two tombs that face one another across the New Sacristy.

That provided a key blueprint for Anna Rosa Sprocati, a biologist at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, to choose the most appropriate bacteria from a collection of nearly 1,000 strains, usually used to break down petroleum in oil spills or to reduce the toxicity of heavy metals. Some of the bugs in her lab ate phosphates and proteins, but also the Carrara marble preferred by Michelangelo.

“We didn’t pick those,” said Bietti.

Then the restoration team tested the most promising eight strains behind the altar, on a small rectangle palette spotted with rows of squares like a tiny marble bingo board. All of the ones selected, she said, were nonhazardous and without spores.

“It’s better for our health,” said Manna, after crawling out from under the sarcophagus. “For the environment, and the works of art.”

Sprocati said they first introduced the bacteria to Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shone in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11, a bacteria isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, another strain which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.

It was a success. But Paola D’Agostino, who runs the Bargello Museums, which oversees the chapels and which will officially reveal the results of the project in June, preferred to play it safe on Night’s face. So did Bietti and Pietro Zander, a Vatican expert who joined them. They allowed the restorers to give her a facial of micro-gel packs of xanthan gum, a stabilizer often found in toothpaste and cosmetics that is derived from the Xanthomonas campestris bacteria. The head of the Duke Giuliano, hovering above his tomb, received similar treatment.

Sprocati took her bugs elsewhere. In August, her group of biologists used bacteria isolated from a Naples industrial site to clean the wax left by centuries of votive candles from Alessandro Algardi’s baroque masterpiece, a colossal marble relief in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome of the Meeting of Attila and Pope Leo.

The bacteria strains got back to the Medici Chapel, which had reopened with reduced hours, in mid-October. Wearing white lab coats, blue gloves and anti-Covid surgical masks, Sprocati and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria — from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia — on the sullied sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.

“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, another of the restorers.

The Medicis were more accustomed to sitting atop Florence’s food chain.

In 1513, Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici became Leo X — the first Medici pope. He had big plans for a new sacristy for the interment of his family, including his father, Lorenzo the Magnificent, the powerful ruler of Florence who largely bankrolled the Renaissance. Il Magnifico is now buried here too, under a modest altar adorned with Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, flanked by saints that also had their toes nibbled by cleansing bacteria. But back then his coffin waited, probably on the Old Sacristy floor. He was soon joined by Leo X’s brother, Giuliano, and his nephew, Lorenzo, the Prince to whom Machiavelli dedicated his treatise on wielding power.

“You had coffins waiting to be buried,” said D’Agostino. “It’s kind of gloomy.”

Image

Pope Leo X hired Michelangelo to design and build the mausoleum. The pope then promptly died of pneumonia. In the ensuing years, Michelangelo carved the masterpieces and then ran afoul of his patrons.

In 1527, with the Sack of Rome, Florentines, including Michelangelo, supported a Republic and overthrew the Medicis. Among the ousted princes was Lorenzo di Piero’s sometimes volatile son, Alessandro, whom many historians consider a real piece of work. Michelangelo couldn’t stand him, and when the Medicis stormed back, it was Michelangelo’s turn to flee.

In 1531, the Medici Pope Clement VII pardoned Michelangelo, who went back to work on the family chapel. But by that time, Alessandro had become Duke of Florence. Michelangelo soon left town, and the unfinished chapel, for good.

“Alessandro was terrible,” said D’Agostino.

Alessandro’s relative, known as the “bad Lorenzo,” agreed and stabbed him to death in 1537. The duke’s body was rolled up in a carpet and plopped in the sarcophagus. It’s unclear if his father, Lorenzo, was already in there or moved in later.

“A roommate,” D’Agostino said.

In 2013, Bietti, then the museum’s director, realized how badly things had deteriorated since a 1988 restoration. The museum cleaned the walls, marred by centuries of humidity and handprints, revealed damages from the casts and iron brushes used to remove oil and wax, and reanimated the statues.

“Come and see,” Bietti said, pointing, Creation-of-Adam-style, at the toe of Night.

But the cleaner the chapel became, the more the stubbornly marred the sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero stood out as an eyesore.

In 2016, Vincenti, one of the restorers, attended a conference held by Sprocati and her biologists. (“An introduction to the world of microorganisms,” Sprocati called it.) They showed how bacteria had cleaned up some resin residues on Baroque masterpiece frescoes in the Carracci Gallery at Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Strains isolated from mine drainage waters in Sardinia eliminated corrosive iron stains in the gallery’s Carrara marble.

When it came time to clean the Michelangelos, Vincenti pushed for a bacterial assist.

“I said, ‘OK,” said D’Agostino. “‘But let’s do a test first.’”

The bacteria passed the exam and did the job. On Monday, tourists admired the downward pensive glance of Michelangelo’s bearded Dusk, the rising of his groggy Dawn and Lorenzo’s tomb, now rid of the remnants of Alessandro.

“It’s very strange, especially in this time of Covid,” Marika Tapuska, a Slovakian visiting Florence with her family said when she learned that bacteria had cleaned up the sarcophagus. “But if it works, why not?”

Fonte / source, foto:

--- NYT (31 May 31, 2021): C1.

www.nytimes.com/2021/05/30/arts/bacteria-cleaning-michela...

2). ROMA - S.v., 'Roma, Casina Farnese sul Palatino', in: "Arte: dai laboratori Enea i batteri 'restauratori' per riparare dipinti, affreschi e statue." ADNKRONOS / ARTE (10/04/2015).

Presto su opere custodite in Vaticano l'applicazione dell'innovativa tecnica made in Italy messa a punto dal team coordinato da Anna Rosa Sprocati che all'Adnkronos spiega: "Tecnica a basso costo e con molti vantaggi."

Batteri per restaurare statue, dipinti, affreschi, antichi manoscritti. Piccolissimi organismi che si nutrono in maniera selettiva delle scorie da rimuovere dalle opere e che agiscono come e meglio di un solvente senza però essere aggressivi né per l'oggetto da trattare, né per la salute degli addetti ai lavori.

E' il biorestauro, la tecnica tutta italiana messa a punto dai ricercatori dell'Enea che verrà a breve applicata in Vaticano per il restauro della 'Madonna della Cintola', dipinto su legno, e per riparare i danni su statue e fontane che si trovano nei giardini della Santa Sede. Si tratta di una tecnica molto promettente. Finora infatti il laboratorio Enea ha selezionato ben 500 ceppi di batteri capaci di intervenire in diverse situazioni e su molteplici materiali.

Sprocati,

"Abbiamo isolato questi microrganismi e li abbiamo classificati in base a ciò che sono in grado di fare - spiega all'Adnkronos Anna Rosa Sprocati, coordinatrice del laboratorio Enea di Microbiologia ambientale e biotecnologie microbiche - creando poi una nostra banca dati. In base agli interventi che ci vengono richiesti dagli esperti, selezioniamo quindi in laboratorio i batteri più adatti, li sperimentiamo e li applichiamo per 'aggredire' determinate sostanze senza danneggiare le opere trattate".

E la tecnica presenta diversi vantaggi: è a basso costo "perché - assicura la ricercatrice - crescere dei batteri su larga scala non implica davvero grandi spese", non pone problemi etici perché si basa su organismi naturali non modificati geneticamente, è di facile applicazione e non è dannoso per la salute dei tecnici.

"Questo tipo di approccio - sottolinea Sprocati - interviene quando le tecniche tradizionali non sono soddisfacenti o quando per esserlo necessitano di prodotti aggressivi per le opere o tossici per i restauratori". Sono proprio i restauratori infatti a beneficiare maggiormente della biotecnologia e a vedere nella sua applicazione un'alternativa promettente all'impiego dei tradizionali prodotti chimici. "L'uso dei batteri non è sostitutivo del lavoro degli esperti - tiene infatti a sottolineare la scienziata - ma ne costituisce uno strumento di lavoro. Noi - spiega - ci basiamo molto proprio sulle indicazioni che arrivano dai restauratori che ci chiedono aiuto. Senza il loro occhio del resto, spesso non ci sarebbe facile verificare l'efficacia di un trattamento".

Il tempo di un restauro fatto dai batteri varia a seconda del tipo di intervento. "Può bastare una notte - dice Sprocati - come nel caso di una crosta nera da rimuovere da una statua, o possono essere necessarie diverse applicazioni come è capitato per rimuovere i residui di smog dalla 'Lupa' di Giuseppe Graziosi custodita alla Galleria nazionale di arte moderna e rimasta all'aperto per 40 anni".

