The British Library.

The British Library is the national library of the U.K.  Now I have a Reader Pass for the British Library. Everyday the library received up to 8 thousand items for their collection, plus all items that was requested  by readers.
What did I learned today from our guided tour?  Books by Shakespeare on the display are all poems, why?  At that time, the play was designed for performance, and not for a reading.
The next stop, at the music display.  The written text of songs by the Beatles that never was recorded.
The map display.  We saw London before & after the Great Fire of 1666 side-by-side that represented the time with eye-level view.  We saw something really similar in the Museum of London, but the British Library has an original items on display. I liked maps collection at lot because it a very interesting  to see how people used their imagination to represent the world around them.
Magna Carta has 4 copies.  We saw one in the Salisbury Cathedral, and now two more copies in the British Library. [the Lincoln Cathedral has one more copy]
I also learned that people of London raised up 53 thousand pounds to help purchased  Codex Sinaiticus that Stalin was selling for 100, 000 pounds during the WWII.

I also browsed on my-own and visited all exhibits. I found a display with four old Russian post-cards, 1914, a visual presentation of 2214.  Although people in 'the 23rd century' costumes that are very similar to fashion of the early 20th century.  The buses are flying from the top floor of the buildings, and many-many airplanes up in the air, and many-many cars on the street with a really heavy traffic and a few accidents.  I smiled while I was looking on these post-cards: they are close to reality.

I wished that I can often come to the British Library and discover something new every time.

Today, I am choosing the backward view from my photo-collection: I want to look back, and I am looking to come back.

The Globe Theatre: Before & After

Evening along the Thames & Ann Boleyn:

The city is living at day & at night.

Sherlock Holmes in London: Observation, Deduction & Knowledge.

It happens in every city -- when we read fiction, it is often based in reality, and when it is tied to a specific place.

The places are real, even though the characters are fictional. People love to visit places described in books; it how I started my digital story. 

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is the most popular privately run museum in London. The address is 221B Baker Street is the world's most famous address, even though 221 Baker Street existed only in Conan Doyle's imagination.  Still, if you're planning to visit the museum, prepare to pay 6 pounds, climb a very narrow stairs to see for yourself how imagination, stories, & descriptions recreate a real atmosphere of Sherlock Holmes house.

 Observation, deduction and knowledge are main steps of Sherlock's Holmes problem solving method.  Still, no one can solved mystery as well as Sherlock Holmes did: discovering clues, deducting the cause, and finding solution.

Mixing Modern with an Old.

The Salisbury Cathedral is busy with visitors daily.  I did not realize that I was saying "Sorry" to the real statue that does not move.  Suddenly, I saw all kind figures, including the fountain in the middle: the water -tower. I asked guide the name of artist: he said he thought it was Bruce Munro but he wasn't sure. He told me that it was normal to see all kind arts inside one of the oldest cathedrals.
Photography is welcome in the Cathedral, except  Magna Carta, which creates a good place for displaying art.  On the other hand, this is a sacred place.  I thought about how every aspect of marketing is covered to a new level, including installations, and hidden reasons why foreign tourists visit this cathedral, and bring support to local economy. Maybe it is a new way to show you care about the future of the Cathedral, through communication with modern art.

Mr. Piglet presents his adventure through the world of modern art inside one of oldest cathedral;

Mr. Piglet stood up and looked up; walked down the steps; sat down; tried to hide; and went to sleep.

What do you think about Mr. Piglet?

The history in our hands.

   

Stop # 1: The London Museum. I never have been here before, even though this isn't my first time in London. How I could miss this place before? The history that you can hold in your hands, see all transformation through the time, seeing how London was born on rubbish but turned out to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I could take a shot of the real Roman ruins from the museum's windows, but the closest shots of the ruins were outside. I was overwhelmed from seeing all of these in one stop. What do these finds mean? Some excavated objects are easily identified and explained. Others keep their secrets.

