The Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung is the proud partner of London's Victoria and Albert Museum in presenting »Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts«. The Kunsthalle is the sole continental venue of this unique exhibition. This is the first show to comprehensively explore the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture, bringing together over 250 magnificent objects from India's royal collections, many seen in Europe for the first time. The exhibition will include three thrones, a silver gilt howdah, gem-encrusted weapons, court paintings, photographs, Indian turban jewels and jewellery commissioned from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in the 20th century.
The exhibition covers the period from the 18th century, when the great era of the maharajas began, to the end of the Raj (British rule) in 1947. It will show the changing role of the maharajas in an historical and social context and look at how their patronage of the arts both in India and Europe resulted in splendid and beautiful commissions designed to enhance royal status and identity.
The royal collections of Udaipur and Jodhpur are lending several spectacular paintings and objects. Another object on show in Europe for the first time is the Patiala Necklace, part of the largest single commission that Cartier has ever executed. Completed in 1928 and restored in 2002, this piece of ceremonial jewellery originally contained 2,930 diamonds and weighed almost a thousand carats.
The exhibition begins with a recreation of an Indian royal procession with a life-sized model elephant adorned with animal jewellery, textiles and trappings and surmounted with a silver howdah.
The initial display explores ideas of kingship in India and the role of the maharaja as religious leader, military and political ruler and artistic patron. Symbols of kingship include a gaddi (throne) from Udaipur, elaborate turban jewels, ceremonial swords and a gold ankus (elephant goad) set with diamonds. A palanquin from Jodhpur used to carry the Maharaja's wife provides a rare glimpse into the lives of ladies at the royal court. The interior of the palanquin contains original framed prints and cushions.
The next section of the exhibition focuses in the shifts of power and taste in the 18th and the early 19th centuries. The disintegration of the Mughal Empire led to a period of political change in which rival Indian kings laid claim to territory. On display will be the golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united the warring factions of the Punjab into a powerful Sikh state, as well as weapons and armour owned by Tipu Sultan of Mysore and the Maratha ruler Yeshwant Rao Holkar of Indore.
This period also witnessed the rapid expansion to the territorial interest of the English East India Company. This led to a new hybrid Anglo-Indian style which will be seen in objects such as a Spode dinner service and an Egyptian-revival style chair designed for the Nawab of Awadh.
The exhibition then looks at the grand imperial durbars of the Raj through large-scale paintings and rare archive film footage. This section will include a carpet of pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds made for the Maharaja of Baroda and exhibited at the durbar of 1903.
The final section explores the role of the 'modern' maharajas during the Raj and the increasing European influence on their lives. The exhibition shows how they were portrayed in both Indian and European style through portraits of the maharajas and their wives by photographers and artists including Man Ray, Cecil Beaton and Rja Ravi Varma.
The maharajas´ patronage of European firms resulted in luxurious commissions. On display will be saris designed by leading French couture houses, a costume by Madeleine Vionnet, a diamond and emerald necklace designed by Van Cleef & Arpels and a Louis Vuitton travelling case.
The maharajas were also patrons of the emerging European avant-garde. The show includes modernist furniture commissioned by the maharaja of Indore for his palace in the 1930s and architectural designs for the Umaid Bhawan palace, an Art deco style residence commissioned by the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
This exhibition demonstrates that India's rulers were significant patrons of the arts, in India and the West, and will tell the fascinating story of the changing role of the maharaja from the early 18th century to the final days of the Raj.
February 12 May 24, 2010
open daily from 10 am to 8 pm
February 16: 10 am to 2 pm
Regular: € 12,–
Groups of 10 people or more,
and senior citizens: € 10,–
Students up to 30 years of age,
and the unemployed: € 5,–
→ further reductions
organised by the “Volkshochschule”
Mo, Sa: 11:30 am
Tu, Th, Fr: 3:30 pm
We: 6:30 pm
Reservations are not required.
In addition to the admission fee,
the tour costs € 6,–
→ to book your own tour
in German and English offered by Antenna Audio (€ 5,–/€ 3,50 in addition to the admission fee)
Lectures and Events (in German)
The special rate of € 25,– is only available at the Kunsthalle
→ for more information
How to get to the Kunsthalle


In computing, a printer is a peripheral device which makes a persistent human-readable representation of graphics or text on paper.
The first computer printer designed was a mechanically driven apparatus by Charles Babbage for his difference engine in the 19th century; however, his mechanical printer design was not built until 2000.The first electronic printer was the EP-101, invented by Japanese company Epson and released in 1968.
The first commercial printers generally used mechanisms from electric typewriters and Teletype machines.The demand for higher speed led to the development of new systems specifically for computer use.
The plotter was used for those requiring high quality line art like blueprints.Źródło: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_(computing)
Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the quality of these materials, also in terms of technology of doing these things in the printing house.
Their prices are becoming more affordable and operating costs lower.
Not to mention the much larger range of techniques used, which have nothing to do with those we know from home printers.


Training the secret to success, while many will say that only the Netherlands have the "Pukulan Serak" that is totally nonesense.
The main senior Guru in the late fifties, John de Vries, gave some thought for us in leaving Holland. Teache and spread, to give honor to the Founder. Bapak Serak(R)
In the late sixties, a great man, and certainly not to take his name or missuse. As many have, and that is really ashame. The man was ahead of his time, and if it was not for his outward hard work in movies and a TV show called the Green Hornet, martial arts as we know it as of today may never have been or is, as we see that as of today. None other than Sifu Bruce. Yes we do have notes from him. A student from my Uncle Ernes de Vries thaught two people the system of Serak, and one of the two was Sifu Bruce.
My longtime friend Guro Dan Inosanto who had trained at the VDT academy form many of years, a flavor of a few intriquite Sambuts of techniques placed. We will update more soon.


Documentary on racism against Chinese Americans
April 5, 2012
By Susannah Lee
“It’s important to think about the struggle the Chinese Americans have had, to understand that it’s not always easy and that we are not the model minority, that we’ve always had to fight back against racism,” says producer and director Valerie Soe about the message she wants to bring out in the documentary.
Port Townsend, Washington used to be one of the destinations of Chinese immigrants coming to the States in the late 19th century. Chinese made up a quarter of the population at one point; but now, no trace of that history can be found.[read more] (includes news video clip in Chinese)


As a society we have been taught the history of my ancient ancestors through those that were called the "conquistadors". Meaning, those that came into the ancient land of Mexico to conquer the native people. The ancient natives, the original people of Mexico who were the Chichimeca/Toltec/Aztec and Mayan people.
I am pretty sure you have not heard story of the history of our people. The original people of Mexico were the keepers of our secret sacred knowledge known as Nahualism, which are ancient empowerment and manifesting teachings that have been passed down in secrecy for thousands of years through our oral traditions from parent to child and teacher to student.
In the history books Mohtecutzoma, who was the leader of the Aztecs at the time of the invasion was portrayed as a traitor to our people and it suggest that he was eventually killed by the Spaniards. This however does not match what I have been taught through my elders teachings that was taught to us orally uninterrupted for thousands of years. He was a Dream Warrior taught and trained as a master of the trade of Nahualism. Our secret knowledge of Nahualism is based on training the subconscious to create your reality through your dreams. The practice of "I" of who you really are.
At the time of the Mohtecutzoma had a prolific dream about the future of Mexico and he believed the only way to keep our sacred knowledge intact was to surrender to the Spaniards. That is where Ciutlahuac, the next in line as leader did not agree and ordered the assassination of Mohtecutzoma. He then set out to fight and conquer the Spaniards but during the battle many of the Spaniards fell into the only body of water that the Aztecs had for bathing. As we know through our history books many diseases were brought to the lands of the natives. It is said through our oral traditions that our ancestors fell to their death after they began bathing in the body of water after the battle was over and became infected with a sickness which we now know as small pox. This is what we have been taught was to blame for so many of their deaths and the death of Ciutlahuac as well.
After his death Cuahtemoc, the next in line, saw that Mohtecutzoma's original vision of Mexico had started to come true. In order to protect the secret knowledge he ordered the treasures of Mexico, their ancient dances, ceremonies, archetypes/codexes of dream planting and blossoming, healing and manifesting empowerment practices to be hidden in secrecy along with the sacred stones of our teachings. These stones were buried in different sites, Teotihuacan (now the largest Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Mexico) is one of these sites. Over 500 years these traditions have been passed down in secrecy so that generations to come would not lose our traditions. Many were in constant danger of persecution and even converted to Catholicism as a way to hold higher status while still teaching these practices to their families in secrecy.
My ancestors, the Toltecs were the second group of dreamers that emerged. They created dream planting practices, dances, breathing exercises and bodily positions based on the cosmic mathematics which could alter and train the subconscious without the use of plants like the ancestors before them to a state of empowerment for their own lives. Our practices are based on the cycle of the moon creating a different calendar that is followed by many cultures and not the Gregorian calendar as we currently follow - which was created for tax purposes. Not at all in alignment with our energy systems both universally and within our own physical energies.
According to our history books the Aztec calendar was seen as suggesting that the world would come to an end. What we have been taught through our oral traditions is that this calendar indicated the end of the 5th Sun. The period of time where humanity went out of their subconscious and spirituality to possess materialistic things, addictions of plants/drugs, greed, power and the society as we now know it to be. Driven by the material world.
2012 for us was the beginning of the time of Enlightenment. The transition into the 6th Sun. Where we return to our true selves of spirituality, kindness, and harvesting our true selves. Our true purpose and manifesting our dreams through the elements. To bring more enlightenment to the world.
2020 is the last year of transition into the 6th Sun. We begin the first year of the 6th Sun in 2021. In line with our teachings and prophecies we now see movements of this through women and the element of wind which brings change in and out of our lives and is the element related to our respitory systems. It is said that the women of the world will bring change, transformation and enlightenment to us all. The teachings say that there would be time where we would be forced to bond with our families and start healing from the inside out. Which unfortunately we see this as we deal with COVID-19 a respiratory virus so strong it has effected our entire world and forced us all to stay inside and go inside our spirit for strength and enlightenment.
The 6th Sun is the time where we move back into ourselves within. Where we seek to fulfill our soul and transition to a place where we find our true purpose and share that with the world. The practice of Nahualism through our energy of "Nahual" the practice of "My True Self - The practice of I" who I really am.
It is said that during this time our sacred secret teachings could be shared with the rest of the world publicly. In 2012 began these teachings by many of the elders and some teachers were given permission to go out and teach others. So here I am chosen as one of those teachers from my elders. Blessed to go forth and teach others what we hold sacred. How we can use our teachings to carry us through this time of transition and how to use this opportunity to bring us to our greatest destiny.
The Mexican Native lineage is what I was born into on my father's side. On my mothers's it is Native American - Tewa which is part of the Hopi nation from New Mexico where my grandfather was from. He was a very talented and wise man. He was strong in silence, creative and gave me the gift of a wisdom carrier.
Through my education in health, wellness, fitness and the corporate world I have come into contact with thousands of people. As I began my path as a coach/trainer 15 years ago I specifically chose to train women. As I have mastered my skills both in our ancient teachings and health/wellness, I always knew women would be the place where I would continue to teach and coach. Why? Because I believe all women are healers and we do have the power to change the world as we know it but we must first start with ourselves, our own Sacred Garden so that we may pass to our families to pass on to theirs a legacy for generations to come.
What has blossomed into my own purpose are my sacred mind, body, nutrition and empowerment programs combining Mindset Mastery, Sacred Nutritional Coaching, Body Movement for Strength and the Empowerment of my ancestors ancient practices. Bringing in the four directions, Toltec healing and manifesting, sacred healing plants, the elements and their ability to guide us.
I am honored and thrilled to bring these to you and help you create your own sacred legacy.
Sacred Mind, Body, Movement and Nutrition in every day of your life.