Diversi gli interventi di biorestauro richiesti agli scienziati Enea. Dalla Casina Farnese sul Palatino "dove abbiamo applicato diversi tipi di batteri in successione - spiega la ricercatrice - per rimuovere i residui dagli affreschi delle logge", alla soluzione trovata ma non ancora applicata agli affreschi del Palazzo dei Papi di Avignone, in Francia. "In questo caso il problema era rimuovere della colla vinilica che tra gli anni Venti e Settanta è stata spalmata sugli affreschi per consolidarli - spiega Sprocati - ma col passare del tempo questa colla ha creato un film opaco. Con il restauro tradizionale bisognerebbe ricorrere a solventi che rischierebbero di danneggiare i dipinti. Noi invece abbiamo individuato due ceppi di batteri in grado di mangiare il vinavil senza intaccare l'opera".

Fonte / source, foto:

--- ADNKRONOS / ARTE (10/04/2015).

www.adnkronos.com/batteri-al-posto-dei-solventi-dallenea-...

Colleen Swartz

The only thing in today's blog post.

dennissylvesterhurd.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-tool-to-help-r...

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Fiat G.91Y was an Italian ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft that first flew in 1966. Resembling its predecessor, the Fiat G.91, the aircraft was a complete redesign, a major difference being its twin-turbojet engines for a considerably increased performance.

In this form the G.91YS was kept in operational service until 1994, when it was retired together with the Swiss Hunter fleet. Six aircraft had been lost through accidents during the type’s career. Author Fiona Lombardi stated of the retirement of the Hunter and the G.91YS, the Swiss Air Force "definitively lost the capability to carry out air-to-ground operations". With the retirement of the G.91YS fleet Fliegerstaffel 22 was disbanded, too.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length (incl. pitot): 12.29 m (40 ft 11 in)

Wingspan: 9.01 m (29 ft 6.5 in)

Height: 4.43 m (14 ft 6.3 in)

Wing area: 18.13 m² (195.149 ft²)

Empty weight: 4.000 kg (8.810 lb)

Loaded weight: 8.000 kg (17.621 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 9.000 kg (19.825 lb)

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-13A turbojets with afterburners, 18.15 kN (4,080 lbf) each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.110 km/h (600 kn, 690 mph,

Mach 0.95 at 10,000 m (33,000 ft)

Range: 3,400 km (ferry range with droptanks) (2,110 mls)

Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 86.36 m/s (17,000 ft/min)

Wing loading: 480 kg/m² (98.3 lb/ft² (maximum)

Thrust/weight: 0.47 at maximum loading

Armament:

2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA cannons

6× under-wing pylon stations holding up to maximum of 2.270 kg (5.000 lb) of payload.

The kit and its assembly:

A classic whif – the G.91YS for the Swiss Air Force actually existed, and I just spun the idea further. The compact fighter would have been a suitable addition to the small nation’s air force, and I interpreted it as an addition to the big Hawker Hunter fleet with a dedicated role and with suitable special equipment.

The basis is the Matchbox G.91Y kit with some minor changes:

• A new nose from a Fujimi Harrier GR.3

• The jet exhausts were opened and some interior added

• Flaps were lowered

• Some added detail to the ejection seat

• The spine extension, a simple piece of sprue

• The radar warning fairing is a square piece of styrene sheet

• Replacement of the cast-on guns with hollow steel needles

• The Sidewinder hardpoints come from a Revell F-16A

• The AGM-65s and their launch rails come from a Hasegawa weapon set

Painting and markings:

The bigger challenge, because I did not want to use the typical “Hunter livery” in Extra Dark Sea Grey/SlateGrey/Aluminum – even if it would have been the natural choice for a Swiss aircraft. Choice for alternative yet authentic schemes is narrow, though – late Mirage III or the F-5Es carry a two-tone grey air superiority scheme, and I found this rather unsuitable for an attack aircraft.

So I developed my own design: a mix of the original Italian grey/green scheme and a two-tone pattern that late Turkish RF-4E/TMs carried - but with different colors and all mashed up into a modern, disruptive scheme. Experimental schemes of the German Luftwaffe in the late 70ies for their Alpha Jets and the F-4F fleet (leading to the complex Norm ’81 patterns) also had an influence.

As basic tones I used RAL 6007 (Grüngrau, Revell 67) and Dark Gull Grey (FS36231, Modelmaster, turned out to be a bit too pale for what I wanted to achieve), with added fields of RAL 7000 (Fehgrau, Revell 57) on the upper surfaces and on the mid-waterline flanks – lighter and softer than the original NATO tones and with disruptive lighter blotches that break up the silhouette.

The underside was simply painted in uniform FS36375 (Humbrol 127), which was also carried onto the fin. After a thin black ink wash panels were lightened through dry-brushing.

Cockpit interior was painted with Humbrol 140, the landing gear with a mix of White and Aluminum, trying to emulate look of real aircraft. In order not to make them stand out too much I painted the AGM-65s in olive drab, even though I think all Swiss missiles of that type were white. Artistic freedom…

Decals were puzzled together, e. g. from a Mirage III Carpena sheet and an Italieri Bae Hawk sheet, most stencils come from the OOB sheet (despite being slightly yellowed...).

A simple whif, done in a week, and based on an obscure real-life project. And the G.91 bears more whiffing potential, at least one more is to come!

Madison, GA

Jose Rojas, North American Division Volunteer Ministries director, visits with audience members following a Check Him Out program.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 + Camdiox focal reducer + Zenitar-M 50mm f/1.7 (panorama)

-

www.silvacordeiro.com

The condoms and sexual strength enhancement potions on sale in a Japanese chemist.

The top rows contain a variety of sexual strength enhancement potions, such as Maca (a peruvian root) and extract of tortoise. There are many varieties of condom beneath.

The Japanese are big users and producers of condoms. Japanese condoms are thinner and recommended for their sensitivity and high quality. Japanese condoms are also smaller than those sold in the UK. One of the reasons for the popularity of condoms in Japan is that the contraceptive pill was illegal until only a few years ago. Feminists see the late arrival of the contraceptive pill as further evidence for the servile status of the Japanese woman.

I believe that the lack of contraceptive pills (and coils too) is related to the fact that women's sex organs are considerably more taboo than those of men. Men's hang out, and can be encapsulate in latex, but interfering with the dreaded womb would be treasonable.

Sadly, from the point of view of HIV prevention, the Japanese have been using less condoms recently, with numbers down by 40% since a peak in the late eighties, not apparently because they are using the contraceptive pill, but because they are having unsafe sex. One day soon HIV will hit Japan fairly hard.

April 19, 2012 - Washington DC., World Bank / IMF 2012 Spring Meetings. Forum: Reducing Murder Rates in Central America: Searching for Practical Solutions, with Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group. Photo: Deborah W. Campos / World Bank

Reduced in Quality to 40% to Speed up the Upload time.

A Morsbag I made a little while ago from an old sheet. I have a lot more of this fabric, and I hope each one will each have a stencilled picture to distract people from the pattern!

www.jenmeister.com/2010/06/birds-and-bears-on-bags-oh-my....

even when it's polka-dotty bananas.

My wonderful sister-in-law found this truly amazing banana bread recipe a few years ago and was sweet enough to share it. It's made using sour cream and is baked in a Bundt pan. In our house, it never lasts more than a day.

For my friends (you know who you are) who need a chunk of this today.

Yay, the banana bread made explore!! LOL!! How hilarious! #490...woot.

A chest freezer opens from the top, which lessens cold air from escaping.

Omega Speedmaster Reduce

Start of our walk through the tea planations.

