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The Wave
The Wave consists of 200 million year old sand dunes that have turned to rock. These large sandstone formations are located on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in Arizona. The spectacular ribbons of various colors, called Liesegang Bands, were formed by the movement and precipitation of oxidizing materials such as iron and manganese in ground water. The Wave is accessible only on foot via a three-mile hike and is highly regulated.
(Source: thewave.info)
Armored Diving Suit, France c. 1878 (via Xerposa)
Basket Jim does his thing in Covent Garden, London in 1930.
(Source: vintagephoto.livejournal.com)
World’s Largest Diamond - The Cullinan
The celebrated Cullinan Diamond, also known as the Star of Africa, is the largest diamond ever found. Weighing 3,106 metric carats in its rough state (picture 1) and measuring over 10 centimeters in length, it is notable for its size, extraordinary blue-white color and exceptional purity.
The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in January, 1905 at the Premier Mine in South Africa and named after the chairman of the mining company, Thomas Cullinan. In November, 1907 the diamond was bought by the Transvaal Government and presented to King Edward VII and, by February 1908, was ready to be cut (picture 5).
The Cullinan I (picture 2), which is 530.20 carats, was set in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The Cullinan II (picture 3), which is 317.40 carats, was set into the Imperial State Crown.
The Cullinan Diamond produced nine major diamonds of exceptional beauty. Only Cullinan I and II are part of the Crown Jewels; the rest, known as ‘the chippings,’ (picture 4) are set into pieces from the Queen’s personal jewelry collection.
(Source: famousdiamonds.tripod.com)
Strange and Rare Vintage Armour Helmets, 19th Century
- Khula-khud, Indo-Persia
- War Mask, Iran
- Grotesque Helmet, Europe
(Source: artfact.com)
Disney’s Classic Animated Films and Rotoscoping
While Disney has made some of the most popular animated features of all time, they had the good sense to use the most advanced animation technology available at that time - rotoscoping. Rotoscoping is a technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films. The recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator. This projection equipment is called a rotoscope, although this device was eventually replaced by computers. It is the vintage predecessor to the computer simulation techniques James Cameron used for his Avatar characters.
Curious History’s (odditiesoflife) Top Ten Posts for April
- Long Term Exposure of Mating Gold Fireflies - 31,737 notes
- The Fukang Meteorite - 20,777
- Recycled Animal Art - 8,232
- Animal Eyes - 6,557
- Victorian Headless Portraits - 6,033
- Animals Acting Human, 1923-1956 - 4,397
- Stunning Shots of an Active Volcano - 4,198
- Ice Caves Around the World - 3,947
- Rare Lenticular Clouds - 2,998
- The Gloster Canary - 2,325
More Fun with Animals
There is something very compelling about vintage animal photos. They depict the consistent love relationship over the decades that most humans have toward animals. The kitten in the beard wins for cuteness.
(Source: izifunny.com)
“When attacked from behind, she grasps a hatpin. Turning quickly, she is able to strike a fatal blow in the face.”
Hatpin self-defense tactics are illustrated in these photographs excerpted from a 1904 article that was featured in the San Francisco Sunday Call newspaper. (via Bartitsu)
