The best beast to know is the Beast from the East, the most generous monster of them all. He's got gold a-plenty (no silver, please!) and he likes to share. Anyone care to guess what he's going to do with that 24 Karat gold-plated G36 today? UPDATED: He's giving it away here! toywiz.us/blog/?p=1557

Rose from David Austin.

Background texture from Pareeerica, textures from Boccacino and leslie Nicole (French Kiss).

 

is about the heart"

 

Brighter Lives co-founder, Peter Towle from England, he is having a new challenge, Coast to Coast bike ride on June 9th, from Morecambe to Whitby. He wants to raise awareness and funds to help our children in Honduras. Would you help him? follow his instructions in the poster, thank you so much for helping and sharing!!

www.blchonduras.com

Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.

 

Today however we are northwest of Lettice’s flat, in the working-class London suburb of Harlesden where Edith, Lettice’s maid, and her best friend and fellow maid-of-all-work, Hilda are visiting Edith’s beloved parent for a few hours on their Wednesday afternoon off before going on to catch a late afternoon showing of ‘The Scarlet Woman’* at the nearby Willesden Hippodrome**. Like Edith, Hilda works as a live-in maid and resides just around the corner from Cavendish Mews, in nearby Hill Street. She works for Lettice’s married friends, Margot and Dickie Channon. However, Edith and Hilda met one another at their previous employer, Mrs. Plaistow’s, Pimlico townhouse where the two shared a cold and uncomfortable attic bedroom. In spite of the fact that they are both working for different people now, the girls remain the very best of friends, and catch up frequently. Edith’s father, George, works at the McVitie and Price biscuit factory in Harlesden as a Line Manager, and her mother, Ada, takes in laundry at home. They live in a small, two storey brick terrace house which opens out directly onto the street, and is far removed from the grandeur of Lettice’s Mayfair flat, but has always been a cosy and welcoming home for Edith and her younger brother Bert, as well as any number of their friends, including Hilda.

 

We find ourselves in the heart of the Watsford’s family home, Ada’s cosy kitchen at the back of the terrace. Ada is holding court, standing at her worn round kitchen table as she gives Hilda another impromptu lesson in Christmas baking as she rolls out some pale sweet shortcrust pastry with her trusty old wooden rolling pin which had belonged to her mother before her. Her daughter and Hilda sit at the table on tall ladderback chairs to either side of her, watching Ada as she takes up a flour dusted fluted metal biscuit cutter and sinks it with ease into the rolled out pastry, cutting out a dainty pastry case. Removing the cutter and leaving it lightly sitting atop the rolled out, but as of yet uncut pastry, she picks up the casing gently in her floured fingers and places it in the final empty space in her patty pan***.

 

“And there you have it, Hilda,” Ada says with a satisfied sigh. “The perfect pastry casing for a perfect fruit mince pie!”

 

“The perfect fruit mince pie will be the one I can eat right now.” George mutters from behind his newspaper as he sits by the hearth in the comfort of his Windsor chair.

 

“You aren’t having a one of these fruit mince pies until Christmas Day, George!” Ada quips. “And that’s a fact.”

 

“Oh Mrs. W.!” Hilda gasps. “You make it all look so simple!”

 

“After you’ve made a few batches, it will be as easy for you as it is for me, Hilda love.” Ada assures the young maid.

 

“Do you really think so, Mrs. W.?” Hilda asks with wide eyes.

 

“Course I do, Hilda love.” Ada goes on.

 

“It’s true, Hilda,” Edith adds from her chair. “The more you practice, the better you’ll get, just like Mum. I was the same as you once.”

 

“You’ve never been hopeless at cooking, Edith.” Hilda mutters disparagingly.

 

“You aren’t hopeless at cooking either, Hilda!” Edith exclaims, standing up and reaching across the table, clasping her best friend’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve improved so much with a bit of help from me, some instruction from Mum,” She nods at her mother and smiles gratefully. “And practice.” Letting go of her friend’s hand, she resumes her seat. “No, I meant I was nervous like you are now.” She sighs as she sees Hilda’s face crumple up, betraying how nervous she really is. “But once I had baked a few different things, made a few mistakes in the process, and learned from them, I became much more comfortable.”

 

“We all have to make mistakes, Hilda love.” Ada remarks. “Like Edith says, you have to make mistakes so you can learn from them.”

 

George snorts loudly and chuckles behind his copy of the Daily Express.

 

“And what are you chortling about, George Watsford?” Ada asks, casting an askance glance at her husband.

 

“Nothing Ada love,” he replies, still chuckling from behind the newspaper sheets which he ruffles noisily to try and cover his amusement. “Just something Rupert Bear**** is up to.”

 

“Oh no you aren’t Dad!” Edith giggles. “You’re well past page seven*****.”

 

“George?” Ada queries warily whilst Hilda glances anxiously between Ada’s clouding face and the open Daily Express broadsheet behind which George hides.

 

Finally the paper lowers and George’s beaming face, red with holding in his laughter appears. Glancing out at his wife, his daughter and her best friend, he admits, “Well, I was actually thinking about your biggest baking disaster, Ada love.”

 

“Oh, not that story again, Dad!” Edith groans. “We all know the story of how before you and Mum were married, but were stepping out together, at the Easter Sunday Picnic organised by the Vicar of All Souls******, everyone got a hot cross bun because Mum was being a good Christian soul and handed them out, except for you because she’d given them to everyone else.”

 

Ada blushes with embarrassment as she is reminded of a piece of her own history that she would rather her daughter didn’t know about.

 

“It’s true Mr. W.,” Hilda remarks, leaning on the top worn rung of the back of the ladderback chair she is sitting in as she looks at Edith’s father. “Even I’ve heard it from Edith.”

 

“Oh, that wasn’t the story I was thinking of!” George chuckles, before openly laughing aloud, his noisy guffaws filling the tiny Harlesden terrace house kitchen.

 

“George!” Ada says warningly in a low voice. “What are you going to tell our daughter and her friend? Am I going to like it?”

 

“Oh!” George wipes tears of mirth from his cheeks. “I doubt it, Ada love, but I think it’s worth taking the rap******* to retell it.” He bursts into a new barrage of wheezing laughter that make him breathless.

 

“Well come on then, Dad!” Edith exclaims. “Tell us!”

 

“Don’t encourage your dad, Edith love!” Ada chides her daughter mildly. Turning her attention back to her red-faced husband she adds, “He doesn’t need any help from anyone in that department.” She eyeballs him.

 

“When your mum and I were courting, Edith love,” George finally begins after taking a gulp of tea from his dainty floral Colclough******** teacup, one of Ada’s porcelain treasures found at a flea market*********. “She thought to curry favour she’d best make a nice teacake for my mum, since she was hoping to to become her future daughter-in-law by marrying me.”

 

“I keep telling you George,” Ada protests. “It was only because of my Mum’s blue and white Delftware cannisters. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

 

“What didn’t you do on purpose, Mum?” Edith asks excitedly.

 

“Never you mind, Edith love!” Ada answers quickly.

 

“What happened, Mr. W.?” Hilda giggles, her eyes agog as she hangs on the older man’s every word.

 

“So, she made a lovely apple teacake. Well,” George adds as an afterthought. “It looked lovely.”

 

“What do you mean, looked lovely?” Edith asks. “Didn’t it taste nice? We’ve had Mum’s apple teacake plenty of times over the years and it is always scrumptious.”

 

“Well,” George laughs, again wiping the tears of joviality from the corners of his eyes and his deep set wrinkles around them. “This one certainly wasn’t! You see, Edith love, your Mum had put in a cup of salt, rather than a cup of sugar into the batter! You should have seen Granny Watsford’s face when she ate her first mouthful! Her mouth nearly imploded whilst her eyes practically burst from their sockets! It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!”

 

George breaks into uncontrollable laughter, which is soon joined by that of his daughter and her friend as they all laugh loudly at the story.

 

“I told you, George,” Ada defends herself, blushing red as she looks at the trio laughing around her, before breaking into a good natured chuckle of her own as she remembers her then future mother-in-law’s alarmed face as she sat ramrod stiff in her old Victorian button back********** upholstered chair, one of two now in Ada and George’s front parlour, and chewed slowly on the cake, before swallowing it awkwardly. “All Mum’s cannisters were all the same size and unmarked. It’s why I make sure that I keep our sugar in that tin cannister, and I keep the salt in a glass jar.”

 

“Oh Mum!” Edith laughs, wiping her own eyes which now stream with jovial tears. “That’s awful.”

 

“What was worse was that your Granny ate the whole mouthful and swallowed it, of politeness and deference to your Mum, Edith love.” George goes on. “She liked her you see, and she didn’t want to offend her! Once she’d finished her mouthful, she just quietly put her plate aside, arose, and excused herself with as much dignity as she could muster, asking your Mum to join her in the scullery with a hoarse voice.”

 

“Did you all try the cake too, Mr. W.?” Hilda asks.

 

“Heavens no, Hilda love! We’d all figured out from my Mum’s reaction that there was something very, very wrong with the cake. None of us were game to try it!”

 

“Shouldn’t you be heading back to work after tea, George?” Ada asks, folding her arms akimbo and looking meaningfully at her husband. “I’m sure I can hear the Christmas biscuits selection calling you.”

 

“Oh! Oh alright, Ada love.” George gasps as he recovers his breath from all his laughter. “Looks like I’m being banished, girls, so I’ll say my goodbyes to you both.” He puts his newspaper aside, gets up from his seat and walks over to the pegs by the door leading from the kitchen to the scullery, where his coat, hat and scarf hang.

 

“Be grateful I let you back into the house after your shift, George Wastford!” Ada mutters, but the glint in her eye and the gentle upturn in the corners of her mouth betray the fact that she isn’t really cross with her husband for sharing her story.

 

“You wouldn’t do that to me, Ada love.” George remarks, wrapping his knitted scarf tightly around his neck before shucking on his coat.

 

“Tell too many tales like that about me, and you might push your luck.” Ada replies, cocking her eyebrow, but smiling at ger husband.

 

“Alright, bye love!” George dons his tweed flat cap and walks across the flagstones to kiss his wife. After giving her a chaste, yet loving kiss, he turns to Edith and Hilda at the table. “Bye girls.” He waves and turns away.

 

“Bye Mr. W.!” Hilda says brightly.

 

“Bye Dad!” Edith calls after the retreating figure of her father as he disappears into the scullery and walks out the back door and into the terrace’s rear garden.

 

“What crust!” Ada scoffs as she hears him close the back door. “And thinking of crusts,” She turns her attention back to Edith and Hilda. “We should get on with baking these fruit mince pies before it’s time for you girls to go. We need to give them time to cook and cool.”

 

Edith and Hilda sit in their seats, smirking, their eyes bright with amusement as Ada mixes the large white bowl of fruit mince before her. “Alright, up here, Hilda love!” she says in a commanding voice, taking control of the situation, and regaining her dignity after George’s tale. “You’ll never learn unless you practice, and if you make a mistake, like I did with the apple tea cake I made that day for old Mrs. Watsford, you’ll learn from it.”

 

“Yes Mrs. W.!”

 

Hilda gets up from her seat and stands alongside Ada in front of the pan.

 

“Now, take up the spoons,” Ada directs. “And use one to scoop up some fruit mince and the other to push the mince off the spoon into the pastry tart case. Not too much, mind, Hilda love,” she cautions. “When the fruit mince is hot, it will bubble and expand and we don’t want it overflowing from the cases whilst cooking in the oven.”

 

“No Mrs. W.!”

 

“Just fill the case up three quarters of the way.” Edith adds helpfully.

 

“Good girl, Edith love.” Ada says. “That’s it! Just so.”

 

Hilda takes up a heaped spoon of fruit mince.

 

“No, that’s too much, Hilda, love.” Ada remarks gently. “Shake a bit off back into the bowl.” She and Edith watch as Hilda does as she is told. “That’s better.” Ada nods. “Then fill the case three quarters up.”

 

They watch as Hilda gingerly moves the spoon low over one of the twelve empty sweet shortcrust pastry cases in the patty pan and pushes the mixture off it with the other spoon. The fruit mince falls into the bottom of the casing with a soft, satisfying splat, the mixture of sultanas, currants, raisins, glacé cherries, apple, orange rind, apple, sugar, spices, water and brandy oozing thickly as it settles into place.

