The water castle Gemen is in the Münsterland, in the former swamp area of the Bocholt Aa an smal creek. Although the name suggests otherwise, it is today at a palace. His former Castle Square is today Borkener - Gemen district.

The castle was built from the gradual rebuilding of more than 900 years old water castle which was built by the nobles of Gemen, one of the most influential Westphalian nobility of his time. It stands on two islands that are surrounded by an extensive systems of chanels. The palace was the center of the rule Gemen.

Stowe is one of the most Well known house and gardens in Georgian England. Created by Viscount Cobham in the grounds of his family home from 1717, it reflected a programme of ideas based on Cobham’s hugely influential network of political connections .

This stately mansion was built for J. Russell Jones, an influential Civil War patriot who later would become a U.S. Marshall, steamship owner, chairman of the Republican Party, and Minister Resident to Belgium during the Administration of his friend, President Ulysses S. Grant. Built in 1857, the Italianate style Jones House, now known as the Belvedere Mansion, is the largest mansion in Galena. Completely restored, Belvedere Mansion is open for tours.

The mansion is a contributing structure in the Galena Historic District. The district encompasses 85 percent of the City of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The Galena Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with modifications in 2013.

Galena is the seat of Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. This is the unglaciated area of northwestern Illinois. The rolling hills, history and abundant 19th century architecture draws visitors from throughout the country. The population of Galena at the 2020 census was 3,101.

Collective 52 Photo Project -Influential Photographers 1/12

André Kertész

Among his later pieces the artist used a SX70 Polaroid and made many images of small items in his home. This is based on one such photograph and is a loose interpretation of his style during this period. The addition of the second shadow is also seen in other pieces.

The above art is the work of Tyler Green, artist, and special effects makeup artist. He owns FX Studios in Winsted, CT.

Tyler is one of the most inspiring, innovative and outside-of-box thinkers you’ll ever meet. With an intuitive and innovative approach to the creative process, he uses his artistic ability and skills to work within a variety of industries requiring his expertise in SFX makeup and education.

Tyler is an educator. He teaches students of all ages in his studio located in Winsted, CT. He travels all around the country training the next generation of makeup artist.

Tyler believes that in within each of us there is an ability to think beyond the obvious if we expand our minds.

"I believe if you have the drive, determination, and creativity, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you can do" - Tyler Green

He is the owner of Creative Genius LLC, and is an inventor of consumer gadgets and accessories. Among many other products, Tyler conceptualized and developed the Wonderband Systems™, an intricate intelligent concept for gripping items, with applications in multiple industries.

Tyler’s incredible and unique talents and achievements have been featured over the years in newspapers, magazines, and on radio and television. He was recently featured in Connecticut Magazine as one of the 40 under 40 most influential people of 2021!

Stars the most influential symbol in our hierographic system. From money to sweets, from authorities to praise, we are indoctrinated with stars from the nursery rhymes and up to death. Shine it on Star Bright.

Stars the most influential symbol in our hierographic system. From authorities to praise, we are indoctrinated with stars from the nursery rhymes and up to death. Shine it on Star Bright, from rising star to Shooting star to falling star. The star is deeply embedded in everyone's mind.

Stowe is one of the most Well known house and gardens in Georgian England. Created by Viscount Cobham in the grounds of his family home from 1717, it reflected a programme of ideas based on Cobham’s hugely influential network of political connections .

This stately mansion was built for J. Russell Jones, a influential Civil War patriot who later would become a U.S. Marshall, steamship owner, chairman of the Republican Party, and Minister Resident to Belgium during the Administration of his friend, President Ulysses S. Grant. Built in 1857, the Italianate style Jones House, now known as the Belvedere Mansion, is the largest mansion in Galena. Completely restored, Belvedere Mansion is open for tours.

The mansion is a contributing structure in the Galena Historic District. The district encompasses 85 percent of the City of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The Galena Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with modifications in 2013.

Galena is the seat of Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. This is the unglaciated area of northwestern Illinois. The rolling hills, history and abundant 19th century architecture draws visitors from throughout the country. The estimated population of Galena in 2019 was 3,158.

An influential photographer I once heard said 'If you want to take more interesting images, point your lens at more interesting subjects.'

That explains a lot of my failures. I am often pointing my lens at mundane everyday objects, interested in some detail or pattern or texture, or some abstract thought. Normal people, among whom I walk, are bemused - why on earth do I think that justifies a permanent record? I have no answer...

But I like it :)

Thank you for taking the time to look. I hope you enjoy the image.

[Much mangled using Affinity on the iPad.