"The Shadow People" is a collaborative misadventure from Trellion, Figment and Third Person Lurkin. Figment and TPL had been carving music together, along side Sheffield MC Force, under the name 'DeadBeat' as far back as 2003. Trellion's 'Dive By Night', which was also featured predominantly TPL productions, dropped in 2010 and also heavily featured Figment. Work on the "The Shadow People" began around this time.
Although most of what took place during those years has descended into legend and myth, it's safe to say TPL made some ill beats and Trellion and Figment became "Hooded Figure" and "Hat Man" and rapped on them. Some weird and cryptic slang emerged, islands and cities rose out of the Lunar Seas and a mythology was born. Then the album disappeared. Into a whole in the ocean. People spoke of the ill fated "Shadow People" album but few had ever heard it.
Years passed... albums, EPs and singles dropped but there was no sign of the "Shadow People"
'They shall not see us'
Then we got a call from a deep sea excavation vessel stationed off the coast of nowhere. They had discovered a barrel labeled- "Shadow People" DO NOT OPEN.
We opened it..


House for Sale and Victorian House for Sale
Historic House for Sale
FOR SALE ON THE EASTERN SHORE
Historic Houses abound in the small, historic
towns on the Eastern Shore of Maryland Delaware and Virginia - that is the
part of these three states that rests on the East side of the
Chesapeake Bay - is rich in history and culture.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is composed of the state's nine
counties east of the Chesapeake Bay. They are
Queen Anne's County,
on the Lower Eastern Shore
Pomfret plantations, MD
POMFRET PLANTATION (NR) is considered one of the
most significant historic sites in Somerset County, Maryland. It
was the home of the prominent Coulbourne Family for 250 years. The
plantation was a 1400 acre land grant from Lord Baltimore to
William Coulbourne of North Hampton County Virginia, in the year
Pomfret today is much as it was in
1820. The estate now consists of 467 acres fronting on the
Annemessex River and Coulbourne Creek. The residence today retains
95% of its original Federal interior woodwork.
Colonel Handy House
The Handy House located in the Historic District of
Princess Anne, Maryland is a large Federal Era home that sits on a
1.23 acre lot that would be ideal to convert to a bed and
breakfast. The home has 4636 square feet of living space. Located
on the first floor there are two bedrooms with adjoining baths, a
newly renovated kitchen, MORE
If you want to make this historic home
as your home or covert it into a
Bed and Breakfast
HISTORIC c. 1900 -
MAJESTIC BEAUTIFULLY MAINTAINED VICTORIAN. HOME
FEATURES 4 BEDROOMS/ 2 FULL BATHS WITH GARDEN TUB/ POCKET DOORS/
GOURMET KITCHEN WITH NEW APPLIANCES/ CENTRAL AIR/ MULTI-ZONE HEATING
AND AIR/ 3 FIREPLACES/ UPDATED ELECTRIC/ TOO MANY EXTRAS TO MENTION.
ALL ON A PARK-LIKE SETTING CLOSE TO LOCAL BOAT RAMP.
VANCE MILES HOUSE
Marion Station, MD
Queen Anne Victorian
FOR SALE BY OWNER
WILLIAM T. TULL HOUSE
4 Bedrooms, 2 baths, 4 fireplaces, ornate mantles,
some original fixtures. Built in 1860 by William Tull in
quaint village of Westover - Somerset County, MD. Situated
on 4 acres with smoke house, garage and other outbuildings.
Listed on National Register of Historic Places. Located
near the waterfront town of Crisfield and historic town of
HISTORIC VICTORIAN - 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath; remodeled to perfection. Built
in 1880 with 2732 feet living space on 1.88 acres. Outbuilding includes garden
cabana for outside entertaining, garden shed and plenty of storage. Lush
gardens, outside shower. Near golf course and marinas.
QUEEN ANNE VICTORIAN
c. 1809 Located in the waterside community of Crisfield, MD on the
Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. 4 Bedrooms, 1.5 baths,
2100 sq. ft., 0.48 acre lot in historic district. Close to
marina, boat ramp, restaurants, museums, golf. Would make
c. 1910, Queen Anne Victorian with slate roof, round tower and
clapboard siding. 5+ bedrooms, 3 baths, on corner lot in
historic Cambridge. 3400+ square feet, 0.84 acre lot, fully
renovated and updated - within steps (one block) to the Choptank
River. Close to Marinas, golf, restaurants, museums,
shopping and scenic waterfront
HOLLAND ISLAND VICTORIAN
c. 1918 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, Victorian relocated from Holland
Island. 1632 square feet in waterfront community. Close to marina,
boat ramps, golf, fishing, fine restaurants, seafood markets,
museums, shopping and more.
SNOW HILL INN
Snow Hill, MD
For Sale By Owner
On this website you will find detailed descriptions
for many a historic house for sale across the Delmarva Peninsula. Some are
listed with Real Estate Agents and some are For Sale By Owner.
into Old Houses and Homes
Each historic house has its own mini-website describing details of
the home, the landscape, the local area, a rooms gallery and contact
Vance Miles House - historic,
Marion Station, MD. c. 1892, Queen Anne Victorian 2200 sq.ft, slate roof, 0.7 acre
lot, mature trees, many gardens, two out buildings, wrap around
Victorian curved porch.
$246,000. For Sale by Owner.
FOR SALE BY OWNER
The Vance Miles House is over 100 years old,
and located in the small town of Marion Station, Maryland in Somerset
County. This Victorian house was designed in a Queen Anne Style
and has an historic integrity unparalleled in Marion Station.
Only three families have occupied this house - two
of them for over fifty years each. Previous owners kept the
house in good shape without marring the integrity of original
moldings, flooring, plaster and roof.
This house the only house in Somerset to retain its
original "curved porch" railings. Slate roof is in good shape
and the landscape displays trees and perennials that date to the
building of the house at the turn of the twentieth century.
In the sixties, the second family to own the home
did major renovations to update the house. New plumbing and
electrical were carefully added. A concrete floor was put down
across the entire basement and a pole barn was added in the rear of
Eventually storm window were added, aluminum siding,
and a second full bathroom.
The current owners have added new appliances
(washer, dryer, stove, dishwasher), restored the kitchen cabinets and
the original wood floor in the kitchen. They have also done
extensive landscaping and added over $10,000 of plant material to the
For more on the Vance Miles House - the history of
the house and detailed information about the interior go to
the Vance Miles house for sale
the menu to the left to navigate to each property website.
STAY UPDATED ON NEW PROPERTIES ADDED
This website is growing daily so check back frequently to see new
listings that are added.
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listing? Sign up to be on our
LIST and receive notification with a web link for each new
property that is added.
Find out how to get your house or property featured
on this site.
Lowershore.net can provide you with a min-web site
specifically designed for your home for sale, highlighting it's amenities
and special features. It's a perfect, complimentary sales tool
for those that are selling homes by owner, or with the
assistance of a real estate agency.
All room dimensions, and other measurements are
approximate on properties mentioned on this site. All property specifics and general information on these
properties is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prospective purchasers
should verify the information to their own satisfaction.