Early plans

The idea of an east to west waterway link across southern England was first mentioned in Elizabethan times, between 1558 and 1603,[2] to take advantage of the proximity of the rivers Avon and Thames, only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart at their closest. Later, around 1626, Henry Briggs made a survey of the two rivers and noted that the land between them was level and easy to dig. He proposed a canal to connect them, but following Briggs' death in 1630 the plan was dropped. After the English Civil War four bills were presented to parliament, but all failed after opposition from gentry, farmers and traders worried about cheaper water transport reducing the value of fees on turnpike roads they controlled, and cheaper produce from Wales undercutting locally produced food.[2] The main alternative to road transport for the carriage of goods between Bristol and London was a hazardous sea route through the English Channel. The small coastal sailing ships of the day were often damaged by Atlantic storms, and risked being attacked by warships of the French navy and privateers during a succession of conflicts with France.[3]

Plans for a waterway were shelved until the early 18th century. In 1723 the Kennet Navigation through Reading opened. The Avon navigation from Bristol to Bath was opened in 1727; the first cargo of "Deal boards, Pig-Lead and Meal" reached Bath in December.[4] The two navigations were built to meet local needs independently of one another, but both under the supervision of surveyor and engineer John Hore. In 1788 the so-called "Western Canal" was proposed to improve trade and communication links to towns such as Hungerford, Marlborough, Wiltshire, Calne, Chippenham and Melksham. The following year the engineers Barns, Simcock and Weston submitted a proposed route for this canal, although there were doubts about the adequacy of the water supply. The name was changed from Western Canal to Kennet and Avon Canal to avoid confusion with the Grand Western Canal, which was being proposed at the same time.[5]

[edit] Construction

Surveyor, John Rennie: portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, 1810

In 1793 a further survey was conducted by John Rennie, and the route of the canal was altered to take a more southerly course through Great Bedwyn, Devizes, Trowbridge and Newbury. The proposed route was accepted by the Kennet and Avon Canal Company, chaired by Charles Dundas, and the company started to take subscriptions from prospective shareholders. In July 1793 Rennie suggested further alterations to the route, including the construction of a tunnel in the Savernake Forest.[5] On 17 April 1794 the Kennet and Avon Canal Act received the Royal Assent and construction began. The Newbury to Hungerford section was completed in 1798, and was extended to Great Bedwyn in 1799. The section from Bath to Foxhangers was finished in 1804, and the two were linked by an iron railway until the completion of Devizes Locks in 1810.[5]

The canal opened in 1810 after 16 years of construction. Major structures included the Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts, the Bruce Tunnel under Savernake Forest, and the pumping stations at Claverton and Crofton, needed to overcome water supply problems. The final engineering task was the completion of the Caen Hill Locks at Devizes.[6]

[edit] Operation

In 1801, trade along the canal commenced, even though goods had to be unloaded at Foxhangers at the bottom of what is now Caen Hill Locks, transported up the hill by a horse-drawn railway, and reloaded into barges at the top. When the flight of locks finally opened in 1810, allowing the same vessel to navigate the entire canal, the rate of carriage per ton from London to Bath was £2 9s 6d. This compared well with carriage by road, which cost £6 3s to £7 per ton, and therefore trade on the canal flourished. In 1812, the Kennet and Avon Canal Company bought the Kennet Navigation, which stretched from Newbury to the junction with the Thames at Kennet Mouth, near Reading. The purchase from Frederick Page cost £100,000, of which £70,000 was paid in cash with the balance paid back over a period of time. The purchase was authorised by the Kennet Navigation Act of June 1813, which enabled the company to raise the funds through the sale of 5,500 shares at £24 each. At the same time work was undertaken to improve the Avon Navigation, from Bristol to Bath, with the Kennet and Avon Canal Company purchasing a majority shareholding in the Avon Navigation in 1816.[7]

By 1818, seventy 60-ton barges were working on the canal, the majority of the tonnage being accounted for by coal and stone travelling via the Somerset Coal Canal.[8] The journey from Bath to Newbury took an average of three and a half days. By 1832, 300,000 tons of freight was being carried each year and, between 1825 and 1834, the company had an annual revenue of around £45,000.[5]

[edit] Decline

The opening of the Great Western Railway in 1841 removed much of the canal's traffic, even though the canal company lowered tariffs.[9] In 1852 the railway company took over the canal's operation, levying high tolls at every toll point and reducing the amount spent on maintenance. Ice-breaking was stopped before the winter of 1857, and traders were further encouraged by preferential tolls to use the railway rather than the canal. In 1861 a new order prohibited any traffic on the canal at night, and, in 1865, boats were forced to pass through locks in pairs to reduce water loss. By 1868 the annual tonnage had fallen from 360,610 in 1848 to 210,567. In the 1870s water abstraction from the canal near Fobney Lock followed the regulations introduced in the Reading Local Board Waterworks, Sewerage, Drainage and Improvements Act of 1870, and contributed to the silting up of locks and stretches of the canal. Several wharves and stretches of towpath were closed. In 1877 the canal recorded a deficit of £1,920 and never subsequently made any profit.[10]

The Somerset Coal Canal and Wilts and Berks Canal, which each supplied some of the trade from the Somerset coalfield to the Kennet and Avon,[11] closed in 1904 and 1906 respectively. In 1926, following a loss of £18,041 the previous year,[12] the Great Western Railway sought to close the canal by obtaining a Ministry of Transport Order, but the move was resisted and the company charged with improving its maintenance of the canal.[9] Cargo trade continued to decline, but a few pleasure boats started to use the canal.[13]

A Second World War pillbox near Kintbury

During the Second World War a large number of concrete bunkers known as pillboxes were built as part of the GHQ Line to defend against an expected German invasion, many of which are still visible along the banks of the canal.[14] They were generally built close to road and rail bridges, which would have formed important crossing points for enemy troops and vehicles.[15][16] After the war the Transport Act of 1947 meant that control of the canal passed to the British Transport Commission, but by the 1950s large sections of the canal had been closed because of poor lock maintenance following a breach in the bank west of the Avoncliff Aqueduct.[5] The last through passage was made in 1951 by nb Queen (Nicholson Guide 7 p59).

I dropped off our recycling today and grabbed this shot.

One man's trash is another's treasure. Make a photo of something discarded or abandoned today.

ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: ROME - “Trajan’s Temple, Column and Forum,” in: VR Back To The Past. CARLO CESTRA DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS @2010-2019 (04/2019).

ROME - Trajan's forum: This is part of the project named VR Back To The Past, a collection of virtual reality tours I am working on. Here is the digital reconstruction of the north-western part of the Trajan's Forum in Rome (beside the "Basilica Ulpia") with the Trajan's Column and the Temple. The Temple of Trajan (Templum Divi Traiani et Plotinae), Trajan's Column area.

Fonte | source:

-- Carlo Cestra, Senior CG Artist - Trajan's forum (04/2019).

carlocestra.artstation.com/projects/baDKan?album_id=1360625

3). ROME - Carlo Cestra, VIRTUAL TOUR ROME (ENGLISH). Spherae Virtual Tour Trailer (02/2018), You-Tube [2:18].

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3oVF1OCm8M

4). ROME - Carlo Cestra, VIRTUAL TOUR ROMA (ITALIANO). Spherae Virtual Tour Trailer (02/2018), You-Tube [2:18].

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NojOUzYsxbo

S.v.,

-- ROMA: I Fori Imperiali - Roma antica » Aree archeologiche » Fori Imperiali » Il Foro di Traiano - “Il tempio che non c’è,” in: Sovrintendenza Capitolina (April 2019).

ROMA - Nel Foro di Traiano mancava il tempio, edificio che abbiamo visto invece costantemente presente negli altri Fori Imperiali. In passato si riteneva che un gigantesco tempio dedicato a Traiano e a Plotina divinizzati (e comunque non a una divinità “tradizionale”, come era sempre accaduto) fosse stato edificato dal successore di Traiano, ossia Adriano (117-138 d.C.) al limite settentrionale del complesso, in un’area sostanzialmente corrispondente a quella in cui oggi si trova Palazzo Valentini. Le ricerche effettuate in tempi recenti nei sotterranei del Palazzo hanno invece riportato alla luce resti, anche consistenti, di edifici d’abitazione, ridimensionando o escludendo così la presenza di un tempio in questo punto.

ROME - The temple that isn’t there: Within Trajan’s Forum there is no temple, a building which is present in all the other Imperial Fora. In the past it was believed that an enormous temple had been built to celebrate the deified Trajan and Plotina (and not as a “traditional” divinity as had always been the case). This temple was believed to have been built by Trajan’s successor Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) at the northern edge of the complex, in an area that is essentially where Palazzo Valentini stands today. Recent researches carried out in the basement of that building has brought to light ruins of private habitations, some quite substantial, which would appear to exclude the presence of such a temple in that area or at least reduce its possible size.

Fonte | source:

-- “Il tempio che non c’è,” in: Sovrintendenza Capitolina (April 2019). Foto: "Ipotesi ricostruttiva del Tempio di Traiano”, di J. E. Packer (2003).

www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/content/il-tempio-che-non-c%E2...

-- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: Francesco Ferretti, “Foro di Traiano – Notiziario bibliografia”: J. E. Packer, Forum of Trajan Vol. I-III; R. Meneghini, F. di Traiano, RM 105 (1998); & E. La Rocca, F. di Traiano, RM 105 (1998); in: Notiziario bibliografico di Roma e Suburbio, 1997-2001. BCom Vol. 102 (2001), pp. 399-400. wp.me/pPRv6-4BX

-- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA & ARCHITETTURA: Il Foro di Traiano | Tempio Divi Traiano (Prof. James E. Packer [1973-2003] & Mr. John Burge [2001-06]), in: Prof. Diane Kliener, ‘Civic Architecture in Rome under Trajan,’ YALE UNIVERSITY (2009) [VIDEO 1:11:33]. [With updated digital resources as of 2013]. wp.me/pPRv6-1kh

-- ROMA ARCHEOLOGICA & RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA: “Un marmo sopra l’altro così rialzeremo le colonne del Foro di Traiano”, LA REPUBBLICA (15|04|2015). The Forum of Trajan, comments by prof. James E. Packer | FACEBOOK (15|04|2015). wp.me/pPRv6-2Y1

-- ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA. ROMA – rinvenimenti sotto Palazzo Valentini – l´esistenza e una porzione di un edificio che potrebbe essere l´introvabile Tempio del Divo Traiano. LA REPUBBLICA (19/05/2007) & Luisa Napoli & Paola Baldassarri, RESEARCH ARTICLE – Palazzo Valentini: Archaeological discoveries and redevelopment projects. Frontiers of Architectural Research, Vol. 4.2 (June 2015): 91-99.

wp.me/pPRv6-4VP

Manufactured Landscapes

An interesting set of photographers with similar grand styles and a somewhat common theme. I managed to find the subjects I wanted for the assignment but did not have any opportunity for higher vantage points. Instead I opted for a closer view that spanned the entire frame in an effort to follow a few of the examples by Burtynsky. I also integrated the order and repeating pattern of Gursky. So in essence I blended their styles to get my product.

I also used this assignment to show my young daughters what grand things humans can make and what the cost is beyond money. Perhaps a bit like showing someone how a yummy sausage is made.

View on black

The Citroën XM is an executive car that was produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1989 and 2000. The XM was voted 1990 European Car of the Year.

Design:

The angular, dart-like Bertone design was a development of Marcello Gandini's Citroën BX concept. It was a longer car with a longer, inclined nose, more refined details and with headlamps that were very much slimmer than the norm (Gandini's own XM proposal was rejected as looking too much like an Opel). The design process of the car was described in the journal Car Styling. In the article Citroen's design chief, Art Blakeslee, explained the appearance of the car, saying "I believe the XM is a modern and dynamic shape, with unique styling elements such as the very long, low hood, the extensive use of glass and the kick-up in the belt line". In the book Citroen XM another Citroen designer, Daniel Abramson, explained: "We lowered the belt line to give the shape a stronger image. It is purely a 'design statement' that is not functional and does nothing for the aerodynamics of the vehicle. We wanted a car that looks good from every angle". Abramson is also reported as saying that they "picked three areas to emphasise: 1) A very aggressive look ("Almost sinister"), 2) Lots of glass to create a greenhouse effect, and 3) An aerodynamic accent based on fact (low drag)".

There were many advances, most apparently designed to counteract the main criticisms of its predecessor. The CX leaned in corners, so the XM had active electronic management of the suspension; the CX rusted, so the XM had a partially galvanised body shell (most surviving XMs have very little corrosion); the CX was underpowered, so the XM offered the option of a 3.0 L V6 engine – the first V6 in a Citroën since the Maserati-engined SM of 1970.

Ventilation was markedly more effective in the XM. Rear accommodation in the XM was improved over the CX in both width, legroom and height. In particular the rear passengers were seated higher than those in the front in order to afford a good view out, important for a vehicle which would operate in French government service. The XM shared a floorpan with the Peugeot 605, and the two models fared similarly in both teething problems and market acceptance. Unlike the 605 sedan design, the XM was a liftback design - a feature thought to be desirable in certain European markets.

History:

Launched on 23 May 1989, the XM was the modern iteration of the Big Citroën, a replacement for the Citroën CX. It was intended to compete against vehicles like the Audi 100 and BMW's 5-series in a sector that accounted for 14.2% of the European market. Citroen was quoted as saying that the car was supposed to "take what Citroen means and make it acceptable". The car's initial reception was positive. The XM won the prestigious European Car of the Year award for 1990 (gaining almost twice as many votes as the second, the Mercedes-Benz SL) and went on to win a further 14 awards that year.

The anticipated annual sales were 450 cars a day in the first full year of production, or 160,000 units a year. Sales never reached this level for a variety of reasons. The market for executive cars made by mainstream manufacturers was in decline as customers opted for offerings from more prestigious marques such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz; in parallel customers were placing a higher priority on speed and handling rather than ride comfort which was Citroen's specialty. The XM was underdeveloped at launch which resulted in reliability problems; the vehicle as designed was inconsistent in its abilities. The XM's styling was also controversial and alienated those who desired a more conventional three box sedan. Most subjective of all was the matter of the XM not living up to the expectations created by its forerunner the Citroen DS, despite that car having been launched in an era of national markets, of different demands and standards, an era when there was more scope for large advances in engineering and design than were possible in 1989.

The XM inherited a loyal global customer base of executive class customers and a clear brand image, but did not enjoy the commercial success and iconic status of its predecessors, the CX and the DS, which both raised the bar of automotive performance for other manufacturers. Export markets experienced lower sales from the outset, partly due to the XM's pricing. The least expensive XM was nearly 50% more expensive at the time of launch than the corresponding CX. Whilst strong at first home market sales also declined, after the mechanical issues of the first few model years became known. The problem was caused by defective electrical connectors. Cost-cutting on the components was needed since the parent company was in financial difficulty at the time of the design of the XM. Between 1980 and 1984 the company lost $1.5 billion.

In mid-1994, the XM was revised in order to improve competitiveness. All models were fitted with driver's airbag (signalling the end of the single-spoke steering wheel), belt-pretensioners, a redesigned dashboard and upper door casings. The suspension was redesigned to reduce roll, pitch and dive. Most noticeable was the adoption of a passive rear-steering system similar to that on the Citroen Xantia. This sharpened the "steering without inducing a nervous twitch." Power output on the turbocharged motor was increased to 150 bhp (112 kW; 152 PS) from 145 bhp (108 kW; 147 PS) at 4400 rpm. This allowed the car to develop more torque at much lower revs.

By the mid-1990s, it was apparent that the XM's image meant it was less desirable than German products such as the BMW 5 Series. The view of the XM as commercially unsuccessful is reported by Compucars, the used car website, along with numerous other period commentaries. Production ended in June 2000.

With total sales over its lifetime of just 330,000 units in more than 10 years, and the fact that its replacement took 5 years to arrive, the XM might be considered a failure. This was the case particularly in the United Kingdom market, where demand was reduced to a virtual trickle by the late 1990s. But despite its common roots with the Peugeot 605, the XM may still emerge as a collectible car, as the DS and CX both did.

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

The Citroen XM joins my recent Citroen Traction Avant, along with the Citroen DS and CX in my large Citroen collection.

Sustainable Development Goal

"Reduce Speed! Save Lives" campaign

Camera:Nokia 6220c-1

Exposure: sec (1/250)

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Focal Length:5.6 mm

ISO Speed:123

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Former Anchor Hocking building in Clarksburg, WV. See the attached photo of what it used to look like.

ead MEPs from Parliament’s political groups reacted on Wednesday to last week’s European Council and outlined their priorities ahead of the Rome declaration which will focus on the future of the EU. The majority of MEPs stressed the need for member states to set the EU on a course to tackle the immediate needs of citizens.

Welcoming the Italian Prime Minister and the Council and Commission presidents, EP President Antonio Tajani said that the 60th anniversary of the Rome treaty would be “an opportunity to bring Europe closer to its citizens and to promote our values in the world.” (…) “Now more than ever, what we need is unity. We must change, but by no means weaken the EU.”

On Europe’s future, Council President Donald Tusk said “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”. He promised to strive in the Brexit talks for political unity among the 27, whilst ensuring that UK and EU stay “close friends”. “Doors will always stay open for our British friends”, he added. But he rejected “claims, taking the form of threats, that ‘no deal’ would be bad for the EU. It would be bad for both, but for the UK in particular”. Speaking in Dutch, Mr Tusk expressed solidarity with the Netherlands, a “place of freedom and democracy”.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Juncker (part. 2) warned against narrowing the future of Europe to a “two-speed” scenario: “I don’t want a new 'iron curtain' in Europe”. Mr Junckerraised the Turkish attacks on the Netherlands saying these were “totally unacceptable” and that those responsible were moving Turkey away from the EU. He also noted that the new US trade policy was raising expectations for the EU to become the new world leader of multilateral free trade, but stressed that all free trade talks must include social partners and civil society.

