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“Wounds promise authenticity and profundity, beauty and singularity, desirability. They summon sympathy. They bleed enough light to write by. They yield scars full of stories and slights that become rallying cries. They break upon the fuming fruits of damaged engines and dust these engines with color. And yet—beyond and beneath their fruits—they still hurt. The boons of a wound never get rid of it; they just bloom from it. It’s perilous to think of them as chosen. Perhaps a better phrase to use is wound appeal, which is to say: the ways a wound can seduce, how it promises what it rarely gives. My friend Harriet put it like this: ‘Pain that gets performed is still pain.’

So after all this, how can I tell you about my scars? “

~ Leslie Jamison (from "Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain")

8:36PM

 

DLD*women (Digital-Life-Design) Conference is taking place for 2.th time in Munich, from 29 to 30th June 2011 "Innovation & Authenticity"

In the realm of wonder, where dreams take flight,

A hater lingers, shrouded in envy's spite,

He despises your beauty, radiant and true,

Yet, his hatred reflects his own inner hue.

In Wonderland's embrace, you gracefully twirl,

A girl in wonder, a precious, rare pearl,

Your truth shines brightly, a guiding star,

A beacon of authenticity, from near to far.

But the hater's heart is a barren terrain,

Envious of the joy that courses through your vein,

He envies the life he cannot truly know,

In his shadowed existence, where bitterness grows.

Yet, let his hatred not dim your light,

For your beauty and truth are pure and bright,

In Wonderland's tapestry, you dance and play,

In your own magical world, where love holds sway.

So, let the hater's venom fall away like rain,

In your wonder-filled heart, let love remain,

For your life is a masterpiece, uniquely your own,

A symphony of beauty, truth, and love, brightly shown...

 

by me

 

Dedicated to Laurie

LEGO Star Wars - Amazing what a little washing powder can do to add to the authenticity of the scene

In a quiet dressing room, a melancholy Pierrot stands poised between performance and self-reflection. Behind the costumed figure, a wooden mannequin sits calmly before a vanity mirror, suggesting the tension between public persona and private identity. Bathed in cool blue-violet light, the scene explores the emotional labor of performance, the masks we wear, and the uncertain boundary between authenticity and artifice. The glowing doorway hints at possibilities beyond the stage, while the silent exchange between the two figures invites viewers to consider who we become when no one is watching. Image Sources: texture_016_by_asphyxiate_stock_Deviant Art; Vintage mannequin from Antique Dealers Assoc.; Pierrot from Czech Marionetts;

Here's the limited edition first run of Pepper Popcorn for the Big Kev's Geek Stuff's new online webstore.

 

Pepper stands around 8cm tall and comes with removable popcorn. Each of these 5 ltd editions is hand made and finished by me and is signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity.

 

If you fancy owning one of these little beauties keep your eyes and ears open over at bigkevsgeekstuff.com/wpress/

 

Deboxing the Aladdin and Jasmine Wedding set. The front lid has been slid off the box. There is a clear plastic window in front of the dolls. They are attached to the cardboard backing, which together with the plastic window forms the inner box. The bottom lid of the outer box is behind the backing. Unlike most of the Disney Store's limited edition 17'' dolls, there is no text or graphics in the front window, so we have a perfectly clear view of the dolls from the front. There are some white graphics printed on the side windows. Then the front plastic window is removed, and the inner backing cardboard is removed from the back lid. The dolls are now in the clear. We remove the two Certificates of Authenticity from below the backing, and place them in front of the dolls. They are both numbered 155 of 250. They have reflective gold lettering and graphics on dark teal background.

 

Detailed photos of my Limited Edition Aladdin and Jasmine 17'' Wedding Doll Set. I received it from the Disney Store on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. It arrived in perfect condition. I show the set boxed, during deboxing, and completely deboxed. My set is #155 of 250. The shipping carton was labeled at Cart #005, so the actual edition number was offset by 150.

 

Their outfits are very beautiful. Their colors are coordinated, being white and gold. I placed the jeweled and feathered turban on Aladdin for most of the shots. Aladdin can free stand, as is usual for male dolls, but he isn't that stable, so I used the included stand for most of the shots. Aladdin is fully articulated, as with all the LE 17'' male dolls since Eric in 2013. So he has ball jointed elbow, wrist and ankle joints, and hinged knee joints.

 

Jasmine had the usual problem of her massive hair pulling her backwards in her display stand, so it was hard to make her stand up straight when her hair was behind her. So for the final photos of her with Aladdin, I draped her hair partly over her shoulder, so she would be more balanced. As with the Wedding Cinderella doll, there are an incredible number of gems in Jasmine's dress, especially in the golden embroidery at the hem of her skirt. The gems are gold and clear, and are of varying sizes.

 

They are listed as 17'' H, but Aladdin is actually 18'' H, and Jasmine is 16.5'' H.

 

Aladdin and Jasmine Limited Edition Doll Set - 17''

$750.00

Item No. 6003040900048P

 

US Disney Store

Released Online 2015-10-14

Sold Out 2015-10-14

Purchased Online 2015-10-14

Received 2015-10-28

#155 of 250

 

Eastern Eden

Aladdin and Jasmine enter a whole new world of elegance with this collectible limited edition doll set. Designed by Disney artists, the pair of finely detailed dolls are dressed in exquisitely exotic costumes with jeweled accents.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 250

• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

• Set includes Aladdin and Jasmine dolls

• Jasmine's skirt is elaborately decorated with metallic thread, embroidery and jewel accents

• Trimmed with golden band at hem and waist

• Silken lining

• Top features embroidered detailing with jewel accent

• Organza veil with embroidered detailing and jewel accents

• Veil trimmed with embroidered band with jewel accents

• Tiara, necklace, earrings, and bracelet accessories with jewel accents

• Rooted hair and eyelashes

• Aladdin dressed in fully embroidered bodice and sash

• Silken shirt and coordinating pants

• Cape is fully lined and edged in embroidered trim

• Silken turban with faceted jewel and feathered accent

• Faux leather boots

• Rooted hair

• Both dolls are fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Hinged front panels open to reveal elegant window display packaging with magnetic closure

• Celebrating the return of Disney's Aladdin to DVD and Blu-ray disc

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic /polyester

• Dolls: 17'' H

• Packaging: 18 1/2'' H x 17'' W x 7'' D

• Imported

Vintage German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin. Photo: Emelka Konzern. Himansu Rai in Prem Sanyas or Die Leuchte Asiens/The Light of Asia (Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, 1925). Bayern Films. Caption: The Light of Asia. Gautama's fight for love and renunciation. Yet, the back of the card has another caption, relating to the scene on this card: "The Parade of Gotama and Gopa's Wedding. For the shooting of this scene, the Indian Rajah's command brought together thousands of people and animals. An endless cavalcade of camel riders opened the cortege as the vanguard, after which hundreds of festively decorated elephants followed. Just to give an example of India's richness, which was displayed at this occasion, it should be mentioned that just the hangings on these state elephants already represent some 300.000 Rupees, equal to 400.000 Gold Marks."

 

The German-Indian production Prem Sanyas or Die Leuchte Asiens (Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, 1925) depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha. Prem Sanyas is a fascinating hybrid between exoticism and authenticity. The film made stars of the two young leads, Seeta Devi and Himansu Rai. Actor/director Rai would become one of the pioneers of the Indian cinema. Prem Sanyas was the first Indian co-production and made with the cooperation of the Maharajah of Jaipur. The film contained a cast of thousands. The shooting took place in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan, where the set decoration was created by Devika Rani, the wife of actor/director Himanshu Rai and a noted actress herself.

 

Himansu Rai (1895-1940) was one of the stars of the early Indian cinema when India was still a part of the United Kingdom. He often worked with German director-producer Franz Osten. Later Rai became a producer.

 

Actor/director Himansu Rai was born in 1895 into a wealthy Bengali family. While training as a lawyer in London in the early 1920s, he began to act in plays. In London, he met his later wife Devika Rani who designed film sets and would continue to work with him. In 1933, he joined forces with IBP of England and wholly produced Karma/Fate (J.L. Freer-Hunt, 1933), a bilingual film in English and Hindi. But the Nazi seizure of power in Germany caused Rai to abandon international co-productions and so he decided to concentrate on the domestic film market in India. In 1934, he formed Bombay Talkies Ltd. and built a studio. Under his painstaking supervision, it purchased the most modern equipment from Germany. Franz Osten and a handful of technicians came down from England and Germany to work with him. By 1935, a stream of Hindi productions had begun to emerge from the studio. The advent of World War II meant that the studio's German technicians as well as director Osten were interned by the British, which crippled the studio. Overwork and mental strain eventually took its toll on Rai, who suffered a nervous breakdown which he never recovered from. Himansu Rai died in 1940.

 

Sources: Filmportal.de, Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

The front cover is taken off, and placed next to the box. There is a clear plastic window over the doll, that has graphics and text in white. Then the plastic window taken off, and the backing cardboard removed from the box. The doll is securely attached to the backing, and is supported by the included display stand. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from under the backing, and placed in front of the doll.

 

I purchased the D23 Exclusive Limited Edition Red Jasmine 17'' Doll on her release day, Saturday August 15, 2015, from the Disney Store in the D23 Expo 2015. She is a red colored and enhanced variant of the LE 5000 Teal Jasmine, which I pre-ordered on August 4, 2015, and will be released on October 13, 2015. She is LE 500, and costs $119.95.

