Day 2 - Wunderkammer

The Owl of Minerva Takes Flight in the Dusk by Steffen Dam (Danish,b. 1961) was acquired in 2015 by the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia.

"In one of his most ambitious projects to date, Dam created a cabinet of curiosities, or Wunderkammer, and filled it with imaginary glass specimens. Then he perched a faux-owl on top, looking down over his collection. Such assemblages of natural and cultural curios became popular in the mid-1500s and, like minimuseums, were meant to delight viewers while increasing their knowledge about the world. Although Dam says that none of his fanciful forms can be found in nature, perhaps a life surrounded by the sea has summoned jellyfish-like creatures from his imagination." from Chrysler, The Members Magazine, Fall 2015

Day 1 - Hope

Hope's on clearance. — at Pier 1 Imports.

Putto

Putti proliferate in popular culture: on buildings, in decorative arts, on greeting cards - a popular purveyor of love. But in Art through the ages, the putto has been a curious little figure, often reflecting philosophy, theology and literature of the time. The putto in Renaissance art was a winged or wingless, male child figure.

This little guy was on the bedside table at the 1890 Caroline House we stayed in tonight. iPhone 6, Camera+ app

A Space Geek's Nirvana

Made my third trip to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside of Washington DC today. Seeing the Space Shuttle Discovery never gets old. Can't wait for the Orion NASA's next generation space vehicle that will take man to Mars in the next 20 years. iPhone 6 using the Camera+ app.

Blackbird

No aircraft in history operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71 "Blackbird", the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (2,124 miles) per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian. From The Smithsonian

Dream Job

I started a new job on June 1st as Executive Director of the Slover Library. The building is so beautiful that I have to pinch myself each day to make sure I'm not dreaming. The is the Forum with the morning sun casting a strong shadow from the Kent Bloomer ornamentation on the amazing grand staircase designed by Newman Architects. iPhone 6, Camera+ app.

In the Rigging

Working in Norfolk's authenticate urban downtown waterfront always presents great photo opportunities. This morning on the way to the office the tall ship USCG Eagle was preparing to depart following the Harborfest weekend. Sailors are high up in the rigging preparing the sails for unfurling. Next to the Eagle is Cisne Branco from Brazil.