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Charles Marr, arrested for stealing a sailor's bag by North East Museums

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Name: Charles Marr

Arrested for: not given

Arrested at: North Shields Police Station

Arrested on: 6 June 1906

Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-89-Charles Marr

For an image of his mother Mary Ann Marr see www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/27451885680/in/album-72157....

For an image of his sister Alice Maud Marr see www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/16935100722/in/album-72157....

For an image of his sister Mary Ellen Marr see www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/17084333602/in/album-72157....

The Shields Daily News for 6 June 1906 reports:

"THEFT OF A SAILOR'S BAG AT NORTH SHIELDS.

At North Shields Police Court today Charles Marr, Mary Ann Marr, Mary Ellen Marr and Chas. Marr were charged with being concerned together in stealing a sailor's bag of clothing etc, valued at £2, the property of John Partis Gibson, a seaman.

Supt. Jamieson of the BTP prosecuted. The prosecutor said that on the 7th May he joined the s.s. Camelia, which was then lying at the Commissioners’ Staithes. He was proceeding to the docks with his bag and when passing the North Shields Railway Station the defendant Chas. Marr came up to him and offered to carry his bag for 1d. He said he would give him 3d if he carried it to the docks and he agreed to do so. He gave him the bag and told him he was going to make a purchase. On reaching his vessel he failed to see the boy and gave information to the police. He went to sea the same day and had just returned. Two pawnbrokers’ assistants spoke to receiving a portion of the stolen clothing from two of the female defendants.

Sub-Inspector Leitch said that on the 8th May, from information received, he made enquiries and proceeded to the North Shields Railway Station, where he found the boy Marr and questioned him. He told witness he took the bag home, being unable to find the man who had engaged him at the dock. He went to the house occupied by the defendants and spoke to Mrs Marr with regard to the bag. She told him it was in the cupboard. He took possession of it and found that it contained only a small portion of the stolen clothing. He mentioned this circumstance to her and she said it was just the same as it was when it was brought in the previous day and that it had not been touched. He searched the house and found a portion of the property and he recovered the remainder from the pawnbrokers. He added that the boy told the truth at once and had given him every assistance in recovering the property, while the mother had given him a great deal of trouble.

Formally charged, the mother, Mary Ann Marr, said it would not have happened had it not been for need.

Charles, who made his 13th appearance, was given the option of a fine, he having assisted the police, and he was mulcted in 1s without costs. Marry Ann Marr, whom the magistrates considered was the chief instigator in the theft, was committed to prison for 14 days, while Mary Ellen Marr was sentenced to 7 days imprisonment. Because of her youth, Alice Marr was discharged."

The Shields Daily Gazette reported on an earlier case involving Marr on 1 October 1904:

"At North Shields Charles Marr (12), residing at 24 Camden Street, was charged with stealing on the 30th Sept. from a timber yard at the Edward Albert Dock, a quantity of timber valued at 3s, the property of Messrs Pyman and Bell. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner, along with two small boys, had taken a barrow from a shop door and gone to the Albert Edward Dock and stolen the wood, taking it round on the barrow and selling it ... Mr Priestman School Board Inspector said that he had had the boy under him before, and he thought he had a weak intellect. he had been examined by Dr Martin but had not had his report yet".

The Shields Daily News for 1 September 1905 reports:

"Charles Marr (14), 24 Camden Street, Alexander Stephenson (14), 6 Middle Street and Joseph Stein (9), 10 North Street, Milburn Place, were remanded until Monday morning for being found begging from foot passengers on the Grand Parade at 4.30 yesterday afternoon".

These images are a selection from an album of photographs of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 in the collection of Tyne & Wear Archives (TWA ref DX1388/1).

This set contains mugshots of boys and girls under the age of 21. This reflects the fact that until 1970 that was the legal age of majority in the UK.

(Copyright) We're happy for you to share this digital image within the spirit of The Commons. Please cite 'Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums' when reusing. Certain restrictions on high quality reproductions and commercial use of the original physical version apply though; if you're unsure please email archives@twmuseums.org.uk.

Ladvale's leftovers by Stephen Dowle

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As a light bulb will suddenly glow with an incandescent brilliance shortly before burning out, so Ladvale, the Dursley-based Gloucestershire independent, underwent a dazzling expansion followed by sudden disappearance. This patch of unfenced ground at the roadside had come to the firm, I think, with the acquisition of Applegate's of Stone. It was one of many small coach operators bought out by Ladvale in its takeover frenzy of the late 70s. Not unnaturally this had resulted in an extremely heterogenous fleet, relic of the varied vehicle-buying policies of the former companies.

