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Robin, a friend and a fierce foe.
Monday, January 05, 2009
THE robin is the commonest bird recorded in Irish gardens, according to BirdWatch Ireland’s garden bird survey.
It’s also the most popular bird in Ireland, according to a poll carried out on RTÉ Radio some years ago. And I’ve noticed when I visit primary schools it is one of a tiny handful of Irish wild birds that all children can identify correctly.
Perhaps the only other species with equal brand recognition is the swan, and that isn’t a fair comparison because there are three species of swan in Ireland and only one species of robin.
I’m not quite sure why this is so because the robin, below, is not an obviously likeable bird. They are fiercely territorial and given to brawling. This is not uncommon among birds but what makes robins different is that their fights quite often end up in injury or even death. Studies have shown that in densely populated areas, 10% of adult robin deaths are the result of murder by other robins.
Another major cause of death is winter cold, particularly if it’s accompanied by snow. Robins like to feed on the ground so snow presents them with big problems.
READ NEXT Like the economy, wildlife must be managed
They prefer to eat insects, spiders and other invertebrates. In fact recently they’ve been re-classified into the flycatcher family, though they were placed in the thrush family when I was learning my ornithology. In winter when invertebrates are scarce they will switch to seeds, berries or food put out on bird tables. But because of their antisocial nature they don’t like sharing space on the bird table with other robins or even other robin-sized species of bird.
Cats kill a lot of them and male sparrow hawks get a few. There is so much mortality among younger birds that the average life expectancy is only 1.1 years, though they are capable of reaching 12.
The original name of the bird was ‘redbreast’ but there was an English fashion in the 15th and 16th centuries of attaching human names to common birds and they became ‘Robin redbreast’. This fashion survives in Ireland (but not England) with the ‘Willie wagtail’. Eventually throughout the English speaking world the ‘redbreast’ was dropped and they just became robins. If the same thing happens to pied wagtails and they eventually become known as ‘Willies’ this will lead to considerable confusion.
The association with Christmas seems to date from the 19th century when the custom of sending Christmas cards first developed. Victorian postmen wore red waistcoats, the colour of British letter boxes. There was an association between the red breasted robin, the red breasted postman and the Christmas cards they brought.
I suspect the popularity of robins has a lot to do with their tameness and the way they follow people around, particularly gardeners. It’s interesting that robins are distributed all over Europe, plus a bit of Siberia and north Africa, but it’s only in Britain and Ireland that they display this behaviour.
In most of Europe they are shy forest birds. But they have been observed following wild boar around in the forests and picking up goodies as the pigs root. Because there are no wild pigs in modern Ireland they seem to have transferred this trait to humans.
Another possible explanation involves the fact that other European countries have different traditions when it comes to defining game birds and robins are hunted and eaten there.
But I suspect its popularity here is rock solid and no scientific revelations about their murderous habits will damage it in Ireland. It will even survive the disclosure that the bird that perches on the spade handle when you’re taking a rest from digging merelyregards you as a substitute pig.
dick.warner@examiner.ie
Southend-On-Sea based Arriva 3825 in the shared space area of the Victoria Gateway Interchange, Southend-On-Sea, Essex.
A bit of a chance finding behind a fence! I had actually walked past this before without realising what was right there, so this was a surprise. Streetview from 2008 suggests a MK2 Cavalier once shared space with this, however that is now long gone. This one has been dormant since 1993, which seems a staggering amount of time to have an abandoned van in your back garden….
Eastbound through Yorkville, Illinois just after sunset. The street deadends about another block or so beyond that car. It's waiting to turn left over the tracks. The tracks continue onward going west to a bridge going over the Fox River just north of a little town called Serena.
Ive been trying to get a shot of this train going over that. Maybe this year I'll catch it :-)
I have no idea what these petite little things are but I shot them at the Garfield Park Conservatory.
Update: Thanks to Cotarr and setholiver1 for the i.d. ~ this flower is echevarias. Even the name is pretty. Thanks guys :-)
Recent Project
3 residential homes with gardens tropical landscaping with an underwater mermaid cove shared space. 6k prims
British Industrial Sand operated sand pits at Holmethorpe near Redhill, with some of the output despatched by rail. The exchange sidings were connected to BR north of Redhill station, but had to pass under the London to Brighton direct “Quarry” line, sharing space with a road under a narrow bridge.
On the date of this visit in August 1983, the working loco was this Bagnall-Drewry 0-4-0DM 2159 of 1941. This was to a common design supplied to the MOD by various manufacturers and an almost identical loco built by Andrew Barclay (332 of 1938) was spare in the shed.
This loco was originally used at the Longmoor Military Railway numbered WD 32 and appeared on the front cover of the book "Railways to Victory" loaded on a tank transporter and being dragged by a caterpillar tractor unit across "Juno" Beach in Normandy soon after D-Day.
After returning to UK, it was sent to the Middle East in 1952 and after working in Suez came back to MOD Bicester. Sold to RESCO Railways of Woolwich in 1979 it was then sold on to British Industrial Sand where it worked until being scrapped on site in 1986.