The bulk of the look came from creating two copies of the image layer, adding a box blur to the lower copy and blending the top copy with Multiply blend mode. The lower layer also had some diffusion blur, and the upper layer some colour enhancement using Curves in LAB mode - just increasing the gradient of the lines for the colour channels A and B - and a fair whack of High Pass sharpening. There was no selective work though with masking - just a vignette.]

This mansion was built for J. Russell Jones, a influential Civil War patriot who later would become a U.S. Marshall, steamship owner, chairman of the Republican Party, and Minister Resident to Belgium during the Administration of his friend, President Ulysses S. Grant. Built in 1857, the Italianate style Jones House, now known as the Belvedere Mansion, is the largest mansion in Galena. Completely restored, Belvedere Mansion is open for tours.

The mansion is a contributing structure in the Galena Historic District. The district encompasses 85 percent of the City of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The Galena Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with modifications in 2013.

Galena is the seat of Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. This is the unglaciated area of northwestern Illinois. The rolling hills, history and abundant 19th century architecture draws visitors from throughout the country. The estimated population of Galena in 2019 was 3,158.

Collective 52 Photo Project -Influential Photographers 2/12

Andreas Gursky.

After Gursky's original, Paris, Montparnasse, 1993. d2xsarh0aq9fsq.cloudfront.net/00/68/18/28/0068182814.fb69...

Gursky's original is on a monumental scale and my interpretation is just that, an interpretation. Lacking a medium + format camera and the ability to photo shop something suitable I went for the feeling, as best as I could on a smaller scale.

Stowe is one of the most Well known house and gardens in Georgian England. Created by Viscount Cobham in the grounds of his family home from 1717, it reflected a programme of ideas based on Cobham’s hugely influential network of political connections .

The mosque structure is an important monument in the history of Islamic architecture and is considered by many scholars to have been highly influential on subsequent "Moorish" architectural designs in the western Mediterranean and throughout the Muslim world. It is also one of Spain's major historic monuments and tourist attractions, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I photographed the arches from various angles and perspectives, but this straight on shot was one of my favorites.

odc - shoes

Some inspiring and influential people have also shared similar messages.

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

― Dali Lama

"Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."

― Plato

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

― Aesop

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

― Mark Twain

“Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.”

― J.M. Barrie

Brutalist architecture is an influential and polarizing architectural style that emerged in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by its raw, robust, and utilitarian aesthetic, often featuring large, exposed concrete structures. Brutalist buildings display a sense of monumentality and solidity, with bold geometric forms and a distinct lack of decorative embellishments. The style prioritizes functionality and the honest expression of materials, focusing on the inherent qualities of concrete. While some consider Brutalism to be visually austere, proponents of the style appreciate its uncompromising honesty, the sculptural qualities of its forms, and its ability to evoke a sense of awe and timelessness.

St. Leonards Centre

Crows Nest

June, 2023

Dieses Bürgerhaus in der Schreyvogelgasse 10 im 1. Bezirk von Wien wurde 1803 im Stil des späten josephinischen Klassizimus errichtet.

Der Name des Hauses basiert auf einer fiktiven Romanze, die der Komponist Franz Schubert mit den drei Töchtern eines hier wohnenden Glasermeiters gehabt haben soll. Die Geschichte stammt aus dem Roman "Schwammerl" von Hans Bartsch aus dem Jahr 1912, in dem der Autor "frei erfundene Geschichten und Legenden mit historisch überliefertem recht willkürlich gemischt" hat. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwammerl_(Roman) de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreimäderlhaus_(Wien)

The so-called Dreimäderlhaus ("House of the Three Girls") in the 1st district of Vienna is a townhouse from the late period of the Josephinian Classicism. It was built in 1803. The name of the house is based on a fictitious romance between the composer Franz Schubert and the three daughters of a master glazier, who lived here. Hans Bartsch created this legend for his influential biographical novel "Schwammerl", published in 1912.

Umberto Boccioni

( 19 October 1882 – 17 August 1916) was an influential Italian painter and sculptor. He helped shape the revolutionary aesthetic of the Futurism movement as one of its principal figures. Despite his short life, his approach to the dynamism of form and the deconstruction of solid mass guided artists long after his death. His works are held by many public art museums, and in 1988 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City organized a major retrospective of 100 pieces.

© All rights reserved

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart[a] (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791), was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period.

Born in Salzburg, in the Holy Roman Empire, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, Mozart was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court but grew restless and travelled in search of a better position. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his early death at the age of 35. The circumstances of his death have been much mythologized.

He composed more than 600 works, many of which are acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. He is considered among the greatest classical composers of all time, and his influence on Western music is profound. Ludwig van Beethoven composed his early works in the shadow of Mozart, and Joseph Haydn wrote: "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years".