 

“Good girl, Hilda love!” Ada says encouragingly, grasping the young girl’s shoulders and squeezing them. “That’s the ticket***********! Once you’ve filled this batch, we’ll pop them into the oven and we’ll make a second batch whilst they cook and then cool. You can cut out the casings and fill them.”

 

“Yes Mrs. W.” Hilda says proudly with a smile as she takes her spoons back to the gleaming, dark and glossy fruit mince in the white mixing bowl and scoops up some more.

 

“Good girl, Hilda love!” Ada says again. “That’s a more manageable amount of fruit mince.”

 

“Thanks awfully, Mrs. W.!” Hilda says with a smile as her face blanches at Ada’s praise.

 

Then, changing topic Ada asks. “So, are you going back to the Scottish Highlands or wherever for Christmas this year, Hilda love?”

 

“Oh Lady Lancraven’s house is in Shropshire, not the Scottish Highlands, Mrs. W.” Hilda replies as she begins to fill a second pastry casing.

 

“Well, wherever it is, are you going, Hilda love?”

 

“No, I’m not this year, Mrs. W., which means I won’t get to see my sister, which is a bit disappointing. But I’m going to spend Christmas Day with Mum at her house in Southall************ at least, so that will be nice.”

 

“What?” Edith pipes up. “No Lady Lancraven’s, this year?”

 

“That will be disappointing for your Mum and your sister, Hilda love.” Ada says consolingly. “You told us you all enjoyed being together so much, last Christmas.”

 

“Why aren’t you going this year, Hilda?” Edith persists.

 

“Well, the Channons have had a bit of a falling out with Mr. Channon’s parents, the Marquis and Marchioness of Taunton, just as of late.” Hilda explains.

 

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Edith replies.

 

“I should hope it would be, Edith love!” Ada chides her daughter, wagging a finger at her. “You know that gossiping unnecessarily about your employers will only lead to trouble.” She shakes her head. “There’s nothing worse than a gossiping maid, no matter how good her work is.”

 

“So, what happened?” Edith asks Hilda, ignoring her mother’s protestations.

 

“It’s all over the fact that Mrs. Channon still isn’t with child,” Hilda goes on, lowering her voice as if Margot and Dickie might overhear all the way over in Mayfair. “The Marquis and Marchioness are so anxious that Mr. and Mrs. Channon have a baby to carry on the family name, since Mr. Channon will be the next Marquis, and they have been married a few years.”

 

“Not everyone who wants a family is blessed with one, Hilda love.” Ada says softly.

 

“I know that Mrs. W.” Hilda replies. “It’s not me who needs convincing, but the snooty Marquiss and Marchioness. They want to send poor Mrs. Channon to a clinic of some kind in Switzerland or Germany, somewhere in the mountains, so she can be analysed and examined.”

 

“Prodded and poked, more like!” Edith opines.

 

“I think that’s what caused the fiercest argument between Mr. Channon and the Marquis. I heard Mr. Channon in the study, yelling down the telephone at the Marquis, and saying that he and Mrs. Channon wouldn’t spend Christmas with them at Lady Lancraven’s. Poor Mrs. Channon has been drinking so much lately to calm her nerves as whenever the Marchioness visits or telephones, which is often, she always asks her why she isn’t with child yet. The Marquiss has basically cut off Mr. Channon’s allowance until they produce a baby, and a boy at that, which added extra pressure to them both.”

 

“No wonder Mrs. Channon is drinking then.” Edith remarks.

 

“Oh dear! Poor Mr. and Mrs. Channon. How horrible for them! But if Mr. Channon has had his allowance cut off, how are the household bills being covered, and how are you getting paid, Hilda love?” Ada asks.

 

“You are getting paid, aren’t you Hilda?” Edith pipes up in concern.

 

“Luckily, my wages are paid me by Lord de Virre, Mrs. Channon’s dad,” Hilda explains. “And luckily for Mr. and Mrs. Channon, he has come to their aid too. He’s ever such a nice man, unlike the mean old Marquiss and Marchioness.”

 

“What’s he done?” Edith asks. “Lord de Virre, that is?”

 

“He’s arranging something called a provision for them.” Hilda says a little uncertainly.

 

“A provision?” Ada asks. “Whatever is that, Hilda love?”

 

“I’m not sure exactly, but I think it has something to do with him paying them an allowance instead of the Marquis and Marchioness, at least for now, as Mrs. Channon says that she will cover the household costs from her dad’s provision, so it must involve money in some way.”

 

“Well, that’s a relief!” Edith says. “At least you won’t be put in a position where you have to lie to the wine merchant, like that time when they owed him so much money for champagne and they pretended that they weren’t home, and you had to go along with it and put him off until Mrs. Channon had pawned some of her furs to get him the money.”

 

“That’s a terrible position to put you in, Hilda love!” Ada exclaims.

 

“Well, Mrs. Channon isn’t exactly the best at keeping a household budget at the best of times, Mrs. W., so it’s not the first time that’s happened.”

 

“I don’t know!” Ada shakes her head. “They have more money than we’ll ever have, yet I manage to balance my budget, and did when Edith and Bert were children, and with the costs of everything inflating during the war too!”

 

“Well anyway, that’s why I’m not going to Lady Lancraven’s this year, Mrs. W. It will be nice to spend it with my Mum at least, although I’ll miss seeing Emily. We both will. But we’ll make the best of it.”

 

“Course you will, Hilda love.” Ada wraps a consoling arm around her daughter’s best friend, and pulls her towards her rangy frame.

 

“Where are Mr. and Mrs. Channon going to spend their Christmas then?” Edith asks from her seat at the table.

 

“They are going to spend it with Lord and Lady de Virre in Hans Crescent here in London. Then they are going to go to their Cornish country house outside of Penzance for a few weeks after New Year’s Eve in London. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Carter are holding a lavish New Year’s Eve fancy dress ball in their Park Lane************* mansion before sailing off on the Mauretania************** to New York to spend the beginning of 1926.”

 

“Well, maybe we can spend a bit more time together over Christmas, Hilda, since neither your employers, nor mine, are going to be around to worry about.” Edith suggests.

 

“That would be nice, Edith. I’d like that.” Hilda smiles gratefully. “Anyway, that’s why I want the fruit mince pies you see, Mr. W., to take to Mum’s on Christmas Day. We don’t have much money between us – certainly not enough to afford the fare that the servants at lady Lancraven’s get – but we can at least have a lovely treat of some fruit mince pies after whatever we cobble together for Christmas tea for the two of us.”

 

“Then we best press on, Hilda love.” Ada says with a smile. “Or else you’ll have none for Christmas.”

 

“Yes Mrs. W.!” Hilda agrees enthusiastically.

 

*The Scarlet Woman is a 1924 silent comedy film directed by Terence Greenidge based on a scenario by British writer Evelyn Waugh. It is a satirical ecclesiastical melodrama about a Catholic plot to bring England back to the Catholic Church, which involves a scheme to convert the Prince of Wales and murder Protestants. The film, which Waugh also acted in, features Elsa Lanchester as a drug-addicted actress and was shot in locations including Oxford and Hampstead.

 

**The Willesden Empire Hippodrome Theatre was confusingly located in Harlesden, although it was not too far from Willesden Junction Railway Station in this west London inner city district. It was opened by Walter Gibbons as a music hall/variety theatre in September 1907. In 1908, the name was shortened to Willesden Hippodrome Theatre. Designed by noted theatre architect Frank Matcham, seating was provided for 864 in the orchestra stalls and pit, 517 in the circle and 602 in the gallery. It had a forty feet wide proscenium, a thirty feet deep stage and eight dressing rooms. It was taken over by Sydney Bernstein’s Granada Theatres Ltd. chain from the third of September 1927 and after some reconstruction was re-opened on the twelfth of September 1927 with a programme policy of cine/variety. From March 1928 it was managed by the Denman/Gaumont group, but was not successful and went back to live theatre use from 28th January 1929. It was closed in May 1930, and was taken over by Associated British Cinemas in August 1930. Now running films only, it operated as a cinema until September 1938. It then re-opened as a music hall/variety theatre, with films shown on Sundays, when live performances were prohibited. The Willesden Hippodrome Theatre was destroyed by German bombs in August/September 1940. The remains of the building stood on the High Street for many years, becoming an unofficial playground for local children, who trespassed onto the property. The remains were demolished in 1957.

 

***A patty pan is a baking pan with a grid of connected, individual cups or moulds used for baking individual portions of batter. It is also known as a muffin tin or cupcake pan and can be used for making muffins, cupcakes, pies or other small baked goods like savory egg cups or mini quiches. It was called a patty pan because it was originally used in the Eighteenth Century to make small meat-filled pastries known as pattys or pastys (today’s equivalent for pasties).

 

****The character Rupert Bear first appeared in the Daily Express on November the 8th, 1920, originally named Little Lost Bear. The character was created by illustrator Mary Tourtel, and Alfred Bestall took over the illustrations in 1935. The cartoon series continues to be published in the Daily Express. The character is also associated with the newspaper through the annual Rupert Annual, which has been published every year since 1936. Rupert has become such a British National Treasure that he has even had his own stamps before. Rupert Bear is part of children's culture in the United Kingdom, and there are four television shows based on the character.

 

*****Rupert Bear first appeared in the Daily Express on page seven, a place he then retained for many years, sob that readers became accustomed to finding him there.

 

******The parish of All Souls, Harlesden, was formed in 1875 from Willesden, Acton, St John's, Kensal Green, and Hammersmith. Mission services had been held by the curate of St Mary's, Willesden, at Harlesden institute from 1858. The parish church at Station Road, Harlesden, was built and consecrated in 1879. The town centre church is a remarkable brick octagon designed by E.J. Tarver. Originally there was a nave which was extended in 1890 but demolished in 1970.

 

*******The phrase "to take the rap" originates from the Eighteenth Century use of "rap" to mean a blow or punishment, and its Nineteenth Century slang use for a prison sentence. Therefore, "taking the rap" evolved to mean accepting a punishment or blame for something, be it a criminal charge or something far less serious in nature.

 

********Colclough Bone China was founded in Staffordshire in 1890 by Herbert J. Colclough, the former mayor of Stoke-on-Trent. Herbert loved porcelain and loved the ordinary working man. One of his desires was to bring fine bone china, a preserve of the upper and middle classes, to the working man. He felt that it would give them aspirations and dignity to eat off fine bone china. Colclough Bone China received a Royal Warrant from King George V in 1913. Colclough went on to innovate the production of fine bone china for the mass market in the 1920s and 1930s. They produced the backstamp brands Royal Vale and Royal Stanley. Colclough Bone China merged with Booth’s Pottery and later acquired Ridgeway China. Eventually they amalgamated with Royal Doulton in the 1970s.

 

*********A flea market is a type of market where vendors sell a variety of goods, typically second hand, handmade, or antique items. These markets are often outdoors, but can also be held indoors, and may operate on a weekly, seasonal, or annual basis. Shoppers can find everything from clothing and furniture to collectibles and curios at bargain prices.

 

**********Button back upholstered furniture contains buttons embedded in the back of the sofa or chair, which are pulled tightly against the leather creating a shallow dimple effect. This is sometimes known as button tufting.

 

***********The exact origin of "that's the ticket" is debated, but it likely comes from a few different places. It may have started as an allusion to a winning lottery ticket or a specific label for something that was perfect. Alternatively, it could be a corruption of the French phrase "c'est l'etiquette," meaning "that's the proper way" or "that's the label". In the 1820s, there was a related phrase, "that's the ticket for soup," which referred to a card that a beggar could use to receive immediate relief at a soup kitchen, and may also be where this phrase is derived from.

 

************Southall was a working-class suburb of London in the 1920s, characterised by its industrialisation and the influx of workers for manual labour jobs in the area's factories. Many factories were built in Southall, which led to significant population growth and its development into an urban area with a working-class demographic. By the end of the Nineteenth Century, Southall became a highly industrialized district with numerous factories. The Otto Monsted Margarine Works, one of the largest in Europe, was a key part of this industrial base. Workers, including a large number of Welsh and Irish steel workers escaping the harsh economic conditions of their origins, moved to Southall in the 1920s to find employment in the available heavy industry jobs.

