The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in late 2004 and the third generation (W176) in 2012. The fourth generation model (W177), which was launched in 2018, marked the first time the A-Class was offered in the United States and Canada. This fourth generation A-Class is also the first to be offered both as a hatchback (W177) and sedan (V177).

Originally manufactured as a five-door hatchback in 1997, the second generation W169 introduced a three-door hatchback. Having grown by  since the original model, the 2012 third generation A-class was longer than the first-generation B-class. The A-Class is sometimes referred to colloquially as the 'Baby Benz', a term also used for the 1982 Mercedes 190 (W201), Mercedes' first compact executive car model.

First generation (W168; 1997)

History
In 1994, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that it would be launching a compact car - the A-Class (A 160) - by early 1997, and (A 190) by early 1999, which would be the company's first venture in this sector of the market; it was hinted at this stage that the new car would be shorter than the average supermini but as spacious and practical inside as a large family car.

The A-Class was first revealed to the motoring press late in 1996, and finally launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the autumn of 1997, the W168 A-Class was quite unusual for Mercedes-Benz featuring a front-wheel drive layout and unusual tall but yet short body and Advantgarde at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show.

This was the first complete exterior designed by Coventry University trained Steve Mattin, for which he was named Autocar magazine's 'Designer of the Year'. Earlier, Mattin had mostly worked on design for the W210 E-Class in 1991. Concurrent to the W168, he designed the exterior of the W220 S-Class. The final design freeze occurred in January 1995, at 32 months before August 1997 start of production.

Between 1997 and 2004, 1.1 million first generation A-Class models had been sold. Overall, Daimler lost €1,440 per vehicle produced.

The A-Class was facelifted in February 2001, with minor alterations to the headlights, front and rear bumper design and the addition of a new  longer wheelbase version. It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show.

Elk Test Issue/Recall
The W168 became infamous in 1997 after flipping over during the traditional "elk test" performed by the Swedish automobile publication Teknikens Värld. According to the report, the W168 overturned when manoeuvring to avoid the "elk". Mercedes initially denied the problem, but then took the surprising step of recalling all units sold to date (2,600) and suspending sales for three months until the problem was solved by adding electronic stability control and modifying the suspension. The company spent DM 2.5 billion in developing the car, with a further DM 300 million to fix it.

Engines
All A-Class models are powered by four-cylinder engines, with 1.4 L and 1.6 L petrol models at launch (M 166 series), followed by two versions of a 1.7 L diesel engine (OM 668 series). In 1999, a larger 1.9 L petrol model was added, with the 2.1 the last W168 version to be launched in 2002. Also two AMG versions were produced, a 3.2 in 2001 and a 3.8 in 2000, though very few of these were made.

Safety

Production
DaimlerChrysler invested EUR 900 million in developing the Rastatt plant where the A-Class is produced, and created 1600 new jobs (for a total of 4700). A further 600 people work in the office building at the plant site.

Mercedes-Benz began W168 production on 17 February 1999 at its new Brazilian facility in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. The Brazilian plant was the company's first factory in South America dedicated to passenger cars, with an investment of US$840 million and 10,000 employees. The factory initially produced A-Class and C-Class models, assembling them from pieces manufactured in Germany. The target for the cars was regional markets (from Argentina to Mexico) with modifications made to the cars to suit local conditions, like a protection for the motor base. On 15 August 2005 the factory stopped production of A-Class cars.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class "F-Cell" (2004–)

It is a version of 5-door A-Class hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with  electric motor. It has a driving range of .

Three A-Class F-Cell cars were used in the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show for press shuttle service. On 18 June 2004, 4 production F-Cell vehicles were delivered to Deutsche Telekom and BEWAG/Vattenfall Europe in Berlin.

In 2007, the A-Class F-Cell were delivered to Landsvirkjun and Reykjavik Energy.

A DHL version of F-Cell was unveiled in FC EXPO 2008.

Reception
According to a 2008 British satisfaction survey by Which?, the A-Class came third from bottom out of 217 models surveyed with a score of 65 percent.

Second generation (W169; 2004)

Initial release

The W169 is constructed with high-strength steel alloys with bonded joints. Standard equipment included front as well as combined head and thorax-protection side airbags. The front airbags are adaptive with two-stage gas generators operating according to the severity of accident. Optionally rear side airbags (for side-impacts in the backseats) and side-curtain airbags were available.

The force exerted by the seat belt system during a collision adapts dynamically to collision characteristics. The 'active' head restraints (standard for driver and front passenger) reduce neck injury, especially in rear collisions.

The cargo capacity of the W169 was increased by 15 percent over the W168.

Seven four-cylinder engines were available: four petrol (gasoline) (A 150, A 170, A 200, A 200 Turbo) and three diesel (A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI) partnered with either five- or six-speed manual gearbox. A continuously variable transmission system called "Autotronic Constantly Variable Transmission" (CVT) is an optional feature.

The petrol A 200 Turbo provides  and  of torque (rotational force); the diesel A 200 CDI has  and .

The most powerful engine achieved 0- in 8.0 seconds with a top speed of .
The newly developed direct-injection CDI diesel units use a common-rail direct injection system that improves fuel consumption and reduces exhaust emissions and engine noise.

All the engines meet the tight EU4 emissions limits. A particulate filter system is available as an option for the diesel units to reduce particulate emissions by about 99% without the need for additives.

The A-Class is a front wheel drive car and features traction control (ASR) as standard, as well as electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes (ABS).

Handling is improved by precision tracking and anti-roll support, and by a Parabolic Rear Axle.

A "Selective Damping System", in which the shock absorber forces respond differently according to conditions, is standard. For example, under normal conditions it operates at soft absorption; while cornering at speed it changes to full damping force.

Sales of the W169 were targeted at 50,000 units in 2004. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes Car Group, said that target had been reached even before vehicles arrived in dealer showrooms.

Japan models went on sale in 2005-02-04. Early models include 5-door right drive versions of A 170, A 170 Elegance, A 200 Elegance. 5-door right drive version of A 200 TURBO Elegance was added in 2005-11-10. Due to the body width being larger than 1700 mm, it could not be registered as small car in Japan. (See Vehicle size class#Japan)

2008 update

The W169 Model facelift changes included redesigned front and rear fascias and lights, and optional stop-start function on A 150 and 170 models. Active Park Assist enables the car to parallel park itself, with only throttle and brake inputs required from the driver.

The five-door Hatchback and the three-door Coupé vehicles debuted in spring 2008, alongside the refreshed 2009 M-Class and B-Class. Early models include A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI, A 150, A 170, A 200, A 200 TURBO.

Japan models went on sale in 2008-08-20. Early models 5-door versions of A 170, A 170 Elegance. Japan models of A 170 was renamed to A 180 in 2009-08-24.

A-Class Special Edition 2009 (2009–)
It is a limited (5500 units) version for all model variants of the A-Class vehicles. It includes BlueEfficiency package, black radiator louvres, 16-inch titanium silver light-alloy wheels in a new 9-spoke design (tyre size 195/55 R16), a "Special Edition" badge on the mirror triangle, two-tone colour scheme in black and grey, Audio 20 radio with CD player and Bluetooth hands-free system and the Light and Sight package with a rain sensor, automatically dimming rear-view mirror, an illuminated vanity mirror in the sun visor, separately adjustable reading lights in the rear, a reading light for the driver and illuminated front foot wells, Seating Comfort package (height-adjustable front passenger seat, seat cushion angle adjustment and lumbar supports for the driver and front passenger). Standard exterior features also include fog lamps and a free choice of metallic paint finish.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL (2010–)
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL was introduced in September 2010 and debuted at the October 2010 Paris Motor Show. The E-Cell has a range of  capable of developing a peak output of , a continuous power rating of  and a maximum torque of 290 N·m (214 lb·ft). The Mercedes A-Class E-Cell can accelerate from 0–60 km/h (37 mph) in 5.5 seconds, and its top speed is .

Tesla Motors, as part of its collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, built electric powertrain components for the E-Cell. The 36 kWh battery contains approximately 4,000 individual lithium-ion cells. Mercedes has developed a modular system for electric vehicles with battery and fuel-cell. This system allows the efficient use of shared parts in all the brand's electric vehicles. Thanks to the modular approach the electric drive of the A‑Class E‑Cell is also used in the B‑Class F‑Cell, and the energy storage units in the A‑Class EV are the same as the battery in the Smart fortwo electric drive.

A limited production of 500 A-Class E-Cell electric cars will be built, for trial purposes, at the Mercedes Rastatt plant, near Stuttgart beginning in September 2010. As part of a demonstration program, the cars will be leased to selected customers in several European countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Daimler is not planning to sell the electric version outside Europe.

A 180 Final Edition (2012–)
This is a limited (300 units) version of 5-door righthand drive A 180 for the Japanese market. It included calcite white body colour, black interior colour, sport package (chrome exhaust tip, 17-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels, chrome iridium silver front grille, stainless acceleration and brake pedals with rubber stud, leather wrapped sport steering wheel and silver shift knob, silver meter panel), bi-xenon headlights and headlight washer, cornering lights, fog lamps (front/rear), rain sensor, sun visor with illuminating mirror, anti-glare mirrors, 'Final Edition' emblem, floor mats with 'Final Edition' silver logo plates.