He lived in Paris in 1778. (from Wikipedia)

Happy 265th Birthday, Wolfie!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ​ (Salzburgo, 27 de enero de 1756-Viena, 5 de diciembre de 1791) fue un compositor, pianista, director de orquesta y profesor del antiguo Arzobispado de Salzburgo, actualmente parte de Austria, maestro del Clasicismo, considerado como uno de los músicos más influyentes y destacados de la historia.

La obra mozartiana abarca todos los géneros musicales de su época e incluye más de seiscientas creaciones, en su mayoría reconocidas como obras maestras de la música sinfónica, concertante, de cámara, para fortepiano, operística y coral, logrando una popularidad y difusión internacional.

Mozart vivió en Paris en 1778. (tomado de Wikipedia).

Feliz Cumpleaños 265, Wolfie!

The Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 297/300a, better known as the Paris Symphony, is one of the most famous symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The work was composed in 1778 during Mozart's unsuccessful job-hunting sojourn in Paris. The composer was then 22 years old. "Mozart's Paris Symphony is quite noisy. It has vigorous, stirring tuttis, with a lively violin line and an active line for the basses, lending the music extra animation. The actual thematic matter is relatively conventional, more a matter of figures than melodies, but there is not development as such, and most of the working-out of ideas comes at their presentation."

youtu.be/J0OwPnrRw9o

The Schmela Haus, built in 1971 by the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck for the influential art dealer Alfred Schmela in Düsseldorf’s historic district, has belonged to the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen since 2009. Situated between the K20 and the K21, this concrete modernist building – the first in Germany to combine gallery and residential spaces, and today under landmarks protection – functions as the museum’s third branch. Beginning in autumn of 2013, inspired by its visionary architecture and communicative potential, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen has used the building as an events and guest house under the banner of Futur 3.

Matö རྨ་སྟོད། county

This county ,also known as Machukha མ་ ཆུ་ཁ་ , contains the source of the Ma chu རྨ་ཆུ་ ( Yellow River),and lies north of the Bayankala watershed. There are a few small Nyingma shrines and monasteries, of which the largest and most influential is Horkor Gon. Area: 25.263 sq km. www.footprinttravelguides.com/c/2848/tibet/&Action=pr...

Charles, the Prince of Wales and future King of England, wrote an influential book called "Harmony". In it he outlined his vision for a balanced way of life, being completely sensitive to the requirements of a sustainable environment, and also maintaining a productive life. This is a vision worth striving for. Balance and harmony are two words that we desperately need to rediscover in our fractured world.

After retiring from the Australian senate in 2012, Dr Bob Brown decided to gift "Oura Oura" to the Australian people. He did this through entrusting it to the care of Bush Heritage Australia.

Bush Heritage Australia is an independent not-for-profit that buys and manages land, and also partners with Aboriginal people, to conserve our magnificent landscapes and irreplaceable native species forever.

www.bushheritage.org.au/

Nature, harmony and a balanced lifestyle. That's what we need today.

“A portrait is not made in a camera, but on either side of it.” - Edward Steichen (influential Luxembourgish American photographer, painter, and curator).

When it was my fortieth birthday, some many moons ago, as a gift to myself I commissioned a portrait of myself by a well-known and highly regarded society painter. I decided to wear a theatre jacket I had designed myself, made of Japanese silver and white brocade featuring a pattern of chrysanthemums in hexagons which I wore to a charity ball earlier that year, and I am holding one of my Great Grandmother’s tortoiseshell handled dyed ostrich feather Court fans from 1923. I sat for the artist in three separate day sittings, and she also took photographs of me. I asked her to pay particular attention to my costume, which I am very proud of, and also my jewellery, as I was wearing a mixture of inherited antique family rings and gifts from family for significant birthdays. The rings included an Art Deco cocktail ring of garnets and pearls, several gold and diamond rings, including my Great Grandmother’s engagement ring from the end of the Nineteenth Century, and an Art Deco diamond and sapphire ring set in platinum from Vienna. Not only did the portrait capture my likeness well, it is beautiful, and she has authentically captured the details of my costume and my jewellery.

The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" the 22nd of August is "details of a painting" which requires me to photograph things people may miss unless you get up close to it; not the entire painting. When I read the theme, I immediately thought of my fortieth birthday portrait. Although I have several other portraits painted for significant years of my life, this is by far the biggest and hangs just inside the entrance to my house, welcoming guests across the threshold. Being the biggest, it is the one where one could potentially miss those fine details, and because I was especially pleased with the artist’s reproduction of my costume and my jewellery, I have decided to focus on them for this week’s theme. I hope you like my choice, and that it makes you smile!

