General Wacław Jędrzejewicz (; 29 January 1893 – 30 November 1993) was a Polish Army officer, diplomat, politician and historian, and subsequently an American college professor.

He was co-founder, president, and long-time executive director of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America.

Life

Jędrzejewicz was born in Spiczyńce, Russian Empire (prior to 1795 in Poland) to Polish parents. As a student at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (1913–14), Jędrzejewicz joined Józef Piłsudski's Riflemen's Association (Związek Strzelecki). In 1915 he was one of the founders and leaders of the Polish Military Organisation (Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, or P.O.W.). In August 1915 he brought his "Warsaw Battalion" into the Polish Legions' First Brigade, then fighting in Volhynia. In July 1917, during the Legions' "Oath Crisis" (precipitated by a demand from Germany and Austro-Hungary that the Polish Legionnaires swear loyalty to them), Jędrzejewicz was imprisoned by the Germans.

When Poland regained independence in November 1918, Jędrzejewicz began work at the Polish Army's Section II (Oddział II, or Intelligence).

On 24 April 1920, Jędrzejewicz, now a captain, signed a military convention with Ukraine's Ataman Semen Petlura which paved the way for the Polish Army's 1920 Kiev Expedition. Next he served as Section II chief successively to Generals Kazimierz Sosnkowski and Gustaw Zygadłowicz. In September–November 1920, as a major, he was the Polish Army's liaison officer to allied Belarusian forces.

At the conclusion of the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–21, Jędrzejewicz was a military expert with the Polish delegation at the Riga Peace Conference.

In 1922–25 Jędrzejewicz directed the Polish General Staff's "East" Department. In 1925 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

In 1925–28, he was military attaché and effective chargé d'affaires in Tokyo, Japan.

Returning to Poland, he served as director of the Foreign Ministry's Consular Department (1928-1933) and as Treasury Vice Minister (1933-1934). On 22 January 1934, he was appointed Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Education in the government of his brother, Premier Janusz Jędrzejewicz (1885-1951), serving on as well in the premierships of Leon Kozłowski and Walery Sławek. He introduced educational reforms that sparked controversy in Poland but won international approval and emulation.

After Marshal Józef Piłsudski died (1935), Jędrzejewicz held no more ministerial offices.

When World War II broke out in September 1939, Jędrzejewicz helped evacuate the treasury of the Fund for National Defense, which in February 1940 was delivered to General Władysław Sikorski's Polish government-in-exile in Paris. Due to the anti-Piłsudskiite policies of General Sikorski (whose prewar career had been derailed by differences with Piłsudski), Jędrzejewicz was prevented from serving now with the Polish Armed Forces in exile. Consequently, in March 1941 he emigrated to New York City.

On 4 July 1943, Jędrzejewicz co-founded the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America, dedicated to studying recent Polish history, and was its first director (5 July 1943 — 28 September 1948).

In 1948 Jędrzejewicz became professor of Russian language and literature at Wellesley College. In 1958-1963 he was director of Slavic studies at Ripon College in Wisconsin.

On retiring, he returned to New York, where in 1964 he again became director of the Józef Piłsudski Institute.

Jędrzejewicz died at the age of 100 on 30 November 1993, in Cheshire, Connecticut, the last of Marshal Piłsudski's government ministers and the last co-founder of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America. He was interred on 4 June 1994 at Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland.

Works
Jędrzejewicz published some 300 scholarly papers in history and several major books, including Poland in the British Parliament, 1939-45 and a two-volume Kronika życia Józefa Piłsudskiego (Chronicle of the Life of Józef Piłsudski). His English-language publications also included Piłsudski: a Life for Poland, New York, Hippocrene Books, 1982.

Recognition
Jędrzejewicz was awarded the Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari (personally by Marshal Józef Piłsudski, 11 November 1921), the Cross of Independence with Swords, the Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych) four times and the Order of Polonia Restituta, Classes I (Grand Cross, 1993) and IV, and received decorations of 13 countries, including the French Legion of Honour. In 1993, Jędrzejewicz was awarded Honorary Citizenship of the Royal City of Kraków.

In 1992 Jędrzejewicz was promoted by Polish President Lech Wałęsa to the rank of brigadier general.

See also
Prometheism
List of Poles

References

 "Jędrzejewicz, Wacław," Who's Who in Polish America, 1st ed., 1996–1997, New York, Bicentennial Publishing Corp., distributed in the book trade by Hippocrene Books, 1996, pp. 173–74.
 "Jędrzejewicz, Janusz," Encyklopedia Polski, p. 256.

1893 births
1993 deaths
People from Vinnytsia Oblast
People from Berdichevsky Uyezd
Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government politicians
Polish Military Organisation members
Polish Army officers
Polish intelligence officers
20th-century Polish historians
Polish male non-fiction writers
Diplomats of the Second Polish Republic
Polish military attachés
Jagiellonian University alumni
Ripon College (Wisconsin) faculty
Individuals associated with the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America
Men centenarians
Polish centenarians
Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords
Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland)
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Burials at Powązki Cemetery

Wacław Jędrzejewicz


Mullum Malarum (; ) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Mahendran. Produced by Venu Chettiar and V. Mohan, the film stars Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu, Jayalaxmi and Shoba. It marks Mahendran's directorial debut and is partly based on Uma Chandran's novel of the same name, which was serialised in the Tamil magazine Kalki in 1966. Mullum Malarum tells the story of Kali (Rajinikanth), a winch operator of a cable trolley who dotes on his sister Valli (Shoba) since they were orphaned, and clashes with his boss Kumaran (Sarath Babu).

Mahendran read only part of the novel, and developed the screenplay as he wanted, making a visually-focused film without formulaic Tamil cinema conventions he disliked such as melodrama, overacting, excessive dialogue and duets. Since Mahendran had no previous directing experience, cinematographer Balu Mahendra, who was already an established director, assisted him with the screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing. Principal photography lasted for about 30 days, taking place primarily in Sringeri, Karnataka, though some scenes were also filmed in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. The film was edited by D. Vasu, and the soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

Mullum Malarum was released on 15 August 1978. Although it opened to tepid box-office earnings, positive reviews from critics and favourable word of mouth in later weeks helped make it a success with a theatrical run of over 100 days. The film received praise primarily for Rajinikanth's performance, Balu Mahendra's cinematography, Ilaiyaraaja's music, Mahendran's writing and establishing Tamil cinema as a "visual medium". It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film and Rajinikanth won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his performance.

Mullum Malarum became a breakthrough for Rajinikanth as an actor and a milestone of Tamil cinema for focusing prominently on visuals and realism without the formulaic Tamil cinema conventions that Mahendran disliked. He continued following this style in all his later films. The film's success inspired a Malayalam remake titled Venalil Oru Mazha in 1979, a Telugu remake titled Seethamma Pelli in 1984, and a Hindi version titled Pyari Behna in 1985.

Plot
Orphaned at a young age, Kali and his sister Valli grew up on the streets and were street performers. Kali played the drums and Valli perched herself atop a pole balanced by an older boy. Kali frequently gets angry at people whom he thinks lack empathy for the socially or financially deprived. As adults, the siblings live in a hilltop village where Kali works for a powerhouse in the valley below. From a shed in the village, he operates a winch for a cable trolley which ferries employees to work. The powerhouse's new divisional engineer, the rule-abiding but fair Kumaran, notices Kali offering free rides to unauthorised townspeople. When he orders the passengers out, citing rules of operation, Kali becomes angry and stops the trolley half-way downhill. Kumaran shrugs off this act with a knowing smile.

On a nearby canal's bank, Valli meets a young woman, Manga, who, along with her mother, has arrived from a drought-stricken town, Ilaiyangudi. The mother is looking for work, and both women are hungry—Manga ravenously so, a fondness for food becoming one of her primary characteristics. Valli feeds and shelters them for the night, and asks Kali about allowing them to use the vacant house next door. Meanwhile, Kali roughs up his fellow employees whom he suspects of snitching on him to Kumaran. Kali is given a final warning by Kumaran as a prelude to serious disciplinary action.

While Kali is at work, Manga appears, picks up his watch and teasingly declares she will run away with it. A chase ensues, taking them through the woods and into the river. Waist-deep in the water, Kali retrieves the watch and rushes back to the shed. During his absence, a child living in the valley has needed medical attention. After the emergency alarm at the shed has rung for several minutes, a passerby steps in to operate the winch. The child is transported back in the trolley and dispatched to a hospital. The following day, Kumaran suspends Kali from his job for ten days for gross misconduct.

That evening, Kali goes to the nearby Mullimalai to assuage his anger at Kumaran among the Badagas, joining them in singing and dancing. While staggering back home drunk, Kali passes out on an unlit street. A truck drives over his left arm, which is amputated at a city hospital. As a result, Kumaran regretfully fires Kali since he can no longer perform his job adequately with one arm. At Valli's prompting, Kali and Manga agree to marry; they have a simple wedding ceremony held at the local temple. Kumaran attends and brings a present of cash, which Kali rejects, but Manga accepts.

Kumaran becomes attracted to Valli. After determining her willingness for marriage, he requests permission from Kali who asks him to return the following day. Later that day, Kali corners Murgesa, a local grocer who is known for flirtatious behaviour, and offers him his sister's hand in marriage. An engagement ceremony for Murgesa and Valli is arranged. At the ceremony, Manga angrily interferes in the main ritual, which makes Kali furious at his wife. He physically assaults her repeatedly, but Manga remains firm in her opposition.

The next day, Manga convinces Kumaran and Valli to marry without Kali's knowledge, but he accosts their wedding party on its way to the temple. Kali accuses his sister of abandoning him because of his handicap. Valli is filled with guilt and rushes into his arm. Kali reminds the onlookers that he remains the most important man in his sister's life. Although he still dislikes Kumaran, Kali's self-esteem is restored, and he offers his blessings for the marriage.

