The New York Times: Dancing with the Stairs
Trail Cam: A Year in Romania’s Făgăraș Mountains
From Fundatia Conservation CARPATHIA in Romania, a year of wild animals captured on a trail cam in the Făgăraș Mountains. Spoiler: there are bison. Also, the raccoon-like animal with a striped tail is probably a European wildcat.
Flash Flooding at Petra
Heavy rains in Jordan near the famous Nabataean city of Petra caused flooding and resulted in the evacuation of tourists from the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Christmas Party at Herman Miller
Save the date and get in the Christmas spirit with these vintage designs created by the Herman Miller Company for their 1978 Employee Christmas Party.
Featured image: Jingle Christmas Party Poster, Linda Powell, Herman Miller, Inc. Source: Western Michigan Graphic Design Archives
Manitou’s Springs
Just up the hill from Colorado Springs is Manitou Springs, which was built up around a series of natural mineral springs beginning in 1872. Eight free-flowing fountains are scattered around the town now. Most of the city is included in the Manitou Springs Historic District.
Libbey Golden Foliage
Remember the Silver Foliage glassware by Libbey? Well here’s the more popular Golden Foliage in a less common shape: the sugar and creamer set with a metal caddy, and the 16 oz. hostess pitcher with a removable handle. Found, unexpectedly, at a freecycle event.
Indeed I Do
Haven’t had any music on here in a while, so here’s Bruce Springsteen’s newest single. Written and originally performed by Frank Wilson. Joyous.
1930s Soviet Propaganda Porcelain
This Soviet-era porcelain vase commemorating the North Pole -1 expedition is pretty accurate: four men and a dog named Vesely were dropped off on a drifting ice floe about 12 miles from the North Pole in May, 1937. By the time they were picked up (at great cost) off of Greenland in February, 1938, the ice floe had shrunk considerably in size.
Propaganda porcelain first started to be produced following the Soviet nationalisation of the Imperial Porcelain Factory in 1918. The factory storage was filled with uncoloured plates, vases, and tea sets, which were all used as the bases for a novel form of Soviet propaganda.
Soviet Colonial Porcelain: How Plates, Vases and Tea-Sets Support the Conquest of Land by Sasha Setsakova
And now, a Canadian Analysis of the Holidome
Talking about Holiday Inn Holidomes: The Holidome was a one-stop vacation destination. Why couldn’t it keep up with the times?
Only two photos, of unidentified Holidomes, but includes this analysis:
At many Holidomes, the humidity from the indoor pools would damage the domed ceiling and make the inner-courtyard-facing rooms damp and stuffy… “While the maintenance of these domed structures is really costly, they’re very easy to demolish, and you still can keep the hotel”
David Israelson/Drew Sinclair
More on the Holidome:
Vintage Model Airplane Kits
I did not know that this decade is “the best of times for airplane models,” but according to the National Air & Space Museum, Aviation enthusiasts are scouring the country for the vintage airplane kits of their youth. It’s not the first time the Smithsonian has written about model airplane kits; see also Model Airplanes for Fun and Profit from 2015.
Bussie theorizes that vintage airplane kits will follow the same lifecycle as most artifacts that make the transition from junk to collectibles. First, they were sold at flea markets and garage sales. Then they were traded at club shows and conventions. Next, they were found in antique shops and online auctions. Now they’re being offered by specialty dealers
Some Assembly Required, by Preston Lerner
But no matter what the subject, collectors gonna collect:
“The ’80s were the Wild West days of kit collecting,” says Garrity. “A guy would come into the room with stuff that no one had seen before, and I’d literally see people punching each other to get to an Aurora model. “
Some Assembly Required, by Preston Lerner