This little room presents three of the most influential figures of the Australian art world. On the left is a portrait of the late Dr Joseph Brown (probably the most prolific collector and donor of art in the country). We’ll return to this fabulous portrait tomorrow. On the right is the portrait of Georges Mora which we saw in my first post today. But we’ll focus on the wonderfully colourful Matisse-like portrait directly ahead of the camera.

It is the work of Vicki Varvaressos and was entered in the Archibald Prize in 1980. Unfortunately this was one of only two years (1964 was the other one) where the judges withheld making an award. It is a strikingly bright and cheerful portrait of art dealer Frank Watters (1934-2020).

www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artboards/archie-100/the-art-wo...

Matö རྨ་སྟོད། county

This county ,also known as Machukha མ་ ཆུ་ཁ་ , contains the source of the Ma chu རྨ་ཆུ་ ( Yellow River),and lies north of the Bayankala watershed. There are a few small Nyingma shrines and monasteries, of which the largest and most influential is Horkor Gon. Area: 25.263 sq km. www.footprinttravelguides.com/c/2848/tibet/&Action=pr...

The Monthly Challenge

Skálholtskirkja sits in a historic complex at Skálholt in South Iceland. This church was built in 1961-63 on the same basic foundation as most of the ten previous chapels and cathedrals built at the site. The church honors the historic and religious dignificance of this site, which once was the capital of Iceland and, along with Hólar to the north, its religious center. Though some of the old wooden cathedrals were larger, the new Church is similar in size to the last two.

For over 700 years Skálholt was a center center of religion, culture and education in Iceland which makes it one of country´s most important historic sites. Norse settlers came to the area in the late 800s and early 900s (AD). In 1000 AD, New law mandated Christianity as the official religion of Iceland. The country’s first bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson, ordained in 1056, made Skálholt the episcopal see of all Iceland (until another Episcopal see was created in Hólar in 1106 AD). Over the next 700 years several significant religious and cultural events would occur at Skálholt.

1- One of the most revered of the bishops residing at Skálholt duuring the middle ages was Þorlákur Þórhallsson (bishop 1178-1198), who became Iceland’s only saint.

2-For centuries after Bishop Þórhallsson’s death, people came on pilgrimage from all corners of Iceland to visit his relics in Skálholt.

3-During those medieval times, huge wooden cathedrals were built at Skálholt. These cathedrals drew many from across Iceland. Before the Reformation 32 Catholic Bishops sat at Skálholt.

4-During the mid 16th century, Icelanders, now under Danish rule, converted to Lutheranism.The Reformation came during turbulent times in Iceland. On November 7, 1550, Bishop Jón Arason along with his two sons, Björn and Ar, were beheaded at Skálholt. Arason who was the Bishop of Hólar had been the last remaining Catholic bishop in Iceland.

5-The translation of the Bible into Icelandic started in secrecy in a cow stall of Skálholt.

6-After the Reformation, one of the best known and most influential bishops of Skálholt was Brynjólfur Sveinsson (bishop 1639-1674), Highly respected for his learning, he collected old Icelandic manuscripts that help preserve history and the language. Under his direction, church members built a new wooden church at Skálholt, approximately the same size as the present Cathedral.

7-In all ten churches have stood at in Skálholt. Some measured larger and some smaller but all were built on the same basic foundations.

For centuries Skálholt was the actual capital of a rural society and the cultural and spiritual center of the country (together with Hólar in the North), figuring eminently in the cultural and church history. But after waning status of the bishop’s office, volcanic eruptions, a major earthquake and other disasters in the late 18th century the episcopal see and school were transferred to Reykjavík. Skálholt fell into disrepute.

In the mid-20th century Skálholt rose from ashes, due to its historical significance. The modern cathedral, consecrated in 1963, displays works of modern art, as well as for artifacts from previous churches on the site.

References:

guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/skalholt-in-...

www.skalholt.is/copy-of-services

Thank you all my Friends for your visits, faves, invites and wonderful comments .

All images and writing are copyright © S.Anassis. All The materials contained may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or downloaded in any way, shape or form. All rights are reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the Artist is strictly prohibited.

The land on which the property is built was acquired by Joseph Cawthra in 1809. The farmland, which came to be known as the Grove Farm, was granted to Agar Adamson and Mabel Cawthra as a wedding gift.

Agar Adamson, born on Christmas Day 1865, was the grandson of William Agar Adamson an influential Toronto clergyman. He married into the Cawthra family whose legacy in Peel lives on through the Cawthra Estate located near the intersection of the Cawthra Road and the Queen Elizabeth Way. Their legacy comes from supplying eastern white pine logs for ship masts in the British Royal Navy. by Sandra Gwyn. He served under General Arthur Currie. Insights into his time at war may be seen in the CBC series The Great War which features Talbot Papineau, another of the four Canadians featured in the book.

