panoramas – Page 3 – { feuilleton }

Milbury souvenirs

A little something I ran up this weekend inspired by a certain TV serial which has been the subject of discussion recently. This is now a new design at CafePress. The idea was to do a travel poster in the style of those produced by London Transport in the 1920s promoting their destinations outside the city. I’ve always liked the colours and bold design of those prints so this piece is based on posters by artist Noel Rooke (1881–1953).

Betchworth by Noel Rooke.

The picture of the stones was adapted from a photo by Jim Champion which is made available under the Creative Commons licence. I took the liberty of enlarging the stone on the left to give it more presence. I couldn’t find a font that was a good match for Noel Rooke’s pen lettering so I scanned an alphabet from a lettering book my mother used to use when she was at art school (thanks, Mum!). The snake design is based on a postcard seen in the TV serial; nothing else looked as effective, and the combination of the snake with the slogan adds the requisite sinister touch.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• A Journey to Avebury by Derek Jarman
• Children of the Stones
• Avebury panoramas

Borobudur panoramas

Photo by Ursula & David Molenda.

Panoramas of Borobudur, the Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, which lay undisturbed and overgrown for centuries until restoration began following the British occupation of the island in the 19th century. The bell-like structures are stupas, many of which contain statues of the Buddha in different symbolic postures. The entire monument is a complex three-dimensional map of the Buddhist cosmology: pilgrims ascend from the lowest level reading the bas-reliefs and visiting each Buddha in turn. Wikipedia has a detailed account of both the history of the monument and its meaning as a piece of religious architecture.

Photo by Ursula & David Molenda.

Photo by Lanang Lintang.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The panoramas archive

Austrian arcades

The Passage of Palais Ferstel – Shopping Arcade, Vienna #1 by Gary Quigg.

Given their enclosed nature and multiple vistas, arcades are well-suited to panoramic photography, so it’s a surprise when more examples don’t turn up at 360Cities. The ones here are recent additions from Vienna and Steyr in Austria. The Palais Fertsel is a particularly lavish place with some suitably lavish shops which include a branch of the Xocolat chain of chocolatiers. The arcade in Steyr is an oddity since it seems to be filled with clock sellers and watchmakers, and has an elaborate mechanical clock poised above its crossing.

The Passage of Palais Ferstel – Shopping Arcade with Fountain, Vienna #3 by Gary Quigg.

Steyr, Upper Austria, A Clockwork Arcade by Roberto Scavino.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The panoramas archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Cours et passages à Paris
• Arcades panoramas
• Arcades
• Passage des Panoramas
• Passages 2
• Passages

Mars panoramas

“Greeley Haven“, Mars (2012).

This is the latest panorama released by NASA July 2012. It was assembled from 817 images taken between Dec. 21, 2011, and May 8, 2012, while Opportunity was stationed on an outcrop informally named “Greeley Haven”, on a segment of the rim of ancient Endeavour Crater.

Probably the only time panoramas from another planet will be featured here, these have been around for a while but they’ve only impinged on the wider internet consciousness this week thanks to the arrival on Mars of the Curiosity Rover. Particularly impressive if you’re fortunate enough to have a large monitor. I’m looking forward now to seeing what panoramic images NASA’s new explorer delivers.

Eagle Crater, Mars (2004).

“Larry’s Lookout“, Mars (2005).

“Independence“, Mars (2005).

“Everest“, Mars (2005).

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The panoramas archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
• A Trip to Mars
• Signals from Mars

Avebury panoramas

The Avenue, Avebury. Photo by Sophie Morse.

I’ve been a little surprised that there aren’t more photo panoramas of stone circles, their shape being optimal for the 360-degree view. The stones at Avebury in Wiltshire are too widely situated to be seen effectively from a single viewpoint so the view above shows the West Kennet Avenue that leads towards the circles. The same photographer also has a view of the entrance to the West Kennet Long Barrow.

Silbury Hill, Avebury. Photo by Matthew Kaye.

Close to Avebury village is Silbury Hill, one of the largest artificial mounds in the world and—since its purpose is still contested—a good contender for Britain’s most mysterious creation. The hill and Avebury stones (not to mention Stonehenge) are only the most spectacular landmarks in a remarkable county that’s scored all over with prehistoric remains. It’s this area of England—Wiltshire and Somerset—I always regard as the true ancient heart of the country, not London which was founded by Roman invaders thousands of years after these structures were raised.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The panoramas archive