View allAll Photos Tagged purpose
Putrajaya, blue hour. I have no idea what is the purpose of this strange but beautiful looking object. Is it a shelter? If it is, it gives no protection whatsoever against the sun, let alone the rain. Form need not follow function, i guess!
HDR exposure fusion instead of my usual "detail enhancer" tonemapping.
request for our private HDRi workshop any time before April 2013 and you will be entitled to a special discount to our Guided Photo Tour : Sabah 2013. more info here:
HDR/DRI lesson is available upon request. PM me for details :)
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"7 Days of Shooting" "Week #49" "Plastic" "Worn and Weathered Thursday"
An old toothbrush re-purposed for cleaning around taps.
I'm supposed to be generating website content and I swear I am but sometimes Black Dragon hits just right, you know?
Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Anahuac, Texas, USA
I'm still working on images from a Texas trip last year. Raise your hand if you know why this duck is called a Blue-winged Teal. Look for Blue-winged Teal on calm bodies of water from marshes to small lakes. The prairie-pothole region is the heart of their breeding range, where they thrive in grassy habitats intermixed with wetlands.
Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.
Nikon Z9 camera with Nikon 500mm f 5.6 E PF lens.
1/3200 F5.6 ISO 500
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
In Chindia Tower, Targoviste, Romania
The Chindia Tower (Turnul Chindiei) is a tower in the Royal Court (Curtea Domnească) monuments ensemble in Târgovişte, Romania, built in the 15th century. The tower was begun during the second reign of Prince Vlad III the Impaler over Wallachia, taking its final form during the 19th century. It initially had a military purpose, but during history it has been used as a guard point, a fire spotter and for storing and protecting the state treasury. Between 1847 and 1851, the Chindia Tower was completely restored by Gheorghe Bibescu, who added 5 metres (16 ft) to its height. The building in its current form has a height of 27 metres (89 ft) and a diameter of 9 metres (30 ft). (Wikipedia)
“I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.”
― Anna Funder, Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall
Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmWCAvCRJ1o
WHEREVER I GO - Mark Knopfler ft. Ruth Moody (Official Video)
Video filmed in one of the most beautifully timeless and tranquil places on this Earth, known as The Sixth Continent back in the day and a place very close to my heart and near to where I am very fortunate to have found my forever home and true love. Features “my pirate boat” too! : 0))
I dedicate this to my love. Life keeps testing us, but we keep slaying dragons. You've been my rock and now let me be yours. Wherever you go, we go. We are in this together … <3
In the Pullman Observation car
there is a sense of what might have been
the scent of polished wood and gleaming brass
upholstered seats in plush purple velvet sheen
the parents of a small boy watch in awe
as the train that will transport us back in time
has yet to turn; attach itself
the scene is set; we are all within a paradigm
the boy with hair as rich as Autumn's coat
distracts himself in a virtual world
how I wish he was reading an actual book
as he would surely have done in the past that held
so many books; so little time
life was short back then, no doubt
a glimpse of the past; interrupted by
the station master's deafening shout
the toot of the train; the whistle is blown
the last door is closed; no-one else can board
the shunt as the engine begins it's journey
please no-one pull the emergency cord
the windows in this car are large
for observing better; cost just a little more
well worth it to film and take photographs
needs a steady hand to avoid the floor
at last we are away; slowly at first
then picking up speed on the straight
the smoke billowing up and over the train
we are making good time; we shall not be late
we are on our way to the Summer residence
of that well-known novelist; Queen of Crime
Agatha Christie; a firm favourite of mine
how I wish I could have lived in that olden time
I quite fancy myself as an amateur sleuth
collating the facts and deducing them until
I have a clear picture of the perpetrator
who dunnit in which room and what weapon
whether or not the victim fell ill or was killed
dragging myself from my reverie
back to this present moment in time
I noticed the stripes on the mum and dad
and the striped chevrons of the carriage
fading away in the distance now
I am lulled by the motion of the train's perfect rhyme.
- AP - Copyright © remains with and is the intellectual property of the author
Copyright © protected image please do not reproduce without permission
Team Zero Hour: Animilitary
Mainly used to provide supplies and medicinal assistance to the front lines, it's not unusual to see these units acting as the vanguard due to their robust and agile build. Formidable on it's own, the K-9 unit is usually seen operating in squads.