First off, let's explain the 75th Anniversary.
There's a distributor in Canada called B&J Music Ltd.
They deal in many brands of musical instruments including Takamine Guitars.
And, they were established back in 1931.
To commemorate their 75th Anniversary (in 2006) they worked together with Takamine to produce a special, limited edition (only 75 were made) guitar anniversary Model. The result is this stunning instrument, the BJ75
It features a solid spruce top and flame maple sides & back. The rosewood fingerboard is decorated with a 75th Anniversary banner at the 12th fret.
This beautiful collectible is in MINT condition.
Now YOU can own a part of Canadian music history.
*Hard Case Included


Hanukkah at Blue Mountain Resort
December 22 - 30, 2019
Blue wishes YOU a Happy Hanukkah! This 8-day Festival of Lights is a special time for Jewish families & friends to celebrate the season, and remember the religious freedom struggles & successes.
The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts.


Architecting Charlotte's future
A South Carolina native, Daniel A. Tompkins began his career working for the steel mills up North. He further sharpened his skills at a German iron works and a glass manufacturer in Missouri before returning to the Carolinas in 1883, this time settling in Charlotte. By then, this former Native American trading post had become connected by major railroads to key cities in the region and was on the verge of becoming a boom town. Tompkins quickly put his civil engineering degree and experience as a master machinist to work, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to help make Charlotte a hub for textile manufacturing.
In just a few short years, the D.A. Tompkins Company, formed in partnership with grain merchant R.M. Miller, began constructing manufacturing and power plants, starting with the Alpha, Ada, and Victor Mills, several of the city's first mills. Over the next two decades, the engineering firm developed hundreds more mills and plants across the South, along with many of the mill villages that surrounded them. This long list of projects included Atherton Mill and Highland Park Gingham Mill—now known as Optimist Hall.


Hotels & Real Estate
First-class hotel in the historical center of St. Petersburg. Located within walking distance from the key attractions of the city – St. Nicholas and St. Isaac's Cathedrals, Admiralty, Palace Square, Hermitage, Mariinsky Theatre ...
Hotels & Real Estate
This company is active in the manufacturing and production of furniture for dining rooms and kitchens. The production building is located in the industrial zone of Krasnogvardeysky district. The company receives the main rev ...
10-Year-Old Profitable Clothing Manufacturing Business with a registered trademark for sale. The production is located in the city of St. Petersburg, specializes in products: Uniforms for playing sports (football, hockey, vol ...
First-class hotel in the historical center of St. Petersburg. Located within walking distance from the key attractions of the city – St. Nicholas and St. Isaac’s Cathedrals, Admiralty, Palace Square, Hermitage, Mariinsky Theatre, Yusupov Garden , etc .
The Hotel was built taking into account the historical architecture of this part of the city, its facade is completely in harmony with the historical buildings of the 19th century.
The interiors of the hotel are made in an exquisite classical style, where Empire elements are used, which can be traced in the marble staircase and the decoration of the hall.
Saint Petersburg received over 15 million tourists in 2018.It is considered an important economic, scientific, and tourism centre of Russia and Europe. In modern times, the city has the nickname of being “the Northern Capital of Russia” and is home to notable federal government bodies such as the Constitutional Court of Russia and the Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation. It is also a seat for the National Library of Russia and a planned location for the Supreme Court of Russia, as well as the home to the headquarters of the Russian Navy, and the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is home to the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world, the Lakhta Center, the tallest skyscraper in Europe, and was one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2020.


The original lucite box purses were first made during the post-war era in the early 1950’s when the technology for a more “expensive” form of plastic was created. Our replicas are made with a marble swirl lucite, with hand-carved stars and bottom logo. Swivel top handle and front latch closure.
Please note: ***All have imperfections and possible scratching but due to HIGH demand for them we have decided to release leftover stock at a heavy discount. These are sold “as is” and cannot be returned or exchanged.***
Dimensions: 3H by 10L by 5W
Handle Drop: 6 inches


The History of Johnson Sand & Gravel
Johnson Sand & Gravel came into existence in the 1950’s. We quickly became adept in the fine art of aggregate production and simultaneous mine operation. Robert and Wayne Johnson were fascinated and consumed by the fast growing industry. While capital and assets were at a minimum, the Johnson boys purchased one track loader and two dump trucks. They ran a two man operation which grew larger than either could have imagined. They were determined to be successful. Today Johnson Sand & Gravel is operated by the second generation of Johnsons. With the same determination, the Johnson family continues to provide quality products and service throughout Southeastern Wisconsin.


by Rob Arndt
by Rob Arndt
The original propulsion units slated for the Schriever Flugkreisel were to be five BMW 003 jet engines with three units arranged on the disc rotor and two units on each side of the disc underbody. However, as BMW learned of Schriever’s original design the company started internal development of its own smaller-scale versions of the new “disc-fan” technology.
BMW Flügelrad I V-1
Art by Justo Miranda
Work began in 1943 with the BMW Flügelrad I V-1 (Versuchs or prototype 1) which was painted matte aluminum and performed its first flight tests at the Czech aerodrome at Prag-Kbley between August and September of that year. It left the hanger by its own means after which the rotor began to spin under the power of the Strahlrohr (Jet Pipe) deflector. Lifting to 1 meter and flying for 300 meters before making a hard landing. During static testing the prototype was surrounded by concrete blocks to prevent the test pilot in the unfortunate event of a disc blade breaking.
In general appearance the Flügelrad lay-out was of a central body housing a single pilot covered by a hemispheric dome surrounded by a disc blade rotor of 6 meters with a lower body housing a BMW 003 jet engine, fuel tanks, a Strahlrohr deflector and fixed landing gear of four legs fitted with wheels but no brakes nor shock absorbers. Flight was achieved by jet exhaust deflection into the 16 variable-pitch disc blades with hydo-pneumatic actuators.
BMW Flügelrad I V-2 minus tail rudder and painted yellow
Art by Richard Lewis Mendes
The first design was very crude so work proceeded on the second prototype designated BMW Flügelrad I V-2 in 1944. This time, the cockpit was enlarged to house two pilots and serve as a support for the addition of an aerodynamic rudder for better control. The fixed landing gear was replaced with a more practical semi-retractable one. Rotor diameter increased to 8 meters but kept the 16 disc blades. This machine was painted yellow and performed its first flight tests in late autumn 1944 at the Neubiberg Aerodrome near BMW’s Munich facility. Severe stability problems plagued the machine and the rudder proved useless.
Possible constructed BMW Flügelrad II V-2 in flight, April 1945 - powered by underbody
BMW 003 turbojets
Not to be deterred, BMW built another prototype designated BMW Flügelrad II V-1 in 1945 which kept the same body but discarded the failed rudder. The disc rotor was enlarged to 12.6 meters. The first test flight was again performed at Prag-Kbley in February 1945 with another jump at low altitude but without the ability to actually fly.
Meanwhile in 1945, another BMW Flügelrad prototype was under construction and may have possibly flown during April 1945. This was the BMW Flügelrad II V-2 which was powered by two BMW 003 jet engines located in the lower body side-by-side. The cockpit was enlarged for a crew of four and rotor diameter increased to 14.4 meters with 24 disc blades.
BMW Flügelrad III stratospheric recon disc
Art by Justo Miranda
A further BMW Flügelrad II V-3 was in the model phase and differed from the V-2 version in having 21 disc blades.
The final model, the BMW Flügelrad III was in the design phase and would have been the anticipated production model - a huge stratospheric reconnaissance aircraft powered by two BMW 018 jet engines each with twin Strahlrohrs, one engine mounted over the other in an upper and lower body. The upper and lower body would accommodate 6 crew, an enlarged 24 meter rotor with 32 disc blades, fully retractable tall gear, and room for an impressive array of cameras including infrared types.
Nevertheless, all work ceased on the Flügelrad development programs in the Russian advance. All prototypes and documentation was ordered destroyed by the SS.
As Schriever’s own failed Flugkreisel was also testing at the Prag-Kbley facility it too probably was destroyed. This machine was distinct from the Flügelrads by both its greater size, different configuration, and the tremendous roar of its five kerosene-burning jets that no Flügelrad possessed. Furthermore, Schriever’s Flugkreisel could actually fly while most of the Flügelrads could just barely hop or were tethered.
In its February 1989 issue, the German magazine Flugzeug published the following report made by a German aviation official who, allegedly, been the protagonist of the astonishing sighting involving a "flying saucer" at the Prag-Gbell (formerly Praha-Kbely) aerodrome in 1943. The controversial report follows:
In the top diagram the hangar which was the site of the research is marked as number 2.
The same hangar is indicated in the picture below with an arrow
Flügelrad I V-1
Flügelrad I V-2
Photos courtesy of Allen B. Ury