The vehicle went on sale on 28 May 2012.

Technical data

Production
As of 4 December 2006, 371,700 second generation A-Class units had been sold since September 2004, making it a total of 1,500,000 A-Class produced at DaimlerChrysler's Rastatt plant in ten years.

As of 26 June 2009, the 750,000th second generation A-Class vehicle was built at the Rastatt plant.

As of 1 February 2012, 1 million second generation A-Class vehicles had been delivered since autumn 2004.

In 2021, the Mercedes A-Class achieved the title of 4th best-selling car in the UK having achieved a total of 30,710 registrations.

Third generation (W176; 2012)

The model was introduced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show officially as a subcompact executive / C-segment model for the first time after being a supermini / B-segment for fifteen years. This model does not offer a 3-door model, due to the decreasing popularity of 3-door models and its larger size. The W176 was available in some markets from September 2012. Models in the Japanese market had went on sale in January 2013.

The design for the third generation of A-Class was based on the 2011 Concept A-Class and was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The facelifted model of the W176 was presented in Q3 2015. Orders for the facelifted model had started in July 2015, and mass production started in September. The facelift had added updated lights, technology, and models. The model was initially built exclusively in Rastatt, however from late 2013 was built in Uusikaupunki, Finland for specific countries.

Fourth generation (W177; 2018)

The W177 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the fourth and current generation of the A-Class range of subcompact executive hatchbacks. It was launched in 2018 as the successor to the W176 Mercedes-Benz A-Class and sales commenced in March 2018. It is available as a 5-door hatchback (W177 model code), 4-door sedan (V177), and a long-wheelbase sedan exclusive to China (Z177). In North America, the hatchback is available in Canada and Mexico, but in the US, only the sedan is available.

The fourth generation A-Class hatchback was unveiled to media in February 2018 in Amsterdam ahead of its public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. At launch Mercedes-Benz revealed the vehicle's "predator face", which is also implemented in the C257 CLS and C118 CLA, which will not spread throughout the brand's entire range of cars.

Sales

References

Notes

Bibliography

General

Workshop manuals

External links

Official website

2000s cars
2010s cars
2020s cars
Cars introduced in 1997
Compact cars
Euro NCAP small family cars
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Hatchbacks
A-class
Subcompact cars
Touring cars
Vehicles with CVT transmission
Cars of Brazil

Mercedes-Benz A-Class


Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., (born on 23 December 1955) is an American Jesuit, lawyer and law professor. On July 1, 2011, Quinn became President of the University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania. The announcement was made in the university's Brennan Hall on December 15, 2010, that he was to be the 25th President of the University.  He succeeded Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., who left Scranton to become the President of Marquette University. Father Quinn's official inauguration took place on September 16, 2011, at the University of Scranton's William J. Byron, S.J., Recreation Complex.

Biography

Early life and education
Kevin Quinn was born in Queens, New York, and raised on Long Island. His father was a New York City Fire Department firefighter and gardener; his mother's name was Patricia. Quinn joined the Society of Jesus after high school in 1973.

He received a bachelor's degree from Fordham University in 1979. Quinn worked as a community organizer in the South Bronx while studying at Fordham University. He focused on disputes between tenants and their landlords, which began Quinn's interest in the law. In a December 2010 interview with the Scranton Times, Quinn noted, "I thought I could do a better job," after encountering lawyers who did a substandard job representing the interests of their clients and the larger community.

Quinn was ordained a Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus in 1985. He also earned a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, which is now known as the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, in 1985. Quinn enrolled at the nearby UC Berkeley School of Law soon after the completion of his Master of Divinity. He received a Juris Doctor from UC Berkeley in 1988. He received an S.T.L. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, in 1990, and a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the University of California at Berkeley in 1993.

Career
Quinn taught at Regis High School in Manhattan early in his career.

Quinn worked as a law clerk for Judge Joseph M. McLaughlin of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City after completing law school. He was admitted to both the New York City Bar Association and the District of Columbia bar association. He focused on issues in law pertaining to health care ethics, including stem cell research and end-of-life care. His writings and publications have focused on genetics, contemporary culture, and bioethics.

Georgetown University
Quinn began teaching law at Georgetown University in 1994, a position he held until 2006. Additionally, Quinn worked as Georgetown University's chaplain-in-residence. He also became a senior research fellow and faculty affiliate at Georgetown's Kennedy Institute for Ethics.

Santa Clara University
Quinn joined Santa Clara University in 2006 as the executive director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. He became a faculty member of the Santa Clara University School of Law in 2007, where he taught courses on bioethics.

President of the University of Scranton
University of Scranton President Fr. Scott Pilarz, was named President of Marquette University in September 2010. Pilarz had served as president at Scranton since 2003.  A search was launched by the University of Scranton to find a successor.

On December 15, 2010, the University of Scranton's board of trustees, under chairman Christopher "Kip" Condron, unanimously voted to appoint Father Kevin Quinn as the University's 25th president.

Father Quinn took office as the University of Scranton's 25th president on July 1, 2011. His official inauguration took place on Friday, September 16, 2011, at the William J. Byron, S.J., Recreation Complex on the University's campus.

Quinn's inauguration celebrations included events and seminars throughout the week. Australian human rights activist and lawyer Father Frank Brennan, S.J., who is chairman of the Australian National Human Rights Consultation Committee and a law professor at Australian Catholic University, presented the inaugural lecture, "A Jesuit Perspective on Making Human Rights and Religion Friends, Not Foes", on September 13.

An inaugural concert held on September 17, 2011, included a new composition based on Philippians 4:4-8, described as Quinn's favorite passage from the Bible: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."

Quinn has stated that a priority is maintaining the price of higher education in order to keep pace with prevailing economic demographics in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He resided in Condron Hall, a University of Scranton dorm, joking with local media, "It's partly selfish. You live with 20-year-olds, it keeps you younger." On August 22, 2016, Father Quinn announced he would step down as University President, effective June 1, 2017.

References

1955 births
20th-century American Jesuits
21st-century American Jesuits
American lawyers
American legal scholars
Presidents of the University of Scranton
Santa Clara University faculty
Georgetown University Law Center faculty
UC Berkeley School of Law alumni
Santa Clara University alumni
Fordham University alumni
Living people
People from Queens, New York
Catholics from New York (state)

Kevin Quinn (Jesuit)


The Olde Woolen Mill (also known as the North Berwick Woolen Mill) is a historic mill complex at Canal Street, on the Great Works River in the center of North Berwick, Maine.  Built in 1862, it is the only major mill complex in the Berwick region of York County.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Description and history
The mill is located between Canal Street and the Great Works River, just south of Wells Street (Maine State Route 9) in the village center of North Berwick.  The associated mill pond is located just north of Wells Street.  The mill complex is a somewhat typical 19th century New England mill complex, with a large rectangular main building, with a series of attached wings.  The complex exhibits an eclectic mixture of architectural detailing, including elements of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Colonial Revival styling.

An earlier wooden mill built on the site in 1832 was destroyed by fire, and the existing brick structure built in 1862. Primarily owned by Quakers, the mill, one of the first to automate the manufacture of blankets, produced uniforms and blankets for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. At its foundation level has been preserved one of the earliest steam engines in the United States, and the only one of its kind to survive.

The mill closed in 1955 and remained mostly unused for nearly 40 years, when it served as the site of the Parrish Shoe Factory in the 1995 fantasy movie Jumanji. In 2009 the structure was renovated into a senior housing site by the Caleb Group, a nonprofit housing organization of New England. It was the first property to be awarded a tax credit under the Maine State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Act of 2008.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine

References

External links

 Official web page for The Olde Woolen Mill
 "Old North Berwick mill now affordable housing for older residents" by Jason Claffey, in Foster's Daily Democrat (27 October 2009)
 "Old Maine mill gets new lease on life" by Deborah McDermott in Seacoastonline.com (30 August 2009)
 Profile at Tremont Preservation Services
 Historical sites in or around North Berwick, Maine, in The Maine Encyclopedia

Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Georgian architecture in Maine
Victorian architecture in Maine
Buildings and structures completed in 1862
Buildings and structures in York County, Maine
North Berwick, Maine
Textile mills in Maine
1862 establishments in Maine
National Register of Historic Places in York County, Maine
Woollen mills

Olde Woolen Mill


In Greek mythology, Ischys (Ancient Greek: Ἰσχύς means 'strength') was the son of Elatus and Hippea.

Mythology
Ischys had an affair with the Thessalian princess Coronis, one of Apollo's lovers, who was at that time pregnant with the god's child. When a (then white) raven told Apollo of the affair between Ischys and Coronis, he became so angry that his intense glare scorched the raven black. His twin sister Artemis killed Coronis as a punishment, but the unborn child was saved at the last minute by Apollo who felt remorse for causing his lover's death. Ischys was then killed by Apollo's father Zeus or Apollo himself.

The mortal lover of Coronis was also known as Alcyoneus or Lycus.

Notes

References
 Antoninus Liberalis, The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). Online version at the Topos Text Project.
 Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
 Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
 Graves, Robert, The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition. Penguin Books Limited. 2017.
 Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
 Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

Lapiths in Greek mythology
Deeds of Apollo
Deeds of Zeus

Ischys


Dihydroxyacetone (; DHA), also known as glycerone, is a simple saccharide (a triose) with formula .