Cast
 Rajinikanth as Kali
 Sarath Babu as Kumaran
 Jayalaxmi as Manga
 Shoba as Valli
 Vennira Aadai Moorthy as Murugesa
 Samikannu as Payapulla

Production

Development
Despite the success of his projects in the 1970s including Thangappathakkam (1974) and Aadu Puli Attam (1977), screenwriter Mahendran had become disillusioned with the mainstream Tamil cinema, which he criticised for its obsession with commercial success, routine melodrama, excessive dialogues, duets and a typical climax. He decided to take a sabbatical from screenwriting, but was under constant pressure from film producers to write for them. It was then that Mahendran began soliciting novels to adapt, one of which was Uma Chandran's Mullum Malarum (1966). First serialised in the Tamil magazine Kalki, it won the first prize in Kalkis novel competition for the magazine's silver jubilee in 1966. While reading the novel, Mahendran was attracted by the protagonist Kali's job as a winch operator and his highly self-respecting character. He read until the chapter where Kali loses his arm to a tiger, and developed the screenplay completely according to his own wish. Unlike the novel, in Mahendran's screenplay Kali loses his arm when it is run over by a truck. Additionally, the novel ends with the deaths of Kali and his wife Manga, which Mahendran did not include in his screenplay.

Upon completion, Mahendran did not immediately pitch his story to investors, but instead "quietly filed it away", as he believed that no producer would want to produce a film that lacked all the formulaic Tamil cinema conventions. It was only after Venu Chettiar of Ananthi Films approached Mahendran with an offer that he pitched Mullum Malarum, describing it as a brother and sister story. Chettiar accepted the story without listening to it fully and wanted Mahendran to both write and direct the film. Under the assumption that Chettiar had only accepted due to his belief that Mahendran would make a melodramatic brother-sister film like Pasamalar (1961), Mahendran refrained from disclosing to him that what he envisioned was radically different, with more focus on visuals than dramatics. The film marked Mahendran's directorial debut, with Chettiar and V. Mohan producing it. Ramasamy was signed as the art director, and D. Vasu as the editor. Ramachandra Babu declined when approached by Mahendran to be the cinematographer, and Ashok Kumar, whom Ramachandra Babu suggested, could not accept to work on the film. Mahendran was unable to find a worthy cinematographer until actor Kamal Haasan introduced him to Balu Mahendra, who agreed to work on the film, making his debut in Tamil cinema. Haasan worked as a production manager on the film.

Casting and filming
After the release of Aadu Puli Attam, Mahendran wanted Rajinikanth, who portrayed the film's antagonist, to act as the male lead in his directorial debut film. Though Chettiar remonstrated against the actor's suitability for the role due to his dark skin and typecasting as a villain, he reluctantly capitulated after Mahendran intransigently declared that he could not possibly direct the film without him, believing him to be tailor-made for the part. After directing the Kannada film Kokila (1977), Balu Mahendra wanted its lead actress Shoba to act in his first Tamil film. She was eventually cast as Kali's sister Valli. Mahendran wanted Kamal Haasan in the role of the engineer Kumaran, but he declined, citing scheduling conflicts; the role went to Sarath Babu.

Mullum Malarum was filmed on 35 mm ORWO colour film. It was shot primarily in Sringeri, Karnataka, with additional filming in Ooty, Tamil Nadu; principal photography lasted about 30 days. Chettiar initially refused to let Mahendran shoot in Sringeri, citing financial constraints, but Mahendran's friend Pazhaniappan convinced Chettiar and agreed to pay for the Sringeri shooting schedule. Once while passing through Pondicherry, Mahendran witnessed a game of Uriyadi, which inspired him to include two Uriyadi scenes in the film which were not originally part of the script. Mahendran also decided to characterise Manga (Jayalaxmi) as a "meen paithiyam" (meaning a "foodie who loves fish") after being inspired by Sringeri's marine environment.

Balu Mahendra stated that he avoided incorporating the usual hero-heroine dancing into the film because he thought it was like "watching two drunken monkeys dancing". Instead, he allocated music to the background when the lead characters expressed their emotions. Since Mahendran had no previous directing experience, Balu Mahendra, who was already an established director, assumed responsibility and responded to Mahendran's suggestions for screenplay, dialogue, camera angles, casting and editing. He shot the film predominantly using natural light.

According to Mahendran, Chettiar never arrived at the shooting spot; he expected a melodramatic, dialogue-heavy film, and would have shelved the project had he known about Mahendran's filmmaking style. Sarath Babu was originally supposed to lip sync the full "Senthazham Poovil" scene, picturised on Kumaran and Valli, but Mahendra and Mahendran agreed on a montage after the actor performed a line or two. During the filming of the climax where Kali lets Kumaran marry Valli despite their enmity, Sarath Babu disputed the part where Kali professes to still dislike Kumaran, leading him to storm off the set. When he was brought back by the producer, he tempestuously confronted Mahendran, who informed him that Kali dislikes Kumaran till the end. He offered the possibility of filming it with Kali saying those words without Kumaran present, but Sarath Babu ultimately appeared.

After watching the film's double positive, Chettiar was perplexed by the lack of melodrama and lengthy dialogues, since he hired Mahendran as director due to his success as a dialogue writer and did not expect such a visually-focused film. At that time, Mahendran had yet to film a scene set before "Senthazham Poovil" but Chettiar, discontent with the budget escalating, refused to finance it until he was won over by Haasan who financed the scene, and filming was completed. Mullum Malarum final reel length was .

Themes
Film critic Naman Ramachandran likened Kali's relationship with Valli to how flowers need thorns for protection. According to critic Baradwaj Rangan, the title Mullum Malarum can be interpreted in two ways: "the thorn and the flower", which describes Kali and Valli; and "even a thorn will bloom", which foreshadows how Kali softens at the end. Mahendran considered the latter to be the real meaning of the film's title. S. Rajanayagam, author of the 2015 book Popular Cinema and Politics in South India: The Films of MGR and Rajinikanth, described Kali as the thorn and flower in the film; he characterised Kali as an "angry young man with a kind heart" who does not admit mistakes, despite having committed acts such as breaking car headlights and allowing people to ride the trolley, in violation of the powerhouse's rules. He noted that films like Mullum Malarum stereotype the poor as "all that is pristine and traditional", and leave the "overall socio-economic system" which made them poor unchallenged, but within this system, "the hero will be 'richer' in terms of his moral uprightness". Journalist Kavitha Muralidharan wrote that most of Mahendran's films show characters with contrasting personalities, citing the docile Valli and the garrulous Manga in Mullum Malarum as examples. Regarding this, Mahendran said, "I only show them as they are in real life".

According to film historian Yves Thoraval, Mullum Malarum explores "the extreme Oedipal possessiveness of a married brother for his younger sister". Thoraval said this was a recurring theme in Indian films starting with Bahen in 1941. Ramachandran noted that Kali, like Rajinikanth's character in Bairavi (1978), is responsible for his sister's welfare. Unlike Bairavi, the siblings in Mullum Malarum are not separated; this leads Kali's protectiveness of Valli to the brink of obsession. Ramachandran regarded egotism as one of Mullum Malarum central themes, identifying Kali as the alpha male of his community. According to an article published in Cinema Vision India, the film stresses "that people changeand they must". Ramachandran noted that when Kali's arm is amputated, he feels helpless and emasculated, and Kumaran becomes an easy target. Kali refuses to see the benefits of his sister marrying a wealthy and educated man, even when Manga asks for his consent, but sees the error of his ways when Valli abandons her wedding party to join her brother: "My sister has shown all of you that I am the most important person in her life. I need only that happiness for the rest of my life. And it is with that pride and arrogance that I give my permission for my sister to marry". Writing for Frontline, Venkatesh Chakravarthy noted that the film ends with Kali relenting to Valli's desire to marry the man she wishes but not before he tells Kumaran that he still dislikes him, "which makes the film open-ended with a feel that life goes on".

Music
Mullum Malarums soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Panchu Arunachalam, Gangai Amaran and Kannadasan. Unlike most Tamil films of that time, the film does not include any duets. The song "Adi Penney" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Madhyamavati. "Raman Aandaalum" is set in Mayamalavagowla, and "Senthazham Poovil" is set in Bowli. "Maan Iname", sung by Ilaiyaraaja, does not feature on the soundtrack. Elements of "Raman Aandaalum" were later used in "Machi Open the Bottle", composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for Mankatha (2011). The song's lyrics also inspired the title of a 2021 film Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum. For the Telugu-dubbed soundtrack Mullu Puvvu, L. Vaidyanathan composed two original tracks, apart from dubbing three of Ilaiyaraaja's compositions from the original soundtrack.

Release
Mullum Malarum was released on 15 August 1978. As the film's commercial performance during its first few weeks was poor, both Mahendran and Rajinikanth summoned Chettiar to further publicise the film to improve its revenues. He declined, caustically replying that an unsuccessful film needs no publicity, and a successful film requires no publicity. During its third or fourth week of release, positive magazine reviews and favourable word of mouth spread; Mullum Malarum became a commercial success, with a theatrical run of over 100 days. Chettiar later apologised to Mahendran, who in turn thanked him for letting him make the film.

After watching the film and being impressed with Rajinikanth's performance, his mentor, director K. Balachander wrote in a letter of appreciation that he was proud to have introduced him as an actor in Tamil cinema. Balachander's letter has been described by Sify as Rajinikanth's "most prized moment and possession". It was screened at the 1979 International Film Festival of India as part of its Indian Panorama section.

Reception
Mullum Malarum was well received at the time of its initial release, with commentators applauding it for establishing Tamil cinema as a "visual medium". The writer of a 25 August 1978 review in The Hindu appreciated the film for not having the "usual formula of fights, duets, intrigues and cabaret dances". The reviewer further noted that Rajinikanth showed "his mature artistry in a portrayal of a turbulent illiterate worker with a blind passion for his sister". The reviewer also praised the performances of Shoba and Jayalaxmi, called Balu Mahendra's camera work a "feast for the eyes", and Ilaiyaraaja's melodies "delicious". The critic was disappointed of the film's first half for moving at a "leisurely pace", but said the second half was "eventful". The Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, in its 3 September 1978 review, applauded the performances of Rajinikanth and Sarath Babu, along with Balu Mahendra's cinematography and Ilaiyaraaja's music. The reviewer also praised Mahendran's filmmaking skills and the fact that he told the story in a sharp manner without long dialogues, likening the film to Kurinchi flowers due to their rarity and rating it 61 out of 100.