Middletown, NY. Nikon D90.
This photo cannot be used for any commercial purpose by any person, company or other entity under any circumstance.
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London, England.
Its name, which derives from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may refer to several historic structures but most often: the Old Palace, a medieval building-complex largely destroyed by fire in 1834, or its replacement, the New Palace that stands today. The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and, for ceremonial purposes, retains its original status as a royal residence. Committees appointed by both houses manage the building and report to the Speaker of the House of Commons and to the Lord Speaker.
The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century, and Westminster became the primary residence of the Kings of England until fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512 (after which, the nearby Palace of Whitehall was established). The remainder of Westminster continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England, which had met there since the 13th century, and also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. In 1834 an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only significant medieval structures to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower.
In the subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace, the architect Charles Barry won with a design for new buildings in the Gothic Revival style, specifically inspired by the English Perpendicular Gothic style of the 14th–16th centuries. The remains of the Old Palace (except the detached Jewel Tower) were incorporated into its much larger replacement, which contains over 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of courtyards and which has a floor area of 112,476 m2 (1,210,680 sq ft). Part of the New Palace's area of 3.24 hectares (8 acres) was reclaimed from the River Thames, which is the setting of its nearly 300-metre long (980 ft) façade, called the River Front. Augustus Pugin, a leading authority on Gothic architecture and style, assisted Barry and designed the interior of the Palace. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering great delays and cost overruns, as well as the death of both leading architects; works for the interior decoration continued intermittently well into the 20th century. Major conservation work has taken place since then to reverse the effects of London's air pollution, and extensive repairs followed the Second World War, including the reconstruction of the Commons Chamber following its bombing in 1941.
The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government, and the Westminster system of government commemorates the name of the palace. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, often referred to by the name of its main bell, Big Ben, has become an iconic landmark of London and of the United Kingdom in general, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, and an emblem of parliamentary democracy. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia called the new palace "a dream in stone". The Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.The site of the Palace of Westminster was strategically important during the Middle Ages, as it was located on the banks of the River Thames.[clarification needed] Known in medieval times as Thorney Island, the site may have been first-used for a royal residence by Canute the Great during his reign from 1016 to 1035. St Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Anglo-Saxon monarch of England, built a royal palace on Thorney Island just west of the City of London at about the same time as he built (1045–1050) Westminster Abbey. Thorney Island and the surrounding area soon became known as Westminster (from the words west and minster). Neither the buildings used by the Anglo-Saxons nor those used by William I (r. 1066–1087) survive. The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster Hall) dates from the reign of William I's successor, King William II (r. 1087–1100).
The Palace of Westminster functioned as the English monarchs' principal residence in the late Medieval period. The predecessors of Parliament, the Witenagemot and the Curia Regis, met in Westminster Hall (although they followed the King when he moved to other palaces). Simon de Montfort's Parliament, the first to include representatives of the major towns, met at the Palace in 1265. The "Model Parliament", the first official Parliament of England, met there in 1295, and almost all subsequent English Parliaments and then, after 1707, all British Parliaments have met at the Palace.
Detail from A Panoramic View of London, from the Tower of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster (1815) by Pierre Prévost, showing the Palace of Westminster. The original Westminster Bridge is at left, and the roof of Westminster Hall at centre.
In 1512, during the early years of the reign of King Henry VIII, fire destroyed the royal residential ("privy") area of the palace. In 1534 Henry VIII acquired York Place from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a powerful minister who had lost the King's favour. Renaming it the Palace of Whitehall, Henry used it as his principal residence. Although Westminster officially remained a royal palace, it was used by the two Houses of Parliament and by the various royal law courts.
The Old Palace was a complex of buildings, separated from the River Thames in the east by a series of gardens. The largest and northernmost building is Westminster Hall, which lies parallel to the river. Several buildings adjoin it on the east side; south of those and perpendicular to the Hall is the mediaeval House of Commons. Further south and parallel to the river is the Court of Requests, with an eastwards extension at its south end, and at the south end of the complex lie the House of Lords and another chamber. The Palace was bounded by St Margaret's Street to the west and Old Palace Yard to the south-west; another street, New Palace Yard, is just visible to the north.