DHA is primarily used as an ingredient in sunless tanning products. It is often derived from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane, and by the fermentation of glycerin.

Chemistry
DHA is a hygroscopic white crystalline powder. It has a sweet cooling taste and a characteristic odor. It is the simplest of all ketoses and has no chiral center. The normal form is a dimer (2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,4-dioxane-2,5-diol). The dimer slowly dissolves in water, whereupon it converts to the monomer.  These solutions are stable at pH's between 4 and 6.  In more basic solution, it degrades to brown product.

This skin browning effect is attributed to a Maillard reaction. DHA condenses with the amino acid residues in the protein keratin, the major component of the skin surface.  When injected, no pigmentation occurs, consistent with a role for oxygen in color development.  The resulting pigments, which can be removed by abrasion, are called melanoidins. These are similar in coloration to melanin, the natural substance in the deeper skin layers which brown or "tan" from exposure to UV rays.

Preparation
DHA may be prepared, along with glyceraldehyde, by the mild oxidation of glycerol, for example with hydrogen peroxide and a ferrous salt as catalyst. It can also be prepared in high yield and selectivity at room temperature from glycerol using cationic palladium-based catalysts with oxygen, air or benzoquinone acting as co-oxidants. Glyceraldehyde is a structural isomer of dihydroxyacetone.

Biochemistry
Its phosphorylated form, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), takes part in glycolysis, and it is an intermediate product of fructose metabolism.

History
DHA was first recognized as a skin coloring agent by German scientists in the 1920s. Through its use in the X-ray process, it was noted as causing the skin surface to turn brown when spilled.

In the 1950s, Eva Wittgenstein at the University of Cincinnati did further research with dihydroxyacetone. Her studies involved using DHA as an oral drug for assisting children with glycogen storage disease. The children received large doses of DHA by mouth, and sometimes spat or spilled the substance onto their skin. Healthcare workers noticed that the skin turned brown after a few hours of DHA exposure. Wittgenstein continued to experiment with DHA, painting liquid solutions of it onto her own skin. She was able to consistently reproduce the pigmentation effect, and noted that DHA did not appear to penetrate beyond the stratum corneum, or dead skin surface layer (the FDA eventually concluded this is not entirely true). Research then continued on DHA's skin coloring effect in relation to treatment for patients with vitiligo.

Winemaking
Both acetic acid bacteria Acetobacter aceti and Gluconobacter oxydans use glycerol as a carbon source to form dihydroxyacetone. DHA is formed by ketogenesis of glycerol. It can affect the sensory quality of the wine with sweet/etherish properties. DHA can also react with proline to produce a "crust-like" aroma. Dihydroxyacetone can affect the anti-microbial activity in wine, as it has the ability to bind SO2.

Sunless tanning
Coppertone introduced the first consumer sunless tanning lotion into the marketplace in the 1960s. This product was called "Quick Tan" or "QT". It was sold as an overnight tanning agent, and other companies followed suit with similar products. Consumers soon tired of this product due to unattractive results such as orange palms, streaking and poor coloration. Because of the QT experience, many people still associate sunless tanning with fake-looking orange tans.

In the 1970s the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added DHA permanently to their list of approved cosmetic ingredients.

By the 1980s, new sunless tanning formulations appeared on the market and refinements in the DHA manufacturing process created products that produced a more natural looking color and better fading. Consumer concerns surrounding damage associated with UV tanning options spurred further popularity of sunless tanning products as an alternative to UV tanning. Dozens of brands appeared on drugstore shelves, in numerous formulations.

Today, DHA is the main active ingredient in many sunless tanning skincare preparations. Lotion manufacturers also produce a wide variety of sunless tanning preparations that replace DHA with natural bronzing agents such as black walnut shell. DHA may be used alone or combined with other tanning components such as erythrulose. DHA is considered the most effective sun-free tanning additive.

Sunless tanning products contain DHA in concentrations ranging from 1% to 20%. Most drugstore products range from 3% to 5%, with professional products ranging from 5% to 20%. The percentages correspond with the product coloration levels from light to dark. Lighter products are more beginner-friendly, but may require multiple coats to produce the desired color depth. Darker products produce a dark tan in one coat, but are also more prone to streaking, unevenness, or off-color tones. The artificial tan takes 2 to 4 hours to begin appearing on the skin surface, and will continue to darken for 24 to 72 hours, depending on formulation type.

Once the darkening effect has occurred, the tan will not sweat off or wash away with soap or water. It will fade gradually over 3 to 10 days. Exfoliation, prolonged water submersion, or heavy sweating can lighten the tan, as these all contribute to rapid dead skin cell exfoliation (the dead skin cells are the tinted portion of the sunless tan).

Current sunless tanners are formulated into sprays, lotions, gels, mousses, and cosmetic wipes. Professional applied products include spray tanning booths, airbrush tan applications, and hand applied lotions, gels, mousses and wipes.

References

External links
 How Stuff Works
 US FDA/CFSAN - Tanning Pills
 American Academy of Dermatology on Self Tanners
 DHA and Vitiligo

 New Zealand Dermatological Society recommends sunless tanners

Cosmetics chemicals
Diols
Alpha-hydroxy ketones
Trioses

Dihydroxyacetone


Zhu Chenhao (; 1 July 1476 – 12 January 1521), or Prince of Ning (), art name Weitian (畏天), was a member of the Ming dynasty's imperial family. He was the 5th generation descendant of Zhu Quan, the 17th son of the Hongwu Emperor. He attempted to usurp the throne and was the leader of the Prince of Ning rebellion.

Early years
Zhu Chenhao was not a military man, but had literary talents and was a pleasure seeker. However, he was cunning and ambitious like almost all other princes, aiming to become emperor. Zhu Chenhao succeeded to the title "Prince of Ning" in 1499 from his father, Zhu Jinjun in the Hongzhi's era. The title was hereditary, from their ancestor Zhu Quan, the first Prince of Ning. Zhu Chenhao lived in Jiangxi province, far away from then Ming capital Beijing.

Rebellion

Zhu Chenhao had long intended to rebel, but he did not have an army or even bodyguards. This situation started with his ancestor Zhu Quan. At that time, when the Yongle Emperor acceded to the throne (aftermath of the Jingnan campaign) he relocated Zhu Quan (1st Prince of Ning) to Beijing. Then, to prevent Zhu Quan's rebellion, his army and bodyguards were withdrawn and never restored until Zhu Chenhao's tenure.

In the summer of 1507, in the Zhengde era, Zhu Chenhao sent a eunuch to Beijing with an enormous bribe for powerful Liu Jin. The prince wanted Liu Jin to restore his princely bodyguards and its revenues in return for the bribe. Although the Ministry of War objected, the princely bodyguard was restored but it was withdrawn again in September 1510, the day before Liu Jin was executed. Zhu Chenhao was undaunted. He tried again to restore his army in 1514 through the Ministry of War, Lu Wan. Several years before, Lu Wan was an officer in Jiangxi and supporter to the prince. Lu Wan agreed to do it, but Grand Secretary Fei Hong refused to sign the draft; in other words he did not approve the request since he knew what the prince would do. However, the prince had plotted with some imperial officials such as Qian Ning, Cang Xian, several eunuchs and some of the Zhengde Emperor's personal staff to cheat Fei Hong. The plot was a success, Fei Hong was befooled and the Imperial decree was issued, the prince bodyguards being restored.

In June 1514, the prince requested seals to give him authority to control the military army in his region. He also recruited hundreds of bandits to become his henchmen. In August 1514, Zhu Chenhao requested authority to punish guilty Imperial clansmen. With recommendation from Lu Wan, the Zhengde Emperor agreed. By this time, the Prince of Ning referred to himself as ruler, his bodyguards as Imperial attendants and his order as imperial edicts. He also order local officials to wear formal court robes when attending to him. Governor of Jiangxi, speaking on behalf of his subordinates, said that it would be improper and refused to do it.

Zhu Chenhao began to recruit strategists and advisors to his cause. His principal advisor was a provincial examination graduate versed in military strategy. Local officials who refused to support the prince were eliminated. A Judicial Intendant of Jiangxi who reported the prince's treason to the court, was arrested and killed. Under these circumstances, other local officials cooperated and said nothing. In May 1517 several eunuchs from Zhu Chenhao's household secretly went to Beijing to report his unlawful activities. Commander of Imperial bodyguard Qian Ning reported this to the prince, then the eunuchs were arrested and beaten to die before reaching their objective.

In July 1519, when Zhu Chenhao was attending a banquet in honor of his birthday, a spy arrived from Beijing with the news that high officials had been sent to arrest him, for that was what had been rumored in Beijing. He left the banquet at once and called an urgent meeting of his advisors. They all agreed that the prince's plot was known, and could not wait any longer to take action. On 10 July 1519, Zhu Chenhao assembled local officials and announced that eunuch Li Guang had fooled the Hongzhi Emperor into thinking that the Zhengde Emperor was his son. According to him, the person on the throne was the child of a commoner. The prince also announced that he had received an edict from the empress to punish those bandits. Sun Sui, governor of Jiangxi asked the prince to show the empress's edict, but he was rejected. Then Sun Sui accused the prince of treason. Sun Sui and several officials who refused to cooperate were executed summarily.