 

My doll is #226 of 500. She is such a beautiful doll, and is by far my favorite item from the Expo. She is on my desk right now, so I can admire her beauty up close as I work on my computer.

 

I will post photos of Red Jasmine boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed.

LEGO Star Wars - Amazing what a little washing powder can do to add to the authenticity of the scene

The Rundāle Palace, Latvia.

 

What you're seeing here is a recreation of the original interior. The restoration cost over 8 million Euros, which, when you see the results, doesn't seem nearly enough to produce the splendors one encounters at every turn.

 

What's not clear to me is whether any of decoration is original and restored and how much is brand new. This always frustrates me because I'm hung up on the concept of authenticity. I'll just come right out and say I don't get the same satisfaction from replicas that I do from originals.

 

One way to resolve this conundrum is to say this is an authentic replica of an 18th century palace that was, as the text below explains, "demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian [Napoleonic] War," and then "demolished [again in 1919] by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army," which was commanded by a Cossack warlord who decided to take over newly-independent Latvia instead of fighting the Bolsheviks.

 

Still, this begs the question of the meaning of such a place. A hot take is that it's an expression of Latvian nationalism. However, in the 18th century this region was ruled by Germans and then by Russians. Most ethnic Latvians were serfs. Perhaps the nationalist message is that the Latvians, once free from the rule of Germans, Czarist Russians, Nazis and the Soviets, had the wherewithal to recreate a palace once owned by an overlord and make it their own. To further make the point, the compound is now a major tourist attraction, so interiors once intended solely for the aristocracy, royalty and their hangers-on and servants are today filled to the brim with tourists like us.

 

Is is also a acknowledged center for the study of 18th-century interior design? The devil is in the details, and I haven't yet had time to delve into that

 

If you're wondering why the point of view in these photos is from the top of the windows to the ceiling, it's because there were mobs of visitors that made it almost impossible to photograph whole walls, much less floors.

 

Here is the whole history of the construction of the palace from the palace's informative Web site. I recommend visiting it if for no other reason than to see the rooms devoid of visitors. Also, there's a section on the restoration.

rundale.net/en/

 

The name of Rundāle comes from the German place-name Ruhenthal (Valley of Peace).

 

The Rundāle Palace built during the 16th century was located on the northern side of the pond. It can be seen in the design of F. B. Rastrelli as a small square field with towers in the corners.

 

Rundāle Manor was already created at the end of the 15th century. It belonged to the Grotthus family from 1505 to 1681 and the palace was mentioned in the list of Livonian castles in 1555.

 

Facade finishing components have been found in the territory of the palace – cast fragments and fragments of coats of arms carved in stone dating to the middle of the 17th century. In 1735 Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle property for 42 000 thalers.

 

The old palace was

completely torn down, and the stones, bricks and even the mortar were used in the construction of the new palace.

 

Duke Ernst Johann died in 1772, and the palace was inherited by his widow Duchess Benigna Gottlieb; during her time orchards were formed around the palace. Duke Peter did not come to Rundāle often, he mostly resided in the smaller Vircava Palace near Jelgava.

 

In 1795 Duke Peter gave up his throne and the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was added to the Russian Empire. Catherine II gave Rundāle Manor as a present to Count Valerian Zubov who died in 1804.

 

During the distribution of inheritance Rundāle became the property of his brother Prince Platon Zubov, the last favourite of Catherine II.

 

During the time of Zubov the palace was refurnished, however the building itself remained untouched, only entrance porticos were added to the central building and several fireplaces were built inside.

 

The palace was demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian War – mirrors were smashed, silk wallpaper was torn down, the library given as a present from Catherine II was destroyed.

 

Prince Platon Zubov died in Rundāle Palace on 7 April 1822. His widow married Count Andrey Shuvalov, and Rundāle Manor belonged to this family until the agrarian reform of the Republic of Latvia in 1920.

 

The Shuvalovs rarely stayed in the palace, excluding the time period from 1864 to 1866 when Count Pyotr Shuvalov was the governor-general of the Baltic region and used Rundāle Palace as his official summer residence.

 

During this time unsuccessful renovation of the palace rooms was carried out, however during the 1880’s careful renovation of the interior design was performed. At the end of the 19th century part of the palace’s furniture and works of art was taken to Saint Petersburg.

 

During the time from 1915 to 1918 a German army commandant’s office and an infirmary was established in the palace. In 1919 the palace was demolished by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army.

 

The palace was renovated in 1923 and some of its rooms were used as the primary school of Rundāle Parish. In 1924 Rundāle Palace was handed over to the Latvian Union of Disabled Veterans, but in 1933 it was taken over by the Board of Monuments which started the renovation of the building and the restoration of some of the rooms, and the western building was constructed for the needs of the primary school.

 

In 1938 the palace was handed over to the State Historical Museum that was planning to create a church art and decorative art museum there. The palace was also open to the public during World War II.

 

In 1945 a grain storage was formed in the halls of the palace, and the palace was closed to the public after that.

 

In 1963 some of the palace’s rooms were given to the Museum of Regional Studies and Art of Bauska, but in 1972 a permanent Rundāle Palace Museum was created and its main aim was to renew the whole ensemble of the palace by mainly orientating towards the condition of the palace during the second part of the 18th century.

 

The first restored rooms in the eastern building of the palace were opened to the public in 1981, gradually being followed by new interiors. Restoration of the palace was finished in 2014.

 

Construction history

 

Count Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle manor complex on 26 June 1735. In August of the same year the court architect of Russia Francesco Rastrelli came to Courland. From September until December agreements were being concluded with carpenters, masons, brickmakers, construction material suppliers, potters – stove makers.

 

The construction project was ready in January of 1736. The eight pages of the project are located in the graphic art collection “Albertina” in Vienna. It consists of a situation plan, two floor plans, a sketch of four facades and the altar of the palace church.

 

The first construction period from 1736 to 1740.

 

On 24 May 1736 the foundation-stone of the palace was set. Construction of the foundation was completed on 6 July, whereas on 13 October the central building was built to the level of the windowsill of the second floor. The construction of 12 brick-kilns and 12 brick storages was finished in June. 268 masons were working in the palace, but Rastrelli requested 500 men.

 

Construction was stopped on 1 November due to cold.

The construction works were restarted on 12 April 1737. On 28 May the central building was finished, and on 18 June covering was started to be placed on the side buildings, whereas the construction of the central building roof was finished at the end of June.

 

When the works were stopped on 10 October, one side building was roofed over, and the other one was covered with a temporary roof. The foundations of the stables were also ready. The bricklaying works were finished on 1 October 1737.

 

After Biron was elected Duke, he ordered to simplify the building. The finishing materials were produced by the master carpenters and woodcarver A. Kamaev of the Imperial Construction Bureau of Saint Petersburg, master potter I. Ushakov of the Neva brick factory with his team and painters I. Mizinov, I. Pilugin and I. Yevdokimov. Austrian potters were working in Vircava. The finishing materials were also being produced in Saint Petersburg.

 

In 1738 the volume of work in Rundāle decreased, as construction works of Jelgava Palace began. Some of the produced components were also taken to Jelgava. However, the works were moving forward – chimneys and room arches were being built, roofs were being finished.

 

From 14 June, when the construction of the main residence in Jelgava began, the construction works in Rundāle were moving at a slower pace. Master carpenter Eger had finished oak-wood panels for 33 rooms, as well as 13 oak-wood parquet floors. Ceilings boards were put up in the rooms, so that the plastering works could be started. In September the carpenters started working on the outside staircases. The construction of the gate tower was also started.

 

Entwurf von Rastrelli: die Nordfassade des Schlosses Rundāle mit dem Torturm

Rastrelli’s design, nothern facade of the palace with the gate tower.

 

In 1739 the interior plastering works were supposed to be carried out, but the Duke ordered to decrease the amount of plasterers and to simplify the work. Stucco formations were made only for the main staircase rooms and halls, the other rooms were left with smooth ceilings. Only ten craftsmen were working in Rundāle.

 

On 1 February after the order of Empress of Russia Anna Ioannovna all of the Saint Petersburg Construction Office masons were sent to Courland.

 

The components made for Rundāle, including carved doors, panels, parquet, Austrian potter stoves, plafonds painted on canvas and cast-iron facade decorations made by Bartolomeo Tarsia that can be seen in the Jelagava Palace facade, were transported to the main residence in Jelgava.

 

N. Vasilyev assisted Rastrelli in managing the construction works. Russian chamberlain Ernst Johann von Buttlar was in charge of finances and organisation and he was sending reports to Saint Petersburg regarding the work process.

 

In 1740 the woodcut altar of the palace church was transported to Jelgava. Supposedly the room decoration in the palace had been finished, but not all of the wall panels had been mounted and some of the stoves were also not set up, as a lot of the materials were in storage.

 

Work was stopped after the palace revolution of 20 November in Russia and the arrest and exile of Duke Ernst Johann. The prepared finishing materials and construction components were sent to Saint Petersburg, and some of the built-in components, such as doors, wall panels and parquet, were broken.

Overall more than a thousand different profession craftsmen and workers were employed in the construction works of the palace.

 

The second construction period from 1764 to 1770.

 

In 1762 Ernst Johann von Biron was granted mercy and returned to Courland in January of 1763.

In January of 1764 Johann Gottfried Seidel was appointed the court architect of the Duke, but in August Francesco Rastrelli returned to work for the Duke and was appointed to the position of main administrator of the Duke’s buildings.

 

During this time he arranged his construction designs and carried out general supervision of the Duke’s construction works.