A detail from John Rocque's 1746 map of London. St Stephen's Chapel, labelled "H of Comm" (House of Commons), was adjacent to Westminster Hall; the Parliament Chamber—labelled "H of L" (House of Lords)—and the Prince's Chamber were to the far south. The Court of Requests, between the two Houses, would become the new home of the Lords in 1801. At the north-east, by the river, stood Speaker's House.
Being originally a royal residence, the Palace included no purpose-built chambers for the two Houses. Important state ceremonies took place in the Painted Chamber – originally built in the 13th century as the main bedchamber for King Henry III (r. 1216–1270). In 1801 the Upper House moved into the larger White Chamber (also known as the Lesser Hall), which had housed the Court of Requests; the expansion of the peerage by King George III during the first ministry (1783–1801) of William Pitt the Younger, along with the imminent Act of Union with Ireland, necessitated the move, as the original chamber could not accommodate the increased number of peers.
The House of Commons, which did not have a chamber of its own, sometimes held its debates in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. The Commons acquired a permanent home at the Palace in St Stephen's Chapel, the former chapel of the royal palace, during the reign of Edward VI (r. 1547–1553). In 1547 the building became available for the Commons' use following the disbanding of St Stephen's College. Alterations were made to St Stephen's Chapel over the following three centuries for the convenience of the lower House, gradually destroying, or covering up, its original mediaeval appearance. A major renovation project undertaken by Christopher Wren in the late-17th century completely redesigned the building's interior.
The Palace of Westminster as a whole underwent significant alterations from the 18th century onwards, as Parliament struggled to carry out its business in the limited available space of ageing buildings. Calls for an entirely new palace went unheeded – instead more buildings of varying quality and style were added. A new west façade, known as the Stone Building, facing onto St Margaret's Street, was designed by John Vardy and built in the Palladian style between 1755 and 1770, providing more space for document storage and for committee rooms. The House of Commons and House of Lords Engrossing Office of Henry (Robert) Gunnell (1724–1794) and Edward Barwell was on the lower floor beside the corner tower at the west side of Vardy's western façade. It was here where the Tax Laws for the American Colonies were put together. A new official residence for the Speaker of the House of Commons was built adjoining St Stephen's Chapel and completed in 1795. The neo-Gothic architect James Wyatt carried out works both on the House of Lords and on the House of Commons between 1799 and 1801, including alterations to the exterior of St Stephen's Chapel and a much-derided new neo-Gothic building (referred to by Wyatt's critics as "The Cotton Mill") adjoining the House of Lords and facing onto Old Palace Yard.
Sir John Soane substantially remodelled the palace complex between 1824 and 1827. The medieval House of Lords chamber, which had been the target of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was demolished as part of this work in order to build a new Royal Gallery and a ceremonial entrance at the southern end of the palace. Soane's work at the palace also included new library facilities for both Houses of Parliament and new law courts for the Chancery and King's Bench. Soane's alterations caused controversy owing to his use of neo-classical architectural styles, seen as conflicting with the Gothic style of the original buildings.
The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835).
On 16 October 1834, a fire broke out in the Palace after an overheated stove used to destroy the Exchequer's stockpile of tally sticks set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. In the resulting conflagration both Houses of Parliament were destroyed, along with most of the other buildings in the palace complex. Westminster Hall was saved thanks to fire-fighting efforts and a change in the direction of the wind. The Jewel Tower, the Undercroft Chapel and the Cloisters and Chapter House of St Stephen's were the only other parts of the Palace to survive
Immediately after the fire, King William IV offered the almost-completed Buckingham Palace to Parliament, hoping to dispose of a residence he disliked. The building was considered unsuitable for parliamentary use, however, and the gift was rejected. Proposals to move to Charing Cross or St James's Park had a similar fate; the allure of tradition and the historical and political associations of Westminster proved too strong for relocation, despite the deficiencies of that site. In the meantime, the immediate priority was to provide accommodation for the next Parliament, and so the Painted Chamber and White Chamber were hastily repaired for temporary use.
In 1835, following that year's General Election, the King permitted Parliament to make "plans for [its] permanent accommodation". Each house created a committee and a public debate over the proposed styles ensued.