The prince's army issued out from his headquarters, the city of Nanchang, to secure the route to the Yangtze River. Jiujiang city fell on 13 July and the prefectural city of Anqing was besieged on 23 July. When this news reached Wang Yangming, governor of Southern Jiangxi at that time, he soon took action. Wang Yangming spread a false report that a huge Imperial army from Beijing was marching to Nanchang. The Prince of Ning did not dare to leave his headquarters for several days until he realized it was a false report. On 9 August, the rebel Prince and his main army reached Anqing and besieged the city over ten days. After many lives were lost, Anqing city still could not be taken. On 13 August, Wang Yangming and his army reached Nanchang. The prince's headquarters was not garrisoned well and only a few soldiers of the army defended the city. Soon after the siege of Nanchang news reached Zhu Chenhao, he ordered a retreat from Anqing and back to Nanchang to protect his base.

Wang Yangming stormed Nanchang and had a serious battle with the Prince of Ning. Then on 20 August, the rebel Prince and his army were totally defeated by Wang. The prince was going to flee with a small boat but it was discovered by Wang. Wang burned the boat before the prince reached it, and soon the prince was captured. Wang Yangming successfully put down the uprising that lasted for forty days.

Death
All allies of the Prince of Ning were captured, including the commander of the Imperial guard, Qian Ning and the Minister of War, Lu Wan. Both were punished by death by slicing. The Imperial status of Zhu Chenhao was removed in 1519 and he was allowed to take his own life on 12 January 1521, after which his corpse was burned. All of the prince's family members were also executed, except a few who fled.

See also
 Zhengde Emperor
 Prince of Anhua
 Wang Yangming

References
 The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part I, "The Prince of Ning Treason" by Frederick W. Mote and Denis Twitchett.

1476 births
1521 deaths
Ming dynasty imperial princes
Ming dynasty rebels
Executed people from Jiangxi
Executed royalty
Rebellious princes
16th-century executions by China

Zhu Chenhao


Alonso Gutiérrez, also known as Alonso de la Vera Cruz (c.1507–1584) was a Spanish philosopher and Augustinian, who took the religious name da Vera Cruz. He became a major intellectual figure in New Spain, where he worked from 1535 to 1562, and from 1573 to his death, and in the history of Mexico.

Gutiérrez was born in Caspueñas, Guadalajara.  He studied under Francisco de Vitoria, at Salamanca University.

He wrote in favour of the human rights of the conquered peoples. In 1553 he became the first professor of the University of Mexico.  He died in Mexico City.

References
John F. Blethen, The Educational Activities of Fray Alonso de La Vera Cruz in Sixteenth Century Mexico, The Americas, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jul., 1948), pp. 31–47
Arthur Ennis (1957), Fray Alonso de la Vera Cruz, O.S.A. (1507-1584). A Study of His Life and His Contribution to the Religious and Intellectual Affairs of Early Mexico
Ernest J. Burrus, Writings of Alonso de la Vera Cruz (five volumes)

Notes

External links

Biography
 Biography

1500s births
1584 deaths
Augustinian friars
Spanish philosophers
School of Salamanca
16th-century Spanish philosophers

Alonso Gutiérrez


Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from the United States in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with the vocal group Bradford Singers.

Career
Bell was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States.  She worked as a session singer, most notably backing Dusty Springfield and Donna Summer early in her career. Her first major solo hit was a cover version of Dee Dee Warwick's single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which performed better on the US Billboard Hot 100 than the original.

In 1968, Bell sang background and duet vocals on a number of Serge Gainsbourg songs, including "Comic Strip", "Ford Mustang" and "Bloody Jack". In 1969, she contributed backing vocals on the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and she also provided backing vocals on a number of Donovan recordings, notably his 1969 hit single "Barabajagal", recorded with The Jeff Beck Group.

Bell then joined contemporary pop combo Blue Mink, with whom she had a number of Top 20 hits with Philips Records in the UK, including  "Melting Pot", "Our World", "Randy", "Banner Man", "Good Morning Freedom", "Sunday", "By the Devil I Was Tempted" and "Stay with Me". Before joining Blue Mink in late 1969 she sang solo, and her cover version of "Picture Me Gone" is still a Northern Soul favourite today, as is "What Am I Supposed to Do", from 1968, a two-minute B-side tune co-written with future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, then working as one of London's most in-demand session bassists. (Bell also sang backup on Joe Cocker's "Bye Bye Blackbird" in 1969, which featured a guitar solo from another Led Zeppelin member, Jimmy Page.) Her version of Paul McCartney's "Step Inside Love" was a minor hit in the US in 1969.

In 1973, Bell fronted the BBC television series Colour My Soul which aired on BBC Two, which ran for nine episodes through to 1974. Guests included John Paul Jones, Jimmy Helms and Doris Troy.

Jones later arranged, produced and recorded Bell's 1973 RCA album Comin' Atcha. She contributed to the soundtrack of the romance film A Touch of Class (1973). She also sang backup for the Dave Clark Five's single release, "Everybody Get Together", and contributed backing vocals to Elton John's 1972 album, Honky Chateau.

Bell has also provided backing vocals on a number of other artists' recordings, notably Tom Parker's neo-classical arrangements, and in 1975, performed with Sunny and Sue (originally members of Brotherhood of Man) at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, providing backing vocals for the German entry "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein", performed by Joy Fleming. She worked with Kiki Dee and Lesley Duncan. In 1975, she appeared on Sunny Side of the Street for Bryn Haworth. And one year later, Bell sang backing vocals on We Can't Go on Meeting Like This, the second album by the band Hummingbird. That same year she did backing vocals on Yes drummer Alan White's only solo album Ramshackled, with other chorists Vicki Brown and Joanne Williams.

She also joined the French disco group Space, providing lead vocals on two of their albums. One of the songs she provided lead vocals on was "Save Your Love For Me" from 1978, which charted high in many countries. She also provided backing vocals for another French artist; Cerrone. Madeline also appears on Giorgio Moroder's 1979 album, E=MC².

 Since the 1970s, Bell has continued singing solo and also performed in a number of stage shows. She continues to live in Spain since her husband, drummer Barry Reeves (once of the Ferris Wheel) died on February 6, 2010, from pneumonia. She regularly tours Europe singing jazz and popular songs. In 1982, she added background vocals to the fantasy film Alicja. She then again teamed up with John Paul Jones in 1985, contributing performances ("Take It or Leave It" and "Here I Am") to the soundtrack album Scream for Help.

Bell was the voice behind the 1980s advertising campaign for Brooke Bond D, a brand of tea bag in the UK. The music was composed by Ronnie Bond. She also provided vocals on the jingles of another 1980s advertising campaign, British Gas' Wonderfuel Gas, which began in 1982.

Solo discography
1967: Bell's a Poppin'  (Philips (re-released in 1968 as I'm Gonna Make You Love Me)
1968: Doin' Things (Philips)
1971: Madeline Bell (Philips)
1973: Comin' Atcha (RCA Victor)
1976: This Is One Girl (Pye)
1988: Beat out That Rhythm on a Drum (Koch Jazz)
1992: City Life (with Georgie Fame) (BBC Radio 2)
1993: Madeline (Four Corners)
1993: Have You Met Miss Bell (Polydor)
1995: Girl Talk (Willibrord)
1995: Christmas Card (Willibrord)
1998: Yes I Can: A Melting Pot (International Music Management)
2000: Blessed (Baileo Music Productions B.V.)
2004: Blue Christmas (Baileo Music Productions B.V.)
2011: Tribute to Ray Charles (Baileo Music Productions B.V.)
2013: Together Again with David Martin (Angel Air)
2014: Singer: The Musical (Proper)

With Alan White
 1976 : Ramshackled - With Kenny Craddock, Colin Gibson, Henry Lowther, Vicki Brown, Steve Gregory, David Bedford, Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, etc.

Discography with Space
1977: Magic Fly'  (Vogue)
1977: Deliverance (Vogue)
1978: Just Blue (Vogue)
2011: From Earth To Mars (RDS Records)

Further reading
Danny Clifford.com, February 23, 2023 - Madeline Bell - Our Unsung Hero

References

External links

 Discogs - Madeline Bell
 45Cat - Madeline Bell - Discography
 AllMusic - Madeline Bell
 Jonathan Buxton channel - Madeline Bell In Concert 1977 (rare UK TV Special)
 Jonathan Buxton channel - Madeline Bell What the World Needs Now (Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2023) (video)

1942 births
Living people
Singers from Newark, New Jersey
African-American women singers
American expatriates in Spain
American expatriates in England
American session musicians
American soul singers
RCA Records artists
Blue Mink members

Madeline Bell


The Impression 5 Science Center, is a science museum located in downtown Lansing, Michigan.  Formerly known as the Impression 5 Museum, the center is located in a historic wagon works factory on the Grand River.  The name, Impression 5, refers to the five senses. The Impression 5 Science Center has ~3,000 Visitors per week.