The unfinished gate tower was torn down and the stable building construction was started. Latvian carpenters and woodworkers were sent from the Duke’s domain manors to Rundāle up until 1768. In 1765 woodworker Blanks, sculptor Zībenbrods, locksmith Šreibfogels, gold plating master Johans Endress, potter Šēfers, locksmith Horstmanis and coppersmith Mēmels were working in the palace.

 

In 1766 Severin Jensen from Denmark started working as the court architect. His style can be seen in the gateposts and in the stable buildings, which obtained a semicircular shape in contrast to Rastrelli’s rectangular design. A dating – 16 May 1766 – has been made in the keystone of the northern facade window.

 

In 1768 the gate was built and the forgings were placed.

 

The palace interior planning was changed slightly. By merging five smaller rooms the grand dining-room – the Grand Gallery – was created, whereas a dance hall known as the White Hall was created in the place of the palace church. Both front staircases, the Small Gallery, the lobby and galleries of the first floor were preserved from the original interiors of the first construction period.

 

The stucco decorative finishing of the interiors was carried out by the Berlin sculptor and stucco marble master Johann Michael Graff together with his team – his brother Josef and assistants Bauman and Lanz – from 1765 to 1768.

 

Sculpturesque decorations were made in twenty-seven rooms, but in two rooms of the Duke’s apartments and in the hall – synthetic marble panels. Works were started in the central building first.

 

The Marble Hall and the marble panel of the Gold Hall in which the dating has been engraved on the door lining, were finished in 1767. In July of 1768 Graff received payment for his final works – the White Hall, Oval Cabinet, Duchess’ Boudoir and vases for the 22 stair banisters.

 

The ceilings were painted by the Italian painters Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi from Saint Petersburg. They started working in August of 1766, but only the name of Martini is mentioned in documents starting with March of 1768. Francesco Martini received his last payment in March of 1769.

 

Ceilings of eight rooms, as well as the walls of two rooms were painted. One of the ceiling paintings got destroyed. The repainted wall paintings were later uncovered in the Grand Gallery and in the second study of the Duke.

 

The Duke came to Rundāle Palace in April of 1767 and stayed there until December with interruptions, although the finishing works were still in progress. The palace was also inhabited in 1768. The final works were carried out in 1770 when a fellow of J. M. Graff placed mirrors in the White Hall.

 

20.04.2018

   

Dutch version of German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, No. 36/3. Photo: Emelka Konzern. Dutch film title: Boeddha. De roeping van een koningszoon (Buddha. The Calling of a Prince). Himansu Rai and Seeta Devi in Prem Sanyas or Die Leuchte Asiens/The Light of Asia (Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, 1925). This card was made for the release of the film at the Amsterdam Tuschinski Theater, where the film was shown from Friday 26 March 1926. Caption on the back: "Gotama and Gop's Mariage. One of the many picturesque scenes from the Indian film by Emelka, "Buddha. The Calling of a Royal Prince". which Franz Osten shot at the historical locations in India, with the collaboration of the Indian aristocracy. An overwhelming image of the opulence and exotic beauty."

 

The German-Indian production Prem Sanyas or Die Leuchte Asiens (Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, 1925) depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha. Prem Sanyas is a fascinating hybrid between exoticism and authenticity. The film made stars of the two young leads, Seeta Devi and Himansu Rai. Actor/director Rai would become one of the pioneers of the Indian cinema. Prem Sanyas was the first Indian co-production and was made with the cooperation of the Maharajah of Jaipur. The film contained a cast of thousands. The shooting took place in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan, where the set decoration was created by Devika Rani, the wife of actor/director Himanshu Rai and a noted actress herself.

 

Himansu Rai (1895-1940) was one of the stars of the early Indian cinema when India was still a part of the United Kingdom. He often worked with German director-producer Franz Osten. Later Rai became a producer.

 

Actor/director Himansu Rai was born in 1895 into a wealthy Bengali family. While training as a lawyer in London in the early 1920s, he began to act in plays. In London, he met his later wife Devika Rani who designed film sets and would continue to work with him. In 1933, he joined forces with IBP of England and wholly produced Karma/Fate (J.L. Freer-Hunt, 1933), a bilingual film in English and Hindi. But the Nazi seizure of power in Germany caused Rai to abandon international co-productions and so he decided to concentrate on the domestic film market in India. In 1934, he formed Bombay Talkies Ltd. and built a studio. Under his painstaking supervision, it purchased the most modern equipment from Germany. Franz Osten and a handful of technicians came down from England and Germany to work with him. By 1935, a stream of Hindi productions had begun to emerge from the studio. The advent of World War II meant that the studio's German technicians as well as director Osten were interned by the British, which crippled the studio. Overwork and mental strain eventually took its toll on Rai, who suffered a nervous breakdown which he never recovered from. Himansu Rai died in 1940.

 

Sources: Filmportal.de, Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

Deboxing the Harrod Aurora dolls. After opening up the box, the plastic covers over the two dolls are removed, leaving the dolls in clear view. They are attached to the cardboard backing and plastic spacers. The Certificates of Authenticity are removed from under the inner boxes, and place in front of the dolls. They both say 32 of 100, as did the shipping carton.

 

Opening the box. First the front cover is opened, revealing the two dolls facing each other in their own inner boxes. The hinges are made from thin cardboard. Then the cover is folded flat against the side of the box. The two inner boxes are then unfolded, so we can get a clear view of the Pink and Blue Aurora dolls. They are angled towards each other. The box halves have clear plastic covers, bordered by white designs and are without any text. Then the front cover is unfolded from the side of the box, to show the text on the inside. Finally the sections are fully unfolded, so the dolls and inner cover are facing straight ahead.

 

I purchased the special Harrods Limited Edition Aurora Doll Gift Set directly from Harrods on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. It was sold only by Harrods of London, and limited to 100 sets. The regular releases was on October 7 and 8. I first heard about the Harrods dolls on October 13, and it took a week of sleepless nights and persistent calling to finally get the dolls. It was shipped last Friday, Oct 24, and delivered to my home today Monday Oct 27.

 

The Harrods Aurora Doll Set consists of 17'' Princess Aurora dolls in Pink and Blue variations of her gown. The dolls are by the Disney Store, but with special embellishments over the "regular" releases (that were LE 5000 for the Pink, and LE 4000 for the Blue). They are in a unique box which opens up like a book, with the dolls enclosed in separate inner boxes, and facing each other like mirror images. They are #32 of 100.

 

The Aurora Doll Set was packed expertly by Harrods, with the original DS shipper box wrapped in heavy duty bubble wrap, then fitted inside a Harrods shipper box with no wriggle room. The receipt was on the top of the box, which showed the original price, the VAT that was removed, then the shipping charge and handling charge added. The total was 505.58 British pounds, or $817.85, which is just slightly more than the retail price of 500 pounds. That is more than three times the cost of the regular LE Aurora dolls (which retailed for $119.95).

 

I will post detailed photos of the set boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also post comparison photos with the ''regular'' LE Aurora dolls.

best preserved bit of the city wall that once encircled the administrative center of taipei city. the only gate left (of five) unreconstructed or undemolished.

Some scholars doubt the authenticity of this portrait. It shows clearly Nero, but the elongated profile and the head does not have the massive structure of his known portraits.

The lack of beard qualifies this sculpture as a youthful portrait. The two opposing hair strands sculpted between the forehead and left temple, are a detail recalling the young Nero’s iconography: portrait of Nero housed at Palazzo Massimo in Rome.

This detail means that the sculptor had a reference model for this copy.

Summarizing, this head could be a copy of a lost original portrait belonging to the group stylistically classified as "Palatino".

 

Source: Mansuelli G.A., “Galleria degli Uffizi. Le sculture”, Roma.

 

Marble portrait

Approx. half 1st century AD

Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi

  

The Rundāle Palace, Latvia.

 

What you're seeing here is a recreation of the original interior. The restoration cost over 8 million Euros, which, when you see the results, doesn't seem nearly enough to produce the splendors one encounters at every turn.

 

What's not clear to me is whether any of decoration is original and restored and how much is brand new. This always frustrates me because I'm hung up on the concept of authenticity. I'll just come right out and say I don't get the same satisfaction from replicas that I do from originals.

 

One way to resolve this conundrum is to say this is an authentic replica of an 18th century palace that was, as the text below explains, "demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian [Napoleonic] War," and then "demolished [again in 1919] by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army," which was commanded by a Cossack warlord who decided to take over newly-independent Latvia instead of fighting the Bolsheviks.

 

Still, this begs the question of the meaning of such a place. A hot take is that it's an expression of Latvian nationalism. However, in the 18th century this region was ruled by Germans and then by Russians. Most ethnic Latvians were serfs. Perhaps the nationalist message is that the Latvians, once free from the rule of Baltic Germans, Czarist Russians, Nazis and the Soviets, had the wherewithal to recreate a palace once owned by an overlord and make it their own. To further make the point, the compound is now a major tourist attraction, so interiors once intended solely for the aristocracy, royalty and their hangers-on and servants are today filled to the brim with tourists like us.

 

Is is also a acknowledged center for the study of 18th-century interior design? The devil is in the details, and I haven't yet had time to delve into that.

 

If you're wondering why the point of view in these photos is from the top of the windows to the ceiling, it's because there were mobs of visitors that made it almost impossible to photograph whole walls, much less floors.

