September 28, 2017
Rare and Fascinating Photos of Harriet Quimby, the First Licensed U.S. Woman Pilot
She was a modern woman in a not-so modern age. At a time when her contemporaries were swathed in petticoats and corsets, Harriet Quimby was climbing into a cockpit, decked out in a satin flying suit, waving energetically to the crowd. She was as bold and tenacious as she was beautiful, and she displayed an innate understanding of marketing and salesmanship, selling herself and the fledgling field of aviation to an enthusiastic public.
Harriet Quimby is classified among the most famous American female aviators. Her career as a pilot did not last long but was undeniably heroic. She was the first American lady to become a licensed pilot and the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She was also a movie screenwriter. Even though she died very young, Harriet played a key influence upon the role of women in aviation.
Quimby became interested in aviation about 1910, and, following a visit to an air show at Belmont Park in October of that year, she determined to learn to fly. She took lessons at the Moisant School of Aviation at Hempstead, Long Island, in the spring of 1911, and on August 1 she became the first woman to qualify for a license (number 37) from the Aero Club of America, the U.S. branch of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. She was the second licensed woman pilot in the world, following the baroness de la Roche of France. For a time Quimby flew with the Moisant International Aviators, a demonstration team from the school, but she also continued to contribute articles to various periodicals.
On April 16, 1912, after nearly a month of preparation, Quimby became the first woman to pilot an aircraft across the English Channel, guiding her French Blériot monoplane from Dover, England, through heavy overcast to Hardelot, France. She was widely celebrated for her feat. In the summer, after participating in several other air meets, she flew to Boston to take part in the Harvard-Boston Aviation Meet. On July 1, 1912, while piloting her Blériot over Dorchester Bay, Quimby lost control; she and a passenger both fell from the rolling craft and were killed.
Harriet Quimby is classified among the most famous American female aviators. Her career as a pilot did not last long but was undeniably heroic. She was the first American lady to become a licensed pilot and the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She was also a movie screenwriter. Even though she died very young, Harriet played a key influence upon the role of women in aviation.
Quimby became interested in aviation about 1910, and, following a visit to an air show at Belmont Park in October of that year, she determined to learn to fly. She took lessons at the Moisant School of Aviation at Hempstead, Long Island, in the spring of 1911, and on August 1 she became the first woman to qualify for a license (number 37) from the Aero Club of America, the U.S. branch of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. She was the second licensed woman pilot in the world, following the baroness de la Roche of France. For a time Quimby flew with the Moisant International Aviators, a demonstration team from the school, but she also continued to contribute articles to various periodicals.
On April 16, 1912, after nearly a month of preparation, Quimby became the first woman to pilot an aircraft across the English Channel, guiding her French Blériot monoplane from Dover, England, through heavy overcast to Hardelot, France. She was widely celebrated for her feat. In the summer, after participating in several other air meets, she flew to Boston to take part in the Harvard-Boston Aviation Meet. On July 1, 1912, while piloting her Blériot over Dorchester Bay, Quimby lost control; she and a passenger both fell from the rolling craft and were killed.
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| Miss Harriet Quimby, 1911, (Leslie Jones Collection, Boston Public Library) |
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| Harriet in the cockpit of her plane in the USA, 1911. |
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| Harriet Quimby and her Blériot XI. |
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| Harriet Quimby and her Blériot XI. (Library of Congress) |
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| Harriet Quimby in her purple flight suit. |
Touching Footage of Muhammad Ali Surprised Kids on "Candid Camera" in 1974
“You are Muhammed Ali! Wanna meet my sister?”
One a fine day in 1974, at a school in Greenwich Village, some school children talking about their hero Muhammed Ali get the shock of their lives, courtesy of Candid Camera, a popular prank TV show at the time that frequently included celebrity cameos.
In one particular episode, young boys at a grammar school in Greenwich Village, New York were asked to write about and share what they would do if they ever met Ali. Unbeknownst to them, the boxing champion was on site at their school and suddenly appeared to surprise them.
Needless to say, their reactions were priceless. They proved just how powerful a man like Ali meant to kids of all races who looked up to him.
One a fine day in 1974, at a school in Greenwich Village, some school children talking about their hero Muhammed Ali get the shock of their lives, courtesy of Candid Camera, a popular prank TV show at the time that frequently included celebrity cameos.
In one particular episode, young boys at a grammar school in Greenwich Village, New York were asked to write about and share what they would do if they ever met Ali. Unbeknownst to them, the boxing champion was on site at their school and suddenly appeared to surprise them.
Needless to say, their reactions were priceless. They proved just how powerful a man like Ali meant to kids of all races who looked up to him.
Old Romanian Glass-Plate Portraits Restored and Turned Into Colorfully Whimsical Composites
Fascinated by the thousands of old photographs on glass plates from the Costica Acsinte Archive, Australian artist Jane Long has created more imaginatively surreal compositions by digitally restoring, colorizing, and manipulating black-and-white photos captured over 50 years ago.
