Beds covered in moss, rubble strewn floors, crumbling German hotel left to rot for more than two decades
Inhospitable: London photographer Andre Govia visited the abandoned hotel to capture the decay in a series of haunting pictures Dated: Time seems to have stood still inside the abandoned Plaza Hotel, located in Germany Its majestic dome still directed toward the heavens, now covered in graffiti and left to rust - inside the stunning abandoned astronomical observatory atop a Spanish mountain. Standing 2,605m above sea level in the region of Andalucia, the Mohon del Trigo observatory has been empty for nearly 40 years. The observatory at Mohsn del Trigo was built in 1902 after planners judged the clear skies of the isolated Sierra Nevada mountains to be perfect for stargazing. Solitary: The Mohon del Trigo observatory has stood empty and abandoned for nearly 40 years Clear blue sky: The Mohon del Trigo observatory was built in 1902 in an isolated spot in the Sierra Nevada mountains where the sky is perfect for stargazing She said: 'While I was there I imagined years gone by.
30 Iconic Photos From History Everyone Should See
Do you think you could recognize 30 of the most iconic photos from history? You may be surprised by just how many of these famous old photos you won’t recognize. From Nazi Christmas dinners to the creation of the Statue of Liberty, every American should see these incredible photos.They all serve a special place in history. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1920′s lifeguard 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Your history lesson is now complete. Source
One man against all the police
Amazing Fire Domino A tower of matches turned into dust in seconds. Snake Massage, Israel Performed in Northern Israel by therapist Ada Barak, a therapeutic snake massage involves having six non-venomous serpents slip and slide down you spine to release your tensions and relieve your aching muscles. The snakes used in the treatment are a mixture of corn snakes, milk snakes and California and Florida King snakes. Heli-rafting, Queenstown, New Zealand It's an eerie experience in total darkness.
Visualization for Writers
Scenario One: You’re reading along, completely into the author’s story, excited about where it is going — and suddenly the characters do something so sloppy, or so physically impossible, or so lame that you’re thrown out of the book. Scenario Two: You pick up something in the bookstore that — from the cover — looks like it’s going to be great, but when you start reading, you feel like you’re standing in the dark listening to someone muttering on the other side of a wall. Or Scenario Three: You send off a piece in high hopes; you’ve gotten an okay from an editor who, based on a nice chat the two of you had at a con, is already excited about your idea. In all three scenarios, the author would have benefited from developing better visualization skills. The more clearly you as the writer can see a scene in your mind’s eye, the more clearly you can write it. Visualization is one of three essential skills for building a career as a professional writer. Not so. On to the exercises, then. Exercise 2:
The Book Surgeon (15 pieces)
Using knives, tweezers and surgical tools, Brian Dettmer carves one page at a time. Nothing inside the out-of-date encyclopedias, medical journals, illustration books, or dictionaries is relocated or implanted, only removed. Dettmer manipulates the pages and spines to form the shape of his sculptures. He also folds, bends, rolls, and stacks multiple books to create completely original sculptural forms. "My work is a collaboration with the existing material and its past creators and the completed pieces expose new relationships of the book’s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception," he says. "The richness and depth of the book is universally respected yet often undiscovered as the monopoly of the form and relevance of the information fades over time. Dettmer is originally from Chicago, where he studied at Columbia College. Update: Read our exclusive interview with the Book Surgeon here. Brian Dettmer's website
A Rich Woman Abandoned This Apartment In 1942. What They Just Found Inside Is Incredible.
Madame de Florian was a French socialite and actress who fled to the south of France during World War II. She kept her apartment in Paris on the Right Bank near the Opéra Garnier, though, in case she wanted to return. However, she never went back to it after the war. Since 1942, the apartment has been sitting untouched, until recently when an auctioneer entered her apartment. What he found was a time capsule, full of treasures. The apartment was covered in dust, perfectly preserved. All of the furniture from the time period remained just how she left it. Although it seems strange, having taxidermy pieces in one’s home was once a sign of affluence. The home is not open to the public and is still owned by her estate. Inside, a painting by Giovanni Boldini was found, a portrait of the apartment’s owner herself Madame de Florian. The painting was sold for 2.1 million euros and the rest of the items inside of the apartment would be worth thousands as well.
The Beauty of Death: Catacomb Saints Photographed by Paul Koudounaris
St. Albertus St. Valerius in Weyarn Hand of St. St. Skull of St. St. St. Relic of St. In 1578 word spread of the discovery in Rome of a network of underground tombs containing the remains of thousands of early Christian martyrs. Over the past few years photographer Paul Koudounaris who specializes in the photography of skeletal reliquaries, mummies and other aspects of death, managed to gain unprecendented access to various religious institutions to photograph many of these beautifully macabre shrines for the first time in history.
Chelsea Manning and access to treatment, on CNN New Day (24 Aug 2013)
The Periodic Table of Storytelling
This amazing graphic takes some of the thousands of tropes (conventions and devices found within creative works) from the TV Tropes wiki and sets them out in a very creative way. As one commenter said ‘Although very tongue-in-cheek and humor-oriented, this piece does indeed breakdown the many elements in storytelling, both modern and ancient, and most likely future too.’ Click image to enlarge and zoom More about TV Tropes TV Tropes is a wiki that collects and expands on various devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations. Pick some of the elements in the graphic above that interest you and search for them at TV Tropes.
Futility Closet
25 kusliga mäklarbilder på den italienska skräckön som är till salu - Skrolla
Ön, som kallas ”Världens mest hemsökta ö”, var hem för mentalsjuka och pestsmittade och har varit övergiven i över 45 år. När du ser bilderna förstår du varför… Ön Poveglia har drabbats av krig många gånger genom åren Ön har varit ett mentalsjukhus… …och en plats där pestens offer dumpats. Ön är populär bland spökjägare, eftersom den kallas för ”Världens mest hemsökta ö” På grund av Italiens dåliga ekonomi är ön nu till salu Är du sugen på att slå till? Gillar du övergiven civilisation?