Manchester Airport evokes great memories for me, not so much the flying away to a far off land, rather it makes me remember the air-fix models you could buy from duty free and of the plane spotters gathered together on the roof of the airport with their radios that tuned in to air traffic control. My dad wasn’t quite a plane spotter but we did have those models around the house and he did take me to loiter behind people who had those radios. I’m sure he would have liked a radio of his own someday but this stealth listening had two selling points, it was effortless and it was free.
In the summertime, as a child, the airport was our most popular haunt. We’d wander around the great lounge marvelling at those huge Venetian glass chandeliers that hung so majestically amidst the shops in the departure lounge.
The chandeliers weigh almost 2 tons each and were designed by royal architect Stefan Buzas, originally the chandeliers included pieces of coloured glass but during a cleanup to remove tobacco stains it was decided that the the design would be modernised by the removal of the coloured shards.
The chandeliers were removed from the airport entirely in 2003, one is housed at St Helens World of Glass (here), a second is at MOSI but remains in storage to this day having never been displayed, and a third was purportedly used as part of Helen Maurer’s Light Landing piece at Tatton Biennial. Number four’s location is a mystery.
Once my dad and I had browsed the travel gadgets on sale and leafed through the albums in the music shop we’d head over to the runway. And it’s the runway that’s the reason for my visit today - to explore the old air traffic control tower with photographer Andrew Brooks.
The new control tower, built to replace this one, was built in just nine days and opened last summer on the airport’s 75th anniversary, it was nominated for the Building of the Year by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, but lost out to Number One Riverside in Rochdale.
Here in the original control tower there’s a palpable feeling of abandonment - some electronic displays are still lit up as if the last person to leave did so in a hurry,
This morning I was on Alan Beswick’s breakfast show on BBC Radio Manchester talking about little known facts of our buildings, and about my upcoming events for Manchester Histories Festival - Faques.
You can listen to the breakfast show here:
I thought I’d also take the chance to quickly comment on a few of the unusual facts mentioned by callers in to the show - well, I was crowned BBC Radio Manchester’s Head of Quirk so it’s only right I fulfil the role of quirk reporting…
Alan mentioned the houses on top of the Arndale Centre:
True. This was Cromford Court and was indeed a housing estate on the rooftops. They were demolished in 2003. I wrote about the estate and have some fantastic archive images here
The Imperial War Museum is designed to look like an exploded hand grenade:
False. Not quite right but not a million miles from the truth. The building’s concept is the fragments of a shattered globe. Each fragment represent earth, air and water or land, sky and sea where battles are fought. This symbolism continues in the use of each fragment - the Earth segment is the openness and earthliness of the museum space, Air is the entrance to the museum, and Water is the canal viewing platform.
There are little hillbilly men on a rooftop in Piccadilly
True. And I wrote about them in detail for one of my very first articles. They are Alpine style men and were quite damaged by the weather over the years but have been lovingly cleaned up. You can read about the little men of 79 Piccadilly here.
The Refuge Assurance building is made from smaller than average bricks
Well…I love this fact, and I they do look smaller so yes, I guess it is true but I don’t know much about brick sizing conventions. They were certainly specially commissioned to complement the terracotta decorations of the building so the size no doubt plays a part in that sympathetic design process. Have you ever looked closely at the facade of the building and the clock? You may well spot some interesting things when you do - castles, boats and insects are hidden throughout the building including an ark on the roof that’s not visible to anyone except the birds.
There’s a train station underneath the Arndale centre
True. Indeed there is, underneath Topshop, though you shouldn’t get as carried away as to think of it as a complete station - it’s more of a cavity in the foundations that would have been a station if the Picc-Vic line went ahead. I talk a little of it in my fictional account of how Manchester might have been if architect Joseph Sunlight was head of city planning (here)
There’s a steam train underneath Victoria Station
False. The caller said that he’d seen this himself so I don’t want to doubt him but I’m positive it wasn’t there in the 70s when archivist Ken Howarth explored the tunnels, and it almost certainly isn’t there now during the renovations. I did some research and what I think the caller was referring to is the front end of a pacer cab that crashed into the buffers at Liverpool Lime Street. I’m not sure why it ended up under the station at Manchester and I have confirmation that it’s no longer there - there’s a photo of it in this article.
There was a graveyard under the station, and last summer you may have found yourself in a secret location, taken through a dark, man-made tunnel, and it may or may not have led you to a gig that was maybe held in the underground arches of the station which is normally used for storage of old furniture. Maybe.
Toilet and catacombs under All Saints Park
True. Kind of. I actually don’t know about the toilets but it seems unlikely if they’re directly underneath the park because the catacombs the caller speaks of is a part truth - All Saints park is a mass grave for cholera victims (like many of Manchester’s parks) so it is consecrated ground and can’t be built on as a consequence. There’s a plaque to commemorate these burials at the park, on St Augustine’s church side of the park.
There are BT tunnels underneath Piccadilly Plaza
True. City Tower itself is an important site for the city - during the war Manchester made the decision to protect communications as a priority and as a consequence we have the Guardian tunnels (now owned by BT). The entrance to the tunnels is just over by China Town and they do indeed reach far out of the city, going as far as Ardwick and possibly beyond. City Tower hosts a variety of masts for communications so the tunnels leading here is no surprise. A further tunnel just behind the tower exists, or at least it did, and this was for the banks. There’s a photo of the bank tunnel on my article about City Tower here.
There was an underground swimming pool on Oxford Road.
True. It belonged to the Gaskell’s and much of it would have been underneath the former BBC building. You can read about it in our visit to the partly demolished BBC site from early in 2013
Alan also mentioned a little garden outside of a signal box in East Manchester, I don’t have a story on this one but I have seen it and can confirm its presence.
Faques event details and booking can be found here, I will also be selling illustrated maps of all the locations closer to the time.
As the Irwell acts as the invisible boundary between Salford and Manchester, Pomona is the limbo that buffers that waterway; it’s the tapering slice of land that makes way for the river to graze the Bridgewater Canal before both waterways abruptly branch off in opposing directions.
Once a bustling dockland and now a serene wasteland, Pomona, as small as it is manages to straddle Salford, Old Trafford and to a lesser extent Manchester (it takes mere minutes to reach from central Manchester on foot). These edgelands of Manchester are our alternative countryside.
Now owned by Peel with future plans to redevelop the area into apartments, the area has become one of interest to many people including botanists. It has been speculated that drastic steps have been taken to prevent the area from becoming listed as one of ecological importance, as noted by a resident in 2011:
“I jogged past this site this morning, and couldn’t believe what Peel had done to it! The area had previously supported a lot of native shrubs and trees. Mountain ash, gorse, silver birch, etc were all growing there. I even picked wild apples from there last year, too. The site undoubtedly would have provided a lot of habitat for indigenous wildlife and it was great to see a bit of wilderness and biodiversity in what is a very built up area.
I know the site was ripe for development but Peel have obliterated any bit of greenery, whatsoever, and churned it into a muddy, sterile mess which looks more akin to the battlefields of WW1. In what is undoubtedly a “scorched earth policy” towards the site, I still have to ask was it really necessary to remove every single tree ,shrub and blade of grass? Even those mature trees which were growing right by the banks of the canal, and which wouldn’t have got in the way of their developments, got the chop.”
The tragic tale of Spreepark, Berlin.
Just visible from my hostel, along the river towards Treptower, a ferris wheel pokes above the trees. It’s hidden in the forests of Plänterwald, in the former GDR of Berlin and was part of a popular theme park for school children visiting from Eastern Bloc countries and originally called Kulturpark Plänterwald. Opened in 1969 it was sold twenty years later to Norbert Witte when it had closed with the falling of Berlin Wall. In 1991 it reopened as Spreepark, the sale to Witte also saw the park declared as a nature sanctuary. This declaration was partly what shut down the park some 10 years later when car parking for the venue was dramatically slashed in order to protect the woodland.
At the start of his tenure at Spreepark Witte purchased new rides from a closed amusement park in Paris called Mirapolis, these included the pirate ship, ferris wheel and the plaster dinosaurs which are left crumbling there today. By 2001, due to dwindling numbers, the park that once saw 1.5 million visitors a year, declared bankruptcy.
In 2009 a documentary by the names of Achterbahn (Rollercoaster) was made by directory Peter Dörfler, the story focussed on the bankruptcy and the measures the Witte’s went to to claw back their fortune and get out of debt. The Witte’s soon travelled to Lima, Peru and took with them six rides so that they could eventually open a new park - Lunapark. The city of Berlin were not particularly enamoured with this move as the Wittes left not only a decaying park but also their multi-million debt.
At the heart of St Ann’s Square stands the only surviving 18th century church in the city (celebrating 300 years in 2012) and the second oldest in Manchester, the tower of which is said to mark the geographical centre of the old city and the surveyor’s benchmark can be seen carved into the stone by the tower door.
And the church has a secret hiding in its safe.
The church was built in 1712 as part of a redevelopment of the area and is said to be designed by Christopher Wren, or one of his pupils, and was later restored by Alfred Waterhouse. At the time of erection the tower, though not seemingly large today, was visible all across Manchester - at which time was a small market town.
One of the windows of the church is dedicated to the memory of Hilda Collens who founded the Northern School of Music (part of today’s Royal Northern College of Music).
Thomas De Quincey, born just around the corner on Cross Street, was baptised at the church and you can see the gravestones of his immediate family right outside. De Quincy wrote what is thought to be the very first book about drug addiction; Confessions of an English Opium Eater, and indeed he had quite the addictive personality - taking his opium dissolved in alcohol and stating “I am bound to confess that I have indulged in it to an excess, not yet recorded of any other man”. Addiction literature was born.
During the air raids of the Second World War churches would often fall victim to the blasts, yet St Ann’s seemed to be lucky enough not to be targeted. Or at least that seemed to be the case until 1960, because St Ann’s has a secret and that secret is hiding in its safe.
In 1960, during repair works to the church, an unexploded bomb was found on the roof and since then the bomb has been locked away in a safe in the church.
Whilst I was in the church an elderly man named Ronnie came over to talk to me about the bomb, he remembered in the 70s when Cannon Morgan was on loan to St Ann’s from the cathedral. Ronnie alluded to a playful rivalry between the cathedral and St Ann’s and he’d asked Cannon Morgan what he thought of the bomb landing but not detonating: “do you think it’s because we’re such good anglicans here at St Ann’s?” to which the cannon replied: "perhaps, or alternatively it’s because the devil knows his own".
St Ann’s was once again lucky to escape further bomb damage, during the 1996 IRA bomb the upstairs windows were blown in on both sides of the church. The quite lovely stained glass windows were not damaged.
When I set out to see the bomb today my roll of film became, quite coincidentally, something of a triptych of bomb scenes.
I left St Ann’s and decided to head over to Hilton House on Dale Street


