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Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Scale models of the Bastille were produced between 1789 and 1790 by the businessman Pierre-François Palloy using stones from the demolition of the Bastille, the building they portray.
Following the fall of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 Palloy decided to take charge of its demolition, gaining official authorisation to do so on 16 July and completing work on 21 May 1791. Stones from the former fortress were used on several building projects, notably Pont de la Concorde, but Palloy also converted salvaged stones and other materials into souvenirs, such as stone plaques made from stones from the dungeons,[1][2] medals made from chains[3] and so on, thus launching a fashion for representations of the fall.[4]
When the 83 départements were founded at the end of 1789 Palloy decided to make a scale model of the Bastille from its stones for each of the départements' capitals. He set up a studio dedicated to producing them, initially carved from the stones, then mass-produced by casting a mix of stone powder and mortar.[5] He offered the scale models to the départements at the end of 1790, sending with them other products and an "apostle of Liberty" (an association set up by Palloy himself), who would give a speech when the gifts were handed over.[3][5] Scale models were also offered to government ministers, to Louis XVI and to foreign dignitaries such as George Washington (his is still on display at Mount Vernon).
The scale models were around 40 cm high, 100 cm wide and 60 cm deep and were presented to the public at patriotic festivals[6] and contributed to turning the Bastille's fall into a republican myth and symbol of liberty.[3]
Surviving examples include :
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Scale models of the Bastille were produced between 1789 and 1790 by the businessman Pierre-François Palloy using stones from the demolition of the Bastille, the building they portray.
Varney Scale Models was founded in 1936 by Gordon Varney, an early pioneer in manufacturing HO scale model trains. The development of a reliable 6-volt motor made it possible to produce model locomotives capable of pulling long trains. The company relocated from Chicago, Illinois, to Miami, Florida, in 1955. Varney sold his company to Sol Kramer in 1960, which became the basis for launching his own line of Life-Like Trains in 1970. Varney models were above average in quality and detail and are still quite popular with collectors and model railroad enthusiasts.
A scale model is a physical model that is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes such as anatomical structures or subatomic particles. Models built to the same scale as the prototype are called mockups. Scale models are used as tools in engineering design and testing, promotion and sales, filmmaking special effects, military strategy, and hobbies such as rail transport modeling, wargaming and racing; and as toys. Model building is also pursued as a hobby for the sake of artisanship. Scale models are constructed of plastic, wood, or metal. They are usually painted with enamel, lacquer, or acrylics. Model prototypes include all types of vehicles (railroad trains, cars, trucks, military vehicles, aircraft, and spacecraft), buildings, people, and science fiction themes (spaceships and robots).
N scale is a popular model railway scale. Depending upon the manufacturer (or country), the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. Effectively the scale is 1:159, 9 mm to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), which is the width of standard-gauge railway. However the scale may vary to simulate wide or narrow-gauge rail. In all cases, the gauge (the distance between the rails) is 9 mm or 0.354 in. The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the United Kingdom in particular British N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with 1:160 (9 mm or 0.354 in) track gauge modelling. The terms N scale and N gauge are often inaccurately used interchangeably, as scale is defined as ratio or proportion of the model, and gauge only as a distance between rails. The scale 1:148 defines the rail-to-rail gauge equal to 9 mm exactly (at the cost of scale exactness), so when calculating the rail or track use 1:160 and for engines and car wheel base use 1:148. All rails are spaced 9 mm apart but the height can differ. Rail height (in thousandths of an inch) is expressed as a "code": thus, Code 55 rails are 0.055 inches (1.4 mm) high while Code 80 rails have a height of 0.080 inches (2.0 mm). Common real railroad rails are at least 6 inches (150 mm) tall and can be taller on some roads, so at true scale the rails would be about 0.040 inches (1.0 mm) high. Many older N-scale models may not run well on Code 55 track as their flanges are often unrealistically large, causing the wheels to bounce along the ties instead of ride along the railhead. Wheelsets with these large flanges are colloquially known as 'pizza cutters' due to a resemblance to the kitchen utensil. An advantage of N scale is that it allows hobbyists to build layouts that take up less space than HO scale, or put longer track runs into the same amount of space, because the models are smaller (by nearly a half) than they are in HO scale (1:87). While N scale is quite small, it is not the smallest commercially available scale, as Z scale is smaller yet at 1:220 and T scale is 1:450 or 1:480. N scale is considered generally compatible with 1:144 scale for miniature wargaming.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker