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yatescountyhistorycenter · 5 months ago

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Are we there yet?

By C.J. Hartman Thompson

(The following article originally appeared in Bluff & Vine, a literary review featuring work created in and around the Finger Lakes region of New York State, and is published here with the permission of the magazine. This article also appeared in three parts in Yates Past, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Yates County History Center).

I vividly recall growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, as if it were yesterday. Two of my younger siblings, our parents, and me, sitting upon red padded chairs, separated as if by seniority around the outskirts of our chrome-legged Formica top table. There, as with most nights before, we conversed over our day’s events, with my mother monitoring our consumption, occasionally reminding us three kids, “Children in China would be grateful to have half the food we had on our plates!” This, a likely response to me chasing nasty whole beets about on my plate with a fork, while my sister pretended she liked the venison steak that she would eventually conceal in her napkin and later place in the trash. My brother, forever innocent, and the youngest at the time, would proclaim that my sister and I were staring at him, knowing full well that it would get us in trouble again.

We were all expected to clean our plates and leave the kitchen spotless or forfeit going for our nightly ride out on Bluff Point. Exiting our home toward the driveway, as if in response to the slam of our screen door, I recall yelling, “I have the middle,” as we piled into our 1972 green Pontiac Catalina in reckless abandon, absent of all regard for the use of seatbelts. None of us wanted to sit behind our father, because when he smoked his pipe, he would periodically empty it against his outside driver’s door handle, sending the ashes back into the rear window. Adorned with his corn-cob pipe, our father preferred a tobacco named Sir Walter Raleigh, which came in a variety of red and black tins. Back then, there wasn’t any consideration given to children purchasing tobacco products, and so I remember biking to either Loblaws or Charles Bollen’s Super Duper to purchase tobacco, filters, or pipe cleaners for Dad. Our dad, having grown up on Pepper Road, could tell you about every nook and cranny on Bluff Point there was to know. My siblings and I never knew where we would end up on these nightly adventures, as we called them.

We would leave our home on the lower West Lake Road, which was behind Race’s Willowhurst Garage. Our grandfather Alton owned and operated the garage after being discharged from the Army, having served in World War II. We would head south to Keuka Park, and on the lake side going toward Keuka Park, Dad and Mom told us that this larger red brick building in Brandy Bay was once the electric generating plant for the Penn Yan, Keuka Park and Branchport Railroad. One of our great-grandfathers, Ray Kenyon, had been a conductor on one of the trolley cars.

Brandy Bay had been the hot spot back in the day, as just behind the tracks, closer to the lake, there had been a place called Electric Park, where folks would spend summer evenings listening to music and dancing in a community pavilion. Our parents were quick to mention that the railroad and Electric Park were way before their time, certain that the passenger service had stopped in 1927, while the railroad continued to transport freight for some years afterward.

In the early ’60s, the lower West Lake Road ran directly from Indian Pines to the Brandy Bay trolley stop, passing scattered family-owned cottages along the way. Remnants of the original track lie east of today’s Central Avenue, which wouldn’t be constructed until many years later. Minutes from Brandy Bay, we would be at the stop sign with the main entrance of Keuka College on our left. Ball Hall, Hegeman Hall, and Harrington Hall looked very impressive to all of us. An all-female college at the time, Keuka College became co-ed in 1985. Both my sister and I agreed that we would attend there following our graduation from high school, and the college would later graduate five members of our immediate families.

Turning right after stopping, our parents, pointing left, acknowledged the location of a general store and café owned by the Johnson family close to where the former Keuka Park Fire Department building stands, now a storage facility for Keuka College. A gazebo has been constructed nearby, a gift from a Keuka College alumni. Further up the road on the right was the community center, which is now the location for the Branchport and Keuka Park Fire Department. By this point in the ride and yet only minutes from home, one of us kids would ask, “Are we there yet?” to which Dad likely replied, “Pipe down, sit back, and enjoy the ride.”