The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, and the Commons Chamber in 1852 (at which point architect Charles Barry received a knighthood). Although most of the work had been carried out by 1860, construction was not finished until a decade afterwards.
During the Second World War (see The Blitz), the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs on fourteen separate occasions. One bomb fell into Old Palace Yard on 26 September 1940 and severely damaged the south wall of St Stephen's Porch and the west front. The statue of Richard the Lionheart was lifted from its pedestal by the force of the blast, and its upheld sword bent, an image that was used as a symbol of the strength of democracy, "which would bend but not break under attack".
The old chamber of the House of Commons was in use between 1852 and 1941, when it was destroyed by German bombs in the course of the Second World War.
The worst raid took place in the night of 10–11 May 1941, when the Palace took at least twelve hits and three people (two policemen and Resident Superintendent of the House of Lords Edward Elliott) were killed. An incendiary bomb hit the chamber of the House of Commons and set it on fire; another set the roof of Westminster Hall alight. The firefighters could not save both, and a decision was taken to try to rescue the Hall. In this they were successful; the abandoned Commons Chamber, on the other hand, was destroyed, as was the Members' Lobby. A bomb also struck the Lords Chamber, but went through the floor without exploding. The Clock Tower took a hit by a small bomb or anti-aircraft shell at the eaves of the roof, suffering much damage there. All the glass on the south dial was blown out, but the hands and bells were not affected, and the Great Clock continued to keep time accurately.
Following the destruction of the Commons Chamber, the Lords offered their own debating chamber for the use of the Commons; for their own sittings, the Queen's Robing Room was converted into a makeshift chamber. The Commons Chamber was rebuilt after the war under the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, in a simplified version of the old chamber's style. The work was undertaken by John Mowlem & Co., and construction lasted until 1950. The Lords Chamber was then renovated over the ensuing months; the Lords re-occupied it in May 1951.
As the need for office space in the Palace increased, Parliament acquired office space in the nearby Norman Shaw Building in 1975, and in the custom-built Portcullis House, completed in 2000. This increase has enabled all Members of Parliament (MP) to have their own office facilities.
The Palace of Westminster, which is a Grade 1 listed building, is in urgent need of extensive restoration to its fabric. A 2012 pre-feasibility report set out several options, including the possibility of Parliament moving to other premises while work is carried out. At the same time, the option of moving Parliament to a new location was discounted, with staying at the Westminster site preferred. An Independent Options Appraisal Report released in June 2015 found that the cost to restore the Palace of Westminster could be as much as £7.1 billion if MPs were to remain at the Palace whilst works take place. MPs decided in 2016 to vacate the building for six years starting in 2022. In January 2018, the House of Commons voted for both houses to vacate the Palace of Westminster to allow for a complete refurbishment of the building which may take up to six years starting in 2025. It is expected that the House of Commons will be temporarily housed in a replica chamber to be located in Richmond House in Whitehall and the House of Lords will be housed at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Parliament Square.
Strive for balance? Do not strive,
simply do not resist the path. It is level
mostly
and when there's a knoll or valley, it serves a purpose.
Watch the water find its own level even when it swells and the tide strokes its hand over the glassy surface, pushing.
Strive for focus? No, only cultivate attention. Only notice, note, examine quietly with stillness.
Multi task? Although every moment holds many things simply be there.
Just be there,
only.
11.10.21
Far Superior moored in Great Yarmouth's outer harbour.
Name: Far Superior
Vessel type: Multi purpose vessel (MPV)
Class: Vard 3 17
Home port: Aalesund
Flag: Norway
IMO: 9766877
MMSI: 257911000
Call sign: LATJ7
Accommodation: 85 persons
Length overall: 98.18 m
Beam: 21.5 m
Max draught: 6.6 m
Gross tonnage: 7,652 tons
Net tonnage: 2,296 tons
Deadweight: 4,200 tons
Propulsion: Diesel-electric
Engines:
3 x Roll Royce Marine Bergen B32 40L8, 8 cylinder
1 x Caterpillar C32, 12 cylinder
Total engine output: 17,192 hp (12,820)
Builder: Vard Vung Tau Shipbuilding, Vung Tau, Vietnam
Year built: 2017
Yard number: 838
Owner: Farstad Shipping, Åalesund, Norway
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"The secret of success is constancy to purpose."