 

Here is the whole history of the construction of the palace from the palace's informative Web site. I recommend visiting it if for no other reason than to see the rooms devoid of visitors. Also, there's a section on the restoration.

rundale.net/en/

 

The name of Rundāle comes from the German place-name Ruhenthal (Valley of Peace).

 

The Rundāle Palace built during the 16th century was located on the northern side of the pond. It can be seen in the design of F. B. Rastrelli as a small square field with towers in the corners.

 

Rundāle Manor was already created at the end of the 15th century. It belonged to the Grotthus family from 1505 to 1681 and the palace was mentioned in the list of Livonian castles in 1555.

 

Facade finishing components have been found in the territory of the palace – cast fragments and fragments of coats of arms carved in stone dating to the middle of the 17th century. In 1735 Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle property for 42 000 thalers.

 

The old palace was completely torn down, and the stones, bricks and even the mortar were used in the construction of the new palace.

 

Duke Ernst Johann died in 1772, and the palace was inherited by his widow Duchess Benigna Gottlieb; during her time orchards were formed around the palace. Duke Peter did not come to Rundāle often, he mostly resided in the smaller Vircava Palace near Jelgava.

 

In 1795 Duke Peter gave up his throne and the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was added to the Russian Empire. Catherine II gave Rundāle Manor as a present to Count Valerian Zubov who died in 1804.

 

During the distribution of inheritance Rundāle became the property of his brother Prince Platon Zubov, the last favourite of Catherine II.

 

During the time of Zubov the palace was refurnished, however the building itself remained untouched, only entrance porticos were added to the central building and several fireplaces were built inside.

 

The palace was demolished in 1812 during the Franco-Russian War – mirrors were smashed, silk wallpaper was torn down, the library given as a present from Catherine II was destroyed.

 

Prince Platon Zubov died in Rundāle Palace on 7 April 1822. His widow married Count Andrey Shuvalov, and Rundāle Manor belonged to this family until the agrarian reform of the Republic of Latvia in 1920.

 

The Shuvalovs rarely stayed in the palace, excluding the time period from 1864 to 1866 when Count Pyotr Shuvalov was the governor-general of the Baltic region and used Rundāle Palace as his official summer residence.

 

During this time unsuccessful renovation of the palace rooms was carried out, however during the 1880’s careful renovation of the interior design was performed. At the end of the 19th century part of the palace’s furniture and works of art was taken to Saint Petersburg.

 

During the time from 1915 to 1918 a German army commandant’s office and an infirmary was established in the palace. In 1919 the palace was demolished by the men of the Bermondt-Avalov army.

 

The palace was renovated in 1923 and some of its rooms were used as the primary school of Rundāle Parish. In 1924 Rundāle Palace was handed over to the Latvian Union of Disabled Veterans, but in 1933 it was taken over by the Board of Monuments which started the renovation of the building and the restoration of some of the rooms, and the western building was constructed for the needs of the primary school.

 

In 1938 the palace was handed over to the State Historical Museum that was planning to create a church art and decorative art museum there. The palace was also open to the public during World War II.

 

In 1945 a grain storage was formed in the halls of the palace, and the palace was closed to the public after that.

 

In 1963 some of the palace’s rooms were given to the Museum of Regional Studies and Art of Bauska, but in 1972 a permanent Rundāle Palace Museum was created and its main aim was to renew the whole ensemble of the palace by mainly orientating towards the condition of the palace during the second part of the 18th century.

 

The first restored rooms in the eastern building of the palace were opened to the public in 1981, gradually being followed by new interiors. Restoration of the palace was finished in 2014.

 

Construction history

 

Count Ernst Johann von Biron bought the Rundāle manor complex on 26 June 1735. In August of the same year the court architect of Russia Francesco Rastrelli came to Courland. From September until December agreements were being concluded with carpenters, masons, brickmakers, construction material suppliers, potters – stove makers.

 

The construction project was ready in January of 1736. The eight pages of the project are located in the graphic art collection “Albertina” in Vienna. It consists of a situation plan, two floor plans, a sketch of four facades and the altar of the palace church.

 

The first construction period from 1736 to 1740.

 

On 24 May 1736 the foundation-stone of the palace was set. Construction of the foundation was completed on 6 July, whereas on 13 October the central building was built to the level of the windowsill of the second floor. The construction of 12 brick-kilns and 12 brick storages was finished in June. 268 masons were working in the palace, but Rastrelli requested 500 men.

 

Construction was stopped on 1 November due to cold.

The construction works were restarted on 12 April 1737. On 28 May the central building was finished, and on 18 June covering was started to be placed on the side buildings, whereas the construction of the central building roof was finished at the end of June.

 

When the works were stopped on 10 October, one side building was roofed over, and the other one was covered with a temporary roof. The foundations of the stables were also ready. The bricklaying works were finished on 1 October 1737.

 

After Biron was elected Duke, he ordered to simplify the building. The finishing materials were produced by the master carpenters and woodcarver A. Kamaev of the Imperial Construction Bureau of Saint Petersburg, master potter I. Ushakov of the Neva brick factory with his team and painters I. Mizinov, I. Pilugin and I. Yevdokimov. Austrian potters were working in Vircava. The finishing materials were also being produced in Saint Petersburg.

 

In 1738 the volume of work in Rundāle decreased, as construction works of Jelgava Palace began. Some of the produced components were also taken to Jelgava. However, the works were moving forward – chimneys and room arches were being built, roofs were being finished.

 

From 14 June, when the construction of the main residence in Jelgava began, the construction works in Rundāle were moving at a slower pace. Master carpenter Eger had finished oak-wood panels for 33 rooms, as well as 13 oak-wood parquet floors. Ceilings boards were put up in the rooms, so that the plastering works could be started. In September the carpenters started working on the outside staircases. The construction of the gate tower was also started.

 

Entwurf von Rastrelli: die Nordfassade des Schlosses Rundāle mit dem Torturm

Rastrelli’s design, nothern facade of the palace with the gate tower.

 

In 1739 the interior plastering works were supposed to be carried out, but the Duke ordered to decrease the amount of plasterers and to simplify the work. Stucco formations were made only for the main staircase rooms and halls, the other rooms were left with smooth ceilings. Only ten craftsmen were working in Rundāle.

 

On 1 February after the order of Empress of Russia Anna Ioannovna all of the Saint Petersburg Construction Office masons were sent to Courland.

 

The components made for Rundāle, including carved doors, panels, parquet, Austrian potter stoves, plafonds painted on canvas and cast-iron facade decorations made by Bartolomeo Tarsia that can be seen in the Jelagava Palace facade, were transported to the main residence in Jelgava.

 

N. Vasilyev assisted Rastrelli in managing the construction works. Russian chamberlain Ernst Johann von Buttlar was in charge of finances and organisation and he was sending reports to Saint Petersburg regarding the work process.

 

In 1740 the woodcut altar of the palace church was transported to Jelgava. Supposedly the room decoration in the palace had been finished, but not all of the wall panels had been mounted and some of the stoves were also not set up, as a lot of the materials were in storage.

 

Work was stopped after the palace revolution of 20 November in Russia and the arrest and exile of Duke Ernst Johann. The prepared finishing materials and construction components were sent to Saint Petersburg, and some of the built-in components, such as doors, wall panels and parquet, were broken.

Overall more than a thousand different profession craftsmen and workers were employed in the construction works of the palace.

 

The second construction period from 1764 to 1770.

 

In 1762 Ernst Johann von Biron was granted mercy and returned to Courland in January of 1763.

In January of 1764 Johann Gottfried Seidel was appointed the court architect of the Duke, but in August Francesco Rastrelli returned to work for the Duke and was appointed to the position of main administrator of the Duke’s buildings.

 

During this time he arranged his construction designs and carried out general supervision of the Duke’s construction works.

The unfinished gate tower was torn down and the stable building construction was started. Latvian carpenters and woodworkers were sent from the Duke’s domain manors to Rundāle up until 1768. In 1765 woodworker Blanks, sculptor Zībenbrods, locksmith Šreibfogels, gold plating master Johans Endress, potter Šēfers, locksmith Horstmanis and coppersmith Mēmels were working in the palace.

 

In 1766 Severin Jensen from Denmark started working as the court architect. His style can be seen in the gateposts and in the stable buildings, which obtained a semicircular shape in contrast to Rastrelli’s rectangular design. A dating – 16 May 1766 – has been made in the keystone of the northern facade window.

 

In 1768 the gate was built and the forgings were placed.

 

The palace interior planning was changed slightly. By merging five smaller rooms the grand dining-room – the Grand Gallery – was created, whereas a dance hall known as the White Hall was created in the place of the palace church. Both front staircases, the Small Gallery, the lobby and galleries of the first floor were preserved from the original interiors of the first construction period.

 

The stucco decorative finishing of the interiors was carried out by the Berlin sculptor and stucco marble master Johann Michael Graff together with his team – his brother Josef and assistants Bauman and Lanz – from 1765 to 1768.

 

Sculpturesque decorations were made in twenty-seven rooms, but in two rooms of the Duke’s apartments and in the hall – synthetic marble panels. Works were started in the central building first.

 

The Marble Hall and the marble panel of the Gold Hall in which the dating has been engraved on the door lining, were finished in 1767. In July of 1768 Graff received payment for his final works – the White Hall, Oval Cabinet, Duchess’ Boudoir and vases for the 22 stair banisters.

 

The ceilings were painted by the Italian painters Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi from Saint Petersburg. They started working in August of 1766, but only the name of Martini is mentioned in documents starting with March of 1768. Francesco Martini received his last payment in March of 1769.