 

*************Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park to the west from Mayfair to the east. The road was originally a simple country lane on the boundary of Hyde Park, separated by a brick wall. Aristocratic properties appeared during the late 18th century, including Breadalbane House, Somerset House, and Londonderry House. The road grew in popularity during the 19th century after improvements to Hyde Park Corner and more affordable views of the park, which attracted the nouveau riche to the street and led to it becoming one of the most fashionable roads to live on in London. Notable residents included the 1st Duke of Westminster's residence at Grosvenor House, the Dukes of Somerset at Somerset House, and the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli at No. 93. Other historic properties include Dorchester House, Brook House and Dudley House. In the 20th century, Park Lane became well known for its luxury hotels, particularly The Dorchester, completed in 1931, which became closely associated with eminent writers and international film stars. Flats and shops began appearing on the road, including penthouse flats. Several buildings suffered damage during World War II, yet the road still attracted significant development, including the Park Lane Hotel and the London Hilton on Park Lane, and several sports car garages. A number of properties on the road today are owned by some of the wealthiest businessmen from the Middle East and Asia.

 

**************Built by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson for the Cunard Line, the RMS Mauretania was launched in 1906 and began its first voyage in November 1907. It was designed with a new steam turbine engine and was the world's largest ship until 1910. The ship's impressive speed allowed it to capture the eastbound Blue Riband record in 1907 and the westbound record in 1909. It held both records for two decades, cementing its reputation for speed and elegance. he liner was also celebrated for its luxurious interiors, which featured elaborate designs with numerous types of wood, marble, and tapestries. It was nicknamed the "Grand Old Lady of the Atlantic". During World War I, the British Admiralty commissioned the Mauretania for military service. It was converted to a hospital ship and troopship and was equipped with guns, even sporting dazzle camouflage at one point. After the war, the Mauretania was returned to Cunard and resumed its passenger service. It was converted to burn oil and continued to operate for many years. n 1934, after the merger of Cunard and White Star, the liner was retired from service. It made its final voyage and was towed to Rosyth, Scotland, where it was scrapped in 1935.

 

This cluttered, yet cheerful domestic scene is not all it seems to be at first glance, for it is made up of part of my 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures collection. Some pieces come from my own childhood. Other items I acquired as an adult through specialist online dealers and artists who specialise in 1:12 miniatures.

 

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

 

Ada’s kitchen table is covered with things in preparation for her Christmas fruit mince pies.

 

The wooden board the table with the floured rolling pin, the rolled out pastry and the biscuit cutter are artisan miniature pieces made by an unknown artist, which I acquired through Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House Shop in the United Kingdom. The patty pan of casings also comes from there, as does the teapot shaped floral spoon rest and enamel ended spoon sitting in front of the board. The battered flour cannister, painted in the typical domestic Art Deco design and kitchen colours of the 1920s, cream and green, also comes from Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House Shop. The bowl of very realistic looking fruit mince comes from former chef turned miniature artisan, Frances Knight. Her work is incredibly detailed and realistic, and she says that she draws her inspiration from her years as a chef and her imagination.

 

In the foreground on the table are non-matching teacups, saucers and sugar bowl, all of which have come from different miniature stockists both in Australia and the United Kingdom. The Brown Betty teapot came from The Dolls House Shop in the United Kingdom.

 

Edith’s handbag, handmade from soft leather, is part of a larger collection of hats and bags that I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel, including Ada’s tan soft leather handbag seen resting against her basket at the right of the picture.

 

Edith’s black dyed straw hat with purple roses and black feathers was made by an unknown artisan. 1:12 size miniature hats made to such exacting standards of quality and realism are often far more expensive than real hats are. When you think that it would sit comfortably on the tip of your index finger, yet it could cost in excess of $150.00 or £100.00, it is an extravagance. American artists seem to have the monopoly on this skill and some of the hats that I have seen or acquired over the years are remarkable. This hat is part of a larger collection I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel.

 

In the background you can see Ada’s dark Welsh dresser cluttered with household items. Like Ada’s table and the ladderback chair, I have had the dresser since I was a child. The shelves of the dresser have different patterned crockery which have come from different miniature stockists both in Australia and the United Kingdom. The rather worn and beaten looking enamelled cannisters and bread bin are painted in the typical domestic Art Deco design and kitchen colours of the 1920s, cream and green. Aged on purpose, these artisan pieces also came from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop. There are also tins of various foods which would have been household staples in the 1920s when canning and preservation revolutionised domestic cookery. Amongst other foods on the dresser are a jar of Marmite, a box of Bisto Gravy Powder, an Oxo stock cube and a box of Ty-Phoo Tea which were made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire.

 

Marmite is a food spread made from yeast extract which although considered remarkably English, was in fact invented by German scientist Justus von Liebig although it was originally made in the United Kingdom. It is a by-product of beer brewing and is currently produced by British company Unilever. The product is notable as a vegan source of B vitamins, including supplemental vitamin B. Marmite is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, salty, powerful flavour. This distinctive taste is represented in the marketing slogan: "Love it or hate it." Such is its prominence in British popular culture that the product's name is often used as a metaphor for something that is an acquired taste or tends to polarise opinion.

 

The first Bisto product, in 1908, was a meat-flavoured gravy powder, which rapidly became a bestseller in Britain. It was added to gravies to give a richer taste and aroma. Invented by Messrs Roberts and Patterson, it was named "Bisto" because it "Browns, Seasons and Thickens in One". Bisto Gravy is still a household name in Britain and Ireland today, and the brand is currently owned by Premier Foods.

 

Oxo is a brand of food products, including stock cubes, herbs and spices, dried gravy, and yeast extract. The original product was the beef stock cube, and the company now also markets chicken and other flavour cubes, including versions with Chinese and Indian spices. The cubes are broken up and used as flavouring in meals or gravy or dissolved into boiling water to produce a bouillon. Oxo produced their first cubes in 1910 and further increased Oxo's popularity.

 

In 1863, William Sumner published A Popular Treatise on Tea as a by-product of the first trade missions to China from London. In 1870, William and his son John Sumner founded a pharmacy/grocery business in Birmingham. William's grandson, John Sumner Jr. (born in 1856), took over the running of the business in the 1900s. Following comments from his sister on the calming effects of tea fannings, in 1903, John Jr. decided to create a new tea that he could sell in his shop. He set his own criteria for the new brand. The name had to be distinctive and unlike others, it had to be a name that would trip off the tongue and it had to be one that would be protected by registration. The name Typhoo comes from the Mandarin Chinese word for “doctor”. Typhoo began making tea bags in 1967. In 1978, production was moved from Birmingham to Moreton on the Wirral Peninsula, in Merseyside. The Moreton site is also the location of Burton's Foods and Manor Bakeries factories. Typhoo has been owned since July 2021 by British private-equity firm Zetland Capital. It was previously owned by Apeejay Surrendra Group of India.

 

The large kitchen range in the background is a 1:12 miniature replica of the coal fed Phoenix Kitchen Range. A mid-Victorian model, it has hinged opening doors, hanging bars above the stove and a little bass hot water tap (used in the days before plumbed hot water).

Divided reverse. Letter very generously translated by Nettenscheider, written sometime around 7.9.1914 and sent to the author's family, c/ -Herr Martin Bartelmann in Stemwarde, near Hamburg. Postage cancelled at Rendsburg on that date.

 

Wiki:-

 

"The 213th Reserve Infantry Regiment was raised in the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein. As part of the 46th Reserve Division, R.I.R. Nr. 213 fought on the Western Front, entering the line in October along the Yser and remaining there until April 1915, when it went into the fight for Ypres. The division remained in the Yser region until September 1916.."

 

______________________________________________

Notes:

 

Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 213 (+MG.-Zug)

 

Aufgestellt in Rendsburg (R.Stb., I. v. Ers.-Btl./I.R.Nr. 85), Schleswig (II. v. Ers.-Btl. /I.R.Nr. 84) und Flensburg (III. v. Ers.-Btl./Füs.R.Nr. 86). Insgesamt waren es 100 % Gediente.

Unterstellung:46. Res.Div.

Kommandeur:Oberst z. D. Ottmer (Bez.-Kdr. Flensburg)

 

I.:Major a. D. v. Loefen

II.:Major z. D. Charisius (Bez.-Offz. Altona)

III.:Major z. D. v. Lüderitz (Bez.-Offz. III Hamburg)

 

Verluste:2170 Offz., Uffz. und Mannschaften.

 

 

Today, I spent time with my camera capturing different moments, and the star of the day turned out to be my favorite little bird, the robin/ redbreast - I believe the sun was generous this morning, perhaps due to the recent shift to winter time. As I stepped out from the Charnwood Water car park, the swans and all kinds of ducks came over, looking for breakfast. During this transition to winter and the colder days ahead, I usually bring bird feed when I go to the park. Squirrels, excited by a leftover Halloween pumpkin, gathered around me too. I generously scooped out part of the pumpkin for them, and within moments, three or four Eastern gray squirrels appeared, taking the seeds and treats inside the pumpkin to bury under the leaves for the cold days to come.

After a short walk, I encountered my favorite little bird, the Robin-Redbreast, and shared the remaining food with them. One of them, likely a juvenile, came within about two meters of me, unafraid and ready to pose. I took plenty of close-up shots. It’s worth mentioning that with my Nikon D850 FX camera, I always strive to share the exact image I see through the viewfinder—cropping isn’t really my style. Once again, I stuck to that principle, though I regretted not bringing my Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lens with me this time. Next time, it’ll definitely be in my bag.

 

On my Flickr account, I’ve posted the shot of today: a robin, bathed in the backlight of the morning sun filtering through tree shadows, curiously observing me from a shaded area. I hope you enjoy it. Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday!

  

The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a common and widely recognized mammal native to North America, including the eastern United States and parts of Canada. Here are some key characteristics and facts about the Eastern Gray Squirrel:

 

Appearance: Eastern Gray Squirrels have a distinctive appearance characterized by their gray fur, although their coloration can vary from gray to black or brownish-gray. They typically have white underparts and a bushy tail that is often as long as their body. Their large eyes and prominent ears help them detect predators and locate food.

 

Size: Adult Eastern Gray Squirrels typically measure between 23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches) in length, excluding their tail, which can add an additional 20 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 inches). They typically weigh between 400 to 600 grams (14 to 21 ounces).

 

Habitat: Eastern Gray Squirrels are highly adaptable and can thrive in various habitats, including forests, woodlands, urban parks, and suburban areas. They are commonly found in areas with abundant trees for nesting and food sources such as nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects.

 

Behavior: These squirrels are active during the day and spend much of their time foraging for food. They are known for their agility and climbing skills, often seen scampering up trees and leaping between branches with ease. Eastern Gray Squirrels are also proficient at burying and storing food for later consumption, a behavior known as caching.

 

Reproduction: Eastern Gray Squirrels typically breed twice a year, with peak mating seasons occurring in late winter or early spring and again in mid-summer. After a gestation period of about 44 days, females give birth to a litter of 2 to 6 young, known as kittens or kits. The young squirrels are born blind and hairless, and they rely on their mother for care and nourishment until they are old enough to venture out on their own.

 

Interactions with Humans: Eastern Gray Squirrels are commonly encountered in urban and suburban areas, where they may become accustomed to humans and even approach people in search of food. While they are generally considered harmless, they can sometimes become pests, especially when they raid bird feeders or chew on electrical wiring in buildings.

 

Overall, the Eastern Gray Squirrel is a familiar and adaptable species that plays an important ecological role as seed dispersers and prey for predators such as hawks, owls, and snakes. Despite occasional conflicts with humans, they are valued for their intelligence, resourcefulness, and charismatic presence in natural and urban environments.

 

I hope you'll enjoy the my images as much as I enjoyed taking them.

  

Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.

 

I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.

     

© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.

   

Lens - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f5.6 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.

   

I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -

   

Thanks for stopping and looking :)

  

Letter generously translated by Nettenscheider, penned on 7.10.1917, the author bemoans the terrible weather they're experiencing in France. Photogr. Photohaus Emil Wünsche, Dresden.

 

Well equipped with plenty of hand grenades, a group of Saxon Landwehrmänner from an unidentified formation, somewhere on the Western Front.

