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Image by yours truly, published back in autumn 2013 by a transportation (professional) magazine, illustrating an article about the Reed Creek greenway, of which I happened to be a fan. Original photo already posted here; adding a page shot. Name credit upper right. Sorry the focus quality is poor.
That's my husband, George, walking at far right.
This photograph was published in the Illustrated Chronicle on the 14th of December 1915.
During the Great War the Illustrated Chronicle published photographs of soldiers and sailors from Newcastle and the North East of England, which had been in the news. The photographs were sent in by relatives and give us a glimpse into the past.
The physical collection held by Newcastle Libraries comprises bound volumes of the newspaper from 1910 to 1925. We are keen to find out more about the people in the photographs. If you recognise anyone in the images and have any stories and information to add please comment below.
Copies of this photograph may be ordered from us, for more information see: www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt Please make a note of the image reference number above to help speed up your order
The Postcard
A postally unused Martotype Series postcard that was published by Ray & Co. of London E.C. The card was produced at the Fine Art Works in Berlin. The card has a divided back.
Miss Jessie Bateman
Jessie Eliza Bateman (2nd. August 1877 – 14th. November 1940) was an English stage actress. After early success on tour in Shakespearean roles, she built her career both in London and abroad. She had her greatest success in the early years of the 20th century, and her career spanned over half a century.
Bateman made her first professional appearance aged ten at the Alhambra Theatre in a series of ballets. In 1889, she had her first dramatic role at the Globe Theatre as Cobweb in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
In 1890, she appeared at The Prince of Wales Theatre in 'The Rose and the King', and in 1891 in Arthur Sullivan's grand opera, 'Ivanhoe' at The Royal English Opera House.
Bateman spent the next five years with F. R. Benson's Shakespearean touring company, playing increasingly important roles, including Titania in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and Celia in 'As You Like It'.
In 1894 she married George Augustus Ashfordby-Trenchard. He began a military career but soon turned to acting. In 1896, she returned to London and played at the Comedy Theatre, appearing in 'The Guinea Stamp' and 'Mr Martin'.
She was then employed by George Edwardes for a tour of South Africa. There she played a variety of leading roles in such works as 'The Little Minister', a comedy by J. M. Barrie, 'Secret Service', a serio-drama, and 'Under the Red Robe', a romantic drama.
After a brief return to London in 1898, she toured the United States in the title role of 'Peggy Stubbs' and in H. Reeves-Smith's play, 'A Brace of Partridges'. She returned to London with Reeves-Smith, starring with him at the Royalty Theatre as Connie in 'A Little Ray of Sunshine'.
In 1899, she joined Charles Hawtrey's company at the Avenue Theatre in the role of Minnie Templar in 'A Message from Mars', then touring in that role in America, and playing it again at The Prince of Wales Theatre in London.
When the Second Boer War began in 1899, Bateman's husband resumed his military career, but died in South Africa in 1902.
In 1904, Bateman starred as Fairy Rosebud in W. S. Gilbert's 'The Fairy's Dilemma' at the Garrick Theatre. Around this time, she also starred as Fanny in 'The Clandestine Marriage', Nell in 'Everybody's Secret', Imogen in 'The Cabinet Minister', and Acacia Dean in 'Lucky Miss Dean', and with Cyril Maude in 'Beauty and the Barge'.
She joined Gerald du Maurier in 1906 as Gwendoline Conran in 'Raffles' at the Comedy Theatre, which ran for 351 performances, her greatest success to that date. When the run ended in 1907, she married Wilfred G. Chancellor with whom she had three children.
In 1909 she returned to the stage, appearing in 'The Merry Devil' at the Playhouse Theatre as Madame de Tessenari. She appeared in a revival of 'The Whip', by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1910 (in which she rode a horse astride).
Playgoer and Society Illustrated wrote,
'It would be difficult to find a
sweeter Lady Diana Sartorys
than Miss Jessie Bateman".
Bateman continued her stage career for more than twenty years thereafter, and also appeared as Mrs. Wayne in a short film, 'Account Rendered', in 1932. She made her last major appearance on stage in 1933 at the Queen's Theatre in 'Spendlove Hall'.
Jessie died in 1940 at the age of 63.
The Postcard
A postally unused carte postale published by A. Sauvaigo of Nice.
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo refers to an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco.
Monte Carlo (literally "Mount Charles") is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps. Near the quarter's western end is the world-famous Place du Casino, the gambling center which has made Monte Carlo an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth.
It is also the location of the Hôtel de Paris, the Café de Paris, and the Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo).
The quarter's eastern part includes the community of Larvotto with Monaco's only public beach, as well as its new convention center (the Grimaldi Forum), and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort.
At the quarter's western border, one crosses into the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur), and just 8 kilometres (5 mi) to its east is the western border of Italy.
Monte Carlo is host to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place.
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo or Salle Garnier was built to designs of the architect Charles Garnier, who also designed the Paris opera house.
Although much smaller, the Salle Garnier is very similar in style, with decorations in red and gold, and frescoes and sculptures all around the auditorium. It was inaugurated on 25 January 1879 with a performance by Sarah Bernhardt dressed as a nymph.
Monte Carlo has featured in numerous films and television series, most recently in the 2011 movie of the same name.
Monte Carlo was the setting for the 1922 Erich von Stroheim silent film Foolish Wives, although it was filmed in California.
The casino featured in the James Bond films Never Say Never Again (1983), and GoldenEye (1995).
The Car Crash
To Catch a Thief (1954) was an Alfred Hitchcock film with Monte Carlo and its famous casino as the setting. It featured Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, the future Princess Grace of Monaco, as the stars.
There is a scene in the movie where the-then Grace Kelly drives a car very quickly—and dangerously—along the steep winding roads of Monaco that surround the heights of Monte Carlo; a tragic precursor to her actual fate in 1982.
On the 13th. September 1982, Kelly was driving back to Monaco from her country home in Roc Agel. She lost control of her 1971 Rover P6 and drove off the steep, winding road down the 120 foot (37 m) mountainside.
Her daughter Stéphanie, who was in the passenger seat, tried but failed to regain control of the car. Kelly was taken to the Monaco Hospital (later named the Princess Grace Hospital Centre) with injuries to the brain and thorax and a fractured femur.
Doctors believed that she had suffered a minor stroke while driving. She died the following night aged 52 at 10:55 p.m. after Prince Rainier chose to take her off life support.
Stéphanie suffered light concussion and a hairline fracture of a cervical vertebra, and was unable to attend her mother's funeral.
Notable Residents of Monte Carlo
Notable residents of Monte Carlo include:
- Shirley Bassey (singer) United Kingdom
- Bono (singer with U2) Republic of Ireland
- Jenson Button (former Formula One driver) United Kingdom
- David Coulthard (former Formula One driver) United Kingdom
- Mohamed Al-Fayed (ex-Harrods owner) Egypt
- Matthew Goss (professional cyclist) Australia
- Philip Green (entrepreneur) United Kingdom
- Stelios Haji-Ioannou (owner of EasyJet) Cyprus Greece United Kingdom
- Lewis Hamilton (Formula One driver) United Kingdom
- Justin Hayward (singer with the Moody Blues) United Kingdom
- Gina Lollobrigida (actress) Italy
- Helmut Newton (photographer) Germany Australia
- Mike Oldfield (musician) United Kingdom
- Paula Radcliffe (marathon world record holder) United Kingdom
- David Shilling (milliner) United Kingdom
- Ringo Starr (drummer with the Beatles) United Kingdom.
The Postcard
A postally unused carte postale published by Lévy Fils et Cie of Paris.