So what was this? Plaxton body obviously. No badge, nor even the imprint of one that had been nicked by a souvenir hunter. I'd thought it a Leyland Leopard, probably because there was no sign of that AEC telltale, the instrument binnacle; but of course the steering position was too low for it to be visible, if present. So, I tried the long shot of a search on the registration number at Bus Lists on the Web ...long shot because I've usually found it a fruitless exercise. Result this time though: the vehicle is given as an AEC Reliance new in March 1962 to Heaps, Leeds. Not a familiar name, and I don't know the chain of ownership linking Heaps to Ladvale.

The photograph was taken on Thursday 21st June 1979. Around the corner on the A38 I'd left my bus parked at the side of the road. Having my camera with me and finding myself without passengers, I'd taken advantage of the opportunity to get a couple of shots.

There ain't no cure for the summertime blues! - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Unashamedly I will shout it from the rooftops.

I LOVE CARRION CROW.

There, I've said it. Words I use to describe these amazing birds would include stunning, beautiful, bold, magnificent, intelligent and fantastic, loving, tender, victimized...... oh yes, and sometimes they can be brutal (Let's face it, Mother nature often is).

Recently I had a resident pair of Carrion crows who decided that my garden was theirs, playing a game of cat and mouse with a pair of cheeky Magpies (Pica pica) for dominance and food rights. The male crow actually flew in and 'winged' the magpies to make them leave, an incredible sight to witness. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to win their trust and they have given me so much pleasure this year being able to get within a few feet of them, and their three youngsters, to photograph and feed them, and they have reinforced my already deep admiration for a bird that is brimming with beauty, intelligence, confidence and also surrounded by myths, legend and prejudice.

So let's begin with a look back over history.

LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY

Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.

In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.

In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.

The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.

Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.

In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.

In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.

The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug

In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.

A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.

In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.

In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:

1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.

2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.

3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.

4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.

6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!

7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.

8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events

Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....

There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.

The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.

Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.

Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone

Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm.

They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!

They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.

Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.

A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans. Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.

Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.

Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!

Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades. Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!

They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.

In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN

Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.

Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the frames as the mirror slapped back and forth.

The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....

I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....

On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.

A final observation came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever.

Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!

Paul Williams June 4th 2021

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 10:25am during a brief passing rain shower on a beautiful summer morning on Thursday 3rd June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.

Here we see a large adult Female Carrion crow (Corvus corone), a passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches.

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Nikon D850 Focal length: 340mm Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture: f/7.1 iso250 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON (Position 1) 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4960k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.67s

LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.54s

ALTITUDE: 62.00m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.4MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 57.90MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Calle Lily Sunset by Ben Sheriff Photography

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My wife and I were given a gift certificate a couple years ago for a weekend at a Bead and Breakfast. We finally decided to leave the kids at home and use it out in Pacific Grove this weekend. Man, what a weekend it was...I don't think I saw a cloud in the sky all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus 70+ degrees in January, crazy!

Wedding / Landscape / Facebook

Manahawkin Baptist Church- Manahawkin NJ (3) by Kevin Stewart

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nrhp # 73001131- The first Church in the area was opened on August 24, 1758. According to local citizens, a house of worship was opened as early as 1745. A building was erected at this time and a tract of land given as a gift of the John Haywood family. They had settled in the area in 1743, after leaving their ancestral home in Coventry England. At that time, it was the only church building in the area that became known as Ocean County. The first missionary, Reverend Thomas Thompson served the area from 1745-1751. He was assigned to Stafford Township by the "English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." A spirit of tolerance was evident in the early church, as it ministered to people of several Protestant faiths.

In 1770, Captain Thomas Webb is reported to have visited the village, preached at the church, and formed a Baptist Society with nine members. In 1774, when the church called its first pastor, the Reverend H. Crossley, the congregation numbered 19.

During the Revolutionary War, in the "Skirmish at Manahawken", between Captain Rueben Randolphs's Manahawkin Militia and John Beacon's "Band of Pine Pirates" or "Refugees", wounded members of the Manahawkin Militia were cared for in the church. Several veterans of the Revolution are buried in the cemetery surrounding the church along with local residents and shipwreck victims. Services were discontinued during the War and the Baptist Society was not reorganized until 1801.