Best viewed LARGE size. This drawing of the William Henry Sternberg residence at 1065 North Waco Avenue appeared in the 1887 Wichita City Directory. The house is still standing today (09/2010) and looks much the same except for maintenance and upkeep on the structure and the south chimney is temporarily down due to structural instability. Sternberg Mansion is the only one of the "Fabulous 10" homes (see photostream for the Fabulous 10 flyer) to survive from Wichita's economic boom of the 1870s and 1880s. The house incorporates a variety of Sternberg design elements also seen on other Sternberg-designed Sternberg-built homes such multiple ornate chimney flues that corbel down through the second and/or first floors, diamond designs within the slate roof, a zig-zag "V"-shaped design at the very apex of the roof, one and only one half-moon window in the entire structure and located on the 3rd floor, an asymmetrical roofline broken with multiple dormers and pitches, a triangular porch roof over the main entry way with a square porch over that, second and third story windows held together with decorative designs which give the appearance of a two-story enclosure, multiple fuctional porches on the first and second levels and decorative porches (too small to be functional) appearing on the 3rd level, a fourth floor dormer with windows, uncovered stairs entering into the home, large heavy carved double front doors, a plethora of decorative gingerbread ornamentation, two-story bay windows separated with bands of fishscales between the first and second story and many other features common to Sternberg.

 

William Henry Sternberg was a highly skilled and popular builder during Wichita’s boom years of the 1870s and 1880s. Mr. Sternberg came to Kansas from New York in 1875. He grew up on a family farm in Norwich, New York helping his father in the family saw mill, felling and hauling trees, cutting lumber, woodworking and working as a carpenter on local homes and buildings. As years passed and Sternberg continued working as a contractor and a carpenter, his skills in building grew and he became well-known throughout New York State for his elegant and innovative building designs, his integrity, work quality and prudent approach to costs. People far and wide knew of his reputation for quality and knew him as a fair man in dealing with customers. Partly as a result of his reputation for being a fair and honest man in addition to his first-rate work as a builder, he was elected Mayor of Norwich for a period of several years. Although comfortable with his life in New York, Mr. Sternberg increasingly heard about Wichita, Kansas ~ a rapidly growing nucleus on the plains. Indeed the growth bubble (from the late 1870’s until about 1890) was so significant that Wichita was by some estimates the fastest growing city in the country! At one point, the absolute value of real estate transactions in Wichita ranked it the third highest in the nation in terms of dollars transacted. This was behind only New York City (#1) and Kansas City (#2). People were speculating on land and buildings and making handsome profits in return.

 

“In the first five months of 1887 real estate transactions

totaled $34,893,565 according to Dunn and Bradstreet’s

reports. Wichita was third in the nation in total real estate

transactions. Only New York and Kansas City were ahead

of Wichita (in terms of volume). Chicago was fourth having

$33,173,950 in transactions.”

 

However, in terms of the dollar value of real estate transactions per capita, Wichita was first in the country for a period of several years in the mid-late 1880s, because New York City and Kansas City had much larger populations to produce a similar amount of real estate transactions. The volume of real estate transactions going on in Wichita was a little surprising to say the least (shocking may be a better word) because in the 1870s,1880s and 1890s, New York City was the largest city (population-wise) in the country. Kansas City was around the 75th largest city of the top 100 cities in the U.S. and Wichita didn't even figure into the top 100 largest cities until the 1920 census! In terms of population numbers, New York boasted 1,206,299 in 1880. Kansas City came in at 55,785 in 1880 and Wichita came in 4,911 in 1880 but had more dollars of real estate being transacted per person than a city 10 times its size (KC) or even 250 times its size (NYC)! With its new found wealth, Wichita was progressive in its early days and news of its budding wealth traveled the country. Evidence of its progressive spirit was noted with much fanfare on May 23, 1873 when Wichita’s first regularly-scheduled electrified street cars (trolley cars) began shuttling people between the bustling downtown and the outskirts of the city. Three years later, Wichita installed several hundred nighttime electric street lamps throughout downtown, while still retaining some of its existing gas and “vapor” lamps. Then, in 1882 Wichita began installing an underground water system with corner hydrants for fire suppression. In this year, Wichita contracted with a St. Louis firm for laying a 14-inch main, six inch supply pipes and a total of 60 hydrants throughout the city. This system was finished, tested and in operation by Spring of 1883.

 

Spying an opportunity for building, Mr. Sternberg moved his family to Wichita and after only a few months, was successfully bidding contracts, hiring workers and constructing buildings at a frenzied pace. The economic bubble of Wichita in the 1880s was perhaps the most dynamic growth spurts of any city in American history. Wealth sprung up practically overnight. Land offices implemented numbering systems and pecking rules for the crowds frequently waiting outside to get in. Not uncommonly, people camped out overnight in front of the land offices to get an early ticket for the next day. Indeed, wealth was fast and easy and people such as William Griffenstein, George Pratt, Bertrand H. Campbell and John O. Davidson displayed their newly found wealth by building palatial mansions of the highest quality and most extraordinary craftsmanship. When Wichita’s well-to-do wanted homes or buildings, W.H. Sternberg was the builder of choice by a wide margin. The 1888 book, Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kansas (Chapman Brothers; Chicago, 1888) in which Sternberg is noted, states about him:

 

“Ninety brick stores in Wichita stand as monuments of

his skill and industry, besides numberless other

buildings, probably twice as many as have been put

up by any other contractor in the city.”

 

Not long after coming to Wichita, Mr. Sternberg used a marketing approach – common today, but relatively unheard of at the time, called a “spec home”. The spec home he built was his own (drawing above) and it was a huge 7,500 sq. ft. showcase home that contained virtually every ornamental and stylish feature that he and his crews could muster. He located his home on the most elite street in Wichita at the time ~ Waco Avenue (as it was to become). Before Waco became the “elite street” of Wichita, city planners named it “Waco Street”. As elegant mansions continued to appear on Waco, property owners in this well-dressed district became dissatisfied with the designation of “Street”, so local residents petitioned the City and officially had the name changed to “Avenue” to be more in keeping with the fashionable tone of the neighborhood. Today, the official name of "Waco" is actually "Waco Avenue". Mr. Sternberg reckoned that showcasing the capabilities and ornate building skills of the construction trade would draw customers to him, and it proved to be a very successful technique. Even back in 1886 when he completed his Victorian gingerbread mansion people acknowledged it was something extraordinary. His worthy showcase mansion was written up in the newspapers as well as the 1888 Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick, County, Kansas as follows,

 

“The residence of Mr. Sternberg, a handsome and costly structure, is beautifully located on a rise of ground commanding a fine view of its surroundings. Within and without it bears the evidence of refined tastes and ample means, and it is universally admired by all who have occasion to pass it.”

 

Even before the Sternberg’s mansion was finished, the newspaper was remarking about its exceptional characteristics as the September 6, 1886 edition of the Wichita Beacon commented,

 

“Mr. Sternberg is building for his own use a fine residence on the corner of 10th and Waco Streets. Judging by the foundation it will be one of the largest and finest in the city.”

 

Within weeks after finishing his home at 1065 North Waco Avenue, Mr. Sternberg was flooded with requests to build other fine mansions for Wichita’s “polite society”. And in 1887 and 1888, Sternberg and his crews built first-class mansions and buildings all over Wichita as quickly as they could.

 

The Sternberg Mansion at 1065 North Waco Avenue is historically significant because it represents the height of elegance, style and Victorian housing dreams at the height of one of the greatest sustained economic booms in American history . . . it was the height of pure style and “refined tastes” on “Wichita’s Fifth Avenue,” when money was easy and the future was indeed bright. That the Sternberg Mansion is historically significant is demonstrated in part by the fact that it is listed on the: (1) National Register of Historic Places, (2) the Register of Historic Kansas Places, and (3) the Wichita Register of Historic Places. But there are additional reasons that speak for the historical significance of the Sternberg Mansion . . . The house at 1065 North Waco Avenue and its builder W. H. Sternberg are historically significant for a number of “firsts”. Sternberg set precedence in building design at a time when style and social status was highly important and people had the money to express it. Sternberg (unlike other home designers and builders of the day) built custom features into his homes that allowed the occupants to enjoy their home more, such as low rise stairs, windows at the apex of the home which create strong upward movement of air through the home and staircases that turn allowing access while maintaining privacy. In addition to an extensive use of smaller more intimate porches in his homes and particularly romantic highly corbelled chimney flues, Sternberg was also the first builder in Wichita to construct a very practical laundry chute into a home (the first home in Wichita to have a laundry chute was the Pratt house at 1313 North Emporia). The idea of such a feature so that people didn’t have to climb up and down stairs was new and unheard of in 1887, but Sternberg believed a home should be both beautiful and comfortable. It was new and trend-setting features such laundry chutes, ornate porches, better ventilation, floor plans and walls that visually enlarged the home yet kept personal areas private and his ability to create exceptional milled gingerbread work that brought acclaim and respect to Sternberg. Other builders simply didn’t offer such features, and most didn’t have the expertise to do so.

 

In early Wichita before there were wood millworking shops with millworking equipment, local saw mills would attempt to create ornate millwork on ordinary saws and equipment for example by holding the wood pieces and cutting curves. But more often than not this didn't work. Pieces frequently broke or were cut the wrong way and when a final piece was struck, the wood was often quite rough especially in curved areas - not meeting Sternbergs standards for high quality millwork.

 

In New York state where Sternberg grew up and worked for many years before coming to Wichita, he is credited with being the first person to build a Mansard-style roof. The concept was made popular at the 1855 Worlds Fair in Paris - which reports indicate Sternberg attended. A mansard roof is a French style that allows more unencumbered space on the attic level than a traditional pitched roof does. Although not an architect by training, Sternberg often had considerable input into the design and layout of the homes he built. Indeed Sternberg publically advertised himself as an architect. Many of his customers, unaware of the need for an architect at the time when deciding to build a house, would contact Sternberg first when they wanted to build and then it was Sternberg who would usually contact an architect of his choice and advise the architect on what the home-owner wanted and could afford. So the architect (if there was one) would frequently follow Sternberg's ideas and designs. Sternberg was the first recorded builder to and use an “outside” (New York) architect purely for style and design in a Wichita residence. The house, designed by Stanford White and built by Sternberg was the Charles R. Miller residence at 507 S. Lawrence Avenue (now Broadway Street). Stanford White although building a national reputation would a few years later would receive national acclaim for his designs including Madison Square Garden in New York as well as many homes for the Vanderbilts, the Astors, Joseph Pulitzer and other notables of the day. The design and construction of this Sternberg-built home that Stanford White-designed was eye-catching and charming to Wichitans of the day and the local Wichita Beacon in April 18, 1883 commented about the house,

 

“It will be of brick, 40 x 44 feet in area, with basement

eight feet, two stories above that, and a ten foot mansard

attic. The basement will be used for a steam heater,

laundry, coal, etc. The facades will be broken by swells,

bay windows and porches. It will be one of the finest

in southern Kansas.”

 

Obviously, Sternberg felt that for some exceptional projects, local architects were not up to the task, and Sternberg liked the press attention. What's more and another “first” for Sternberg is that he was the only builder during the 1870s-1880s working in Wichita to have also built major public and private buildings in at least two other states. No other builders in Wichita at the time are known to have done anything outside the area. In addition, he’s the only builder during Wichita’s boom period to have his works from three states (Kansas Missouri and New York) listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally his 30 years of experience in the lumber business grading qualities of woods and knowing the particular characteristics of various woods allowed Sternberg to build with exceptional quality. Arguably he provided the highest quality and was the most highly skilled builder of the day in Wichita. An article from November 2, 1969 in the Eagle-Beacon newspaper noted the quality of the Sternberg Mansion,

 

“It was built to last with joists

of 2 by 8-inch timbers, and wood-

work of pine so hard it will not take

a regular nail and one interior

wall that is 15 inches thick.”