The Notre-Dame Fire
On the 15th. April 2019, fire broke out in the attic beneath the cathedral's roof at 18:18. At 18:20 the fire alarm sounded and guards evacuated the cathedral. A guard was sent to investigate, but to the wrong location – the attic of the adjoining sacristy – where he found no fire. About fifteen minutes later the error was discovered, but by the time guards had climbed the three hundred steps to the cathedral attic the fire was well advanced.
The alarm system was not designed to automatically notify the fire brigade, which was summoned at 18:51 after the guards had returned. Firefighters arrived within ten minutes.
Fighting the Notre-Dame Fire
More than 400 firefighters were engaged. A hundred government employees along with police and municipal workers moved precious artefacts to safety via a human chain.
The fire was primarily fought from inside the structure, which was more dangerous for personnel, but reduced potential damage to the cathedral - applying water from outside risked deflecting flames and hot gases (at temperatures up to 800 °C) inwards. Deluge guns were used at lower-than-usual pressures to minimise damage to the cathedral and its contents. Water was supplied by pump-boat from the Seine.
Aerial firefighting was not used because water dropped from heights could have caused structural damage, and heated stone can crack if suddenly cooled. Helicopters were also not used because of dangerous updrafts, but drones were used for visual and thermal imaging, and robots for visual imaging and directing water streams. Molten lead falling from the roof posed a special hazard for firefighters.
By 18:52, smoke was visible from the outside; flames appeared within the next ten minutes. The spire of the cathedral collapsed at 19:50, creating a draft that slammed all the doors and sent a fireball through the attic. Firefighters then retreated from within the attic.
Shortly before the spire fell, the fire had spread to the wooden framework inside the north tower, which supported eight very large bells. Had the bells fallen, it was thought that the damage done as they fell could have collapsed the towers, and with them the entire cathedral.
At 20:30, firefighters abandoned attempts to extinguish the roof and concentrated on saving the towers, fighting from within and between the towers. By 21:45 the fire was under control.
Adjacent apartment buildings were evacuated due to concern about possible collapse, but on the 19th. April the fire brigade ruled out that risk. One firefighter and two police officers were injured.
Damage to Notre-Dame
Most of the wood/metal roof and the spire of the cathedral was destroyed, with about one third of the roof remaining. The remnants of the roof and spire fell atop the stone vault underneath, which forms the ceiling of the cathedral's interior. Some sections of this vaulting collapsed in turn, allowing debris from the burning roof to fall to the marble floor below, but most sections remained intact due to the use of rib vaulting, greatly reducing damage to the cathedral's interior and objects within.
The cathedral contained a large number of artworks, religious relics, and other irreplaceable treasures, including a crown of thorns said to be the one Jesus wore at his crucifixion. Other items were a purported piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, the Tunic of St. Louis, a pipe organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and the 14th.-century Virgin of Paris statue.
Some artwork had been removed in preparation for the renovations, and most of the cathedral's sacred relics were held in the adjoining sacristy, which the fire did not reach; all the cathedral's relics survived. Many valuables that were not removed also survived.
Lead joints in some of the 19th.-century stained-glass windows melted, but the three major rose windows, dating back to the 13th. century, were undamaged. Several pews were destroyed, and the vaulted arches were blackened by smoke, though the cathedral's main cross and altar survived, along with the statues surrounding it.
Some paintings, apparently only smoke-damaged, are expected to be transported to the Louvre for restoration. The rooster-shaped reliquary atop the spire was found damaged but intact among the debris. The three pipe organs were not significantly damaged. The largest of the cathedral's bells, the bourdon, was also not damaged. The liturgical treasury of the cathedral and the "Grands Mays" paintings were moved to safety.
Environmental Damage
Airparif said that winds rapidly dispersed the smoke, carrying it away aloft along the Seine corridor. It did not find elevated levels of particulate air pollution at monitoring stations nearby. The Paris police stated that there was no danger from breathing the air around the fire.
The burned-down roof had been covered with over 400 metric tons of lead. Settling dust substantially raised surface lead levels in some places nearby, notably the cordoned-off area and places left open during the fire. Wet cleaning for surfaces and blood tests for children and pregnant women were recommended in the immediate area.
People working on the cathedral after the fire did not initially take the lead precautions required for their own protection; materials leaving the site were decontaminated, but some clothing was not, and some precautions were not correctly followed; as a result, the worksite failed some inspections and was temporarily shut down.
There was also more widespread contamination; testing, clean-up, and public health advisories were delayed for months, and the neighbourhood was not decontaminated for four months, prompting widespread criticism.
Reactions to the Notre-Dame Fire
President of France Emmanuel Macron, postponing a speech to address the Yellow Vests Movement planned for that evening, went to Notre-Dame and gave a brief address there. Numerous world religious and government leaders extended condolences.
Through the night of the fire and into the next day, people gathered along the Seine to hold vigils, sing and pray.
White tarpaulins over metal beams were quickly rigged to protect the interior from the elements. Nettings protect the de-stabilised exterior.
The following Sunday at Saint-Eustache Church, the Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, honoured the firefighters with the presentation of a book of scriptures saved from the fire.
Investigation Into The Notre-Dame Fire
On the 16th. April, the Paris prosecutor said that there was no evidence of a deliberate act.
The fire has been compared to the similar 1992 Windsor Castle fire and the Uppark fire, among others, and has raised old questions about the safety of similar structures and the techniques used to restore them. Renovation works increase the risk of fire, and a police source reported that they are looking into whether such work had caused this incident.
The renovations presented a fire risk from sparks, short-circuits, and heat from welding (roof repairs involved cutting, and welding lead sheets resting on timber). Normally, no electrical installations were allowed in the roof space due to the extreme fire risk.
The roof framing was of very dry timber, often powdery with age. After the fire, the architect responsible for fire safety at the cathedral acknowledged that the rate at which fire might spread had been underestimated, and experts said it was well known that a fire in the roof would be almost impossible to control.
Of the firms working on the restoration, a Europe Echafaudage team was the only one working there on the day of the fire; the company said no soldering or welding was underway before the fire. The scaffolding was receiving electrical supply for temporary elevators and lighting.
The roofers, Le Bras Frères, said it had followed procedure, and that none of its personnel were on site when the fire broke out. Time-lapse images taken by a camera installed by them showed smoke first rising from the base of the spire.
On the 25th. April, the structure was considered safe enough for investigators to enter. They unofficially stated that they were considering theories involving malfunction of electric bell-ringing apparatus, and cigarette ends discovered on the renovation scaffolding.
Le Bras Frères confirmed its workers had smoked cigarettes, contrary to regulations, but denied that a cigarette butt could have started the fire. The Paris prosecutor's office announced on the 26th. June that no evidence had been found to suggest a criminal motive.
The security employee monitoring the alarm system was new on the job, and was on a second eight-hour shift that day because his relief had not arrived. Additionally, the fire security system used confusing terminology in its referencing parts of the cathedral, which contributed to the initial confusion as to the location of the fire.
As of September, five months after the fire, investigators thought the cause of the fire was more likely an electrical fault than a cigarette. Determining the exact place in which the fire started was expected to take a great deal more time and work. By the 15th. April 2020, investigators stated:
"We believe the fire to have been
started by either a cigarette or a
short circuit in the electrical system".
Reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral
On the night of the fire Macron said that the cathedral, which is owned by the state, would be rebuilt, and launched an international fundraising campaign. France's cathedrals have been owned by the state since 1905, and are not privately insured.
The heritage conservation organisation Fondation du Patrimoine estimated the damage in the hundreds of millions of euros, but losses from the fire are not expected to substantially impact the private insurance industry.
European art insurers stated that the cost would be similar to ongoing renovations at the Palace of Westminster in London, which currently is estimated to be around €7 billion.
This cost does not include damage to any of the artwork or artefacts within the cathedral. Any pieces on loan from other museums would have been insured, but the works owned by the cathedral would not have been insurable.
