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Pictures That Changed the World

March 8th 2008 00:22

Pictures which changed the world - Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King at the Climax of his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

An anonymous man who became internationally famous when he was videotaped and photographed during the Tiananmen Square protests on 5 June 1989. 'Tank Man' stood in front of a column of Chinese Type 59 tanks, preventing their advance.

A black man drinking at segregated water fountains in North Carolina.

Federico Borrell García was a Republican soldier during the Spanish Civil War.Robert Capa's iconic photograph 'The Falling Soldier' captures the moment of Borrell’s death.

Afghan Girl - National Geographic. Photos that changed the world

Sharbat Gula known as the Afghan Girl. This photo was taken in 1985 at an Afghan refugee camp by Steve McCurry. It has been named National Geographic’s 'most recognized photograph in the history of the magazine.

A girl, killed by U.S. helicopter fire in Saigon during the Vietnam War has been placed in the back of their truck, where her brother finds her.

Disturbed child victim of the holocaust drawing a picture of home

Poland - A child survivor from a concentration camp. She has been placed in a home for disturbed children and has drawn a picture of 'home' on the blackboard.

Sitting on the Berlin Wall, 1989. Images that changed the world

1989, Berlin. A man bridges the gap between East and West before the wall is torn down.

Paris student protests in 1968.

Photos that changed the world - Mexicans at the US American border.

1979 - Mexican arrested try to cross the border into the USA.

*These images used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Sharbat Gula, Federico Borrell García, Tank Man and I Have a Dream.

***This image of the Afghan Girl is used here under fair use and came from the Wikipedia page for Sharbat Gula.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: history

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Terracotta Army

August 29th 2007 11:00

The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC (his reign over Qin was from 247 BC to 221 BC and over unified China from 221 BC to his death in 210 BC). Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies".

The Terracotta Army was discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a water well to the east of Mount Lishan near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. Mount Lishan is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors originated. In addition to the warriors, an entire man made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated.

Construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BC and is believed to have taken 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. Qin Shi Huangdi was interred inside the tomb complex upon his death in 210 BC. According to the Grand Historian Sima Qian, the First Emperor was buried alongside great amounts of treasure and objects of craftsmanship, as well as a scale replica of the universe complete with gemmed ceilings representing the cosmos, and flowing mercury representing the great earthly bodies of water. Pearls were also placed on the ceilings in the tomb to represent the stars, planets, etc. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Lishan, tentatively indicating an accurate description of the site’s contents by historian Sima Qian (145 BC-90 BC).

The terracotta figures were manufactured both in workshops by government labourers and also by local craftsmen. It is believed they were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it a factory line style of production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired as opposed to crafting one solid piece of terracotta and subsequently firing it. After completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits outlined above in precise military formation according to rank and duty.

The terracotta figures are life-like and life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. The coloured lacquer finish, moulded faces (each is individual), and real weapons and armour used in manufacturing these figures created a realistic appearance. The weapons were stolen shortly after the creation of the army and the colouring has mostly faded. However, their existence served as a testament to the amount of labour and skill involved in their construction. It is also proof of the incredible amount of power the First Emperor possessed to order such a monumental undertaking as the manufacturing of the terracotta army. People believe that the terracotta warriors were based on true people as every face has different facial features and expressions.

Terra Cotta Army Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.

*These photos used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Terracotta Army.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: history

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RMS Titanic

August 13th 2007 11:13

RMS Titanic was a British Olympic class passenger liner that became famous for her collision with an iceberg on 14 April 1912 and dramatic sinking on 15 April 1912. The second of a trio of superliners, Titanic and her sisters were designed to provide a three-ship weekly express service and dominate the transatlantic travel business for the White Star Line.

The Titanic under construction.

The Titanic picture after she has been built

Titanic just after she had been built.

Built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world at the time of her sinking. During Titanic's maiden voyage (from Southampton, England to Cherbourg, France, then onto Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland and finally New York City), she struck an iceberg at 23:40 (ship's time) on Sunday 14 April 1912, sinking two hours and forty minutes later at 02:20 on Monday 15 April having broken into two pieces at the aft expansion joint.

Lowering a lifeboat on the Titanic.

Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches (269 m) long and 92 feet 6 inches (28 m) at the beam. She had a Gross Register Tonnage of 46,328 tons, and a height from the water line to the boat deck of 60 feet (18 m). She contained two reciprocating four-cylinder, triple-expansion, inverted steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons turbine. These powered three propellers. There were 25 double-ended and 4 single-ended Scotch-type boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (43 km/h). Only three of the four 63 foot (19 m) tall funnels were functional; the fourth, which served only as a vent, was added to make the ship look more impressive. Titanic could carry a total of 3,547 passengers and crew and, because she carried mail, her name was given the prefix RMS (Royal Mail Steamer) as well as SS (Steam Ship).

What the Titanic would have looked like hitting an iceberg.

The Titanic was considered a pinnacle of naval architecture and technological achievement, and was thought by The Shipbuilder magazine to be "practically unsinkable." Titanic had a double-bottom hull, containing 44 tanks for boiler water and ballast to keep the ship safely balanced at sea (later ships also had a double-walled hull). Titanic exceeded the lifeboat standard, with 20 lifeboats (though not enough for all passengers).

The Titanic on the ocean bottom.

*These pictures used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article RMS Titanic.

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Antiques

August 3rd 2007 11:34

An antique is a collectible item which is old (usually at least 100 years old) and is collected or desirable because of its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features. It is an object which has reached an age which makes it a witness of a previous era in human society.