By the end of the decade all remaining traffic was taken out by road and the sidings lifted. Since then the sand pits have reverted to a nature park, housing built on the site of the plant, and the former exchange sidings are now part of a busy Industrial Estate.
Playing with shapes and space.
(The mysteries of 'Explore', happened to notice this is #6 today, 10 March 2013)
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.
The Metropolitan Arts Centre, usually referred to as the MAC, is an arts venue in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter and is home to all kinds of exhibitions, theatre performances, experimental works. The MAC is a cultural hub and a vital shared space in Belfast. Open 363 days per year, the MAC offers an eclectic programme of visual art, theatre, dance, family workshops and lots more. Since opening in 2012, some 1.5 million visitors have come through the doors of the MAC. Designed by Belfast-based architectural practice Hackett Hall McKnight, the MAC sits on a roughly trapezium-shaped site opposite St Anne's Cathedral. The building, completed in February 2012, consists of a number of intersecting brick volumes and a basalt tower topped with three stories of glazing. The project won a 2013 RIBA National Award and was awarded the 2014 Downes Medal by the Architectural Association of Ireland.
Sharing space in the china cabinet..... Two pieces that belonged to my grandmother, a little piece of ivory that we bought years ago....( would not do that, these days)...one gift plate........ And one piece that came from the company Jim worked for.... Employee deep discount! ...... No flaws, but it did not sell... Retail was quite expensive..... B&G .
Reflecting windows, and the iPad as well.....
Album : expressway / Bus Eireann.
Front line expressway services make ready for departure from Dublin. A pair of Van Hool CVH Acron's share space with an M class and an EVH class Van Hool Alizee.
Scan from a slide. Dublin, Busaras, June 1988.
in our local woods.... and also beside the lake...and in this case, sharing space with jewel-weed ( known as an antidote to poison ivy........)
A bit from Wikipedia :...about the Solonacea family...in which nightshade is a member:
" Solanaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes a number of important agricultural crops, although many species are toxic plants. The family is also informally known as the nightshade or potato family. The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum "the nightshade plant", but the further etymology of that word is unclear. Most likely, the name comes from the perceived resemblance that some of the flowers bear to the sun and its rays, and in fact a species of Solanum (Solanum nigrum) is known as the "sunberry". Alternatively, the name has been suggested to originate from the Latin verb solari, meaning "to soothe". This presumably refers to soothing pharmacological properties of some of the psychoactive species of the family.
The family includes Datura, Mandragora (mandrake), Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade), Lycium barbarum (wolfberry), Physalis philadelphica (tomatillo) , Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry flower), Capsicum (chili pepper, bell pepper), Solanum (potato, tomato, eggplant), Nicotiana (tobacco), and Petunia. With the exception of tobacco (Nicotianoideae) and petunia (Petunioideae), most of the economically important genera are contained in the subfamily Solanoideae.
Many members of the Solanaceae family are used by humans, and are important sources of food, spice and medicine. However, Solanaceae species are often rich in alkaloids whose toxicity to humans and animals ranges from mildly irritating to fatal in small quantities. "
There are more bicycles than residents in The Netherlands and in cities like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. The BBC's Hague correspondent, Anna Holligan, who rides an omafiets - or "granny style" - bike complete with wicker basket and pedal-back brakes, examines what made everyone get back in the saddle.
The 70s velo-rution
Before World War II, journeys in the Netherlands were predominantly made by bike, but in the 1950s and 1960s, as car ownership rocketed, this changed. As in many countries in Europe, roads became increasingly congested and cyclists were squeezed to the kerb.
The jump in car numbers caused a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads. In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of them children.
In response a social movement demanding safer cycling conditions for children was formed. Called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder), it took its name from the headline of an article written by journalist Vic Langenhoff whose own child had been killed in a road accident
The Dutch faith in the reliability and sustainability of the motor vehicle was also shaken by the Middle East oil crisis of 1973, when oil-producing countries stopped exports to the US and Western Europe.
These twin pressures helped to persuade the Dutch government to invest in improved cycling infrastructure and Dutch urban planners started to diverge from the car-centric road-building policies being pursued throughout the urbanising West.
Path to glory
To make cycling safer and more inviting the Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths.
These are clearly marked, have smooth surfaces, separate signs and lights for those on two wheels, and wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and overtaking.
In many cities the paths are completely segregated from motorised traffic. Sometimes, where space is scant and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words 'Bike Street: Cars are guests'.
At roundabouts, too, it is those using pedal power who have priority.
You can cycle around a roundabout while cars (almost always) wait patiently for you to pass. The idea that "the bike is right" is such an alien concept for tourists on bikes that many often find it difficult to navigate roads and junctions at first.
Early adopters
Even before they can walk, Dutch children are immersed in a world of cycling. As babies and toddlers they travel in special seats on "bakfiets", or cargo bikes. These seats are often equipped with canopies to protect the children from the elements, and some parents have been known to spend a small fortune doing up their machines.
