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Wednesday 28 March 2012

War Work -Sepia Saturday

I've waited a time before showing some more of my brother's photos from WWII on board aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.

Aircraft Recovery
I believe this is a Swordfish but will stand correcting if anyone knows better.

Two planes in a collision
It is difficult to imagine how they finished up like this.

Finally one on its nose.

Precarious position
This is a post in which I am lost for words other than I'm glad my brother came home safely.

For different types of work you should visit Sepia-saturday-119



Tuesday 27 March 2012

Branded - Thematic Photography

When I saw this week's branded theme I wondered what my archives would contain, For some reason my thoughts turned to the local pubs. This is what I found.

George & Dragon - Union Arms
There is some railway history attached to the George & Dragon in Yarm, North Yorkshire as you can see from the plaque attached.

Stockton & Darlington Railway - 1820 Meeting
John Smiths on sale at the George & Dragon



On the same side of the street is a pub-come-wine bar that has rebranded itself.

Osbournes, Yarm
I preferred it when it was the Green Tree.

Just up from Osbournes is another pub.

The Black Bull, Yarm
I could show you several more but has Carmi's photo was a Hummer I decided to finish with a young lady out for a drive.

Ladybirds ride at ???
At this point I must confess to a senior moment; my memory has failed to identify which seaside place this was taken at.

For other favourite brands you should check out Thematic-photographic-189

Sunday 25 March 2012

Flower Power - Sunday Stamps

I've an interesting first day cover for you this week (thanks to my pet market stallholder again)


This poem from Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1824 accompanies the ten 19th century flower paintings.

First Day Cover -6January 1997
The names of the flowers and the artists (of whom I had never heard) are included on the information card along with the poem. I won't spell out the Latin names of the flowers - I'll just give the names I know them by.

Top row: Gentian; Magnolia, Camellia, Tulips, Fuschia

Btm row: Tulips, Gazania, Iris, Amaryllis, Passion Flower

The painters:

Top: G D Ehret, G D Ehret, A Chandler, G D Ehret, A J Withers

Btm: G D Ehret, C C Sowerby, G D Ehret, P J Redoute, G D Ehret

You can find more flowers or signs of Spring at Viridian's sunday stamps 63

Thursday 22 March 2012

Going Out on Sepia Saturday

If Saturday is the night to party I give you the choice of two. Which one would you prefer?

Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity House 1922
These party goers pose in front of the fraternity house during the Greek swing out weekend, the second of the fall social weekends at Washington and Jefferson College in 1922.

The second party also has an academic link, this time in Oxford, England.

Queen's College Ball 2010, 4.27am
 These party goers had made a night of it at the Queen's College Ball on 26 June 2010. (Photo by Queen's Ball form Oxford, England - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 generic license)

However I must admit I'd prefer to be going out with these:

Pointers Going Out with Sportsmen - 1820 engraving
from W H Scott's "British Field Sports (1820)
Author John Scott (1774-1827) after James Barenger (1780-1831)

For more pointers on going out you need to pop across to Sepia Saturday 118




Tuesday 20 March 2012

Lights on - Thematic Photography

Don't you just hate those people who show you their holiday snaps? Nevertheless I'll have to risk it and switch the lights on.

Hotel lounge in Lanzarote
I don't know what the hotel's name is now but it used to be the Sheraton at Costa Tequise.

The lounge pool
The pool in the lounge is not for swimming, but is close enough to the bars so that you can drown your sorrows if you are so inclined. However if you fancied dancing outside the nearest we got was not in the Canaries but off Montenegro.

Group on stage at Sveti Stefan
Sveti Stefan is a five star hotel on what was once a small island but is now joined to the mainland by a small isthmus.

Sveti Stefan (in the daylight)
Nearer home someone has either put out the lights or never switched them on.

Lamps at Stockton-on-Tees
At least the gull found somewhere to (a)light without burning its feet.

For more enlightenment you need to switch over to Carmi's Written Inc. 188-

Sunday 18 March 2012

Going to the dogs again - Sunday Stamps

I was going to post something quite different this week, until I came across these stamps on my favourite market stall.

Poland
The poodle and the Airedale terrier were immediately recognisable but not the bulldog.

I had some trouble with the next set too.

San Marino
The Pointer (top left) and the Boxer (btm right) were easy enough. I've seen several Salukis which are also known as  Italian Greyhounds (top middle) and this matches up with the English Greyhound (btm left). Knowing that San Marino is a republic in Central Italy helped with the 3 lire stamp.

My pocket sized dog book tells me that Maremma is a region by the Tyrrhenian Sea and that there is a breed called Maremaner Herder dogs. The picture in the book can only be the same type of dog as on the 3 lire stamp (top right) where it is identified as Pasture Maremmano. So I'll settle for describing it as a large sheep dog.

As you could post whatever you wished this week you should check out others' choices at Viridian's Sunday Stamps-62

Thursday 15 March 2012

Scouts - Sepia Saturday

I've never been a member of the Scouts; the only uniform I've worn was that of the Royal Signals during my National Service days. The theme this week was likely to be a challenge.