History
The Impression 5 Science Center was founded by Marilynne Eichinger in her basement in Lansing, Michigan, in 1972. Eichinger graduated with a BA in sociology/anthropology from Boston University and an MA in counseling psychology from Michigan State University. As a mother of five she was influenced by the Montessori education her children received as well as the writings of Jean Piaget and Howard Gardner. Much of her life was surrounded by family and friends involved in physics and engineering and Eichinger became interested in developing a way to explain scientific principles that appeared so complex in a way that the general public could understand.  She promoted the design and development of hands-on exhibits that challenged visitors thinking processes. The initial goal of Impression 5 was to develop fun, educational exhibits that focused on the five senses. A variety of approaches was offered to take into account individual learning styles.

The museum's first headquarters were in Marble School, East Lansing where volunteers housed displays and traveled to schools and shopping malls putting on small science exhibitions. In 1973 a 15,000 sq.ft warehouse was rented and filled with a variety of interactive displays. Over time, the museum was able to attract national attention along with funding for permanent and traveling exhibitions.  It was not long before the museum ran out of space in the small warehouse.  Impression 5 moved into its current 80,000 square foot building located on Museum Drive in downtown Lansing in 1982. It now offers  classes, camps, teacher training workshops and traveling school programs that complement the exhibitions within its building. In 1994 the Impression 5 Museum changed its name to the current, Impression 5 Science Center.

Exhibits
Current Exhibits
 Chew On This!
 Spectrum
 Nano
 Build Zone
 MI Nature
 First Impression Room
 POP! A Bubble Experience
 Simple Machines
 Giant Eye
 Throwing Things
 FLOW: A Water Experience
 Rotating Traveling Exhibits
Smash: A Nuclear Adventure
Think Tank

See also
 List of Museums in Michigan
 Lansing, Michigan Museums
 Science museum
 Children's museum

References

External links
 Impression 5 Science Center (official site)

Museums in Lansing, Michigan
Children's museums in Michigan
Science museums in Michigan
1972 establishments in Michigan

Impression 5 Science Center


José Colmenar del Valle Méndez (January 2, 1885 – October 31, 1928) was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 43 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro ("The Black Diamond"), he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006.

Dominating pitcher: 1908–1914
In 1907 Méndez was discovered by Bebé Royer of the Almendares team in the Cuban League. A relatively small man (5 feet, 10  inches, 152 pounds), he threw a hard fastball with a deceptively easy motion and a snapping curve. In his first Cuban League season (January–March 1908), he went 9–0, and, along with veteran Joseíto Muñoz, led the Almendares Blues  to the Cuban League pennant. That summer he made his United States debut with the Cuban Stars and also went 3–0 for the Brooklyn Royal Giants.

In the fall of 1908, in the middle of the Second Occupation of Cuba, Méndez pitched the games that established him as a legend. The Cincinnati Reds were visiting Havana playing the Cuban League teams, and Méndez completely dominated, pitching 25 consecutive scoreless innings in 3 appearances. In his first start, he allowed just one single, by Miller Huggins in the 9th inning, while striking out nine. His next appearance came in relief, where he held the Reds scoreless for 7 innings on just 2 hits. He concluded with another shutout. His record from the Cincinnati Reds series was W-2, L-0, ERA-0.00, G-3, IP-25, H-8, R-0, BB-3, SO-24. Several days later Almendares played a minor league all-star team from Key West, and Méndez pitched two more shutouts, the second a no-hitter, giving him 43 consecutive scoreless innings against major and minor league competition.

Over the next 6 Cuban League seasons Méndez continued to dominate, with records of 15–6, 7–0, 11–2, 9–5, 1–4, and 10–0, leading the league in wins 3 times. His Almendares team won pennants in 3 of 6 campaigns. In the United States during the summers he pitched just as well. Some sources say that he achieved a 44–2 record with the Cuban Stars in 1909, though a recent partial compilation of box scores by Scott Simkus shows a more modest, but still impressive, 14–2 record (with 2 saves). He pitched a 10-inning no-hitter on July 24, 1909.  One of his losses came on July 1 in Chicago when Rube Foster and the Leland Giants defeated him 1–0 when a dropped fly ball led to an unearned run against him.

Other major league teams visited Cuba over these years and Méndez continued to pitch against them. According to a compilation of box scores by Gary Ashwill, during 1908–13 against major league competition Méndez compiled a record of 9–11 in 24 games, pitching 18 complete games and 204 innings, with a total run average of 3.26. He allowed 150 hits and 51 walks while notching 123 strikeouts. His opponents were top major league teams, including the 1909 and 1910 Detroit Tigers, the 1910 and 1912 Philadelphia Athletics, the 1911 Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants and the 1913 Brooklyn Dodgers. The average major league winning percentage of the opposing pitchers he faced was .595; he faced star pitchers including Eddie Plank, whom he beat twice, and Chief Bender, whom he beat once.

In an article in Baseball Magazine in March 1913, Ira Thomas (a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics who had visited Havana twice) wrote the following about Méndez:

Méndez is a remarkable man. More than one big leaguer from the states has faced him and left the plate with a wholesome respect for the great Cuban star. It is not alone my opinion but the opinion of many others who have seen Méndez pitch that he ranks among the best in the game. I do not think he is Walter Johnson's equal, but he is not far behind. He has terrific speed, great control, and he uses excellent judgment. He is a natural ballplayer if there ever was one and with his pitching, it is no wonder that the Cubans win games ... At that, he is a remarkable pitcher, and if he were a white man would command a good position on any Major League club in the circuits.

Injury and recovery: 1914–1928
In late 1914 Méndez developed arm trouble and cut back on his pitching, eventually stopping altogether. A slick fielder, Méndez moved to shortstop and joined J. L. Wilkinson's All Nations. He played with several other teams, including the Chicago American Giants and the Detroit Stars, before finally signing on in 1920 as playing manager with Wilkinson's Kansas City Monarchs in the new Negro National League. He continued to split his time between shortstop and pitching, and under his leadership the Monarchs won pennants in 1923, 1924, and 1925. He gradually adjusted and became a very effective pitcher again, albeit with lighter pitching loads than he had carried during his 1908–14 pitching prime. In 1923 Méndez had a 12–4 record, followed by 4–0, 2–0, and 3–1 in the next three seasons.

Méndez became the star of the first Negro World Series in 1924 against the Hilldale Club  of the Eastern Colored League. He appeared in four games, with a 2–0 record including a shutout victory in the deciding final game.

During the winters, Méndez returned to pitching in the Cuban League in 1920/21. He pitched for the 1923/24 Santa Clara Leopards team that is considered the most dominant in the history of Cuban baseball; other members of that team included Oscar Charleston, Alejandro Oms, Dobie Moore, Bill Holland, and Eustaquio Pedroso.

Méndez won his last game in Cuba on January 21, 1927. Less than two years later, he was dead at the age of 43. His career Cuban League record was 76–28, and he ranks first all-time in career winning percentage (minimum of 40 wins) with .731.

Career pitching statistics

Comprehensive Negro league and Cuban League statistics for some seasons

Negro National League

Pre-league play in the United States
The following statistics are from a compilation by Scott Simkus of the 1909 Cuban Stars games against all competition. The compilation is missing games during the first month of their tour and for some games is compiled from line scores rather than box scores.

Source: 1909 Cuban Stars statistics compiled by Scott Simkus.

Cuban League

Source: Figueredo, pp. 72, 78–79, 86, 91–92, 98, 104, 108–109, 114, 118–119, 139, 148, 150, 154–155, 160, 165, 172, 503.

More comprehensive statistics for 1908–13 are available from Seamheads.com.

Notes

References

Bibliography

(Riley.) José Mendez, Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley (confirmed 2010-04-16)

External links
 and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads

1880s births
1928 deaths
All Nations players
Almendares (baseball) players
Cuban baseball players
Habana players
Kansas City Monarchs players
Leopardos de Santa Clara players
National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
Negro league baseball managers
People from Cárdenas, Cuba
Sportspeople from Matanzas Province

José Méndez


The Marble Throne () is a 250-year-old royal throne in Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran.

The throne was built from 1747 to 1751. It was designed by Mirza Baba Shirazi (Naqqash Bashi) and royal stonecutter, Mohammad Ebrahim Esfahani. It consists of 65 marble stone pieces from a mine in Yazd. The throne's supports are carved in the shape of men, women, fairies, and demons.

The Royal Balcony of the Marble Throne is said to be built during the reign of Karim Khan Zand, but Karim khan is known to have even refused the title king, and preferred to sit on a carpet rather than a throne so his ownership of the Marble throne is unlikely. It was changed several times during the Qajar period. The twin stone columns of the balcony were transferred to Tehran, by the order of Agha Mohammad Khan, from Shiraz.

The Sun Throne was probably modelled after it.

External links

Individual thrones
Iranian culture
Architecture in Iran

Marble Throne


Benedict Webb (18 May 1976 – 22 September 2014) was a Dunedin, New Zealand-born artist, dividing his time between working in New Zealand and Germany. He was of Māori (Nga Puhi, Te Roroa) and European descent. Ben Webb was the son of New Zealand barrister Maurice James Knuckey (d. 21 November 2018) and New Zealand artist Marilynn Webb, and grew up surrounded by many of the top New Zealand artists of that country's "golden era" of modern art; among his godparents was Ralph Hotere.