In 1805, the church baptized forty-four people and the membership increased to sixty-eight. On April 27, 1857, the church was incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey by the five trustees. By 1864, weakening walls prompted the appointment of a committee to start remodeling and rebuilding the structure. The rebuilt church with the original within it was completed under the leadership of Reverend A. H. Folwell.

On July 10, 1867, during the pastorate of Reverend E.S. Browe, the dedication service was held. The cost of rebuilding and redecorating the church building cost 2,776 dollars. The records show that all but $200.00 had come from church members and interested friends.

The centennial anniversary of the founding as a Baptist Society was held on August 25, 1870. The church building was the only school building in Stafford until after 1800 and the Bible was the only textbook. Reverend E.L. Stager became a pastor in February 1880 but died 2 years later at age 35. Following these events a series of ministers came and went, usually staying about a year. The first parsonage was built in 1882 near the church on Route 9.

On January 12, 1884, Reverend W.W. Eldridge was unanimously called as pastor. The women of the church cleaned the parsonage each week, as Eldridge was a single man. In September 1885, Reverend Warren N. Walden was called as pastor and remained in the position until his death in December 1893. The pastoral call was then extended to the Reverend E.F. Partridge in February 1898. The congregation voted to pay him a yearly sum of $300. A new organ was purchased in 1898, and most likely was the one that remained in the church until a Hammond organ was purchased in 1948.

In 1901, the pastoral call was offered to Herman Joorman, who eventually left the church to serve in the mission field.

From 1901 until 1948, more pastors served the church, with several working only part-time. In 1916, small rooms and a baptistry were added to the original church structure.

Sometime between 1920- 1925 the church spire was struck by lightning and the spire, roof, and bell were damaged. At that time the steeple was lowered to its present height.

In 1938, church member Jim Shanklin and Jack Kilbert, a seminary student who had just moved to the area, led worship services. The practice continued until 1943 when Kilbert was killed by a mortar round that landed near his tent during the Battle of the Bulge.

Reverend Lauren D Rhine was extended the call to begin the charge here in April 1948. The faithful of the church had just entirely redecorated the church. A new roof was installed and the building was painted inside and out. On Mothers Day 1948 bible school was started with 8 attendees. By 1952 the number had grown to 115. During the summer of 1949, the first daily vacation bible school was started with eight teachers and thirty-nine pupils. By 1950, vacation bible school enrollment had increased to twelve teachers and sixty-eight pupils. At the annual meeting in 1950, the church voted to become a charter church in fellowship with the Association.

In the winter of 1952, a new parsonage was acquired on the corner of Main and Beach Streets in Manahawkin. Reverend and Mrs. Lauren Rhine were the first occupants. Beginner and primary school were held each week. The church membership totaled fifty-eight and the church supported two foreign missionaries.

From 1952 to 1955, the congregation bought 100 feet of land on Route 9, across from the existing building and proposed to build a 32 feet by 60 feet Sunday school there. According to the plans, the building would have a basement and one floor. The building committee chose Bill Shinn, a church member, and a local builder, to oversee the construction, which was completed with volunteer labor.

John Erwin was called to the pulpit on July 6, 1953. Pastor Erwin was the first full-time pastor, as he did not need another job to supplement the income provided by the church. IN 1955, according to the records from church treasurer Althea Fredrickson, $3500 of the church budget, which totaled, $4984, went to the pastor's salary.

Reverend Earl Comfort was called to be a pastor in January 1959. The parsonage was sold for $7500 and a new parsonage was built next to the Sunday School building in June 1961. Between 1962 and 1965 two pieces of property were acquired on the north side of the original church. Both were used for parking. The congregation decided to build a new sanctuary perpendicular to the Sunday School building. The addition would have Sunday School rooms in the basement.

from Wikipedia

camellia by Yutaka Seki

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Second outing with a Praktica Mat that was given to me; this time trying some colour film. I checked the meter of the camera against my Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate and it's off my about 2-stops. I decided to rate some expired iso 200 film at 100, so the iso dial on the camera had to be set to 25. I trusted the meter on the camera for the most part and it worked when I did, but I also metered by eye on some shots that the meter seemed to be giving wonky readings. Other than that, the camera works well, strong mechanical shutter, but I do find the viewfinder a bit dim.