 

Ceilings of eight rooms, as well as the walls of two rooms were painted. One of the ceiling paintings got destroyed. The repainted wall paintings were later uncovered in the Grand Gallery and in the second study of the Duke.

 

The Duke came to Rundāle Palace in April of 1767 and stayed there until December with interruptions, although the finishing works were still in progress. The palace was also inhabited in 1768. The final works were carried out in 1770 when a fellow of J. M. Graff placed mirrors in the White Hall.

 

20.04.2018

   

The Once Upon a Time Doll Set. Deboxing Snow White. Front plastic cover has been removed from Snow White's box. Snow White is now in the clear.

 

The Once Upon a Time Doll Set features Snow White in white and Regina, the Evil Queen, in black. It is a limited edition of 300, and cost $129.95. The dolls are 12'' fully posable dolls with very well made outfits accurately depicting costumes used in the TV show. They were only available at the D23 Expo 2015, and sold out on Friday August 14, before I got a chance to see them in person. I'm very happy to finally get the D23 Exclusive Once Upon a Time Doll Set, thanks to a fellow collector. It was signed at the D23 Expo by the actresses Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla on the slipcover over their respective dolls.

 

There is a smoky plastic slipcover, with the Certificate of Authenticity loosely placed on the top, under the slipcover. My set is #216 of 300. The two dolls are in separate boxes, that are connected by a folding backboard. The set opens up to display Snow White on the left and Evil Queen on the right. The boxes have a similar size and construction to the Disney Film Collection doll boxes.

 

I will show them boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed.

Many successful people go on about their haters. Sooner or later, you will find some kind of post where they vent about all the haters. My former Muay Thai instructor did it almost constantly and this photographer here did it once, too. They go on about all the hard work they put in that nobody...

 

manwithoutfather.com/2016/02/01/greatness-envy-respect-or...

This well used "Stubber" serves as a reminder of the days when it was permissible to smoke on the upper deck. And, in my opinion adds to the authenticity of preserved Ex Crosville DVG270 VR/SL2 HTU 159N. 17th April 2016

Deboxing the Aladdin and Jasmine Wedding set. The front lid has been slid off the box. There is a clear plastic window in front of the dolls. They are attached to the cardboard backing, which together with the plastic window forms the inner box. The bottom lid of the outer box is behind the backing. Unlike most of the Disney Store's limited edition 17'' dolls, there is no text or graphics in the front window, so we have a perfectly clear view of the dolls from the front. There are some white graphics printed on the side windows. Then the front plastic window is removed, and the inner backing cardboard is removed from the back lid. The dolls are now in the clear. We remove the two Certificates of Authenticity from below the backing, and place them in front of the dolls. They are both numbered 155 of 250. They have reflective gold lettering and graphics on dark teal background.

 

Detailed photos of my Limited Edition Aladdin and Jasmine 17'' Wedding Doll Set. I received it from the Disney Store on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. It arrived in perfect condition. I show the set boxed, during deboxing, and completely deboxed. My set is #155 of 250. The shipping carton was labeled at Cart #005, so the actual edition number was offset by 150.

 

Their outfits are very beautiful. Their colors are coordinated, being white and gold. I placed the jeweled and feathered turban on Aladdin for most of the shots. Aladdin can free stand, as is usual for male dolls, but he isn't that stable, so I used the included stand for most of the shots. Aladdin is fully articulated, as with all the LE 17'' male dolls since Eric in 2013. So he has ball jointed elbow, wrist and ankle joints, and hinged knee joints.

 

Jasmine had the usual problem of her massive hair pulling her backwards in her display stand, so it was hard to make her stand up straight when her hair was behind her. So for the final photos of her with Aladdin, I draped her hair partly over her shoulder, so she would be more balanced. As with the Wedding Cinderella doll, there are an incredible number of gems in Jasmine's dress, especially in the golden embroidery at the hem of her skirt. The gems are gold and clear, and are of varying sizes.

 

They are listed as 17'' H, but Aladdin is actually 18'' H, and Jasmine is 16.5'' H.

 

Aladdin and Jasmine Limited Edition Doll Set - 17''

$750.00

Item No. 6003040900048P

 

US Disney Store

Released Online 2015-10-14

Sold Out 2015-10-14

Purchased Online 2015-10-14

Received 2015-10-28

#155 of 250

 

Eastern Eden

Aladdin and Jasmine enter a whole new world of elegance with this collectible limited edition doll set. Designed by Disney artists, the pair of finely detailed dolls are dressed in exquisitely exotic costumes with jeweled accents.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 250

• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

• Set includes Aladdin and Jasmine dolls

• Jasmine's skirt is elaborately decorated with metallic thread, embroidery and jewel accents

• Trimmed with golden band at hem and waist

• Silken lining

• Top features embroidered detailing with jewel accent

• Organza veil with embroidered detailing and jewel accents

• Veil trimmed with embroidered band with jewel accents

• Tiara, necklace, earrings, and bracelet accessories with jewel accents

• Rooted hair and eyelashes

• Aladdin dressed in fully embroidered bodice and sash

• Silken shirt and coordinating pants

• Cape is fully lined and edged in embroidered trim

• Silken turban with faceted jewel and feathered accent

• Faux leather boots

• Rooted hair

• Both dolls are fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Hinged front panels open to reveal elegant window display packaging with magnetic closure

• Celebrating the return of Disney's Aladdin to DVD and Blu-ray disc

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic /polyester

• Dolls: 17'' H

• Packaging: 18 1/2'' H x 17'' W x 7'' D

• Imported

Deboxing my pre-ordered Anna Limited Edition DVD Doll (that is the name of the doll on my Disney Store receipts). First the front cover is removed, revealing the clear plastic front of the inner box. The Certificate of Authenticity is below the plastic cover. She is #3923 of 5000.

 

I just got my pre-ordered Anna and Elsa Limited Edition dolls from my local Disney Store. I also got my pre-ordered Frozen Blu-ray/DVD movie combo. They had very few other Frozen items for sale, the male dolls (Classic Hans and Kristoff, and plush Kristoff) and the plush Anna and Elsa dolls. No girl's Anna or Elsa costumes, Classic Anna or Elsa dolls, or baby Sven. There were perhaps 50 people lined up in front of the entrance before the store opened at 10 am. I also got a second pre-ordered Anna from another local store today. I will take detailed photos of all my dolls, boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed.

 

Anna Limited Edition Doll - 17'' - Frozen

US Disney Store Product Page

Updated 2014-03-18

SOLD OUT

$99.95

Item No. 6070040901012P

 

Snow wonder

 

Anna wraps up warm against the Kingdom of Arendelle's eternal winter in the beautifully detailed costume. Inspired by Frozen, this stunning limited edition doll is designed and crafted by Disney Store artists. See more

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.

 

• Limited Edition of 5000

• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

• Burgundy wool cape with satin lining, embroidered detailing, rhinestone accents, and pom-pom trimmed collar

• Norwegian fur-trimmed bonnet

• Satin blouse with embroidered detailing on cuffs

• Black velvet bodice with gold binding. embroidery and rhinestone accents

• Blue velvet skirt with rosemaling embroidery

• Teel knit mittens

• Embossed boots

• Braided hair

• Rooted eyelashes

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display packaging

• Inspired by Disney's Frozen

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic /polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

 

Detailed photos of the Olaf's Frozen Adventure Elsa Limited Edition Doll. I got her from my local Disney Store on release day, Tuesday December 12, 2017, along with Anna. I was the only one waiting for the dolls before the store opened. She is #3818 of 7000.

 

I like her very much, both her new face and outfit. But she does have a couple of defects. One is that her hair is a bit messy on top, where part of her crown of bangs going the wrong way. The other is that there is a shallow cut on her forehead, that is especially visible when looking straight on in bright lighting. I think of it as a scar from the fight in the ice castle. The nicest thing I've discovered about the doll is that she has dark blue ice heels.

 

I show her in box, and with all the covers removed. I will debox her later. I show her next to my deboxed Frozen Fever Elsa doll and Harrods Snow Queen Elsa doll. Unlike those two dolls, OFA Elsa's cape doesn't have any embroidery. The snowflake and icicle patterns are depicted using glued on silver glitter appliques and clear crystals. Her dress does have considerable use of embroidery.

 

Elsa Doll - Olaf's Frozen Adventure - Limited Edition

US Disney Store

Released online and in-store 2017-12-12

$119.95

Item No. 6003040900404P

 

Deboxing the 2015 LE Elsa Doll. First the front cardboard lid is removed, revealing a clear plastic window underneath. Then the plastic window and rear cardboard lid are removed, leaving the doll attached to a free standing cardboard backing. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from below the backing, and placed in front of the doll.

 

The Limited Edition Elsa Doll, released in stores in North America on March 3, 2015. My doll is #2942 of 5000. She is in jeweled purple felt (made from faux wool). This is the outfit she wore as an 18 year old when saying good bye to her parents before their overseas journey. She is wearing ice blue jeweled satin gloves, which help repress her ice powers. Her hands are clasped together. Her pose and look are that of a sternly repressed nature. She is standing in front a purple window of the Castle, which is closed, as she is closed to the outside world.

 

She is wearing black flats with floral decoration. Her jacket is pinned to her dress, which I left alone, as it helps to keep the jacket from opening up. There was a large amount of tissue paper stuffing under her skirt. I had to remove her from the doll stand before I could remove the tissue.