~ Benjamin Disreali
My Dad passed away over 20 years ago (in 1999). However, the last time I visited my Dad and my Step-Mom in the States (on my 44th Birthday in 1998), he gave me this lovely orchid's leaf which was legally prepared for me to carry thru Customs in Japan.
I have been nurturing this Epithelium Angulier orchid cactus and this is the first time to have a flower blossom that opened!
Thank you Daddy for your love and all of the lessons you taught me about growing orchid cactus.
Thanks for stopping by
and God Bless,
hugs, Chris
© Seb Alessandroni | All rights reserved.
All photos they may not be used or reproduced without my permission. If you would like to use one of my images for commercial purposes or other reason, please contact me. Depending on the situation may have to assign the work as specified by the author.
I've made a lot of changes you cannot see, but it radiates through everything that I do. People ask me "What are your goals for the new year?" But in 2015 and beyond I am trying to tear down my goals and focus on the purpose behind them. Goals are dust -- if all you have are goals then the last thing you should want is to achieve them, because then you have nothing left. What is your purpose?
I've always known the purpose I have for the work I do for my clients -- it is so obvious every time I share and document tears of joy, years of relationships balled up into a single shining, gemlike moment.
But why do I share? Why do I teach? Why do we photographers spend so much time talking to other photographers? To get likes? To go viral? To be a virus? If virality mattered we'd have spent the entire last year talking about our new corporate masters, Dollar Shave Club.
I share and show so that I can see as many of these wonderful moments as I can, but also so I can take part in the conversation, so I can say "Give me a spare corner of a golf course, a couple in love, and the ability to find my angle, and this is what I will do." And it is not what you may have seen, and so I leave something behind … a moment, a way of seeing, a piece of the conversation that I love being a part of.
That is my purpose. It is not the fire that burns but the foundation we build every day we care about what we do.
Inspiration Martha Stewart...
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Makes 24
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.
PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.
This is a multi-purpose room at the convent, used for meeting, lectures etc.
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Wernberg convent perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking a bend in the Drau River. The building run by the Sisters of the Precious Blood is actually in part a Renaissance castle dating back to the early 13th century. Today it houses a nunnery, education centre and guesthouse with its own farm and a well-stocked shop selling its produce. This was where we had dinner before going to Villach for the night.
Each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The ultimate purpose of other creatures is not to be found in us. Rather, all creatures are moving forward with us and through us towards a common point of arrival, which is God. -- Pope Francis
From the series "INTO AFRICA"
I couldn't think of a better title for this one. I could relate to title, however.
Less than a dozen horses grazed in a grazing area near my home. I often pass them on the way to Lake Elsinore, the city lying just south of where I live. I used Kerstin Frank Art Texture Paintstroke for editing purposes.
Urban foxes. They can be a pest, danger and photo opportunity.
Thank you for any and all views, faves, invites to groups, comments and constructive critique. I’m not keen on: invitations to post 1 award 3; copy and paste comments (you know who you are); or links to your work. If you like my images there is a good chance I will like yours and I tend to reciprocate views as a matter of courtesy and personal interest. All my images are my own original work, under my copyright, with all rights reserved. This means asking the owner's permission, and obtaining it, before using the image for ANY purpose.
Copyright infringement is theft.
Something different...
The sole example of its kind, DR98008 is used by Network Rail as a geometry and visual recording unit.
The MPV is seen making a reasonably uncommon appearance along the West Anglia route as it passes by Elsenham working 3Z07 09:00 Cambridge Reception Sdgs to Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) 26/05/22
The Origins and Purpose of Street Art and Graffiti — A Historical Essay.
Prehistoric and Ancient Beginnings (40,000 BCE – 500 CE)
Graffiti’s origins stretch back to humanity’s earliest visual culture. Prehistoric cave paintings — including hand stencils created by blowing pigment through tubes — functioned as some of the earliest “tags,” marking presence and identity. These date from 40,000–10,000 years ago.
By the classical era, graffiti was widespread across Ancient Greece and Rome, where people scratched messages, jokes, political commentary, and personal boasts into walls. The oldest known written graffito dates to around 500 BCE.
