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The Earliest Days of NASA
Maria Popova, at Brain Pickings, happened upon a treasure trove of early NASA (and its airplane-only predecessor NACA) archive photos. They are really something. From biplanes to the Mercury capsule, pre-1950 aeronautics seemed to live by the motto of “If we build it, then we can go there.” That’s a sentiment we could use a bit more of.
(via thesunsetempire)
The work of Zhang Kechun can be found here:
Here’s a whole world of muted tones, spacious and strange.
Making your own contentment.
(Source: vimeo.com)
Making your own contentment.
(Source: mpdrolet)
There was a building being erected near some train tracks and old mills, and at the time it was a simple four story frame being built by Mortenson Construction. It had been a long time since I had seen a decent construction site, and my friend and I had been talking about climbing cranes for a while. Neither of us had ever had the chance to try, or the guts to go through with it. This place had a very decent sized crane for the taking. So it was decided we would explore the building, and if things seemed quiet enough, we would finally go for it.
We followed the train tracks to approach the building from behind, and after we were as sure as possible that the mobile offices were empty, we jumped the fence and quickly made for shelter. From the first level of the building, we checked the grounds again to be sure things were clear from an interior perspective, and that no one had heard our noisy entrance. We then climbed the temporary stairs that had been assembled as slowly and quietly as possible, straight to the top level.
From the top, we could see the nearby stadium with its lights on, the rail house at the end of the tracks, and the rest of the grounds, which we kept eyes on to be sure there wasn’t any unwanted activity. The occasional train passed by. It was the only noise we heard for most of the night.
After we finished up with our photographs, it was time to tackle the crane. We descended to ground level and began trying to figure out how to get into the thing. The base was surrounded by a good 15 feet of wooden wall, and a padlocked door. Being back on the ground made us tense again, and while searching for something to help us climb, I was ready to accept defeat if it meant we could get out of there. Soon enough, we found a sizable ladder, and got onto the mast where we made our ascension in plain sight of the mobile offices. Things remained quiet though, so I continued climbing until I reached the very top. It was fantastic exercise getting up there, and although the hatch was locked, I still had wonderful views of the land below.
“Mortenson Construction Site” - Adventure Series #3
Completed Late 2011 - Photography Work - Shapes Industries
One day, when I’m good and settled, my entire house will resemble that of Anne Hardy’s artistic endeavors.
Not too long ago, a good friend of mine (pictured in the forth image) showed me a palace that a man named Joel had built over the last decade or so. Joel’s palace is positioned alongside a bluff face, and has been his home ever since he started working on it.
We both talked to Joel for awhile, and learned that his palace had not been built without hardships. At one point, he was in threat of being “evicted” by the rail police, who combed the trails alongside the train tracks, and found encampments to break up and disperse. Joel’s home was so impressive, that the police allowed him to continue living there without disturbance.
He remains there to this day, both during the winter and the summer. Although he is one of the rare individuals who has claimed his own land and has built his own house there, he mentioned that he is often lonely, and has started inviting people up to chat.
Amongst his few possessions are the trinkets he has found while digging out the cliff side, that he proudly displays along the wall. After only a short visit, I can’t help but conclude that he’s gotten things figured out quite nicely for himself.
“Joel’s Palace”
Completed Mid 2011 - Photography Work - Shapes Industries