While Macron hoped the cathedral could be restored in time for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, architects expect the work could take from twenty to forty years, as any new structure would need to balance restoring the look of the original building, using wood and stone sourced from the same regions used in the original construction, with the structural reinforcement required for preventing a similar disaster in the future.
There is discussion of whether to reconstruct the cathedral in modified form. Rebuilding the roof with titanium sheets and steel trusses has been suggested; other options include rebuilding in the original lead and wood, or rebuilding with modern materials not visible from the outside (like the reinforced concrete trusses at Reims Cathedral).
Another option would be to use a combination of restored old elements and newly designed ones. Chartres Cathedral was rebuilt with wrought iron trusses and copper sheeting after an 1836 fire.
French prime minister Édouard Philippe announced an architectural design competition for a new spire that would be:
"Adapted to the techniques
and the challenges of our era."
The spire replacement project has gathered a variety of designs and some controversy, particularly its legal exemption from environmental and heritage rules. After the design competition was announced, the French senate amended the government's restoration bill to require the roof to be restored to how it was before the fire.
On the 16th. July, 95 days after the fire, the law that will govern the restoration of the cathedral was finally approved by the French parliament. It recognises its UNESCO World Heritage Site status and the need to respect existing international charters and practices, to:
"Preserve the historic, artistic and architectural
history of the monument, and to limit any
derogations to the existing heritage, planning,
environmental and construction codes to a
minimum".
On the 15th. April 2020, Germany offered to restore some of the large clerestory windows located far above eye level with three expert tradesmen who specialize in rebuilding cathedrals. Monika Grütters, Germany's Commissioner for Culture was quoted as saying that her country would shoulder the costs.
As of the 30th. November all of the tangled scaffolding was removed from the spire area, and was therefore no longer a threat to the building.
The world will now have to wait for Notre-Dame de Paris to be restored to its former magnificence.
© sergione infuso - all rights reserved
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this page without written permission and consent.
-----------------------------
Quidam
Quidam ha debuttato sotto il tendone ad aprile 1996 a Montreal. Da allora, la produzione ha visitato cinque continenti ed ha emozionato milioni di persone. Nel dicembre 2010, Quidam ha intrapreso un nuovo viaggio, presentare la stessa entusiasmante produzione nei palazzetti, partendo dal Nord America. Il cast internazionale comprende 45 acrobati, musicisti, cantanti e artisti di prima classe.
La giovane Zoé è annoiata; i suoi genitori, distanti e apatici, la ignorano. La sua vita ha perso qualsiasi significato. Cercando di riempire il vuoto della sua esistenza, scivola in un mondo immaginario - il mondo di Quidam - dove incontra dei personaggi che la incoraggiano a liberare la sua anima.
Cirque du Soleil
Dai circa 20 artisti di strada di cui la compagnia era formata al suo inizio nel 1984, il Cirque du Soleil, basato in Quebec, è oggi la società leader nel settore dell’entertainment. Il gruppo conta 4.000 lavoratori, di cui oltre 1.200 artisti di oltre 50 nazionalità diverse.
Cast
The cast of Quidam has over 50 acrobats, musicians, singers, and characters, some of which are detailed below.
Zoé: She is the principal character in Quidam. Although average in nature, she longs for excitement.
Father: Completely, though unwittingly, self-absorbed. His white shoes are the only indication of a hidden personality.
Mother: Conveys an air of absence and alienation. Inside her lie fear, frustration, and desire.
Quidam: The show's titular character, who is anonymous, everyone, and no one. He may have stepped out of a surrealist painting or been conjured up out of Zoé's imagination.
John: Part game-show host and part substitute teacher who is the guide through the world of Quidam. Also is represented as a father figure to Zoé hence him stepping into her father's shoes.
Target: A living human bullseye fired at by everyone but is always smiling.
Chiennes Blanches: The silent chorus, the nameless and the faceless, the dehumanized, mechanical crowd, simultaneously leading and following. They also accompany the principal characters as they make their entrances and exits.
Boum-Boum: Enjoys screaming at the audience and walking away proudly, but will run away if an audience member screams back.
Rabbit: A minor character who chases and gets chased by other characters.
Aviator: A character who has skeletal wings who looks like he is not ready to take off.
Les Égarés: Lost individuals who gather together in the streets and abandoned buildings of Quidam. They perform in the banquine act.
Acts
Quidam combines a mix of acrobatic skills and traditional circus acts.
German Wheel: An acrobat performs tricks within a German wheel.
Diabolo: A performer manipulates diabolos (i.e., Chinese yo-yo), which are two sticks linked by a string on which a wooden spool balances.
Aerial contortion in silk: Intensity, power and grace combine when a young woman becomes one with the column of red fabric which supports and cradles her.
Skipping ropes: Drawing inspiration from dance, acrobatics, and the art of manipulation, a group of 20 acrobats performs this familiar child's game in a steady stream of solo, duo, and group jumps and figures.
Aerial hoops: Two performers use hoops attached to the ceiling to perform tricks.
Handbalancing: Using strength and balance, a performer contorts into poses while on balancing canes.
Spanish webs: Artists fly over the stage, attached to trolleys on the overhead tracks. In turn or as a group, they occasionally perform a sudden drop, stopped only by the ropes looped around their waists or ankles.
Statue: Never losing contact, two strong, flexible performers move almost imperceptibly, assuming positions impossible without an impeccable sense of balance.
Banquine: An Italian acrobatic tradition going back to the Middle Ages that combines gymnastics and ballet. Showcasing the agility of the human body, up to 15 artists perform sequences of feats and human pyramids with their perfectly synchronized movements.
Juggling: Up to five balls fly through the air, with additional manipulation of a briefcase, umbrella, and bowler hat.
ShopHouse, Chipotle's New Asian Spin-Off, is open in D.C.
Published in Guess who's back, back again? Sriracha's back, tell a friend - L.A. Biz
Published in How Sriracha Got So Hot
Published in Food experts say one of these 6 ingredients could become the next Sriracha - Yahoo Finance
Published in The 6 ingredients that could be the next Sriracha - SFGate
Published in Chipotle to close its 15 ShopHouse Kitchen Asian restaurants - Denver Business Journal
Published by VEB Hermann Haack, Gotha i 1990. The last such book on the topic. As would be expected, packed with innumerable figures, graphs and pie charts from the Bezirks, showing how the DDR worked economically.
The Postcard
A postally unused postcard bearing an early image of Denise Orme published by Davidson Bros. of London as part of their 'Real Photographic' Series.
Miss Denise Orme
Denise Orme was the stage name of Jessie Smither, Duchess of Leinster, who was born on the 25th. August 1885.
She was an English music hall singer, actress and musician who appeared regularly at the Alhambra and Gaiety Theatres in London in the early years of the 20th century.
-- The Career of Denise Orme
Denise studied at the Royal Academy of Music (where she won the Wessely Violin Exhibition in 1899), and later the Royal College of Music, where she was discovered as a singer by George Edwardes.
Orme's first stage appearance was in 1906 in the chorus of 'The Little Michus' at Daly's Theatre in London, later taking the role of Blanche Marie in that production.
Later the same year, she appeared in the title role of 'See See' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, then appeared in 'The Merveilleuses' into early 1907.
In 1906, she also participated in gramophone recordings of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Mikado'.
After the birth of her first daughter, she returned to the stage in 'The Hon'ble Phil' in October 1908, and as Lady Elizabeth Thanet in 'Our Miss Gibbs' at the Gaiety Theatre, London.
-- The Personal Life of Denise Orme
Denise was married, successively, to an English baron, a Danish millionaire, and an Irish duke. She was the maternal grandmother of Aga Khan IV.
In the 1940's, Orme owned and operated the Beech Hill Hotel at Rushlake Green in Sussex, England.