 

Indeed modern-day carpenters have remarked when doing remodel work on Sternberg Mansion that “when hammering, nails, they bend before they go into the wood;” even today the wood still prefers to bend nails.” For Sternberg’s own residence and for other first-class houses, Sternberg selected only the highest grades of lumber, had them cut extra thick and insisted they be cut to maximize the wood grain for the particular use of the wood. Sternberg was a dedicated builder ~ he loved woodworking and building and he was still bidding and building up until about a month before his death (1906). Mr. Sternberg’s passion for Wichita, Kansas wasn’t just a passing affair when the boom period ended, either. After moving to Wichita in 1875, he remained in Wichita for 31 years until his death in August, 1906. His two sons continued living and working in Wichita for many years after their father’s death and almost the entire family including W. H. Sternberg is buried in Wichita. The current owner is pursuing an additional status of “National Historic Landmark” for the Sternberg Mansion ~ identifying it as a structure worthy of national attention, partly based on the fact that Sternberg built structures throughout the country that today are designated historical, but in addition, historic information indicates that Sternberg built a fair amount of temporary housing for people moving to the area to take part in various land rushes. Not uncommonly, people would move Wichita (as it was the largest major town close to the Oklahoma border) or between Wichita and the Oklahoma border sometimes two to three years in advance of a land rush. Tens of housands of people did this and land rushes were opened several different times (there wasn't just one land rush). Sternberg was directly involved in helping with housing for these people getting ready to take part in a land rush and thereby helping to settle the western frontier.

 

Of the surviving local homes and buildings that W.H. Sternberg built or contributed to, not all are protected with historic designation. Following are some of the structures that Sternberg and his crews constructed. Note the Carey Hotel (originally called the "Carey House but now the Eaton Apartments) and Garfield University (now Friends University) had multiple contractors. Sternberg wasn’t the sole contractor on these two buildings, but he did contribute significantly to their erection (such as the ornamental stonework, window headers, windows, doors and interior carpentry). These two buildings (the Eaton and Friends) are protected on historical registers. It was somewhat unusual in Sternberg’s day with buildings as large and lavish as the Carey Hotel or Garfield University to have only one contractor do all the work. To Sternberg’s credit, however, he was the sole contractor on the Sedgwick County Courthouse.

List of Confirmed Sternberg-designed and built structures:

1)Alfred W. Bitting residence - Wichita

2)Finlay Ross residence - Wichita

3)Sternberg Mansion - Wichita

4)High School building - Wichita

5)Expansion of the Occidental and renovations to it - Wichita

6)County Poor House – 1886 in Wichita - Wichita

7)Garfield Memorial Hall (corner of 1st and Water) - Wichita

8)Carey Hotel (carpentry all doors, windows and interior woodwork) - Wichita

9)Sedgwick County Courthouse - Wichita

10)First Ward School - Wichita

11)City Hall and Government Building in Springfield Missouri - Springfield

12)Gettos Block Building in Wichita – Wichita (SW corner of Main & Second St)

13)Second Ward School in Wichita

14)Garfield University (Friends University Administration Building) - Wichita

15)The Methodist Church in Guilford New York

16)The Chenango County Poor House in New York

17)The Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwich New York

18)The residence of Charles Merritt in Norwich New York

19)The store of John O. Hill & Company in New York

20)The residence of Warren Newton in New York

21)An elegant mansion for himself in New York which had the first Mansard roof – Norwich, NY

22)New Telephone Building (on North Market immediately south of Hose House #1) - Wichita

23)New Baptist Church (begun in September 1883 in Wichita, Kansas) - Wichita

24)Ferrell’s Brick Block (opposite the Post Office) in Wichita

25)The house and two lots adjoining Mr. Barnes on North Lawrence Avenue – enlarging it and raising it to occupy himself - Wichita

26)The new Masonic Temple (formerly the YMCA building) - Wichita

27)Masonic home and the limestone buildings on its grounds - Wichita

28)Four story brick building for W.H. Porter @ 211 – 213 E. Douglas - Wichita

29)Additions to the Masonic Home (June 1904) - Wichita

30)Congregational Church (October 1885) - Wichita

31)Naftzger Building (three stories high, corner of St. Francis and Douglas 50’ X 140’) - Wichita

32)Central Power Station of the Wichita Electric Railway Company (June 1890) - Wichita

33)The Little-Reed Building - Wichita

34)Two homes for Kos Harris - Wichita

35)Four homes on the 1200 block of North Waco Avenue – Wichita

1231 North Waco Avenue – Russell Harding Superintendent MO Pacific Rail Road

1235 North Waco Avenue – Robert A. Hamilton – 1891 (Manager of Whittaker P H).

1235 North Waco Avenue, W E Reeves

1230 N. Waco Avenue – Mr. George B. Chapman in 1891 and Miss Sarah

Chapman in 1891 (Chapman & Walker)

36)One brick home on University Avenue – Wichita (1813 W. University Avenue in Wichita, Kansas)

37)The Hydraulic Mills - Wichita

38)The old Post Office and Federal Building - Wichita

39)Two old frames on the west side of Main belonging to Emil Werner to put up a two story brick building with a 50 foot front - Wichita

40)Residence of C.N. Lewis in Wichita - Wichita

41)Residence of Albert. W. Oliver in Wichita - Wichita

43)Residence of Aaron Katz in Wichita Katz Aaron, prop Philadelphia store, r 420 s Main

44) Residence of Mark J. Oliver at 1105 North Lawrence in Wichita

45)Residence of Hiram. Imboden in Wichita

46)Residence of M.W. Levy (1st and Topeka) - Wichita

47)Residence of Peter Gettos in Wichita – Wichita (255 N. Water)

48)Residence of Reuben H. Roys in Wichita - Roys Reuben H, atty 217 e Douglas, r 1127 n Lawrence

49)Residence of Finlay Ross in Wichita - Wichita

50)Residence of William H. Whitman in Wichita

51)Residence of Jacob Henry Aley @ 1505 Fairview in Wichita

52)Residence of Robert E. Gutherie on Third Street in Wichita

53)Residence of J.R. Van Zandt in Wichita

54)Residence of George Pratt (now the Pratt Campbell Mansion on Emporia in Wichita)

55)Residence of C.W. Bitting (corner of Pine and Lawrence) - Wichita

56)Residence of A.W. Bitting in Wichita - Wichita

57)Residence of Judge James L. Dyer in Wichita

58)Residence of Charles M Jones in Wichita

59)Residence of Dr. G.E. McAdams in Wichita

60)Residence of Charles Smyth in Wichita

61)Residence of Dr. J. Russell in Wichita

62)Eads Block Building - Wichita

63)Smyth & Sons Block Building - Wichita

64)Fletcher Block Building - Wichita

65)Union Block (corner of Douglas and Water) – Wichita

66)Temple Block Building - Wichita

67)Bitting Block Building / Bitting Building (corner of Market and Douglas) - Wichita

68)Elliott’s Store - Wichita

69)Peter Getto’s Store - Wichita

70)Finlay Ross’s Furniture Store (corner of Main and 1st Street 119 & 121 N. Main) - Wichita

71)Roys Block at the corner of Lawrence and Douglas - Wichita Roys Block 217 219 227 and 229 e Douglas

72)Market Street Block (August 1887) – Wichita

 

Count: 75 structures Sternberg confirmed either built or did significant work on.

The 6 buildings below (all still standing) are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Sternberg either designed, built or both:

1)Sternberg Mansion

2)Friends University Administration Building

3)Sedgwick County Courthouse

4)Eaton Hotel (formerly the Carey Hotel)

5)Occidental Hotel Building

6)Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwich New York (brick)

 

In all W. H. Sternberg built hundreds and hundreds of buildings and homes in Wichita alone after moving here in 1875. Other homes and buildings he is known to have built before coming to Wichita include: (1) the Methodist Church in Guilford, New York, (2) the Chenango County Poor House in Norwich, New York, (3) the Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwich, New York at a cost of $47,000, he later completed the beautiful case inside this church for the church organ, (4) the residence of Charles Merritt in Norwich, New York at a cost of $35,000, (5) the store of John O. Hill & Co. at a cost of $23,000, (6) the residence of Warren Newton in New York and (7) “an elegant mansion for himself” which had the first mansard roof in the town.

 

Mr. Sternberg was a remarkable man. In 1888, Chapman Brothers in Chicago, Illinois printed an expensive first-class volume of notable persons in Sedgwick County, Kansas ~ a sort of “Who’s Who” of the time. At the time, Wichita was growing so fast, the value of real estate transactions during the 1880s ranked Wichita third largest city in the country behind only New York and Kansas City. The book, entitled “Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.” Contained “Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County together with Portraits and biographies of all the governors of Kansas, and of the Presidents of the United States.” Mr. Sternberg is listed on pages 190 – 191 in the Album. His biography notes:

 

“William H. Sternberg, who is one of the prominent citizens

of Wichita, arrived here in time to assist in the building up of

the town, the growth of which has been phenomenal. He has

been one of the most interested witnesses of its progress

and development, and no unimportant factor in bringing it to

its present proud position. As a man of influence, public

spirit and liberal, this brief record of his history will be more

than ordinarily interesting to those who are identified in any

way with the business or industrial interests of one of the

leading cities of the West.”

 

In addition the biography noted that,

 

“Ninety brick stores in Wichita stand as monuments of

his skill and industry, besides numberless other

buildings, probably twice as many as have been

put up by any other contractor in the city.”

 

Sternberg is credited in Masonic history books as being one of three key individuals whose work and labors were instrumental in reviving the early (and struggling) Masons movement in Wichita particularly by giving the Masons a grand and wonderful place in which to conduct their activities. W.H. Sternberg was an active and devoted member of the Mason's movement in Wichita and even though Sternberg didn't originally build the Scottish Rite Temple, after the somewhat impoverished Mason's acquired it, he undertook and completed extensive renovations to the interior of it (without any expectation of compensation at the time - although the Masons did later compensate Sternberg for his work on this building).

 

And as always, whatever the job, W. H. Sternberg was noted for work of the finest quality and expertise. Mr. Sternberg had a reputation for only hiring the best workers which sometimes was hard to do as the building boom created quite a shortage of workers, never-the-less, he was known for the fact that he and “his workmen should be persons of the highest skill and reliability.” In 1888, just two years after. Sternberg personally built and constructed his own “showcase” mansion for himself, it was written up in the Portrait and Biographical Album as though it was undeniably a special residence in Wichita . . . .

 

“The residence of Mr. Sternberg, a handsome and costly

structure is beautifully located on a rise of ground

commanding a fine view of its surroundings. Within and

without it bears the evidence of refined tastes and ample

means, and is universally admired by all who have

occasion to pass it.”

 

Today, historical authorities who know the Sternberg Mansion lay accolades on it for its style, its authentic representation of Victorian influence, its extreme ornamentation and its first-rate quality throughout. The following is an excerpt from the City of Wichita’s Historic Landmark website (www.wichitagov.org/Residents/History/Listing51-60) about the Sternberg Mansion:

 

“William H. Sternberg, a prominent builder during Wichita's

economic boom days of the 1880's built his own resi-

dence in 1886, incorporating the Victorian penchant

for "gingerbread" millwork with this extravagantly gabled

Queen Anne-styled home. This house is one of a few

remaining homes of this elaborate style in the city and

is regarded as a quintessential product of the late

Queen Anne residential design and stylistic features.

From its native stone foundation to the four corbelled

brick chimneys with their decorative flues, the house

served as a showcase for the builder's trade including

colored glass window panes, stained glass windows in

the ornate stairway, several fireplaces and combination

gas/electric chandeliers. The two and one-half story

residence also has porches projecting from each of

the three main elevations.”

 

A quote in the Wichita Eagle-Beacon from Wichita’s Historic Preservation Officer, Marian Cone on April 10, 1977 stated about the mansion,

 

“The Sternberg Mansion…is unusual in that its

eclectic style incorporates all the elements Stern-

berg could fabricate…Sternberg used his own

home as a sort of ‘model home,’ a tangible ex-

ample of his expertise for prospective customers…

it is the only remaining Queen Anne-style man-

sion of its size in the city and it is a magnificent

example of architecture…The use of exterior

wood in patterns is most unusual as are the var-

iations of the use of colored and plain glass.

The leaded and stained glass windows on the

landing of the very ornate staircase are most

unusual in that they are of a geometric pattern

not common until the 1920s.”

 

Yet another article about the Sternberg Mansion in the Eagle-Beacon in November 16, 1976 states,

 

“The house, built in 1886 by William H. Stern-

berg, one of Wichita’s foremost builders during

the city’s early boom days, is the only remaining

Queen Anne style mansion of this size in the city.