 

She has shiny pearlescent skin, and her skin tone is between that of Coronation Elsa and Snow Queen Elsa. Her hair is slicked down in the front and is in a bun in the back. There is gold tinsel in her hair, even in her side burns.

 

Limited Edition Elsa Doll - Frozen - 17''

Released in stores 2015-03-03

Purchased in store 2015-03-03

Released online 2015-03-04

Sold out in 10 minutes

$119.95

Item No. 6070040901176P

 

Wintry wonder

The Disney Store proudly presents the worldwide Limited Edition Elsa Doll. A regal vision, draped in sumptuous dark purple velvet from head to toe, Elsa is costumed as seen at the beginning of Disney's feature film Frozen.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 5000

• Certificate of Authenticity

• Rich velvet costume with bejeweled and embroidered accents

• Jacket features iridescent appliquéd details and fine metallic gold trim

• Skirt features beautiful golden trim, dazzling gemstones, and richly embroidered satin appliqués

• Faux leather belt with shining metallic embroidery

• Satin mittens with jeweled accents

• Glittering rooted hair and eyelashes

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display packaging

• Meticulously designed by Disney Store artists to ensure every detail was captured

• Look for our Limited Edition Anna Doll - Frozen - 17'', sold separately

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic / polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

 

Safety

 

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Sony a7ii Zeiss 55mm f1.8.

Deboxing LE Kristoff. First the front lid is removed, revealing the clear plastic lid underneath. It has a label and minimal decoration on the border similar to that of the outer lid, all printed in white. Then the plastic lid and rear cardboard cover are removed, and the Certificate of Authenticity is placed in front of the doll. The remaining cardboard backing is free standing, and has a scene of the frozen Arendelle forming the background behind the doll.

 

Kristoff in his summer outfit, as seen at the end of the Frozen animated feature film. Included is his mandolin, leather satchel and ice man medallion. He also has faux leather boots with fur trim, a welcome change from the usual molded plastic boots on male Disney Store dolls. He is #1627 of 3500, $119.95.

 

I got a bunch of newly released Frozen merchandise from the Disney Store today (March 2, 2015). They are the LE 17'' Anna, Elsa and Kristoff dolls, and the Frozen Tsum Tsum. I also picked up the pre-ordered NeverBeast movie. I will show the dolls boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed.

Good question. What is an article? By what I gather so far, it is a arranged collection of anything between fifty and five thousand words. These collections of words usuallly carry a small phrase called title, meant to be representative of the content. But then, if it really was representative,...

 

manwithoutfather.com/2015/12/28/how-do-you-write-a-good-a...

For added authenticity the left side is ever so slightly lower than the right....

 

ODC - The joy of______

 

(If you don't get this then click here)

Deboxing LE Kristoff. First the front lid is removed, revealing the clear plastic lid underneath. It has a label and minimal decoration on the border similar to that of the outer lid, all printed in white. Then the plastic lid and rear cardboard cover are removed, and the Certificate of Authenticity is placed in front of the doll. The remaining cardboard backing is free standing, and has a scene of the frozen Arendelle forming the background behind the doll.

 

Kristoff in his summer outfit, as seen at the end of the Frozen animated feature film. Included is his mandolin, leather satchel and ice man medallion. He also has faux leather boots with fur trim, a welcome change from the usual molded plastic boots on male Disney Store dolls. He is #1627 of 3500, $119.95.

 

I got a bunch of newly released Frozen merchandise from the Disney Store today (March 2, 2015). They are the LE 17'' Anna, Elsa and Kristoff dolls, and the Frozen Tsum Tsum. I also picked up the pre-ordered NeverBeast movie. I will show the dolls boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed.

Feminism claims it is for … what, equality? Humanity? Whatever. What it is not, is humane. Not humane enough, anyhow.

Feminists are bright vanilla when it comes to being non-judgmental. They think they are on to something big, but they are really just a controlled opposition of the still rampant ...

 

manwithoutfather.com/2016/09/29/stop-intellectual-objecti...

LEGO Star Wars - Amazing what a little washing powder can do to add to the authenticity of the scene

DLD*women (Digital-Life-Design) Conference is taking place for 2.th time in Munich, from 29 to 30th June 2011 "Innovation & Authenticity"

The inner doll box, taken out of the outer box. The Certificate of Authenticity is under it, between the front and back covers.

 

I received my Disney Designer Collection Premiere Series Snow White Limited Edition Doll today. I had ordered her online at the release day, shortly after 12 AM in the morning of Saturday October 6, 2018. She is #1301 of 4100. She came in a shipper box that is approximately the same size as the LE 17 inch doll shippers. It original shipping label said GIRLS TOYS LE PR DSGN SNOW DOLL F18, and CART #: 01298. There was a small piece of masking tape stuck to the side of the box with the actual edition number (matching the CoA): 1301. Inside there was another corrugated cardboard box snugly fitting in the outer shipping box. Inside that was the actual doll box, which was covered with tissue paper, and fit snugly in the inner shipping box, with cardboard caps on the top and bottom of the doll box. The shipper box was undamaged in transit, as was the inner box and the doll box itself.

 

The doll box has folding panels in the front with magnetic closure, with a large design sketch of Snow White and the year 1937 in large numerals. In the background are photographers in silhouette snapping photos, and a red carpet. The back of the box has angled corners, making for a hexagonal shaped box. The sides and back of the box also has images of Snow White. The top of the box has a clear window with the title of the collection in gold lettering. Inside the front covers are replicas of the movie poster, invitation and tickets to the premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, on December 21, 1937. The doll is behind a rectangular viewing window extending almost the full width and height of the box.

 

The inner box containing the doll and front viewing window can be slid out from the outer box. It is entirely enclosed, so can be displayed as is, without having to deal with the front covers either covering up the doll, or taking up space in front or to the sides of the inner box. The doll is on top a red carpet that has steps in front, and is flocked cardboard.

The doll herself is by far my favorite of the current Designer Premiere Series. I'm slightly biased because Snow White is my favorite Disney Princess, and am so happy that she turned out so well. I think her gown and accessories are very beautifully designed and produced. It also is very fitting for Snow White, and would be something she would wear to the premiere of her own movie.

 

I show her boxed, with the inner box removed from the outer box, and finally with the front viewing window removed from the inner box.

 

I will fully debox her tomorrow and post photos here when I do.

The road winds through Portugal’s breathtaking countryside — golden plains, mountain ridges, and hidden rivers waiting to be discovered. Each turn offers a new story, a new scent of pine or ocean air. Adventure isn’t a destination here; it’s the journey itself, written across the vast landscapes and quiet villages of this beautiful land.

Authentic - There is no person you can pretend to be who is as powerful and effective as the person you really are. - Ralph Marston

Authenticity is randomly checked.

Deboxing my Limited Edition Blue Gown Cinderella 17'' doll. In order to remove the front cardboard lid from the box, the gold ribbon in the back has to be untied. Then the front lid can be slid off the rest of the box. Under that is a clear plastic window that forms the front lid of the inner box. There is white decoration and text on the bottom of the plastic lid that is similar to that of the outer cardboard box lid. There is less obstruction of the doll than in the previous 17'' LE doll boxes, especially around the sides. Then the front plastic lid and outer rear cardboard lid are removed, leaving the doll and accessories attached to the cardboard backing, that forms the rear of the inner box.

 

The box of the Blue Gown Cinderella is the same size as most of the other LE 17'' doll boxes, but has a sightly different design. The front plastic window divided are into three sections, being angled on the left and right of the center section, and the front cardboard lid is shaped the same way. There is a golden ribbon on top of the box to serve as a carrying handle. In the back there is another golden ribbon that is tied into a large bow, which you have to untie to take off the front lid from the rear of the box.

 

One of Cinderella's glass slippers is attached to the backing, behind and to the right of the doll. It was partially hidden by her hair, so I moved the hair out of the way before taking photos of the doll after the outer lids were removed. The Certificate of Authenticity is taped to the back of the cardboard backing, rather than inserted between the bottom of the backing and the outer box.

 

I got my Blue Gown Cinderella Limited Edition 17'' Doll today (Friday March 13, 2015) at my local Disney Store. She is #2352 of 4000. She costs $129.95, $10 more than the recently released Frozen LE dolls, and with tax added came out to $140.35.

 

I got to the store at 6:30 am, and was the only one there until about 8 am, when two more people showed up. At about 9:15 am, a CM gave out line cards to the five people waiting. At store opening at 10 am, there were seven people waiting for the 12 dolls. I had to give up the line card when I purchased the doll.

 

I will show the doll boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed.

 

Cinderella Limited Edition Doll - Live-Action Film - 17''

US Disney Store

Released in store and online 2015-03-13

Sold out online 2015-03-13

$129.95

Item No. 6070040901175P

 

Blue beauty

Cinderella makes a stunning entrance in an elegant gown inspired by her appearance in the ballroom scene of Disney's new live-action film. This finely detailed limited edition doll is presented in a scenic display for a lasting keepsake.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 4000

• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

• Ball gown features three layers of twilight-hued organza with cascading rhinestones

• Shimmering butterflies and jewels embellish the softly draped organza neckline

• Cinderella's iridescent high-heeled slippers accented with sparkling butterflies

• Glamorous hair with rhinestone accents

• Rooted eyelashes

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display packaging with butterflies, gold satin bow and carrying strap

• Inspired by Disney's live-action movie Cinderella

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic /polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

Detailed photos of the Olaf's Frozen Adventure Elsa Limited Edition Doll. I got her from my local Disney Store on release day, Tuesday December 12, 2017, along with Anna. I was the only one waiting for the dolls before the store opened. She is #3818 of 7000.