Praktica Mat

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f/1.8

Kodak Color Plus 200, expired 11/2010, shot @ ISO 100 Unicolor

Pakon F135

“Amateur Rocky Mountain Stage Driving” by Frederic Remington in “Collier’s – The National Weekly,” Vol. 34, No. 25 (March 18, 1905). Special tribute issue to Remington. by Leo Boudreau

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Given the huge popularity of Frederic Remington's western artwork with the public, Collier's magazine began purchasing the publishing rights to Remington's work in 1901. Several years later, Collier's signed a multi-year contract with Remington to publish his works as covers, two-page centerfolds and one-page frontispieces in Collier's magazine. Collier's published Remington's images in the magazine about once a month.

As Collier's had the publishing copyrights to Remington's work, it exploited those rights by creating special print portfolios of Remington's paintings that it sold to its magazine subscribers. The portfolios were heavily advertised in Collier's magazine.

Gautam Buddha Statue, 2nd Century A.D., Gandhara Empire, India by Mukul Banerjee

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Gandhara is the name given to an ancient region or province invaded in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great, who took Charsadda (ancient Puskalavati) near present-day Peshawar (ancient Purusapura) and then marched eastward across the Indus into the Punjab as far as the Beas river (ancient Vipasa). Gandhara constituted the undulating plains, irrigated by the Kabul River from the Khyber Pass area, the contemporary boundary between Pakistan and Afganistan, down to the Indus River and southward towards the Murree hills and Taxila (ancient Taksasila), near Pakistan"s present capital, Islamabad. Its art, however, during the first centuries of the Christian era, had adopted a substantially larger area, together with the upper stretches of the Kabul River, the valley of Kabul itself, and ancient Kapisa, as well as Swat and Buner towards the north.

A great deal of Gandhara sculptures has survived dating from the first to probably as late as the sixth or even the seventh century but in a remarkably homogeneous style. Most of the arts were almost always in a blue-gray mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite or in stucco, or very rarely in terracotta. Because of the appeal of its Western classical aesthetic for the British rulers of India, schooled to admire all things Greek and Roman, a great deal found its way into private hands or the shelter of museums.

Gandhara sculpture primarily comprised Buddhist monastic establishments. These monasteries provided a never-ending gallery for sculptured reliefs of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara stupas were comparatively magnified and more intricate, but the most remarkable feature, which distinguished the Gandhara stupas from the pervious styles were hugely tiered umbrellas at its peak, almost soaring over the total structure. The abundance of Gandharan sculpture was an art, which originated with foreign artisans.

In the excavation among the varied miscellany of small bronze figures, though not often like Alexandrian imports, four or five Buddhist bronzes are very late in date. These further illustrate the aura of the Gandhara art. Relics of mural paintings though have been discovered, yet the only substantial body of painting, in Bamiyan, is moderately late, and much of it belongs to an Iranian or central Asian rather than an Indian context. Non-narrative themes and architectural ornament were omnipresent at that time. Mythical figures and animals such as atlantes, tritons, dragons, and sea serpents derive from the same source, although there is the occasional high-backed, stylized creature associated with the Central Asian animal style. Moldings and cornices are decorated mostly with acanthus, laurel, and vine, though sometimes with motifs of Indian, and occasionally ultimately western Asian, origin: stepped merlons, lion heads, vedikas, and lotus petals. It is worth noting that architectural elements such as pillars, gable ends, and domes as represented in the reliefs tend to follow the Indian forms

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Gandhara became roughly a Holy Land of Buddhism and excluding a handful of Hindu images, sculpture took the form either of Buddhist sect objects, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, or of architectural embellishment for Buddhist monasteries. The more metaphorical kinds are demonstrated by small votive stupas, and bases teeming with stucco images and figurines that have lasted at Jaulian and Mora Moradu, outpost monasteries in the hills around Taxila. Hadda, near the present town of Jalalabad, has created some groups in stucco of an almost rococo while more latest works of art in baked clay, with strong Hellenistic influence, have been revealed there, in what sums up as tiny chapels. It is not known exactly why stucco, an imported Alexandrian modus operandi, was used. It is true that grey schist is not found near Taxila, however other stones are available, and in opposition to the ease of operating with stucco, predominantly the artistic effects which can be achieved, must be set with its impermanence- fresh deposits frequently had to be applied. Excluding possibly at Taxila, its use emerges to have been a late expansion.

