Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps

The Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps is a part of the Royal Engineers in the British Army Reserve. It is intended to provide advisers on engineering and logistics to the British Army at a senior level. Following its work creating the NHS Nightingale Hospitals the Corps was described as 'probably the greatest military unit you've never heard of'.
History.
In 1859 there was considerable public interest in the creation of a Volunteer Force to assist the British Army, and the creation of volunteer corps were authorised in War Office circulars that year. In response, a "Volunteer Engineering Staff Corps for the Arrangement of Transport of Troops and Stores, the Construction of defensive works and the destruction of other works in case of Invasion" was proposed in 1860 by Charles Manby, then honorary secretary of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). He submitted his scheme to the War Office through the Marquess of Salisbury, as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. The then Secretary of State for War, Sidney Herbert, replied to say that he believed such a Corps would be a great advantage to the public service and that he would recommend Her Majesty to accept its formation as soon as the principal features had been agreed.
Negotiations with the numerous independent railway companies took some time but in September 1864 the Inspector General of Volunteers, Colonel William McMurdo conveyed the approval of the Secretary of State, now Earl de Grey and Ripon, and went on to set out the objects and duties the Secretary of State would require of the Corps. On 7 November Manby submitted the names of 12 civil engineers and 9 general managers who would form the nucleus of the Corps. Once the Queen had accepted the services of the Corps on 4 January 1865 the first 21 officers were commissioned on 21 January 1865.
The founding civil engineers comprised George Parker Bidder, John Hawkshaw, John Robinson McClean, John Fowler, Charles Hutton Gregory, Joseph Cubitt, Thomas Elliot Harrison, George Willoughby Hemans, George Robert Stephenson, Charles Blacker Vignoles, William Henry Barlow, Charles Manby and the general managers included James Joseph Allport.
Bidder, a former ICE President, was designated Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, a post he would hold until 1878, Manby was Acting Adjutant (until 1884) and a week later McMurdo became Honorary Colonel (until 1894) - he presided over the initial Council meeting in April.
The objective of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps was to ensure "the combined action among all the railways when the country is in danger" and tasked particularly with "the preparation, during peace, of schemes for drawing troops from given distant parts and for concentrating them within given areas in the shortest possible time". The original establishment of 21 officers was expanded to 110 in 1908 before being subsequently reduced to the current strength of 60 officers. The unit was always a volunteer unit, with members retaining their civilian jobs. Until its reorganisation in 1943 its members were entitled to wear a uniform similar to that of the Royal Engineers. In recent times recruitment has diversified from road, rail and port specialists to cover almost all aspects of engineering. It also began to advise the Royal Corps of Transport (in addition to the Royal Engineers) and was renamed the Engineer and Transport Staff Corps in 1984 to reflect this. Following the creation of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 the unit was renamed again to the Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps. Until 2015 the unit was organisationally part of HQ Engineer in Chief (Army), constituted under the Reserve Forces Act 1996 and administered by the Ministry of Defence.
In 2015 the Staff Corps marked its 150th anniversary and celebratory events included a dinner at One Great George Street on 26 November at which the guest of honour was Anne, Princess Royal.
Current work.
In 2015 the Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps, together with the General Staff Corps, were incorporated into the 77th Brigade. The General Staff Corps was expanded and now provides a cohort of senior managers in communications, advertising, marketing, commerce, banking and academia able to advise the army. “The beauty of them is they think like a military person but have industrial experience; it’s a perfect blend,” said Brigadier Phil Prosser, commander of 101 Logistic Brigade in 2020, “they're always challenging us. They’re the backstagers. They’ll always be the unsung heroes but will never be catapulted into the limelight”.
Members of the Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps hold their commissions as officers in the Royal Engineers (Volunteers) and are grouped into four directorates: engineering; logistics; cyber and communications; and business services. The establishment strength of 60 officers consists of 10 Colonels, 20 Lieutenant Colonels and 30 Majors. Membership is by invitation only and promotion generally follows seniority with some discretion to allow for individual officers' statuses in their profession and their level of participation in the corps. Officers who cease to be engaged in a relevant profession must offer to resign their commissions but may retain their appointment on the Commanding Officer's recommendation and with the approval of the Army Board of the Defence Council. All officers of the corps are briefed to expect calls at any time to provide impartial and confidential advice to the British Armed Forces. Officers are regularly invited to relevant army conferences and equipment demonstrations to keep them up to date with current capabilities. However, members are rarely seen in uniform and enjoy an independence not seen elsewhere in the military. “If I have to sit in front of a three-star General and explain that he or she may be wrong, I need to be able to do that without wearing a rank slide” said the Commanding Officer, Gary Sullivan, in 2020.
The corps is administered by a council of senior corps officers, chaired by the Commanding Officer (a Colonel) and assisted by the Acting Adjutant, (normally a Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel) who also acts as the council's secretary. The Acting Adjutant is always a retired army officer currently working in a relevant profession who acts as a point of contact for advice. The current officers are mainly chief executives, directors and senior managers of 60 different engineering, transport and logistics organisations, which together employ 100,000 people.
Operations.
The corps has advised British forces in the following operations, amongst others:
In addition to peacetime roles in infrastructure, training, planning and logistics.
In April 2020 the Corps was singled out at a Downing Street briefing by the chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nick Carter, who said of the military response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom “in all my more than 40 years of service this is the single greatest logistic challenge that I’ve come across. It has been a whole-force effort including not just regular military from all the three services but reservists as well; some 15% of the force has been reservists. It has involved defence civilians, defence contractors, scientists from Porton Down and something called the Engineer and Logistics Staff Corps, where we bring in people from industry who work inside the military in times of crisis and provide expert support for how we might link into the civilian community to bring forward skills and indeed industrial support.”
Members.
Notable members (listed by highest known rank) have included:


Donie Buckley

Donie Buckley (born early 1960s) is an Irish Gaelic football coach and former player. He played at full forward with his local club Castleisland Desmonds but never with the Kerry county team. His coaching has taken him all along the western coast from Clare to Galway, to Limerick, Kerry and Mayo.
Career.
Buckley scored a last-minute goal for Castleisland Desmonds in the final of the 1985 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship to defeat St Vincents. Soon after retiring from playing he became involved in coaching.
His coaching career began in Clare where he led Milltown Malbay in 1990 and Faughs in 1994 to Clare Senior Football Championships. He served as joint manager with Michael Brennan of the Clare county team in 2006.
He then moved on to the Galway county team, working as forwards coach under the management of Peter Ford for a year. Then onwards to Galway club Moycullen, whom he led to the 2008 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship.
Buckley then served as selector alongside Mickey Ned O'Sullivan with Limerick for three years, during which time the county experienced narrow losses in the finals of the 2009 and 2010 Munster Senior Football Championships.
He joined the Kerry senior setup in 2011. He then had to have knee surgery. He stood down from Kerry ahead of the start of the 2012 Championship, when Donegal knocked them out in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
James Horan invited Buckley to join his Mayo management team in 2012. Buckley maintained his place throughout Horan's first spell as Mayo manager, then the replacement duo, and then the Stephen Rochford-led management team. Leadership that led Mayo to over half a decade of qualification for either All-Ireland finals or semi-finals, playing a much admired style of play.
Buckley left Mayo and returned to the Kerry setup after Peter Keane took over as manager at the end of 2018. He parted company with Kerry in 2020.
Buckley joined Monaghan ahead of the 2021 season, replacing Conor Laverty after Laverty's appointment as Down under-20 manager.
Style.
Buckley's background as civil engineer in County Clare has been attributed to his approach to coaching. O'Sullivan said in 2019: "Donie looks at football in a different way. He brought a different dimension to it, he brought a mathematical side to it. He used logic to analyse opposition and play to your own strengths. He was a big man for devising smallsided games where players got the opportunity to make decisions for themselves. It's common now but it wasn't then... Donie never stands still, he is pushing back his own concepts of the game the whole time. The game is always evolving so Donie will always evolve and find new ways, new approaches, new creativity. He never repeats anything." He studies American sports such as basketball and their own version of football.
Personal life.
Married to Áine, the couple holiday in Florida each winter and Buckley plays golf.