As the children grow up they take to their own bikes, something made easier and safer by the discrete cycle lanes being wide enough for children to ride alongside an accompanying adult. And, as young people aren't allowed to drive unsupervised until they are 18, cycling offers Dutch teenagers an alternative form of freedom.
The state also plays a part in teaching too, with cycling proficiency lessons a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum. All schools have places to park bikes and at some schools 90% of pupils cycle to class.
Behind the bike sheds
In the university city of Groningen, a cyclists' dream even by Dutch standards, the central train station has underground parking for 10,000 bikes. Cyclists are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere, with electronic counters at the entrance registering
how many spaces are available.
Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in The Netherlands - outside schools, office buildings and shops. In return you are expected to only lock up your bike in designated spots - if you chain your bike in the wrong place you could find that it is removed and impounded, and that you will have to hand over 25 euros to get it back.
At home, even people who live in flats without special bike storage facilities can expect to be allowed to leave their bikes in a communal hallway.
In the 16th Century, houses in Amsterdam were taxed according to their width, a measure residents countered by building tall, narrow houses. So hallways get filled with bikes - but so many people cycle, no-one really minds, and just clambers past.
It's not about your ride
Cycling is so common that I have been rebuked for asking people whether they are cyclists or not. "We aren't cyclists, we're just Dutch," comes the response.
The bike is an integral part of everyday life rather than a specialist's accessory or a symbol of a minority lifestyle, so Dutch people don't concern themselves with having the very latest model of bike or hi-tech gadgets.
They regard their bikes as trusty companions in life's adventures. In that kind of relationship it is longevity that counts - so the older, the better. It's not uncommon to hear a bike coming up behind you with the mudguard rattling against the wheel. If anything, having a tatty, battered old bike affords more status as it attests to a long and lasting love.
No lycra, no sweat
The famously flat Dutch terrain, combined with densely-populated areas, mean that most journeys are of short duration and not too difficult to complete.
Few Dutch people don lycra to get out on their bike, preferring to ride to work, the shops or the pub in whatever clothes they think appropriate for their final destination.
Of course, the cycle paths lend themselves to sauntering along in summer dresses in a way a death-defying, white-knuckle ride in rush-hour traffic does not. It is also partly because of this that people don't need showers at work to be able to commute by bike - it's a no-sweat experience.
Dutch people also tend to go helmet-free because they are protected by the cycle-centric rules of the roads and the way infrastructure is designed. If you see someone wearing a cycling helmet in The Netherlands, the chances are they're a tourist or a professional.
I bought a helmet for my ride to the UK reporting for BBC Newsnight on the differences between cycling in The Netherlands and the UK. My local bike shop had just one on display, which the shop assistant said had been there "a few months or maybe a year".
Right not might
The fact that everyone cycles, or knows someone who does, means that drivers are more sympathetic to cyclists when they have to share space on the roads.
In turn, the cyclists are expected to respect and obey the rules of the road. You may be fined for riding recklessly, in the wrong place or jumping red lights. Police (often on bikes) will issue a 60-euro ticket if you are caught without lights at night, and you will have to shell out even more if any of the mandatory bike reflectors - of which there are many under Dutch law - are missing.
Accidents do still happen of course, but in the event of a collision involving a cyclist, insurers refer to Article 185 of the Dutch Road Safety Code which deals with something called "strict liability". It is often mistakenly interpreted as a law that establishes guilt. What it essentially means is the driver will usually be expected to cover at least 50% of the financial costs to the cyclist and their bike.
When out on the road, Dutch cyclists feel powerful and protected, making the whole experience much more enjoyable. There are dangers on the roads, but very rarely do they involve heavy goods vehicles, poorly designed junctions or dangerous drivers.
More candids here href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/23502939@N02/albums/72157622769131641">www.flickr.com/photos/23502939@N02/albums/72157622769131641
More Holland here
www.flickr.com/photos/23502939@N02/albums/72157623554404141
Please do not fave my photos without commenting ( what do people do with thousands of faves, look at them every morning?)
I do reciprocate any comment you may make ! Have a great day
The Swallow was showing off its graceful aerobatic skills all above the grounds. It took a break, sharing space with a House Finch, before making a sudden "beeline" departure.
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It’s a small village, have to share space I guess. Have to clean the field well before game day too, I guess.
The Metropolitan Arts Centre, usually referred to as the MAC, is an arts venue in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter and is home to all kinds of exhibitions, theatre performances, experimental works. The MAC is a cultural hub and a vital shared space in Belfast. Open 363 days per year, the MAC offers an eclectic programme of visual art, theatre, dance, family workshops and lots more. Since opening in 2012, some 1.5 million visitors have come through the doors of the MAC. Designed by Belfast-based architectural practice Hackett Hall McKnight, the MAC sits on a roughly trapezium-shaped site opposite St Anne's Cathedral. The building, completed in February 2012, consists of a number of intersecting brick volumes and a basalt tower topped with three stories of glazing. The project won a 2013 RIBA National Award and was awarded the 2014 Downes Medal by the Architectural Association of Ireland.