Architectural fundamentals of the Gandhara art, like pillars, gable ends and domes as showcased in the reliefs, were inclined to follow Indian outlines, but the pilaster with capital of Corinthian type, abounds and in one-palace scene Persepolitan columns go along with Roman coffered ceilings. The so-called Shrine of the Double-Headed Eagle at Sirkap, in actuality a stupa pedestal, well demonstrates this enlightening eclecticism- the double-headed bird on top of the chaitya arch is an insignia of Scythian origin, which appears as a Byzantine motif and materialises much later in South India as the ga1J.qa-bheru1J.qa in addition to atop European armorial bearings.

In Gandhara art the descriptive friezes were all but invariably Buddhist, and hence Indian in substance- one depicted a horse on wheels nearing a doorway, which might have represented the Trojan horse affair, but this is under scan. The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, familiar from the previous Greek-based coinage of the region, appeared once or twice as standing figurines, presumably because as a pair, they tallied an Indian mithuna couple. There were also female statuettes, corresponding to city goddesses. Though figures from Butkara, near Saidan Sharif in Swat, were noticeably more Indian in physical type, and Indian motifs were in abundance there. Sculpture was, in the main, Hellenistic or Roman, and the art of Gandhara was indeed "the easternmost appearance of the art of the Roman Empire, especially in its late and provincial manifestations". Furthermore, naturalistic portrait heads, one of the high-points of Roman sculpture, were all but missing in Gandhara, in spite of the episodic separated head, probably that of a donor, with a discernible feeling of uniqueness. Some constitutions and poses matched those from western Asia and the Roman world; like the manner in which a figure in a recurrently instanced scene from the Dipankara jataka had prostrated himself before the future Buddha, is reverberated in the pose of the defeated before the defeater on a Trojanic frieze on the Arch of Constantine and in later illustrations of the admiration of the divinised emperor. One singular recurrently occurring muscular male figure, hand on sword, witnessed in three-quarters view from the backside, has been adopted from western classical sculpture. On occasions standing figures, even the Buddha, deceived the elusive stylistic actions of the Roman sculptor, seeking to express majestas. The drapery was fundamentally Western- the folds and volume of dangling garments were carved with realness and gusto- but it was mainly the persistent endeavours at illusionism, though frequently obscured by unrefined carving, which earmarked the Gandhara sculpture as based on a western classical visual impact.

The distinguishing Gandhara sculpture, of which hundreds if not thousands of instances have outlived, is the standing or seated Buddha. This flawlessly reproduces the necessary nature of Gandhara art, in which a religious and an artistic constituent, drawn from widely varied cultures have been bonded. The iconography is purely Indian. The seated Buddha is mostly cross-legged in the established Indian manner. However, forthcoming generations, habituated to think of the Buddha as a monk, and unable to picture him ever possessing long hair or donning a turban, came to deduce the chigon as a "cranial protuberance", singular to Buddha. But Buddha is never depicted with a shaved head, as are the Sangha, the monks; his short hair is clothed either in waves or in taut curls over his whole head. The extended ears are merely due to the downward thrust of the heavy ear-rings worn by a prince or magnate; the distortion of the ear-lobes is especially visible in Buddha, who, in Gandhara, never wore ear-rings or ornaments of any kind. As Foucher puts it, the Gandhara Buddha is at a time a monk without shaving and a prince stripped off jewellery.

The western classical factor rests in the style, in the handling of the robe, and in the physiognomy of Buddha. The cloak, which covers all but the appendages (though the right shoulder is often bared), is dealt like in Greek and Roman sculptures; the heavy folds are given a plastic flair of their own, and only in poorer or later works do they deteriorate into indented lines, fairly a return to standard Indian practice. The "western" treatment has caused Buddha"s garment to be misidentified for a toga; but a toga is semicircular, while, Buddha wore a basic, rectangular piece of cloth, i.e., the samghiifi, a monk"s upper garment. The head gradually swerves towards a hieratic stylisation, but at its best, it is naturalistic and almost positively based on the Greek Apollo, undoubtedly in Hellenistic or Roman copies.