Once out of Keuka Park, we headed southwest up Skyline Drive, where we were encouraged to look for deer, be they in a field or hedgerow, coming to a stop the moment any of us saw one. I kid you not, it wasn’t out of the norm to spot herds in excess of 60 deer milling about the fields of the bluff near dusk. If the deer were standing close to the road, Dad, placing two fingers in his mouth, would send a loud whistle their way, scaring them back into the impenetrable woods. In truth, I think he enjoyed watching them hop and dart back to the safety of the trees, while telling us how the motion of their tails would signal to the other deer in the herd if danger were nearby. I laugh now as I could not tell you the number of times we would stop, each of us pondering, “Are we there yet?”

The Herrick Cemetery, an old cemetery associated with the Bluff Point community, is soon pointed out to us, as our fourth-great grandparents, Elisha and Charlotte “Latchie” Knickerbocker Kenyon are both buried there. The cemetery itself sits back maybe 50 yards from Skyline Drive and looks majestic, as it sits higher than the fields surrounding it. I have in recent years gone there and walked around. Numerous markers made from old limestone have either toppled over or are not even marked. Elisha and Charlotte’s markers looked to have been repaired. It is a beautiful and tranquil spot, as one can overlook the valley, the rolling hills, and surrounding vineyards. Now the trees, once saplings 60 years ago, are large deciduous trees with the exception of a lonesome pine, all offering shade to those who rest in peace beneath them.

This particular day had been a hot one, and thankfully it was slowly cooling down. The evening sun was hesitant to disappear, and from our vantage point it looked to be like a red orange balloon in the sky way off in the distance. We knew tomorrow would also be another sweltering day. The smell of Coppertone Sun-tan Lotion, applied earlier in the day, still lingered, having been outside all day. Still near the cemetery, Dad might then point out the Pinnacle, which is about the same elevation of 1,400 feet above sea level as Bluff Point. The Pinnacle is a peak that overlooks Bluff Point and Branchport.

The Esperanza Mansion, in the distance, was perfectly placed close to the tip of the Pinnacle and was completed in July of 1838 by John Nicholas Rose, a wealthy farmer from Virginia. Upon further research, the Roses for the most part had many of the early indigenous people known to inhabit Bluff Point along with a retinue of enslaved people provide much of the labor in construction of the mansion. It is believed that they transported the limestone from near the end of the Bluff by canoe to the shores currently in care of Keuka Lake State Park. The limestone provided necessary support in the construction of its 11- to 14-inch thick walls, complete with internal shutters to cover the windows, given the potential for rogue arrows to be directed at them.

Unbeknownst to me, the Esperanza Mansion was also part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. Mind you, as kids, Dad was simply pointing to a huge hill beyond the cemetery that had a huge house on it. We were impatient of course to get to wherever Dad was taking us. Even with all windows down, just sitting next to one another we were weary of the heat and our knees and elbows bumping into one another for what we thought had been a monumental amount of time. One of us again asked, “Are we there yet?” Mom turned around and gave us the look as if to say, you best not ask that again.

Further up the road from the cemetery, we take a right turn at the “V” intersection, remaining on Skyline Drive. Should one choose the road to the left, you are on Vine Road. At this junction stands a small house, formerly a two-room schoolhouse my father attended. With additional research, I found the original structure was built in 1860 for $395. Its location was known as Jerusalem District No. 4, Fingar District. Several improvements were made between 1861 and 1903; a coal stove replaced the wood-burning unit, walls were plastered, a wire fence was built, new student seats, an entrance hall was added, new floor installed, and shade trees were planted in 1903. The salary for one teacher for the winter and summer terms was $5 per week.

My siblings and I were astonished to think that the little house could be a school and that Dad had to walk to school with his siblings. Dad smirks when he tells us that he along with some of his buddies would tip over the outhouse when other students were in there. Though the distance seemed like miles to us, it was less than a half-mile from his Pepper Road home, absent concern for the weather. My siblings and I make eye contact across the large backseat, grateful to hop on a bus only minutes away from our home, transported to a larger school complete with running water and plumbing.