-- The Death of Denise Orme
Denise died on the 20th. October 1960, having lived for 75 years, 1 month and 26 days or, to put it another way, 27,450 days.
© sergione infuso - all rights reserved
follow me on www.sergione.info
You may not modify, publish or use any files on
this page without written permission and consent.
-----------------------------
Opening-act dei Duran Duran, il 12 giugno 2016, nell’ambito del Street Music Art all’Assago Summer Arena a Milano, le Bloom Twins.
Bloom Twins are a Ukrainian-born English pop music group made up of twin sisters Anna and Sonia Kuprienko. They refer to the style of their music as "dark pop." The girls released their first digital single in June 2013 and are currently producing an EP due in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Sister act Bloom Twins merge several genres, adding flute, harmonica, piano and electronica to a diverse vocal style to create something new, fresh and unique.
After uploading their debut track ‘Fahrenheit’ to You Tube in 2013, Bloom Twins made a double impact on both music and fashion, opening the door to numerous profile pieces in magazines such as Paradigm, Vogue and ID. Soon after, a support slot for Eels at O2 Academy in Liverpool was followed by Iggy’s artist of the week at MTV. 2014 saw numerous releases and videos bringing more attention. Following the release of “Get up, Stand up” the Bloom Twins were featured on BBC NewsNight with Jeremy Paxman and graced pages of broadsheet newspapers such as The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mail as well appeared on Simon Lederman's show on BBC Radio London 94.9, Gary Crowley’s and on BBC Introducing.
A period out of the country halted momentum before they made a breakthrough appearance in Unicef’s Imagine campaign alongside Katy Perry and Will.i.am among other heavyweights of music and media.
A postcard of Dr Charles Sweeting's home at 420 Duval Street C 1900. Postcard published by Key West News Company from the Monroe County Library Collection.
100 x 2025, Theme: RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens, image 13/100.
Thank you to everyone who visits, faves, and comments.
Published February 2, 2014 in „Seid keine Glassholes“: Google veröffentlicht Verhaltensregeln für Google Glass » t3n
Un héros dans le combat contra la peste, un héroe en la lucha contra la Peste Negra, un eroe in la lotta contro la morte nera.
Already in December of the year 1678 occurred in the then suburban "Leopoldstadt" the first cases of plague, but they were covered up and trivialized by the authorities. The disease spread rapidly in other suburbs, which were outside the imperial capital. Thus, the poorer classes belonged to its first victims. Although the number of deaths from month to month rose, all warnings and criticisms of pleague doctor, Paul de Sorbait, on the inadequate situation of the medical service and the hygiene remained unheard.
The dedicated physician had already published in January 1679 a "plague-order", which provided extensive measures to protect the population during an outbreak of plague. In this plague-order Paul de Sorbait described the former knowledge about the disease and described it: "the most part of those so caught by it, with bumps, glands, swelling marks or with splenic fever, brown and black spots and kale, pest lumps in addition to great interior heat and within a few days or hours fatally ends".
In July of the same year the "spark of pestilence" (Pestilenzfunken) jumped over the city walls: A terrible and great death began within the city of Vienna. A chronicler reported, "at last she (= plague) but took the audacity, penetrated into the city itself and caused a shocking defeat among the rich and aristocratic nobility in the palaces and stately buildings. There you saw whole carts full of noble and ignoble, rich and poor, young and old of both sexes, carried out by all alleys to the door."
The people in town were full horror and panic: The bodies lay for days on the road, because there was a lack of infirmary servants and gravediggers. Quick released prisoners then took over those services. Instead of single burials large pits were created outside of the city to accommodate the dead in mass graves. Those who could afford it, fled from the city. Emperor Leopold I and his family left Vienna on 17 August. He first went on a pilgrimage to Mariazell (Styria) and then fled to Prague. As there the plague also broke out, he retreated to Linz, where he remained until the final extinction of the plague in 1680.
The exact number of people who died in 1679 from the plague in Vienna probably never will be determined. The gigantic death rates of contemporary reports, oscillating between 70000 and 120000 dead, from the still preserved coroner's reports can not be proved. According to those records, the disease about 8,000 inhabitants would kill. But it is questionable whether in the prevailing confusion all cases of death were reported to the coroners and how many died on the run.
Plague in Vienna
Detail of the woodcut "Dance of Death"
Hans Holbein the Younger
(public domain)
The great dying - The plague or the "Black Death" in Europe
The plague is one of the severe acute bacterial infectious diseases that today already in case of suspicion are reportable. Only a little more than 100 years ago, at the occasion of the plague epidemics in Hong Kong and India set in the modern pest investigation: The Swiss tropical doctor Alexander Yersin discovered in 1894 the plague pathogen: The bacillus received after this researcher the name "Yersina pestis". Already at that time, the science recognized the role of certain rodents in the pathogenesis of plague epidemics and the participation of the rat flea or human flea as possibilities of transmission of plague to humans.
Since ancient times, the plague was one of the heaviest and most frequent epidemics. However, one designated for a long time also other epidemics such as smallpox or dysentery as pest because they equally were associated with high mortality. The term "pest" but meant in a figurative sense misfortune and ruin. The word therefore in the past has been avoided as far as possible, and the historians tried to express it with other words as "tiresome disease", "burning fever" or "contagion" (= contamination, infection).
In the years 1348 to 1352, Europe was overrun by the worst plague in history. The disease, which evolved to become a pneumonic plague, destroyed a third of the population at that time. According to the estimations, thus around 25 million people were fallen victim to the "Black Death". The pneumonic plague was not transmitted by flea bites - like the bubonic pest - but by highly infectious droplets containing bacilli with coughing and sneezing from person to person. In Vienna this plague epidemic reached its peak in 1349.
In the next 400 years followed at irregular intervals ever new plagues and spread fear, terror and death. Effective drugs were missing, and since the disease by the Catholic Church was interpreted as God's punishment, the population put itself under the protection of many plague saints, the Holy Trinity or the Virgin Mary. Eloquent testimonies of those efforts are still churches and chapels, pest altars, pest crosses and plague columns. The adoration of the Holy Trinity in the time of need of the 17th century especially by newly founded religious brotherhoods was disseminated - thus, also in Vienna in 1679 a Trinity Column was erected - the Plague Column at the Graben. As a monument to the last plague in Vienna in 1713 today reminds the Charles Church, which is, however, devoted to the plague saint Charles Borromeo.
As medical measures against a Pest disease recommended doctors sweating cures, bloodletting, chewing of juniper berries or Angelica roots, but also the administration of theriac, a popular drug of the Middle Ages. Frequently, garlic, laurel, rue, and a mixture of sulfur powder are listed in the prescriptions. The recipes, however, differ as to whether they are used for poor or rich Pest patients. One of the few effective medical attendances was the opening of the bumps (buboes) to drain the pus, which also the sufferers felt as a blessing. As a miracle drug was considered the applying of an impaled toad on the bumps, previously put in vinegar or wine bath. Such prepared toads were also attributed great healing power during the plague in 1679 in Vienna.
Quotes:
From Vienna "plague-order" of pest doctor Paul de Sorbait, 1679
"after the experience brings with it that cleanliness is a strange useful and necessary means, both to prevent the intrusion of infection, as well as the same to avert. Herentwegen (= hence) uncleanliness causes such evil and keeps it. So is our earnest command, that firstly no blood, viscera, heads and leggs of the killed cattle, nor herb leaves, crabs, snails, egg shells or other filth (= waste, manure) on those streets and squares (must be) poured out: ditto (Ingleichen) no dead dog, cats or poultry are thrown into the streets, but all of them carried out of the city".