In Pompeii, graffiti served as advertising, satire, political slogans, and everyday communication, revealing the lives of ordinary people rather than elites.
Purpose in this era:
1. Marking presence (“I was here”)
2. Social commentary
3. Recording daily life
4. Religious or political expression
5. Communication by non‑elites otherwise absent from written history
Medieval to Early Modern Graffiti (500–1800 CE)
Graffiti continued through the medieval period, especially in religious and rural landscapes. In the Middle East, the Safaitic inscriptions — scratched onto rocks across Syria, Jordan, and Arabia — are the only surviving record of an ancient Arabic dialect.
In Europe, travellers, workers, and even antiquarians carved names and messages into castles, churches, and monuments. At Stonehenge, 18th‑century visitors left carved signatures, showing graffiti as a record of presence and identity.
Purpose in this era:
1. Recording travel or pilgrimage
2. Personal memorialisation
3. Folk expression by ordinary people
4. Documentation of labourers and craftsmen
The Birth of Modern Graffiti (1950s–1970s)
Modern graffiti culture emerged in Philadelphia in the 1950s, led by figures like Cornbread, who pioneered tagging as a form of self‑promotion and identity.
By the late 1960s and early 1970s, graffiti exploded in New York City, especially on subway trains. Writers such as TAKI 183 and others transformed tagging into a competitive, stylised art form.
This era marks the shift from simple inscriptions to complex lettering, murals, and large-scale public visibility.
Purpose in this era:
1. Personal identity and fame (“getting up”)
2. Reclaiming public space
3. Youth expression in marginalised communities
4. Resistance to social and economic exclusion
The Rise of Street Art (1980s–2000s)
Street art evolved from graffiti but expanded into stencils, wheat‑paste posters, stickers, installations, and murals. Artists like Keith Haring, Jean‑Michel Basquiat, and later Banksy brought street art into global consciousness.
Street art differed from graffiti by focusing less on lettering and more on imagery, political messages, and public commentary.
According to The Art Story, street art grew from the belief that art should be:
1. Accessible to everyone
2. Outside traditional institutions
3. Democratic and empowering
4. A counter‑attack against advertising and corporate messaging
5. Purpose in this era:
6. Political protest
7. Social commentary
8. Challenging authority and capitalism
9. Beautification and community identity
Artistic experimentation outside galleries
Contemporary Street Art and Graffiti (2000s–Present)
Today, graffiti and street art occupy a complex space between vandalism, public art, activism, and cultural heritage.
Graffiti remains illegal in many contexts, yet it is also recognised as a vital form of urban storytelling, especially for marginalised voices.
Street art, meanwhile, is often commissioned by cities, festivals, and cultural institutions, blurring the line between rebellion and acceptance.
Current purposes:
1. Urban regeneration
2. Tourism and cultural branding
3. Community identity
4. Political resistance
5. Artistic innovation
Street art and graffiti are not modern inventions — they are part of a 40,000‑year human tradition of marking presence, expressing identity, and challenging power. From Roman jokes to New York subway tags to global street murals, they remain one of the most democratic and immediate forms of public expression.
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Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay offering expansive 360° views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin County Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park and is administered by California State Parks. The island, a California Historical Landmark, has been used for a variety of purposes, including military forts, a US Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and a US Bureau of Immigration inspection and detention facility. The Angel Island Immigration Station on the northeast corner of the island, where officials detained, inspected, and examined approximately one million immigrants, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Island_(California)
"New purposes" "Crazy Tuesday Theme" "7DWF"
I have a big garden and lots of roses, but this year I will pay more attention to small flowers. I already started planting because we have really spring in January.
This is Mini-Pansies, a popular cultivated small viola with flowers in rich colors (winter-flowering varieties)
Thank you very much for your visits, comments and faves!
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Self portrait.
© Eliada Toska. All Rights Reserved. You need my written permission to use this image in any way. It is here only for viewing purposes.
Although the purpose of the trip was to photograph birds, I couldn't resist photographing the old watchtower which is the subject of my most interesting picture according to Flickr. It looks quite different in the summertime :)
Sunset on the Deck 3
press foto, do not use for advertising purposes( all rights belong to Yi Cheng Yang)
Not what you would call fine craftmanship, but it worked. In the humid atmosphere of southern Louisiana, that's saying a lot!!