Gandhara art also had developed at least two species of image, i.e. not part of the frieze, in which Buddha is the fundamental figure of an event in his life, distinguished by accompanying figures and a detailed mise-en-scene. Perhaps the most remarkable amongst these is the Visit to the Indrasala Cave, of which the supreme example is dated in the year 89, almost unquestionably of the Kanishka period. Indra and his harpist are depicted on their visit in it. The small statuettes of the visitors emerge below, an elephant describing Indra. The more general among these detailed images, of which approximately 30 instances are known, is presumably related with the Great Miracle of Sravasti. In one such example, one of the adjoining Bodhisattvas is distinguished as Avalokiteshwara by the tiny seated Buddha in his headgear. Other features of these images include the unreal species of tree above Buddha, the spiky lotus upon which he sits, and the effortlessly identifiable figurines of Indra and Brahma on both sides.

Another important aspect of the Gandhara art was the coins of the Graeco-Bactrians. The coins of the Graeco-Bactrians - on the Greek metrological standard, equals the finest Attic examples and of the Indo-Greek kings, which have until lately served as the only instances of Greek art found in the subcontinent. The legendary silver double decadrachmas of Amyntas, possibly a remembrance issue, are the biggest "Greek" coins ever minted, the largest cast in gold, is the exceptional decadrachma of the same king in the Bibliotheque Nationale, with the Dioscuri on the inverse. Otherwise, there was scanty evidence until recently of Greek or Hellenistic influences in Gandhara. A manifestation of Greek metropolitan planning is furnished by the rectilinear layouts of two cities of the 1st centuries B.C./A.D.--Sirkap at Taxila and Shaikhan Pheri at Charsadda. Remains of the temple at Jandial, also at Taxila and presumably dating back to 1st century B.C., also includes Greek characteristics- remarkably the huge base mouldings and the Ionic capitals of the colossal portico and antechamber columns. In contrast, the columns or pilasters on the immeasurable Gandhara friezes (when they are not in a Indian style), are consistently coronated by Indo-Corinthian capitals, the local version of the Corinthian capital- a certain sign of a comparatively later date.

The notable Begram hoard confirms articulately to the number and multiplicity of origin of the foreign artefacts imported into Gandhara. This further illustrates the foreign influence in the Gandhara art. Parallel hoards have been found in peninsular India, especially in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, but the imported wares are sternly from the Roman world. At Begram the ancient Kapisa, near Kabul, there are bronzes, possibly of Alexandrian manufacture, in close proximity with emblemata (plaster discs, certainly meant as moulds for local silversmiths), bearing reliefs in the purest classical vein, Chinese lacquers and Roman glass. The hoard was possibly sealed in mid-3rd century, when some of the subjects may have been approximately 200 years old "antiques", frequently themselves replicates of classical Greek objects. The plentiful ivories, consisting in the central of chest and throne facings, engraved in a number of varied relief techniques, were credibly developed somewhere between Mathura and coastal Andhra. Some are of unrivalled beauty. Even though a few secluded instances of early Indian ivory carving have outlived, including the legendary mirror handle from Pompeii, the Begram ivories are the only substantial collection known until moderately in present times of what must always have been a widespread craft. Other sites, particularly Taxila, have generated great many instances of such imports, some from India, some, like the appealing tiny bronze figure of Harpocrates, undoubtedly from Alexandria. Further cultural influences are authenticated by the Scytho Sarmatian jewellery, with its characteristic high-backed carnivores, and by a statue of St. Peter. But all this should not cloud the all-important truth that the immediately identifiable Gandhara style was the prevailing form of artistic manifestation throughout the expanse for several centuries, and the magnitude of its influence on the art of central Asia and China and as far as Japan, allows no doubt about its integrity and vitality.

In the Gandhara art early Buddhist iconography drew heavily on traditional sources, incorporating Hindu gods and goddesses into a Buddhist pantheon and adapting old folk tales to Buddhist religious purposes. Kubera and Harm are probably the best-known examples of this process.

Five dated idols from Gandhara art though exist, however the hitch remains that the era is never distinguished. The dates are in figures under 100 or else in 300s. Moreover one of the higher numbers are debatable, besides, the image upon which it is engraved is not in the conventional Andhra style. The two low-number-dated idols are the most sophisticated and the least injured. Their pattern is classical Gandhara. The most undemanding rendition of their dates relates them to Kanishka and 78 A.D. is assumed as the commencement of his era. They both fall in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. and equally later, if a later date is necessitated for the beginning of Kanishka`s time. This calculation nearly parallels numismatics and archaeological evidences. The application of other eras, like the Vikrama (base date- 58 B.C.) and the Saka (base date- 78 A.D.), would place them much later. The badly battered figurines portray standing Buddhas, without a head of its own, but both on original figured plinths. They come to view as depicting the classical Gandhara style; decision regarding where to place these two dated Buddhas, both standing, must remain knotty till more evidence comes out as to how late the classical Gandhara panache had continued.