From "Merck's Wienn" of preacher Abraham a Sancta Clara, 1680
"As a whole, there is not a lane or a road wich the raging death had not crossed. Throughout the month, in Vienna and around Vienna one saw nothing else but wearing the dead, conducting the dead, dragging the dead and burying the dead".
"From what the plague was caused but I know all of that/ that this poisonous arrow (= plague) mehristen Theil (= for the most part) from the hand of God is abgetruckt (= shot)/how its diverse testimony proves the divine Scripture (= Bible). From which apparently manifest and obvious/that the pestilence was a ruthe (= rod)/so the sublime hand of God wreaths I trust but leastwise the tree to show /from which God the rod braids. This tree is the sin".
* Song of dear Augustine
Oh du (you) lieber (dear) Augustin
S'money is gone, d'joy is gone,
Oh du lieber Augustin,
Everything is gone!
Oh, and even the rich Vienna
poor now as Augustine
Sighs with me in the same sense
Everything is gone!
Every day otherwise was a feast,
Now what? Plague, the plague!
Now only a huge nest of corpses,
That's the rest!
Oh du lieber Augustin,
Lie only down into the grave you,
Oh my dear Vienna
Everything is gone!
Text source: Rathauskorrespondenz
Plague in Vienna
Plague doctor - through these clothes the doctors during the plague epidemic of 1656 in Rome hoped to protect themselves from the pest contamination. They wore a wax jacket, a type of protective eyewear and gloves. In the beak there were "wolriechende Specerey (odoriferous specialties)".
(public domain)
www.wien-konkret.at/sehenswuerdigkeiten/pestsaeule/pest-i...
The Postcard
A postcard that was published in 1910 by Stengel & Co. of Dresden. The card has a divided back. It looks as though some form of market was in progress when the photograph was taken.
The card was posted in Graz on Friday the 6th. October 1911 to:
Mister Arthur Craig,
26, Hillend Road,
Arbroath,
Scotland.
Graz
Graz is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria, a green and heavily-forested region on the eastern edge of the Alps.
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of the 1st. January 2021, Graz had a population of 331,562.
Graz is known as a college and university city, with four colleges and four universities. Combined, the city is home to more than 60,000 students. Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe.
In 1999, the city's historic centre was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, and in 2010 the designation was expanded to include the Eggenberg Palace on the western edge of the city.
Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003, and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008.
Origin of the Graz Name
The name of the city, formerly spelled Gratz, most likely stems from the Slavic 'Gradec,' which means 'Small Castle'. Some archaeological finds point to the erection of a small castle by Alpine Slavic people, which over time became a heavily defended fortification.
The German name 'Graz' first appeared in records in 1128.
Graz is situated on both sides of the Mur River in southeast Austria. It is about 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Vienna (Wien). the south. Graz is the state capital and largest city in . It is located in the Graz Basin and surrounded by mountains and hills to the north, east and west.
The city center sits at an elevation of 353 m (1,158 ft), the highest point is Plabutsch mountain with 754 m (2,474 ft) at the western border. The mountain Schöckl is just a few kilometers to the north, and surmounts the city by 1,100 m (3,600 ft).
History of Graz
During the 12th. century, dukes under Babenberg rule made the town an important commercial center. Later, Graz came under the rule of the Habsburgs and, in 1281, gained special privileges from King Rudolph I.
In the 14th. century, Graz became the city of residence of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs. They lived in the Schlossberg castle, and from there ruled Styria, Carinthia, most of today's Slovenia, as well as parts of Italy (Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Trieste).
In the 16th. century, the city's design and planning were primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings representative of this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell'Allio, and used by the local rulers as a governmental headquarters.
The University of Graz was founded by Archduke Karl II in 1585. It is the city's oldest university. For most of its existence, it was controlled by the Catholic church, and was closed in 1782 by Joseph II in an attempt to gain state control over educational institutions.
Joseph II transformed it into a lyceum where civil servants and medical personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-established as a university by Emperor Franz I, and was named 'Karl-Franzens Universität.' More than 30,000 students are currently enrolled at this university.
Astronomer Johannes Kepler lived in Graz for a short period beginning in 1594. He worked as district mathematician and taught at the Lutheran school, but still found time to study astronomy. He left Graz for Prague in 1600 when Protestants were banned from the city.
Ludwig Boltzmann was Professor for Mathematical Physics from 1869 to 1890. Nobel Laureate Otto Loewi taught at the University of Graz from 1909 until 1938.
Ivo Andrić, the 1961 Nobel Prize for Literature Laureate obtained his doctorate at the University of Graz. Erwin Schrödinger was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936.
Graz is home to the region's provincial armory, which is the world's largest historical collection of late medieval and Renaissance weaponry. It has been preserved since 1551, and displays over 30,000 items.
Archduke Karl II of Inner Austria had 20,000 Protestant books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in returning Styria to the authority of the Holy See.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz in what is now the Stadtmuseum.
On the 2nd. April 1945, while the heaviest Allied bombing raid of Graz occurred, the Gestapo and Waffen-SS committed a massacre against resistance fighters, Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers, and POWs at the SS barracks at Graz-Wetzelsdorf.
Main Features of Graz
For the year that Graz was Cultural Capital of Europe, new structures were erected. The Graz Museum of Contemporary Art (German: Kunsthaus) was designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, and is situated next to the Mur river. The Island in the Mur is a floating platform made of steel. It was designed by American architect Vito Acconci, and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.
The Historic Centre of Graz
The historic centre of the city consists of over 1,000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to contemporary.
The most important sights in the historic centre are:
-- Town Hall (Rathaus).
-- The Castle Hill, a hill dominating the historic centre (475 m (1,558.40 ft) high), site of a demolished fortress, with views over Graz.
-- The Clock Tower (Uhrturm) is a symbol of Graz, at the top of the Castle Hill.
-- The New Gallery (Neue Galerie), a museum of art.
-- The Castle Hill funicular (Schlossbergbahn), a funicular railway on the Castle Hill's slope.
-- The seat of Styria's provincial parliament (Landhaus), a palace in Lombardic style. It is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria, and was built by Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio between 1557 and 1565.
-- The Armoury (Landeszeughaus) is the largest of its kind in the world.
-- The Graz Opera House (Opernhaus), the principal venue for opera, ballet, and operetta performances. It is the 2nd. largest opera house in Austria.
-- The Graz Theatre (Schauspielhaus), Graz's principal theatre for productions of plays.
-- The Cathedral (Dom), a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there were many frescos on the outer walls; today, only a few remain, like the Landplagenbild ("picture of plagues") painted in 1485, presumably by Thomas von Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks, all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz.
-- The Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the Cathedral, the most important building of Mannerism in Graz. It includes both the grave where Ferdinand II and his wife are buried, and a church dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria.
-- The Graz City Park, located in the middle of the city centre during the Habsburg monarchy. During the Covid-19 pandemic, eccentric parties were celebrated there. The man responsible, Jonas Fabio Cristo Pinter, an Italian club owner, was arrested and the partying stopped.
-- The Castle (Burg), with a Gothic double staircase, was built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor Frederick III, because the old castle on the Schlossberg Hill was too small and uncomfortable. The castle remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves as residence for the Styrian government.
-- The Painted House. It is completely covered with frescos painted in 1742 by Johann Mayer.
-- The Museum of Contemporary Art Graz (Kunsthaus).
-- The Island in the Mur (Murinsel), an artificial island in the Mur River.
-- Buildings, inner courtyards (e. g. the Early Renaissance courtyard of the Former House of Teutonic Knights in Sporgasse 22) and roofscape of the old town.
-- Hauptplatz. The statue in the centre of the square commemorates Erzherzog Johann von Österreich / Archduke John of Austria, who was born in Florence in 1782 and died in Graz in 1859. Johann was an Austrian field marshal and Imperial regent who was a great modernizer and an important figure of identification for Styria
The monument features a large bronze statue (3.1 m high) of Archduke Johann in courtly civilian clothes with a document in his right hand. It stands on a square pedestal.