After watching the film, M. G. Ramachandran—the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu—told Mahendran that he had no words to express his happiness, and that Mahendran set a new trend in Tamil cinema with Mullum Malarum. Ramachandran stated that Mahendran had reached a milestone beyond expectations. He added that Mahendran demonstrated clearly that cinema is a "visual medium". Ramachandran commented that the depiction of brother-sister relationships in film up to this point were full of dramatics, even in his own, but Mullum Malarum stood apart in its realism. He said the final scene was new not only to Tamil cinema but also to Indian cinema. Ramachandran lauded Rajinikanth's realistic acting and hoped the film would mark a big turnaround in his career. K. Balachander wrote in a letter of appreciation to Mahendran, "[A]n intelligent filmmaker has come to the cinema world. Silence rules in many places in this film which deserve appreciation".

Accolades

Legacy

Mullum Malarum attained cult status in Tamil cinema. It was a breakthrough for Rajinikanth as an actor and a milestone of Tamil cinema for focusing prominently on visuals and realism without the formulaic Tamil cinema conventions that Mahendran disliked. Mahendran continued following this style in all his later films. According to K. Balamurugan of Rediff.com, the film established that Rajinikanth "can be a director's actor too" and widened his fan base "from youngsters to the families and the women". In December 2013, The Times of India said that with this film, Rajinikanth "dispelled whatever doubts remained about his acting ability". Rajinikanth himself considers Mullum Malarum one of his five most favourite films and Mahendran his favourite director.

Mullum Malarum was remade in Malayalam as Venalil Oru Mazha in 1979, in Telugu as Seethamma Pelli in 1984 (despite the dubbed Telugu version in 1979) and in Hindi as Pyari Behna (1985). "Kali" (alternatively, Kaali) became Rajinikanth's most-frequent onscreen name; his characters in Kaali (1980), Kai Kodukkum Kai (1984) and Petta (2019) also shared that name. In October 2015, director Pa. Ranjith said that Rajinikanth's characterisation in Mullum Malarum was a "lesson" of sorts for him, and the actor's character in Ranjith's Kabali (2016) was influenced by Kali in Mullum Malarum. The film's score has been regarded as one of the best of Ilaiyaraaja's career by commentators; the songs "Senthazham Poovil" and "Raman Aandalum" in particular, remain hugely popular. The latter was used in the climax sequence of Petta.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

 Mullum Malarum at the British Film Institute

1970s Tamil-language films
1978 directorial debut films
1978 drama films
1978 films
Films about orphans
Films based on Tamil novels
Films directed by Mahendran (filmmaker)
Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
Films shot in Karnataka
Films shot in Ooty
Films with screenplays by Mahendran (filmmaker)
Indian drama films
Tamil films remade in other languages

Mullum Malarum


Laurence G. Thompson (1920 - July 10, 2005) was a World War II veteran, sinologist, classical violinist and professor emeritus of East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Southern California.

Biography
Thompson was born in 1920 in the Shandong province of Republic of China, and lived there until age 14. As a young man, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and worked as a Japanese-language interpreter. During World War II, he fought in the South Pacific. His name back in the day was wee rumpy because of his dashing height.

In 1942, Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from UCLA. In 1947, he earned a master's degree from Claremont Graduate School. Seven years later, he earned a doctorate from Claremont. From 1951 to 1959, Thompson served in the United States Foreign Service in Taipei, Tokyo, Manila and Hong Kong. In Seoul and Taipei, he was a staff member of The Asia Foundation .

Academic career
An accomplished classical violinist, Thompson taught music at National Taiwan Normal University from 1959 to 1962. He was a Pomona College faculty member from 1962 to 1965, and a USC faculty member from 1965 to 1986. At USC, he served as chair of the department of East Asian languages and cultures from 1968 to 1970, and from 1972 to 1976. From 1972 to 1974, he became the founding director of USC East Asian Studies Center.

Research
Thompson's first major publication was a translation of Kang Youwei's "Da Tong Shu."  His main intellectual commitment was to his pioneering studies of Chinese religion. He wrote Chinese Religion: An Introduction and The Chinese Way in Religion. His three-volume bibliographical work Chinese Religions: Publications in Western Languages is a basic resource to the field, which he continued to update in retirement. He authored the article on Chinese religion for Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th edition. Additionally, he served as president of the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions for nine years, and in 1992 was honored with a festschrift in the Journal of Chinese Religions. In addition, Thompson translated several volumes of religious studies by Wu Yaoyu and documents on Taiwanese studies.

American sinologists
University of Southern California faculty
1920 births
2005 deaths
Claremont Graduate University alumni
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Pomona College faculty
American expatriates in China
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II

Laurence Thompson


Die ägyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen), Op. 75, is an opera in two acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It premiered at the Dresden Semperoper on 6 June 1928. Strauss had written the title role with Maria Jeritza in mind but, creating quite a sensation at the time, the Dresden opera management refused to pay Jeritza's large fee and cast Elisabeth Rethberg instead as Helen of Troy. Jeritza eventually created the part in Vienna and New York City.

As inspiration for the story, Hofmannsthal used sources from Euripides (Helen). Strauss made changes to the opera in 1933, five years after the premiere, working with the director Lothar Wallenstein and the conductor Clemens Krauss.

Performance history and reception

Roles

It remains the only major opera in the repertory with a role for an omniscient sea-shell.

Synopsis

Act 1
The mythological past

In her island palace, the sorceress Aithra waits in vain for Poseidon's return. The oracle-like Omniscient Mussel tells her that though Poseidon is far away, he remains steadfast in his love for her. The Mussel then tells of a ship on which the most beautiful woman in the world, Helena (Helen of Troy), is about to be murdered by her husband, Menelas (Menelaus). To save the woman, Aithra conjures a flash storm to shipwreck the passengers, who soon make their way ashore and appear at the palace. Helena has been trying to save her marriage, but Menelas cannot forgive her for her betrayal with Paris at the start of the Trojan War. Bitterly, he has prevented their daughter, Hermione, from knowing her own mother. On land, Menelas once again plans to stab his wife, but the sight of her beauty by moonlight makes him hesitate. To ensure that he doesn't kill her, Aithra invokes elves to torment him; they make him believe that his rival, Paris, is present, and he rushes out to confront the specter. Aithra's magic then helps Helena regain her original youthful beauty, and a lotus drink banishes her anxiety. Servant girls take her to another room.

When Menelas stumbles back in, raving about having surprised and killed Helena and Paris, Aithra gives him the soothing drink as well. Hearing of his conflicted emotions toward his wife, the sorceress tries to tell him that nine years before, when he lost Helena to Paris, the gods actually substituted a wraith to fool Paris; the real Helena was hidden in the castle of Aithra's father on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains. There she remains, asleep, waiting for her husband to wake her; the woman in the next room is the wraith. Aithra pledges to transport Menelas by magic to the castle. Bewildered and hesitant, he gradually yields to the notion that the original Helena will be restored to him. In a pavilion at the foot of the mountain, the two can be reunited. Aithra suggests he use the lotus potion to keep disturbing memories at bay.

Act 2
In the pavilion, Helena awakens and hails the couple's second wedding night ("Zweite Brautnacht"). Menelas, also awakening, still mistrusts his senses. His wife tries to soothe him with more lotus juice, but he catches sight of his sword, which revives jarring memories. Is this woman real or an illusion? Desert horsemen appear, and Altair, prince of the mountains, bows before Helena, offering gifts; his son Da-ud joins in praising her beauty. The scene reminds Menelas of a Trojan celebration in honor of Helena, but he tries to conceal his jealousy as Altair and Da-ud invite him to join a hunting party. Bidding farewell to Helena, and still uncertain of her identity, he leaves for the hunt. Aithra appears as one of the serving girls and cautions Helena that one of the vials she has packed contains a potion of forgetfulness but the other a potion of recollection. Against Aithra's strong advice Helena declares that recollection will be necessary to save her marriage; the fantasy of returning to an unblemished past is not a genuine solution.

At a sign from Helena, the maidservants withdraw when Altair returns, paying bold court to her and inviting her to a banquet in her honor. Even when word arrives that Menelas has killed Da-ud during the hunt, Altair continues his suit. He steps away, though, when the youth's body is brought in, followed by Menelas, who remains confused, thinking it is Paris he has killed. Again defying Aithra's counsel, Helena orders the potion of recollection prepared as time for the feast draws near. Menelas now imagines that the real Helena has died, and he resolves to join her in death; the Helena before him is surely the wraith. When he takes what he thinks is the potion of death, however, he sees the dead Helena as the living one: both are united. Altair and his cohorts seize and separate the couple, but Aithra reveals a phalanx of Poseidon's soldiers, who are escorting the child Hermione. Recognizing Aithra the sorceress, Altair bows to her power. Hermione, reunited at last with her parents, will go home with them to begin their life together.

Instrumentation

Although not dense like the orchestration for Elektra and Salome, it is still impressive:
 Woodwind: 4 flutes (3rd and 4th doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (3rd doubling on contrabassoon)
 Brass: 6 horns, 6 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
 Percussion: timpani, bass drum, tamtam, snare drum, cymbals,
 Other instruments: glockenspiel, celesta, 2 harps, organ, strings (188.8.131.52.8)
 Stage band: 6 oboes, 6 clarinets, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 4 trombones, timpani, 4 triangles, 2 tambourines, wind machine

Recordings
There is a recording of a few excerpts made in 1928 with Fritz Busch conducting the Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Rose Pauly singing Helena. Two of these ("Bei jener Nacht" and "Zweite Brautnacht") are included in the Preiser Records collection Richard Strauss Opera Scenes – Historical Recordings 1928–43 released in 2000. Recordings of the complete opera include:

References

Further reading

Kennedy, Michael, in Holden, Amanda (ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001.

External links

BBC opera guide
 Act 1, Act 2, Prinzregententheater, Munich 1956, Joseph Keilberth; Helena: Leonie Rysanek, Menelaus: Bernd Aldenhoff, Aithra: Annelies Kupper, Altair: Hermann Uhde, Da-ud: Richard Holm, Omniscient sea-shell: Ira Malaniuk

Operas by Richard Strauss
German-language operas
1928 operas
Operas based on classical mythology
Operas
Music for orchestra and organ
Operas based on works by Euripides

Die ägyptische Helena


Jacob Zimmerman House was the home of Jacob and Lena Zimmerman, German American settlers who came west over the Oregon Trail in 1851 to what became Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1874, the house was part of a  dairy farm. Members of the Zimmerman family lived on the farm from 1870 through 1992. The house and  were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 1994, the city of Gresham began land acquisition and planning for a  public park, Zimmerman Heritage Farm, with the house as its centerpiece.