© André Distel - Website - Google+ - Facebook
Never getting tired of this fantastic location. There are still a few more shots to process even though they are from 2009...
I am excited to announce that I will have my first exhibiton in about 2 months from now in Germany. It's shared space with my friend and fellow artist Christiaan Snyman (you can find him on facebook).
Not sure yet, which ones I will exhibit but it has to be landscape...obviously.
Took another 400 shots in the last two days in Southern Germany. The weather is not the greatest, so I am not sure what to expect.
André
These shots are just representative of all the "folks" I share home with! Ken, of course, but also our 3 dogs, a great number of cats and parrots and also a number of turtles! :) It is always busy here at the zoo on the Elk River!
Taken for the Jules' Photo Challenge Group:
August 04-With whom do you share your house/ apartment?
Hermès expands in Pantin, luxury takes its place....The famous luxury brand Hermès took the gamble of setting up shop in Pantin (93). Since 1992, workshops, offices and a showroom have been located near the center of Paris. It is in buildings that respect the industrial past, luxury and well-being that Hermès expanded and created the Cité des métiers, awarded the Équerre d'argent d'Architecture prize in 2014.
Hermès leather goods workshops move to Pantin 1992: Hermès opened a branch in Pantin, in the Seine-Saint-Denis region, on rue Auger, a discreet street easily accessible by metro line 5 and just a few minutes from the heart of Paris. At that time, the leather goods workshops were set up in a post-industrial building redesigned by Rena Dumas. The space was soon insufficient and Hermès purchased the surrounding land with the idea of creating its own Cité des Métiers. 2010 : Le Petit h opens! It is a creative workshop between artists and craftsmen of the "house". At the beginning the idea was to create objects or works of art from "leftovers" impossible to sell for a defect invisible to the untrained eye. We work with silk, leather, porcelain, crystal... all noble, rare and sometimes precious materials. The craftsmen of the house make works of art which are gathered in Petit h - an art showcase appreciated by all. Little by little, all of Hermès' trades and talents are combined here: designer, saddler, leatherworker, dressmaker, carpenter, goldsmith, with the know-how and genius of great artists. After several years of work, the brand new glass and brick building was completed. Nearly 1,000 employees arrive at the Pantin site. A gigantic glass cathedral hall, 18 meters high, immediately brings you into the world of luxury, know-how and discretion. From the street you can catch a glimpse of this world. A showroom called Podium Hermès (near rue Montgolfier) was created. A sports hall for employees, a "leather school" and a daycare center were also built. It is already 40,000 square meters and will soon have nearly 1,500 employees.
In addition to the classic manufacture of belts, bags and trunks, it is the turn of the design of textiles (the very famous H square), jackets and tableware to be present in Pantin (at least in part because other manufacturing areas are installed in the south of France). Hermès calls on RDAI Architecture, which will integrate natural spaces, offices and workshops. The most important building stretches 120 meters along the pedestrian street facing the houses. It installs shared spaces: halls, cafeteria, meeting rooms. The architects have rethought the architectural signs of the suburbs: the houses, zinc roofs, window formats, grills... Beautifully crafted gates with finesse and strength are visible from the street. The four buildings created are in slabs and concrete walls (BBC and RT 2012 levels). The facade is dressed with solid bricks. Inside the block, the so-called "units" are linked by gardens designed by the landscape architect Louis Benech. Each garden has its own theme. A covered walkway, made of high performance concrete (HPC), crosses the entire site - it is a link between the buildings, the professions and the people.
The Hermès Foundation
The Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, created in 2010, invites artists to create works from materials used by the French fashion brand. The artists work in residence with the artisans of the fashion house. These "cartes blanches" create a dialogue between crafts and contemporary art. In 2022, the Fondation Hermès will present a retrospective exhibition for its 10th anniversary in Seoul, Tokyo and in Pantin at the Magasins Généraux with Les formes du transfert. Near rue Hoche and rue Auger. If you pass by the Hoche district in Pantin, don't miss the buildings of the Hermès company. From there you can take a pleasant walk from the Centre National de la Danse and stroll along the banks of the Ourcq canal to admire the architecture of the great mills of Pantin, the street art works or branch off in the direction of the Ropac gallery which offers free temporary exhibitions all year round. Consult our practical pages if you are looking for a hotel in Pantin or a restaurant near the Hermès workshops. Before you leave, be sure to stop by the Ernest & Valentin bakery located on Place Olympe de Gouges, opposite the Hermès site, where the Olympe de Gouge market takes place.
www.tourisme93.com/hermes-a-pantin-ateliers-bureaux-cite-...