Agar Adamson designed and built the Belgian-style mansion on this land in 1919, after returning from the wartime service in France. In 1943, his son Anthony Adamson added a home for himself on the property. The estate was acquired by the Credit Valley Conservation Authority in 1975.

Canon EOS 6D - f/4 - 1/50sec - 55mm - ISO 2500

- parody on the movie title: The Silence of the Lambs, one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. With Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal Lecter) and Jodie Foster as the leading actors.

- original photo, before I started the photoshopping,

taken May 15, 2013 (see the first comment):

Pipistrello lamp: designed by the multi-talented Italian designer Gae Aulenti in 1966 for Martinelli Luce, Italy.

Graham Fagen is one of the most influential artists working in Scotland today. Throughout his career as an artist, Fagen has regularly incorporated elements of his own national, cultural and social identity within his work. Often using the artifice of theatre for the development of a narrative, Fagen uses the 16th century Venetian palace as an historic backdrop for his presentation, choreographing a new body of work across four rooms of the palazzo to create a path through which visitors can effectively become performers within the piece.

Drawing on his long-term commitment to collaboration across multiple art forms and disciplines, Fagen brought together internationally renowned composer Sally Beamish, the musicians of Scottish Ensemble, reggae singer and musician Ghetto Priest and music producer Adrian Sherwood to realise an ambitious installation. Sound that draws on very different musical traditions – Scottish folk songs, classical music and reggae – pervaded the rooms of Palazzo Fontana, creating a melancholic and ambiguous body of work within the surroundings of one of the world’s most prestigious visual art exhibitions.

BlackbirdLace

Leandra-Outfit-By-Blackbird-Lace

Sizes:

REBORN

LEGACY /PERKY

MAITREYA

GEN X CURVY/CLASIC

all info in the blog

blog

He was also a pioneer of photography at night ...

The first home on the left at the entrance to Audubon Place is the residence of

Tulane University's president. It was constructed in the early 1900's by William T.

Jay, but for many years, it was the home of Samuel Zemurray. Mr. Zemurray was

the founder of Cuyamel Fruit Company and became president of United Fruit

Company, at the time, the most influential company of its kind in the world. Both

companies had significant influence in, not only the econ

The Influential Geisha

Historians agree: Amos Northup’s Graham Blue Streak is one of the most influential automotive designs of the 1930s. What makes it so noteworthy? Let’s take a look.

The Graham brothers—Joseph, Robert, and Ray—were successful entrepreneurs, the kind of investors we call venture capitalists today. Their many enterprises included agriculture, glass, and truck manufacturing, and for a time they managed the giant Dodge Brothers organization for the investment bank Dillion, Read & Company. For their final foray into the auto industry, in June of 1927 they acquired Paige-Detroit and quickly put their their stamp on the Motor City car maker, renaming the products Graham-Paige and then simply Graham.

​

On December 8, 1931, the second-series 1932 Graham Model 57 Blue Streak was introduced, featuring a groundbreaking body design by Amos Northup. The Blue Streak look, which Graham continued through 1935, was a genuine style setter as much of the industry followed its direction. “The most imitated car on the road,” boasted the Graham ads. While many of the Blue Streak’s innovations seem evolutionary, a logical and natural progression from one era to the next, the credit goes to Graham and Northup for seeing the future and executing it.

While the catalog illustration above is a tad idealized, it effectively shows what made the Graham so fashion forward. Arrows have been added to indicate the key advances.

Most notably, the front and rear fender sweeps have been skirted in behind the wheels. Concealing the exposed chassis and mechanical components, the fender valences also create a longer, smoother profile.

The grille shell and windshield have been laid back at a sporty angle, finally breaking from decades of horse-drawn carriage tradition toward a more streamlined look. Additionally, the radiator cap has been removed from the top of the shell and tucked away under the hood, another step into modernity.

The headlamp buckets have been tucked in close to the body and fenders and painted body color, the better to blend them into the overall package.

While the rendering doesn’t show it well, Graham was an early adopter of metallic-type paint finishes. But instead of the aluminum particles used in later pigments, this paint contained guanin, the photonic crystal that gives fish scales their iridescence. Available colors in Graham’s Pearl Essence Finish, as it was called, included Avon Blue Pearl and Opalescent Gunmetal.

​

As the in-house designer for Murray Body Company of Detroit, Northup performed styling duties for a number of independent makes, including Willys, Hupp, and Reo. Since the smaller automakers lacked dedicated styling studios, body suppliers Murray, Briggs, and Hayes included design services to attract their business. Other noteworthy Northup designs include the Reo Royale and Willys 77, but the Blue Streak can be considered the most important of his efforts—a tipping point in 1930s car design.