If we do not reduce unemployment and leave the EU countries alone at the frontline of the migration crisis; if we give in to nationalisms and leave behind the weakest, “there will be no citizens’ trust in the EU”, said Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. On the “two-speed EU” debate, he said: “No to two Europes, big and small, east and west (...), but yes to one in which each country has its own level of ambition and can choose to join (...) at any time, now or later, and everybody is involved in the common project”.

For the Council Presidency, Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech said that the current times demand decisive action from the EU and member states’ leaders. He also warned against falling into negative mind-sets. On the EU’s future, Mr Grech said that the Rome declaration must be followed up concretely, but stressed that there should be “no second class citizens, no quick-fix solutions, and no knee-jerk reactions”.

Read more: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20170308IPR65669...

Vienna Concert House (2006)

The Wiener Konzerthaus was opened in 1913. It is on the 3rd Viennese district road (Lothringerstraße) at the edge of the Inner City between Schwarzenberg Square and City Park .

Architectural History

Ludwig Baumann planned Olympion Art Show 1908, the main building Concert Hall, detail

1890 for a planned house music festivals should be considered as multi-purpose building to address a broader public than the just 200 meters away traditional Viennese Musikverein. The design by architect Ludwig Baumann for a Olympion contained several concert halls except an ice rink and a Bicycleclub. In addition, an open-air arena should offer 40,000 visitors. The skating rink and its adjacent buildings were realized in 1899 by Baumann plans, the Art Nouveau ensemble but fell in 1960 to a construction of the InterContinental Hotels Group to the victim. The Vienna Ice Skating Club is located on the then reduced by about a third place today. The popular freestyle wrestling at the Haymarket took place here.

Organised by Gustav Klimt and his friends art exhibition Vienna 1908 was held in a temporary exhibition building on the undeveloped site of the later concert hall. The Wiener Konzerthaus was finally built 1911-1913 by the Europe-wide Viennese theater architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer Younger (Office Fellner & Helmer ) in collaboration with Ludwig Baumann.

The theme of the concert hall was:

A facility for the care of fine music, a collection of artistic aspirations, a home for music and a house for Vienna.

On 19 October 1913 the Concert Hall in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I with a gala concert of the Vienna Concert Society was opened (now the Vienna Symphony Orchestra ). Richard Strauss composed this be Festive Prelude Op 61. Was combined with this modern work Beethoven's 9th Symphony - the juxtaposition of tradition and modernity should be so much in the first concert of the house.

The disintegration of Austria-Hungary brought tremendous social upheaval and financial crises - and thus flexibility and versatility was also necessary for lack of money. In addition to classical repertoire, there were in the 1920s and 1930s, important world premieres (including Arnold Schoenberg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold ), concerts with jazz and pop songs, speeches from science to spiritualism and poetry readings (including Karl Kraus ). Dance and ballroom events, some large conferences and world championships for boxing and fencing completed the program.

After the annexation of Austria to the German Reich in 1938, the program for impoverished "non- degenerate entertainment operation ", to many artists remained only the emigration.

After 1945, the concert hall also had the secondary task , " prop up " the bruised Austrian self-confidence in a musical way. In addition to the standard repertoire of classical and romantic and the Viennese Waltz , there were still premieres (eg Schoenberg's oratorio The Jacob's Ladder 1961) and international jazz and pop concerts. From May 1946 spaces for recording studios and administration at the German and in Vienna living music producer Gerhard Mendelson were rented, who is considered one of the most important pop producers in Austria in the postwar period.

After several modifications that changed the original Art Nouveau decoration slightly , the house was restored from 1972 to 1975 to the only slightly altered original plans. From 1998 to 2001 the house was renovated by architect Hans Puchhammer and expanded to include a new concert hall (New Hall) .

From 1989 to 2002 the Vienna Kathreintanz also took place in the concert hall .

Building

Saw the concert at the House of Lorraine Street (Lothringerstraße), the Schwarzenbergplatz

The floor plan approximately 70 x 40 meters large concert hall with the main entrance at the Lothringerstraße and other inputs in the Lisztstraße includes Haymarket (Heumarkt) since the opening three concert halls:

Large hall with 1865 seats

Mozart Hall with 704 seats

Schubert Hall with 366 seats

The new hall (with 400 seats) was not established until the general renovation of 1998 to 2002. The new hall was renamed at the start of the 2009/2010 season in Berio-Saal.

On the home front, the right and left of the entrance, is the inscription

Honor your German Masters, then you are storing good spirits.

Here is a quote from the final chorus for the opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner.

In all rooms the same time can take place, since they do not affect each other acoustically different concerts.

Inside stands in the foyer of the original model created in 1878 by Kaspar von Zumbusch Beethoven Monument, which is situated opposite the Concert Hall at the Beethoven place. At the staircase there is a relief homage to Emperor Franz Joseph (1913 ) by Edmund Hellmer . Furthermore, a bust of Franz Liszt by Max Klinger to mention in 1904.

The complex of the concert hall and the building is part of the K. K Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (now the University of Music and Dramatic Art). Adjoining rooms for academic teaching purposes this part of the building also contains the Academy theater with 521 seats, which is used as a secondary stage of the Burgtheater world premieres among other modern plays.

Great Hall and Organ

The Great Hall has a capacity of 1116 visitors (ground floor) and additional 361 balconies and boxes, and 388 in the gallery. The auditorium is 750 m2 and 170 m2 of the podium. In the 1960s the hall was optimized by Heinrich Keilholz.

The organ was built in 1913 in the Great Hall of the Rieger organ (Rieger-Orgel) (Jägerndorf, Silesia) built. The instrument is located on the end wall of the big room, but has no visible Prospectus. The organ is located behind a grid and is thus hidden from the visitors. The cone-chest-116 instrument has five registers on manual and pedal works and is the largest organ in Austria. The special features of the organ counts, firstly, that the four manual divisions are swellable. In addition, the organ comprises a (swellable ) remote work with separate pedal. Stylistically, the organ is "Alsatian Organ reform " aimed at the so-called ideal of where along the lines of major instruments of Aristide Cavaillé -Coll, the strong voices are divided into two manuals. The tracker action is electro-pneumatic. For the inauguration of the instrument Strauss had the " Festive Prelude " for organ and orchestra composed. In 1982 the instrument was restored.

I Hauptwerk C

Principal 16 '

16 drone '

Principal 8 '

Gedackt 8 '

Flute hollow 8 '

Harmonique Flûte 8 '

Fugara 8 '

Gemshorn 8 '

Dulciana 8 '

Nasatquinte 51/3 '

Octave 4 '

Reed flute 4 '

Viola 4 '

Superoctave 2 '

Noise Quinte II 22 /3 '

Cornet III-V 8 '

Mixture V 22 /3 '

III cymbals 2 '

Trumpet 16 '

Trumpet 8 '

Clarino 4 '

Manual II ( swellable ) C-

Viola 16 '

Quintatön 16 '

Principal 8 '

Bourdon 8 '

Flauto Traverso 8 '

Clara Bella 8 '

Viola da Gamba 8 '

Salicional 8 '

Unda Maris 8 '

Octave 4 '

Octaviante Flûte 4 '

Gemshorn 4 '

Quintatön 4 '

Waldflöte 2 '

Sesquialtera II 22 /3 '

Progress . harm. III - V 22 /3 '

Mixture IV 22/3 '

8 'Clarinet

Krummhorn 8 '

Glockenspiel

tremulant

III . Manual ( swellable ) C-

Lovely - Gedackt 16 '

Violin Principal 8 '

Reed flute 8 '

Still Covered 8 '

Vienna Flute 8 '

Quintatön 8 '

Echo Gamba 8 '

Aeoline 8 '

Vox coelestis 8 '

Octave 4 '

Octaviante Flûte 4 '

Delicate flute 4 '

Aeolsharfe 4 '

Gemsquinte 22/3 '

Flautino 2 '

Third, 13/5 '

Larigotquinte 11/3 '

Seventh 11/7 '

Piccolo 1 '

Harmonia aetherea IV 22/3 '

Basson 16 '

Harmonique Trompette 8 '