Linear actuator

A linear actuator is an actuator that creates motion in a straight line, in contrast to the circular motion of a conventional electric motor. Linear actuators are used in machine tools and industrial machinery, in computer peripherals such as disk drives and printers, in valves and dampers, and in many other places where linear motion is required. Hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders inherently produce linear motion. Many other mechanisms are used to generate linear motion from a rotating motor.
Types.
Mechanical actuators.
Mechanical linear actuators typically operate by conversion of rotary motion into linear motion. Conversion is commonly made via a few simple types of mechanism:
Some mechanical linear actuators only pull, such as hoists, chain drive and belt drives. Others only push (such as a cam actuator). Pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders, or lead screws can be designed to generate force in both directions.
Mechanical actuators typically convert rotary motion of a control knob or handle into linear displacement via screws and/or gears to which the knob or handle is attached. A jackscrew or car jack is a familiar mechanical actuator. Another family of actuators are based on the segmented spindle. Rotation of the jack handle is converted mechanically into the linear motion of the jack head. Mechanical actuators are also frequently used in the field of lasers and optics to manipulate the position of linear stages, rotary stages, mirror mounts, goniometers and other positioning instruments. For accurate and repeatable positioning, index marks may be used on control knobs. Some actuators include an encoder and digital position readout. These are similar to the adjustment knobs used on micrometers except their purpose is position adjustment rather than position measurement.
Hydraulic actuators.
Hydraulic actuators or hydraulic cylinders typically involve a hollow cylinder having a piston inserted in it. An unbalanced pressure applied to the piston generates a force that can move an external object. Since liquids are nearly incompressible, a hydraulic cylinder can provide controlled precise linear displacement of the piston. The displacement is only along the axis of the piston. A familiar example of a manually operated hydraulic actuator is a hydraulic car jack. Typically though, the term "hydraulic actuator" refers to a device controlled by a hydraulic pump.
Pneumatic actuators.
Pneumatic actuators, or pneumatic cylinders, are similar to hydraulic actuators except they use compressed air to generate force instead of a liquid. They work similarly to a piston in which air is pumped inside a chamber and pushed out of the other side of the chamber. Air actuators are not necessarily used for heavy duty machinery and instances where large amounts of weight are present. One of the reasons pneumatic linear actuators are preferred to other types is the fact that the power source is simply an air compressor. Because air is the input source, pneumatic actuators are able to be used in many places of mechanical activity. The downside is, most air compressors are large, bulky, and loud. They are hard to transport to other areas once installed. Pneumatic linear actuators are likely to leak and this makes them less efficient than mechanical linear actuators.
Piezoelectric actuators.
The piezoelectric effect is a property of certain materials in which application of a voltage to the material causes it to expand. Very high voltages correspond to only tiny expansions. As a result, piezoelectric actuators can achieve extremely fine positioning resolution, but also have a very short range of motion. In addition, piezoelectric materials exhibit hysteresis which makes it difficult to control their expansion in a repeatable manner.
Electro-mechanical actuators.
Electro-mechanical actuators are similar to mechanical actuators except that the control knob or handle is replaced with an electric motor. Rotary motion of the motor is converted to linear displacement. Electromechanical actuators may also be used to power a motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical torque. There are many designs of modern linear actuators and every company that manufactures them tends to have a proprietary method. The following is a generalized description of a very simple electro-mechanical linear actuator.
Simplified design.
Typically, an electric motor is mechanically connected to rotate a lead screw. A lead screw has a continuous helical thread machined on its circumference running along the length (similar to the thread on a bolt). Threaded onto the lead screw is a lead nut or ball nut with corresponding helical threads. The nut is prevented from rotating with the lead screw (typically the nut interlocks with a non-rotating part of the actuator body). When the lead screw is rotated, the nut will be driven along the threads. The direction of motion of the nut depends on the direction of rotation of the lead screw. By connecting linkages to the nut, the motion can be converted to usable linear displacement. Most current actuators are built for high speed, high force, or a compromise between the two. When considering an actuator for a particular application, the most important specifications are typically travel, speed, force, accuracy, and lifetime. Most varieties are mounted on dampers or butterfly valves.
There are many types of motors that can be used in a linear actuator system. These include dc brush, dc brushless, stepper, or in some cases, even induction motors. It all depends on the application requirements and the loads the actuator is designed to move. For example, a linear actuator using an integral horsepower AC induction motor driving a lead screw can be used to operate a large valve in a refinery. In this case, accuracy and high movement resolution aren't needed, but high force and speed are. For electromechanical linear actuators used in laboratory instrumentation robotics, optical and laser equipment, or X-Y tables, fine resolution in the micron range and high accuracy may require the use of a fractional horsepower stepper motor linear actuator with a fine pitch lead screw. There are many variations in the electromechanical linear actuator system. It is critical to understand the design requirements and application constraints to know which one would be best.
Standard vs compact construction.
A linear actuator using standard motors will commonly have the motor as a separate cylinder attached to the side of the actuator, either parallel with the actuator or perpendicular to the actuator. The motor may be attached to the end of the actuator. The drive motor is of typical construction with a solid drive shaft that is geared to the drive nut or drive screw of the actuator.
Compact linear actuators use specially designed motors that try to fit the motor and actuator into the smallest possible shape.
Principles.
In the majority of linear actuator designs, the basic principle of operation is that of an inclined plane. The threads of a lead screw act as a continuous ramp that allows a small rotational force to be used over a long distance to accomplish movement of a large load over a short distance.
Variations.
Many variations on the basic design have been created. Most focus on providing general improvements such as a higher mechanical efficiency, speed, or load capacity. There is also a large engineering movement towards actuator miniaturization.
Most electro-mechanical designs incorporate a lead screw and lead nut. Some use a ball screw and ball nut. In either case the screw may be connected to a motor or manual control knob either directly or through a series of gears. Gears are typically used to allow a smaller (and weaker) motor spinning at a higher rpm to be geared down to provide the torque necessary to spin the screw under a heavier load than the motor would otherwise be capable of driving directly. Effectively this sacrifices actuator speed in favor of increased actuator thrust. In some applications the use of worm gear is common as this allow a smaller built in dimension still allowing great travel length.
A traveling-nut linear actuator has a motor that stays attached to one end of the lead screw (perhaps indirectly through a gear box), the motor spins the lead screw, and the lead nut is restrained from spinning so it travels up and down the lead screw.
A traveling-screw linear actuator has a lead screw that passes entirely through the motor.
In a traveling-screw linear actuator, the motor "crawls" up and down a lead screw that is restrained from spinning. The only spinning parts are inside the motor, and may not be visible from the outside.
Some lead screws have multiple "starts". This means they have multiple threads alternating on the same shaft. One way of visualizing this is in comparison to the multiple color stripes on a candy cane. This allows for more adjustment between thread pitch and nut/screw thread contact area, which determines the extension speed and load carrying capacity (of the threads), respectively.
Static load capacity.
Linear screw actuators can have a static loading capacity, meaning that when the motor stops the actuator essentially locks in place and can support a load that is either pulling or pushing on the actuator. This static load capacity increases mobility and speed.
The braking force of the actuator varies with the angular pitch of the screw threads and the specific design of the threads. Acme threads have a very high static load capacity, while ball screws have an extremely low load capacity and can be nearly free-floating.
Generally it is not possible to vary the static load capacity of screw actuators without additional technology. The screw thread pitch and drive nut design defines a specific load capacity that cannot be dynamically adjusted.
In some cases, high viscosity grease can be added to linear screw actuators to increase the static load. Some manufacturers use this to alter the load for specific needs.
Static load capacity can be added to a linear screw actuator using an electromagnetic brake system, which applies friction to the spinning drive nut. For example, a spring may be used to apply brake pads to the drive nut, holding it in position when power is turned off. When the actuator needs to be moved, an electromagnet counteracts the spring and releases the braking force on the drive nut.
Similarly an electromagnetic ratchet mechanism can be used with a linear screw actuator so that the drive system lifting a load will lock in position when power to the actuator is turned off. To lower the actuator, an electromagnet is used to counteract the spring force and unlock the ratchet.
Dynamic load capacity.
Dynamic load capacity is typically referred to as the amount of force the linear actuator is capable of providing during operation. This force will vary with screw type (amount of friction restricting movement) and the motor driving the movement. Dynamic load is the figure which most actuators are classified by, and is a good indication of what applications it would suit best.
Speed control.
In most cases when using an electro-mechanical actuator, it is preferred to have some type of speed control. Such controllers vary the voltage supplied to the motor, which in turn changes the speed at which the lead screw turns. Adjusting the gear ratio is another way to adjust speed. Some actuators are available with several different gearing options.
Duty cycle.
The duty cycle of a motor refers to the amount of time the actuator can be run before it needs to cool down. Staying within this guideline when operating an actuator is key to its longevity and performance. If the duty cycle rating is exceeded, then overheating, loss of power, and eventual burning of the motor is risked.
Linear motors.
A linear motor is functionally the same as a rotary electric motor with the rotor and stator circular magnetic field components laid out in a straight line. Where a rotary motor would spin around and re-use the same magnetic pole faces again, the magnetic field structures of a linear motor are physically repeated across the length of the actuator.
Since the motor moves in a linear fashion, no lead screw is needed to convert rotary motion to linear. While high capacity is possible, the material and/or motor limitations on most designs are surpassed relatively quickly due to a reliance solely on magnetic attraction and repulsion forces. Most linear motors have a low load capacity compared to other types of linear actuators.
Linear motors have an advantage in outdoor or dirty environments in that the two halves do not need to contact each other, and so the electromagnetic drive coils can be waterproofed and sealed against moisture and corrosion, allowing for a very long service life. Linear motors are being used extensively in high performance positioning systems for applications which require various combinations of high velocity, high precision and high force.
Telescoping linear actuator.
Telescoping linear actuators are specialized linear actuators used where space restrictions exist. Their range of motion is many times greater than the unextended length of the actuating member.
A common form is made of concentric tubes of approximately equal length that extend and retract like sleeves, one inside the other, such as the telescopic cylinder.
Other more specialized telescoping actuators use actuating members that act as rigid linear shafts when extended, but break that line by folding, separating into pieces and/or uncoiling when retracted. Examples of telescoping linear actuators include:


Baume (watch)

Baume is a Richemont sustainable watch brand.
Background.
Baume launched on May 15, 2018 by the Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company, Richemont. The name comes from the mother brand Baume & Mercier. However, Baume is a new brand that operates independently. Baume watches are sold exclusively online and the brand only uses natural or recycled materials in the manufacturing process. Its headquarters are located in Meyrin, in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. Baume watches are designed in Geneva and assembled in Amsterdam. The brand uses quartz and $15 automatic movements, made by the Swiss group Ronda and Myota, a Japanese company. As of June 2020, the Baume brand merged with the established Richemont subsidiary Baume & Mercier and will offer full customer services to anyone who bought a Baume watch. Also, production moved to Baume & Mercier's workshop in Les Brenets.
Products.
Custom Timepieces Edition.
This is a fully customisable watch, designed through an online configurator with over 2000 permutations.
Iconic Series.
This watch is the brand's flagship. The product is updated seasonally, this automatic movement is crafted in a recycled, recyclable aluminum case with a 100% recycled PET bracelet.
Limited Edition.
BAUME launched its first Upcycled Limited Edition watch made out of Erik Ellington's old skate boards
BAUME launched in February 2019 its second Upcycled Limited Edition, made out of unused ski materials.
Aesthetic Features.
The crowns of Baume watches sit at a 12 o’clock position – a feature that references the first pocket watches produced by Baume & Mercier. The watches are genderless and they have interchangeable straps to allow the wearer to change easily the look of the watch.