On the corners of the pedestal are allegorical statues representing the cornerstones of the Archduke's achievements:
-- Eisenbahnbau - Railway construction, a scholar with a triangle, blueprint and an arch.
-- Wissenschaft - Science, a classical female figure with a parchment role and a globe.
-- Bergbau - Mining, an old miner.
-- Landwirtschaft - Agriculture, a young woman with a corn wreath.
The statue stands in a fountain basin which has on its four corners allegorical representations of the rivers in Styria,
Graz Museums
The most important museums in Graz are:
-- Schloss Eggenberg with Alte Galerie featuring paintings and sculptures from the Romanesque to the end of the Baroque period, a Coin Collection, a Lapidarium (Roman stonework collection), an Archeological Museum, along with a special exhibition area and the 90,000 square metre landscaped gardens.
-- Museum im Palais: museum of Styrian cultural history from the Middle Ages to the present.
-- Neue Galerie: visual arts from the 19th. and 20th. centuries.
-- Natural History Museum: exhibition of botany, mineralogy and zoology.
-- Stadtmuseum Graz: city museum.
-- Kunsthaus: exhibition hall of contemporary art.
-- Forum Stadtpark: museum of contemporary art.
-- Camera Austria: museum of contemporary photography.
-- Landeszeughaus: medieval armory comprising 32,000 pieces of armour and weaponry, largest of its kind in the world.
-- Volkskundemuseum: museum of folk culture and lore.
-- Diözesanmuseum: museum of the Roman Catholic Church.
-- Künstlerhaus: exhibition hall of contemporary visual arts.
-- Literaturhaus: museum of contemporary German literature.
-- Museum der Wahrnehmung: museum of the senses, samadhi bath.
-- Kindermuseum Frida & Fred: museum for children.
-- Tramway Museum: 40 historic trams, the oldest dating from 1873.
-- Kriminalmuseum: museum of criminology.
-- Luftfahrtmuseum: (Graz airport) aviation museum.
-- Hanns Schell Collection: key and lock museum, largest of its kind in the world.
-- Austrian Sculpture Park: seven hectares of contemporary sculpture.
-- Botanical Garden of Graz: three architecturally interesting glass houses plus gardens.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, on the 6th. October 1911, after holding his last cabinet meeting, Sir Wilfrid Laurier formally resigned as Canadian Prime Minister, in favor of Robert L. Borden, who was sworn in four days later.
David T. Griggs
The day also marked the birth in Columbus, Ohio of David T. Griggs, American geologist described as "the father of modern rock mechanics." David died in 1974.
Elmer McCurdy
On the following day, the 7th. October 1911, Elmer McCurdy, 31, was shot and killed by lawmen in Oklahoma, having botched a train robbery three days earlier.
McCurdy achieved fame 65 years later when in December 1976, a TV crew discovered that a dummy on display in an amusement park in Long Beach, California, was actually McCurdy's mummified body.
McCurdy finally received a burial in Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 1977.
Sur le seuil
À l’abri du passage, un couple s’est installé sur le seuil d’une porte pour manger rapidement une petite collation. Quelques minutes volées au rythme de la journée, assis côte à côte dans un espace qui n’était pas destiné à devenir un lieu de repas. La rue devient alors une salle à manger improvisée, offrant un instant de pause et de proximité au milieu du tumulte urbain.
#infinity_street
#blackandwhitephoto
#BW
#capturetocreate
@competencephoto
#concoursreponsesphoto
#gf_streets
#lensculturestreets
#life_is_street
#MySPC
#photographer
#photographiederue_paris
#photographiederuenoiretblanc
#photojournalısm
My photograph was published in the December issue of the Modern Luxury Dallas magazine (media.modernluxury.com/digital.php?e=DALL)! I requested the editor to send me a copy and he sent me two. That is what came in the mail today! :D
Original photo in comments.
Co. D, 33rd ILL. Infantry
Pages 568-569 from A Twentieth century history and biographical record of Crawford County, Kansas, by Home Authors; Illustrated. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, IL : 1905.
GEORGE W. ROBINSON
George W. Robinson, carrier on rural free delivery route No. 1 out of Cherokee, where he is a resident, has lived in the state of Kansas for the past thirty-eight years, and has made a capable and worthy record as a citizen and man of affairs, and is also esteemed as one of the honored veterans of the Civil war.
He was a boy of eighteen years when he responded to the first call that went out for three-year men to put down the rebellion, and he enlisted at Taylorville, Christian county, Illinois, in August, 1861, in Company D, Thirty-third Illinois Infantry, under Captain H. H. Pope and Colonel Charles E. Hovey. From Bloomington, Illinois, this regiment was sent to the field of hostilities in Missouri, and most of his campaigning was done in that state and in Arkansas. He was at Pilot Knob until the spring of 1862, and then took part in numerous skirmishes and small engagements in southeastern Missouri. At St. Louis, Missouri, he was honorably discharged on account of disability, being afflicted with tuberculosis. He then returned to Illinois and as soon as his health permitted he engaged in farming.
Mr. Robinson was born in Shelby county, Illinois, February 9, 1843, the same year in which the birth of President McKinley occurred. He was a son of William Lang and Lydia Elizabeth (Strador) Robinson, father a native of Virginia and mother of North Carolina, and they were among the earliest settlers of Shelby county, Illinois, going there in 1826, when the country was wild and undeveloped, when game was plentiful in the woods and prairies, when the dwellings were log cabins heated by fireplaces, and all other things were primitive and uncouth. The father died on the Wabash river in 1852, at the age of fifty-six, but the mother came out to Kansas, where she died in 1879, at the age of sixty-nine. These parents were noted for their many excellences of heart and mind, and their generous hospitality was always in evidence, especially during their early life in Illinois, when the latch string was always to be found on the outside of the door, where friend and stranger alike might enter freely. There were thirteen children in their family, seven sons and six daughters, and two other of the sons were soldiers in the Civil war—John M., who died in 1876 and was a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois under General Logan, and P. P., who served on the western frontier.
Mr. Robinson was reared on the Illinois farm, where he was taught to work, but he received only six months' schooling in all his life, although home study and diligent application to the practical affairs of life have compensated for these early deficiencies. Shortly after the war he came to Kansas and settled in Neosho county, near St. Paul, where he was a resident until he came to Cherokee in 1899. He owns two excellent houses in the best part of town, and has made an excellent success in business and industrial affairs and is accounted one of the substantial men of the town and county, where he is very popular. He received his appointment as rural mail carrier on October 1, 1903.
Mr. Robinson was married at Neosho, Kansas, to Eliza Wilson, who became the mother of seven children, as follows: J. W., who is a successful contractor on cement work in Kansas City; Oscar W., who is a carriage painter; E. K., who is a soldier in the Eighteenth United States Infantry and has been in the Philippines for five years; Nettie Bennett, of Neosho county; Dora Williams, who died leaving four children: Leonard, who died at the age of twenty-one; and Pearl B., who died in 1897 at the age of sixteen. Mr. Robinson is independent in politics, and in religion is a Baptist.
Published by Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, N.C.
Beautiful Florida Series
C.T. American Art Colored by Curt Teich
0A3099
T-23
Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of squirrels with black coloration on their fur. The phenomenon occurs with several species of squirrels, although it is most frequent with the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger). Black morphs of the eastern gray and fox squirrels are the result of a variant pigment gene. Several theories have surfaced as to why the black morph occurs, with some suggesting that the black morph is a selective advantage for squirrels inhabiting the northern ranges of the species, with the black fur providing a thermal advantage over its non-melanistic counterpart.