Oboe 8 '

Vox Humana 8 '

Harmonique Clairon 4 '

tremulant

IV solo work C

16 drone '

Clarinophon 8 '

Double - Gedackt 8 '

Concert Flute 8 '

Solo Gamba 8 '

Fifth tube 51/3 '

Octave 4 '

Solo Flute 4 '

Quinte 22/3 '

Superoctave 2 '

Wholesale Cornett III - V 22 /3 '

Tuba mirabilis 8 '

Ophicleide 8 '

Harmonique Clairon 4 '

V Fernwerk ( swellable ) C-

Delicately Gedackt 16 '

Horn 8 'Principal

Lovely - Gedackt 8 '

Reed flute 8 '

Viola d' amore 8 '

Vox Angelica 8 '

Gemshorn 4 '

Flute 4 '

Piccolo 2 '

Mixture IV 22/3 '

Shawm 8 '

Vox Humana 8 '

tremulant

C- pedal

Principalbaß 32 '

Principalbaß 16 '

Violon 16 '

Subbass 16 '

Echobaß 16 '

Salicetbaß 16 '

Quintbaß 102/3 '

Octavbass 8 '

Gedacktbaß 8 '

Bass flute 8 '

Cello 8 '

Dulcianbaß 8 '

Octave 4 '

Flauto 4 '

Campana III 102/3 '

Mixture IV 51/3 '

Bombard 32 '

Trombone 16 '

Bassoon 16 '

Trumpet 8 '

Basset 8 '

Clarino 4 '

C- pedal distance

Subbass 16 '

Octavbass 8 '

Pairing :

Normal coupling : II / I, III / I , IV / I , V / I, P / I , III / II , IV / II , V / II, I / II , IV / III , V / P, I / P, II / P III / P IV / P

Superoktavkoppeln : II / I, III / I , IV / I , V / I , III / I , IV / I , III / II , IV / II , IV , V, I / P , IV / P.

Suboktavkoppeln : III / II .

Game Help: Free combinations (5 banks by 1000 = 5000 general memories ), storage rack (roll on, Pair of roller coupling to IV of roller, Manual 16 ' down, Reeds off (as buttons ), the main pedal off, remote pedal off (as flip switches ), Einzelzungenabsteller ), Tutti (push button), principal pedal down, Fernwerk pedal from, sills V in expression pedal II coupled (toggle button), kicks, interact with flip switches (switching I-IV of P, normal couplers II-IV to I, roll off ) Registercrescendo (roller for the organist, coupled with a second roller for the registrant ) .

Program

The concert hall is the main venue of the Vienna Symphony , the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna Sound Forum. Since 1913 the Vienna Academy of Music has its permanent home of the Konzerthaus. In separate events at the Wiener Konzerthaus other international orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles in addition to the Vienna Philharmonic regular guest. In addition, there are also numerous other events organizer at the Konzerthaus. So for example the Bonbon Ball, but also concerts in jazz and world music.

The program of the Vienna Konzerthaus also includes some festivals , such as

the Early Music Festival in January resonances

the Vienna Spring Festival

the International Music Festival

Wien Modern in autumn

Between 2003 and 2006, gave the series with the latest music generator .

From 2008, a year early in the season with a festival held focus "on a particular region or cultural community". The first event in September 2008, the two-day festival Spot On : Yiddishkeit , in which a cross section is presented by the diversity of Jewish music creation.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Konzerthaus

Secularization and construction

With the secularization in Bavaria, which hit the princely abbey 1802, the building became exclusively a parish church. In 1830 the access from the nave to the crypt was closed. In 1844 or 1848, the parish removed the choir stalls, which greatly reduced in size was moved from the middle of the choir to the diagonal walls in the same.

The last reconstruction phase with a first refurbishment of the interior began in 1864. A western gallery with organ was installed, the western flight of steps in front of the twin towers was changed, a small porch was added in 1875. In 1869, a south entrance with a flight of stairs was created, but a flat chapel with a side altar was destroyed. In 1900, the two church towers and a balustrade in the middle of the west facade in neo-Baroque forms were completed on a design by Hugo von Höfl. Different materials were used, including concrete, which has a higher density than the underlying building materials. This results in an unfavorable weight distribution, affecting the stability. Thus, the towers oscillate easily in strong wind and even by the vibrations of the church bells. The result is visible cracks between the towers and the main building.

In the years 1915 to 1927, the interior was restored, followed by a renovation of the southern front in the years 1931 to 1934. In 1939, the West organ received a neo-Baroque housing. In 1964 and the following year, the entire exterior was renovated. In 1969, Pope Paul VI gave the church the title of honor Basilica minor. From 1983 there was an extensive interior restoration. 1990 to 1994, the interior was restored, the color versions of nave and choir were led back according to findings to the first version of the 17th century.

Since 2017, the western front has been renovated with the two twin towers. In particular, the damages caused by the subsequent increase of the two church towers in 1900 should be eliminated and prevented in the future. Even the organs in the church will be dismantled and repaired. The work on the exterior facade should be completed by 2021. Thus, the church, whose pilasters in the style of the 1960s simulate a natural stone cladding by different paint applications, should be as far as possible put in their original appearance in the 18th Century.

Säkularisation und Baumaßnahmen

Mit der Säkularisation in Bayern, die das Fürststift 1802 traf, wurde das Gebäude ausschließlich Pfarrkirche. 1830 wurde der Zugang vom Langhaus zur Krypta geschlossen. 1844 oder 1848 entfernte die Kirchengemeinde das Chorgestühl, das stark reduziert aus der Mitte des Chors entfernt an die Diagonalwände im Chor gestellt wurde.

Die letzte Umbauphase mit einer erstmaligen Sanierung des Innenraums begann 1864. Eine Westempore mit Orgel wurde eingebaut, die westliche Freitreppe vor den Doppeltürmen wurde verändert, eine kleine Vorhalle 1875 angebaut. 1869 wird ein Südzugang mit Freitreppe geschaffen dabei aber eine Flachkapelle mit Seitenaltar zerstört. Im Jahr 1900 wurden die beiden Kirchtürme und eine Balustrade in der Mitte der Westfassade in neubarocken Formen auf Entwurf von Hugo von Höfl fertiggestellt. Dabei wurden unterschiedliche Materialien verwendet, darunter auch Beton, der eine höhere Dichte als die darunter liegenden Baustoffe hat. Daraus resultiert eine ungünstige Gewichtsverteilung, welche die Stabilität beeinträchtigt. So pendeln die Türme leicht bei starkem Wind und sogar durch die Schwingungen der Kirchenglocken. Resultat sind sichtbare Risse zwischen Türmen und Hauptbau.

In den Jahren 1915 bis 1927 erfolgte eine Restaurierung des Innenraums, der eine Renovierung der Südfront in den Jahren 1931 bis 1934 folgte. 1939 erhielt die Westorgel ein neubarockes Gehäuse. 1964 und im Nachfolgejahr wurde der gesamte Außenbau renoviert. 1969 verlieh Papst Paul VI. der Kirche den Ehrentitel Basilica minor. Ab 1983 kam es zu einer umfangreichen Innenrestaurierung. 1990 bis 1994 wurde der Innenraum restauriert, die Farbfassungen von Langhaus und Chor wurden nach Befund auf die Erstfassung des 17. Jahrhunderts zurückgeführt.

Seit 2017 wird die Westfront mit den beiden Doppeltürmen saniert. Insbesondere sollen die Schäden durch die nachträgliche Erhöhung der beiden Kirchtürme im Jahr 1900 entfernt und in der Zukunft verhindert werden. Auch die Orgeln in der Kirche werden abgebaut und instandgesetzt. Die Arbeiten an der Außenfassade sollen bis 2021 fertiggestellt sein. So soll die Kirche, deren Pilaster im Stil der 1960er eine Natursteinverkleidung durch unterschiedliche Farbaufträge simuliert, möglichst in ihr originales Aussehen im 18. Jahrhundert versetzt werden.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilika_St._Lorenz

Church to the Apostles (Kaiserslautern)

The Apostle church in Kaiserslautern is a Protestant church and is located on a rising land between Pfründner, Hospital, Kennel and Parisian street.

History

The church was built in 1897 according to plans by Ludwig Ritter von Stempel in neo-Romanesque style and in 1901 consecrated. After being seriously damaged in a bombing attack in 1944, it was rebuilt in simplified forms from 1952 to 1956, by doing so followed a complete redesign of the interior.