Alma Allen (artist)

Alma Allen (born 1970 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American sculptor. He lived and worked in Joshua Tree, California. He currently works in Tepotzlán, Mexico.
Work.
Carved from foraged wood and stone or cast in bronze, Allen's sculptures range in scale from thimble-sized fetishes to several ton pseudo-figures. Though made of the densest materials, the highly polished works appear to be in states of silent, inchoate movement. "The New York Times" described the shapes as "sensuous biomorphic forms," and 2014 Whitney Biennial co-curator Michelle Grabner selected three of Allen's large-scale sculptures for inclusion in the 2014 Biennial.
Career and critical reception.
Prior to the 2014 Biennial, the self-taught artist was known to a following of collectors, but less so to the wider art establishment. He rarely exhibited, preferring to sell independently from his Mojave Desert studio, which the artist designed and built himself. The remote location of his studio, one hundred miles from Los Angeles on the edge of the Joshua Tree National Park, led to a reputation as a recluse.
Biennial literature, however, sourced originality in a practice which developed "independently of any recognized art movement" and cited its "impeccable sense of material and form" as the reason for Allen's unlikely discovery by the art world.
Though press accounts had previously taken notice of Allen's painstaking forms, modernist furniture in the tradition of Isamu Noguchi and Donald Judd, images of Allen's Biennial contributions circulated widely in mainstream art-specialized media following the exhibition. "TIME" magazine named his white marble "Untitled, 2013", one of the "Five Best Works at the Whitney Biennial", and writing for "," the director Matt Tyrnauer profiled the artist's "road less traveled to art world stardom." Writing in "Artforum", critic Andrew Bernardini referred to the "gravitational force" of the works in a solo exhibition of Allen's work at Blum & Poe gallery. Allen "interrogates his own place in the vacuum of art history in the only way he knows: by manipulating the nature of materials, a knotty, manifest language of the world," wrote critic Christina Catherine Martinez.


Adrian Long

Adrian Long is a British civil engineer. A professor at Queen's University Belfast, he has a particular interest in concrete structures and has patented FlexiArch, a pre-cast concrete arch product. He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers for 2002-03, the first Northern Irish engineer to do so.
Biography.
Adrian Long was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. He states that he comes from a carpentry and blacksmithing background and has a degree in civil engineering. Long became a professor of civil engineering at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in 1976. His work has largely been in the field of concrete structures; particularly in chloride resistance, maintenance problems and arch bridge structures. Long has published 20 papers in journals managed by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and has won eight of the institution's medals for these, including the ICE Gold Medal.
By 2002 Long was appointed dean of the faculty of engineering at QUB. In November of that year he was appointed president of the ICE for the 2002-2003 session; the first Northern Irish person to hold that position. Long is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering.
Long was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2006 New Year Honours for services to higher education and civil engineering. He resigned as professor at QUB in 2006 but has remained since then as an emeritus professor in the School of Natural and Built Environment. In 2015 the ICE Northern Ireland awards the Adrian Long medal to the best paper in an ICE journal to be authored by a Northern Ireland member. The medal features a bust of Long.
FlexiArch.
From 1997 Long worked on the FlexiArch, a pre-cast concrete arch in which the individual voussoirs are joined by a flexible polymeric membrane. The arch arrives to site flat packed and when lifted into position by a crane the gaps between the voussoirs close under gravity and form the correct arch profile. Long patented the product, which is produced by Irish pre-cast manufacturer Macrete, in 2004. The product can be constructed within a day and, containing no corrodable elements, has been stated to have a design lifespan of 300 years. More than 50 FlexiArch bridges have been constructed in the UK and Ireland and spans up to 30m are possible.
References.


Albert Auwercx

Albert Auwercx (sometimes Auwerx) (c. 1629 - 1709) was a Brussels tapestry-maker ("tapissier") who played an important part in the tapestry industry of that city. His workshop partner was his brother Nicolas
Early life.
Albert Auwercx was born around 1629 to Marcus and Clara Canart. He was christened on 10 February 1629 in the Brussels Church of Our Lady of the Chapel, which was known for its connections to the tapestry industry.
Tapestry industry.
Auwercx opened his workshop in 1657 and was granted exemption from taxation by the city of Brussels in 1671. Through the careful marriages of his children and the choice of godparents for their births he formed alliances with the other important "tapissiers". After 1679 he served several terms as dean of the tapestry guild. In 1705, when the city of Brussels tallied all the tapestry looms in the city, the Auwercx workshop contained five looms. of a citywide total of fifty-three The weaver's mark or in the selvage often identifies products of his workshop.
Death.
Auwercx was buried in the church of Our Lady of the Chapel on 31 August 1709. His workshop continued to be maintained by his son Philippe (1663 - 1740).


Veit Stoss

Veit Stoss (also: "Veit Stoß" and "Stuoss"; ; before 1450 – about 20 September 1533) was a leading German sculptor, mostly working with wood, whose career covered the transition between the late Gothic and the Northern Renaissance. His style emphasized pathos and emotion, helped by his virtuoso carving of billowing drapery; it has been called "late Gothic Baroque". He had a large workshop, and in addition to his own works there are a number by pupils. He is best known for the altarpiece in St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków, Poland.
Life.
According to the contracts and other official documents written in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Stoss was born in a place pronounced as Horb or Horbn. Most researchers identify this place with Horb am Neckar near Stuttgart in Germany. However, there are artistic traces indicating that Stoss's early education could take place in the modern Switzerland. Moreover, his brother was certainly born in Aarau in northern Switzerland, which suggests that the artist's family lived in the region and that Stoss was rather born in the town of Horben, located 30 km southeast of Aarau
His exact date of birth is unknown though it must have been shortly before 1450. Nothing about his life is known for certain before 1473 when he moved to Nuremberg in Franconia and married Barbara Hertz. Their eldest son Andreas was born there before 1477, when Stoss moved to Kraków, the royal capital of Poland, where he was commissioned to produce the enormous polychrome wooden Altar of Veit Stoss (Ołtarz Wita Stwosza) at St Mary's Church in Kraków. His son Stanisław was also a sculptor. Veit lived and worked in Kraków for the next twenty years. His name is usually polonized as Wit Stwosz.
In Kraków.
The altar in Kraków was completed in 1489, and was the largest triptych of its time. Like Stoss' other large works, it required a large workshop including specialized painters and gilders. Other important works from Stoss' period in Poland were the tomb of Casimir IV in Wawel Cathedral, the marble tomb of Zbigniew Oleśnicki in Gniezno, and the altar of Saint Stanislaus. The Polish court was more aware of Italian styles than Nuremberg patrons of that time, and some of Stoss' Polish work used Renaissance classical ornament.
During World War II, on the order of Hans Frank – the Governor-General of that region of occupied Poland – the dismantled Altar was shipped to the Third Reich around 1941. It was rediscovered in 1945 in Bavaria, hidden in the basement of the heavily bombed Nuremberg Castle. The High Altar underwent major restoration work in Poland and was put back in its place at the Basilica ten years later.
Nuremberg.
In 1496, Stoss returned to Nuremberg with his wife and eight children. He reacquired his citizenship for three gulden and resumed his work there as a sculptor. Between 1500 and 1503 he carved an altar, now lost, for the parish church of Schwaz, Tyrol of the "Assumption of Mary". In 1503, he was arrested for forging the seal and signature of a fraudulent contractor and was sentenced to be branded on both of his cheeks and prohibited from leaving Nuremberg without the explicit permission of the city council. He was pardoned in 1506 by Emperor Maximilian and restored of his civil rights.
Despite the prohibition he went to Münnerstadt in 1504, to paint and gild the altarpiece that Tilman Riemenschneider had left in plain wood ten years earlier, presumably according to his contract (unlike Stoss, his workshop did not include painters and gilders). Leaving wood sculpture unpainted was a new taste at the time, and "perhaps the tastes of the city council were somewhat provincial." He also created the altar for Bamberg Cathedral and various other sculptures in Nuremberg, including the "Annunciation" and "Tobias and the Angel". In 1506 he was arrested a second time. Emperor Maximilian wrote a letter of pardon, but it was rejected by the council of the Imperial free city Nuremberg as meddling in its internal affairs. He was able to resettle in Nuremberg from 1506, but was shunned by the council and received few large commissions from that time onwards. In 1512, the Emperor asked Stoss to help with the planning of his tomb monument, which was eventually placed in the Hofkirche, Innsbruck; it seems Stoss's attempts to cast in brass were unsuccessful.
During the period 1515–1520, Veit Stoss received a commission for sculptures by Raffaele Torrigiani, a rich Florentine merchant. In 1516 he made "Tobias and the Angel" (now in Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg), and a statue of Saint Roch for the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata in Florence. This wooden statue represents the saint in a traditional way: in the garb of a pilgrim, lifting his tunic to demonstrate the plague sore in his thigh. Even Giorgio Vasari, who did not think much of artists north of the Alps, praised it in his "Le Vite" and called it "a miracle in wood", though misattributing it.
Veit Stoss was buried at St. Johannis cemetery in Nuremberg. His artistic legacy was continued by his son Stanisław.
In popular culture.
Veit Stoss is featured in Judith Weir's opera, "The Black Spider". He is one of the singing sculptors in Act 3 Scene 2 inside the Wawel Cathedral. He is shown chiseling at the tomb of King Casimir IV.
There is a Polish book (1913) and film (1961) "Historia żółtej ciżemki" ("The story of a yellow crakow") about Veit Stoss in Cracow.


Abelardo Albisi

Abelardo Albisi (1872-1938) was an Italian flutist and instrument maker and composer. He was first flutist of the orchestra at La Scala for many years. In 1910 he invented the albisiphone, a type of bass flute. The instrument achieved some popularity in Italy and was notably included in the scores of several operas by Riccardo Zandonai and Pietro Mascagni, and in symphonic music by Friedrich Klose among other composers.