The city, which owns the land, and the Fairview-Rockwood-Wilkes Historical Society (FRWHS), which owns the house, manage the Zimmerman Heritage Farm through a partnership. In 1992, the FRWHS acquired the house from Isobel Faith Zimmerman, the youngest granddaughter of the original owners. By late 2006, the society had spent an estimated $170,000 on rebuilding the foundation, upgrading the security system, fixing the porch, repairing the chimneys, replacing the roof and gutters, painting the exterior, and other work. The house is open for public tours on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Zimmermans were among the five founding families of Fairview. They arrived in the Willamette Valley in 1851 and settled on Hayden Island in the Columbia River. After floods destroyed their first crops, they re-located to a  donation land claim about  east of Portland. In late 1869, Jacob Zimmerman bought another donation land claim and moved into a log cabin on this site until building the original house in 1874. The Zimmermans' son, George, enlarged the farm to  on which he ran a successful dairy business that continued under several relatives and lessees into the 20th century.

References

External links

Zimmerman House - E.C.H.O.: East County Historical Organization

Buildings and structures in Gresham, Oregon
German-American culture in Oregon
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
Houses completed in 1874
National Register of Historic Places in Gresham, Oregon
1874 establishments in Oregon
Houses in Multnomah County, Oregon
Museums in Multnomah County, Oregon

Jacob Zimmerman House


Lego Ninjago (stylized as LEGO Ninjago) is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninja since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. It was produced to coincide with the computer-animated television series Ninjago, which was superseded in 2023 by a new series titled Ninjago: Dragons Rising.

The theme originally focused on a group of six teenage ninja, led by the legendary Green Ninja, Lloyd Garmadon. The ninja characters are "Elemental Masters", which means that they each possess elemental powers. They are also trained in the fictional martial art of "Spinjitzu" by their ancient and wise teacher, Master Wu, giving them the ability to fight against the forces of evil. In 2023, new characters were introduced for the replacement series.

Ninjago enjoyed phenomenal popularity and success in its first year, and a further two years were commissioned before a planned discontinuation in 2013. However, after a brief hiatus, the line was continued after feedback from fans and has been in production ever since. The Lego Group developed the theme into a media franchise aimed primarily at young boys and pre-teenage boys, which has produced books, video games and theme park attractions. The popularity of the TV series and the toy line resulted in the production of The Lego Ninjago Movie, released in 2017, which was the third film in The Lego Movie franchise. On January 14, 2021, the Ninjago theme celebrated its tenth anniversary, making it one of The Lego Group's longest-running and most successful original brands.

Overview

The main focus of the line is the formation and consequent exploits and trials of a group of teenage ninja, battling against the various forces of evil. The theme originally introduced five main characters with an original storyline set in a fictional world that fused the ninja theme with dragons, modern vehicles and futuristic mech-robots. In the theme's storyline, the ninja characters are trained in the art of "Spinjitzu" a fictional martial art that allows them to fight their opponents. The storyline is set within the fictional world of Ninjago, a place inspired by East Asian culture. Simon Lucas, Senior Creative Director, commented, "With Lego Ninjago, we took inspiration from a Japanese starting point, but it developed into something of a massive mashup of cultures, not just one particular culture."

Concept and creation

Background
The origin of the Ninjago theme lies in the earlier Lego Ninja theme, which was released in 1998. This theme was based on Feudalistic Japan and featured ninjas, fortresses, catapults and horses. It originated in the Lego Castle theme that had been in existence since 1978. In 2000, Lego Ninja was replaced by Lego Knights. These themes eventually resulted in the introduction of the Ninjago theme, which included some of the original concepts of the Ninja theme, such as the dragons and fortresses, but also introduced modern day elements.

Research
The focus on ninja was also the direct result of ethnographic research of children's interests. The Ninjago product development team in Fort Lee, New Jersey spent several days monitoring groups of eight to ten-year-old boys to gauge their reactions to various concepts and storyboards, including ninjas, underwater adventures and futuristic cities. The chosen concept then went through several rounds of testing to refine the final product in order to produce a successful line. This rigorous testing and development resulted in the Ninjago line being delayed by a year. Cerim Manovi, Senior Design Manager for the theme stated, "Ninjas crystallised themselves because we were, like: 'What's the greatest hero entry point?' We showed them superheroes, everything – but ninjas just grabbed kids right there."

During the development process, the Ninjago team took a trip to the Iga Ninja Museum, located three hours to the north of Tokyo, Japan in order to get inspiration for the theme. This allowed the designers to gather historic details from the 15th century ninja building, whilst also developing ideas about how to give these historic elements a contemporary appeal.

Story concept
The initial story concept for the theme originated in a rough sketch created by Tommy Andreasen on a Friday evening in 2009. The sketch depicted several elemental ninja and the word "Spinjago". This idea was later developed into the fictional martial art of "Spinjitzu", which was a combination of the words "spin" and "ninjitsu". The development team later used this as the basis for the minifigure spinner action toys. The rough sketch was sent to an artist in Canada called Craig Sellars who created an internal concept image of the characters over the weekend.

The Ninjago theme then employed the use of an original story that would appeal to young teenage boys, by creating a cast of characters that focused on a group of ninja heroes and a wide variety of villains. Senior Creative Manager, Tommy Andreasen commented, "It wasn't until we started developing a fantasy theme that we saw it actually can become a building toy as well. So you can put a ninja on a dragon - the kids found that appealing and very natural. But figuring out the enemies of the ninja was more of a challenge and we tested a lot of things there".

Character and universe development
The ninja characters were given different coloured costumes and unique elemental powers, which gave them distinctive personalities. The team also came up with the concept of "Spinjitzu", which was the main fighting method in the story. Andreasen commented, "we wanted to make sure that it was something that would look great on TV, lightning coming out of tornadoes and stuff like that. The toy representation of that was the spinner". The fantasy element was later combined with the introduction of advanced technology into the Ninjago universe. Although the original intention was to remain true to the historical setting, the Ninjago team decided that technology could be introduced without having a detrimental effect on the characters.

The introduction of skeletons as the main villains in the storyline was also the result of research with children. The children in the research groups were given the choice of six options, including monkeys, skeletons, robots and lizard people. The overwhelming preference was for skeletons, which the children considered to be "real" fantasy villains. Andreasen recalled, "As it turned out, if you took the fantasy to where they were battling skeletons, that made total sense for the kids. We could push it one step further - it's fine that these skeletons have these skeleton themed monster trucks and stuff like that. At that point, you could really start to see a product assortment".

Writers Dan and Kevin Hageman came up with the initial idea for the ninjas' distinctive flying base, Destiny's Bounty. Their idea was that it would be a "windmill that turned into a helicopter and flew around". However, the idea to use a junk ship for the ninja base was suggested by Tommy Andreasen. The vessel has changed design over time both in the series and in toy form. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented, "One of the approaches that we have is that you need to try and boil it down to what makes an icon. What is the detail that means this is the Bounty? We are not confined in the same way as Star Wars, where it needs to be a Millennium Falcon that can only look one way."

Branding
The brand name "Ninjago" was formed from a combination of two words: "ninja" and "Lego". Andreasen noted that this fell into place naturally, saying "It's universally recognised, it works in any language and it has a good dynamic to it. It's short and to the point. We added 'Masters of Spinjitzu' to it just for flavour".

Fictional language
The Lego Ninjago universe incorporates a fictional written language that has been displayed on numerous occasions in both the Ninjago television series and in the Lego Ninjago construction sets. The written language uses a unique alphabet of symbols that resemble the visual style of Chinese characters. The characters can be deciphered to translate the words that are commonly displayed on signs and advertisements in the Ninjago universe. With the release of The Lego Ninjago Movie, a Ninjago Language Translator was released to accompany the film. In April 2020, the lead writer of the Ninjago television series, Bragi Schut stated on Twitter that the language is called "Ninjargon".

Launch and success
Lego Ninjago was developed as a Big Bang project with a goal to double the sales of the previous Big Bang product line, Lego Atlantis. The design team set a target for the Ninjago line to deliver 10% of the company's total revenue. This was particularly ambitious, as no Lego theme had ever achieved this target, not even the successful Bionicle theme. By late April 2009, a full range of Ninjago products had been defined, which totalled 17 sets in the first year of its release. Alongside the Lego Ninjago product line, a variety of other media was created, including a Ninjago board game for Lego Games, a themed world for Lego Universe, a video game with TT Games that launched in April 2011, and the development of the animated Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu TV series that launched in January 2011. The launch of the TV show and the overwhelming popularity of the theme resulted in a 20% increase in sales in the first quarter of 2011, with the Ninjago line making the highest single-year sales for any Lego original product line in the company's history.

With its initial launch in early 2011, the Ninjago line was intended to continue for a limited run of three years. However, the strong sales performance of the line combined with the company's increased engagement with online communities resulted in The Lego Group reversing this decision. The company had begun to use online forums, such as Lego Cuusoo, to engage with fans and obtain customer feedback relating to its product range. The Ninjago brand was consequently extended past the end of 2013 and has been in production ever since.

In February 2021, Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented on the ongoing appeal of the theme by stating, "When Lego Ninjago was originally created more than 10 years ago, it was as much luck as it was skill that made us get to where we are today. Everyone involved back then was quite new and inexperienced with creating a franchise. However, everyone involved pushed 110% to make it work and really brought their A-game. Throughout the years, the Ninjago theme has managed to stay relevant with its changing stories. It's kept kids engaged in the universe… The changing story has allowed us to bring variety to the team. We've taken the ninja through everything from battling snakes, robots, sky-pirates, biker gangs and samurai."

Television series

From its launch, the Lego Ninjago product line was based on the 3D computer-animated Ninjago television series (originally titled Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu was animated in Denmark by Wil Film ApS for the first ten seasons. The production was relocated to WildBrain Studios in Canada for the eleventh season and the series was retitled Ninjago. Regular seasons of the show were released each year from 2011 to 2022, along with one pilot season and one extended special. In 2022, a new series for the brand was announced at San Diego Comic Con. The new series titled Ninjago: Dragons Rising was revealed in a campaign to find and merge five scattered poster fragments. It was released on 1 June 2023 on Netflix.