The new & modern incorporated inside museum is so lovely. The transitions are natural, which not every museum can do. A slice through time: Saxon, Medieval & Modern, which can be used to help understand London. Many more await discoveries.

Video Project: The White shoes

The idea about this video was born back home when I was trying to figure out what to bring or not to bring.  I was reading all posts from my fellow classmates about Wear or Not To Wear, Bring or Not To Bring. That was a question.
I spied so many white shoes here in London, worn by people from all over the globe, so my short video shows many of the white shoes I saw lately.

Here are some of 'our' Facebook conversations before we came here:

"Crystal Schmidt

What is appropriate footwear for London in the summertime? Having a hard time knowing what to pack.

June 13 at 11:10pm · Like ·

           

           

            


FSU Multimedia 2011 Wear comfortable shoes as we will be on our feet a lot! However, wearing white (only) athletic shoes usually screams you are an American.June 14 at 8:13am · Like
           

           

            


Theresa Latonis Wondracek LOL. An irish friend of mine said that her brother-in-law made the mistake of wearing white sneakers once and his feet were pointed at and discussed! She also suggested I bring capris and skirts, as shorts are "not done" -- at least for women. Can anyone give me some advice on this?June 16 at 4:59pm · Like
 

I also asked my boss who was saying the same thing that we learned from Dr. Everhart before we came to London.  My boss, Ann O'Bryan, told me; "

Elena, I remember I was told the same thing before I went to Liverpool many years ago. It’s probably just a bit British snobbery and a way to look down on Americans. ;-)

 

         

           

                        




 

Why Do We Wear Masks?

"In order to protect ourselves, we hide our faces to make it much harder for them to identify us."  This group comes once in month on Saturday to protest in the front of the "Scientology" building for last three years.  I am so sad that my video did not work out that I took while I was watching.  People in masks are extremely loud, with a modern music turn up high.  I wasn't alone who was taking photos of this protest.
I have some pictures to share:

  













Day goes fast, maybe too fast; laundry takes close to 4 hours for just two loads, and working on assignments takes forever.
So much to do, so much to discover.

J. M. W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William  Turner – the English painter was born on April, 23 1775, sharing his birthday with Shakespeare;  that date was chosen by artist himself because , no actual date was recorded.  He died on December 19, 1851, at age 76.  He was born and died within the modern London.  He was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral.  His will said to leave most of his fortune of 140, 000 pounds to the foundation of a charity for ‘decayed artists’ with a big portion that went to directly to the Royal Academy of Art. Students there can be award with the Turner Medal or the Turner Prize;  the Turner Prize is an annual art award that started in 1984.

 There are statues representing him at St Paul's Cathedral, Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Academy of Arts.

He was the son of a barber and wigmaker, but he was submitted to the Royal Academy of Art in London at age 14.  Eventually, he became a professor at the Royal Academy of Art, from which he resigned in 1838.  He was considered one of the first impressionists,  a pioneer in the shimmering colors and lightning , and skilled at creating the ‘atmosphere ‘landscape painting with transparency effects, called ‘the loose style”.  His marinetime style left influences on many generations of artists around the globe.

Turner also became one of the richest artists in Britain’s history.

He is one of the finest British artists and the greatest landscapist of the 19^th century. He left more than three hundred paintings  and almost nineteen thousand watercolors to England.  You can find his work all around the world: the biggest collection in the Tate Britain, also his works on display in the Victoria  & Albert museum, and the Royal Academy of Art.

Where can I see Turner’s paintings in London?

The biggest collection is in Tate Britain.

Approximately how many paintings are in the museum?

 Tate Britain has about 300 oil paintings and close to 30, 000 sketches and watercolors.

Wow, it is a lot of paintings.

Is the collection open to the public?

The museum is free to the public except for major exhibitions.

You can also find Turner’s work at the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum ,and the National gallery.

I am interesting how they got so many paintings, who paid for them?