Marko Penov

Marko Penov (2 October 1922 – 24 March 1998) was a Serbian artistic woodcarver and restorer of artifacts. Born in Titel, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, (now Serbia) and living in Novi Sad, he was of Croatian and Bulgarian descent. He was a disciple of J. Szoter. His work included creation of new and restoration of old iconostases and altars for Serbian Orthodox Church, Greek Catholic Church and Roman Catholic Church, churches and monasteries in Serbia, especially monasteries in Fruška Gora, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as restoration of old and damaged pieces of sacred objects. He has also created cabinets of different styles, such as Baroque, Louis XIV style, Neo-baroque, Neo-rococo and Classicism, such as Biedermeier. He is known for his works on reconstruction of the wooden structures of the church Our Lady of Tekije, also known as Snowy Mary, which is commemorating the Battle of Petrovaradin and visited and used by both Catholic and Orthodox Christian pilgrims. Marko Penov has been also known for restoration of wooden art works in The Name of Mary Church in Novi Sad. He was married to Elizabeta, b. Batrnek (1925-2000).


Ken Parker (guitar maker)

Ken Parker is an American luthier known for his unique archtop guitars and the controversial Parker Fly electric guitar which came out in 1993. He is the founder of Parker Guitars.
Life and career.
Parker was raised on Long Island, New York and made his first guitar (out of wood and cardboard) at the age of 13. In his early 20s, after studying various aspects of tool-making and woodworking, he worked in a grandfather clock factory in a Rochester, New York and began building stringed instruments while working with the furniture-maker Richard Newman. Guitar lessons further sparked his interest in the instrument and in the 1970s he returned to the New York City area where he began working with a lute maker on Long Island. He then worked at Stuyvesant Music in Manhattan repairing string instruments. From 1983 had his own shop where he worked on the development and construction of violins, cellos, and especially Renaissance lutes.
In the early 1990s, he founded the company Parker Guitars and collaborated with Larry Fishman to design the Fly, a controversial, innovative and futuristic electric guitar brought out in 1993. The Fly incorporated non-traditional materials like fiberglass and Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer blended with more traditional elements like mahogany, basswood and spruce.
His tremolo/vibrato design allowed the user to choose between floating or dive only operation, and it could also be used as a stop tail bridge. The Fly weighed around 5 pounds, while most full size solid body electric guitars of the same category usually weigh from 7 to more than 9 pounds. Parker was one of the first builders to use stainless steel frets that were glued on the fretboard. With Larry Fishman's help he was also one of the first builders to embrace the use of a piezo bridge which allowed the electric guitar to simulate the sounds of an acoustic one and blend the acoustic with the electric signal through his innovative control layout. The Fly had 11 patents and was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution.
Parker sold his company in 2004. A few years later, he started designing archtop guitars. His archtop designs incorporate an adjustable neck that mounts to the guitar via a turnbuckle mechanism that allows the action to be adjusted without affecting the tuning, a unique tailpiece and non-traditional sound holes. As of 2015 Parker has a shop in Massachusetts where he builds a small number of hand made and individualized custom archtop guitars per year.


Samuel Nordheimer

Samuel Nordheimer (February 6, 1824 – June 29, 1912) was a prominent businessman and music promoter in 19th century Toronto.
In part to build this business, Nordheimer became one of the most active promoters of music in Canada. He brought prominent foreign stars to the city, such as Jenny Lind; opened a concert hall in Montreal, founded the Chamber Music Association, and for many years directed the Toronto Philharmonic Society.
Biography.
Born in Memmelsdorf, Bavaria, in 1839 he came with his older brother Abraham to New York City, where their older brother Isaac was already living. The brothers learned English and then Nordheimer worked as a clerk. The two brothers moved to Kingston, Ontario in 1840 and then settled in Toronto in 1844. They established a piano importing business, A.& S. Nordheimer Co.
The business prospered and expanded. It became Canada's leading publisher of sheet music, and initially had the sole right to publish copies of "The Maple Leaf Forever". The company also opened branches in other cities across Canada. As well as continuing to import pianos, in 1890 the firm opened its own factory in Toronto and quickly became one of Canada's best known domestic piano brands.
Nordheimer became a prominent member of the city's commercial class, serving on a number of corporate boards. In 1871, the year married Edith Boulton, Nordheimer completed work on a massive home named Glenedyth. It was located on Davenport Hill, near James Austin's Spadina House. While the house was demolished in the 1920s, the ravine running by the site is still known as the Nordheimer Ravine.
Nordheimer remained head of the company until his death, when the firm was taken over by his nephew Albert. Upon his retirement from the business in 1928, the firm was taken over by Heintzman & Co. His legacy included a section of Castle Frank Brook being named after him.
Family.
In 1871 Nordheimer married Edith (1847–1912) — daughter of James Boulton and Margaret Neilina. They had a son and seven daughters. Nordheimer left the Jewish faith and converted to the Anglican Church. His brother Abraham would remain a member of Toronto's Jewish faith.
His wife, Edith (), was from a prominent Toronto family that had played a leading role in the Family Compact and had built The Grange. She was an Anglican philanthropist and imperialist who became the first national president of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) in 1901 and vice-president of the Toronto South African Memorial Association at the beginning in 1904 (the association established memorials for those who had fought in the South African War (1899–1902)).


Reform Boehm system

The Reform Boehm system is a modified Boehm system for the clarinet. It was developed with the aim of producing clarinets with the Boehm keywork, the sound of which is similar to that of the German clarinet.
Development.
In the 1940s, the in Erlbach / Vogtland / Saxony based clarinet architect Fritz Wurlitzer, had the idea, Boehm clarinet while retaining the fingering system to change so that their sound became largely the historic and thus also corresponded to the Oehler clarinet. For this purpose, he built a Boehm clarinet with a narrower bore, in which also the cone was reduced, whereby the impairment of the intonation caused by this was compensated by shortening the lower part by a few millimeters and a slightly smaller pitch of the lower tone holes. He also provided this clarinet with a mouthpiece of German design. Finally 1949 the first clarinet of this type, which he called "Reform-Boehm" clarinet", went to a clarinetist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.
A reform Boehm clarinet does not have to be visually different from an original Boehm clarinet. For some brands or models, however, there are these differences: 1. The two upper keys for the little finger on the right (for C and E♭) are (as in German clarinets) on the insides with rollers provided. 2. The overblow-key shaped like German clarinets, this means the corresponding tone hole is not on the underside of the clarinet, but on the left side, which instead of a straight requires an upwardly shaped key; this can be associated with an additional automatically opening and closing key to improve the sound of the B♭ at all the intonation of the notes on the upper joint. 3. There is another ring on the upper joint (on the tone hole for the c), so that the E♭/B♭ can also be executed as a fork grip. However, this ring can also be found on normal Boehm clarinets, albeit rarely ("full Boehm"). 4. Extension of the key for the Gis to operate also with the right index finger. 5. Deep E/F improvement. All of the above (taken over or inspired by the German clarinet) improvements can be seen in the illustrations.
Current situation and outlook.
Initially reform Böhm clarinets were built only by Fritz Wurlitzer and later by his son Herbert Wurlitzer, followed by other manufacturers in Germany (e. g. Leitner & Kraus, Wolfgang Dietz, Harald
Hüyng) and Japan (Yamaha). The big French instrument producers showed no interest in this clarinet type. The main buyers were clarinetists in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Japan, but for instruments from the GDR until 1990 also the Eastern bloc; there was and still is a low distribution in the USA.
The quantities sold by the individual manufacturers are likely to be well behind those of their manufactured clarinets with the German system declining, which was probably due to the relatively high prices of these instruments. It was also due to smaller market. Yamaha discontinued production of this type several years ago. The current trend for this system is down (mid-2019). Nevertheless reform Boehm-clarinets are still made by various German manufacturers for lovers of this instrument. Instead of reform Boehm – as already in a work from 2007– "it has recently become increasingly evident that more and more professional clarinettists, in collaboration with instrument makers, are developing individual instruments constructed for the needs of the musicians, based either on the German or the French system." Finally, it should be mentioned that – in accordance with the basic idea of Fritz Wurlitzer – the Canadian manufacter Stephen Fox in recent years has newly developed under acoustic aspects clarinets in B and A, wanting „to blend the focus and cleanness of the German sound with the brilliance and projection of the French clarinet, with superior intonation.“ Their development called in a R13 by Buffet Crampom and a Reform Boehm clarinet by Herbert Wurlitzer, from which some of the above-mentioned mechanisms were taken over and supplemented by others.
The decline of reform Boehm is probably due to the fact, that in the last 20 years, the sound conception of the French clarinetists (meaning those who play Boehm clarinets) has changed in the direction of the German sound perception. Producers of Boehm clarinets have influenced this trend with new drilling techniques with the result that today the sound of a modern Boehm clarinet is not far away from that of the reform Boehm clarinet or even that of a German clarinet. If then the clarinetist also uses a German mouthpiece with the appropriate reed, it may be that even trained ears can not discern the difference from a German clarinet. An example would be the soloist Sharon Kam. While ambitious followers of the sound of German clarinets (in cultural orchestras) may welcome this development, from a more independent point of view, one might rather regret the actual global unification or strong rapprochement and associated loss of different soundscapes. The same is the observable worldwide loss of the individual sound of top international orchestras.


Rotafix

The Rotafix is a method of tightening or loosening a sprocket on a track bike or fixed gear bicycle.
Method.
The Rotafix enables the securing of a sprocket ("cog") to a track hub without the use of a chain whip.
The chain is removed from the chainring and rests around the bottom bracket shell and on the sprocket with the rear wheel in the horizontal track ends. The chain is folded over itself such that the bottom half of the chain is trapped between the sprocket and the upper half. The sprocket is then prevented from turning because the chain is wrapped around the bottom bracket. It is essential to take steps to protect the paintwork on the bottom bracket shell from damage by the chain.
The sprocket is then tightened onto the hub by turning the wheel backwards until it is too tight to turn any more. This method can tighten the sprocket to very high torque because of high mechanical advantage created by the wheel. Professional mechanics also refer to this method as "frame whipping", as there is no need to utilize a chain whip.
Removing the sprocket is done by reversing the chain fold so that it is on the bottom, and turning the wheel forwards so that the sprocket turns counterclockwise. This is called the Reverse Rotafix.