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès (/ɛərˈmɛz/ (listen) air-MEZ, French: [ɛʁmɛs] (listen)), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since the 1950s, is of a Duke carriage with horse.Thierry Hermès was born in Krefeld, Germany, to a French father and a German mother. The family moved to France in 1828. In 1837, Hermès first established a harness workshop in the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris, dedicated to serving European noblemen. He created high-quality wrought harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade,[5] winning several awards including the first prize in its class in 1855 and again in 1867 at the Expositions Universelles in Paris. Hermès's son, Charles-Émile, took over management from his father in 1880 and moved the shop to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where it remains. With the help of his sons Adolphe and Émile-Maurice, Charles-Émile introduced saddlery and started selling his products retail.[5] The company catered to the élite of Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia, and the Americas. In 1900, the firm offered the Haut à Courroies bag, specially designed for riders to carry their saddles with them. After Charles-Émile Hermès's retirement, sons Adolphe and Émile-Maurice took leadership and renamed the company Hermès Frères. Shortly after, Émile-Maurice began furnishing the tsar of Russia with saddles. By 1914, up to 80 saddle craftsmen were employed. Subsequently, Émile-Maurice was granted the exclusive rights to use the zipper for leather goods and clothing, becoming the first to introduce the device in France. In 1918, Hermès introduced the first leather golf jacket with a zipper, made for Edward, Prince of Wales.[6] Because of its exclusive rights arrangement the zipper became known in France as the fermeture Hermès (Hermès fastener). Throughout the 1920s when he was the sole head of the firm, Émile-Maurice added accessories and clothing collections. He also groomed his three sons-in-law (Robert Dumas, Jean-René Guerrand, and Francis Puech) as business partners. In 1922, the first leather handbags were introduced after Émile-Maurice's wife complained of not being able to find one to her liking. Émile-Maurice created the handbag collection himself. In 1924, Hermès established a presence in the United States and opened two shops outside of Paris. In 1929, the first women's couture apparel collection was previewed in Paris. During the 1930s, Hermès introduced some of its most recognized original goods[3] such as the leather "Sac à dépêches" in 1935 (later renamed the "Kelly bag" after Grace Kelly) and the Hermès carrés (square scarves) in 1937. The scarves became integrated into French culture. In 1938, the "Chaîne d'ancre" bracelet and the riding jacket and outfit joined the classic collection. By this point, the company's designers began to draw inspirations from paintings, books, and objets d'art. The 1930s also witnessed Hermès's entry into the United States market by offering products in a Neiman Marcus department store in New York; however, it later withdrew. In 1949, the same year as the launch of the Hermès silk tie, the first perfume, "Eau d'Hermès", was produced. From the mid-1930s, Hermès employed Swiss watchmaker Universal Genève as the brand's first and exclusive designer of timepieces, producing a line of men's wrist chronographs (manufactured in 18K gold or stainless steel) and women's Art Déco cuff watches in 18K gold, steel, or platinum. Both models contained dials signed either "Hermès" or "Hermès Universal Genève", while the watch movements were signed "Universal Genève S.A.". The Hermès/Universal partnership lasted until the 1950s. Émile-Maurice summarized the Hermès philosophy during his leadership as "leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance. Robert Dumas-Hermès (1898–1978), who succeeded Émile-Maurice after his death in 1951, closely collaborated with brother-in-law Jean-René Guerrand. Dumas became the first man not directly descended from Hermès père to lead the company because his connection to the family was only through marriage. Thus, he incorporated the Hermès name into his own, Dumas-Hermès. The company also acquired its Duc-carriage-with-horse logo and signature orange paper boxes in the early 1950s. Dumas introduced original handbags, jewelry, and accessories and was particularly interested in design possibilities with the silk scarves. During the mid-20th century, scarf production diminished. World Tempus, a Web portal dedicated to watchmaking, states: "Brought to life by the magic wand of Annie Beaumel, the windows of the store on the [rue du] Faubourg Saint-Honoré became a theatre of enchantment and [established the store as] a Parisian meeting-place for international celebrities."In 1956, Life magazine featured a photograph of Grace Kelly, who had become the new Princess of Monaco, carrying the "Sac à dépêches" bag. Purportedly, she held it in front of herself to disguise her pregnancy. Thus, when the public began calling it the "Kelly" bag, a name subsequently adopted by Hermès, it became hugely popular. The perfume business became a subsidiary in 1961, concurrently with the introduction of the "Calèche" scent, named after a hooded four-wheeled horse carriage, known since the 18th century, and is also the company's logo since the 1950s. In 2004, Jean-Claude Ellena became the in-house perfumer or "nose" and has created several successful scents, including the Hermessence line of fragrances. Despite apparent success in the 1970s, exemplified by multiple shops having been established worldwide, Hermès declined relative to its competitors. Industry observers attributed this decline to Hermès' insistence on exclusively using natural materials for its products, a differentiation from competitors that were using new, synthetic materials. A two-week lapse in orders exemplified this shift: the Hermès workrooms were silent.