At the beginning of the 1960s, the two towers were restored. After a fire damage in the year 1991, was installed a chapel in the western wing during the following renovation.

External representation

The church appears as a central building on a floor plan in the form of a Greek cross. Above the crossing rises a squat octagonal tower, the cross wings are decorated with small towers. The gable front towards Parisian street is characterized by a large portal with stairs and a large rose window.

Interior to 1944

The interior until the damage in 1944 was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. Above the pulpit was a mosaic of glass and gold. The rose window showed a picture of Christ, the side windows, the twelve apostles. The round interior with high circulating galleries by a ribbed vault above the cross arms and a crossing-cupola towards the top was completed.

Interior after reconstruction

During the reconstruction of the church after detailed discussions was realized a modern interior design. The space under the dome was shaped uniformly, the dome as a modern, supported by slender columns element carried out and lowered as well as the height of the galleries reduced. The slightly elevated pulpit, altar and baptismal font of reddish-brown Hungarian marble were created by the Kaiserslautern Sculptor Richard Menges, the altar at the last minute being turned around and now showing the unadorned back to the community, to satisfy the reformed prohibition of images. The pulpit parapet shows relief images of the twelve apostles. The Steinmeyer organ in 1957 on the gallery behind the pulpit was built in. Since 1994, in the church room a cycle of abstract images of Kaiserslautern artist Erika Klos on Our Father ist to see. From the old equipment only the chimes along with the bell frame of iron have been preserved.

Bells

The chimes today form the only one of its kind in an evangelical church in Southwest Germany, dating back to the turn of the century and the melting escaping. The bells were cast in 1900 by the bell foundry Johann Georg Pfeifer in Kaiserslautern. They until the presence hang on an original iron belfry on straight yokes. The removal of the chimes during the First World War could be spared, but in World War II the two big bells for material purposes had to be delivered in 1942. The smallest bell was preserved during the war in the tower. In the night of the fire of 1944, it crashed into the worship space but remained intact. After the end of World War II, it was decided to look on the Hamburg Bell Cemetery for the two big ones. 1947, the two seized bells were recovered and transported back to Kaiserslautern. Since Christmas 1951, all 3 bells in the tower of the Church to the Apostles call again to worship. The largest bell with the strike note gis° is currently the largest preserved bell of the bell foundry Pfeifer and the second heaviest of the city of Kaiserslautern. The bells 2 and 3 strike every quarter of an hour and the great bell the full hours. According to the succession of ringing, all bells are chiming 10 minutes before the service begins as well as on Saturdays at 17:50 clock for the heralding of Sunday. The smallest bell rings for baptism. For Our Father chimes the medium-sized bell and rings each 30 minutes before the service. The big bell is responsible for the ringing of funerals.

No. Name Nominal casting foundry year, place of cast weight

(kg) diameter (cm) inscription

1 knell gis0 1900 Joh. Gg. Pfeifer bell foundry, Kaiserslautern 3705 197 Glory to God in the highest

2 Our Father bell h0 2305 165 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

3 baptism bell dis1 1113 131 Come, for everything is ready

Apostelkirche (Kaiserslautern)

Die Apostelkirche in Kaiserslautern ist eine evangelische Kirche und befindet sich auf einem ansteigenden Grundstück zwischen Pfründner-, Spital-, Kennel-, und Pariser Straße.

Geschichte

Die Kirche wurde ab 1897 nach den Plänen von Ludwig Ritter von Stempel in neoromanischem Stil erbaut und 1901 eingeweiht. Nach einer schweren Beschädigung durch einen Bombenangriff im Jahr 1944 wurde sie 1952–1956 in vereinfachten Formen wieder aufgebaut. Dabei erfolgte eine komplette Umgestaltung des Innenraumes.

Zu Beginn der 1960er Jahre wurden auch die beiden Türme wiederhergestellt. Nach einem Brandschaden 1991 wurde im Zuge der folgenden Renovierung eine Kapelle im westlichen Seitenflügel eingerichtet.

Äußere Darstellung

Die Kirche zeigt sich als Zentralbau über einem Grundriss in Form eines griechischen Kreuzes. Über der Vierung erhebt sich ein gedrungener, achteckiger Turm, die Kreuzflügel sind mit kleineren Türmen geschmückt. Die Giebelfront zur Pariser Straße ist durch ein großes Portal mit Treppe und eine riesige Fensterrose charakterisiert.

Innenraum bis 1944

Der Innenraum war bis zur Beschädigung 1944 im neoromanischen Stil gestaltet. Über der Kanzel befand sich ein Mosaik aus Glas und Gold. Die Fensterrose zeigte ein Christusbild, die Seitenfenster die zwölf Apostel. Der runde Innenraum mit hohen umlaufenden Emporen wurde durch ein Kreuzrippengewölbe über den Kreuzarmen und eine Vierungskuppel nach oben abgeschlossen.

Innenraum nach dem Wiederaufbau

Beim Wiederaufbau der Kirche wurde nach eingehenden Diskussionen eine moderne Innengestaltung verwirklicht. Der Raum unter der Kuppel wurde einheitlich geformt, die Kuppel als modernes, durch schlanke Säulen getragenes ausgeführt und tiefergelegt sowie die Höhe der Emporen verringert. Die leicht erhöhte Kanzel, Altar und Taufstein aus rötlich-braunem ungarischen Marmor wurden von dem Kaiserslauterer Bildhauer Richard Menges gestaltet, wobei der Altar in letzter Minute umgedreht wurde und nun mit der ungeschmückten Rückseite zur Gemeinde zeigt, um dem reformierten Bilderverbot Genüge zu tun. Die Kanzelbrüstung zeigt Reliefbilder der zwölf Apostel. Die Steinmeyer-Orgel wurde 1957 auf der Empore hinter der Kanzel eingebaut. Seit 1994 ist im Kirchenraum ein abstrakter Bilderzyklus der Kaiserslauterer Künstlerin Erika Klos zum Vater unser zu sehen. Von der alten Ausstattung sind nur das Geläute mitsamt dem Eisenglockenstuhl erhalten.

Glocken

Das Geläute bildet heute das einzige seiner Art in einer evangelischen Kirche in Südwestdeutschland, das aus der Jahrhundertwende stammt und der Einschmelzung entgangen ist. Die Glocken wurden im Jahr 1900 von der Glockengießerei Johann Georg Pfeifer in Kaiserslautern gegossen. Sie hängen bis heute an einem originalen Eisenglockenstuhl an geraden Jochen. Die Abnahme des Geläutes blieb im Ersten Weltkrieg erspart, doch im Zweiten Weltkrieg mussten die beiden großen Glocken zu Materialzwecken im Jahr 1942 abgeliefert werden. Die kleinste Glocke blieb während des Krieges im Turm erhalten. In der Brandnacht von 1944 stürzte sie in den Gottesdienstraum, blieb allerdings unversehrt. Nach dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges beschloss man, auf dem Hamburger Glockenfriedhof nach den beiden großen zu suchen. 1947 wurden die beiden beschlagnahmten Glocken wiedergefunden und zurück nach Kaiserslautern transportiert. Seit Weihnachten 1951 rufen alle 3 Glocken im Turm der Apostelkirche wieder zu Gottesdiensten. Die größte Glocke mit dem Schlagton gis° ist die derzeit größte noch erhaltene Glocke der Glockengießerei Pfeifer und die zweitschwerste der Stadt Kaiserslautern. Die Glocken 2 und 3 schlagen die Viertelstunden und die große Glocke die vollen Stunden. Gemäß der Läuteordnung läuten alle Glocken 10 Minuten vor dem Gottesdienstbeginn sowie samstags um 17:50 Uhr zum Einläuten des Sonntags. Die kleinste Glocke läutet zur Taufe. Zum Vater unser erklingt die mittlere Glocke und läutet jeweils 30 Minuten vor dem Gottesdienst. Die große Glocke ist für das Läuten von Beerdigungen zuständig.

Nr.NameNominalGussjahrGießer, GussortGewicht

(kg)Durchmesser

(cm)Inschrift

1Totenglockegis01900 Joh. Gg. Pfeifer Glockengießerei, Kaiserslautern3705197Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe

2Vater-Unser-Glockeh02305165Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

3Taufglockedis11113131Kommt, denn es ist alles bereit

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostelkirche_%28Kaiserslautern%29

Construction of the Gong Gong Reservoir near Ballarat.

These photos were taken during the construction of the reservoir between May 1874 and August 1877.

The reservoir was constructed by the contractors Young & McGuigan at a cost of 91,883 pounds.