 

I like her very much, both her new face and outfit. But she does have a couple of defects. One is that her hair is a bit messy on top, where part of her crown of bangs going the wrong way. The other is that there is a shallow cut on her forehead, that is especially visible when looking straight on in bright lighting. I think of it as a scar from the fight in the ice castle. The nicest thing I've discovered about the doll is that she has dark blue ice heels.

 

I show her in box, and with all the covers removed. I will debox her later. I show her next to my deboxed Frozen Fever Elsa doll and Harrods Snow Queen Elsa doll. Unlike those two dolls, OFA Elsa's cape doesn't have any embroidery. The snowflake and icicle patterns are depicted using glued on silver glitter appliques and clear crystals. Her dress does have considerable use of embroidery.

 

Elsa Doll - Olaf's Frozen Adventure - Limited Edition

US Disney Store

Released online and in-store 2017-12-12

$119.95

Item No. 6003040900404P

 

Redressing my Designer Tinker Bell doll. First her tulle underskirt is put on.

 

Undressing my Designer Tinker Bell doll. She outfit is taken off, to which her wings are attached, then her short tulle underskirt. I leave her shoes and hair ornament on. On her lower back is her edition number and size, #2710 of 4000, matching what was printed on the Certificate of Authenticity.

 

She has the original style Designer Princess body, with a swivel waist joint and rubber legs. She measures 11 1/2'' standing on her toes, the same as the Disney Designer Princess dolls. So she is quite a bit taller than other Tinker Bell dolls, as the Classic Tinker Bell is 10'' tall, and the Parks Tinker Bell is 10 1/2'' tall. She has the same head and face mold as the current (2014) Classic Tinker Bell, but is painted quite differently, and she has shiny pearly skin, so has a very different look.

 

Deboxing my Designer Tinker Bell doll. First the the slip cover and acrylic cover are taken off. She is secured to the factory packaging by wires and rubber bands. Next the cardboard backing is opened by cutting the tape at its edges with a sharp utility knife. Inside the backing we see the ends of the wires and the tabs of the plastic spacers. Next the spacer is freed from the backing by removing the tape holding the tabs, cutting the wire, and pushing the tabs through the backing. Tinker Bell's hands are also freed from smaller spacers by cutting rubber bands. The backing is laid down, and then cut off from the base. Tinker Bell is freed from the spacer by cutting the wire around her bun, and a rubber band around her shoulders and arms. She still has wires and rubber bands around her legs, and remnants of the wires around her bun and waist, and pieces of rubber bands around her arms. These remaining restraints are removed, except for one around her upper leg, securing her to the stand. Once that is removed, she can be freed from the doll stand, and laid down on a counter.

 

Photographed with built-in camera flash.

 

First look at my Tinker Bell Limited Edition Designer Doll. My Tinker Bell is number 2710 of 4000. There were no designer bags, as there were in the previous Designer doll

collections.

 

My visit to my local Disney Store on Februay 18, 2014. I was there for the release of the Disney Fairies Designer Collection dolls. I also noticed that they had several items in the Frozen section that had been missing for several weeks, especially the mugs and Classic Anna dolls, but no Elsas.

 

They had eight of each Designer Fairy doll, Tinker Bell and Zarina. There were about that many people waiting in line before the store opened, waiting to buy them. I didn't do an actual count, but no one left the line when it was announced how many dolls there were, so there were probably seven or eight of them in the line. They had no designer bags, so they just put them in regular Disney Store bags.

 

I inspected my dolls, and they looked in perfect condition. I was surprised by their shiny pearly skin (similar in texture to LE Ursula and Harrods Elsa), but they looked very beautiful. The artwork on the boxes were also very beautiful, but the backgrounds behind the dolls were plain looking. The CM had to help me take off the slip cover of the Zarina doll, as it was very tight. She said all the Zarinas seemed to be that way.

 

Below is information from the UK Disney Store website, as the dolls are not yet available online in the US site.

 

Tinker Bell Limited Edition Designer Doll

UK Disney Store

Released Online and In Stores: 2014-02-18

£50.00

Item No. 411048313135P

 

Let the feisty star of Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy touch down in your home as this limited edition Tinker Bell doll, beautifully realised with embroidered fabrics and meticulous detailing.

 

Magic in the details...

 

•Limited edition doll

•Tinker Bell from Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy

•Part of the Disney Fairies Designer Collection

•Worldwide limited edition of 4000

•Includes a certificate of authenticity

•Exquisite attention to detail

•Realistic hair with leaf hairpin

•Full eyelashes

•Shimmering, iridescent wings

•Sheer organza bodice with metallic embroidery and gems

•Layered leaf skirt embellsihed with gems

•Comes in a tough plastic display case with a stand

•Doll measures H30cm approx

•Display case measures H38 x W17.5 x D18.5cm approx

•Suitable for children aged 6 years+

•Created for Disney Store

 

Scanned image. Authenticity berthed Hull 30th December 2002.

Deboxing the 2015 LE Elsa Doll. First the front cardboard lid is removed, revealing a clear plastic window underneath. Then the plastic window and rear cardboard lid are removed, leaving the doll attached to a free standing cardboard backing. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from below the backing. Then the doll is removed from the backing, but still attached to the plastic form and doll stand.

 

The Limited Edition Elsa Doll, released in stores in North America on March 3, 2015. My doll is #2942 of 5000. She is in jeweled purple felt (made from faux wool). This is the outfit she wore as an 18 year old when saying good bye to her parents before their overseas journey. She is wearing ice blue jeweled satin gloves, which help repress her ice powers. Her hands are clasped together. Her pose and look are that of a sternly repressed nature. She is standing in front a purple window of the Castle, which is closed, as she is closed to the outside world.

 

She is wearing black flats with floral decoration. Her jacket is pinned to her dress, which I left alone, as it helps to keep the jacket from opening up. There was a large amount of tissue paper stuffing under her skirt. I had to remove her from the doll stand before I could remove the tissue.

 

She has shiny pearlescent skin, and her skin tone is between that of Coronation Elsa and Snow Queen Elsa. Her hair is slicked down in the front and is in a bun in the back. There is gold tinsel in her hair, even in her side burns.

 

Limited Edition Elsa Doll - Frozen - 17''

Released in stores 2015-03-03

Purchased in store 2015-03-03

Released online 2015-03-04

Sold out in 10 minutes

$119.95

Item No. 6070040901176P

 

Wintry wonder

The Disney Store proudly presents the worldwide Limited Edition Elsa Doll. A regal vision, draped in sumptuous dark purple velvet from head to toe, Elsa is costumed as seen at the beginning of Disney's feature film Frozen.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 5000

• Certificate of Authenticity

• Rich velvet costume with bejeweled and embroidered accents

• Jacket features iridescent appliquéd details and fine metallic gold trim

• Skirt features beautiful golden trim, dazzling gemstones, and richly embroidered satin appliqués

• Faux leather belt with shining metallic embroidery

• Satin mittens with jeweled accents

• Glittering rooted hair and eyelashes

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display packaging

• Meticulously designed by Disney Store artists to ensure every detail was captured

• Look for our Limited Edition Anna Doll - Frozen - 17'', sold separately

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic / polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

 

Safety

 

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

In an effort to increase my "authenticity" , I grew my hair out for a good 2 years. This was the extent of it.

Frankly, I think I look like an 80 year old lesbian cat lady- not exactly the look I was going for; we're strictly dog-people in this house.

After trying to make it do anything to make me actually look better, I decided to chop it off. I did it in stages, two hair cuts within a month. It's gone now.

Frankly, between all the "treatments" I was giving it to nurture it along, fear of combing, tying it up in all sorts of methods, more curling goo than one woman should own, it grew to be a bother. Off it came.

I considered making a wig of what they chopped off- which would have left me with a slightly shorter version of the same mess.

 

This photo was the mid point. But it was a doomed effort, and I'm back to my slightly balding bewigged self.

The front cover is taken off, and placed next to the box. There is a clear plastic window over the doll, that has graphics and text in white. Then the plastic window taken off, and the backing cardboard removed from the box. The doll is securely attached to the backing, and is supported by the included display stand. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from under the backing, and placed in front of the doll.

 

I purchased the D23 Exclusive Limited Edition Red Jasmine 17'' Doll on her release day, Saturday August 15, 2015, from the Disney Store in the D23 Expo 2015. She is a red colored and enhanced variant of the LE 5000 Teal Jasmine, which I pre-ordered on August 4, 2015, and will be released on October 13, 2015. She is LE 500, and costs $119.95.

 

My doll is #226 of 500. She is such a beautiful doll, and is by far my favorite item from the Expo. She is on my desk right now, so I can admire her beauty up close as I work on my computer.

 

I will post photos of Red Jasmine boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed.

Limited Edition Ariel Doll - 17'' - Pre-Order

US Disney Store

July 29, 2013

Product Image and Information from US Disney Store website

 

Thanks to PlasticBeauty for putting up a link to the page right after 12 AM PDT!

 

Limited Edition Ariel Doll - 17'' - Pre-Order

$99.95

Item No. 6070040900893P

 

Shell wish

 

The Little Mermaid creates waves of excitement with our spectacular Limited Edition Ariel Doll. From her starfish hair clip to her rhinestone encrusted fin, the undersea Princess has never looked more glamorous. Make her part of your world. See more

 

Reserve by clicking Pre-Order now! We expect this item to be available by 10/01/2013. You will be notified via email when it is ready to ship.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Available to own October 1, 2013

 

Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.