[ A market shift from artificial ingredients back to natural materials renewed demand for Hermès' fragrances and improved the company’s prospects, contributing to the re-establishment of Hermès as a major player in the fragrance industry. Jean-Louis Dumas, the son of Robert Dumas-Hermès, traveled extensively, studying in the buyer-training program at Bloomingdale's, the New York department store, and joined the family firm in 1964. He became chairman of Hermès in 1978 and concentrated the firm on silk, leather goods, and ready-to-wear, augmenting traditional techniques with new product lines. This transition was instrumental in turning around Hermès’ decline. Dumas brought in designers Eric Bergère and Bernard Sanz to revamp the apparel collection and, in collaboration, added unusual entries. They included the python motorcycle jackets and ostrich-skin jeans, which were dubbed as "a snazzier version of what Hermès has been all along." (Annual sales in 1978, when Jean-Louis became head of the firm, were reported at US$50 million. By 1990, annual sales were reported at US$460 million, mainly due to Dumas's strategy.) In 1979, he launched an advertising campaign featuring a young, denim-clad woman wearing an Hermès scarf. The purpose was to introduce the Hermès brand to a new set of consumers. As one fashion-sector observer noted: "Much of what bears the still-discreet Hermès label changed from the object of an old person's nostalgia to the subject of young peoples' dreams."However, Dumas's change-of-image created outrage both within and outside of the firm. Also in the 1970s, the watch subsidiary, La Montre Hermès, was established in Bienne, Switzerland. Then, throughout the 1980s, Dumas strengthened the company's hold on its suppliers, resulting in Hermès's gaining great stakes in prominent French glassware, silverware acquiring venerable tableware manufacturers such as Puiforcat, St. Louis, and Périgord. From the 1980s, tableware became a strong segment of the firm. And, overall, the collection of Hermès goods expanded in 1990 to include over 30,000 pieces. New materials used in the collection included porcelain and crystal. Hermès relocated its workshops and design studios to Pantin, just outside Paris. By June 1993, Hermès had gone public on the Paris Bourse (stock exchange). At the time, the equity sale generated great excitement. The 425,000 shares floated at FFr 300 (US$55 at the time) were oversubscribed by 34 times. Dumas told Forbes magazine that the equity sale would help lessen family tensions by allowing some members to liquidate their holdings without "squabbling over share valuations among themselves." To this time, the Hermès family was still retaining a strong hold of about 80% in stocks, placing Jean-Louis Dumas and the entire family on the Forbes list of billionaires. Mimi Tompkins of U.S. News & World Report called the company "one of Paris' best guarded jewels." In the following years, Dumas decreased Hermès franchises from 250 to 200 and increased company-owned stores from 60 to 100 to better control sales of its products. The plan was to cost about FFr 200 million in the short term but to increase profits in the long term. Having around FFr 500 million to invest, Hermès pressed ahead, targeting China for company-operated boutiques, finally opening a store in Beijing in 1996. In 1997, Jean-Louis hired iconoclastic Belgian designer Martin Margiela to supervise women's ready-to-wear.
By the late 1990s, Hermès continued extensively to diminish the number of franchised stores, buying them up and opening more company-operated boutiques. The fashion industry was caught off guard in September 1999, when Jean-Louis decided to pay FFr 150 million for a 35% stake in the Jean-Paul Gaultier fashion house.[4] In the latter part of the 1900s, the company encouraged its clientele to faites nous rêver (make us dream), producing throughout the period artistically atypical orders. In 2003, Margiela left Hermès, and highly controversial Jean-Paul Gaultier, as the head designer, debuted his first ready-to-wear collection for fall/winter 2004–05. After 28 years as head of the firm, Jean-Louis Dumas retired in January 2006. Known for his charm and one of Europe's greatest authorities on luxury, he died in 2010 after a long illness. Patrick Thomas, who had joined the company in 1989 and who had worked with Jean-Louis as the co-CEO from 2005, replaced him. Thomas became the first non-Hermès family member to head the company. In February 2015, Hermès has announced an increase of its turnover of 9.7%, which represents more than €4 billion in sales. This increase is internationally visible. In Asia, excluding Japan, where the turnover grew 7%, in America, with 10% rise, in Europe where it grew 7% growth and generated a good performance in the group's stores. In March 2018, Hermès opened a multi-story shop at the Dubai Mall, their largest to date. In 2019, the brand was ranked 33rd in the Forbes List "World's Most Valuable Brands".
The 2021 review of WIPO's annual World Intellectual Property Indicators ranked Hermès 7th in the world for the 68 industrial design registrations that were published under the Hague System during 2020. This position is significantly up on their previous 15th place ranking for their 27 industrial design registrations published in 2019. The designers throughout the company's history have included Lola Prusac, Jacques Delahaye, Catherine de Karolyi, Monsieur Levaillant, Nicole de Vesian, Eric Bergère, Claude Brouet, Tan Giudicelli, Marc Audibet, Mariot Chane, Bernard Sanz, Martin Margiela, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christophe Lemaire, Véronique Nichanian (the men's-wear designer since 1988), and Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski (since 2014 succeeding Lemaire). Known for luxury goods, by 2008, Hermès had 14 product divisions that encompassed leather, scarves, ties, men's and women's wear, perfume, watches, stationery, footwear, gloves, enamelware, decorative arts, tableware, and jewellery.