Methodical study of the Gandhara art, and specifically about its origins and expansion, is befuddled with numerous problems, not at least of which is the inordinately complex history and culture of the province. It is one of the great ethnical crossroads of the world simultaneously being in the path of all the intrusions of India for over three millennia. Bussagli has rightly remarked, `More than any other Indian region, Gandhara was a participant in the political and cultural events that concerned the rest of the Asian continent`.

However, Systematic study of the art of Gandhara, and particularly of its origins and development, is bedeviled by many problems, not the least of which is the extraordinarily complex history and culture of the region.

In spite of the labours of many scholars over the past hundred and fifty years, the answers to some of the most important questions, such as the number of centuries spanned by the art of Gandhara, still await, fresh archaeological, inscriptional, or numismatic evidence.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

Feed the world! (361/365) by Rob

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This is my response to the challenge given to me by the twirl-tastic Ruthlesscrab for Round 13 of the Get Pushed group.

Ruth's challenge to me was as follows:

So that's my challenge to you, if you choose to accept it. A fabulously scrumptious, beautifully lit food (solid food, not just a beverage) image that involves something with at least three ingredients, on a plate or in a serving dish or cooking vessel, WITH at least one piece of cutlery in the shot. Natural light if possible. It should look delicious enough that people will want to lick their monitors.

So, this is probably not what Ruth was expecting, but while I cook nice tasty food it is rarely visually appealing and I needed an option that I could play around with without having to cook loads. For pure simplicity beans on toast wins, fact.

You may also be saying to yourselves "Well, there is clearly only two ingredients there; "Beans" and "Toast". But you have missed the most important ingredient, the thing that must always be added, and which can be seen in the background - the wonder and joy that is Lee and Perins Worcester Sauce.

Thanks for the fun push Ruth, I hope you don't mind the small liberty I have taken with the shot. I'm assuming you can all read this after being overcome with the urge to lick your monitors obviously!

Also slipping delicately into ODC "money can't buy", because if there is one thing that money can never seem to buy enough of, it's food to feed the whole world.

And as an added bonus, my latest blog post on finishing this 365 can be found here

Stand tall (Eastern Grey Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis) - (Selected by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 34.759+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on January 22nd 2020

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1201143146 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 4,011th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Six metres, at 14:00pm on Monday 20th January 2020, on a beautifully sunny afternoon off Birdcage Walk and Horse Guards Road in the grounds of St James's Park. Situated in the City Of Westminster, the Park spans twenty three Hectares and is the oldest of the Royal Parks of London, with a variety of visiting and nesting birds that include Ducks, Canada Geese and Pelicans.

Here we see, Sciurus Carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel or Grey Squirrel), a tree squirrel native to North America and first introduced to the UK in the 1870's. Though it was largely resonsible for the decimation of our own native red squirrel population, those are now on the increase and found in certain parts of the UK including Scotland. The Greys are still an ecologically essential natural forester regenerator.

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Nikon D850 Hand held with Sigma OS Optical Stabilization enabled on Normal setting. Focal length 280mm Shutter speeed 1/25s Aperture f/16.0 iso400 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space Adobe RGB. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. Focus mode AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Exposure mode - Shutter priority mode. Matrix metering. ISO Sensitivity: Manually set. Active D-lighting on Automatic. Picture control: Standard with Sharpening A+3.00 and clarity +1.00

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3DG OS HSM SPORTS (Firmware version 1.00 05/11/2019). Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.

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LATITUDE: N 51d 30m 3.29s

LONGITUDE: W 0d 8m 20.54s

ALTITUDE: 6.0m

RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.7MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 46.10MB

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PROCESSING POWER:

Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)

HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.

Male Carrion crow preening a female - (Published by GETTY IMAGES) by DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®

No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 40.695+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.

***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on June 29th 2021

CREATIVE RF gty.im/1325047526 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**

This photograph became my 5,362nd frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.

©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty two metres at 15:43pm on a beautiful summer afternoon on Tuesday 8th June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.

Here we see a large adult male Carrion crow (Corvus corone), taking time to preen the feathers of his female partner after both taking a dip under a water sprinkler on a hot summer day.

AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT CORVUS CORONE

LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY

By Paul Williams