 

•Limited Edition of 6000

•Includes Certificate of Authenticity

•Detailed shell top with rhinestones and danglling shells

•Tail features cascading layers of dual-tone teal and purple taffeta embroidered and accented with rhinestones to create a water-droplet effect

•Waistband circled in shells

•Poseable tail with rhinestone-encrusted satin tail

•Hair is styled with finger-wave curl accented with a starfish hairclip

•Fully poseable

•Display stand included

•Comes in elegant window display packaging

•Celebrating the return of Disney's classic The Little Mermaid to DVD and Blu-ray disc

•Match to our Limited Edition Prince Eric and Ursula Dolls, each sold separately

 

The bare necessities

 

•Ages 6+

•Plastic /polyester

•17'' H

•Imported

 

Safety

 

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

 

Delivery

 

Sorry! Express shipping not available for this item.

 

Deboxing the 2015 LE Anna 17'' doll. First the front cardboard lid is removed, revealing a clear plastic window underneath. Then the plastic window and rear cardboard lid are removed, leaving the doll attached to a free standing cardboard backing. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from below the backing, and placed in front of the doll.

 

Detailed photos of the my Limited Edition Anna 17'' Doll. She was purchased at my local Disney Store on release day, March 3, 2015. She is #0962 of 5000.

 

She is in the green outfit she wears at the ending scenes of the movie. It is the same outfit as the skating outfit, except that there are ice skating blades added to her boots. Her outfit has a grayish green satin bodice that has has jewels in its border. Under that is a sheer blue organza blouse, which has heart shaped clasps in the collar. The most impressive part of her outfit is her olive green felt skirt, that is jeweled and has rosemaling on along the hemline. The green satin hem is also jeweled. The skirt has a pleated panel in the front and the back, that when expanded makes the skirt much wider. Underneath is a thin tulle petticoat, that isn't stiff enough to help keep the skirt full. She has no underwear except for the painted on panties. She has light olive green boots, with the same embossed pattern as the boots of the Snow Gear Anna dolls. The entrance to Arendelle Castle is the background image in the box.

 

She has shiny pearly skin, but otherwise has a normal skin tone. She has dual braids similar to the LE Snow Gear Anna doll, but the braids are thicker and they have the addition of tinsel to make them sparkle. The tinsel consists of copper foil coiled around a black thread. On my doll a considerable amount of the tinsel has separated from the top of her hairdo, and makes her hair look messy or frizzy.

 

This doll is by far my favorite of all the Frozen LE dolls in this release.

 

Limited Edition Anna Doll - Frozen - 17''

US Disney Store

Released in stores 2015-03-03

Purchased in store 2015-03-03

Released online 2015-03-04

Sold out in 10 minutes

$119.95

Item No. 6070040901177P

 

Forever friend

The Disney Store proudly presents the worldwide Limited Edition Anna Doll. This exquisitely designed doll captures Anna's free spirit and affinity for adventure, in her costume as seen at the end of Disney's feature film Frozen.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition of 5000

• Certificate of Authenticity

• Finely textured and detailed

• Wool-like skirt adorned with sparkling gemstones and a richly embroidered rosemaling pattern around the hem

• Fitted satin bodice featuring metal stud details

• Satin blouse trimmed with an elegant gold stitch culminating at her royal brooch

• Glittering rooted braids and eyelashes

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display packaging

• Meticulously designed by Disney Store artists to ensure every detail was captured

• Look for our Limited Edition Elsa Doll - Frozen - 17'', sold separately

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic / polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

 

Safety

 

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

(for English scroll down)

 

Meine erste Foto-Einzelausstellung präsentiert im Café Berio, Berlin

Vernissage 31. Juli 2018 | Finissage 22. September 2018

 

In meiner ersten Foto-Einzelausstellung zeigte ich meine Berliner Portraits und einige meiner Vogel-Fotografien; daher der Titel der Ausstellung. In meinem Fotoprojekt wollte ich einmal weg von den sonst bewusst gewählten Orten, an denen man ein Fotoshooting durchführt. Ein Studio oder eine ausgewählte Location haben für die Menschen meist etwas sehr Unpersönliches. Ich wollte dorthin, wo es am authentischsten ist; an die Orte, an denen die Protagonisten (überwiegend Künstler) zu Hause und in ihrem Element sind: auf der Bühne, hinter der Bühne und vor, während und nach einem Auftritt bzw. Event. Ich möchte dem Betrachter Bilder zeigen, die er nicht unbedingt während einer Veranstaltung wahrnimmt und Außenstehende gefangen nehmen, als hätten sie es live miterlebt.

 

Über 70 Arbeiten präsentierte ich in der Ausstellung; darunter Portraits von Romy Haag, Henry de Winter, Hanna Schygulla, Georgette Dee, Dieter Rita Scholl, Gloria Viagra, Ades Zabel, Frank Wilde, Gaby Tupper und vielen anderen.

 

Vögel leben auf allen Kontinenten. Sie sind flüchtige, scheue Tiere. Auf meinen Fotografien lassen sie aber eine unwahrscheinliche Nähe zu. Das eigentlich Fremde und in der Natur nicht Sichtbare habe ich in meinen Vogel-Portraits festgehalten.

 

Mein Motto: "Authentizität ist das Schlüsselwort, das hinter meiner Fotografie steht. Ich ziehe es vor, mehr die menschliche Note zu zeigen und weniger die Retusche."

 

Die meisten der Exponate sind in der queeren Community entstanden.

 

berio-berlin.de/ausstellungen/berliner-und-andere-schraeg...

____________________________________________________

 

My first solo photo exhibition presented at Café Berio, Berlin

Opening July 31, 2018 | Closing September 22, 2018

 

In my first solo photo exhibition, I showed my Berlin portraits and some of my bird photographs; hence the title of the exhibition. In my photo project, I wanted to get away from the usual deliberately chosen locations for a photo shoot. There is usually something very impersonal about a studio or a selected location for people. I wanted to go where it is most authentic; to the places where the protagonists (mostly artists) are at home and in their element: on stage, backstage and before, during and after a performance or event. I want to show the viewer images that they don't necessarily see during an event and capture outsiders as if they had witnessed it live.

 

I presented over 70 works in the exhibition, including portraits of Romy Haag, Henry de Winter, Hanna Schygulla, Georgette Dee, Dieter Rita Scholl, Gloria Viagra, Ades Zabel, Frank Wilde, Gaby Tupper and many others.

 

Birds live on every continent. They are elusive, shy animals. In my photographs, however, they allow an improbable closeness. I have captured what is actually alien and invisible in nature in my bird portraits.

 

My motto: "Authenticity is the keyword that lies behind my photography. I prefer to show more the human touch and less the retouch."

 

Most of the exhibits were created in the queer community.

 

berio-berlin.de/ausstellungen/berliner-und-andere-schraeg...

Unlike many of Stagecoach's Volvo B10Ms, N405 LDF never worked in Hampshire during its career, which ran from its delivery to Gloucestershire in 1995 to its withdrawal from South Wales two decades later. In preservation, one of its first major outings was to the Winchester running day in March 2017. It's pictured on the outskirts of Alresford bound for Bishop's Sutton, effectively working the modern-day 64 which was operated by B10Ms on occasion.

Deboxing Teal Jasmine. First the outer cardboard cover is removed, by simply sliding it off the box. There is still a plastic cover protecting the doll inside. Then the inner plastic cover and rear cardboard cover are removed, leaving the inner cardboard backing, to which the doll is attached. The backing can stand on its own. The doll is now in clear view. The Certificate of Authenticity is removed from below the backing, and placed at the doll's feet.

 

Detailed photos of my pre-ordered Teal Jasmine 17 inch doll. I picked her up on release day (Tuesday October 13, 2015) from my local Disney Store. She is #1834 of 5000. She has a similar color difference between her torso and the rest of her body (including her head) as that of my Red Jasmine doll. There is golden sheen in her torso that is especially noticeable in her neck and upper chest. I like Teal Jasmine much more than I thought I would from my initial look at the stock photos and even seeing the display doll in person, although Red Jasmine is still my favorite of the two.

 

She is photographed boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed. She is also posed with other comparable dolls.

 

Limited Edition Jasmine Doll - 17'' - Pre-Order

US Disney Store

Pre-order In Store 2015-08-04 (in US and Canada)

Pre-order Online 2015-08-05

$119.95

Item No. 6003040901276P

 

Exotic elegance

The Disney Store proudly presents the Limited Edition Jasmine Doll. Stunning in her peacock-inspired gown, our finely detailed Princess Jasmine is presented in a scenic display for a lasting keepsake. See more

 

Reserve by clicking Pre-Order now! We expect this item to be available by 10/13/2015. You will be notified via email when it is ready to ship.

 

Magic in the details...

 

Available to own October 13, 2015

 

Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 1 per Guest.

 

• Limited Edition 1 of 5000

• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

• Bodice with metallic embroidered peacock motif

• Overskirt with intricate metallic gold pattern with gems on bottom

• Sculpted belt and bracelets with jewels

• Golden necklace set with glimmering gems

• Metallic gold beads adorn hair

• Fully poseable

• Display stand included

• Comes in elegant window display case

• Celebrating the return of Disney's classic Aladdin to DVD and Blu-ray disc

 

The bare necessities

 

• Ages 6+

• Plastic / polyester

• 17'' H

• Imported

 

Safety

 

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

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