Black squirrels share the same natural range as their non-melanistic counterparts. Black morphs of eastern gray squirrels occur most frequently in the northern portion of its range around the Great Lakes Basin. Conversely, black morphs of fox squirrels typically occur most frequently in the southeastern portions of the species' natural range, the southeastern United States. Although they are found more frequently in those regions, the coloration remains uncommon in most areas that these species inhabit. However, black morphs of eastern gray squirrels form the majority of the species' population in the Canadian province of Ontario, and the U.S. state of Michigan. In addition to their natural range, black morphs of eastern gray squirrels were also introduced into other areas of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Several municipalities and post-secondary schools in the United States have adopted a black squirrel for branding purposes, using it as a symbol and/or mascot. Some municipalities that have adopted the black squirrels as a symbol for their community have also passed ordinances that discourage attempts to threaten them.
Description
The black coloration in both eastern gray squirrels and fox squirrels is believed to stem from a variant pigment gene.[1] A study published by FEBS Letters in 2014 demonstrated how a pigment gene missing a piece of DNA, can be a determinant of an eastern gray squirrel's coat. The emergence of black fur in the eastern gray squirrel is believed to be the result of the 24 bp deletion from their melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene; with the specific allele referred to as MC1R∆24 A study published by BMC Evolutionary Biology pointed to evidence that the variant pigment gene originated from the black fox squirrel, and was later passed on to eastern gray squirrels as a result of interspecies mating; given that the variant gene in both species were identical. Black coat color is caused by a 24 base pair deletion in MC1R in the western population of fox squirrels and by a point mutation in the agouti-signaling protein gene in the southeastern population.
Black morphs may also occur with Columbian ground squirrels, Eurasian red squirrels, Richardson's ground squirrels, and western gray squirrels, although it is far more unusual for the latter to display color polymorphism. No association between melanism and variations in their MC1R was found in Eurasian red squirrels; with researchers suggesting that the different color variations (including black morphs) in Eurasian red squirrels, and fox squirrels being a polygenic result. Melanism with Richardson's ground squirrels is due to recessive genes.
Benefits of black fur
With regard to black squirrels and melanism, two major theories dominate the literature, that its frequency is the result of crypsis, and/or the result of thermoregulation.
Concealment
It has been theorized that non-melanistic gray squirrels have a concealment advantage in forests dominated by deciduous trees, while black squirrels hold a concealment advantage in forested areas in the northern portions of its range, where conifer trees are more prevalent. The theory is based on the idea that forests where coniferous trees are predominant block more sunlight from reaching the forest below, providing a dimly-lit habitat in which a darker-coated squirrel could better conceal itself compared to its lighter counterpart. It is also suggested that non-melanistic squirrels have a concealment advantage over their melanistic counterparts in deciduous forests because deciduous trees shed their leaves on a seasonal basis, illuminating the forested area below it during the winter season. A study conducted in 1989 on melanistic fox squirrels found the non-melanistic coloration better for concealment while the squirrel was still, but a melanistic coloration provided better concealment for when it was in motion.
The frequency of black morph eastern gray squirrels is thought to have been once relatively common throughout the eastern gray squirrel range, although their frequency and population have dwindled since the 1700s. It has been suggested that their population declined due to extensive deforestation and the hunting of squirrels for their meat and pelts; with the newly changed environment providing non-melanistic gray-colored squirrels an advantage in concealment. However, the theory that the black morphs squirrels were more prevalent prior to the 1700s, and that deforestation led to their decline has been challenged by some researchers. One study found a high frequency of black eastern gray squirrels lived in rural southern Ontario, an area primarily made up of farmland.
Melanism in fox squirrels in the southeast portion of its natural range has also been associated with crypsis, as it inhabits forests that go through periodic burnings. It has been suggested that black squirrels would be harder to detect in forests already burned, due to the blackened substrate.
Thermoregulation
It has also been suggested that black morph squirrels have a considerably higher cold tolerance than gray squirrels given the color of their coat. Black-coated animals were found to have 18 percent lower heat loss in temperatures below −10 °C (14 °F), a 20 percent lower metabolic rate, and a non-shivering thermogenesis capacity that is higher than a gray morph. Additionally, researchers of the color morph have noted a strong negative correlation with the frequency of black squirrels and areas with high air temperature.
The black coat has been suggested as a selective advantage for squirrels inhabiting the northern ranges of the species, as it helps them inhabit colder regions. The apparent thermal advantage has contributed to the expansion of the eastern gray squirrel's range northward following the end of the last glacial period. Black morph eastern gray squirrels have been reported as far north as Sudbury, Ontario, past the traditional range of the eastern gray squirrels.
A study published by the European Journal of Ecology in 2019 on eastern fox squirrels found that the melanistic morphs of the species saw a noticeable increase in their surface temperature (fur and skin) in both sunny and cloudy weather; whereas the non-melanistic fox squirrels only saw their surface temperature increase when it was sunny with no cloud cover. Its ability to gain heat in sunny and cloudy conditions is believed to be the reason why melanistic squirrels are more active during winter mornings. However, the same study noted that there was no difference in metabolic heat production between the color morphs.
Reproduction
Among eastern squirrels, gray mating pairs cannot produce black offspring. Gray squirrels have two copies of a gray pigment gene and black squirrels have either one or two copies of a black pigment gene. If a black squirrel has two copies of the black gene it will be jet black. If it has one copy of a black gene and one gray gene it will be brown-black. Approximately nine percent of melanistic eastern gray squirrels are believed to be jet black. In areas with high concentrations of black squirrels, litters of mixed-color individuals are common.
Differences with non-melanistic squirrels
A study conducted in 1990 of black and gray morphs of the eastern gray squirrel concluded that there was no major difference in behavior between the morphs. The same study also found no difference between the morphs when reacting to either a human or canid predator. However, another study in 2010 also found that gray morphs of the eastern gray squirrel were more prone to initiate flight than black morphs after hearing a red-tailed hawk; although the fact that black morphs were less likely to initiate flight after hearing a red-tailed hawk may not be an effect of pigmentation, rather the environment they inhabit. Given the higher frequency of black morphs in an urban setting, it has been suggested that black morphs have a higher tolerance for human/urban stimuli. It has also been suggested that behavioral differences with regard to mating may exist between the urban and rural populations of eastern gray squirrels.
A 2019 study on fox squirrels found that there was no noticeable difference in metabolism between the different color morphs of that species. However, the same study on fox squirrels found that melanistic fox squirrels were more active than their non-melanistic counterparts during the winter and spring months, with melanistic fox squirrels found to be 30 percent more active during the mornings than their non-melanistic counterparts. Conversely the non-melanistic fox squirrels were more active during the autumn season. It has been suggested that the black squirrel's higher heat gain for its surface temperature is the reason why they are able to be active earlier in the day and remain active longer.
Distribution
Natural populations of black morph eastern gray and fox squirrels can be found in the natural ranges of both species in North America, although their frequency varies depending on the area. Black fur for both species of squirrels is rare and occurs at rates of less than one percent. It has been suggested that one in 10,000 eastern gray squirrels are a black morph.
It has been suggested that the frequency of the black color morph in the eastern gray squirrel populations has declined since the late 1700s, especially south of the Great Lakes. There is a higher frequency of the black morph in the northern portions of the eastern gray squirrel's range; which includes the southern portions of central Canada and northern United States. In particular, large populations of black squirrels are found within the Great Lakes Basin, with a notable increase in their frequency between the 41st parallel north and the 45th parallel north.