Working largely with a mixture of oil and metallic pigments, Webb's work took old photographs as its starting-point. His images are frequently portraits from Weimar Germany in the years preceding World War II, although he has also employed still lifes as subject matter. These photographic images are recreated in large format, then distressed by the addition of pigment to form works which evoke strong reactions of melancholy or nostalgia, both in terms of their subject matter and their treatment. His work has been compared to the "gaudily tragic" Neue Sachlichkeit expressionist art of the Weimar era, with portraits of " figures whose faces seem to express the unbearable heaviness of a past trapped behind their eyes," creating images of faces that are "feral, yet knowing." His works rely heavily on chiaroscuro effect, with the negative space of the blackened backgrounds becoming presences in their own right.

Webb started exhibiting his work at the age of 19, and was the youngest New Zealand artist to have shown in a public gallery and to represent the country in a biennale, in Nouméa in 1999. He held Berlin's Goethe Institut residency in 2002 and has exhibited in Argentina, Australia, Germany, and Sweden as well as in his native New Zealand. Webb died at Aramoana on 22 September 2014, aged 38.

References

External links
"Webb's dispassionate treatment unusual" (P. Entwisle, Otago Daily Times March 4, 2008)
"Tintin, Nazi Germany and contemporary art" (P. Entwisle, Otago Daily Times January 12, 2009)
"Glory: Studies by Ben Webb" (D. Eggleton)
Artist page, Jonathan Smart Gallery
Stay Beautiful - an appreciation of Ben Webb's life (N. Benson)

1976 births
Artists from Dunedin
Suicides in New Zealand
2014 suicides
2014 deaths

Ben Webb (artist)


Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a 2006 re-edited director's cut of the 1980 superhero film Superman II. It is a sequel to Richard Donner's 1978 film Superman, based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name, and stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, and Marlon Brando, the latter whose scenes were removed and entirely re-shot with actress Susannah York for the theatrical release. This alternate cut was edited by Michael Thau and was overseen and completed by Donner himself. It features a significant amount of discarded footage, alternate takes, and story elements not featured in the theatrical version.

In 1979, after the tense nineteen month-long shoot on Superman and a significant portion of Superman II,  Alexander Salkind, who had bought the film rights to the character, removed Donner from production on the sequel and replaced him with director Richard Lester. Lester completed the remainder of the film for its theatrical release, but also re-wrote and re-shot a substantial portion of Donner's footage in order to receive full director's credit. While the sequel was a critical and financial success upon release,  interest in Donner's cut of Superman II became well known after a community of online fans began petitioning for Warner Bros. Pictures to release Donner's vision. After Marlon Brando's death in 2004, his family estate allowed for Warner Bros. to feature archival footage of the late actor in the 2006 film Superman Returns, thus granting the studio permission to restore Donner's version of Superman II.

Since Donner never completed Superman II in its original form, certain key scenes filmed by Lester, along with newly created visual effects shots and an early screen test of one pivotal scene featuring Reeve and Margot Kidder, had to be added to the film in order to create a completed work. The film also features an early developed alternate opening and ending that were both envisioned before the theatrical release of Superman, in which the sequel's original ending was re-worked as the finale to the first film. Donner stated that, had he finished the film in 1980, he would have shot a different ending. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD on November 28, 2006, to positive reviews and is dedicated to Reeve's memory.

Plot
On the planet Krypton, criminals General Zod, Ursa and Non are sentenced to eternal banishment inside the Phantom Zone by Jor-El for insurrection and murder, amongst other crimes. Thirty years later, Superman diverts a missile into outer space, unknowingly freeing them from the Phantom Zone.

At the Daily Planet in Metropolis, Lois Lane suspects that Clark Kent is Superman. She tests Clark by jumping out of a window, but Clark uses his powers to save her while appearing to have done nothing. Meanwhile, with the help of Eve Teschmacher, Lex Luthor escapes from prison, abandoning Otis. They find and infiltrate the Fortress of Solitude, learning of the impending doom brought by General Zod. Lex resolves to meet Zod, and begins tracking him. On the Moon, Zod, Ursa, and Non discover that they have superpowers due to Earth's yellow sun, and ruthlessly kill a group of astronauts.

Perry White has Clark and Lois pose as newlyweds to investigate a honeymoon suite scam at Niagara Falls. Superman's appearance and rescue of a small boy at the Falls renews Lois' suspicions, and she tricks Clark with a gun loaded with blanks into admitting that he is Superman. He takes Lois Lane to the Fortress of Solitude, where the two spend the night together. Meanwhile, Zod, Ursa and Non arrive on Earth and conquer a small town in Idaho. After learning that the U.S. military takes orders from the President of the United States, the Kryptonians fly to Washington, D.C., and invade the White House.

Superman, unaware of Zod's release from the Phantom Zone and his subsequent rampage, decides to transform himself into a human and remove his super-powers by exposing himself to red Kryptonian sunlight in a crystal chamber. On their way back to Metropolis, Lois and Clark stop at a diner, where Clark gets beaten up by an obnoxious trucker and learns of Zod's conquest of the world. Knowing that humanity is helpless, Clark returns to the Fortress to reverse the transformation. Having anticipated this decision, Jor-El's artificial intelligence reveals it has been programmed to deal with this situation by sacrificing the remaining Kryptonian energy it needs to operate. To restore Clark's superpowers, it must be joined with him, fulfilling the Kryptonian prophecy concerning "the father becoming the son", resulting in the "death" of Jor-El and rendering the Fortress of Solitude inoperable.

Lex arrives at the White House. In exchange for Australia, he informs Zod that Superman is the son of Jor-El, and that he has the ability to find him. He takes the three Kryptonians to Metropolis to kidnap Lois as bait for Superman. Superman arrives and a fight ensues in and over Metropolis. After saving a bus full of civilians, Superman realizes he cannot win and flies to his Fortress, with Zod, Ursa, and Non in pursuit, bringing Lois and Lex with them. At the Fortress, Luthor shows the chamber that stripped Superman of his powers to Zod, who forces Superman to again undergo the transformation process. Superman, feigning defeat, reveals by crushing Zod's hand, that he has altered the process to expose everyone outside the chamber, removing the Kryptonian criminals' powers, while protecting himself. Zod, Ursa and Non are quickly dispatched. After destroying the Fortress of Solitude with his heat vision, Superman returns Lois to her apartment, where she wishes him a tearful goodbye, knowing that she can never be with him. To undo everything, Superman accelerates around Earth, traveling back in time to restore the past few days, rebuild the Fortress of Solitude and place Zod, Ursa and Non back into the Phantom Zone. Clark returns to work the following day as Lois and Perry experience a slight case of déjà vu. Clark revisits the diner with the obnoxious trucker to teach him a lesson in humility.

History

In 1977, director Richard Donner set about simultaneously filming an epic two-part adaptation of the Superman comic book series. Principal photography began on March 28, 1977, at Pinewood Studios for the Krypton scenes, but by May 1977, production had run two weeks behind schedule. It was reported that Donner had developed tensions with the Salkinds and Pierre Spengler concerning the escalating production budget and production schedule. Donner responded by claiming he was never given a budget. However, Donner told Starlog in March 1979, "I got along with the Salkinds all right, but I didn't get on with Pierre Spengler. I told him to his face that the film was too big for him but he wouldn't face up to the responsibility. It had nothing to do with the film itself, it was in the making of the film—the knowledge to pull it off."

In July 1977, Richard Lester, who worked with the Salkinds on The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), was brought in as a temporary co-producer to mediate the relationship between Donner and the Salkinds who were no longer on speaking terms. During production, Lester enlisted to be a second unit director where he formed an effective partnership with Donner. By October 1977, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, and Valerie Perrine had completed their scenes as they were all under contract to finish both pictures. Nevertheless, with months left of filming, the Salkinds had halted filming Superman II and focus on finishing Superman by which Donner had already completed 75% of the sequel.

Following Supermans December 1978 release, it was widely assumed that Donner would be recalled to complete the remainder of the sequel. Spengler had encountered Variety columnist Army Archerd at a Christmas party, and assured him that while there had been tension, he was proud of the film and looked forward to working with him on the sequel. Archerd then contacted Donner in which he responded "If he's on it—I'm not." However, a number of events led to Donner's eventual replacement as director of the movie. Most importantly, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind announced that Marlon Brando's completed scenes for Superman II would be excised from the movie in order for them to avoid having to pay the actor the reported 11.75% of gross U.S. box-office takings he was now demanding for his performance in the sequel. Donner publicly lambasted this decision, announcing that he would make the film his way or not at all. In January 1979, Donner had told Variety, "That means no games... They have to want me to do it. It has to be on my terms and I don't mean financially. I mean control." As Donner had become unavailable during the European promotional campaign for Superman, the Salkinds approached Guy Hamilton to take over directional reins for Superman II since Lester was filming Cuba (1979) at the time. However, Hamilton was unavailable, but by the time Superman II was ready to begin filming, Lester had completed Cuba and was available to direct.

Eventually, on March 15, 1979, the Salkinds decided to replace Donner with Richard Lester. Donner recalled that "One day, I got a telegram from them saying my services are no longer needed and that my dear friend Richard Lester would take over. To this day, I have not heard from them." Ilya Salkind countered, "Dick Donner said, 'I will do the second movie on my terms and without [Pierre] Spengler'...Spengler was my friend since childhood and my father and I were very loyal guys. We said no, and it really boiled down to that."