Gong Gong Reservoir has a height of 70 feet, a capacity of 420,000,000 gallons and when full, covers an area of around 25 hectares.

The reservoir was built to alleviate flooding to Lake Wendouree and as the primary water source for Ballarat.

The original photos were printed by Bardwell & Beauchamp of Ballarat.

These photos are scanned from originals. They have also had their contrast increased and colour adjusted to reduce yellowing due to ageing.

The British Columbia government will complete construction of the Site C hydroelectric dam, saying that to do otherwise would put British Columbians on the hook for an immediate and unavoidable $4-billion bill – with nothing in return – resulting in rate hikes or reduced funds for schools, hospitals and important infrastructure.

Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017PREM0135-002039

GB Railfreight Class 92, 92043 powers south through the early morning fog at Acton Bridge with the Caledonian Sleeper Up Highlander (1M16) bound for London Euston.

A revised timetable was in operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with only the Inverness and Glasgow portions running and splitting/joining at Edinburgh to form one train in each direction on the WCML. 92043 had also worked the Glasgow-Edinburgh portion (1C16) prior to working 1M16 from Waverley.

Kahlúa coffee liqueur, 16% ABV, 70cl, £16.75

Usually 20% ABV, but reduced strength now in UK & Canada.

Originally 26.5% ABV, but Kahlúa Especial available at 36% ABV.

Produced in Veracruz, Mexico for:

Pernod Ricard UK Ltd, Chiswick, London.

Pernod Ricard SA, Paris.

www.kahlua.com/en/

M&S coffee liqueur, 16% ABV, 70cl, £15.00

Produced and bottled in France for M&S.

www.marksandspencer.com/food/coffee-liqueur/p/fdp60708031

Tesco coffee liqueur, 20% ABV, 70cl, £8.75

Produced and bottled in the UK for Tesco.

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/293073568?srsltid=...

Trying all three neat, the Kahlúa had a slightly smoother taste, but used in a cocktail or over ice cream you wouldn't notice any difference. The Tesco being around half the price seems a bargain.

_MX73362p

All Rights Reserved © 2026 Frederick Roll

Please do not use this image without prior permission

My daughters' friend had a birthday party with a princess theme. Emma and Elli are eager to use every possible opportunity to wear their princess dresses.

It was already bedtime when the girls insisted I document their costumes, so this had to be a real quick shoot. I placed an SB-16 flash with an optical trigger on a closet back left at my chest height. I had to feather the flash away from the girls to reduce the power and avoid flare from the flash. I didn't have more time to set up, so I used an SB-600 in manual power on the camera as a main light (bounced off the ceiling and wall at left).

This was shot with a Nikon D70 and the 17-70 mm kit lens wide open at 56 mm. Exposure was 1/500s and f/4.5 at ISO200.

Strobist info: Main light is an SB-600 at full power on the camera, pointed up and slightly to the left (bouncing from white ceiling and off-white wall at left). Kicker is an SB-16 at 1/8th power at left, sitting on a shelf and triggered by an optical trigger.

Post processing: Curves, sharpening, gaussian blur layer at low opacity, minor brightening of the irises of the eyes, slight cropping.

Village Ð Alikia, Block-Chandanpur CHS, Dist-Puri, Odisha, INDIA..Namita Barol along with her child Lovely Barol, two months child, waiting to be immunized after Purnachandra Sabata, 44, an autorickshaw driver, delivered cold chain boxes of vaccines to Anganwadi centre. Every Wednesday, Purnachandra Saba, delivers boxes of vaccines to anganwadi centres.Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health interventions, preventing around 2 million child deaths each year worldwide, and IndiaÕs Immunization Program is the largest in world with respect to the quantity of vaccines used and the number of beneficiaries. Here, Routine Immunization (RI) saves the lives of 400,000 children annually. In OdishaÕs 30 districts and 314 blocks, it is not easy for health workers to reach a population of 4.1 crore. With 30% of the areas difficult to reach, 22% tribal population, 48% people in the BPL category and 17% schedule cast population, Odisha has been one of the most challenges states for them in terms of geography and demography. Despite these odds, during 2013-14, the state provided immunization services at a cost of Rs 30 crore to 8,54,619 children between 0-1 years and 9,40,081 pregnant women to prevent seven diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles and Hepatitis B. In addition, vitamin A is also administered to children. The current level of full immunization coverage is 62.3% for children (AHS 2011-12), officials say. Since 2009, the program has manifested itself in the Teeka Express, where participation of civil society, NGOs, porters, rickshaw drivers and volunteers strengthen the vaccine delivery logistics. This system has been implemented in 280 out of the 314 blocks of the state, and has reduced vaccine shortage, improved vaccine quality, improved timeliness of reporting, ensured regularization of immunization in hard to reach areas and improved immunization waste management. .

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The Ark is a massive fortress located in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan that was initially built and occupied around the 5th century AD. In addition to being a military structure, the Ark encompassed what was essentially a town that, during much of the fortress' history, was inhabited by the various royal courts that held sway over the region surrounding Bukhara. The Ark was used as a fortress until it fell to Russia in 1920. Currently, the ruins of the Ark are a tourist attraction and house museums covering its history.

The Ark is large earthen fortification in the northwestern part of contemporary Bukhara. In plan it resembles a modified rectangle, a little elongated from the west to the east. The perimeter of the external walls is 789.6 meters, the area enclosed being 3.96 GA. The height of the walls varies from 16 to 20 meters.

The ceremonial entrance into the citadel is architecturally framed by two 18th Century towers. The upper parts of the towers are connected by a gallery, rooms, and terraces. A gradually rising rising ramp leads through a winch-raised portal and a covered long corridor to the mosque of Dzhuma. The covered corridor offers access to storerooms and prison cells. In the center of the Ark is located a large complex of buildings, one of the best preserved being the mosque of Ul'dukhtaron, which is connected to legends of forty girls tortured and cast into a well.

In legend, the creator of the Ark was the epic hero Siyavusha. As a youth, he hid in the rich oasis country of Turana from his stepmother. Siyavusha and the daughter of the local ruler of Afrosiaba fell in love. The girl's father agreed to permit them to marry provided that Siyavusha first built a palace on the area bounded by a bull skin, obviously intended as an impossible task. But Siyavusha cut the bull skin into slender strips, connected together the ends, and inside this boundary built the palace.

The Ark is built on the remains of earlier structures, which constitute a layer of twenty meters depth under the base arch, the layers indicating that previous fortresses had been built and destroyed on the site.

The first known reference to the Ark is contained in the "History of Bukhara" by Abubakra of Narshakhi (899 - 960). Nashriki wrote "Biden, the ruler of Bukhara, built this fortress, but it soon was destroyed. Many times it was constructed, many times destroyed." Nashriki says that when the last ruler to rebuild asked counsel of his wise men, they advised him to construct the fortress around seven points, located in the same relation to each other as the stars of the constellation Ursa Major. Thus built, the fortress was never again destroyed.

The age of the Ark has not been established accurately, but by 500 AD it was already the residence of local rulers. Here, in the fastness of the citadel, lived the emirs, their chief viziers, military leaders, and numerous servants.

When the soldiers of Genghis Khan took Bukhara, the inhabitants of city found refuge in the Ark, but the conquerors smashed the defenders and ransacked the fortress.

In the Middle Ages the fortress was worked on by Rudaki, Ferdowsi, Avicenna, Farabi, and later Omar Khayyám. Here also was kept a great library, of which Avicenna wrote:

"I found in this library such books, about which I had not known and which I had never before seen in my life. I read them, and I came to know each scientist and each science. Before me lay gates of inspiration into great depths of knowledge which I had not surmised to exist."

Most probably, the library was destroyed following one of the conquests of Bukhara.

The Ark was greatly damaged by the Bolsheviks during the brief siege of Bukhara in 1920 under the command of Mikhail Frunze. Frunze ordered the Ark bombed by aircraft, which left a large part of the structure in ruins. There is also reason to believe that the last Emir, Alimkhan (1880-1944), who escaped to Afghanistan with the royal treasury, ordered the Ark to be blown up so that its secret places (especially the harem) could not be desecrated by the Bolsheviks. And in fact the harem building did suffer great damage, being reduced to rubble to the extent that archaeologists have pronounced it incapable of restoration.

The Bureau of Land Management utilizes goats to help reduce fuel loads, slow shrub encroachment and decrease some of the invasive plants in Fort Ord National Monument.

Photo by Este Stifel, BLM.