The series and the product line were created to coexist, with the storyline and products running alongside one another. This close connection is created out of a collaboration between product designers and storywriters. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap has elaborated on this by stating, "The product is important to us, but it's as important that we tell an engaging story from the beginning. We start developing with a lot of concept boards, so we know where we want to go...Often the writers also come up with new characters or new plot developments that we can then integrate into the products where possible. Both story and product are really tight together".

Main characters

Original Ninjago characters

The characters were originally based on the Ninjago television series, which focused on a team of six teenage ninja who are "Elemental Masters" and trained in the art of Spinjitzu by their teacher, Master Wu.
Lloyd Garmadon - The legendary Green Ninja, Elemental Master of Energy and the son of Lord Garmadon and Misako.
Kai - The red ninja, Elemental Master of Fire and older brother of Nya.
Jay - The blue ninja, Elemental Master of Lightning and boyfriend of Nya.
Zane - The white/titanium ninja, Elemental Master of Ice, "nindroid" (android) and boyfriend of Pixal.
Cole - The black ninja and Elemental Master of Earth.
Nya - The grey/blue ninja, Elemental Master of Water, former Samurai X, younger sister of Kai and girlfriend of Jay.
Master Wu - The Master of Creation, wise sensei of the Ninja and younger brother of Lord Garmadon.
Lord Garmadon - The Master of Destruction, older brother of Master Wu and father to Lloyd.

Ninjago: Dragons Rising characters
In 2023, new characters were introduced, which are based on the Ninjago: Dragons Rising series.
Arin - a young citizen who teaches himself the art of Spinjitzu
Sora - an engineer who defects from Imperium
Riyu - a baby dragon
Empress Beatrix - the ruler of Imperium and main villain

Construction toys

Spinners
The Ninjago toy line began with the development of spinners, which were created as a way to introduce children to the wider theme. Senior Creative Manager, Tommy Andreasen explained, "We had the idea of the action toys. The challenge was how can you actually make a minifigure come to life and play fight with it? That's how the spinner came about. The first iterations of the spinner were actually built from Bionicle elements and looked more like a throwing star with a ninja on top". With the release of the Pilot Season of the Ninjago TV series in 2011, the first Ninjago spinner toys were launched. The spinners involve placing a Lego minifigure on either a spinning or flying disk. The first generation incorporated a two-player battle game involving exchanges of weapons and collectible cards. The second generation was released in 2015 and consisted of a ripcord mechanism to launch the spinner into the air, recreating the art of "Airjitzu" in the Ninjago TV series. The most recent release of Ninjago spinners was in March 2022.

Playsets
Since 2011, Lego Ninjago themed playsets have been released in waves each year to correspond with each season of the Ninjago television series. The playsets feature some of the main locations, vehicles, mechs, weapons and characters from the corresponding season. According to Bricklink, there have been 488 Lego Ninjago sets released since 2011. Each season has corresponding boxed sets, either released in one or two waves across a given year. Design Manager Michael Svane Knap commented on the design process stating, "In our development of the toys, we always start with the story. Our first priority is to tell a good story both in the physical products and in the content we're creating. And the ninja is always the constant starting point of the concept… They each bring their own unique thing to the story and products.

In 2011, the Ninjago theme released 39 toy construction sets that were based on the Pilot Episodes. The product range included the spinner toys and skeleton-themed playsets, such as skull monster trucks, and vehicles, dragons and locations from the season, including Garmadon's Dark Fortress, Ice Dragon Attack and the Fire Temple.

In 2012, the Ninjago toy line was based on the first season titled Rise of the Snakes. It introduces Lloyd Garmadon and focuses on the snake-like Serpentine. The product line featured dragons and snake-themed vehicles from the season, including Fangpyre Truck Ambush, Epic Dragon Battle and Ultra Sonic Raider.

In 2013, Lego Ninjago was based on the second season Legacy of the Green Ninja, which focuses on Lloyd Garmadon becoming the "Golden Ninja". The toy line included The Golden Dragon set, which featured the character in his golden minifigure form and was later rereleased as part of the Ninjago Legacy line in 2019.

In 2014, the toy line was based on the third season, Rebooted. The season focuses on advanced technology and this was reflected in the nindroid-themed playsets, such as OverBorg Attack and Nindroid MechDragon. The toy line also included the Kai Fighter, Thunder Raider and X-1 Ninja Charger, which were all rereleased as part of the Ninjago Legacy line.

2015 was the first year to feature two Ninjago seasons in one year and the toy line released sets based on the fourth season titled Tournament of Elements and the fifth season titled Possession. The fourth season focuses on Master Chen and the snake-like Anacondrai and its associated toy range included locations and vehicles from the season, including Jungle Raider, ElectroMech and Enter the Serpent. The fifth season features an army of ghosts led by Morro, and the toy line included ghost-themed vehicles, dragons and locations from the season, including Final Flight of Destiny's Bounty and the Temple of Airjitzu.

In 2016, the Ninjago playsets were based on the sixth season titled Skybound and the 45-minute special Day of the Departed. The Skybound sets focused on Nadakhan and his band of sky pirates and included pirate-themed locations and vehicles from the season, such as Tiger Widow Island, Misfortune's Keep and The Lighthouse Siege. The Day of the Departed sets included the Ultra Stealth Raider, Samurai X Cave Chaos and Rock Roader.

In 2017, the Ninjago playsets were based on the seventh season titled Hands of Time, which focuses on time travel and the main antagonists Krux and Acronix. The playsets included vehicles and locations from the season, including Destiny's Shadow, Dragon Forge and Dawn of Iron Doom. A second wave for the year was replaced by The Lego Ninjago Movie toy line, which introduced new hair pieces for the ninja characters that were adopted and used in subsequent waves.

The eighth season, which was released in 2018 and titled Sons of Garmadon, focuses on a criminal biker gang and the associated sets included the vehicles and locations of the season, including Street Race of Snake Jaguar, Ninja Nightcrawler, S.O.G. Headquarters and the Temple of Resurrection. The ninth season Hunted focuses on a band of Dragon Hunters and was accompanied by a wave of playsets featuring dragons, including Firstbourne, Stormbringer and the Dragon Pit.

The tenth season March of the Oni focuses on an evil race named the Oni and was accompanied in 2019 by a minifigure pack of Oni villains.

In the second half of 2019, Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu was released, which focuses on themes of fire and ice. The wave of sets included vehicles and locations from the season, including Fire Fang, Lloyd's Titan Mech, the Land Bounty and Castle of the Forsaken Emperor.

This was followed in 2020, by the release of two seasons titled Prime Empire and Master of the Mountain. Prime Empire's video game theme was reflected in its playsets, which included three arcade pods, dragons, vehicles and locations from the season, such as Jay's Cyber Dragon, Kai's Mech Jet and Empire Temple of Madness. Master of the Mountain focuses on the evil Skull Sorcerer and the dungeons of Shintaro and its associated wave of sets included Spinjitzu Burst spinners and several playsets that can be used as a role playing board game, including the Skull Sorcerer's Dungeons.

In 2021, Lego Ninjago released two waves based on The Island and Seabound. The first wave featured island-themed vehicles and locations from The Island such as Catamaran Sea Battle, Lloyd's Jungle Chopper Bike and The Keepers' Village. The second wave introduced the sea-themed vehicles and locations of Seabound, including Ninja Sub Speeder, the Hydro Bounty and Temple of the Endless Sea.

For the 2022 Spring range, the designer revealed the concept behind a wave of sets named Ninjago Core. Niek van Slagmaat explained, "We were asked to come up with a line of Ninjago that would not only stand on its own without content but also be the epitome of Ninjago toys" and continued, "After the specialized launches like Prime Empire and Seabound, the markets asked for a wave with the classic Ninjago identity. We would not get any story continuing content in order to make sure we could get started on 2HY 2022 as early as possible. Thus, Core was born." The wave comprised various playsets that feature in the corresponding Ninjago Core shorts, including Lloyd's Legendary Dragon, Jay's Thunder Dragon EVO, Kai's Fire Dragon EVO, Lloyd's Race Car EVO and Zane's Power Up Mech EVO. An additional four sets were released in March, consisting of Kai's Spinjitzu Ninja Training, Lloyd's Spinjitzu Ninja Training, Jay's Spinjitzu Ninja Training and Ninja Training Center. Nine new sets that correspond to the final season of the original series titled Crystalized were released in summer 2022. The sets are based on the season's storyline and include Nya's Samurai X Mech, The Crystal King and The Crystal King Temple.

In 2023, nine new sets were announced for release on 1 January 2023, including Kai's Ninja Race Car EVO, Lloyd's Mech Battle EVO, Cole's Earth Dragon EVO, Kai's Mech Rider EVO, Jay's Lightning Jet EVO, Jay's Titan Mech, Zane's Ice Dragon Creature, Creative Ninja Brick Box and Nya's Water Dragon EVO. In addition, fourteen sets based on new series titled Ninjago: Dragons Rising were announced for release in June 2023, including Kai's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip, Nya's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift, Lloyd's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin, Kai and Ras's Car and Bike Battle, Imperium Dragon Hunter Hound, Zane's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Race Car, Sora's Transforming Mech Bike Racer, Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon, Lloyd and Arin Ninja Team Mechs, Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores, Elemental Dragon vs. Empress Mech, Destiny's Bounty: Race Against Time, Nya and Arin's Baby Dragon Battle and Ninjago City Market.

Ninjago Legacy
In 2019, the Ninjago Legacy line was introduced as a sub-theme of the main Ninjago construction toy line, to celebrate the legacy of the theme over the course of almost ten years. Ninjago Legacy recreates earlier Ninjago playsets released in previous years with updated designs. The Ninjago Legacy line gave Ninjago fans the opportunity to revisit sets from previous years in relation to specific seasons. Senior Model Designer Michael Svane Knap justified the decision to recreate the original sets by stating, "When a lot of these sets originally came out, it was back in 2011 and 2012. The way we build with Lego bricks, the way we actually put sets together, has changed a lot. This means we have new elements; we have new ways of making the build even better." In 2019, the first Legacy wave reimagined previously released vehicles like Jay's Storm Fighter, Cole's Earth Driller, Kai's Blade Cycle & Zane's Snowmobil, and also included the Monastery of Spinjitzu. In 2020, the Legacy wave included the Golden Mech, which was based on Ninjago Season 2, Thunder Raider and Kai Fighter, which were based on Season 3, Jungle Raider, which was based on Season 4, and a reimagined Destiny's Bounty. In 2021, the Legacy wave included Overlord Dragon, which was based on Season 2, X-1 Ninja Charger, which was based on Season 3, Boulder Blaster, Jay's Electro Mech and Tournament of Elements, which were based on Season 4, Zane's Titan Mech Battle, which was based on Season 5, and Ultra Sonic Raider.