The innovations weren’t limited to styling. To lower the stance, chief engineer Louis Thoms dispensed with the traditional rear frame kickup and crafted what Graham called a deep banjo frame, with the rear live axle captured in a pair of pass-throughs in the frame rails (above). The benefits included a 2.5-inch reduction in overall height and a more torsionally rigid structure.

​

To increase roll resistance, the parallel leaf springs front and rear were mounted outboard of the frame rails. Meanwhile, the track was widened to 60.5 inches front and 61 inches rear—not just to improve cornering, it is said, but also to sweeten the car’s visual proportions in height versus width.

More big news came from Graham came in 1934, when the automaker became the first to offer supercharging on a popular-priced car on the Model 69 Custom Eight. Reportedly based on the Schwitzer-Cummins technology used on the Duesenberg SJ, the Graham setup sported a 7.5-inch centrifugal blower turning at 5.75 times engine speed via an external accessory shaft. Output was increased from 95 to 135 horsepower on the 265.5 CID straight eight, producing a 10 mph increase in top speed and a significant boost in midrange punch. In the following year, a supercharged version of the six-cylinder Graham was introduced as well (GOCI Note: Supercharging on the six-cylinder line actually began two years after the eight - Bill McCall). It’s been noted that Graham built more supercharged models than the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg marques combined.

In 2017 the Blue Streak series was recognized again as a 1933 Graham Deluxe Eight was enrolled in the National Historic Vehicle Register (GOCI Note: Bulgari's car is actually the 119-inch wheelbase Model 64 Standard Eight and not a “Deluxe Eight” - Bill McCall). To mark the event, the Golden Tan Pearl sedan, owned by noted collector Nicola Bulgari, was photographed in the driveway of Amos Northup’s former home in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, a Detroit suburb (above). Photo courtesy Historic Vehicle Association.

Thanks to Bill McGuire, from Mac's Motor City Garage for this comprehensive and thoughtful history of the Graham Blue Streak.

Some additional tidbits: Erwin George Baker, also known as "Cannonball" Baker, drove a 1933 Graham Blue streak across the country in 53.5 hours, setting a record that stood for almost 40 years.

Automobile production from Graham - Paige ceased in 1940, and its automotive assets were acquired by Kaiser-Frazer in 1947.

Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of Ambleside as a quirky reminder of Ambleside’s past.

An influential family, The Braithwaites built Bridge House to access their lands on the other side of Stock Beck and also to store apples from their orchards, which surrounded Bridge House. Over the decades, the house has had many practical uses, include being used as a counting house for the mills of Rattle Ghyll, a tea-room, a weaving shop, a cobbler's, a chair maker's and, at one time, a home to a family of eight!

In the 1920s the residents of Ambleside recognised that Bridge House was in need of repair and they began fundraising, showing tremendous foresight in securing not only the safety of this monument, but also the aesthetics of the area. It was a great display of public action and conservation, securing the little house's future.

Today, The Bridge House is an extremely popular attraction, where thousands of visitors come every year to see it and have their picture taken. © Cumbria Tourism

The bridge was replaced by the current pedestrian bridge in 1970. You can still see some of the wooden supports for the original bridge as you cross.

A drive led from the ferry to Coed Helen house, thought to date from the early 17th century. The house belonged to a succession of influential families and is now part of a caravan park.

On the hill between the river and house stands a summerhouse, built in the 18th century. At various times, the military used the area for training and keeping watch on the Menai Strait. A battery of guns at Coed Helen was fired on important occasions, including in 1847 to salute Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children.

This bridge swings to one side to allow boats to enter or leave the harbour. It replaced a Victorian bridge which itself had replaced a ferry across the river Seiont. It leads from Caernarfon town to the parkland at Coed Helen.

Photo of original swing bridge at Caernarfon

The original swing bridge, courtesy of the RCAHMW and its Coflein website

The small building with castellated top, west of the bridge, was built in 1822 for the operator of the Coed Helen ferry. The Pritchard family of boat owners and builders ran the ferry from c.1859. In 1878 David Pritchard was praised for his prompt action to save a militiaman (volunteer soldier) who fell between the quay and boat while boarding. David died, aged 76, in 1884.

The first swing bridge, known as Pont yr Aber, was completed in 1899, amid arguing over compensation for loss of the ferry trade. A gas engine powered the swing mechanism. The bridge was too small to justify hydraulic power, which would have been ideal.

