Sun on History

The last of the evening sun falling on the ornate facade of the side of the building.  The Royal Exchange is mostly photographed from the very grand front entrance. Built in 1840 to replace the original destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666 (how's that for a scary number) it is equally grand on all of its sides.  

Look At Me

No pictures of Denver yet. From what I've seen so far, downtown is bigger and more modern than The Lou and full of really boring architecture.

So I dug this up from an event at Union Station a few weeks ago. The entertainers are on something of a bridge at the far end of the old train hall, looking down at the audience. The singer really wanted to attract attention and he succeeded.

The guitar player's hat say BRONX on the front. He don't know from The Bronx, as we used to say. I went to high school in The Bronx. I could tell him something.                

Que de baies !

Berries galore!

Pinkafeld's Pranger

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For ABC Wednesday, P is for the Pranger of Pinkafeld.
The oldest remaining building in this Austrian village was built in 1600 and served as the Rathaus or "city hall" for a long time, but now it houses the Pinkafeld Stadtmuseum.

The museum is really a labor of love, and I'll show you the inside in coming days.

But first looks what's OUTSIDE -- the Pranger, erected in 1804!

Wikipedia explains it as

a Central European physical punishment device related to the stocks and the pillory. The Middle Low German word means "something that pinches badly".

The pranger chained the victim's neck to a pair of leg restraints fastened around the ankles. Often the chain was short so that the offender was placed in an uncomfortable half-kneeling position.

In another type of pranger (pillory), the condemned person was tied to a column that stood in the town center for public view. 

The pranger was only used for public humiliation as punishment, not for painful interrogation or coercion.

But why the sword you ask?
It has to do with Blutgericht (Blood Court) and Jus gladii (high justice).
In the Holy Roman Empire this referred to the right of a Vogt (a reeve) to hold a criminal court inflicting bodily punishment, including the death penalty.
In Latin ius gladii literally means "the right of the sword," referring to the legal authority of an individual or group to execute someone for a capital offense, i.e. high justice.
The sword of justice (and hand of justice) are regalia that (often proudly and publicly) symbolize this highest penal authority.
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Nepal Earthquake Recovery Fund to hold charity auction of artwork by Nepali children

 Recently-launched charity, Nepal Earthquake Recovery Fund, is holding an exhibition and auction at  Nolias Gallery in Southwark, London from 7pm-9.30pm on Monday, 9th November.

The event will feature unique and original artworks created by Nepali children from the Sindhupalchowk District of Nepal, where 97% of schools were destroyed in the recent earthquakes. The funds raised from the event will go back into redevelopment work in the same region, providing a means for these children to help their own families and communities.

One of NERF’s first redevelopment projects on the ground in Nepal involved creative art lessons for children affected by the natural disasters. The children were provided with paints, pens, paper and other art materials and encouraged to express themselves through self-portraiture. The results are beautiful, expressive and touching pieces of art.

Each child created two artworks - one to keep for themselves and another to be auctioned in the UK in order to raise funds for further recovery projects in this excessively-damaged region of Nepal. In addition to the artwork there is a photograph of the child who created each piece, along with their name, age and other personal details in order to ensure the longevity of the connection between the artist and the art. The auction will feature approximately 30 works. The exhibition will also feature a display of original photography from post-earthquake Nepal.

Chair of Trustees, Geraint John said: “This is a tremendous opportunity to not only own a rare, unique and beautiful piece of art from Nepal, but in doing so to make a real difference to the lives of the child artists who created them and to help with the long-term recovery of this devastated region”.