Soco Gap

Soco Gap (el. ) is a mountain pass between the Plott Balsam Range, to its south, and the Balsam Mountains, to its north. Also known as Ahalunun'yi (), meaning "Ambush Place" or Uni'halu'na (), meaning "where they ambushed;" named after the occasion, probably in the mid 1700s, when the Cherokees ambushed a party of invading Shawnees, all of which were killed except for one, who was sent back (without his ears) to tell his people of the Cherokee victory.
The gap is the eastern point of the Qualla Boundary, which marks the territory held as a land trust for the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The gap also separates Haywood and Jackson counties and separates the river basins to the French Broad River and Little Tennessee.
U.S. Route 19 (Soco Road) traverses through the gap, which connects Cherokee and Maggie Valley. The Blue Ridge Parkway also passes through the gap, providing scenic views along the adjacent ridge lines.


Lechmere station

Lechmere station is a light rail station in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Cambridge Street and First Street. An elevated station is under construction nearby as part of the Green Line Extension, replacing the former surface-level station, which closed on May 24, 2020. The bus terminal at the old station remains open as a transfer point between MBTA bus routes and Lechmere– shuttle buses until the new station opens. The new station will be served by the D branch and E branch of the MBTA Green Line upon its planned October 2021 opening.
The Lechmere Viaduct was opened in 1912 with an incline to Lechmere Square, allowing streetcars from Cambridge Street and Bridge Street to reach the Tremont Street subway. In 1922, the Boston Elevated Railway opened a prepayment transfer station at Lechmere, separating the surface streetcars from the tunnel routes. The station was served by various tunnel routes (which eventually became the Green Line); the surface streetcars were replaced by buses. Lechmere station had two platforms on opposite sides of a balloon loop, with a small storage yard inside the loop. Lechmere was the northern terminus of the Green Line until it closed for construction of the Green Line Extension project. The replacement station will be elevated on the east side of the O'Brien Highway adjacent to the North Point neighborhood.
History.
East Cambridge station.
The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) opened between its namesake cities in 1835. Passenger service initially ran express between the two cities, but local stops were soon added. One of the first was East Cambridge, originally located near the Prison Point Bridge. By 1865, it was moved north to the foot of Third Street, closer to development on Dog Island (East Cambridge). The station was popular with employees from Somerville commuting to the factories of East Cambridge; among its more famous users was Benjamin Butler.
In 1926, the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M), which had acquired the B&L in 1887, began work on North Station plus an expansion of its freight yards. The B&M proposed to abandon East Cambridge station in order to realign the ex-B&L into the new station. Although most inner stations were largely replaced by streetcars and automobiles at this time, East Cambridge was still used by both industrial workers and by those headed to the Middlesex County Courthouse, and the proposed closure was locally opposed. The Public Utilities Commission approved the closure of East Cambridge and nearby Prospect Hill in March 1927; one train was rescheduled for ten minutes earlier to accommodate court attendees. The stations closed at some point between then and May 17, when trains were rerouted over the new alignment.
Lechmere station.
When the Tremont Street subway fully opened in 1898, surface cars entering the subway from Cambridge Street and Bridge Street in East Cambridge had to cross Craigie's Bridge and proceed on surface streets to the Canal Street incline. The trip from Lechmere Point over the bridge was slow and prone to delays. After five years of construction, the Lechmere Viaduct and Causeway Street Elevated opened on June 1, 1912, providing the streetcar routes from Harvard Square and much of Somerville a direct route into the subway.
The surface lines that fed into the subway had poor schedule reliability. The Boston Elevated Railway wished to convert the subway into a quasi-rapid transit service, with surface lines terminating at transfer stations (as had been done with the Main Line El and Cambridge–Dorchester line). A prepayment transfer station was constructed at Lechmere Square for this purpose. The station had a balloon loop with separate boarding and alighting platforms for subway trains, with a small storage yard inside. Surface streetcars would drop off passengers on the inbound side with a cross-platform transfer, then use a second loop (under the elevated tracks) to pick up outbound passengers. Lechmere station opened on July 10, 1922.
Initial subway service to Lechmere was a shuttle service to Pleasant Street, which was intended as a temporary terminal until a more suitable western terminal could be found. (A transfer station at on the Commonwealth Avenue line had been proposed in June 1922, but was rejected by the community.) Service ran with three-car trains every three minutes at peak, and two-car trains every four minutes at other times. The forced transfer was unpopular with some riders who formerly had a one-seat ride to downtown Boston.
On January 2, 1923, some off-peak trips were extended through the Boylston Street Subway to the surface station at ; all-day service began on October 10. Most trips were extended along the Beacon Street line to on December 14, 1929. The Washington Street service was cut back to Kenmore in June 1930 but resumed that September. On February 7, 1931, Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street service was extended from Park Street to Lechmere, and the existing shuttle services to Lechmere were replaced with Kenmore–Park Street shuttles.
An improved waiting area for outbound passengers opened in 1924. A Lechmere–Arlington Center bus route (later route ) was established in 1932; the outbound surface transfer area was paved for use by buses. The route 66 streetcar (later renumbered as the 77, then the ) was the first route to be converted to trackless trolley in 1936. The remaining surface routes out of Lechmere were converted to trackless and later bus over the next three decades. The inbound side surface boarding area was eventually disused; the outbound side was fully converted to a busway and the direction of traffic through it reversed for improved bus operations.
MBTA era.
Several years after it was inaugurated in 1959, the Riverside Line was extended to Lechmere at most times. The MBTA took over transit operations in 1964. With the ability to reverse Green Line trains at Park Street, Government Center, North Station, and Lechmere, the MBTA frequently switched which lines ran to which downtown terminals to match passenger demands and other operational needs. On September 10, 1966, the remaining Commonwealth Avenue line service to Lechmere was cut back to Park Street. In 1967, the MBTA redesignated the remaining streetcar operations as the Green Line with branches "A" through "E". The Commonwealth Avenue line became the B branch, the Beacon Street line the C branch, and the Riverside line the D branch. After March 25, 1967, the "C" and "D" branches served Lechmere at all times.
On March 25, 1974, the B branch was extended back to Lechmere and the "D" cut to North Station; for the next decade, the "B", "C", and "D" frequently were switched between Lechmere and other termini. On January 2, 1983, for the first time in the station's history trains from Huntington Avenue (the E branch) began serving Lechmere. On February 11, 1983, the E branch was shut down by snow for several days; a Government Center–Lechmere shuttle ran in its stead, soon joined by some D branch service. From December 28, 1985 to July 25, 1986, additional shuttle service ran between Lechmere and Kenmore. E branch service resumed to Lechmere partially on July 26, and fully on June 20, 1987. The remaining Lechmere–Government Center shuttles were replaced with an extension of D branch service on June 21, 1997.
Around 2000, portable lifts were added at Lechmere as a temporary accessibility measure, along with a wooden mini-high platform on the inbound side. (Unlike other stations, Lechmere was not soon retrofitted with raised platforms due to the pending Green Line Extension.) On June 25, 2004, service to Lechmere was suspended as the Causeway Street Elevated was removed, and the surface and elevated platforms at North Station were consolidated into a new underground "superstation". A shuttle bus to Government Center accommodated Lechmere passengers. Service to Lechmere, operated only by the E branch, resumed on November 12, 2005. Service past North Station was replaced with buses from April 30 to November 4, 2011, as Science Park station was rebuilt.
Green Line Extension and new station.
The Green Line Extension, which extends the Green Line north into Somerville and Medford, includes the closure and replacement of Lechmere station. The new station will be elevated on the east side of O'Brien Highway. Entrances will be located north of North First Street and south of East Street, with a busway off Water Street. Both entrances will have elevators and stairs to the curved island platform, which will be long and wide. A bike station between the entrances will hold 182 bicycles. Public artwork at the station will include "Field Notes" by Randall Thurston – a set of panels on an elevator shaft depicting birds and vines. Some panels on station signs will have artwork of poetry overlaid with images of birds; others will have historical images and interpretive text.
Station design was 10% complete in March 2018 and 76% complete by that December. Construction began in mid-2019. By March 2020, the beams supporting the trackways and platform were being installed. The project requires a temporary service suspension while the elevated structure to the old station is replaced with the new viaduct. A bus shuttle between Lechmere and North Station – with dedicated bus lanes on the Charles River Dam Bridge – began on May 24, 2020, with the old station closed. At that time, service was expected to resume in April 2021.
Station construction was "well underway" by early August 2020, with the headhouse shells partially built; the platform was poured around August 10. , service to the new station is expected to begin in October 2021. It will be an intermediate station on the D branch (extended to in October 2021) and the E branch (extended to in December 2021).
Bus connections.
The outbound terminus platform was connected to a busway, still in used, on the Monsignor O'Brien Highway. An unused busway was present on the inbound side as well. The station continues to serve several MBTA bus routes:
Frequent shuttle buses run from the station to Science Park and North Station, the temporary terminus of the Green Line, a service that will continue until the new light rail station opens.
The EZRide Cambridge–North Station private shuttle service stops at Lechmere at all times. Although not part of the MBTA system, it is open to the general public and is shown on MBTA maps.