In her words: “I wanted to bring them to life. But more than that, I wanted to give them a story.”
By adding color and fanciful elements to each glass-plate photo, Long creates a whimsical fusion of past and present. Without altering the original subjects too much, she transplants them to wacky worlds that often contrast the stiff, stately appearance of each individual, opening up the images to whole new realms of possibility.
Although the series has been the source of controversy, with some people suggesting that it's disrespectful for the artist to use the images of people she doesn't know, Long stands behind her work. “I wanted people to see these figures as real people, more than just an old photograph. Adding colour completely changes our perception of images,” she said. “I wanted to change the context of the images. Photographic practices at the time meant people rarely smiled in photos, but that doesn't mean they didn't laugh and love. I wanted to introduce that to the images.”
In her words: “I wanted to bring them to life. But more than that, I wanted to give them a story.”
By adding color and fanciful elements to each glass-plate photo, Long creates a whimsical fusion of past and present. Without altering the original subjects too much, she transplants them to wacky worlds that often contrast the stiff, stately appearance of each individual, opening up the images to whole new realms of possibility.
Although the series has been the source of controversy, with some people suggesting that it's disrespectful for the artist to use the images of people she doesn't know, Long stands behind her work. “I wanted people to see these figures as real people, more than just an old photograph. Adding colour completely changes our perception of images,” she said. “I wanted to change the context of the images. Photographic practices at the time meant people rarely smiled in photos, but that doesn't mean they didn't laugh and love. I wanted to introduce that to the images.”
26 Rare Color Photos That Capture Street Scenes of Edinburgh in 1949
Edinburgh is the capital and the second most populous city of Scotland, also the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. It is one of its 32 council areas, and located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament and the seat of the monarchy in Scotland. Historically part of Midlothian, the city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, the sciences and engineering. It is the largest financial centre in the UK after London.
These found snapshots from Found Slides that capture street scenes of Edinburgh in 1949, years just after the Second World War.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament and the seat of the monarchy in Scotland. Historically part of Midlothian, the city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, the sciences and engineering. It is the largest financial centre in the UK after London.
These found snapshots from Found Slides that capture street scenes of Edinburgh in 1949, years just after the Second World War.
September 27, 2017
38 Intimate Color Photos That Capture People of Boston in 1957
This set is a part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of Nick Dewolf. Pictures are portraits of people in Boston that were taken in 1957.
Candid Photographs Reveal New York City Taxicab Passengers Taken by Their Own Driver in the 1980s and '90s
A self-described “photographer-taxi driver,” Ryan Weideman presents duotone portraits of punks, white- and blue-collar types, prostitutes, club kids and others who rode in his cab before plunging back into New York City's anonymous throng.
Weideman wrote in his book In My Taxi: New York After Hours, “When I move to New York City in the fall of 1980, it's my first time ever in the East. By then, I know I want to be a photographer, I'm not sure how to pay the rent.”
After migrating east from the California Bay area in 1980, Weideman began driving a spacious Checker cab, capable of accommodating seven passengers. Weideman wrote: “I drive one week on the day shift. The dense traffic is too frustrating, so I quit and and request the night shift - 5 P.M. to 5 A.M.”
In a terse, mercurial introductory essay evocative of the city's intensity, he tells tales of life as a cabbie, explains how he captures his subjects on film and reveals their myriad reactions, from enthusiastic to wildly negative.
The motley New Yorkers here exhibit many attitudes: some glare menacingly yet comply, some seem exasperated, still others smile, attempt sexy poses or appear blase. Weideman occasionally sets up the camera so that his countenance dominates the foreground, separated from the action behind him. These transitory glimpses of radically dissimilar individuals are a sincere, blunt, affectionate document of New York's multicultural night life.
Weideman wrote in his book In My Taxi: New York After Hours, “When I move to New York City in the fall of 1980, it's my first time ever in the East. By then, I know I want to be a photographer, I'm not sure how to pay the rent.”
After migrating east from the California Bay area in 1980, Weideman began driving a spacious Checker cab, capable of accommodating seven passengers. Weideman wrote: “I drive one week on the day shift. The dense traffic is too frustrating, so I quit and and request the night shift - 5 P.M. to 5 A.M.”
In a terse, mercurial introductory essay evocative of the city's intensity, he tells tales of life as a cabbie, explains how he captures his subjects on film and reveals their myriad reactions, from enthusiastic to wildly negative.
The motley New Yorkers here exhibit many attitudes: some glare menacingly yet comply, some seem exasperated, still others smile, attempt sexy poses or appear blase. Weideman occasionally sets up the camera so that his countenance dominates the foreground, separated from the action behind him. These transitory glimpses of radically dissimilar individuals are a sincere, blunt, affectionate document of New York's multicultural night life.