Still on Skyline Drive, we have now gone by the northwest entrance to Scott Road, as we still call it today. There is a house that looks to be half in the ground on the left. Mom mentions the property the house now resides upon was once left to my dad’s mother when her father had passed away, and for whatever reason, my grandparents relinquished their ownership, though the cost of additional taxes may have been motivation at the time.

If we were lucky, some nights we would see the occasional flock of turkeys trot across the road, as they like to roost just before sunset. Tempted by the possibility of an ice cream cone from Seneca Farms, we were all encouraged to increase our focus out the windows, in search of wildlife running amuck. We were rubbernecking, as competition grew to spot the next animal or feathered friend.

Just down the road a piece is the John Hall Road, which was and still is a dead end. The only things we could see from Skyline Drive were a huge barn and a house down over the hill surrounded by vineyards that looked as though they may well go all the way to the lake. Our ride proved to be more interesting and fun the further we went out on the bluff.

Arriving upon yet another old schoolhouse, which I have researched as being District No. 5, the Kenyon District, Scott Settlement District, Bluff Point District. This schoolhouse is located near the southern entrance of the Scott Road and Skyline Drive intersection. Today, the most recent owner of the schoolhouse has taken the roof off of the building and placed a huge telescope in its place, making it the perfect spot for an observatory.

Fewer houses embellish our views out of the Pontiac, as we make our way to the end of the bluff, soon approaching the home of Marland (Dutch) Griffith and his wife, Izzy (Isabelle Walrath) on the left.

They were both dear friends of our parents. I believe Dutch and Izzy owned around 210 acres out on the bluff, which had two houses and multiple outbuildings. One of the homes, not visible from the road, was in fact Dutch’s childhood home, complete with a working hand-pump above its dug well and a three-holed outhouse east of the dwelling. A large red barn to the south stored his wooden bobsleds and countless wooden beer lugs used to harvest grapes by hand, prior to modern convenience.

The house visible from Skyline Drive also had a pole barn where firewood, tractors, and implements were stored, while a wood framed hangar lay tucked away in the corner of a hardwoods, secreting Dutch’s single-engine plane, complete with canvas wings and but one seat.

An avid private pilot, Dutch was a member of the Penn Yan Flying Club, having earned his license by bicycling once a week to Penn Yan and back in his teens. Our mom, more curious than our father, once went for a brief ride in the plane. She recalls sitting upon a turned over 5-gallon bucket for a seat.

Before takeoff, Mom recalls asking Dutch if the door handle was secure enough. There was what looked to be a water hose going out onto the upper edge of the windshield from within the plane, transferring fuel to the engine. Dutch took Mom as far as Bath and back, she having a death grip on Dutch’s shoulder during the flight’s entirety. Liking the ride, she was no less happy to be back on the ground, and still the three of us begged to ask, "Are we there yet?”

The Scott family lived across from Dutch and Izzy, while the Disbrow family home and property lay to the south and east side of Skyline drive, separated by a vineyard retained by the Scotts. The Disbrow family still owns much of the land on both sides of Skyline Drive, running all the way to the Garrett property on the east side of Skyline Drive but ending somewhat sooner on the west side.

Mom excitedly tells us when Dad and she were first dating they walked down over the hill near Disbrows and carved their initials into a tree. The slanting rays of the setting sun gave the surrounding landscape a stunning panoramic view. We felt as though we were on top of the world. One could see only the tops of other hills, Barrington to the east and Pulteney to the west. We could see deer everywhere in the fields on both sides of the road.

We pulled over on the east side near the little old stone spring house that still today feeds water to the Garrett Chapel. We all got out to stretch our legs and gazed in the direction of the Wagener Mansion, built by Abraham Wagener in 1833 on the southern tip of Bluff Point. Dad mentioned the stones used to build the foundation of the mansion were rumored to have come from the early indigenous ruins on Bluff Point. The mansion is not only intimidating by its size, but the grounds around the residence were well taken care of.