Shirish B Patel

Shirish B Patel, born 1932, is an Indian Civil Engineer and the founder of Shirish Patel & Associates (SPA), a company which designs, manages and inspects structural engineering projects. Patel is a writer and speaker in the media on the topic of urban planning and urban density.
Patel also helped to form the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. He was also a founding member of the Housing Development Finance Corporation.
Career.
Patel founded his engineering firm in 1960. He was the main designer of the Kemp’s Corner Flyover, the first in India, using new construction technology which had not been tried in India before.
Patel and two other authors created a plan in 1965 to create a new city across the harbour from Bombay. When the project was accepted by the government, Patel co-ordinated the implementation of the plan as New Bombay was constructed between 1970 and 1974.
As well as planning and design, Patel and his company are often called upon to perform infrastructure inspections, data collection and analysis and other consulting work.


Gillespie Gap

Gillespie Gap (el. ), also known as Etchoe Pass, is a mountain pass along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Historically, two events occurred at the pass. The first was in 1761 when thirty men, under the command of Francis Marion, were sent to dislodge an encampment of Cherokee warriors at the pass; ambushed, Marion lost twenty-one men. The second was in 1780 when the Overmountain Men crossed the pass on their way to Kings Mountain.
NC 226 traverses through the gap, which connects Marion and Spruce Pine. Intersecting at the gap is NC 226A, which goes to nearby Little Switzerland. The Blue Ridge Parkway also passes through the gap, providing scenic views along the adjacent ridge lines. The gap is also along the Eastern Continental Divide and the McDowell–Mitchell county line.


Harvey Thomas

Harvey Thomas was an American luthier who built a number of distinctive guitars in the 1960s.
Thomas was based in Kent, Washington, where he built guitars apparently uninfluenced by any other guitar builder. It included a cross-shaped guitar (called the Maltese), a triangular one (the Mandarin), and "the deranged mutations of the Mod and the Riot King." Thomas custom-built guitars as well, both electric and acoustic, including a number of enormous hollow-body guitars.


Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement

The Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA) () is a transit trade deal between China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan for facilitating transit traffic and trade. In February 2017, Tajikistan expressed interest in joining the deal. A similar desire to join the agreement was expressed by Uzbekistan in May 2020 The initial work on this road project was initiated in 1995.
The road project is related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which aims to provide China and Central Asia access to Pakistani ports. After the development of Gawadar Port in Balochistan province of Pakistan, development of this route became more lucrative particularly for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. For Pakistan its importance has recently increased following frequent border closures with Afghanistan over political hostilities and security issues.
Strategic implications.
The strategical importance of this project was reduced when Afghanistan offered Pakistan access to Central Asia via the Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement. However, in recent years, Afghanistan insisted that India be included in their bilateral transit trade as a condition for allowing Pakistan access to Central Asia, even threatening to cut off the agreement if it was not reciprocated. Pakistan's tensions with India made such an arrangement difficult. The QTTA provides Pakistan an alternative gateway to Central Asia by completely circumnavigating Afghanistan. It would use the Karakoram Highway which connects Gilgit-Baltistan to China's Xinjiang region, which links to Central Asia.


Boca Raton station (Brightline)

Boca Raton station is a planned inter-city rail station located in Boca Raton, Florida. It will be served by Brightline, which connects Miami, West Palm Beach, and eventually Orlando International Airport. The station is located near Mizner Park and is expected to open in 2022.
History.
In 2019, Brightline operations sent a letter to the city of Boca Raton about the possibility of adding their city as an infill station along the Florida route. Brightline proposed constructing the station and rail infrastructure while the city would cover access and zoning requirements and costs. In December 2019, the Boca Raton City Council approved the station site.
In September 2020, the city was awarded a $16,350,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation to be used towards the construction of the station and related infrastructure. A portion of the grant will fund construction of a 455-car parking garage for train guests and the public.


Johann Joseph Christian

Johann Joseph Christian (12 February 1706 – 22 June 1777) was a German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver. His masterworks are considered to be the choir stalls in Zwiefalten Abbey and Ottobeuren Abbey.
Christian was born in Riedlingen, in Further Austria (present-day Baden-Württemberg). His rare double gift as a woodworker and stucco sculptor was equalled only by Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer. In 1744 Christian received a commission to work in Zwiefalten Abbey, where until 1755 he created the choir stalls and numerous stucco figures for the high altar and nave and side chapels, working alongside the painter Franz Joseph Spiegler and the stucco master Johann Michael Feuchtmayer and under the direction of the architect Johann Michael Fischer.
Subsequently, Christian was commissioned to work on the abbatial church of the Holy Trinity in Ottobeuren Abbey, for which the architect was once again Fischer and for which Christian created the choir stalls, with gilded reliefs, and the organ reliefs. Once again he worked with Spiegler and J. M. Feuchtmayer.
Besides these two major works, he also worked on various smaller projects, including the parish church in Unlingen and the abbey church in Buchau.
Christian and his wife had 10 children, of whom five survived infancy. His son Karl Anton Christian (1731–1810) became abbot of St. Trudpert's Abbey near Münstertal in the Black Forest, and for this church J. J. Christian created a relief painting using a stucco technique for the high altar that is considered unparalleled. Christian died in Riedlingen. Another son, Franz Joseph Christian (1739–1798), became a sculptor and took over his father's workshop in Riedlingen.


3d Combat Engineer Battalion

3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (3rd CEB) was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps, most recently activated from 7 October 2007 to 5 August 2014.
Mission.
Provide mobility, counter mobility, survivability, and limited general engineering support.
History.
World War II.
The battalion was first formed on 16 September 1942 as 1st Battalion, 19th Marine Regiment. Two years later on 16 August 1944 they were re-designated the 3d Engineer Battalion. The battalion was deactivated at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California on 30 November 1945. From August 1957 until January 1962, the battalion was designated 3d Pioneer Battalion.
Vietnam War.
The 3d Combat Engineer Battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam landed at Chu Lai in July 1965 and later moved to Da Nang remaining in country until October 1969. During this time the battalion operated from Da Nang, Đông Hà, Gia Le, Quang Tri, Cửa Việt, Camp Carroll, Cam Lộ, and the Vandegrift Combat Base. After Vietnam the battalion was moved to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, only to be relocated in November 1970 to Camp Hansen, Okinawa. On 15 May 1976 the battalion was redesignated as the 3d Combat Engineer Battalion.
1970s through the 1990s.
In September 1975, the Battalion was redesignated as 3d Combat Engineer Battalion.
3d CEB provided three companies to Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm between August 1990 and March 1991. "Alpha" Company deployed from Marine Corps Base Hawaii with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, "Bravo" Company deployed via amphibious shipping 15 August 1990 from Okinawa,
and "Charlie" Company landed in Saudi Arabia five days before the air war began. The Marines from 3d CEB participated in breaching operations with "Task Force Grizzly" and "Task Force Papa Bear." Once in country, Alpha Co, 3rd CEB was soon assigned to 1st CEB and was referred to as "Alpha 3rd", to distinguish them from Alpha Company, 1st CEB. One platoon from Bravo Company, 3rd CEB, 3rd Mar Div, Okinawa, arrived in country via amphibious shipping and was added to "Alpha 3rd'" to become the company's 3rd platoon. 1st CEB supported Taskforce Ripper, [the lead element of 1st Mar Div during Desert Storm]. "Alpha 3rd'", was designated an Obstacle Clearing Detachment and was assigned to operate along with 1st Battalion 5th Marines, Company A, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion and Company A 1st Tank Battalion as the lead element of Task Force Ripper to breach minefields. Alpha Company 3rd' performed one minefield breach on the 1st mine field belt, and one breach on the second minefield breach which was defended by the Iraqi forces. "Alpha Company '3rd" also supplied a squad of engineers to conduct breaching operations for Task Force Shepard.
In 1995, 3d CEB was deactivated. Their numbers were dispersed to other combat engineers units throughout the Marine Corps. The battalion was renamed Combat Engineer Company and was folded into Combat Assault Battalion of the 3rd Marine Division.
Reactivation and the Global War on Terror.
Alpha Company was stood up in Twentynine Palms, California the autumn of 2007. The company, minus its 2nd Platoon, deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and fell under the command of Regimental Combat Team 5 during 2008. The 2nd Platoon deployed at about the same time to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines operating throughout Helmand and Farah Provinces.
Bravo Company was stood up in November 2008 with three full strength line platoons. The battalion will also have a full company to facilitate the use of the new Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV). In April 2010 Alpha Company, along with a company-sized element from First Tank Battalion (trained as engineers),deployed as a theatre asset to Helmand Province forces as Route Clearance, in support of 3rd Battalion 7th Marines. Alpha Company was then dispatched across Helmand Province including the districts of Marjeh, Musa Qala, and the infamous battle of Sangin. In August 2011 Bravo Company deployed to Helmand Province, again, in support of 3rd Battalion 7th Marines and 2nd Battalion 4th Marines. Alpha Company deployed again in 2013 with 1st Platoon direct supporting(DS) to 2nd Battalion 8th Marines and 2nd Platoon direct supporting 3rd Battalion 4th Marines Bravo Company deployed to Afghanistan again in 2013 as a route clearance company of 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion.
3d Combat Engineer Battalion deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom during 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Unit awards.
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the appropriate ribbon of the awarded unit citation. 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion has been awarded the following:
Notable former members.
recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor device and the Purple Heart
recipient of the Purple Heart
recipient of the Purple Heart


Kunja Bihari Meher

Kunja Bihari Meher was an Indian master craftsman and weaver from Odisha. Born in the Bargarh district, he is known for the "Ikkat" tradition (tie and dye) of weaving, found in the Sambalpuri sarees of Odisha, and is credited with the development of Sambalpuri handloom industry. He was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri by the Government of India, in 1998. He won the National Award for Handicrafts of the National Centre for Textile Design in 2009. His son, Surendra Meher, is also a known weaver.