I decide the best thing I could do was to learn a bit about semaphore. I hope you can read this 'message.'
 



This should not be too difficult to work out. Meanwhile here's the only scouting photo in my files.

Yarm Cub Scouts (1970s)
My older son is on there, somewhere,

For more scouting tasks don't forget to visit Sepia Saturday

[Attribution: Semaphore letters - www.anbg.gov.au/flags/semaphore - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 unported license]

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Watery - Thematic Photography

The weekend just gone was lovely and warm, almost like  summer. Where better to be then than by the seaside; my photo's are ideal for the watery theme.

Saltburn, North Yorkshire
A watery sea, watery sand and wet dogs - a happy combination. The wide expanse of empty beach left room for equine exercise, but not for me.

Saltburn Beach
Same sea, same sand and the same dogs along with the horses. At the end of the beach going south the land makes a contrast with the watery North Sea.

Huntcliffe, Saltburn
There were no surfers in action while we were there but I can't resist the temptation to show a surfer in action (not at Saltburn)

Angus Scotney
Angus is our grandson and lives in Cornwall. He is an under-16 member of the British Surfing Team picked to compete in Panama in April.

Now it's your turn to surf the web for more watery stuff at Carmi's Written Inc. thematic-photographic-187

Sunday 11 March 2012

Famous Women - Sunday Stamps

My collection seems to be short on stamps to meet this week's theme especially if you exclude Heads of State and France's Marianne. However I discovered one or two which I had to find out about first.

Sigrid Undset 1882-1949
Sigrid was born in Denmark but moved to Norway when she was two. Her claim to fame is that she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Her most famous book is probably Kristin Lavransdatter a trilogy about life in Scandinavia in the Middle Ages. You can read about her on the Nobel Prize site - "Sigrid Undset - Autobiography".

My second stamp comes from Mexico.

Josefa Ortiz
Josefa Ortiz De Dominguez was the heroine of the Mexican Independence. One of her most important contributions to the Independence movement was when she alerted Father Miguel Hidalgo that the conspiracy had been discovered by the Spanish.You can read more about her here 

This is the year of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. I do not have any of the stamps issued to commemorate the event. I can however show some issued for her 60th birthday.

Queen Elizabeth II
 To see other famous women you should switch over to Viridian's Sunday Stamps 61

Thursday 8 March 2012

Hair - Sepia Saturday

For someone who's follicularly challenged (on my head at least) I was dismayed to see the beard on display in Alan's photo.






But not to be outdone I found a Mr Aitkins on a CDV on a local market stall.

W Hayln (?) H Aitkins - CDV
So far I haven't found anymore details about this bearded man. The reverse of the card just carries the photographer's details.



My second beard is much neater, but again the man remains a mystery although the photographer Francis Bacon operated at 105 Northumberland Street in Newcastle.

Unknown portrait - Cabinet card
You might accuse me of being biased if I did not include a lady in this post - but not a bearded one.

Astronaut Marsha Irwins experiencing weightlessness
(NASA photo - 2001)

As for me it's a case of hair today, gone tomorrow, so you might like to read what I wrote in 2009. Hair-Today-Gone-Tomorrow

Of course you may also check out other hairy contributions at Sepia Saturday 116

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Past Its Prime - Thematic Photography

I suppose I'd qualify for 'past my prime' so this week's theme ought to be just right for me.

'Old Glory' Paddle Ferry On The River Tees c.1890s
This old steam ferry worked between Stockton and Middlesbrough. In this view the warehouses and grain elevator on the left are on Stockton Quayside.

An equally old view of Stockton Quay is also in the next view.

SS Stockton - iron steamship unloading at Stockton Quay
The steam lighter 'Pride of the Tees' lies alongside. These ships and quay are long past their prime but can you see the similarity between the warehouse on the right with a building present on the Quay today.

The Replica Barque - Endeavour - Moored at Stockton Quayside 2011
What is it about buildings that announce they are past their prime?

Prime cattle - but past-prime shed. 
Still on an agricultural theme I came across these old implements in a museum in Oxford, Michigan

Farming Implements from earlier years
I'll confess to having used a pitchfork and a scythe. But before Father Time uses his scythe perhaps you should look at other things past their prime at Carmi's Written Inc. 186

Monday 5 March 2012

Old Views of Rotterdam (2)

These Weenenk & Snel postcards complete the set which I have shown in earlier posts.

Rotterdam - Beursplein
The elevated rail line runs down the right had side, but its the tramcar that catches your attention.

The waterfront area on the next card has changed dramatically today.

Rotterdam - Boompjes
There is virtually no traffic in this square.

Calandsplein
I wonder whether icecream was being sold from the handcart in the foreground.

My final card is another bridge.

Rotterdam - Konigshaven Bridge
Other posts in this series maye be found: here ; here ; here and here