Arguably one of Nigeria’s most resourceful, sure-voiced and engaging broadcasters, Sowoolu puts his entire professional career into focus – from his early days as a young announcer, through the stages of advertising, production, television, reality game shows, writing for media, journalism and management. There Are No Heroes could become a credible, reliable companion for the young broadcaster with great ambitions to become the best at what he, or she, does.
Explore our non-fiction titles from authorities in their fields. Stimulating stories filled with riveting revelations that cover important contemporary and historical moments and personalities. These are stories, from African experts, that document and preserve history, and modern life.
See our releases
Over the course of fifty-four years till the eve of independence, eight colonial pro-consuls governors for the British Empire pitched wit, passion and guile against under-celebrated, sometimes everyday Nigerians – Ahmadu Attahiru I, the Sokoto Caliph and his cavalry, who violently resisted British ouster and occupation; Eleko and the Lagos Chieftains, who first claimed they would “rather die than pay tax”... This is a story of Nigeria’s history as well as the history of Nigeria’s story. The other story!
This collection of contemporary thoughts is dedicated to one of the leading figures in Nigerian journalism, the founder of The Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Sam Amuka. It features some of the finest ideas and beliefs from a cross section of Nigerians that have influenced Nigeria’s history. Personalities that could rightly labelled as rebels, godfathers and progressives.
A historical record of momentous speeches by the former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola that chronicles his landmark achievements in the eight years of his administration. The Great Leap offers insight into Fashola’s leadership and how he successfully made Lagos state work; his social and economic policies and legislation that he enacted into law to create jobs, improve welfare and reduce crime; and his vision and advocacy to build a modern and effective mega city. The foreword is by leading legal luminary, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, SAN.
Possessed reveals hidden accounts, court evidence, testimony and papers of enquiry showing how colonisation employed the tools of law and justice to achieve its imperialist aims; therefore, changing the course of history and African society.
The former first lady of Lagos state was a relentless advocate to improve the welfare of women and children. This book offers an overview of the achievements of the former First Lady of Lagos State and her enduring legacy.
Award-winning photographer and personal photographer to the former governor of Lagos state Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), carries on the great tradition of vividly documenting history through photography as it unfolded within the eight years of his administration. Whether covering state events or the governor’s private moments, Lukesh’s photos always recorded the moments that mattered.
Currently not available for sale online


The Problem of American Conservatism: An Educational Omission
Although Alan Brinkley made the argument that historians neglect the American conservative tradition in historical scholarship, Barry Goldwater’s The Conscience of a Conservative and Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History and the Last Man are two best-selling examples of the vast body of historical scholarship on American conservatism. Brinkley’s claim, however, highlighted a different problem with the history of American conservatism, namely a lack of public awareness about the beliefs and goals associated with the American conservative tradition. In a history seminar at UCLA about American conservatism, undergraduate upperclassmen demonstrated initial ignorance on the subject while maintaining some familiarity with liberal causes and history. Even in their junior and senior years, many history students at UCLA have little exposure to the history of American conservatism. The curriculum of American history courses at UCLA, paired with the widespread availability of scholarship on American conservatism, therefore demonstrated that the problem of American conservatism is not a historiographical problem but an educational omission. Education at major academic institutions, such as UCLA, is dominated by history textbooks that support the Leftist ethos of American history, often addressing conservative views for the sole purpose of illustrating their absurdity and falsehood.
In his article “The Problem of American Conservatism,” historian Alan Brinkley argued that American conservatism faces a historiographical problem because historical scholarship on American conservatism is scarce and often dismissive of the conservative viewpoint. For example, Brinkley argued that the little historical scholarship that exists on American conservatism fails to provide an objective analysis of history, or one in which conservative perspectives are put forward with equal legitimacy as the liberal or Leftist perspective. He pointed out that:
little in [historians’] explanations of what such scholars at times called the ‘radical Right,’ the ‘New Right,’ or the ‘pseudo-conservative revolt’ suggested that conservatives were people whose ideas or grievances should be taken seriously or that the Right deserved attention as a distinct element of the American political tradition. (Brinkley, 411)
Historians characterize conservative groups and movements as “radical” or spurious in order to dismiss the validity of the conservative perspective. Brinkley argued that historians generally neglected or misrepresented American conservatism in scholarship.
However, historical scholarship on American conservatism is not only available but also very popular in American society, evident by the bestseller status of some conservative historical narratives. In 1960, Republican senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona released The Conscience of a Conservative, an elaborate narrative of the American conservative stance on various issues, ranging from states’ rights and taxes to civil rights and the Cold War. Patrick Buchanan, Republican politician and columnist, wrote that Goldwater’s The Conscience of a Conservative “was the college student underground book of the times. It was virtually ignored by the media, most college professors, and other liberals, who had long held a monopoly on the information flowing to the American people” (Goldwater, ix). Although the book was popular, Buchanan suggested that the liberal bias of educators and the media prevented the book from reaching the general public and gaining recognition. Similarly, Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History and the Last Man presented a commitment to classical liberalism (a segment of conservatism often referred to today as libertarianism) by arguing that, because liberal democracy had prevailed while communism began a global trend of collapse, the American system of liberal democracy was “the end of history,” or the final stage of political progress. Both Goldwater and Fukuyama defended conservative views with intelligent arguments and yet students rarely find this type of information in commonly used college textbooks on American history.
In a response to critics, Brinkley conceded that historians have produced extensive scholarship on American conservatism and altered his argument to criticize historians for allowing liberal versions of history to dominate the field, but Brinkley’s revised claim no longer identified a historiographical problem but, rather, an educational problem. Acknowledging that historians have produced scholarship on American conservatism, Brinkley criticized “the profession’s failure to ‘mainstream’ the study of conservatism” (Brinkley, 450). However, he mistakenly assumed that historians have significant control over bringing historical scholarship into the mainstream. Historians produce scholarship while educators, including college professors and the media, are responsible for bridging the gap between scholarship and public awareness. As evinced by Goldwater and Fukuyama’s books, historical scholarship on American conservatism is both plentiful and popular, but, as Brinkley pointed out in his response, it is inaccessible to the general public. Therefore, the problem of American conservatism must be an educational omission rather than a historiographical problem.
Despite the availability and popularity of historical scholarship on the American conservative tradition, history students at UCLA are tremendously uninformed about the beliefs and goals associated with American conservatism. On the first day of the UCLA seminar, History 191: History of American Conservatism, Professor Gantner gauged the class’ knowledge of American conservatism to demonstrate that many college students have little understanding of American conservative beliefs. Supporting his hypothesis, some students explained that conservatism describes individuals with an ideological perspective that is “traditional” and resistant to change (Lecture, 08/01/2011). Few students were able to contribute responses that demonstrated a meaningful understanding of American conservatism. As Brinkley described, “conservatism is not, in short, an ‘ideology,’ with a secure and consistent internal structure” (Brinkley, 414). Far from resistant to change, conservatives have adopted varying views over time in response to changes in American life and the evolving American political tradition. As historical scholarship on American conservatism exists and yet students at a top university remain uninformed about the subject, it is reasonable to attribute the lack of awareness and understanding of American conservatism to a lack of educational access to historical scholarship on the American conservative tradition.
An analysis of syllabi from lower division United States history courses at UCLA demonstrate that educators in the history department tend to select textbooks that support the Leftist or liberal ethos of American history. The syllabi available online through the academic years of 2008-2009 until 2010-2011 showed that the works of historian Eric Foner accounted for 42% of the required reading for lower division undergraduate United States history courses at UCLA. His books appeared eight times on the syllabi of seven courses in the History 13 series, UCLA’s lower division courses on U.S. history. A pioneer among Marxist and neo-Marxist historians, Foner has been the target of criticism from some groups on the Right that argue that he “preaches Marxism” in courses he teaches at Columbia University, a major academic institution in New York (Fuller). Conservatives have further criticized his book Give Me Liberty! An American History as a “shamelessly biased freshman textbook” because of the Leftist framework within which it presents history. However, 71% of the lower division undergraduate U.S. history courses at UCLA between 2008 and 2011 included Foner’s Give Me Liberty as required reading. The prevalence of history textbooks at UCLA that convey a liberal perspective of American history demonstrates that educators often fail to provide students with a full, diversified account of the American political tradition.
Comparing Foner’s popular history textbook to Goldwater’s account of the 1960s, it is evident that Foner’s version of history supported the Left’s version of events while omitting the conservative perspective. For example, the two narratives presented widely disparate representations of the Brown v. Board of Education case that outlawed segregation in public schools. Goldwater argued that the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prevented the federal government from intervening in education, reserving the right to create educational policy to state governments. He cited the Supreme Court decision in his book and explained the conservative response:
‘In approaching this problem,’ Chief Justice Warren said, ‘we cannot turn the clock back to 1868 when the amendment was adopted… We must consider public education in the light of its full development and in its present place in American life throughout the nation.’ In effect, the Court said that what matters is not the ideas of the men who wrote the Constitution, but the Court’s ideas. It was only by engrafting its own views that the Court was able to reach the decision it did. (Goldwater 29)
Goldwater therefore argued that, while he opposed discrimination and agreed with the wisdom of integration, the U.S. Supreme Court did not have legitimate authority to defy the Constitution and legislate from the bench by making the decision to outlaw segregation in schools. Foner’s version of history, however, supported the Supreme Court’s decision without presenting the opposing views. In his account of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in Give Me Liberty! An American History, Foner wrote, “With Truman’s civil rights initiative having faded and the Eisenhower administration being reluctant to address the issue, it fell to the courts to confront the problem of racial segregation” (Foner, 955). Without addressing the controversy of whether the judicial branch had legitimate authority to regulate educational policy and outlaw segregation in schools, Foner subtly mentioned that the decision “fell to the courts” (emphasis added). He therefore implied that the Supreme Court had the right and the responsibility to intervene in educational policy-making, a point that Goldwater and many other conservatives disputed. His presentation of the case failed to address objections to the decision, leaving history students without any doubts about the legitimacy or correctness of the Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. The failure of popular college history textbooks to address both liberal and conservative perspectives demonstrates that, while the information is available in historical scholarship, education falls short of objectivity when it assumes the correctness of the liberal perspective while omitting arguments that arose among conservatives.
When UCLA’s U.S. history curriculum includes historical scholarship on American conservatism, conservative views are often countered or discredited by the liberal perspective. One lower division U.S. history course at UCLA, for example, included the book Debating the American Conservative Movement, 1945 to present co-authored by historians Donald T. Critchlow and Nancy MacLean who each presented the opposite sides of the political spectrum through alternating essays on different topics. Although the course may have included this textbook with the goal of presenting both sides of each argument, the professor only felt compelled to include both sides when explaining the conservative perspective. Considering that the other two required texts in the course, Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty! An American History and Voices of Freedom, were not paired with a conservative counterpart, it is evident that history professors assess a need to counter the argument of conservatives and yet do not deem it equally important for the purpose of educational objectivity to counter a Leftist representation of history with the conservative narrative.
In another example, the 2011 UCLA summer seminar on the History of American Conservatism exposed undergraduate history students to historical scholarship on the American conservative tradition, but the lectures and discussions then discredited the conservative position. For example, as explained previously, Goldwater used his book The Conscience of a Conservative to defend the conservative, or right-wing, viewpoint on the Brown v. Board of Education decision based on an argument that the federal government had no right to intervene in legislation regarding education in the states. In the seminar, Professor Gantner explained that the argument for states’ rights was actually a “code” for White Southerners that perceived the Brown v. Board of Education ruling as an assault on Jim Crow laws (Lecture, 08/10/2011). His claim that the argument for states’ rights was a facade for White Southern racism discredited Goldwater’s conservative perspective because Gantner implied that conservatives did not actually believe that the Constitution placed education in the realm of rights reserved to the states and restricted from federal intervention. Professor Gantner’s argument therefore also implied that the Brown v. Board of Education decision was correct despite the conservative argument that the decision overstepped the Court’s authority.
Despite Brinkley’s arguments that historians failed to produce or “mainstream” historical scholarship on American conservatism, an extensive body of scholarship exists on the subject. Analyzing the syllabi of lower division United States history courses at UCLA, however, demonstrated that the conservative perspective is marginalized by Leftist representations of American history at major academic institutions. The 2011 summer seminar on the history of American conservatism was a step in the right direction toward bridging the educational gap between the historical scholarship and public awareness of American conservatism because it exposed students to information often omitted in American history courses at UCLA. However, class lectures and discussions served mainly to refute the conservative perspective, perpetuating the educational bias that prevents students from taking American conservatism seriously.
- Brinkley, Alan. “The Problem of American Conservatism.” American Historical Review. Volume 9, Issue 2. April 1994.
- DuBois, Ellen. Syllabus for History 13B: History of the U.S. and Its Colonial Origins: 19th Century. Winter 2009. https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/09W/hist13b-1/
- DuBois, Ellen. Syllabus for History 13B: U.S. History: the Nineteenth Century. Winter 2011. < https://classes.sscnet.ucla.edu/course/view/11W-HIST13B-1?topic=1>
- Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume 2. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.
- Fukuyama, Francis. The End of History and the Last Man. New York: Free Press, 1992.
- Fuller, Al. “Eric Foner Preaches Marxism on Campus.” The Other Half of History. 12 June 2011. <http://historyhalf.com/eric-foner-preaches-marxism-on-campus/>
- Goldwater, Barry. The Conscience of a Conservative. Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway, Inc., 1990.
- Higbie, Frank Tobias. Syllabus for History 13C: History of the U.S. and its Colonial Origins: 20th Century. Spring 2010. <https://classes.sscnet.ucla.edu/course/view/10S-HIST13C-1>
- Lameraux, Naomi. Syllabus for History 13B: Nineteenth Century U.S. History. Winter 2010. https://classes.sscnet.ucla.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=45157
- Lytle Hernandez, Kathleen. Syllabus for History 13C: History of the U.S. and its Colonial Origins: 20th Century. Spring 2011. <https://classes.sscnet.ucla.edu/course/view/11S-HIST13C-1>
- Meranze, Michael. Syllabus for History 13A: History of the U.S. and Its Colonial Origins: Colonial Origins and First Nation Building Acts. Fall 2008. <https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/08F/hist13a-1/>
- Radosh, Ronald. “The Left’s Lion.” National Review Online. 1 July 2002. <http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-radosh071002.asp>