OpenVRML

OpenVRML is a free and open-source software project that makes it possible to view three-dimensional objects in the VRML and X3D formats in Internet-based applications. The software was initially developed by Chris Morley; since 2000 the project has been led by Braden McDaniel.
OpenVRML provides a GTK+-based plugin to render VRML and X3D worlds in web browsers. Its libraries can be used to add VRML and X3D support to applications. The software is licensed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) and distributed a GNU-style source package that is portable to most POSIX systems with a C++ compiler. The source distribution also includes project files for building on Microsoft Windows with the freely-available Visual C++ Express compiler.
Binary (compiled) versions of the software are available within the Linux distributions Fedora and Debian, as well as under FreshPorts for FreeBSD and Fink for Mac OS X.
A number of software applications are designed to generate VRML code; see for instance GNU Octave.


Conrad Graf

Conrad Graf (17 November 1782 in Riedlingen, Further Austria – 18 March 1851 in Vienna) was an Austrian-German piano maker. His pianos were used by Beethoven, Chopin, and Robert and Clara Schumann, among others.
Life and career.
Graf began his career as a cabinet maker, studying the craft in his native Riedlingen in south Germany, in what was then Further Austria. He reached the status of journeyman in 1796 and migrated to Vienna in either 1798 or 1799. In 1800 he served briefly in an all-volunteer military unit, the Jäger Freikorps, then became apprenticed to a piano maker named Jakob Schelkle, who worked in Währing, then a suburb of Vienna. When Schelkle died in 1804, Graf married his widow Katherina and took over the shop.
The Graf family had two children listed in census records: Karalina Schelklin (born 1802), from Katherina's previous marriage, and Juliana Graf (born 1806). Katherina died in 1814, and Graf did not remarry.
It is not known how Graf developed his style or methods for building pianos. None of the pianos of his teacher Schelkle survive, and the surviving early Graf instruments are not much different from his fully mature ones. As Wythe says, "Graf's style appears to have emerged fully developed out of an apprenticeship with an obscure provincial maker."
The early 19th century was a period of ferment in piano building; Wythe describes the work of contemporary builders as "a volatile blend of traditional craftsmanship and new technology, carried out in an atmosphere
of intense competition." Graf was successful in this milieu. By 1809, he was employing ten workers. In 1811, he relocated from the original suburban location to new quarters in the (more expensive) central city. In 1824 he was appointed as Royal Piano and Keyboard Maker to the Imperial court in Vienna.
By 1826, the increasing demand for his pianos had led Graf to adopt methods of mass production, an area in which he was a pioneer. (Earlier, the building of pianos took place in small workshops.) He purchased the "Mondscheinhaus," a formerly fashionable dance hall at 102 auf der Wieden, and converted it into a piano factory, removing the chandeliers and other accoutrements. A report from 1835 indicates that the factory had 40 employees, who were "organized in eight divisions, each specializing in a particular job" (Wythe). Many of the workers lived in the same building, which included ten apartments. Between 1827 and 1831 Graf built two additions to his factory, adding a total of over 1000 square meters.
Graf's firm eventually produced over 3000 instruments during his lifetime. As the "Grove Dictionary" notes, the instruments "show a remarkable degree of consistency and may be categorized as a series of models," presumably as a consequence of Graf's mass production methods. The lower cost of factory-produced instruments led in the 19th century to widespread ownership of pianos by the middle class
In 1835, Graf won a gold medal for his pianos in 1835 at the first Viennese industrial products exhibition. His pianos were often owned and played by celebrated musicians (see below).
In 1840 Graf retired and sold the firm to Carl Stein, who was the grandson of the famous piano builder Johann Andreas Stein.
Graf's business was successful enough for him to become an art collector, and he amassed an extensive collection. From Josef Danhauser he commissioned in 1840 the famous painting "Franz Liszt Fantasizing at the Piano" (shown below), which shows Franz Liszt playing to an imagined gathering of his friends. The instrument portrayed is a Graf.
During his retirement Graf served as a volunteer for a businessman's association, the Niederösterreichische Gewerb-Verein ("Lower Austrian Industrial Association"), which he had helped to found in 1839. He died 18 March 1851 at the age of 69. His will left sizable bequests to charitable causes.
Graf's pianos.
As was typical with the pianos of his day, Graf's instruments use rather little metal reinforcement. The only metal structural part was the gap spacer, which reinforced the structure at the gap where the strings cross over the action; otherwise, their construction was entirely of wood. The stringing was straight (that is, all strings parallel, instead of the bass strings crossing over the treble as in modern pianos). The range as C′–f′′′′ or g′′′′. There were from three to five pedals, which other than the standard damper pedal could also include the soft pedal, bassoon stop, piano and pianissimo moderators, and janissary stop).
Although Graf pianos had no metal frame, they were very strong. According to Wythe, "The frame members, constructed of five-ply laminated oak and spruce, interlock like bricks at each joint and at the belly rail, creating an exceptionally stable frame." The case was laminated (i.e., built in layers, as it usually is in modern grands). The sturdy construction prevented warping, which was a common problem of pianos in Graf's day, when both number and tension of strings was increasing.
Viennese pianos, including Graf's, are known for effective damping of sound after the key is released. Graf achieved this result by a variety of means. The dampers were graded in size (larger in the bass), and used different materials for different ranges (wool in the treble, leather in the bass). The weight of the dampers was also controlled: dampers for lower notes were made of a heavier wood (beech), vs. lime in the treble. The lowest 13–17 dampers were weighted with lead.
A curious aspect of some of Graf's pianos was a second soundboard. This had no bridges, but simply floated above the strings (not attached to them). According to Wythe its purpose was to make the sound "mellower and more blended." The instrument shown in this article has such a soundboard.
The exterior of Graf's pianos was largely undecorated, emphasizing instead the beauty of bookmatched veneers in walnut and mahogany. (The mirror-image motif created by bookmatching is visible in the illustration above.) The natural keys were normally of ivory and the sharps of ebony.
Thanks to their sturdy construction, Graf pianos have lasted for a long time. Over 60 of them have survived to the present day and can be found in many of the musical instrument museums of Europe and the United States.
With a single exception, the surviving Graf pianos are grands. The exception is a notable one, an 1829 pyramid piano (a kind of upright) built on commission and extravagantly decorated with caryatids, an ornamental urn, and other sculptures. It is kept in the Gemeentemuseum in the Hague.
Sound.
Owing to their heavier construction, Graf's pianos have a rather different sound from the pianos that prevailed through Mozart's, Haydn's, and much of Beethoven's musical careers; for example those built by Johann Andreas Stein or Anton Walter. Intuitively, the sound is "heavier," less tinkling, and shifted in the direction of the modern piano. Builder/scholar Paul Poletti, who is experienced in restoring and copying Grafs, offers these comments on the Graf sound:
For downloadable sound files illustrating the tone of a Graf, see External Links below.
Graf as inventor.
Although Graf's pianos are generally considered conservative in their design, there is evidence that Graf explored various ways to improve them. His technical innovations included the strengthened interior bracing mentioned above, a new method of leathering hammers, and quadruple stringing. At various stages (about 1810–1820, and also 1826; see below) he explored the possibility of adding a fourth string per note. Graf also built a mechanical saw for cutting veneer, capable of cutting strips up to 57 cm. wide, and created a device intended to help deaf persons (one in particular; see below) hear the sound of the piano.
Graf pianos played by celebrated musicians.
Probably in 1826 Graf lent to Ludwig van Beethoven a 6½-octave piano triple-strung to C, and quadruple-strung from D to the top (F4) – probably on the assumption that this stringing would make the piano more audible for the composer, who was quite deaf by this time. Graf's sound-channeling device, mentioned above, was also part of this effort.
Following Beethoven's death in 1827, Graf took the piano back and sold it to the Wimer family of Vienna. The instrument survives today and is on display at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn. The importance of the Graf to Beethoven's career is probably minor. According to Good, "the only work he wrote for piano after getting it was the four-hand transcription of the Grosse Fugue ... and the indications are that he was playing very little even for himself in the last three years of his life."
In 1829, the 19-year-old Frédéric Chopin came to Vienna from Poland to give concert performances on the piano. Both Graf and his rival Matthäus Andreas Stein offered Chopin an instrument to use. Chopin, who was familiar with foreign pianos, unhesitatingly selected the Graf, and his Vienna concerts were a success. According to Goldberg, Chopin continued to "cherish" Graf instruments during his subsequent career in Paris.
The famous virtuoso Franz Liszt, who played Graf pianos, must have been something of a thorn in Herr Graf's side, as the Graf piano was not always capable of standing up to the violence that Liszt inflicted on it during his more impassioned moments of playing. Friedrich Wieck wrote in his diary during Liszt's 1838 visit to Vienna, "We heard Liszt today at Conrad Graf's who was sweating as his piano did not survive the great duel—Liszt remained the victor." Wieck described another concert on the same visit in which Liszt "destroyed" two Grafs, as well as an Erard piano lent to him by Sigismond Thalberg.
In 1840, Graf gave one of his firm's grand pianos as a gift to the young piano virtuoso Clara Wieck (Friedrich's daughter), on the occasion of her marriage to Robert Schumann. When Schumann died in 1856, Clara gave the instrument to her friend Johannes Brahms, who used it for his work until 1873. He then donated it to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; today it is on display in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
During the 1880s, the young Gustav Mahler owned and played a very old piano, a Graf from about 1836. The instrument is currently housed in the Cobbe Collection near Guildford in England. The collection's web site suggests that Mahler simply could not afford a better piano at the time.
Other musicians who owned or played Graf pianos included Friedrich Kalkbrenner and Camille Pleyel.
Assessment.
Of Graf's instruments, Wythe says they "represent the culmination of Viennese classical piano building in the style of J. A. Stein and Anton Walter: they are uncorrupted by modern 'advances' such as the steel frame and the repeat action, and show none of the unwieldiness that eventually led to the decline of the Viennese piano." Kottick and Lucktenberg describe Graf thus: "although a conservative builder, Graf was well thought of, and some of the best nineteenth-century German pianists preferred his instruments." The report of the exhibition where Graf's pianos won a gold medal said:
The surviving Graf instruments are about two centuries old; the musicologist Robert Winter has voiced strong criticism of performers who choose to use historical instruments, including Graf pianos, that may sound very poorly after such a great passage of time. However, a number of modern builders have created new copies of Graf pianos, and these non-dilapidated instruments have been adopted by a variety of modern performers for both concerts and recordings; see External links below.