Tenth anniversary
On 14 January 2021, the Lego Ninjago brand celebrated its tenth anniversary. To mark this milestone, The Lego Group released a limited number of playsets in the Ninjago Legacy line that include exclusive collectible golden minifigures of the main ninja characters.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary, Ninjago City Gardens (set number: 71741) was released on 1 February 2021 as part of the Ninjago Legacy line. The set contains 5,685 pieces, surpassing the previously released Ninjago City set, making it the largest Ninjago set ever produced. It was designed to connect smoothly with the previous Ninjago modular sets. The playset, similar to the earlier Ninjago City set, is a high rise that contains multiple small shops, including Chen's Noodle House and Ice Planet. The set features two apartments, a tea balcony, "The Ninja Zone", a rooftop garden, the Ninjago Museum of History and a Ninja Control Tower. Additionally, a small temple island build attached to the set displays a statue of the character Zane. The set includes a "Golden Wu" which is part of the collection of collectible golden minifigures for the 2021 Ninjago wave.

The collection of Golden Legacy minifigures was completed with the release of the Summer 2021 Ninjago sets in June 2021, which include golden minifigures of the Ninjago characters Nya and Zane.

Juniors
Ninjago themed sets have also been produced as part of the Lego Juniors theme and, more recently, as part of its successor product range 4+. These sets were specifically designed to be simpler to build with fewer pieces and slightly larger building elements. The Ninjago 4+ sets are aimed at children aged four and above, such as Kai's Fire Dragon set, which is part of the Ninjago Legacy sub-theme.

BrickHeadz
Several Lego Ninjago characters have also been released as part of the Lego BrickHeadz theme. A range of 10th anniversary BrickHeadz was announced in May 2021, which included Golden Lloyd, Nya Samurai X, and Firstbourne Dragon as buildable characters.

Film adaptation and toy line

On 17 September 2013, Warner Bros. announced that it was developing an animated film based on the Lego Ninjago theme. The Lego Ninjago Movie premiered on 16 September 2017 at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. To coincide with the release of the film, The Lego Group released The Lego Ninjago Movie toy line, which included 15 building sets and collectible minifigures based on the film. The largest sets in the line were Ninjago City (set number: 70620) and Ninjago City Docks (set number: 70657), with Ninjago City being listed as one of the largest Lego sets ever released. The line was eventually discontinued by the end of 2019.

Media franchise
Since its launch in 2011, The Lego Group has developed the Ninjago brand into a media franchise that has produced an extensive variety of media and merchandise, including books, magazines, video games and app games, and theme park attractions.

Theme park attractions

Several theme park attractions have been launched at Legoland resorts within Lego Ninjago World, a themed area of the parks. In September 2015, a puppet-style live show made its debut at Legoland Malaysia Resort, titled Lego Ninjago and The Realm of Shadows. This was followed by the introduction of Lego Ninjago: The Ride at the same park in June 2016, an interactive attraction manufactured by Triotech, which uses Maestro hand gesture technology in place of a hand-held device. In March 2016, Lego Ninjago World was launched at Legoland Billund Resort. A similar themed area was introduced at Legoland Deutschland Resort in April 2017. It was later launched in May 2017 at Legoland Windsor Resort. In the same month, it was introduced at Legoland California and Legoland Florida. Lego Ninjago: The Ride was introduced at Legoland Windsor Resort in 2017. Ninjago World at Legoland Windsor also includes a swinging boat ride designed to resemble Destiny's Bounty. In addition, several Ninjago-themed attractions at Legoland resorts were designed to test balance, agility, speed and creativity, including Zane's Temple Build, Kai's Spinners, Cole's Rock Climb and Jay's Lightning Drill. In 2018, Legoland California premiered a short 4D animated film attraction titled Lego Ninjago: Master of the 4th Dimension, which was then rolled out in Legoland parks and Legoland Discovery Centres in 2018. On 29 May 2021, Lego Ninjago World was introduced as one of seven themed lands with the opening of Legoland New York. In November 2021, a Lego Ninjago World themed land was announced for the upcoming launch of Legoland Shanghai Resort in 2024. In 2022, Lego Ninjago Weekends were launched on 11 June until 10 July 2022 at Legoland Windsor Resort.

Publications
A wide variety of books and magazines have been published based on the Ninjago characters, including children's story books, colouring books and activity books. From 2011, a series of children's reading books were published, written by Tracey West, which focus on the stories and characters of Ninjago. Several graphic novels have been written by Greg Farshtey, which provide stories based on the Ninjago characters. Regular editions of a Lego Ninjago Character Encyclopedia are published, which provide facts about the characters, minifigures, vehicles and locations from the Ninjago universe. The book has appeared in the top position on The New York Times Best Seller List. A long-running Lego Ninjago magazine is also published each month, which includes puzzles, activities and stories about the Ninjago characters. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), the Lego Ninjago magazine achieved an average circulation of 54,000 between July and December 2021, ahead of the Lego City magazine at 32,153 and the Lego Star Wars magazine at 45,133. In March 2021, Random House announced the publication of four titles based on the Ninjago brand, including a chapter book series, a guide book called The Book of Elemental Powers, and a hardcover book collection titled 5 Minute Stories. In September 2021, The Lego Group released a tenth anniversary box set that contains the 2017 book titled The Book of Spinjitzu, poster, stickers and golden Lloyd minifigure. In November 2021, a five-part comic book series for release in 2022 was announced for the Ninjago brand, starting with the first title LEGO Ninjago: Garmadon. In September 2021, the first two Lego Ninjago Spinjitzu Brothers books titled The Curse of the Cat-Eye Jewel and The Lair of Tanabrax were published by Penguin Random House. The Maze of the Sphinx was published on 3 May 2022 to continue the prequel story of Wu and Garmadon. The fourth book titled The Chroma's Clutches was published on 6 September 2022.

Video games and apps
The characters from the Ninjago theme have appeared in a wide variety of video games and mobile apps. In the same year as its initial launch, the Ninjago brand was introduced into the gaming world with the development of a video game titled Lego Battles: Ninjago, which was released on 12 April 2011. It was produced by TT Games and developed by Hellbent Games. In the same year, a Ninjago themed world was introduced to the massively multiplayer online game Lego Universe on 20 September 2011. On 22 March 2012, an app developed by The Lego Group titled Rise of the Snakes was released for iOS. It was produced to accompany the first season of the television series titled Rise of the Snakes. On 21 January 2014, a game was released for iOS titled Lego Ninjago Rebooted, which was developed by The Lego Group. It is an action game that involves running and dodging obstacles while navigating a tower. On 29 July 2014, a video game titled Lego Ninjago: Nindroids was also released. The two games are based on the third season titled Rebooted. An action game titled Lego Ninjago: Tournament was released on 23 January 2015 for iOS, developed by The Lego Group, which was based on the fourth season titled Tournament of Elements. In the same year, another video game titled Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin was released on 24 March 2015 based on Possession the fifth season of the show, which was developed by TT Fusion.  In 2016, the sixth season of the show titled Skybound was accompanied by the release of a web and app game titled Lego Ninjago: Skybound. It was developed by The Lego Group and is a side-scrolling platform game. To accompany the release of The Lego Ninjago Movie, an action-adventure video game titled The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game was released in 2017 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game was released on 22 September 2017 and featured the characters and locations from the movie. On 26 April 2018, a mobile riding game titled Ride Ninja was released for Android and iOS to coincide with the eighth season of the show titled Sons of Garmadon. It was developed by Amuzo Games and published by The Lego Group.

The Ninjago characters have also made appearances in various other Lego games. On 27 September 2015, Lego Dimensions was released, which is a video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game offers an additional Ninjago Team Pack that includes figures and vehicles from Ninjago. The Lego-themed sandbox game, Lego Worlds also includes the Ninjago characters as playable characters. It was developed by Traveller's Tales, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and released on 7 March 2017. The game offers downloadable content of the Ninjago characters and locations based on The Lego Ninjago Movie. On 19 September 2019, a mobile fighting game for iOS devices titled Lego Brawls was released, which was published by The Lego Group and developed by RED Games. The game includes playable Ninjago characters and Ninjago-themed events. In 2020, a role-playing battle game titled Lego Legacy: Heroes Unboxed was released on Apple's App Store, Google Play and Microsoft Store. It was published by The Lego Group and developed by Gameloft Toronto and features the Ninjago characters as playable minifigures.

Other media and merchandise
In 2015, the Lego Ninjago characters appeared in several videos on the Lego YouTube channel that recreate American Ninja Warrior in Lego form. The Ninjago characters are depicted taking part in several obstacles from the course, including the Warped Wall, Salmon Ladder and Spider Climb.

In 2019, The Lego Group partnered with Nickelodeon to become the global sponsor of the Kid's Choice Awards. The campaign featured stop-motion animated content that included the characters from the Ninjago TV series, which was released across television, digital and social media on 7 March 2019. The story involved Lord Garmadon plotting a mission to steal a slime cannon, resulting in the Lego Ninjago characters having to defeat him.

In May 2021, the Ninjago characters Jay and Nya appeared in Ninja Vlogs, 3D animated vlog-style videos, which were produced using motion capture and real-time rendering. The new content format allowed viewers to provide an input to the story and aimed to move beyond broadcasting to children to engaging them in conversation.

The Ninjago brand has also produced clothing and accessories for children and young adults, including collaborations with Adidas and Hype in 2021.

In 2022, the Lego Ninjago brand also produced a plush toy collection.

In December 2022, a Lego Ninjago Master Class web short was released on YouTube. It features Tommy Andreasen, Nikolaj Severin, Tommy Kalmar and Ina Sta. Maria teaching about drawing Ninjago minifigures.