Here's some old and new things I want to say for selfish marketing purposes:
1. *UPDATE* I have another new notebook on sale now: Click here to see! This one is a large grid notebook with two images taken from the National Gallery of Art. 3 notebooks in total and more designs to come!
2. Subscribe to my Mailing List if you would like to get updates about random stuff.
3. If you've been a fan of my nonsensical view of the world and want to support me but tight on money, if you could leave a testimonial on my website that would help me so much. With enough eye witness reports, it just might give enough evidence for the State to finally put me in the psychiatric ward.
4. I'm also selling fridge magnets of ANY image from my flickr or instagram accounts. Just copy and paste the URL link of the photo you want magnetized at the checkout. If you want a random image, just type 'random'
First 3 people get 15% off. Discount Code: fridge15
Click link to order: fridgeopen.gumroad.com/l/fridgemagnet
5. Join my Flickr group and add any of your photos to Muggle Mingle
6. Build your first website using Smugmug.com and save 20% on your first year by clicking here
Prohibited the use for commercial purposes without prior written authorization. ©María Teresa Sicbaldi. Contact with the author.
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* Prohibido el uso para fines comerciales sin previa autorización escrita. Derechos Reservados. ©María Teresa Sicbaldi. Contacte con el autor.
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The purpose of all art is to cause a deep and emotion, also one that is entertaining or pleasing. Out of the depth and entertainment comes value.
～ W. Eugene Smith, Myth and Vision on the Walk to Paradise Garden and the Photography of W. Eugene Smith by Menning Hansen , ISBN: 9179002668 , Page: 5
Multi-Purpose Combat Rifle.
5.56x45mm Carbine designed to be as lightweight and adaptive as possible.
11.5" barrel, shorter overall profile and weight.
Other variants include; Sharpshooter Variant. SPR.
Credit to Shockwave for the compensator.
I took a quick trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens today. I have visited the past 3 Thursdays and it changes so much each week. This came out more colorful than usual but I guess that was on purpose !
The history of the Sigurtà Garden Park dates back to 14th May 1407, when, during the Venetian dominion of Valeggio sul Mincio, the patrician Gerolamo Nicolò Contarini bought the whole property which was then used entirely for agricultural purposes. In 1626 the whole of the property in Valeggio sul Mincio passed to the heirs of the Maffei family that lived there for 210 years (from 1626 to 1836). The spring of 1941 marked the beginning of the ownership by the Sigurtà family: the pharmaceutical industrialist, Dr. Giuseppe Carlo Sigurtà, bought the land from Maria Paulon, which had become a cumbersome monument up for sale for several years and fatally detached from its own history, its memories almost lost. Dr. Sigurtà began the great work of redeveloping and restoring the gardens. The love of the Sigurtà family for the Garden Park has meant much has been achieved by way of recognition, including the awards of "Most Beautiful Park in Italy 2013" and second place "Europe's Most Beautiful Parks 2015".
Парк «Сигурта» недалеко от озера Гарда в 2013 г. признали самым живописным в Италии. Древняя история Парка Сигурта датируется 14 мая 1407, когда, во время венецианского правления, Валеджо-суль-Минчо, патриций Иероним Николо Контарини купить всю недвижимость, которая в то время была чисто аграрной. Все началось в 1617 году, когда на этом месте был разбит так называемый "walled'brolo" – «огороженный парк». Он возник рядом с виллой Маффеи, построенной последователем великого Палладио, Винченцо Пеллезиной. В 1859 году на этой вилле была штаб-квартира Наполеона III, а в 1941 году наследница рода Маффеи продала парк и виллу промышленнику и фармацевту Карло Сигурта. К тому моменту флора парка была в запущенном состоянии – прежние владельцы не могли оплатить воду для полива из реки Минчо. Карло Сигурта разобрался с местными властями и за 40 лет превратил парк в настоящее чудо природы. Для широкой публики ботанический сад был открыт в 1978 году, но после смерти Карло его наследники не без скандала поделили владение, и теперь вилла не входит в парковый комплекс.