The metalwork was painted “stone colour” (off-white) to minimise heat absorption from sunshine. Excess heat would have distorted the ends of the swing span. White paint was rejected as it would soon have looked dirty. Tolls were levied on pedestrians and carriages.

Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.

The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.

The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.

Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.

He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.

In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.

By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.

Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.

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... the precious life-blood of a master-spirit.'

Indiana University's Media School

Areopagitica - A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England is a 1644 prose polemic by the English poet, scholar, and polemical author John Milton opposing licensing and censorship. Areopagitica is among history's most influential and impassioned philosophical defences of the principle of a right to freedom of speech and expression. Many of its expressed principles have formed the basis for modern justifications. (Wikipedia)

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was one of the most influential poets of the Romantic movement, known for his celebration of nature.

Born in Cockermouth, Cumbria, he spent much of his life in the Lake District, in a landscape that deeply influenced his work.

In 1799, he moved to Dove Cottage, where he lived with his sister Dorothy and also from 1802 with his wife Mary. This period marked some of his most creative years, during which he wrote key poems such as I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and worked on his autobiographical masterpiece, The Prelude.

Wordsworth then spent four years living at Allan Bank, before moving to Rydal Mount in 1813, where he spent the rest of his life.

Wordsworth chose to be buried in Grasmere at St Oswald’s Church. His grave, alongside those of his wife Mary and sister Dorothy and other members of his family sees thousands of visitors a year.

Four influential Blues artists who are little known today.

Starting with the Very Bad Indeed; Huddy Ledbetter performed under the stage name of Leadbelly; he was a talented guitar and piano player with a charming voice, and who was also a convicted murderer - he shot a love-rival in the head, and was sentenced to 30 years.

Incredibly, the Governor of Texas was so charmed by Leadbelly's singing, that he had him released within 7 years of his time served.

The song that got him out was 'Goodnight Irene.' You can find it on-line - maybe take the time to learn to sing it, because you never know when that might come in useful!

He was imprisoned again a few years later for 'carving up' six men in a street brawl, and again, his musical talent may have helped him to an early release.

Leadbelly often wore a high collar or neckerchief to cover an ugly scar across his throat where he himself had almost been murdered. Probably not a guy to hang out with.

The Good; Memphis Slim copyrighted all his many songs under the name Peter Chatman, although that wasn't his real name either, he was John - Peter being his father, also a bluesman.

Memphis Slim was an exceptional blues pianist who found considerable recording and performing success, and moved to Paris where, together with bassist Willie Dixon, he had a residency at the famous Café Aux Trois Mailletz. In recordings of their performances, they can be heard flirting with and charming their French audiences - wonderful to hear.

Willy Dixon wrote the song made famous by Etta James, 'I Just Want to Make Love To You'. Slim and Dixon can be heard performing an early version of it on their 1960 'At The Village Gate' album.

The Bad; Aleck Miller, aka Sonny Boy Williamson 2. The '2' is important, not that he would ever use it, because he literally stole the performing name of the already famous harmonica player, John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson. In a gruesome twist of fate, John Williamson was brutally murdered in a mugging, and thereafter, Miller insisted with increasing stridency that he was the 'only' Sonny Boy Williamson (which was, by then, sadly true) and the 'original', which was simply untrue. As he got older, he progressively exaggerated his age, insisting that he was 'an 1800's man' when he was almost certainly born during the first decades of the 20th century. This was a curiously unnecessary thing to do, as he was certainly older than John Williamson.

As it happened, SBW2 was an immensely talented harmonica player and vocalist, with an imposing stage presence, who found great success, especially in Europe. He often appeared (as on this album cover) in an expensively tailored Saville Row suit, complete with bowler hat. His albums are still available and well worth listening to.

The Great; You've probably heard of Muddy Waters. Curiously, McKinley Morganfield acquired that name as a child because of his propensity for.... you've guessed it, playing in creeks and streams. He may not have been a guitar virtuoso like some of his contemporaries, but his stage presence and personality was overwhelming. He knew how to work a crowd. His 'At Newport 1960' record is considered to be one of the best live Blues albums ever.

Waters was instrumental(!) in introducing electric guitars to Blues - not for any artistic reason, but in order to make himself heard in the rowdy Chicago Southside clubs where he made his name. You'll likely know 'Mannish Boy' and 'Hoochie Coochie Man' - many of his recordings are still widely available. A true 'star' of the blues genre.

All four of these men were highly influential on a young man who was to become more famous than any of them, and who also performed under an assumed name. Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan.

This narrow alleyway in Bologna feels like a quiet footnote to a very long and influential history. Founded in Etruscan times and later flourishing under Roman rule, Bologna has been continuously inhabited for over two millennia. Streets like this one were not designed for spectacle, but for daily life: passageways for merchants, students, artisans, and monks who shaped the city into one of medieval Europe’s great intellectual and commercial centers.