In May 2023, a Lego Ninjago Dragons Rising We Rise an official music video was released on YouTube.

Awards and nominations
In 2011, Fire Temple (set number 2507) was announced as one of the must-have "DreamToys" for Christmas in the Construction category by the Toy Retailers Association.

In 2012, Fire Temple was awarded "Activity Toy of the Year" for inspiring creative play through various forms of activity at the 12th Annual Toy of the Year Awards, which is held at the American International Toy Fair in New York City.

In 2013, the Ninjago theme was nominated for "Property of the Year" by the Toy Association.

In 2015, Master Wu Dragon (set number 70734) was a winner of "DreamToys" in the "Build It And They Will Thrive" category by the Toy Retailers Association.

Reception
The Ninjago line is one of The Lego Group's most popular brands with young boys. In 2011, the Toy Retailers Association listed the Fire Temple set on its official list of 'dream toys' for the festive season, which predicted the 12 products that would be the bestsellers in that year. In September 2011, Marketing Week listed the first wave of Ninjago spinners as one of the top ten bestselling toys of the year. In 2012, toy retailer Toys "R" Us included the Ninjago Epic Dragon Battle set (9450) on its annual Hot Toy List, which it considered to be a cross-section of the best new toys of the season. In the same year, Ninjago ranked as one of the top five Lego properties of 2012, which together accounted for 50 per cent of all construction sets sold in the U.S. in that year. In 2014, the ninth volume in a series of Ninjago graphic novels by Greg Farshtey titled Night of the Nindroids entered The New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller List at the top position, the eighth volume in a total of 12 to do so, and passed the mark of 2 million sales for the series. In 2015, the Ninjago line was listed as one of the top five bestselling themes in The Lego Group's Annual Report. In 2016, Toys "R" Us included the Ninjago Samurai X Cave Chaos set (70596) on its list of top toys for Christmas 2016. In the same year, Ninjago was listed as one of the top themes driving revenue in The Lego Group's 2016 Annual Report. Ninjago was also listed as one of the top selling themes in the 2017 Annual Report. The popularity of the Ninjago theme continued through to 2018, when it was named as one of the year's best selling themes, despite an overall fall in profits for the company in 2017. In September 2019, Ninjago was listed as one of the top selling themes driving revenue growth in the first half of 2019. Due to the long-term popularity and indefinite continuation of the Ninjago line, the brand is described as an annual evergreen Lego product range. Ernie Estrella for Syfy Wire commented that Lego Ninjago, "is one of Lego's long running, home-grown franchises, and is arguably its most successful one."

See also

 Lloyd Garmadon
 List of Ninjago characters
 Ninjago (TV series)
 List of Ninjago episodes
 The Lego Ninjago Movie
 The Lego Ninjago Movie (Lego theme)
 The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game
 Legends of Chima
 Nexo Knights
 Lego Monkie Kid
 Lego Games
 Lego Dreamzzz

References

External links
 Official Ninjago website at lego.com

Japan in non-Japanese culture

Ninjago
Products introduced in 2011

Lego Ninjago


Jonathan Rosenbaum (born 1947) is an American scholar, college administrator and rabbi; president of Gratz College. from 1998 to 2009; president emeritus of Gratz College and a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, since 2009.  He is a specialist in Biblical history, the paleography and epigraphy of ancient Semitic languages, and American Jewish history.

Life

Rosenbaum was born in Michigan and is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he received his B.A. with high distinction and highest honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa (1968). Rosenbaum then earned rabbinical ordination and an M.A. (1972) at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute in Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization from Harvard University in 1978.

He taught in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska from 1976 to 1986 and then became the University of Hartford's first Maurice Greenberg Professor of Judaic Studies and director of its Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies from 1986 to 1998. At Hartford he was also professor of history, served as acting chair of the department of history, and established a major and minors in Judaic Studies and a joint master's degree with the University of Connecticut.  He conceived and helped guide the Henry Luce Forum in Abrahamic Religions, a program jointly sponsored by the University of Hartford and Hartford Seminary and devoted to advancing scholarship concerning and mutual understanding among American Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Rosenbaum also initiated and oversaw an awards program that recognizes the best public and private school teachers of Holocaust studies in New England.

From 1995 to 1998 Rosenbaum served as a deputy director of the Ein Gedi Archaeological Expedition in Israel, an excavation co-sponsored by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Hartford. At Ein Gedi he oversaw the excavation's academic program including courses in archaeology and Near Eastern history.

He also organized and chaired "Paleographical Studies in the Ancient Near East," a section of the national meeting sponsored by the Society of Biblical Literature. In addition, he taught in the graduate and law schools of the University of Connecticut and at Hartford Seminary.

A rarity in the contemporary Jewish world, Rosenbaum has served as a rabbi in Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox congregations. During his student years at HUC-JIR, he held a student rabbi position at Congregation Israel (Reform), Galesburg, IL (1970-1972). While at Harvard he was assistant rabbi, Temple Israel (Conservative), Swampscott, MA, (1972–76), and then a part-time rabbi of Congregation Israel (Conservative), Danville, IL (1976–84). From 1994 to 1998 he was rabbi (mara' de-atra) of Congregation Agudas Achim, a mainstream Orthodox, century-old congregation in West Hartford, CT.

Among the awards he received were Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, by HUC-JIR and Doctor of Hebrew Letters, honoris causa, from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

At Gratz College he instituted new academic programs including a doctoral degree and online courses and degrees, expanded the faculty and staff, successfully oversaw development, and refashioned Gratz's mission in a changing academic climate.

Selected publications
 Making a Life, Building a Community: A History of the Jews of Hartford (co-authored with David G. Dalin, 1997)
 Journal of Jewish Communal Service (78:4, 2002), special issue devoted to Philadelphia Jewry (co-edited with Ernest M. Kahn).
 Three Unpublished Ostraca from Gezer, with Joe D. Seger, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 264 (Nov., 1986), pp. 51–60
 Hezekiah's Reform and the Deuteronomistic Tradition, 	Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 72, No. 1/2 (Jan. - Apr., 1979), pp. 23–43

Notes

1947 births
Living people
Jewish biblical scholars
Jewish American academics
American biblical scholars
American archaeologists
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Gratz College
University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty
University of Hartford faculty
Harvard University alumni
University of Michigan alumni
Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion alumni
20th-century Jewish biblical scholars
21st-century Jewish biblical scholars
21st-century American Jews

Jonathan Rosenbaum (scholar)


Hootum Pyanchar Naksha (literally "Sketches by a Watching Owl") is a book by Kaliprasanna Singha (1841–1870), first published in 1861. The book has been influential in Bengali literature. It reflects the tension that arose within several areas of Bengali society, especially in Calcutta. Factors contributing to this tension included the rise in conversions to Christianity, the emergence of Brahmoism, and the ideologies of social reform adopted by the reformers of the mid-nineteenth century. Hootum Pyanchar Naksha gives expression to these changes, conveying with irony and bawdy humor how the old and the new coexist in Calcutta.

The first English translation of this book was published in 2008.

References

Bengali-language books
1862 non-fiction books

Hootum Pyanchar Naksha


Scott Street Flats is a heritage-listed apartment block at 2 Scott Street, Kangaroo Point, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Elina Mottram and built to  by W B Johnstone. It is also known as Scott House. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 29 April 2003.

History
The Scott Street Flats, a two storey building of masonry and timber built in  for Professor Frank and Mrs Zina Cumbrae-Stewart was designed by Elina Mottram, a pioneer woman architect in Queensland. The building is located in Kangaroo Point, close to the Brisbane River and overlooking the Town Reach to the central business district of Brisbane city. The block is an amalgamation of two allotments that were once part of the Wesleyan Church Reserve of 1850. Mrs Zina Cumbrae-Stewart purchased the land in 1913. Upon her death in 1956, the property passed to her son Francis. In 2013 the property was sold to GDW Investments for $3.3 million with the intention to develop a high rise apartment on the site.

The Cumbrae-Stewarts moved from Taringa to Kangaroo Point sometime around 1914-15. In 1917-18, the Cumbrae-Stewarts moved to 283 Main Street, a large house located on the corner of Main and Scott Streets, adjacent to the site of the Scott Street Flats, which were constructed sometime in 1925. The flats were occupied from about 1926, the first listing to appear was a Lesley Backhouse. The Cumbrae-Stewarts resided at 283 Main Street until 1930. They then moved to the flats, which became known as "Scott House". In 1936 Professor Cumbrae-Stewart retired and the couple re-located to Melbourne where Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart was born and both had been educated.

Queensland Government legislation of 1920 that increased the rating powers of local government and resulted in a doubling of general rates may have provided the impetus for the Cumbrae-Stewarts to develop their block. Many of the large 1880s houses of the inner city suburbs were being converted into flats to address the housing shortages in Brisbane in the 1920s. The Queensland Magazine of May 1925 reported that in Kangaroo Point there were "many beautiful homes still occupied by tenants who have no desire to cut up their gardens to make room for small villas" but that "some very modern flats have sprung up". It was an enterprising move on the part of Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart to build the flats with the dual purpose of investment and providing a convenient home for her husband and herself in their latter years.

The 1920s saw an increasing number of purpose-built flats erected in inner Brisbane. Tender notices in the Architectural and Building Journal of Queensland indicate that the number of new flats being constructed grew steadily in the early to mid 1920s, reaching record levels in 1929. The economic depression of the early 1930s brought a halt to flat-building activities, which began to recover again in the mid 1930s. 1933-36 was the boom time for flat construction in Brisbane. The Scott Street Flats are an early example of purpose-designed flats and reflect the interwar preference for Old English or Tudor Revival and Spanish/Mediterranean design themes.

Purpose-designed flats introduced a range of new domestic features, some of which are evident in the Scott Street flats. The amount of built-in storage is a significant feature - the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms are all equipped with sensibly detailed, space efficient units. A maid's bedroom was a feature of many of the more prestigious flats. The Scott Street flats are carefully planned to enable back-of-house movement between bathroom, kitchen, laundry and maid's room on the southern side of the building whilst maintaining formal living spaces and bedrooms orientated to the North and to city and river views. The two-way drawers and narrow door from maid's room to entry hall are features that allowed the residents to maintain their genteel lifestyles in the new domestic environment of a flat.