All of the works were donated by Turner himself or were later bought for the museum collections.

How many collectors are well known?

The first private collector was an American, James Lenox of NY city, who bought a painting in 1845  for only 500 pounds. Since that Turner’s paintings increase dramatically in the collectors world, for example:  In April 2006, at Christie’s New York sold “A View of Venice “for $35, 8 million, and  in 2010

on July 7, Turner’s ‘Modern Rome – Camp Vaccino’, was sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum  at the Sotheby’s action in London for $44.9 million.

150+ years later after his death he is remains an important figure in British Art, reaching the traditional England and a Modern England at once.

References:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/610274/JMW-Turner

Tate Britain web site.

Sweet 16!

Happy Birthday my sweet a very big boy!

 With Love From London!  I miss you very-very much.

Today at the British Museum I saw something a very special; my feet went directly to  "World of Alexander" and number is 22. 

Oxford & so many signs...

The sign project Why signs are fun?                                          

July 21, Oxford.  The city is so charming; small and private, busy with tourists and busy with shopping.

What it is about the garbage can?

Day was just prefect for today's assignment.  We went through so many gorgeous flowers, we scrolled through the park, swallowed the fresh air.  After heroic climb to the top of Primrose Hill, suddenly  all of my attention was drawing to the garbage can.  Is it used just for trash as is an original purpose or something more, for example; I saw the athletes were using it to warming-up before or after running up-and-down of the hill, and on the Abbey road it just in the middle of everyone attention.

The day was fun & really nice weather; I made home without rain. 

The Garbage can & Work-out.

The garbage can on the historical site of the Abbey Road.

July 19, 2011: Olympic Village.

Olympic Games are usually a disaster for the host-country economy. London is the only city that will host the Olympic Games for third time. After today's guided tour, I can tell that 'disaster' won't happened here; the lesson of previous games was truly analyzed.
First, pre-planning took almost two years; in every a little details on what, where & how.
Second, most jobs are belong to Britain, and 54% to London.
Third, it all about recycling.
The Queen was visiting the site and even 'planted' a tree, and we will see more trees are will growing around that now looks like a big construction zone. But, with a little imagination & help of maps, you can see how it will looks like very-very soon.

My favorite part of the construction zone is the Red Tour. I believe that after it will be done, this Red Tour might take over the London Eye, nope, the London Eye is an iconic part of London. Adding an extra red splash to the British weather, it adds another stop for tourists and locals.

Another interesting fact that I learned today is about the East London neighborhood, which originally had a very poor reputation but after the Olympic Games it will raise up on the top. Great for a city and for people who lives there now.

Today's information was so different from 'typical' tours that I believe it will dominate everyone's blog.
Competition isn't bad thing.

Photography focus & more.

July 18, 2011. Our group first stop was at the Westminster Abbey. We learned briefly about history, we walked through the Cloisters. We saw unknown solder' tomb that remain me that my uncle never come back from WWII, and remember how my mom always was thinking about him. In Moscow, the unknown solder' tomb is located next to Kremlin Wall, outside, and it is Russian tradition that most new weds stop & bring a lot of flowers. Taking about the death, looking around & recognizing most of the names, seeing oldest pieta as a work of art but used to be just a decoration for a funeral. I thought about the Death that used to have a different meaning back then; it was different tradition, tradition that left to us this memorial that still located in the working daily church.

I was lucky enough to meet and talk to new celebrity [YouTube sensation] after William & Kate Wedding. I would like to share his photo with you, see above on the left.

I asked him: "Are you celebrity now?"

His answer was short: "Apparently , I am. You do know why."

He asked me: "Where am I from?", and I tell a little bit about myself and why I am here.

WOW, I actually talk to celebrity. WOW!

Beside the taking to celebrity I went to the College Garden,

and I went to the Abbey museum [saw wax reproductions of king's families],

As soon we walk outside, it is all about life, colors, fresh air, and

The guide

The good guided tour is essential! Lucky, we have one today.  Somehow, the best sits on the bus did not make that much difference but the prefect guide made. I asked myself:  Have you been here before? Why seeing the city was so different?  Is it weather that cooperated with our group today, is it the new a little tiny streets?  Maybe it is the great cathedral, maybe it is Salvation Army tea that isn't free at all but with a free great view next to the great cathedral and the great Modern Art museum and fancy bridge.

The Guide

Look up & you see that you never saw before

Look around!

And look at a Queen that is still looking,

I took so many pictures, but I wished that I brought with me a notebook to take a notes from this guided tour about only some parts of London.

Day is passing so fast; after this fantastic tour, the laundry [that isn't same and dryer that goes forever] and homework, and day is gone.  I wish I have a little more time to add more to July 17, sorry, not today, must wait until the other day.
Please, my computer would you start working tomorrow at my flat, make my life a little bit easier, please.

Here comes the RAIN; my rain-check post for July 16.

Here comes the SUN, here comes the RAIN.  Finally, I tasting a real English weather. Surprise to myself, I actually enjoying.

 I even enjoy waiting for our guided tour that unfortunately got canceled. When you're with a good company around, time pass by so quickly. Hopefully our tour will be rescheduled sometimes soon; I was looking to learned more about area, discover more than you can read about or pass by without knowing.  I passed by fun dress-up party in the Bedford Square: under rain & under sun with so much fan under fresh air in the public place.  I stopped to take some pictures but saw so many signs with an Invitation Only, well, my name wasn't on it, so I took my photo of the day to focus on the fence.  No, not only only 'fences' or 'rainy days' exist in our lives.
The sun is always coming back. It shines, it makes the road dry again. I took my next stopped to one of my favorite place in London: the British museum. I could entered only through the back doors with a traffic, of course.  The crowd brought me directly to the top floor on the North  side, and it shines like I never saw before.  Saturdays are prefect to find more an extra activities, and I did. Look at my hand; I actually was able to hold and touch a real piece of the antic GOLD.

 I feel so lucky on July 16; the real British weather is on, I saw the shine of the Gold, and I went see the great musical Billy Elliot again.  Yes, I love it again & again.  Just like the line in the show: I am always going love you!

A First Friday

Indianapolis is well known for a First Friday event through the year.  All art galleries open until 10-midnight with a free food from 6 PM.  Each gallery turn into a very grown place: the food is good, and free drinks is even better for some visitors. I love to stop less for drinks or food but for something that you can discover in the crowd places.  Today is a First Friday in London with FSU.  It was a special day today that started with classwork, and I learned a lot that I simply did not know before, especially how simple to do incredible digital projects if you know how or if you know how to find the right site.  "Crowd' from swallowing an information, but what a great feeling comes after.  The evening: food, drinks and an atmosphere; look at photo: would you love be there too?

The guard from Windsor

I would like to share with all of you: I saw this guard yet never saw his face.  I don't know what was so special about him; the light that follow him by creating two lines and drawing the real road vision. Or maybe I was wondering how he looks like under this heavy furry hat?

Could anyone guess?

more pictures of 'sleepy' Windsor

I am here

Hello, I am finally have an Internet connection and the room, which wasn't ready when I came to the airport hotel.  I went to Windsor instead, very sleepy after the night flight from NY, and layout for 7 hours in NY airport.  I don't know if I was too sleepy or what, but I took a very different pictures of Windsor.  Still, take a look and enjoy.
 

Hello, England!

I am leaving for London tomorrow, and I am not sure whether I will have Internet connection during my trip.  I would like to share some pictures that I took during my previous trips to England.

Thank you to all who had given me advice through Facebook about what to bring and not.  I hope the program will be interesting, but it sure will be challenging.  I hope to learn a lot.  Everything is new to me -- Podcast, video, digital story, etc.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person.