Architecturally, the scene is unmistakably Bolognese. The weathered brick and stone walls speak of medieval construction techniques, while the irregular textures reveal centuries of repairs and adaptations. The tight proportions of the alley reflect a pre-modern urban logic, where density offered protection, shade, and efficiency. Subtle details—iron lamps, drainage channels, and the rhythm of small openings—show how functionality and restraint defined much of Bologna’s historic fabric.

Just beyond alleys like this rise the city’s famous porticoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a defining feature of Bologna’s urban identity. Even where the porticoes are absent, their influence is felt in the deep shadows, sheltered walkways, and human-scale design. This architectural continuity gives Bologna its sense of coherence: a city that evolved slowly, layer by layer, without erasing its past.

Culinarily, these streets are never far from the kitchen. Bologna is widely regarded as the gastronomic heart of Italy, and alleys like this once echoed with the everyday logistics of food—deliveries of flour, wheels of cheese, and cured meats. The city and the wider Emilia-Romagna region are the birthplace of tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, and traditional balsamic vinegar. Here, history, architecture, and cuisine converge quietly, proving that in Bologna, even the most modest alley has a story worth tasting.

RX_09887_20240415_Boloña

Maybe the oldest houe in Ste Genevieve. Records show that the original owner sold the house to John McArthur in 1809.

The original owner stated that he hehad lived in the house for 25 years. This puts the date of construction in 1784.

Records also show that John Scott once owmed this house. Scott was a very influential lawyer during the formation of the state of Missouri. He was the first US representaivie from Missouri. Scott County is named after him.

One of the most influential photos from space ever was Earthrise, taken from lunar orbit by William Anders on Apollo 8, the first human-piloted spacecraft to orbit the moon. The one we know was taken on Christmas Eve, 1968, with a Hasselblad 500 EL. What if they had an early prototype of the SX-70 with them?

Petapixel published an article about Earthrise yesterday. They didn't mention the Polaroid version. petapixel.com/2023/04/25/the-story-behind-earthrise-one-o...

Dorothea Lange

Born on May 26th, 1895, in Hoboken, New Jersey, Dorothea Lange was a prominent and highly influential photojournalist and documentary photographer who worked for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression. Her main task was to show the consequences of the Great Depression.

Early Life

Born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn, the famous American photographer was the daughter of a second-generation German immigrant. At age seven, she contracted polio, a disease which left a permanent mark on her life – an altered gait and a weakened right leg.

Her father abandoned Dorothea and her mother when she was only twelve, which was a traumatic event in her life which determined her to change her last name into Lange, her mother’s maiden name. Dorothea studied photography under American photographer Clarence Hudson White at Columbia University in New York and she was apprenticed to the renowned Arnold Genthe’s photography studio in NY.

When she was 23, she moved to San Francisco where she opened a commercial portrait studio. In 1920, she married painter Maynard Dixon and the couple had two sons, Daniel Rhoades (born in 1925) and John Eaglesfeather Dixon (born in 1930). In the early 1930s, her photographs depicting homeless and unemployed men and women wandering the streets in search of work caught the eye of the FSA, for which she worked between 1935 and 1939. In 1935, she married the Professor of Economics at Berkeley, Paul Schuster Taylor.

Death and Legacy

Dorothea Lange passed away at the age of 70, on October 11, 1965, in San Francisco, California. The cause of death was esophageal cancer. She was survived by her two sons with her first husband and by her second husband Paul Taylor.

In 2008, Lange was inducted into the California Hall of Fame for her outstanding contribution to the development of documentary photography and her son accepted the honor on his mother’s behalf.

I encourage you to read more of her Bio she was a very accomplished photographer more info at: totallyhistory.com/dorothea-lange/

Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of Ambleside as a quirky reminder of Ambleside’s past.

An influential family, The Braithwaites built Bridge House to access their lands on the other side of Stock Beck and also to store apples from their orchards, which surrounded Bridge House. Over the decades, the house has had many practical uses, include being used as a counting house for the mills of Rattle Ghyll, a tea-room, a weaving shop, a cobbler's, a chair maker's and, at one time, a home to a family of eight!

In the 1920s the residents of Ambleside recognised that Bridge House was in need of repair and they began fundraising, showing tremendous foresight in securing not only the safety of this monument, but also the aesthetics of the area. It was a great display of public action and conservation, securing the little house's future.

Today, The Bridge House is an extremely popular attraction, where thousands of visitors come every year to see it and have their picture taken. © Cumbria Tourism