Hermès sales compose about 30% leather goods, 15% clothes, 12% scarves, and 43% other wares. The company licenses no products and keeps tight control over the design and manufacture of its vast inventory. The firm is very attached to its traditional business model and rejects mass production, assembly lines, and mechanization. Hermès's goods are almost entirely made in France by hand in middle-sized workshops known as Les Ateliers Hermès that emphasise high-quality manufacturing. Indeed, Hermès claims most items are fabricated from beginning to end by only one person, which is supposed to guarantee the quality and uniqueness of its products. In 2012, Hermès retail outlets changed their policy regarding returns and exchanges of products. Consumers may only exchange items within ten days of purchase and only for another color variant of the original purchase. No other post-purchase exchanges are permitted, and refunds are never offered, regardless of the consumer's having a receipt. The scarf or carré (square) was introduced in 1937. The first example was a 70 cm x 70 cm print of white-wigged females playing a popular period game, a custom-made accessory named "Jeu des Omnibus et Dames Blanches."[4] Hermès oversaw the production of its scarves throughout the entire process, purchasing raw Chinese silk, spinning it into yarn, and weaving it into fabric twice as strong and heavy as most scarves available at the time. The company's scarf designers spend years creating new print patterns that are individually screen-printed. Designers can choose from over 70,000 different colors. When production first began, a dedicated factory was established in Lyon, France, the same year that Hermès celebrated its 100th anniversary. Contemporary Hermès carrés measure 90 cm × 90 cm, weigh 65 grams and are woven from the silk of 250 mulberry moth cocoons. All hems are hand-stitched. Motifs are wide-ranging, Two silk-scarf collections per year are released, along with some reprints of older designs and limited editions. And two collections per year are introduced in a Cashmere/silk blend. Since 1937, Hermès has produced over 2,000 unique designs; the horse motif is particularly famous and popular.[17] The ubiquitous "Brides de Gala" version, introduced in 1957, has been produced more than 70,000 times. An Hermès scarf is sold somewhere in the world every 25 seconds; by the late 1970s, more than 1.1 million scarves had been sold worldwide. In 1946, the brand introduced a range of men's silk neckties in an array of motifs and widths. Neckties account for 10% of the company's annual sales.For years, Hermès has partnered with Tuareg tribesmen for silver jewelry. The Saharan nomads' traditional motifs are often mirrored in various Hermès products, including scarves. Hermès is known for its handmade luggage and handbags. One of them might require 18 to 24 hours to produce. The construction of each Kelly bag, for example, requires 18 hours to fully realize. Hermès's leathers come from all over the world. Customers may currently wait from six months to one year for delivery of one of the house's signature bags.
Incidentally, should Hermès's leather goods require repair, owners can bring an item to any Hermès store, where it will be shipped to Les Ateliers Hermès in Pantin for repair or reconditioning.
Another famous Hermès handbag, the "Birkin bag", was named after British actress Jane Birkin. In a chance encounter with Jean-Louis Dumas, she complained that her bag was not practical for everyday use. Consequently, he invited her to France where they co-designed the bag in 1984. Birkin has since stopped carrying her namesake bag due to her tendonitis, as the bag became too large and heavy for her to carry. Asked by her that her name be removed and with much back-and-forth comments about various issues such as having her name removed. According to Vogue: "Jane Birkin 'is satisfied by the measures taken by Hermès', according to the brand, following an investigation by the fashion house [that refuted] claims made by PETA that its famous Birkin bags were being 'constructed from the skins of factory-farmed and cruelly slaughtered crocodiles.' "
In 2021, the Farm Transparency Project released video footage from three Australian crocodile farms owned by Hermès, which showed the small cages and concrete floors the animals live on and how they are slaughtered, including by stabbing and electrocution.
Edinburgh Palette is a community of makers, designers and artists, working alongside charities, creative enterprises and small businesses. This community has steadily grown in St Margaret’s House, a former NHS office block disregarded by many for its “neo-brutalist” architecture.
In St Margaret’s House (151 London Road
Edinburgh), the charity has created an inclusive hub where artists, craftspeople, community groups and businesses share space, interact and exchange ideas, while providing a diverse programme of public events and exhibitions.
Album : 747/Faded glory/ Gatwick/
Classic Gatwick in the late 1980's . Iconic TWA 747 and Tristar share space with a Continental airlines [Ex People Express] 747.
Scan from a slide. July 1987.
Old and new share space in downtown Pittsburgh. The Tower at PNC Plaza is down the street from Bank Tower. I believe there's a grand circular staircase in Bank Tower, but I don't know if it's accessible to the public.
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.
Less than a block from my house, tucked into a little alley off Gerrard is a Hindu temple. It's one of the many joys of living where I do, and I am grateful for being able to share space with my neighbours.
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.