Thomas Stretch

Thomas Stretch (March 30, 1697 – October 19, 1765) was an American clockmaker and a founder and first Governor of the Colony in Schuylkill, later known as The State in Schuylkill, or Schuylkill Fishing Company. In 1753 he erected the first clock at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, a large clock dial and masonry clock case at the west end of the structure.
Family.
Born at Staffordshire, England, he came to America with his father, Peter Stretch, in 1702. The earliest known clockmakers in Leek, Staffordshire were members of the Quaker family named Stretch. Samuel Stretch, Peter Stretch's uncle, was making lantern clocks in Leek in 1670.
Thomas Stretch married July 29, 1743, Mary Anne Robins, who died and was buried in Friends' Burial Ground, Philadelphia, October 10, 1781, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. Although Thomas followed his father's example in his craft and philanthropy, he did not do so personally. Thomas married out of the Quaker faith and was censured by the Monthly Meeting. As a result, "Thomas Stretch brought in a paper [to the Meeting] signed by himself & Wife condemming their unchaste freedom before Marriage as well as their disorderly procedure in Marriage," surely an embarrassment to his parents.
Of their five children only one lived beyond childhood, Peter Stretch II (1746-1793) who married Sarah Howell (1754-1825), daughter of Samuel Howell (1723-1807), eminent Philadelphia merchant and a financier of the American Revolution and Sarah Stretch (1727-1770), a daughter of Thomas's brother Joseph Stretch. Thomas and Mary's daughters: Mary Stretch (died 1744); Elizabeth Stretch (died 1747); Ann Stretch (died 1750) and Sarah Stretch (died 1756). Thomas Stretch was buried at Friends Burial Ground, Philadelphia, on October 19, 1765.
His son Peter, who was not of age when Thomas made his will in 1760, was left his clocks, watches, tools, etc. Half of his property went to his beloved wife Mary. Thomas Stretch's brother, Joseph, and his nephew Isaac Stretch were his executors. The will is proved October 23, 1765.
Clockmaker.
Thomas Stretch's father, Peter Stretch, became one of the most important clockmakers in colonial America, noted for his magnificent tall case clocks, intricate watches and clocks, and scientific instruments. His shop was at the southeast corner of Front and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, then called "Peter Stretch's Corner at the Sign of the Dial". Soon after the death of his father, Thomas Stretch sold his father's property at the Sign of the Dial and established himself a block farther west, at the southwest corner of Second and Chestnut Streets.
During his prime years, Thomas Stretch was probably the most competent clockmaker in Philadelphia. In 1752, when Isaac Norris (statesman) was selecting a man to build the first clock for the State House, today known as Philadelphia's Independence Hall, he chose Thomas Stretch, the son of his old friend and fellow council member, to do the job.
In 1753 Thomas Stretch erected a large clock dial and masonry clock case at the west end of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. That equipment, which resembled a giant tall clock (grandfather clock), had been removed in about 1830. The clock's dials were mounted at the east and west ends of the main building connected by rods to the clock movement in the middle of the building. The western end had a masonry structure designed to look like the clock case. The acquisition of the original clock and bell by the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly is closely related to the acquisition of the Liberty Bell. By mid-1753, the clock had been installed in the State House attic, but six years were to elapse before Thomas Stretch received any pay for it.
During the summer of 1973 a replica of the Thomas Stretch clock was restored to Independence Hall. The $159,000 replica included a 14-foot copy of the clock case atop a 40-foot soapstone column, just the way it looked during the Revolutionary War. To lessen danger of deterioration, the original delicate wood carvings were instead cast in polyester bronze. The only major concession in modernism: the clock, with an eight-foot dial painted red-brown and Persian blue, is powered by electricity rather than wooden works and weights.
While conducting a study of early clockmakers in Philadelphia, Carolyn Stretch located in the Philadelphia area twenty clocks by Peter Stretch (1670-1746), seven by his son Thomas Stretch (1695-1765), and two by Thomas' brother William Stretch (1701-1748). Watches made by Thomas Stretch were also greatly treasured by their owners. That she had not been so successful in locating many of the clocks made by Thomas Stretch is attributed to the fact that they have reached the hands of dealers and been scattered across the country. By 1710, the Stretch clocks had not only a minute hand but also a second hand. The most sophisticated Peter Stretch clock found was owned by The State in Schuylkill.
Among the known tall case clocks with works by Thomas Stretch are one exhibited in the Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg; one with a walnut case at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see Ruth Davidson, "Museum Accessions", The Magazine Antiques (July 1970:60)); and one illustrated in William Distin and Robert Bishop, The American Clock, 1976, no.37. An eight-day tall case clock by Thomas Stretch, circa 1740, is at Keith House-Washington's Headquarters, the historic home of Gov. William Keith, located at Graeme Park and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
A Queen Anne carved and figured mahogany tall case clock, by Peter Stretch, Philadelphia, circa 1740, was bought at auction by Winterthur Museum and Country Estate on October 28, 2004 for the highest price ever paid for an American clock: $1.7 million.
Civic Activities.
Thomas Stretch was one of the founders of Pennsylvania Hospital and a member of the Union Fire Company, also known as Benjamin Franklin's Bucket Brigade. He was a director of the Philadelphia Contributionship (Hand-in-Hand fire mark) from 1758 to 1761.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of May 29, 1755, Thomas Stretch appears as one of the largest subscribers (with Benjamin Franklin and others) to the fund for the Pennsylvania Hospital. In essence, the Stretch family and Benjamin Franklin provided half of the original capital to found the hospital. The list of subscribers reads:
Thomas Stretch and Joseph Stretch were sons of Peter Stretch (1670-1746) and Margery Hall (1668-1746). It is likely the reference to Isaac Stretch is to Isaac Stretch (1714-1770), son of Daniel Stretch (1694-1746), another son of Peter Stretch and Margery Hall. The Stretch family were Quakers.
Joseph Stretch, mentioned above, was at this time "His Majesty's Collector of Excise for the City and County of Philadelphia", as may be seen from a notice in the Pennsylvania Gazette of October 28, 1756; and subsequently, in 1768, he was "His Majesty's Collector of Customs, etc., for the Port of Philadelphia". Robert Harding was pastor of St. Joseph's Church.
Founder of Schuylkill Fishing Company.
The founders of the social club known as Schuylkill Fishing Company numbered twenty, each of whom was either then or later prominent in Philadelphia's business and civic life.
Like Thomas Stretch, many of the early members were Quakers. When its organization took on formal shape, it was an emulation of Pennsylvania's provincial government. Thomas Stretch was named the club's first governor in 1732, and re-elected annually until his death in 1765. He was member No. 1, elected May 1, 1732.
Under Governor Stretch, the colony in Schuylkill prospered in its peaceful pursuits. In the year 1747, for their more convenient accommodation, they resolved to build a "Court House" for the meetings of the Governor, Assembly and colonists, on the slope facing the river, amid the stately walnut trees, some of which furnished the timber. Its members, in 1748, built their first Court House near the City of Philadelphia, on the west side of the Schuylkill River where the Girard Avenue bridge now crosses. The place was then a wilderness, its denizens the fowls of the air, and the fish, which in quantities almost incredible, filled the river.
With much mock formality and discipline, the Schuylkill Fishing Company pursued its piscatorial and fowling interests, upon the success of which depended their meals. Fish or game not caught or killed by its members was not allowed to be served. The annual election of officers, at which Governor Stretch was regularly returned, took place each October. Something of the flavor of the Colony's procedures may be sensed in a proclamation issued by Governor Stretch on September 29, 1744, "the twelfth year of my Government". Evidently in an effort to encourage his colonists to promote game for the year's final meeting on October 4, Stretch called to their attention by Proclamation:
In 1782, "The Colony in Schuylkill" became the "State in Schuylkill".
Thomas Stretch's son, Peter Stretch, his brother, Joseph Stretch, and Joseph's son, Isaac Stretch, were also members of the State in Schuylkill. Samuel Howell, also a member of the State in Schuylkill, married Thomas' niece, Sarah Stretch. Samuel and Sarah Howell's daughter, Sarah Stretch Howell, married Thomas Stretch's son Peter Stretch (1746–1792), also a member, as was Samuel's son, Samuel Howell, Jr.
References.
"A History of the Schuylkill Fishing Company of the State in Schuylkill, 1732-1888." Philadelphia: The State in Schuylkill, 1889.
Fennimore, Donald L. and Hohmann, III, Frank L. "Stretch. America's First Family of Clockmakers." A Winterthur Book. The Henry Francis duPont Winterthur Museum, Inc. and Hohmann Holdings, LLC. 2013.
Frazier, Arthur H. "The Stretch Clock and its Bell at the State House". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, XCVIII (1974)
Milnor, William. "An Authentic Historical Memoir of the Schuylkill Fishing Company of the State in Schuylkill . . . (Philadelphia, 1850)
Stretch, Carolyn Wood. "Peter Stretch, Clockmaker — 1670-1746". International Studio Magazine. October, 1930. pp 47–49.
Stretch, Carolyn Wood. "Early Colonial Clockmakers in Philadelphia". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, LVI (1932), p 226.


Joseph Kaspar Bollermann

Joseph Kaspar Bollermann (1773 - December 21, 1839) was a German clockmaker active in Würzburg. He performed his apprenticeship with a cousin from 1785-1790, and on February 26, 1796, was admitted to the guild as a watch maker, acquiring Würzburg civil rights a few days later on March 3. On January 30, 1797, he married Margaretha Dörfler, daughter of the deceased Würzburg court goldsmith Johann Baptist Dörffer, and sister of goldsmith Georg Stephan Dörffer. From 1806-1822 Bollermann served as a juror of his guild. He had three apprentices.