 The 1980 theatrical Superman II

With Lester placed as director, he was not sympathetic to Donner's filmmaking style: "Donner was emphasizing a kind of grandiose myth. There was a kind of David Lean-ish attempt in several sequences, and enormous scale. There was a type of epic quality which isn't in my nature, so my work really didn't embrace that...That's not me. That's his vision of it. I'm more quirky and I play around with slightly more unexpected silliness." Since Geoffrey Unsworth had died before the release of Superman, Lester brought on cinematographer Robert Paynter to have the film evoke the garish color scheme of the comics.

Tom Mankiewicz was approached by Terry Semel, then a Warner Bros. vice president, to return for the sequel, but he declined out of loyalty to Donner. Mankiewicz recounted "I have a lot of respect for [Lester]. Friendship is more important than anything. And Dick [Donner] brought me on the picture and my loyalty was with Dick and I couldn't believe that they fired him." David and Leslie Newman were then brought back to re-tool the script constructing a new opening and an ending. The new opening involved Superman thwarting the nuclear terrorists at the Eiffel Tower. The new ending involved Clark causing Lois to forget his secret identity through a hypnotic kiss.

Additionally, Christopher Reeve had become unavailable as he had accepted an offer to star in the romantic fantasy film Somewhere in Time (1980), five months into the production shutdown, by which time his contract to shoot both Superman films back-to-back had expired. Reeve claimed that twelve hours after his casting was announced, he received a letter from the producers to be available for Superman II on July 16, which was only five days after he was to finish filming Somewhere in Time. In March 1979, the Salkinds filed suit against Reeve alleging he had breached his contract by walking off the sequel. Furthermore, Reeve had held reservations with Lester and the Newmans' script following the departure of Donner. During the renegotiation of his contract, Reeve agreed to the financial terms, but demanded more artistic control.

The remaining sequences left to be shot included the scenes of the super-villains in Midwest America and the battle in Metropolis, which were all shot by Lester. Gene Hackman, out of loyalty to Donner, declined to return for re-shoots, which necessitated the need for a stand-in actor and a voice double for several scenes. Filming for Superman II re-commenced in September 1979. Throughout filming, Lester opted to retain his directorial technique for the three-camera setup while shooting scenes, which frustrated the actors as they did not know from where they were being filmed for their close-ups. However, Reeve noted that it made the production move at a faster pace. Filming was completed on March 10, 1980.

Composer John Williams was flown to England to score the film in which he was given a screening with Ilya Salkind and Richard Lester. When Salkind left the projection room, Williams and Lester fell into an argument; when Salkind returned, Williams told him that he "could not get along with this man." Ken Thorne was then selected to score the sequel. Before the film's release, Warner Bros. had appealed to the Directors Guild of America to assign the appropriate co-director credit, in which they argued Lester could not be credited unless he shot 40 percent of the film. Although Lester had earlier thought he would not be credited, he approached Donner to see if he wished to be credited as co-director, in which Donner replied, "I don't share credit".

The title was released in Europe and Australia on December 4, 1980, and June 19, 1981, in the United States. This version of Superman II combined Donner footage shot in 1977 with Lester footage shot in 1979. Approximately 30% of Lester's Superman II is Richard Donner's footage. In numerous scenes, the theatrical Superman II interweaves footage filmed years apart. Much of this interweaving was necessitated by Lex Luthor actor Gene Hackman's refusal to return to film any further scenes with Lester. Thus, all Hackman footage in the film is Donner's, although in certain scenes, a body double was used for wide shots re-filmed by Lester. In several instances, Lester re-staged Donner-filmed scenes, inserting certain newly filmed shots into pre-existing material. This is most evident during a scene in which the super-villains burst into the Daily Planet. The scene was filmed in its entirety by Donner in 1977. The Perry White office set was then partly re-built under Lester in 1979, the actors placed in exactly the same positions, costumes, etc., and new material filmed and inserted into the final film, despite the actors looking physically different.

 Donner footage in Superman II
The following is a list of all major Donner footage that was retained for Superman II:
 Various shots of the Kryptonian villains on trial (Brando has been matted out)
 Scenes from Superman: The Movie during the opening credits (except for hand-double shots replacing Brando)
 Lex Luthor and Otis doing laundry in prison.
 The three supervillains land on the Moon and kill the astronauts.
 Luthor escapes prison.
 Luthor and Tessmacher in the hot air balloon.
 Luthor and Tessmacher at the Fortress of Solitude (Kryptonian recordings filmed by Lester).
 The three supervillains attack the White House and force the President to "kneel before Zod" (except for shots of the American flag falling, shot by Lester).
 A powerless Clark is beaten up by Rocky, a truck driver in a roadside diner (Donner appears as an extra in this sequence).
 Lex Luthor visits the supervillains in the White House (except for the first two shots of the sequence, shot by Lester without Hackman).
 The villains burst into the Daily Planet and chase after Superman (some close-ups are Lester footage).
 The villains return to the Planet and decide to go to Superman's polar fortress (some close-ups are Lester footage).
 The second part of the finale at the Fortress of Solitude, beginning with Luthor's belated arrival (some close-ups are Lester footage).
 Superman returns Lois home.
 Clark returns to the diner and gets his revenge on Rocky.

 Criticisms

Critics of Lester's Superman II, including Donner, have stated that Lester's penchant for comedy undermined the integrity of the film, especially when compared to Donner's Superman. Examples of this trademark comedy are evident during scenes which feature Superman fighting the super-villains in Metropolis. The villains attack the citizens of Metropolis using super-breath. Several sight gags follow, including the wind blowing off a man's toupee, the ice cream being blown off of a cone and into someone's face, a man being blown over in a telephone booth and talking the whole time, a man with an umbrella being spun around as if dancing (parodying Singin' in the Rain) and a man on roller-skates rolling uncontrollably backwards across the pavement. Conversely, David Denby, reviewing the film for New York, praised the film's light approach and credited Lester for the film, particularly Hackman's performance. Mankiewicz shot back in a mailed letter writing, "Just for the record, Gene Hackman never shot a foot of film with Lester and it was all written by me," but New York never issued a correction.

Discussions about the lost Donner footage raged for years. With the advent of the Internet, numerous letter-writing and other campaigns were instigated to persuade Warner Bros. to allow Richard Donner to create his version of Superman II. In 2004, the fan-restored DVD known as Superman II: Restored International Cut''' was released through many Superman fan sites. It featured extended scenes pulled from international TV broadcasts over the years. Warner Bros. threatened legal action over the bootleg release.

 Richard Donner cut
When filming was suspended on Donner's Superman II in October 1977, the director had completed almost all of the major character-based sequences in the film. All scenes in the Daily Planet and most scenes set in the Fortress of Solitude were completed. All scenes featuring Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Valerie Perrine and Gene Hackman were also completed. What remained to be filmed was the villains' arrival on Earth, and their rampage through mid-west America as well as exteriors at Washington, D.C., during which Zod announces his takeover of the Earth from the tip of the Washington Monument. Most of the battle scenes between Superman and the super-villains had yet to be shot, as well as both the interiors and exteriors at Niagara Falls, which had been planned to be shot during the Canadian shooting on Superman: The Movie, but was indefinitely postponed to make up for time and get the production back to England quicker. Several minor scenes including a love-struck Superman deliberately tilting over the Leaning Tower of Pisa (later adapted in Superman III) and a scene in which Superman warns off some English fox-hunters were also not filmed.The Donner Cut features most of the completed but previously unseen scenes (some scenes have been deleted for narrative or dramatic reasons), which in many cases replace scenes re-filmed or altered by Lester. These include the original opening of the film set in the offices of the Daily Planet. In this opening, we see Lois trying to figure out the similarities between Clark Kent and Superman, followed by Perry White assigning Clark and Lois on the honeymoon racket in Niagara Falls, and then Lois testing Clark / Superman by jumping off the balcony of one floor of the Daily Planet (a revised version of this scene appears in the Lester theatrical cut).

A scene in a Niagara Falls hotel room, in which Lois tricks Clark into revealing he is Superman by shooting at him with a pistol loaded with blanks, is assembled from footage from Christopher Reeve's screen test, filmed with another actress (Holly Palance) as Lois. Footage from Margot Kidder's screen test for the same film was shot with the now-cast Christopher Reeve. Accordingly, Reeve's build, clothing, haircut, and eyeglasses are notably different from shot to shot.

 Creating the Donner Cut
The prospect of creating a Richard Donner cut did not begin to gain momentum until the 2001 DVD restoration of Superman. At the time, six tons of footage of each Superman film were discovered in vaults in England by Michael Thau, including much "lost" footage filmed by Donner. Soon after, Donner was approached by Warner Bros. to do an extended version of Superman II, but remained reluctant to revisit the movie. In May 2001, he told the website IGN: "At the time, the studio wanted me to go back in and re-cut the film and add anything I wanted to add or do anything I wanted to do. Quite honestly, I was done with it. I was finished."

Nonetheless, fans continued to campaign for the film, including Birmingham, England native Dharmesh Chauhan who launched his website, supermancinema.co.uk, in which he petitioned for a release of the Richard Donner cut. In May 2004, the Planet of the Apes fansite TheForbidden-Zone.com launched an Internet campaign demanding Warner Bros. to allow Donner to release his version of Superman II in conjunction with the film's 25th anniversary. On June 19, 2004, the studio responded with the statement, "Warner Home Video is supportive of an extended version of Superman II on DVD. However, there are complex legal issues that need to be resolved before the film can be re-released. Warner Home Video is presently addressing those issues." That same month, Margot Kidder said in an interview for Starlog: "There's a whole other Superman II in a vault somewhere, with scenes of Chris and me that have never seen the light of day. It's far better than the one that was released."

Other than Donner's reluctance to re-visit the project, these legal issues were the greatest obstacle towards creating a Donner cut. The required footage was still owned by the Salkinds, and issues of using Brando's filmed footage in Superman II remained unresolved. In March 2005, it was speculated that archive footage of Brando would be used in the then-upcoming sequel Superman Returns (2006). Later, in November 2006, Donner Cut producer Michael Thau told American Cinematographer magazine, "Marlon Brando's estate made a deal with Warner Bros. to license some of his footage for Superman Returns. This later led to the studio going back to his estate for our re-cut of Superman II. If that footage couldn't be used, it wasn't worth doing the project."

Work began on the project in late 2005, though without Donner's involvement. Thau explained Donner's reluctance to involve himself was because he was preoccupied with directing 16 Blocks (2006) at the time. In January 2006, Donner told IGN: "They're doing it. I'm not doing it... I don't even want to see it until it comes out in the theater... I'm too far away from it now." A month later, when asked about the new Superman II cut, Donner told the website Dark Horizons that Thau was "recutting my picture and again, he's asked me would I help. I can't because it's so long ago and the little bit of footage that I looked at, I would never shoot like that now in a million years, I mean it was a different way, a different style, different interpretation."

Throughout the years, Donner had frequently proclaimed diametrically-opposing views with regards to the possibility of re-assembling his Superman II – often stating that he would like to do it, other times stating that he would not. In June 2006, Thau stated, "Dick was beginning to free up from 16 Blocks and I would try to lure him into the cutting room with 'Here Dick here's a piece of candy, come take a look' and then he started warming up to the project." Sometime later, Thau confirmed that Donner had decided on a far closer involvement with the project, also bringing in Tom Mankiewicz to assist. In an interview with the magazine Movie Magic, he stated, "When I'd get a cut on a scene, I'd show it to Dick and he'd say, 'I don't like that line; that reading's not good,' and so on. With Dick it's always, 'Make it move faster."

Overall, The Donner Cut comprises Donner's Superman II scenes edited by Stuart Baird in 1977–78, 1980 Superman II theatrical scenes cut by John Victor Smith, as well as a large amount of new material edited by Michael Thau. The new cut reportedly used less than 20 percent of the footage shot by Lester.

In a June 2006 interview with Amazon.com, George Feltenstein, senior vice president of Warner Home Video's Catalog Marketing division, stated:

Donner contacted composer John Williams about creating a new score for his version of the film, but Williams was unable to help out, as he had also turned down a similar request by Superman Returns director Bryan Singer because he was scoring Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). Donner reused Williams' music (along with unreleased and unused cues) from the first film, while still retaining a small amount of Ken Thorne's score, subsequently relegating Thorne to the closing credits for "additional music", and the new opening title sequence gives Williams' composing credit.

 Release
On Friday, July 21, 2006, extended exclusive footage from the Donner Cut was screened during a panel at the 2006 Comic Con International in San Diego. The hour-long panel, titled "Warner Home Video's Superman Through the Ages", included a Q&A with Donner, Mankiewicz, Thau, and actors Marc McClure and Jack O'Halloran.

 World premiere
The world premiere of The Donner Cut was screened on November 2, 2006, at the Directors Guild of America building in Hollywood. It was attended by several members of the cast and crew, including Donner, Ilya Salkind, Mankiewicz, Kidder, Sarah Douglas, O'Halleran, and McClure. After the screening, they participated in a panel discussion. On November 25, 2006, an exclusive screening benefit for Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was held at the Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

 Home media
On November 28, 2006, the film was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD DVD, which featured an optional introduction by director Richard Donner and an audio commentary by Donner and Mankiewicz. Additionally, the release included a new making-of featurette titled Superman II: Restoring the Vision and six deleted scenes.

 Reception
 Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. In comparison, the theatrical cut of Superman II received an approval rating of 83% based on 58 reviews with an average rating of 7.4 out of 10.

Kenneth Sweeney, writing in American Cinematographer magazine, praised the DVD release, noting that "Donner's take on the narrative events of Superman II is unusual and fascinating. This version includes a longer prologue, deletes many of Lester's campy sequences, and offers a more consistent balance between adventure and romance." He concluded that "[t]his exciting, one-of-a-kind DVD is really a joy to behold for longtime fans of the Superman franchise, and is a must for all fans of the superhero genre." Todd Gilchrist of IGN gave The Donner Cut a score of 9 out of 10, writing "the film itself is a remarkable artistic accomplishment". Vic Holtreman, reviewing for Screen Rant, praised The Donner Cut as superior to the theatrical version, but lamented that "there is still almost all of the silly humor that was in the first Superman film and the original release of Superman II."

In his book Superman vs Hollywood, Jake Rossen wrote, "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is neither a better nor a worse film than its first incarnation. Lester's labored slapstick has been all but excised, and Brando's presence certainly elevates the melodrama surrounding Clark's conflict over becoming 'human.' But incorporating the unpolished audition footage is jarring; ultimately, the edit is simply a curiosity." Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club graded the film a C+, concluding, "It's nice to see the Brando footage and the restored scenes of Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder's breezy chemistry. But where the original cut at least played as a relatively cohesive movie, loose ends and all, this looks like little but loose ends. It's a curio, not a corrective."

 Accolades Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut received an award at the 33rd Saturn Awards in the category of Best DVD Special Edition Release.

 See also
 Zack Snyder's Justice League''

References

Bibliography

External links

 Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut at Rotten Tomatoes
 The shooting script, dated April 18, 1977, for Superman II

2006 films
2006 science fiction action films
2000s English-language films
Alternative versions of films
American science fiction action films
American sequel films
British science fiction action films
British sequel films
Films directed by Richard Donner
Films scored by John Williams
Films with screenplays by Tom Mankiewicz
Films with screenplays by David Newman (screenwriter)
Films with screenplays by Leslie Newman
Films with screenplays by Mario Puzo
Superman films
Superman (1978 film series)
Films set on fictional planets
Films set in the White House
Films set in Ontario
Films set in Idaho
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films produced by Pierre Spengler
Films set in Houston
Films set on the moon
Films about fictional presidents of the United States
Niagara Falls in fiction
British films about revenge
American films about revenge
Alien invasions in films
2000s American films
2000s British films

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut


Neil McLean is an American saxophonist now residing in Tyler, Texas.  As a member of the Henry Kimbrell Group, Ray Reach and Friends, the SuperJazz Big Band and the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, he worked with numerous notable performers, including Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Ernie Watts, Lou Marini, Ellis Marsalis and many others.  For many years, while residing in Birmingham, Alabama, Neil established himself as one of the premier saxophonists in the Southeast.  His arrangements for the SuperJazz Big Band are among the finest performed by that venerable ensemble.

McLean was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1983.

Selected discography
 Ray Reach and Friends.  "Especially For You" (1994).  Jazz quartet.  Available at CDBaby.com.
 Ellis Marsalis and the SuperJazz Big Band.  "UAB SuperJazz, featuring Ellis Marsalis" (2001)  (Co-produced by Ray Reach and Henry Panion), recorded at the Alys Stephens Center.
 Lou Marini and the Magic City Jazz Orchestra. "Lou's Blues" (2003) (Co-produced by Lou Marini and Ray Reach)

External links
 Magic City Jazz Orchestra at All About Jazz
 Lou Marini at All About Jazz
 Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Official Website

American male saxophonists
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Tyler, Texas
Place of birth missing (living people)
Musicians from Texas
Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama
21st-century American saxophonists
21st-century American male musicians
Magic City Jazz Orchestra members

Neil McLean (saxophonist)


Julius Friedrich Antonio Schrader (16 June 1815 in Berlin – 16 February 1900 in Groß-Lichterfelde) was a German painter, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting.

Biography
He studied at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, then spent five years at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he became a student of Schadow. He spent two more years in Düsseldorf, and later traveled in Italy (1845–47), England, the Netherlands and Belgium and in the last country fell under the influence of the colorists Louis Gallait and Édouard De Bièfve. In 1851 he became a professor at the Berlin Academy.

Works
 Surrender of Calais to Edward III (1847)
 Frederick the Great after the Battle of Kolin (1849)
 Death of Leonardo da Vinci (1851)
 Milton and His Daughters (1855)
 Cromwell at the Death-Bed of His Daughter (1859)
In fresco he painted First Twelve Christian Monarchs in the Royal Chapel, and Consecration of the Church of Saint Sophia, Constantinople in the New Museum, Berlin. Among his portraits are those of Alexander von Humboldt and the historian Leopold von Ranke.

References

1815 births
1900 deaths
19th-century German painters
19th-century German male artists
German male painters
Düsseldorf school of painting

Julius Schrader