Hidden Valley
Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103-433), it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) native to the park. It covers a land area of 790,636 acres (1,235.37 sq mi; 3,199.59 km2) —an area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island. A large part of the park, some 429,690 acres (173,890 ha), is a designated wilderness area. Straddling the San Bernardino County/Riverside County border, the park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation: the higher Mojave Desert and lower Colorado Desert. The Little San Bernardino Mountains run through the southwest edge of the park.
The rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park were formed more than 100 million years ago from the cooling of magma beneath the surface into monzogranite, with roughly rectangular joints. Groundwater then filtered through the joints to erode away the corners and edges to create rounded stones, and flash floods washed away covering ground to create piles of boulders. These prominent outcrops are known as inselbergs.
Hidden Valley is a self-guiding, one-mile loop trail that winds among massive boulders through what was believed to be a legendary cattle rustlers' hideout. It is one of the most popular and scenic hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park. The area is also a popular rock-climbing area. Many visitors enjoy just watching the climbers in action.
Because of the Hidden Valley's natural encasement, a unique micro-habitat brings together a wide range of plants and animals not typically found together in other sections of the Park. Healthy populations of Joshua Tree, pinyon, juniper and oak share space with mesquite, yucca, nolina, various cacti and other species.
According to various sources, In 1936, desert pioneer Bill Keys blasted a notch through the rocks walls to improve access for his cattle herds. Today this serves as Hidden Valley's main access point.
A nearby campground is available for tenting and small RV's, 25' or less.
(Wikipedia)
Der Joshua-Tree-Nationalpark ist eine Wüstenlandschaft im Südosten Kaliforniens, die den Übergang zwischen der Mojave-Wüste und der Colorado-Wüste bildet. Der Park ist nach der auffälligen, im Englischen „Joshua Tree“ genannten Josua-Palmlilie (Yucca brevifolia) benannt, der größten Art der Gattung der Palmlilien (Yucca), die auch Josuabaum genannt wird.
Neben den Joshuabaum-Wäldern bietet der Park eine der interessantesten geologischen Formationen, die man in den kalifornischen Wüsten findet. Es herrschen kahle Felsen vor, die in der Regel in einzelne Felsformationen aufgebrochen sind.
Joshua-Tree wurde 1936 zum National Monument und 1994 zum Nationalpark erklärt. Er wird jährlich von über einer Million Menschen – darunter Tausende von Felskletterern aus aller Welt – besucht.
(Wikipedia)
This store has a surprisingly decent floral department for its size, though it has to share space with produce and customer service. In fact, the tiny customer service desk shown here also serves as the floral service desk (though, admittedly, it's very rare for Safeway to actually have someone manning the large floral desks that most stores have). Neither customer service nor floral have a proper department sign -- customer service has a plain, Lifestyle v1-like sign, while floral has the picture box oddly placed next to the customer service sign and tiny lettering buried behind the displays next to the service desk (so buried that I couldn't see what it said, but it's not the typical "poetry in bloom").
After such a drab and dreary winter season it was amazing to get out in warmer weather and see life returning as spring makes it's way slowly through. The birds and animals were very active at Lynde Shores and provided plenty of photo ops!
A clever livery advertising their parcels service adorns Eastern Counties AAH 735J. The bus is a Bristol RELL6G with ECW B53F body RL 735 new in December 1970. The location is Norwich bus station, sharing space is XAH 381H a Bristol VRT with ECW H39/31F body VR 381 new June 1970.
*I would normally straighten up a leaning picture but to do that would cut off a chunk of the VRT which would be a pity.
Copyright Geoff Dowling & John Whitehouse; All rights reserved no use to be made without permission.
A wartime Jeep at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA with a P-51 and P-40 to share space with. You could do worse.
A pretty common sight now, people masked when outdoors. Since they are still hard to get hold of due to the demand, most don't have them on, but I suspect even when lockdown restrictions ease we will still be seeing this a lot, especially when we need to be in shared spaces like shops, transport etc.
The doggies and I had a first-time treat recently. While sharing space with a couple of Red-breasted Sapsuckers along the edge of our Fir forest, we picked up a different bird call, so I brought up Merlin and opened my eyes a bit more, to see what I could see.
What I found was these two Western Blue Birds that were Very Skittish and they kept their distance from me very carefully.
This is definitely a "documentary" pic, rather than a beauty pic, due to the mist in the morning air and the distance at which these birdies kept me.
It was a real joy sharing the edge of the forest with these wonderful birds.
I do kinda like the fact that these two birds hung very closely to each other, but their "body language" seemed to suggest (to me) that they either had assigned quadrants for which they were responsible for "danger detection"...or...they were simply upset with one another?
Hjertet multi-purpose community centre in Ikast, Denmark
Architecture & landscape by C.F. Møller Architects, 2018
Sculpture by Jørgen Carlo Larsen
Hjertet (‘The Heart’) in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication. ‘The Heart’ combines teaching, activities, community spaces, physical exercise, recreational pursuits and play in new ways; and the building is designed to create and promote social and cultural meetings, based on an inclusive and integrating approach.