Floor standing sink made of marble and stone
Upper strip: Carrara marble
Lower strip: Medea stone
The design of the floor standing sink is inspired by the buildings of the ancient Rome.
On this coexistence between inspirations – the grandeur of spaces and the pleasure of ablution – Lievore Altherr designed the series Rome, centering the collection on a cylindrical vertical sink.
Size of the washbasin: H. 88 cm, ø 45 cm


You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2012.
“Sacco and Vanzetti were two anarchist militants, framed in an unfair trial at a time of anti-radical repression and executed as enemies of the state. Their names still strike sparks of controversy, illuminating the limits of democratic state ‘justice’, what the powerful will do to their enemies, and the strength of human resistance. ”
“Both men died bravely, just after midnight on 23 August 1927. Sacco proclaimed ‘Viva l’anarchia!’ (Long live anarchy!), Vanzetti declared his innocence and that he forgave some people for what they were doing. Five days later the Boston police paid them the compliment of violently attacking their funeral procession. ”
“Black August originated in the concentration camps of California to honor fallen Freedom Fighters, Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson, William Christmas, James McClain and Khatari Gaulden. Jonathan Jackson was gunned down outside the Marin County California courthouse on August 7, 1970 as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black Liberation Fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee. “
When is the last time you contributed to the ABCF Warchest, a program that gives monthly stipends to political prisoners and prisoners of war with little other means of support. When is the last time you ran along side the prisoners, from the other side of the walls? Now’s your chance.
Click above for info on LA run. Click below for info on NYC run.
Jaan Lamaan and other prisoners will be running to support this effort from prison. Click below to hear Jaan Lamaan’s podcast message!


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A four year labor of love ensued, including two years just to create over drawings.
It took four trucks to bring the gleaming replicas miles here to Promontory Summit, Utah. Here, they were christened with water from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and commissioned into service May 10,the th Anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony.
Although the great pioneering, steam-driven days Jessica alba sex story the first transcontinental railroad are gone, the legacy of that time lives on Panties men stories Golden Spike National Historical Park. Here, the reborn Jupiter and No. Last updated: April 30, Contact the Park Mailing Address: P.


Original Acrylic Painting on Masonite.
Size: 26 x 27″
I did a painting in high school of a tree bridge over a waterfall and I’ve always wanted to revisit the concept. This time, however, I wanted to include a historic flavor with either ruins or statues from a bygone civilization.
It’s interesting to note that there are three “fallen” things in this painting: the tree, the waterfalls and the fallen civilization (represented by the statue of the winged lion). I’ve also had people comment that at first glance, it almost looks like the winged lion is walking across the fallen tree bridge.
Copyright 2007 by Paul Bunch. All Rights Reserved.


This is a short sleeve 100% organic pre shrunk cotton tshirt. This shirt runs true to size. The design on the front is insprired by artwork done by Benjamin Franklin originally published in 1754. The artwork, at the time, was the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America. The art was ment to inspire everyone to “join” the revolution againt the British rule. PINK FOX is using the design as a similar rallying cry, except this time around cannabis legislation. The front of the shirt is made up of all the states that currently have cannabis legislation on the books. The back of the shirt is meant to mimic a concert lineup. It lists each state an whether they have one or both medical and recreational legislation on the books.


VIDEO: The business of transforming hay trolleys
NOTES: Bryan Eads of Charleston, W.Va., came across a cool, industrial-looking device in an antique shop a few years ago. “What’s that?” he asked. It was a hay trolley, a cast-iron device that was a key piece of farm machinery in the late 19th century through to the mid-20th century. It was used for hoisting hay bales into haylofts. Eads had the bright idea — literally — to turn one into a chandelier. Now, he spends much of his free time making hay trolley chandeliers and lamps in the workshop beside his home. For more on his trolley pieces, visit http://harmonyridgegallery.com, the website of the Lewisburg, W.Va., gallery where he sells his pieces.
LENGTH: 2 min 29 sec


When looking at the evolution of lighting, one thinks of 3 things: the fuel source, the luminaire, and the technology. From its birth to the modern day revolution that is happening with 21st century LED technology, let's take a quick look at the history of light.
Candles have been found in Egypt, dating back to the fourth century B.C. The Greeks and Romans have been credited with introducing the wick to the Egyptian idea of wickless tallow lighting. Tallow is a hard fatty substance made from rendered animal fat, used in making candles and soap. Wicks, in combination with early candle materials represented a huge significant technological lighting advancement since the discovery of fire itself.
Gas lighting was developed in England in 1790 and introduced to the United States where Newport, Rhode Island had the first section of road in America to introduce gas lights in 1792. Just a few decades later, gas fuel was being used for street lighting in major eastern cities of the United States. There have been different types of gas used over the years in gas lamps including methane, acetylene, butane, propane, hydrogen, and natural gas. The growth of gas lamps and the infrastructure to support them in cities and suburbs paralleled the advancements of the era in coal and petroleum production and distillation.
We all know that Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light in 1879. His invention represented the necessary lighting technology required to establish electricity as the primary power source for lighting both indoors and outside. Incandescent bulbs dominated the world of lighting until fluorescent lights were introduced commercially around 1904.
The high intensity discharge (HID) lamps operated by sending an electrical current between two metal electrodes and through a glass tube, filled with inert gas resulting in the emission of visible light. The one lighting technology invented in the 20th century that was significantly different from the various HID bulbs was the Light Emitting Diode (LED). LEDs produce light by converting electrical current using a semiconductor. Modern LEDs have a useful lifespan that is 2-4 times that of their average competitor while producing high quality light much more efficiently as well.
Check back to see new articles and guides , or feel free to click another article to experience more great insights and advice.