Dad was like an encyclopedia, full of information that he wanted to share with us. He then mentions our great-grandfather, Ray Kenyon, had been the manager of Paul Garrett’s vineyards for a time. Dad, along with his father and brother, all worked for the Garrett family, tending to their vineyards and fields, often using work horses to complete many tasks up and over the steep terrain, better suited to billy goats.

In writing this story, I interviewed my brother, who spent countless hours hunting with our dad on the bluff. I inquired as to whether I had forgotten any significant locations we may have heard tell of during the course of our rides, and he had several: Besides knowing the whereabouts of abandoned wells of grave importance to hunters, he mentioned places like the Hogpen, the Hole, and the Hairpin. The latter two, still visible on Google Earth, each name assigned to trails forged for farming or logging, all located on the west side of Skyline Drive.

Conversation momentarily turns to ice cream, and the debate ensues as to who wants what, with many, “I changed my minds,” in between. Both Dad and Mom settle on splitting a banana split. Returning North on Skyline Drive, Dad decided to take the first left going down Pepper Road.

I have found in old articles that Pepper Road had also been called Pepperville Road. The property immediately on the west side of the road had once belonged to the Pepper family. John William Pepper and Ruth Annie Kirk had immigrated from Leicestershire, England. They raised their family on Bluff Point. Dad went into great detail describing how the farm was huge, with a great big white farmhouse and a barn. He had never been in the house but was told by other Pepper family members that there had been a wood kitchen stove, and water needed for the kitchen was brought up by the pail from a pump down the hill in the gully. There was also an outhouse.

They owned several animals: cows, horses to pull the plow, rabbits, chickens, and pigs. Best known for their Concord grape vineyards, they also had assorted apple, cherry, and pear trees as well as black and red raspberries and strawberries. This property is now part of Keuka Lake State Park. Sadly, the Pepper home perished in a fire.

Our ride down Pepper Road continued, and we only had to cross over West Bluff Drive, which was perpendicular to Skyline Drive. This next property belonged to Herb Valentine; he owned around 114 acres, with his property adjoining the Gridley property. Both Pepper and Valentine properties went down the hill from Skyline Drive to Keuka Lake.

Dad and his father had been out hunting deer on a cold December morning when they heard cries for help coming from the Herb Valentine property. They found Herb lying on the ground near the wood pile. He had gone out to get wood for his stove the night before and fallen. Unable to get up, he had laid there overnight. Thankfully, Mr. Valentine didn’t suffer any great harm.

The Finger Lakes State Park, as it was known then, filed notice of acquisition and transfer of deeds, dated November of 1961 after the death of Herb Valentine. The Pepper and Valentine property totaled close to 500 acres.

I remember Dad parking the car at the top of West Bluff Drive in the winter, as the road was and still isn’t plowed in the winter. My parents, my siblings, and I would trudge through the snow part way down West Bluff Drive with our sleds in tow. We would be exhausted just going sledding down the hill two or three times.

#historyblog #history #museum #archives #yatescounty #american history #us history #local history #newyork #jerusalemny #bluffpointny #keukalake

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youareinbarbados · 1 year ago

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"What taking action actually means": Reloaded

So in his lecture "Answered Prayer", Neville goes over the story about Jesus healing the ten lepers. He talks about how they were told to go get a certificate of healing from their priests, after he declared them healed. this very eloquently illustrates "Taking action".

We hear quite often that we need to live in the end and live from the wish-fulfilled, and this is precisely what Jesus understood. In MIND/GOD, things are and have always been. Jesus understood that once something is in mind, it is done. However, in my last few posts, I went over just how materially inclined a lot of people are. They are more impressed by the happenings of the 3D rather than the 4D . Jesus also understood this. he understood that there are people who need to take outward action to fully synchronize their 4D self with their 3D self. the whole basis of the mechanism is to change consciousness. we are told to do things from the consciousness of the wish fulfilled.