Antiques are usually objects which show some degree of craftsmanship, or a certain attention to design such as a desk or the early automobile. In a consumer society, an antique is above all an object whose atypical construction and age give it a market value superior to similar objects of recent manufacture. Any historical museum makes a considerable use of antiques in order to illustrate historical events and give them a practical context.

Just about any object can become an antique if it survives long enough, but value of an antique in the market place is determined by its appeal and social acceptance.

The term "antique" is pejorative in some instances, usually to depreciate the usefulness of an object or a procedure that means that it has been passed down from generation to generation.

Antiques are bought at antique shops, or passed down as an estate. Some valuable antiques can be bought from antique dealers and auction services or purchased online through websites and online auctions. Antique dealers are often members of national trade associations, many of which themselves belong to CINOA, a confederation of art and antique associations across 19 countries, representing five thousand dealers.

Below are pictures of some beautiful antiques. You can see more here.

Gramophone

Grandfather Clock

Typewriter

Small Table

Lamp

*These pictures used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.

**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Antique.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: history

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Top 10 Movie Mistakes of all Time

October 5th 2006 03:47

Every movie has some mistakes, goofs or bloopers and most of them go unnoticed by the general public at the first viewing. However, some movie buffs spot the mistakes and take the time to point them out so the rest of us are informed.
Starting from number 10, here are the biggest movie mistakes of all time.

10. American Pie - Cup Changes Colour

In the bedroom scene the girl is holding a clear cup of beer. The camera moves away and when it comes back the cup is now blue. The camera moves away and back again, and the cup has returned to clear!

9. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - Real hair visible under wig.

Near the end of the movie where Lucius is fuming with Dumbledore in his office, Lucius' wig moves back and his real brown hair can be seen underneath.

8. Black Hawk Down - Crewmember visible

Towards the end of the movie where a Humvee stops to let a man carrying a child pass, a cameraman or crewmember wearing a white shirt can be seen in the back of the vehicle. None of the men who entered the Humvee where wearing white.

7. Lord of the Rings The Two Towers - Pippin's hands untie themselves

When Merry and Pippin are taken by the Urak-hai and their hands are bound. When a horse almost tramples Pippin, his hands are free, yet in the next shot they are bound again. They are not actually cut until later in the film.

6. Matrix - Neo in the corner or chair?

Early on when Agent Smith is interrogating Neo, after he has sealed Neo's mouth shut Neo jumps up and backs into the corner. Then when the camera cuts back to Smith, you can clearly see a reflection in his sunglasses of Neo still sitting in the chair.

5. Terminator 3 - Plane ID number changes.

Near the end when John and Catherine jump into the plane in the hangar, the plane's tail number is N3035C. When they are in the air, the number has changed to N9373F. When the plane lands, the number has changed back again!

4. SpiderMan - Windows mend

In the scene where MJ is mugged by four men, Spiderman throws two of them into windows, smashing them in the process. When the camera pans back to MJ, the windows are unbroken.

3. Gladiator - Gas Cylinder

In the "Battle of Carthage" at the Colosseum, one of the chariots is turned over and a gas cylinder can clearly be seen underneath.

2. Commando - Car repairs itself

The Porsche is damaged badly on the left side, but when Arnie drives it away, the damage is gone.

1. Star Wars (A New Hope) - Storm Trooper bumps head

When the Stormtroopers break into the control room, the one on the right hits his head on the top of the door frame. On the DVD release, a thump was added when his helmet hits.

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Posted By: Ian - Category: history

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First Permanent Photograph

July 4th 2006 00:41

The first ever successful permanent photograph was produced by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. He began experimenting with processes to set optical images in 1793. Some of his early experiments produced images, but they faded rapidly. He was said to have first produced long lasting images in 1824. The earliest known surviving example of a Niépce photograph (or any other photograph) was created in June or July of 1827 (or 1826, according to some sources) and is shown below. Niépce called his process "heliography", meaning "sun writing". It was a slow process which required perhaps some 8 hours of bright sunlight to affix the image; therefore it was used to photograph buildings and inanimate objects, but could not be used to photograph people.

Niépce's earliest surviving photograph, circa 1826 (from Wikipedia)

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Vitruvian Man

June 22nd 2006 03:11

The Vitruvian Man is a famous drawing with accompanying notes by Leonardo da Vinci made around the year 1492 in one of his journals. It depicts a naked male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of Proportions or, less often, Proportions of Man. It is on display in the Gallerie dell' Accademia in Venice, Italy.
An image of Leonardo's original drawing is below.

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Most Famous Ghost Photo of All Time

April 10th 2006 03:07

This picture of "The Brown Lady" ghost is arguably the most famous and well-regarded ghost photo ever taken. The ghost is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, who were residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 18th century. Charles suspected Dorothy of infidelity. And although according to legal records she died and was buried in 1726, it was suspected that the funeral was a sham and that Charles had locked his wife away in a remote corner of the house until her death many years later.
Dorothy's ghost is said to haunt the oak staircase and other areas of Raynham Hall.
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Get Paid to Write

April 8th 2006 06:01

As Photos.org.au is part of the Orble network it is easy to get paid for any articles you publish, all you need is a Google AdSense account.

More information can be found here.
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Posting guidelines

April 8th 2006 05:57

At Photo.org.au we love your contributions and you can even get paid for your writing. However as always there needs to be a few rules.

Firstly, all posts should be photo related and of interest to our readers

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