A Brief History of Money and Modern Foreign Exchange and Currency Markets
1. Imagining Money – A brief history of Money
The article goes back in history to discover how the use of money became popular and explains why the world embraced the Gold Standard, failure of the Gold Standard.
2. Pages from History – Fast forward to the reign of the U.S. Dollar
The article examines competitive trade policies, use of currency to gain advantage in international trade and looks at the reasons for the supremacy of the U.S. Dollar and its status as a global reserve currency.
3. Gold vs. the U.S. Dollar
The article examines the possibility of a return to the Gold Standard and discusses its impact on the future price of gold. Will the price of gold appreciate or depreciate in future?
4. Basics of Foreign Exchange Markets and Currency Rate Calculations
The article explains how foreign currency rates are determined and the methodology of reading currency quotes. Majors / Minors and cross currency pairs.


Many of us know Mahjong as the easy to play online tile matching game. The game is available on many online gaming platforms plus in downloadable versions on both the iOS and Android platforms. However, what many of us don’t know that the original and traditional version of the game is much different and much more thrilling than the solitaire version. Most individuals from China would probably feel offended by the solitaire version.
The real Mahjong is an important part of the Chinese culture and is much more thrilling than the solitaire version. Free of any options like shuffle, hints and undo, the original game involves a lot of strategic thinking and stimulation of the mind.
Mahjong – A History
Mahjong has a fascinating history. There is no solid opinion on how and when the game originated. The identity of the person behind this interesting game is also shrouded in mystery. Due to the confusion related to the origins of the game, the history of the game is made up of many myths.
Some of the myths indicate that the first time this game was recognised was in the Chinese court sometime around 500BCE. At that time, only the noble were allowed to indulge in the entertainment provided by Mahjong. On the other hand, common people who were found playing this game were threatened with decapitation. The restriction was dissolved in 500 AD. This led to the spreading of the game all around the world.
Who Invented Mahjong?
Just like the general history of the game, there is no definite opinion on who invented Mahjong. Some say that the game was invented by Confucius. It is also said that Confucius invented many other games along Mahjong. However, there is no evidence to support this opinion.
On the other hand, some of the recent theories indicate that Mahjong might have invented by the Chinese troops as a way of passing the time.
Rules of the Original Mahjong
These days, people are familiar with the rules of the solitaire version of the game. However, the original version of the game involved more than one player. Over the years, the game found its way beyond the Asian borders and the rules changed as different versions of the game appeared. The game became so popular across the globe that there was a worldwide shortage of bone and ivory for making the tiles of Mahjong in the 1920s. An interesting fact is that ivory Mahjong tiles were considered to be a sign of elite status among the Chinese community.
The solitaire version of Mahjong remains popular among the younger generation but there is no shortage of people who still respect the original Mahjong. Mahjong is a significant part of the Chinese culture and is still a great way to socialise for the Chinese. As mentioned earlier, the game has many versions but the British version is closest to the original one except the addition of more melds. Given the significance of Mahjong for Chinese nationals, it would be no surprise that they will keep the essence of the original Mahjong for years to come.


This piece originally appeared in The American Spectator Concidential American journalist Louis Fisher, once an enthusiastic chronicler of Soviet economic advances, recounted how much the Soviet Union had changed: Ubiquitous fear, amply justified by terror, had killed Confidential pantyhose playtime, silenced protest, and destroyed civil courage.
In place of idealism, cynical safety first. In place Lol bbs board japan dedication, pursuit of personal aggrandizement.
In place of living spirit, dead conformism, bureaucratic formalism, and the Confidential pantyhose playtime of false clichés. After visiting the Soviet Union, the French Nobel Laureate André Gide said bluntly, I doubt whether in any country in the world not even in Hitler Confidential pantyhose playtime Germany have the mind and spirit ever been less free, more bent, more terrorized and indeed vassalized than in the Soviet Union.
Gide said that the Soviet Union has deceived our fondest hopes and shown us tragically in what treacherous quicksand an honest revolution can founder.


In 1989, Viviane Daaboul-Kallio moved to Finland from Lebanon escaping for war. What was to be a short visit, became a life journey.
Regardless of the war, weekend’s meant banquets at Viviane’s house with chicken being served on the table without exceptions. Such traditions and memories remain warm in Viviane’s heart and have been portrayed in Farouge. The name “Farouge” means “small rooster” in Lebanese and was chosen due to its suitability for Finns to pronounce. Moreover, Farouge represents the exoticism and internationalism to be served for the first time in the late 1990’s.
Sincere, considerate & personal
Viviane & Aki Kallio’s paths crossed in the Radisson SAS Hotel Kamppi, Helsinki in 1992. Aki worked as a chef whilst Viviane worked in the dining room of the hotel. A lovely Sunday walk led to the realisation of the limited food offer in the capital city. Such was the frustration, Viviane and Aki sat on their balcony where Farouge was to be planned. Such was their desire to offer something new to Helsinki, Aki and Viviane served their delicate flavours to their colleagues which persuaded them to open a restaurant of their own.
The first Farouge came in 1995 with only 24 seats in Mannerheim street. Such was the buzz of this new gourmet oasis, Farouge expanded to a new location in Yrjönkatu in the year 1997. After years of serving locals and foreigners, Farouge was to be closed in 2016 due to the property being sold. In 2019, Viviane & Aki joined forces with Nordic Hospitality Partners with a new, majestic, vibrant and gorgeous restaurant in Fabianinkatu 9. The ever-renewing Farouge opened its doors welcoming old a new guests.
Ethnic luxury and exotic taste
A concept of success was based in the “holy trinity”: Viviane’s out-of-the-ordinary ideas, Aki’s undeniable kitchen skills and Maggie’s (Viviane’s sister) valuable expertise in Lebanese cuisine. Courage, persistence and creativity are amongst Farouge’s success. Farouge is undeniably the jewel of Helsinki’s Lebanese food and dinner experience.
Welcome to a unique experience in the heart of Helsinki.


But it is to France and Normandy that we look for the origin of the name, which we will deal with in the Origin section of this website. We follow the name from Normandy, through England with its many references in different areas and on to Hereford, close to the Welsh border. Here they had considerable influence and power.
Next we trace their approximate time and place of arrival in Ireland and what influence or position they held there. We also examine why they may have been compelled to move west towards Connaught and in particular the Mayo/Roscommon area, after having settled for several generations in the south of Ireland. From here many travelled to the United States, Canada, Australia and England. Some Frains, Fraynes, Freynes etc, have completed this journey in its entirety thus far, while others stopped and remained in different locations along the way. Although geography has greatly influenced the spelling of the name and perception of family connections, all variants of the name appear to share a common origin.
In the Genetics section of this site we look at a potential way of discovering just how closely we Frains etc may be connected to one another.


Segway24.pl offers a unique and innovative tour of Gdansk, during which tourists have the opportunity to see the most interesting attractions of the city. Tour on Segway electric vehicles has many advantages and offers an attractive and innovative form of exploring the charming Gdansk old town.
The tour allows you to visit the most interesting parts of the Gdansk's Old Town. Our guide will tell you the history of this over a thousand years old city. On the rout you’ll see the Długa Street, Neptune Fountain, Artus Court, the Town Hall, the Medieval Crane, St. Mary's Church, The Crane,The Grand Mill,Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers and many more of the city's historical sights. The tour combines learning the history of the amazing city of Gdansk and having fun riding Segways at the same time!
Time: 1,5h -2h
Price: 2oozł / each person
Guiding service in: Polish, English, Swedish,Russian, German


Daily Update February 28, 2017
Black History recognized in February and Beyond
Carter G. Woodson is credited with recognizing the need and lobbying for special concentration on black history in schools. In February 1926, what began as Negro History Week later evolved into Black History Month. A sampling of those who are remembered each year and are now household names includes:
This year, three lesser known mathematicians who helped win the space race came into the spotlight via the movie, Hidden Figures, the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. And of course, the former first family leave their legacy as President Obama completed his two terms in office as the first black president. From activists, athletes, scientists, writers, performers, and politicians, black history is woven into American history.
Foster families and child care workers have the opportunity to continue exploration through February and beyond. Discover the people and places that make America rich in history, beginning with some of the places in our state of Georgia:
PBS provides book-and-activity-recommendations for helping children embrace black history and diversity. Link to resources:
Recognition of black history need not end in February.
An email newsletter as a public service Editor