The Cumbrae-Stewarts
Both Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart and her husband Frank (Francis) were prominent and active citizens of Brisbane early in the century. Frank Cumbrae-Stewart was a barrister and King's Counsel and was appointed the foundation registrar and librarian of the new University of Queensland in 1910. Among his numerous involvements, he was a founder and president of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland and a founder and trustee of the John Oxley Library. Historical papers he authored included histories of the Brisbane River, Brisbane bridges and surveyors of the Queensland coast. In 1926 he became Garrick Professor of Law at the University of Queensland.

Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart was equally active. A deeply committed evangelical Anglican, she was an executive member of the Australian Red Cross in Queensland for twenty-two years, was an original member of the Mother's Union and its president for nine years and president of the National Council of Women of Queensland for nine years. She helped found the Queensland Social Service League in 1931 to cope with problems related to the Depression. Other societies she was involved with included the Mothercraft Association, the Traveller's Aid Society and the Shakespeare Society. Zina Cumbrae-Stewart was the first woman to speak from the platform of the Brisbane City Hall and had early involvement in educational broadcasting.

Elina Mottram
Women who were first to enter the architectural profession were restricted in their ability to attract clients, especially in the corporate sector - "women did not have access to the mysterious but often profitable workings of the 'old boy network'". Women did, however, begin to develop their own associations — "there is also a likelihood that as women architects became more senior they formed connections with other influential women, particularly those involved in welfare and church work, through their membership of the various Melbourne Women's Clubs." It is likely connections such as these that brought Zina Cumbrae-Stewart and Elina Mottram together as client and architect in the mid 1920s. Certainly, Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart was a member of the Lyceum Club in Brisbane and it appears that she took responsibility for most of the family's financial dealings.

Elina Mottram was born in 1903. The only child of building contractor Arthur Mottram, she had early encouragement to become an architect. In 1924, she was the first woman in Brisbane to open her own architectural practice. The Architects and Builders Journal of Queensland reported:
"Brisbane has at last a lady architect, in the person of Miss Elina Mottram, of Nundah, who has commenced the practice of her professional in the T and G Building. We offer congratulations on her recent successes at the Technical College and trust that she will get her fair share of support."
She was fortunate to establish her practice during the pre-Depression building boom in Brisbane. Domestic commissions formed the basis of her early work but she went on to have a long and varied career in architecture. In fact, of the small group of nine pioneering women architects in Queensland (that is, those practising before World War II), Mottram was the only one to pursue her architectural career for the full length of her working life.

She taught Building Construction at the Brisbane Central Technical College and from 1926 was a sole practitioner in the central western Queensland town of Longreach. In Longreach she designed a number of houses and public buildings including the Masonic Temple and Longreach Motors, and re-modelled the AWU Hall and the School of Arts. In 1937 she was in partnership with her father in Rockhampton as "A. and E. Mottram. Contractor and Architect". One of their major jobs was the Longreach Hospital and in 1940, she was "foreman" of works on the first stage of construction of this building which was designed by Hall and Phillips. During the Second World War she worked as a draftswoman in the American Army Engineering Office in Rockhampton. Later as a Queensland Railways architect she designed the new Eagle Junction railway station. A residence in Corinda and the Scott Street Flats are the only known remaining intact examples of her work in Brisbane.

Description

Scott Street Flats is a two storey, timber and masonry Tudor Revival building located overlooking the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point. The building contains two flats, each occupying a full floor with identical floorplans. Almost square in plan, the building has a pyramid shaped, terracotta tiled roof with overhanging eaves. It is constructed of red face brick at ground level and has a half timbered appearance at upper level, achieved through the use of fibro-cement cladding with timber cover strips. The plain exterior of the building is simply elaborated with arched brick openings at ground floor level, small panels of timber lattice and a timber corbel between the two floors. The western elevation facing the river has four faceted bay windows and downpipes with prominent rainwater heads at each end.

Entry to the flats is on the eastern side of the building. Timber stairs lead to an upper level entry porch enclosed in timber lattice. A similar enclosure is located under the stairs, providing access to the ground floor flat.

The front door opens into an antechamber which narrows to become a hallway. To the left of the front door is a small door opening from the former maid's room. The hallway terminates in a vestibule, shaped as a square on 45 degrees, with doors on each of the four sides leading into various rooms. To the left is the kitchen and dining room, to the right, the sitting room and second bedroom. The main bedroom and bathroom are located off the hallway. An enclosed porch is found on the northern side of the bedrooms, connected by half glass, French doors. A service area and back stairs are located on the southern side of the kitchen and bathroom and provides access between the former maid's room, bathroom and kitchen.

There are timber floors and linoleum throughout and interior walls and ceilings are lined with fibro-cement with timber mouldings. The sitting room and dining room have a narrow plate rail and the ceilings are decorated with a simple grid of flat timber cover moulding. Some early light fittings and linoleum remain. There are generous amounts of built-in storage in all rooms. An entire wall of the kitchen contains a variety of cupboards, drawers and pantry spaces. One set of drawers operates in both directions between the kitchen and adjacent dining room. These drawers sit within a carefully designed storage unit of timber and glass that faces into the dining room.

Windows throughout are generally multi-paned casement windows and doors are timber with three panels and high mid rails, with original hardware throughout. Multi-paned, glass French doors are located between the dining room and sitting room and between the sitting room and porch. The bathroom and kitchen have timber ventilation panels, original features such as a cast iron, claw foot bath and porcelain enamel sinks and a painted concrete floor. A laundry is located in the southern garden at the back of the building and contains concrete sinks and galvanised iron water storage.

Heritage listing
Scott Street Flats was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 29 April 2003 having satisfied the following criteria.

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

Scott Street Flats, a two storey building of masonry and timber built in , is historically important for its association with the entry of women into the professions in Queensland, particularly into the architectural profession.

Scott Street Flats is important in demonstrating the interwar residential development of Brisbane when flats appeared in inner-city suburbs, increasing the density and diversity of the city's housing stock.

The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.

Scott Street Flats demonstrate rare aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage as there are few surviving intact examples of the work of pioneer woman architects in Queensland.

The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.

The building has aesthetic significance as a well designed example of an early purpose-built flats building in the Tudor Revival style.

The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.

The Scott Street Flats have a special association with the work of Elina Mottram, the first woman to open her own architectural practice in Brisbane and Queensland's longest practising woman architect.

The Scott Street Flats also have an association with Professor and Mrs Cumbrae-Stewart, prominent citizens of Brisbane in the 1910s, 20s and 30s.

References

Attribution

External links

Queensland Heritage Register
Kangaroo Point, Queensland
Houses in Queensland
Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register
Residential buildings completed in 1925
Elina Mottram buildings
1925 establishments in Australia

Scott Street Flats


The Saginaw Children's Zoo  is a zoo located in Saginaw, Michigan. It is open during the months of May through September, and part-time in April and October.

Saginaw Children's Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Exhibits and other facilities

Mammals at the zoo include alpaca, pygmy goats, black-tailed prairie dog, miniature horse, cotton-top tamarin, Mexican grey wolf, North American river otter, eastern grey kangaroo, Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, white-throated capuchin, Virginia opossum, miniature pig, rabbits, and more.

Birds at the zoo include African penguin, bald eagle, barred owl, scarlet macaw, Indian peafowl, sun conure, masked bobwhite, domestic chicken, domestic duck, blue-faced honeyeater, zebra finch, salmon-crested cockatoo, and emu.

Reptiles and amphibians at the zoo include American alligator, boa constrictor, leopard tortoise, sulcata tortoise, Kenyan sand boa, spotted turtle, painted wood turtle, eastern box turtle, royal python, red-eared slider, uromastyx and tiger salamander.

The Iberschoff Special is the miniature train at the Children's Zoo. It was first opened in 1967 with the help of contributions from the Carl H. Iberschoff estate. The train, which resembles a vintage 1880 locomotive, is a model S-24 from the Allan Herschell Company. Due to lack of spare parts for maintenance and general repair, and concerns for the state of the track, the train was closed for the 2007 season. The track was rebuilt in 2008, and the locomotive went through a major rebuild, to reopen for the 2008 season. A tunnel removed in the initial renovation was replaced in 2009, and future plans include completely replacing the aging train.

The Carousel was constructed over an 18-month period at a cost of about $750,000 and 40,000 volunteer hours, and opened for riders on July 18, 1998. The carousel figures were carved by the Tri-City Wood Carvers, and were designed to resemble carousel figures from the early 1900s. The figures are all hollow to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood. Two chariot benches were provided for those who wish to sit rather than ride on an animal. Animals in the carousel include rabbits, many types of horse and pony, zebras, a sea monster, and fish. The Carousel includes carved rounding boards and framed artwork depicting local historical scenes.

Fossil Find was opened in 1998. It provides an area where children can dig for dinosaur bones and learn about prehistoric animals.

The Animal Stars building opened in 2005, and provided a place where visitors could view some of the zoo's educational animals when the animals are not working in a show. This building is now an office for Zoo employees.

The Wetland Experience, which opened in 2006, is a natural wetland ecosystem with plants and fish native to Michigan wetlands. It includes an underwater viewing area and a crawl-through "beaver dam."

Education

The zoo provides many educational opportunities including family classes, one-, two-, or three-day zoo camps, various theme days, and a zoo outreach program. The Zoo Crew program lets teenagers 13 through 18 volunteer and learn about how a zoo works. Shows at the zoo amphitheater and keeper talks, demonstrations, and animal feedings throughout the day offer additional information to interested visitors.

Notes

External links

Zoos in Michigan
Aquaria in Michigan
Buildings and structures in Saginaw, Michigan
Tourist attractions in Saginaw County, Michigan

Children's Zoo at Celebration Square


Jean de Moulins was a French Dominican and prelate, who was incardinated in the Toulouse province. In 1344 was appointed Inquisitor of the kingdom of France and from 1345 to 1349 Master of the Sacred Palace. He was elected Master General of the Dominican Order in 1349.

One year later he was appointed as Cardinal of Santa Sabina in the Consistory of 17 December 1350 and resigned from the order. He died on 23 February 1353.

1353 deaths
14th-century French cardinals
French Dominicans
Year of birth unknown
Masters of the Order of Preachers
Dominican cardinals

Jean de Moulins