It is seen as a magnificent example of Victorian

architecture, with most of the original detailing

and gingerbread on the exterior, a large walnut

staircase, wood paneling, and six fireplaces.”

 

And Mr. Sternberg located his first-rate mansion in Wichita’s finest district at the time (on Waco Avenue). Yet another article appearing in the Wichita Evening Eagle on August 3, 1933 comments,

 

“in the early ‘70s (1870s)…Waco avenue was

‘the elite’ street. Waco avenue in the very early

day was considered to be the best residential street

and many believed that when the city grew large it

would be the choice residence district of the city.”

 

Indeed, W. H. Sternberg was an extraordinary person in Wichita at a time when the rest of the country was curiously taking note of this fast-growing prairie town. His work as a contractor, his involvement in civic groups, his reputation for doing the highest quality work possible, his reputation for being hard-working and fair to all, his diligence to hire only the most highly skilled workers and his pioneering ideas in building style and function bestowed to the people of Wichita and beyond an authentic Victorian legacy to be enjoyed by all for generations to come.

 

Your comments, ideas, thoughts and/or stories about this drawing or this place (Sternberg Mansion) are greatly appreciated and welcomed!

  

Miss A is the perfect model for wigs. lol

She is in serious need of new outfit. Yet it's hard to find a nice dress that fits Feeple65. That's why she has to sport in this "generous" little black dress.

Some wonderful and generous person here on Flickr learned that I intended to leave the Flickr community and they gifted me a Pro Account.

 

I can not express how very grateful I am to that person and want to thank them so very much.

 

However, given that it is Flickr there seems to be a problem in getting the Gift Pro account activated.

 

When I try to activate it all I keep getting is an error message that says " An Error Has Occurred, Please Try Again." and when I try again and again and again I still only get the error message.

 

It seems that Flickr is stuck on the " An Error Has Occurred, Please Try Again." message.

 

Hopefully this glitch gets resolved soon, I will try to activate the Gift Pro Account again tomorrow.

For MacroMondays theme “Generosity”

 

This is a quite direct approach for this weeks theme, but unfortunately money is needed in order to help people whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters, wars and poverty. One doesn't have to give huge sums of money, even pennies or cents help.

 

Happy MM everyone!

In memory of Paul Newman, one of my very favorite actors of all time. He was a kind and generous human being.

The darkness gives the space to light. It let's the light glow. If it was a devilishly bad thing, there could never be any light. The darkness is the most generous of all, if you think like me ;)

Generosity is nothing else than a craze to possess. All which I abandon, all which I give, I enjoy in a higher manner through the fact that I give it away. To give is to enjoy possessively the object which one gives.

 

Jean-Paul Sartre

 

I suggest to look at my stream on Fluidr .

“To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness - these are the gifts which money cannot buy”

Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Essayist, Poet and Author of fiction and travel books, 1850-1894)

 

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Winston Churchill

  

Generosity comes in all shapes and sizes. On 30 July 2016, six of us from Calgary had the honour of meeting a 92-year-old gentleman who has lived most of his long life on a huge area (380 hectares, 939 acres) of beautiful land near Hanna, Alberta. Though Gottlob Schmidt (known as Schmitty) has now moved into town (Hanna), he is not far from his beloved land and still loves to spend a lot of time there. My friends and I understand why. This untouched land is not only beautiful to the eye, with its undulating hills with small, scattered pockets of woodland, but it also hides all sorts of natural treasures, including the wildlife that enjoys this native grassland.

 

There are so few areas of native grassland left in Alberta, so each one is very precious. Schmitty told us that he had never seen his land looking so green! Perhaps not too surprising, as we had had so much rain recently, often accompanied by thunderstorms. In fact, the rain started on our return journey to Calgary and I was driving from our meeting place back to my house in torrential rain.

 

This is where the word 'generosity' comes in. Two years ago, Schmitty donated all his land to Alberta Parks, along with certain strict regulations (listed below) on how the land was to be maintained. He was very warmly recognized for his extreme generosity. The Park is known as Antelope Hill Provincial Park and, when Schmitty is no longer able to visit and enjoy his old, family homestead, the Park will be opened to the public. For now, it remains his own, private property.

 

The highlight for us that day was meeting Schmitty himself. I can only hope that I might be lucky enough to be in half his shape if I ever reached that age! It was an absolute delight to spend a little time with this man with the big heart when we first arrived and again later in the day, when it was time for us to head back to Calgary. We also got to meet Schmitty's good neighbours, Donna and Ken.

 

www.albertaparks.ca/media/5788002/antelope-hill-pp-fact-s...

 

calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/you-can-thank-this-man-...

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIVVBdkoUVY&feature=youtu.be

 

My friends (specialists in mosses, lichens and liverworts and other things) and I, were given permission to spend the day there, to list all our findings. Our time was spent climbing one main hill and walking part way around it, calling in at several of the small areas of woodland. This bright yellowy orange fungus was hidden with others within the trees. These were the other highlight for me! It is quite rare that we come across one of these Amanita Muscaria mushrooms, and it is so exciting and such a treat when we do! Isn't it beautiful and amazing? Of course, it's just a "fungi nut" talking, ha. This is a telemacro shot, so it was much smaller in reality. They are so attractive but also poisonous!

 

"A large conspicuous mushroom, Amanita muscaria is generally common and numerous where it grows, and is often found in groups with basidiocarps in all stages of development. Fly agaric fruiting bodies emerge from the soil looking like a white egg, covered in the white warty material of the universal veil... Amanita muscaria poisoning occurs in either young children or people ingesting it to have a hallucinogenic experience... A fatal dose has been calculated at an amount of 15 caps. Deaths from this fungus A. muscaria have been reported in historical journal articles and newspaper reports. However, with modern medical treatment a fatal outcome because of the poison of this mushroom would be extremely rare."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

 

Various plants were good to see, too, including about four Prairie Crocuses that were still in bloom. I hadn't seen Skeletonweed for a long time, but there were quite a few small clusters of it. A new plant to me was a tall one with white flowers, that I still need to identify properly. The occasional gorgeous wild Rose made a bright splash of colour.

 

After a few hours of exploration, the only things that we were so happy and relieved to leave behind were the mosquitoes! Never had I seen so many of them - the air was filled with these tiny, blood-sucking insects that followed us every step of the way!

 

Thanks so much, Heide, for driving Sandy and myself all the way out there - about a two and three-quarter hour drive. Much of the distance was on the same roads that I had driven recently with my daughter, but this was the first time I had ever been as far as Hanna and just beyond. Hanna now has a Tim Horton's, opened around three months ago : ) Thanks, Heide, too, for trying to find the old railway roundhouse - unfortunate that there was too much construction in the area, so one can't get to the roundhouse. And thank you so much, Peter, for arranging and organizing this wonderful trip! Most importantly of all, our thanks to Schmitty, who so kindly allowed us to share the special land that he has called home for so many decades. Our thanks for allowing us to spend the day there and, even more importantly, thank you for your great gift to all Albertans, with your incredibly generous donation of Antelope Hill Provincial Park.

Divided reverse. Note generously translated by Nettenscheider, the author tells us he is quartered in the residence behind the group.

 

There is a marvellous article on this unusual piece of kit on the Australian War Memorial's website, part of which I shall reproduce here. Original article: www.awm.gov.au/collection/RELAWM07905/

 

German portable telescopic periscope, mounted on a two- wheeled carriage, both painted green. The periscope consists of a steel telescopic mast with upper and lower optical systems attached. The mast is carried in trunnions on the carriage. The periscope has gears to elevate, level and align the optical systems. They also adjust the inclination of the reflector and rotate the mast around its vertical axis.

 

The telescopic mast is made up of 8 tubes. The bottom tube is connected to the carriage, the other tubes are connected to each other by wire cables and pulleys. The uppermost tube is held in position by catches. When fully erect, the periscope is steadied by three or four guy ropes. One rope connects to the upper side of the lower end of the upper optical system. The other ropes are connected to the uppermost extended section of the mast.

 

The upper optical system consists of a short rectangular tube which contains a protective window. Behind this is a mirror, placed at an angle. The rectangular tube is attached at right angles to a conical casing, which contains two achromatic lenses. At the bottom of the conical casing is a large lens which has a crosshair on the glass. The lens is pitted near the centre. A strip of leather is attached around the bottom edge of the cone.

 

The lower optical system is made of a tube casing. At the top of the tube is a lens. There is another near the bottom of the casing. At the bottom of the casing is a prism. At the bottom of the tube is a revolving section with two eyepieces. These give different magnification, depending on the height of the mast. They are marked '3x-8x' and '5x-14x'. The body of periscope is impressed with the 'CARL ZEIS JENA' logo, with 'Nr 228' impressed beneath.

 

The mast has rungs to allow a person to climb to a metal seat, to push in locking lugs while the mast is being extended. There are two further seats on the carriage, with a handle at each for raising the mast. The two seats originally had padding (missing). At the end of the 'raising spindle' between the two seats, is a logo reading 'CMD' in raised letters.

 

The cable drum has two handles on either side to extend the periscope up to 25 metres, after the mast has been raised. The cable drum has a measuring bar across it, with the warning label 'Mast nicht uber 25m ausziehen' [Do not extend mast over 25 metres], and markings along the length of the bar, indicating the height of the mast. The cable drum also has markings on it, indicating the height of the mast, as the cables wrap around the drum when it is being extended and retracted. To the left of the cable drum is a small circular handle, impressed with the words 'Auf' and 'Ab' ['On' and 'Off'] with arrows pointing in opposite directions. To the right of the cable drum is a larger circular handle, impressed with the text 'LINKS' and 'RECHTS' ['LEFT' and 'RIGHT']. Below the cable drum is another bar, upon which is a plate reading 'Vor dem Ablegen auf [image of a circle with a vertical line through it] enstellen' with a larger image of a circle with a vertical line through it.

 

Above the cable drum is a slanted, flat surface upon which observations could be noted on documents or maps. Beneath the cable drum (when periscope is raised) is attached an 'L' shaped rod, to which a small seat, similar to a bicycle seat, was once affixed (now missing). The observer would have sat on this seat when the periscope was in operation.

 

The two carriage wheels are wooden, with steel rims and hubs. The wheels are painted green; the inside of each wheel is impressed 'Magirus-Ulm 1917'. On each side of the carriage, near the cable drum area, is a stabilising 'spindle plate'.

www.rawcar.com/blog

Thanks to the generosity of one of my longtime flickr-pals, I was able to spend some time with Black Bears this summer. They were waiting for salmon, and keeping a close watch for other bears. This big boy had been squeezed out of the prime fishing spots by a dominant male, but he seemed content to graze on the grasses nearby. Bears are omnivores, and salad is one of their many options. Although fish would be the main course, we also saw them feeding on berries, rolling driftwood logs over to see what was underneath, nosing through the rockweed in the intertidal zone, and generally helping themselves to all available resources.

 

I used a 300mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter for this shot. It is cropped only minimally. Photographers were not on the menu that day.

 

Photographed along the coast of British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Bagan - Myanmar

  

Be the first to kick start your generous support and fund my production with more amazing images!

 

Currently, I'm running a crowd funding activity to initiate my personal 2016 Flickr's Project. Here, I sincerely request each and every kind hearted souls to pay some effort and attention.

 

No limitation, Any Amount and your encouraging comments are welcome.

 

Crowd funding contribution can be simply direct to my PayPal account if you really appreciate and wish my forthcoming photography project to come alive.

Please PayPal your wish amount to : men4r@yahoo.com

 

Email me or public comments below your contribution amount for good records with your comments and at final day, at random, I shall sent out my well taken care canon 6D with full box n accessory during random draw to one thankful contributor as my token of appreciation.

 

Now, I cordially invite and look forward with eagerness a strong pool of unity zealous participants in this fundermental ideology yet sustainable crowd fund raising task.

Basically, the substantial gather amount is achievable with pure passion n love heart in photography and not necessary be filty rich nor famous to help me accomplish raising my long yearning photography career, a sucking heavy expense that been schedules down my photography making journey had inevitably, some circumstances had badly fall short behind racing with time and inability to fulfill as quickly in near future consolidating good fund .