Black squirrels occur with the highest frequency in Ontario and Michigan, and are the predominant color morph found in those areas; with the black morph accounting for 66 percent of squirrels documented on iNaturalist in Ontario, and 56 percent in Michigan. Significant populations of black morphs are also present in the other provinces/states that surround the Great Lakes; with approximately 15 percent of the eastern grey squirrels in those regions reported to be melanistic. Black squirrel populations south of the Great Lakes remain largely localized, with the frequency of black squirrels varying from one region to another. Black squirrels were found to be more common in urban areas as opposed to rural areas and forests. Among exurban populations of eastern gray squirrels, the black morph only occurs in high frequencies in Ontario, and northern Michigan.
Conversely, black morphs of fox squirrels occur with the highest frequency in the southeastern portion of its natural range, the southeastern United States. Like the eastern gray squirrels, the frequency of black fox squirrels is dependent on the area, reaching a maximum frequency of 13 percent. Although they occur more frequently in the southeastern United States, large populations of black morph fox squirrels may be found in other areas of the species' natural range; including Council Bluffs, Iowa, around the Missouri River. Approximately half of the fox squirrels found in Council Bluffs are melanistic. Melanistic fox squirrels in Council Bluffs have since expanded across the Missouri River to other areas in the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area; with melanistic fox squirrels now accounting for 4.6 to 7.6 percent of fox squirrels in Omaha.
Introduced populations
Reintroduction programs
Several populations of black morph squirrels were the result of reintroduction/re-population programs intended to reintroduce the species and/or the black morph to areas they once inhabited, but had been wiped out by human hunting and predators in previous centuries.
Black squirrels in Washington, D.C. originated from eighteen black morphs captured at Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario and released in the parks around the National Mall in 1902 and in 1906 by Teddy Roosevelt. There remains a level of uncertainty as to why the black morphs were introduced into the National Mall; although representatives from the Smithsonian Museum suggest their introduction may have been part of a larger effort to revitalize the local eastern gray squirrel population whittled down by human hunting. By the 1960s, the black morphs had spread beyond the parks that surround the National Mall, although were largely contained by the Capital Beltway. In 2005, it was estimated that black morphs comprised between 5 and 25 percent of all eastern gray squirrels in that area.
The present population of black eastern gray squirrels in Battle Creek, Michigan was reportedly introduced in 1915 by John Harvey Kellogg, who wanted to repopulate the area with the species after their populations were devastated in the previous centuries by predators and human hunters. He reportedly received 400 eastern gray squirrels from Kent County, Michigan, including some black morphs, and released them into the community. Researchers north of Battle Creek, at the Kellogg Biological Station, later trapped some black morph eastern gray squirrels in 1958 and 1962, and released them on the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University at the behest of the university's president.
Black morphs were once present in Ohio, although the color morph was extirpated from the state by 1930. However, an initiative to reintroduce the black morphs into the squirrel population was undertaken in 1961 by Kent State University, based in Portage County. The university, in coordination from the Canadian and U.S. governments, released ten black squirrels from London, Ontario onto its campus grounds in an effort to reintroduce the black morphs into the area. By 1964, the Record-Courier reported the number of black squirrel increased to 150. Black morphs of the eastern gray squirrels have since expanded through northeastern Ohio.
Introduced/non-native populations
Several populations of black morph squirrels were introduced into the area by accident. Some of these black morph populations have been embraced by their communities, although others are viewed as an invasive species to the local ecosystem.
The introduction of black squirrels in the Quad Cities occurred in the 19th century. According to one story, recounted in the book The Palmers, they were first introduced on the Rock Island Arsenal by either the Palmer family or the base commander. According to the story, some of the black morphs later escaped the arsenal by jumping across ice floes on the Mississippi River when it was frozen, and populated the other areas on Rock Island.
Eastern gray squirrels, including their black morphs, were introduced into British Columbia during the early 1900s. The species was also later introduced into other areas of Canada to which it was not native, such as Calgary, Alberta. The majority of the eastern gray squirrels in Calgary originated as pets, or zoo animals that escaped captivity during the 1930s. As in Ontario, black eastern gray squirrels are now the predominant morph of the species found in Calgary.
The black morph population in Marysville, Kansas were supposedly released into the area by accident. Reportedly the black morphs were brought to Marysville during the 1920s as a part of an exhibit for a circus, but were accidentally released after a child opened the cage holding the black morphs. Attempts to replicate Marysville city branding success with the black squirrels was also attempted by residents of Hobbs, New Mexico; who reportedly took some black morphs from Marysville to populate Hobbs. However, they were unsuccessful in introducing the black morphs into Hobbs, with the local squirrel population reportedly killing the black squirrels that were released there.
The population of black squirrels in Massachusetts's Pioneer Valley originated from two shipments of Michigan black squirrels sent to Frank Stanley Beveridge, the founder of Stanley Park in Westfield. Beveridge reportedly released the black squirrels into the park he established during the late 1940s. The population of black squirrels has since spread throughout the Pioneer Valley, with large populations existing in Amherst and Westfield. During this same period, black squirrels from Canada were also released at parks in Princeton, New Jersey.
Black morphs of eastern gray squirrels are also present in the United Kingdom. The black squirrel population in the UK originates from black morphs brought over from North America, as opposed to a mutation that occurred with the existing population of non-melanistic eastern gray squirrels. However, how the species was introduced into the country's ecosystem remains undetermined. Some suggest the black morph population originated from squirrels released into the wild in the 19th century, while others assert the population originated from black morphs in zoos that escaped captivity. The first black squirrel to be recorded in the wild in the United Kingdom was in 1912, in Woburn, Bedfordshire. By 2009, the black morph accounted for nearly half of all squirrels in Cambridgeshire and in other areas of England, including Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. There are an estimated 25,000 black morphs squirrels in the East of England in 2009. However, as eastern gray squirrels (both non-melanistic and black morphs) threaten the local Eurasian red squirrel population, local authorities have begun to regulate and control the spread of the species in parts of England.
In culture
Black squirrels have been adopted by several cities and post-secondary institutions in the United States for the purposes of public relations branding, often making the black morphs a mascot.
The city of Marysville, Kansas, adopted the black morph squirrels as an official mascot of the city in 1972, and the "Black Squirrel Song" becoming the town's official anthem in 1987. The same legislation that made it an official mascot provided the "mascots" the freedom to trespass on all city property, "immunity" from all traffic regulations, and the "first pick of all black walnuts growing within the city". Marysville is one of several communities in the United States that have enacted specific legislation to protect the black morph populations, given their low frequency south of the Great Lakes. Other cities that provide legal protection for black squirrels include Council Bluffs, Iowa; which enacted an ordinance that discourages attempts to threaten them.
Several universities also use a black squirrel as an "unofficial" mascot or symbol for their institutions for public relations purposes. Post-secondary institutions typically adopt the black squirrel as an informal mascot for branding purposes, in an effort to further their recognition and visibility and to present an image of a "fun college campus". The black squirrel has been used as an "unofficial" mascot of Kent State University, and the county it resides in since the late 20th century. Kent State University hosts an annual "Black Squirrel Festival," a festival that commemorates the introduction of the species on the university campus in 1961. In 2009, a statue of a black squirrel was unveiled on the campus. The Kent State University Press named a trade imprint Black Squirrel Books, after the black morph eastern gray squirrels that inhabit its campus. Other post-secondary that have also attracted print and digital publicity for its relationship with black squirrels includes Augustana College, the College of Wooster, and Sarah Lawrence College. The athletics program for Haverford College, the Haverford Fords, also adopted the black squirrel as an official mascot.
Literature
Black squirrels are major characters in British author Robin Jarvis's fantasy trilogies The Deptford Mice and The Deptford Histories, which feature anthropomorphic animals. They are portrayed as being of royal blood and are regarded as the wisest and noblest type of squirrel.
In Celtic folklore, black squirrels were associated with magic, occult knowledge, and the otherworld.
Black squirrels inhabit the forest of Mirkwood in the legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien