I remember discovering the fire of Notre Dame on tumblr, so I'm very sorry to inform everyone that the Danish Stock Exchange in Copenhagen, completed in 1625, is burning. Its unique spire has fallen, and as the building is, to a larger degree than Notre Dame, made of wood, mortar, and stucco, there may be very real structural damage. As you can see from the image, they were in the process of restoring it, just as it was the case with the church. Very real reconsideration should be done to how we restore very old buildings if we keep setting them on fire during the work.
People off the street have been seen running into the building and bringing out historical art pieces, primarily paintings. If you are close by, DO NOT do this! I know it appears the heroic thing to do, but no human life is worth the risk to save a painting, no matter how significant.
Before all this:
871 notes
·
View notes
On the 18th January 2009 just a few weeks before the completion of a £4m restoration project, Raasay House was severely damaged by fire.
The history of Raasay and the house here is intermingled with The McLeod Clan, of which my own family were septs to on the Island, and quartermasters to the family. . A clan house, home to the Macleod Chief of Raasay, has stood on or near the present site from as early as the 1500's, but the original clan house was burnt to the ground, torched by government troops after Culloden. Like many families there were MacLeods on both sides that day, the Raasay branch were on the Jacobite side. Perhaps the most famous of the clan in modern times is Calum Macleod, who single handily famously built Calum's Road on the Island over ten years, with little more than a shovel, a pick and a wheelbarrow.
Anyway, back to the house. Since rebuilding started on 1747 the present Raasay House history has been recorded right through to today.
In 1773 Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell made their historic journey to the Western Isles and were guests of the Macleod chief at Raasay House, but by 1843 the last Laird, John Macleod, left the house and emigrated with his family to Australia, the house was old three years later to a George Rainy from London and changed hands again in 1872-4.By 1746 it was in the hands of It was sold to Henry Wood who added the ornate Georgian-style wings and frontage to the house. It changed hands twice more before being converted into a sporting hotel around 1937, very successfully at first, with many wealthy guests. It closed it's doors in 1960.
Another 3 decades passed under different owners and the house was used as an Adventure centre and Outdoor centre, during which little maintenance work was carried out and the building started to deteriorate, it was finally sold to the Raasay House Community Company in 2007. A multi-million-pound project to renovate and refurbish Raasay House commences a year later.
Fire caused damage to all but the west wing in January 2009, just as the house was about to be reopened but thanks to a lottery grant the house rose from the ashes to what it is today, the house retains many of its historical features which were painstakingly restored. Today, still owned by the community it has returned to it's use as a hotel and has a four and a half star rating out of five on Tripadvisor.
As you can see from the pics it is a beatiful building, and the views from the house over to the Isle of Skye are stunning.
20 notes
·
View notes
Historic Manila Central Post Office Reduced to Ashes in Devastating Fire
In a heart-wrenching incident, the iconic Manila Central Post Office has been completely consumed by a fierce fire that erupted late Sunday evening. Postmaster General Luis Carlos confirmed the tragic news on Monday, stating that the historic structure had been “totally burned,” leaving the nation in mourning.
“The structure is totally burned. This is 100%. This is truly saddening because the…
View On WordPress
2 notes
·
View notes
I work in a museum that is housed in a stone building built in 1763. The building is located in the old town so all our neighbours are also built hundreds of years ago.
Last night one of the wooden buildings next to the museum caught fire. There is only a narrow lane between the restaurant that burned and the museum. Fire was fough all night and they did get it to go out. The whole museum smells of smoke, but it seems that nothing inside has been damaged or destroyed.
But there was a risk that sparks might have come in under the rafters of the museum and found a way to smolder in the insulation in there. So today we took turns going into the crawl spaces behind the exhibits to go check whether there was any smoke. We took two-hour shifts, during which we crawled the spaces once every 15 minutes or so. I did two such shifts, 10-12 and 14-16. By 2pm it was hot as fuck up there, especially at the upper level under the tower.
I am exhausted. And also emotionally a little bit wrecked, because if there is one thing we fear in museums it's fire and this was an incredibly close call. We are so lucky that the fire didn't spread, that the fire fighters worked so hard and stopped it. But still. The old town is a national treasure. We have lost a piece of it forever. You can't build back a 18th century building, it's gone forever.
2 notes
·
View notes
How does one appreciate the craftsmanship in Middle Eastern ceramics and pottery?
Middle Eastern ceramics and pottery have a rich history dating back thousands of years. The region’s artisans have perfected the art of crafting exquisite ceramic and pottery objects, showcasing their mastery of techniques, intricate designs, and attention to detail. In this article, we will explore the methods and approaches one can employ to appreciate the craftsmanship in Middle Eastern…
View On WordPress
0 notes
Justice 40
Joe Biden is boring and often bad at tooting his own horn, but by god, he is good at process.
Justice 40 is simple but powerful application of that. its a shift in how the executive branch works. 40% of money from a bunch of existing programs should go to census tracts that are overburdened with pollution, at higher risk for climate change, and have been historically underserved.
The shorthand here is basically "communities that don't have enough internal resources to deal with long term problems". So yes, communities that had been redlined for decades, ones that have Superfund sites, ones that have high rates of asthma from air pollution.
and this is by census tract. Not city. census tract. So parts of New York City qualify... but other parts don't. And the city HAS to use the money in the targeted part. it doesn't go into the communal pool. it's for THAT tract specifically.
Also all land federally recognized as belonging to a Native American tribe and all Alaskan Native Villages qualify, specifically.
And again, this is for existing programs that are already running and have existing staff and budgets. They're supposed to prioritize grants and projects for those areas specifically. And that's everything from Department of Agriculture, to FEMA, to Labor, to Environmental Protection.
Does it instantly get rid of all the baked in racism from decades past? No, not even close. But it puts in a countermeasure that has a concrete and measurable goal to aim for rather than a nebulous "suck less." even if the administration changes, many of those changes will stick.
And as things improve, some tracts may come off the list! Some may go on that weren't there before!
You can see a map here. Blue highlighted tracts are "disadvantaged" so qualify for that extra assistance! Check and see if you live in one or part of your town does. Because if you've been hearing constantly "we can't afford to fix X problem..." and you're in that tract.... there's money available. For you. Build that sidewalk, fix those lead pipes, get that brush truck your volunteer fire department has been asking for.
And tell your local officials that! "did you look at Justice 40 for funding". And even if they're doing their best, particularly people in little towns.... being a government official isn't their full time job. They may have missed it. Just asking them about the program may suddenly open a world of possibilities.
9K notes
·
View notes
When History Meets Fantasy: An Interview With Author CL Jarvis
Get ready to be transported to a world of magic and science as we talk to historical fantasy author CL Jarvis.
With a passion for history and a love of science, CL Jarvis has created a world filled with magic and intrigue.
In this interview, we’ll dive into the inspiration behind her world, her writing process, and what readers can expect from her series.
So grab a cup of tea and join us on…
View On WordPress
0 notes