Categories: History (Inspirations)
According to Wikipedia, Reed boats and rafts are interesting to me because its construction adds up to something that not only floats but is capable of transporting people over long distances thousands of years ago. Here is a photograph by Paul Kennedy, available from AllPosters, that shows these boats in action. According to AtlantisBolivia.org, reed (totora) boats are made from two individual hulls or cylindrical cores which are bound together by attachment to a smaller central core using a single continuous rope in a spiral fashion thus forming a single united hull from the component reed cylinders. The Totora Reed develops at a depth of between 2 to 5 meters and sticks 3 to 4 meters out of the water.
Researching what Charles and Ray Eames ever said about materials earlier this week, I found out there is an plywood exhibit at MoMA. I think I have seen it before but they must have rearranged it and perhaps brought more artifacts in. Much of the plywood manufacturing process was covered by the DIS program but the object that took me by surprise was this. It is a study model the Eames had built when they were contracted by the US government to make parts for the CG-16 glider (Flying Flatcar). This is interesting because plywood was used because metal was scarce in the war. Most online articles regarding this glider do not mention the Eames’ participation, but it is documented in the Eames Primer…
While the modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland, the game’s ancient origins are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that paganica spread throughout Europe as the Romans conquered most of the continent, during the first century BC, and eventually evolved into the modern game. Others cite chuiwan (“chui” means striking and “wan” means small ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth and 14th centuries. A Ming Dynasty scroll dating back to 1368 entitled “The Autumn Banquet” shows a member of the Chinese Imperial court swinging what appears to be a golf…
The collection of American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan is one of the finest and the most comprehensive in the world. It was recently updated and provides visitors with a rich and captivating experience of the history of American art from the eighteenth through the early twentieth century. The suite of elegant new galleries encompasses 30,000 square feet for the display of the Museum’s superb collection. At first, I was suddenly aware of the level of craftsmanship for the period the artifacts were from, where machine aid was not available. Then I started to notice objects that were made with more than one material. For example, here’s a Tea urn and Tray by John McMullin (1765 ~ 1843), made in…