A friend of mine kept telling me about the miraculous cave at Guadalupe in Cebu City. I had been only to the Guadalupe Church but never knew about a cave. Even my friends from cebu city have never been there. She also mentioned that its a long walk from the church to the cave.
I guess we were lucky and God has been too kind that on the day we visited, a road has already been built (although muddy and rocky) which takes you straight to where the miraculous cave of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
When we arrived late afternoon from Carcar, a mass was ongoing.
There were two images on the altar, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Christ crucified.
"In this cave was found the image of Our Lady, a replica of Our Lady of Guadalupe enshrined in Merida, Estramadura, Spain. This image was brought by the first spanish missionaries in the 1th century. (The novena pamphlet mentions that the image is believed to be brought by Magellan to the Philippines with the Sto. Nino and the Holy Face).
Hispano-Filipino conflicts forced the natives to hide the image in this cave. A native of Kalunasan, Berto Minoza, a trapper of wild chicken found the image accidentally. The image was brought to San Nicolas church which was the parish where the Banawan, now known as Barangay Guadalupe belonged. (Cannot read the exact number of years) Several years after, the image was placed in a chapel situated in the site where the present Guadalupe church is now located."
I was not able to capture the last paragraph unfortunately but based on the letter from Cardinal Vidal posted at the entrance of the cave, it mentions that in 1902, a plague struck the city of Cebu. The archbishop ordered that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe be carried in procession on July 16, 1902 in order to pray for Mary's intercession.
"The plague ceased the very day of the procession manifesting the efficacy of Mary's intercessory power".
At the center of the cave is the statue of Our Lady with a yellow mantle on the alter. People line up after mass to be able to take their turn and cover their head with this mantle for a brief prayer moment.
Dhangs turn to cover her head with Our Lady's mantle as she prays for special intentions.
Water dripping from the side of the cave near the image of Our lady. Believed to be holy as it comes from inside the miraculous cave.
Tess and Dhang writes their petitions after our prayers inside the cave.
Copy of the Decree signed by Cardinal Vidal, Declaring 2002 as The Year of Grace for Our Lady Guadalupe Church and Cave in honor of its 100th anniversary.
image of Our Lady of Guadalupe covering Juan Diego's head with her miraculous mantle.
and that was the end of our one day pilgrimage to three marian shrines in cebu. It was made possible and convenient because a good friend Wilson Ng lent us his van.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Posted by Unknown


Surf Club (In Progress)
As a historic landmark, The Surf Club, originally designed by Russell Pancoast, was a luxurious paradise hideout for the elite crowd of celebrities, politicians, and models. Today, Surf Club’s original Mediterranean-style structure is being restored, along with two new 12-story residential condominium towers and a 3rd 12-story hotel tower, adding to the Atlantic oceanfront property. Pritzker prize-winning architect Richard Meier heads up the design, following Henry Firestone’s original vision back in the 20s.
Type: Condominiums, Hospitality
General Contractor:Coastal Construction Group
Developer:Fort Capital Management


I had the great privilege of spending three and a half days with the pastor and the people of St. Joseph Parish in Jifna, a Palestinian Roman Catholic Parish. It is about 10 miles from Jerusalem in the occupied territory of the West Bank. It was through Fr. Alex Kratz, a Franciscan priest in Detroit and friend of St. Joseph’s pastor, Fr. Firas Aridah, that I received the invitation to visit Jifna. It was an experience that I will never forget.
Jifna is a small town nestled in a valley on the outskirts of the city of Ramallah, the temporary capital of Palestine. Its history is long, dating to pre-biblical times, and the place is mentioned in Joshua 18:24 as “Ophni,” one of the towns given to the tribe of Benjamin. Local tradition holds that the Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus stayed there on their return to Nazareth from exile in Egypt. In fact, the spring that provides water for the town is still called “Mary’s Spring.” On one side of the parish church there are some families living in the remains of a Roman fortress that dates from the time of Jesus. On the south side of the church are the partially excavated ruins of the 6th century Church of St. George. Overlooking and encroaching upon the town for the past 60 years is the Palestinian refugee camp, Al Jalazun, which is home to Muslim families that were displaced as a result of the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. History oozes out of every stone, yet the town is very much alive in the present.
I arrived in Jifna on Friday afternoon through the kindness of William, the chauffeur of Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem. As we drove through the rain on the winding roads between the Judean hills, we talked about the checkpoints and the Israeli built security wall that divides the land. He also talked about his family and his two beautiful little granddaughters whose pictures he was happy to show me while he kept one hand on the wheel! We arrived to lunch and a warm welcome from Fr. Firas who made me feel right at home. He is an energetic 37-year-old pastor from Jordan who takes seriously his title and role as “Abouna,” “Father” and protector of his flock. In his previous pastorate in the village of Aboud, he stood up to Israeli tanks and soldiers’ guns to prevent the encroachment of the wall into the neighborhoods, fields and olive orchards of his parish. In 2005, he went to Washington and testified in Congress about the realities of life in Palestine, and his parish in particular.
St. Joseph Parish is made up of 140 families and I had a chance to meet a good number of the parishioners that first evening. Because it was a Friday in Lent, Stations of the Cross were prayed followed by evening Mass, all in Arabic. A gaggle of altar servers, boys and girls, assisted at the service. They dress in the same style of robes as our servers in Lake Orion except the girls also wear head coverings of laced white mantillas. Throughout the worship, the faithful sang the hymns full-throated and loudly recited the responses. I was impressed by their deep devotion and evident faith and began to be homesick for my own St. Joseph Parish in Lake Orion. I thought about the Lenten fish fry and the Stations of the Cross being prayed back home that very night and how fortunate that I am to be a member of a strong faith community.
Following Mass, almost the entire congregation went to the parish hall for a light Lenten supper. The food was wonderful and consisted of traditional breads, olives, humus, falafel, various pickles, salads and pastries. It was a feast and hardly represented a penance for me at all! Then we played Bingo. Fortunately for me, I sat next to Jifna’s two nuns who helped me mark my cards, since of course the numbers were being called out in Arabic. Although I never had the chance to call out “Bingo,” I enjoyed a perfectly Catholic experience my first day in Jifna.


Let us suppose that this is your first visit to the Istanbul. One bright sunny morning you descend the steps outside Haydarpaþa Station to the edge of the sea, whose surface is ruffled by the cool breeze and above which the gulls soar and plunge. On the other side of the Bosphorus the roofs, minarets and domes of the old city are silhouetted against the sky. When the ferry boat has carried you across the Bosphorus you wander through the streets past mosques, medreses, tombs, fountains, churches, synagogues and other historic buildings that reflect the cultural mosaic of this ancient city. While walking remember to look up to see the finials that surmount the domes, conical caps and roofs of many of these buildings. They are not only a finishing architectural touch, but also symbols of religious faith and philosophical values that in different forms are found in many cultures around the world.
Whether these finials are in the form of the Islamic alem, a cross or a weathervane, the aim is to attract the attention to the summit of the building, so giving the impression that it is rising up into the sky rather than sinking downwards with the curves or slanting lines of the roof, and thereby metaphorically exalt the building and thoughts of the observer. In Islamic culture the word alem derives from the Arabic ilm, meaning to know or signify, and as well as architectural finials refers to military and other types of standards as symbols to which people gather. The earliest standards were totemic in character, consisting of figures of gods, Semitic symbols or animals made of copper, bronze, silver or gold attached to the top of poles and carried in processions and battles. The earliest known standards are depicted in Mesopotamian and Egyptian art, and the oldest surviving examples are the Hattian solar discs discovered in royal tombs at website in Turkey.
Dating from the late 3rd millennium BC, these incorporate the figures of stags and bulls. The most elaborate of all ancient standards were those used by the disciplined Roman armies, consisting of small figures of the war deities Mars and Minerva, other religious motifs, or symbols of Rome and the emperors. These totemic standards were abandoned along with the old polytheistic faith.
Prior to their conversion to Islam the Turks used tent finials and standards that were generally in the shape of balls and known as moncuk (little moon), a word deriving from the Persian mang (moon). These symbols were believed to protect the tent and its occupants from evil and misfortune. Horn shaped crescents, wolves and similar motifs were also used as standards symbolising the power of the state among the ancient Turks. After adopting the Islamic faith, the word alem replaced the old term moncuk.
The standard of the mediaeval Seljuk Turks was a double headed eagle, and the first standard used by the Ottomans was a halberd, whose narrow blade also served as a weapon until the 15th century. Even today finials, often in the form of crescents, are used on flag and standard poles. Finials used at the summit of domes and minarets have to be in proportion to the size of the building, so that those on large mosques may be as much as five or six metres in height. It is interesting that in Ottoman folk paintings and carvings, such as on tomb stones, fountains and dovecotes, finials are depicted disproportionately larger than the buildings to which they belong. This distortion is a reflection of the high ideals they represented.
Architectural finials also served the practical purposes of covering up the unsightly joining point of the sheets of lead that covered domes and conical minaret caps, and protecting the vulnerable join from leaking when it rained or the lead sheets being ripped up in high winds.
Finials dating from the period that have survived to the present day are all carved from solid blocks of white marble. In the Ottoman period, on the other hand, with the exception of a few ceramic finials found on buildings in and around the city of Tokat, they were always made from bronze, iron, copper or gilded copper. Hollow inside, they consist of separate base, body and crest riveted together. The base is generally hemispherical and either ribbed or fluted, and the body knopped. The crest is the most eye-catching part, and may be in the form of horns, a crescent, a horseshoe or a lily. One face is always turned in the direction of Mecca, and in some cases they are engraved with verses from the Koran. Standards used by the mystic orders were usually surmounted by the symbol of the order.
An interesting example of an Ottoman Turkish finial is to be seen on a church in Hungary near to the tomb of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
In Ottoman times this finial was placed next to the cross, and after the Ottomans withdrew from Hungary this was allowed to remain until the present day, an example of respect and tolerance for the art and faith of another culture.
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