Honestly, with aspiration and hope, I appeal to urge on this media for a strong humanity mandate through good faith of sharing and giving generously on this particular crowd funding excercise to achieve my desire n is not just purely a dread dream , is also flickers first starter own crowds funding strength turning impossible into reality through this pratical raising method that I confidently trust it will turn fruitful from all your small effort participation, every single persistency will result consolidating piling up every little tiny bricks into an ultimate huge strong living castle.

In reality, I have trust and never look down on every single peny efforts that been contributed as helpful means, turning unrealistic dream alive is the goal in crowd funding excercise, No reason any single amount is regard to be too small when the strength of all individual wish gather to fulfill my little desire to make exist and keep alive. .

I sincerely look forward each and every participants who think alike crowds funding methodlogy works here no matter who come forwards with regardless any capital amount input be big or small , please help gather and pool raise my objective target amount as close to USD$10K or either acquisition from donation item list below:

 

1- ideally a high mega pixel Canon 5DS ( can be either new or use ok)

2- Canon 70-200mm F2.8 L IS lens ( can be either new or use ok)

Last but not least, a photography journey of life time for a trip to explore South Island of New Zealand and Africa.

.

My intended schedule may estimate about 1 month round trip self drive traveling down scenic Southern Island of New Zealand for completing the most captivating landscape photography and wander into the big five, the wilderness of untamed Africa nature for my project 2016 before my physical body stamina eventually drain off.

 

During the course, I also welcome sponsor's to provide daily lodging/accommodation, car rental/transportation, Fox Glacier helicopter ride and other logistic funding expenses, provide photographic camera equipments or related accessories .

Kindly forward all sponsors request terms of condition n collaboration details for discussion soon.

 

Great Ocean Drive- the 12 Apostle's

 

Please Click Auto Slide show for ultimate viewing pleasure in Super Large Display .to enjoy my photostream . ..

Due to copyright issue, I cannot afford to offer any free image request. Pls kindly consult my sole permission to purchase n use any of my images.You can email me at : men4r@yahoo.com.

 

Don't use this image on Websites/Blog or any other media

without my explicit permission.

 

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To mark the end of crew operations (driver and conductor) at Catford garage, the powers that be very generously let this RM and preserved RT1702 out on a variety of routes for the final few days. RM2046 and RT1702 were both used in service on Route 75 (9th), 47 (10th), 185 (11th), 54 (12th) and the 36B on the 13th March - the final day of crew operations.

 

As I took time out at Shoreditch for photographs of star player RM2046 working for one day only on Route 47, the driver of RT1702 obliged by offering me a side-by-side comparison view of the 1930s/40s RT design and the 'futuristic' 1950s Routemaster :)

 

I had travelled up from Catford on RM2046 on the outward journey, and was looking forward to the return ride back to Lewisham. The Routemaster was looking very smart on the day, and became SELKENT's last operational Routemaster.

 

RT1702 was looking quite immaculate considering its 40+ years on the road! Interestingly, the bus was allocated to Catford (TL) garage from 1966 to its withdrawal in 1972. It was also one of the buses that took part in a pre-Festival of Britain tour of Europe.

 

RM2046 (ALM 46B)

new: 2/5RM9, AEC AV690

10/64 new to Aldenham

11/64 N into service

65-6 N

11/67 N to Aldenham repaint, and return

1968 N

from last bodyswap with B2008

PD w/d from service

1980s-90s TL allocated?

6/94 exported to Argentina

 

RT1702 (KYY 529) 4/50

new, body 3675: Park Royal 3RT8

upper window surrounds repainted cream, fitted with GB plate

7/50 embarked on SS Embio from Hull for visit to Europe

8/50 Tour of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, West Germany, France

10/50 return to UK

1/51 AV into normal service (Mortlake)

*/51 P used on Circular Tour of London during Festival of Britain

1953 J used on 134

1957 GM (Victoria)

5/58 GM to Aldenham overhaul

5/58 GM from o/h, unlicensed, still body 3675

8/58 GM relicensed

8/59 SW transfer into store..

8/59 AP ..change store, ..and out (Seven Kings)

8/59 used on 169A

60-1 AP

7/62 AP to Aldenham overhaul

7/62 AP from o/h, unlicensed

10/62 RD transfer (Hornchurch)

63-5 RD

8/66 RD to Aldenham overhaul

8/66 TL from o/h, unlicensed (Catford), still body 3675

9/66 TL relicensed

67-8 TL

11/69 TL to Aldenham repaint, and return

1970 TL

7/71 TL into store, and out again

7/72 BX into store (Bexleyheath)

8/72 bought by R.Denton, Orpington

preserved by RT1702 Preservation Society

 

And more on Route 47 here: www.londonbuses.co.uk/_routes/current/047.html

 

As an aside, Catford garage (TL) was one of the original garages operated by Thomas Tilling:

TL - Tilling Lewisham, TC - Tilling Croydon, TB - Tilling Bromley survived into London Transport days.

 

Catford garage was opened on 11th May 1914 and was not very old when requisitioned for the war effort. It did not re-open until 1920 when Thomas Tilling's Lewisham operation moved there due to space constraints at his other garage.

 

Thomas Tilling gained an agreement in 1923 to double the size of Catford and in addition the roof has been raised twice, first in 1930 to enable double deck buses to use the garage and again in 1948 to accommodate AEC Regent III RTs. The garage was modernised again in 1970.

 

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR and 75-200mm zoom lens [Scanned from an original Kodachrome slide with no digital restoration]

 

You can see a random selection of my bus photographs here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/southallroutemaster/random/

Divided reverse. Letter generously translated by Alpenkorps1915; authored in Mühlhausen on 1.6.1916 and sent to a Joh. Kaiser in Kussel, the author Martin Kaiser asks his brother to keep this photograph safe for him. Records indicate a Wehrmann Martin Kaiser died on the Western Front on 10.5.1917 but currently there is no way to tell if it is the same fellow depicted above. Postage cancelled in Mühlhausen (Th.) on 1.6.1916.

 

In 1905 and 1906, Prussia produced large numbers of these "experimental" helmets, with what was essentially the shell of a regular M.95 helmet covered with a layer of felt. The front and rear visors were left uncovered.

 

"Mühlhausen 1.6.1916,

 

Dear brother Joh. I am sending you my photograph, I hope you like it. Otherwise I'm still doing well, what I also hope for you. Farewell and many greetings from your brother Martin. To a hurried reunion! Please keep this photo for me in good hands."

 

________________________________________________

Notes:

 

In late 1917 and 1918 the 2nd Landwehr Div. participated in the fighting in the Argonne Forest. Late in the war, it faced the American offensive in the region.

   

Liverpool

Generosity comes in all shapes and sizes. Yesterday, 30 July 2016, six of us from Calgary had the honour of meeting a 92-year-old gentleman who has lived most of his long life on a huge area (380 hectares, 939 acres) of beautiful land near Hanna, Alberta. Though Gottlob Schmidt (known as Schmitty) has now moved into town (Hanna), he is not far from his beloved land and still loves to spend a lot of time there. My friends and I understand why. This untouched land is not only beautiful to the eye, with its undulating hills with small, scattered pockets of woodland, but it also hides all sorts of natural treasures, including the wildlife that enjoys this native grassland. There are so few areas of native grassland left in Alberta, so each one is very precious. Schmitty told us that he has never seen his land looking so green! Perhaps not too surprising, as we have had so much rain recently, often accompanied by thunderstorms. In fact, the rain started on our return journey to Calgary and I was driving from our meeting place back to my house in torrential rain.

 

This is where the word 'generosity' comes in. Two years ago, Schmitty donated all his land to Alberta Parks, along with certain strict regulations (listed below) on how the land was to be maintained. He was very warmly recognized for his extreme generosity. The Park is known as Antelope Hill Provincial Park and, when Schmitty is no longer able to visit and enjoy his old, family homestead, the Park will be opened to the public. For now, it remains his own, private property.

 

The highlight for us yesterday was meeting Schmitty himself. I can only hope that I might be lucky enough to be in half his shape if I ever reached that age! It was an absolute delight to spend a little time with this man with the big heart when we first arrived and again later in the day, when it was time for us to head back to Calgary. We also got to meet Schmitty's good neighbours, Donna and Ken.

 

www.albertaparks.ca/media/5788002/antelope-hill-pp-fact-s...

 

calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/you-can-thank-this-man-...

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIVVBdkoUVY&feature=youtu.be

 

My friends (specialists in mosses, lichens and liverworts and other things) and I, were given permission to spend the day there, to list all our findings. Our time was spent climbing one main hill and walking part way around it, calling in at several of the small areas of woodland. This bright yellowy orange fungus was hidden with others within the trees. These were the other highlight for me! It is quite rare that we come across one of these Amanita Muscaria mushrooms, and it is so exciting and such a treat when we do! Isn't it beautiful and amazing? Of course, it's just a "fungi nut" talking, ha. This is a telemacro shot, so it was much smaller in reality. They are so attractive but also poisonous!

 

"A large conspicuous mushroom, Amanita muscaria is generally common and numerous where it grows, and is often found in groups with basidiocarps in all stages of development. Fly agaric fruiting bodies emerge from the soil looking like a white egg, covered in the white warty material of the universal veil... Amanita muscaria poisoning occurs in either young children or people ingesting it to have a hallucinogenic experience... A fatal dose has been calculated at an amount of 15 caps. Deaths from this fungus A. muscaria have been reported in historical journal articles and newspaper reports. However, with modern medical treatment a fatal outcome because of the poison of this mushroom would be extremely rare."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

 

Various plants were good to see, too, including about four Prairie Crocuses that were still in bloom. I hadn't seen Skeletonweed for a long time, but there were quite a few small clusters of it. A new plant to me was a tall one with white flowers, that I still need to identify properly. The occasional gorgeous wild Rose made a bright splash of colour.

 

After a few hours of exploration, the only things that we were so happy and relieved to leave behind were the mosquitoes! Never had I seen so many of them - the air was filled with these tiny, blood-sucking insects that followed us every step of the way!

 

Thanks so much, Heide, for driving Sandy and myself all the way out there - about a two and three-quarter hour drive. Much of the distance was on the same roads that I had driven last week with my daughter, but this was the first time I had ever been as far as Hanna and just beyond. Hanna now has a Tim Horton's, opened around three months ago : ) Thanks, Heide, too, for trying to find the old railway roundhouse - unfortunate that there was too much construction in the area, so one can't get to the roundhouse. And thank you so much, Peter, for arranging and organizing this wonderful trip! Most importantly of all, our thanks to Schmitty, who so kindly allowed us to share the special land that he has called home for so many decades. Our thanks for allowing us to spend the day there and, even more importantly, thank you for your great gift to all Albertans, with your incredibly generous donation of Antelope Hill Provincial Park.

©2012 Katya Horner

anyone notice the coin?

·

Thanks to the amazing generosity of Michael Tompkins I have had much enjoyment recommissioning a gorgeous Retina IIIC Type 028 with a little drop damage. Michael described it as a 'little extra' something sent to me with an equally lovely Retina IIF box and matching camera that I will share a separate post when I have it sorted.

 

The camera details are:

 

S/N. 57596

L/N. 5298818

Shut. 3017735

 

So the symptoms were that the shutter button didn't return properly and the camera locked out not allowing the camera to be wound on again without pressing the film release. I was hoping it might simply be that the little indent/shaft actuated by the shutter button might not be fully depressing... this proved not to be the case.

 

With regard to the drop damage there was minimal cosmetic evidence, just a little bit of deformation in the bottom of the front door, a visible bend in the bottom hinge plate and a bit of deformation in the black surround that the shutter/front plate lock buttons act against (it looks as though the button was forced backward into the housing) other than that everything appeared to be in good shape.

 

With the top housing off I discovered that the camera must have taken a direct hit on the shutter button (perhaps it had an extension or soft release button in place?). The little screw in the top of the release shaft below the shutter button was bent right over?! - I have never seen this before (see pics). I hoped that simply replacing the screw might sort it, but no...

 

I stripped the camera down further and found the following:

=============================================

 

1) The release shaft was also bent and to add to that the spring on its base was not correctly located.

 

2) The screw in the top of the wind shaft was sitting loose (I have seen this a number of times) - I don't think this had anything to do with the issue.

 

3) The screws in the bottom chrome trim plate were all sitting loose. I wonder if it had been that way from new as there was no evidence of new adhesive on the bottom leatherette.

 

4) The top housing, although not obviously dented, was distorted causing it to lift upward and backward fractionally and in turn bind on the shutter button.

 

5) The shutter shaft itself while not apparently bent was binding slightly in its bush down the side of the shutter and as a result not easily returning.

 

Fixes as follows:

=============

 

1) Removed the wind lever, bottom leatherette and plate and replaced release shaft, screw and spring

 

2) Tightened the wind shaft main screw.

 

3) Removed the front door and straightened the hinge plates.

 

4) Replaced the bottom hinge screw as the thread and head were in poor condition.

 

5) Straightened out the bottom edge of the front door and reattached.

 

6) Lubricated and exercised the shutter button/shaft until it moved freely.

 

7) Twisted the top housing until it sat flush on a flat surface before refitting.

 

8) cleaned inner viewfinder surfaces and lubricated as required and then reassembled base and top of camera.

All now working nicely!

 

There are couple of minor things left to look-at at some point:

===============================================

 

1) The bottom closing button on the front plate doesn't snap into place quite as positively as I would have liked. It is better than it was but I suspect the little locating pin on the back of the button is slightly bent.

 

2) The slower shutter speeds are a bit too slow - I will give it a shutter CLA at some point when I'm feeling so inclined but not right now.

 

3) The position '1' lockout isn't locking out. I have a suspicion this might be due to the shaft top being slightly distorted from the drop and not quite engaging with the cut-out in the underside of the film counter. I have absolutely ZERO intention of fixing this as I consider it a 'happy accident' and functional improvement!

Long Neck Tribe Women

  

Be the first to kick start your generous support and fund my production with more amazing images!

 

Currently, I'm running a crowd funding activity to initiate my personal 2016 Flickr's Project. Here, I sincerely request each and every kind hearted souls to pay some effort and attention.

 

No limitation, Any Amount and your encouraging comments are welcome.

 

Crowd funding contribution can be simply direct to my PayPal account if you really appreciate and wish my forthcoming photography project to come alive.

Please PayPal your wish amount to : men4r@yahoo.com

 

Email me or public comments below your contribution amount for good records with your comments and at final day, at random, I shall sent out my well taken care canon 6D with full box n accessory during random draw to one thankful contributor as my token of appreciation.

 

Now, I cordially invite and look forward with eagerness a strong pool of unity zealous participants in this fundermental ideology yet sustainable crowd fund raising task.

Basically, the substantial gather amount is achievable with pure passion n love heart in photography and not necessary be filty rich nor famous to help me accomplish raising my long yearning photography career, a sucking heavy expense that been schedules down my photography making journey had inevitably, some circumstances had badly fall short behind racing with time and inability to fulfill as quickly in near future consolidating good fund .

Honestly, with aspiration and hope, I appeal to urge on this media for a strong humanity mandate through good faith of sharing and giving generously on this particular crowd funding excercise to achieve my desire n is not just purely a dread dream , is also flickers first starter own crowds funding strength turning impossible into reality through this pratical raising method that I confidently trust it will turn fruitful from all your small effort participation, every single persistency will result consolidating piling up every little tiny bricks into an ultimate huge strong living castle.

In reality, I have trust and never look down on every single peny efforts that been contributed as helpful means, turning unrealistic dream alive is the goal in crowd funding excercise, No reason any single amount is regard to be too small when the strength of all individual wish gather to fulfill my little desire to make exist and keep alive. .

I sincerely look forward each and every participants who think alike crowds funding methodlogy works here no matter who come forwards with regardless any capital amount input be big or small , please help gather and pool raise my objective target amount as close to USD$10K or either acquisition from donation item list below:

 

1- ideally a high mega pixel Canon 5DS ( can be either new or use ok)

2- Canon 70-200mm F2.8 L IS lens ( can be either new or use ok)

Last but not least, a photography journey of life time for a trip to explore South Island of New Zealand and Africa.

.

My intended schedule may estimate about 1 month round trip self drive traveling down scenic Southern Island of New Zealand for completing the most captivating landscape photography and wander into the big five, the wilderness of untamed Africa nature for my project 2016 before my physical body stamina eventually drain off.

 

During the course, I also welcome sponsor's to provide daily lodging/accommodation, car rental/transportation, Fox Glacier helicopter ride and other logistic funding expenses, provide photographic camera equipments or related accessories .

Kindly forward all sponsors request terms of condition n collaboration details for discussion soon.

We are Just Novice Monk

 

Please Click Auto Slide show for ultimate viewing pleasure in Super Large Display .to enjoy my photostream . ..

Due to copyright issue, I cannot afford to offer any free image request. Pls kindly consult my sole permission to purchase n use any of my images.You can email me at : men4r@yahoo.com.

 

Don't use this image on Websites/Blog or any other media

without my explicit permission.

 

For Business, You can find me here at linkedin..

 

Follow me on www.facebook.com here

On Thursday, November 21, UTHealth recognized its exemplary educators, practitioners, and researchers appointed to endowed faculty positions and honored the benefactors who generously established the awards from 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Note on reverse generously translated by Immanuel Voigt..

 

"Observation balloon ready for ascent. It will be winched back and forth by 6 horses as soon as we are fired upon by the enemy."

 

Third of a number of photographs taken from an album belonging to a member of Feldluftschiffer-Abteilung 36, Ballon-Zug 92, depicting the aerial and terrestrial activities of the unit on the Western Front in 1917.

 

Each Armeekorps had one FLA assigned to it and within that formation were 2 to 5 Ballonzüge.

Note on reverse generously translated by Immanuel.

 

"Dropping a Russian horse by parachute by Balloon Detachment 43".

 

The erudite Xiphophilos unearthed the meaning of "Panje-" for us some time ago.

 

"Panje-" is a German pseudo-Russicism, invented during World War I to denote Russian carriages drawn by "Panje horses", that is, undemanding and strong animals. Their breed characteristics were a little unclear, and soon they were almost completely replaced by the related Konik polski (Polish pony). Other terms similarly got lost: "Panje Russki" (Russian), "Edel Panje" (Russian nobleman), "Panje-Frau" (Russian woman), "Panje-Kinder" (Russian children), "Panje-Haus" (Russian house), "Panje-Brot" (Russian bread), and the "Gurgel-Panje" (gargling Russian), the term for Russian mortar projectiles.

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You can also visit my website: Website

Note on reverse generously translated by Immanuel Voigt..

 

„Die Fliegerbeobachter auf ihrem Posten, während der Ballon hoch steht..“ (The flight observers at their post while the balloon is high.)

 

Eleventh of a number of photographs taken from an album belonging to a member of Feldluftschiffer-Abteilung 36, Ballon-Zug 92, depicting the aerial and terrestrial activities of the unit on the Western Front in 1917.

 

Each Armeekorps had one FLA assigned to it and within that formation were 2 to 5 Ballonzüge.

Texture by h_roach

Letter generously translated by Nettenscheider; penned somewhere in France on the 4.7.1915 and addressed to his wife Frau Anna Rademann in Düsseldorf, the author sends his regards and lets her know he is alive and well.

 

German soldiers poking about the wreckage of Maurice Farman M.F. 11 (serial no. 699) of Escadrille MF 44. The bomber was shot down behind German lines on the 15th of June 1915 and it's crew, Warrant Officer Jean Sismanoglou (pilot) and Sub Lieutenant Eugène Virolet (observer), being killed in the action.

The past has been generous with Teruel and leaves a Mudejar legacy that today is recognized as a world heritage site. Four towers, that of El Salvador and San Martín, that of San Pedro and that of the Cathedral of Santa María de Mediavilla, apart from its roof and dome, form this unique Mudejar ensemble.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_the_church_of_San_Salvador

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud%C3%A9jar_art#:~:text=Mud%C3%A9j....

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teruel

Lepanthes felis 'Kevin's Generosity' AM/AOS, CCM/AOS - Ron Parsons

Unfortunately not my size

SHWE INN THA Floating Hotel and Resort

 

Be the first to kick start your generous support and fund my production with more amazing images!

 

Currently, I'm running a crowd funding activity to initiate my personal 2016 Flickr's Project. Here, I sincerely request each and every kind hearted souls to pay some effort and attention.

 

No limitation, Any Amount and your encouraging comments are welcome.

 

Crowd funding contribution can be simply direct to my PayPal account if you really appreciate and wish my forthcoming photography project to come alive.

Please PayPal your wish amount to : men4r@yahoo.com

 

Email me or public comments below your contribution amount for good records with your comments and at final day, at random, I shall sent out my well taken care canon 6D with full box n accessory during random draw to one thankful contributor as my token of appreciation.

 

Now, I cordially invite and look forward with eagerness a strong pool of unity zealous participants in this fundermental ideology yet sustainable crowd fund raising task.

Basically, the substantial gather amount is achievable with pure passion n love heart in photography and not necessary be filty rich nor famous to help me accomplish raising my long yearning photography career, a sucking heavy expense that been schedules down my photography making journey had inevitably, some circumstances had badly fall short behind racing with time and inability to fulfill as quickly in near future consolidating good fund .

Honestly, with aspiration and hope, I appeal to urge on this media for a strong humanity mandate through good faith of sharing and giving generously on this particular crowd funding excercise to achieve my desire n is not just purely a dread dream , is also flickers first starter own crowds funding strength turning impossible into reality through this pratical raising method that I confidently trust it will turn fruitful from all your small effort participation, every single persistency will result consolidating piling up every little tiny bricks into an ultimate huge strong living castle.

In reality, I have trust and never look down on every single peny efforts that been contributed as helpful means, turning unrealistic dream alive is the goal in crowd funding excercise, No reason any single amount is regard to be too small when the strength of all individual wish gather to fulfill my little desire to make exist and keep alive. .

I sincerely look forward each and every participants who think alike crowds funding methodlogy works here no matter who come forwards with regardless any capital amount input be big or small , please help gather and pool raise my objective target amount as close to USD$10K or either acquisition from donation item list below:

 

1- ideally a high mega pixel Canon 5DS ( can be either new or use ok)

2- Canon 70-200mm F2.8 L IS lens ( can be either new or use ok)

Last but not least, a photography journey of life time for a trip to explore South Island of New Zealand and Africa.

.

My intended schedule may estimate about 1 month round trip self drive traveling down scenic Southern Island of New Zealand for completing the most captivating landscape photography and wander into the big five, the wilderness of untamed Africa nature for my project 2016 before my physical body stamina eventually drain off.

 

During the course, I also welcome sponsor's to provide daily lodging/accommodation, car rental/transportation, Fox Glacier helicopter ride and other logistic funding expenses, provide photographic camera equipments or related accessories .

Kindly forward all sponsors request terms of condition n collaboration details for discussion soon.

 

Great Ocean Drive- the 12 Apostle's

 

Please Click Auto Slide show for ultimate viewing pleasure in Super Large Display .to enjoy my photostream . ..

Due to copyright issue, I cannot afford to offer any free image request. Pls kindly consult my sole permission to purchase n use any of my images.You can email me at : men4r@yahoo.com.

 

Don't use this image on Websites/Blog or any other media

without my explicit permission.

 

For Business, You can find me here at linkedin..

 

Follow me on www.facebook.com here

    

the quality of mercy is not strain'd

it droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven

upon the place beneath

it is twice blest:

it blesseth him that gives and him that receives

  

~ william shakespeare

portia, the merchant of venice

       

*

 

Going beyond sunset is like catching bended, filtered sunlight rays, corrupted or enhanced by bouncing off all the surfaces it can get hold off and then finding its way onto your tiny camera sensor. Simply magical process which results in an image in your head, and all you have to do is just click.

Letter(s) generously translated by bw-collector; penned 20.11.1916 in Siegmar (Chemnitz) by three of the Fräulein in the photograph.

 

A wonderful group photograph sent to "Otto". One of the authors is his sister, perhaps the Fräulein taking the photograph? His cousin writes „Liebes Ottel! Gefällt Dir der Gefreite? Den möchst Du wohl gerne verhauen?“ - would you like to spank the corporal, so I suspect she might be the one wearing his uniform.

Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever. ~ Margaret Cho

 

A Zen View