In the case of this story, you don't walk to get a certificate of perfect health if you are not in perfect health. The act of walking was done from the consciousness of health. The very ACTION of walking to get a bill of perfect health would send feedback to the consciousness of the person themselves, thus reinforcing their new state of being. This is not easy for everyone, but can be achieved if taken one step at a time. Spend time thinking about all the things you would do. Thinking about the wish fulfilled itself isn't going to work, as Neville often stated. Believe it or not, thinking about your emotional state of having the wish fulfilled, or how you are moved to tears, and even feeling the happiness of the wishful filled is still thinking OF rather than thinking FROM.

Walter C Lanyon states that to think about something, is to cause it to decay and eventually vanish. He states that "Health is a state of unconsciousness, as far as the body is concerned." Meaning when you have something that is working in an orderly fashion, you don't tend to think about it much. It becomes part of your natural mechanism. What you tend to think about are the SITUATIONS INVOLVING the things you want rather than the concept of having them DIRECTLY.

This is why Neville stressed playing a scene IMPLYING the wish fulfilled, rather than the wish BEING fulfilled. This is why he stressed thinking about life events AFTER fulfillment. When you're thinking about running to your SP and hugging them, are you thinking about your legs ? Are you thinking about your ability to run ? NO. Know why ? Because you have these things ALREADY. Think about the kind of school you want your children in. Think about the charities or investments you want to put your large amount of money in. Pull up Safari or Chrome and LOOK THESE THINGS UP. Take an INTEREST in these things, because you're not interested in investments if you have no money to invest. You're not interested in couples activities if you're single. These are states. INTEREST implies STATES.

"The END is where we begin." -Neville

It really is as simple as that. Your wish fulfilled is the end of your current consciousness and the beginning of your new on, so think about your life five years after the new beginning. There are some of us who are more inclined to see problems. some of us are predisposed to seeing solutions. Even so, what problems and solutions are you dealing with five years after your wish is fulfilled? Spend time thinking about your life in terms of years After your wishes fulfilled. Your mind understands exactly where your thoughts are coming from. You never receive things. You will only receive what is most like your consciousness.

Feeling the emotional thrill of having 150,000 dollars in the bank and seeing your bank balance have six figures in it, is still thinking OF.

Spending hours researching which bank has better interest rates, and and choosing the best way to spread that money over however many number of accounts you have, is thinking FROM. Taking no thought about your money, and thinking about the fact that you're not going to stress your family member out about paying you the money that you loaned them, is thinking FROM.

Spend time looking up banks. spend time looking up the best place for a couple vacations. Do all these things now in spite of not having any 3D evidence. Think about what you would do if it were here now, and do it. Living is action period and you need to live from the wish fulfilled. Think about one year, three years, five years down the line, and do those things. Those of us who are more greatly impressed by outward action need to do these things in order to solidify our 4D state of being.

The "action" doesn't manifest anything. It is done when you decide that it is. Action merely reinforces the state. That is all.

#neville #lawofassumption #neville goddard #nevillegoddard #iam #manifesation

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accidentalsoravoice · 10 months ago

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Update on my Left 4 Dead 2 Mods

This time I'll throw in a whole comprehensive list (it's under the cut so it doesn't take up your entire feed, because I installed an obscene amount of mods)

Characters

Nick - Shadow the Hedgehog

Rochelle - Makoto Nijima (Persona 5)

Ellis - Sora

Coach - Master Chief

Bill - Simon "Ghost" Riley (Call of Duty)

Francis - Walter White

Louis - a Minecraft version of Benny from The Lego Movie

Zoey - Mipha (Zelda: BotW)

Zombies

Common Infected - monkeys

Hunter - Senator Armstrong (Metal Gear Rising)

Spitter - Shrek

Boomer - Otis (Barnyard)

Smoker - Fred Jones (Scooby Doo)

Charger - Terry Crews (yes, the Old Spice guy)

Jockey - Glen Quagmire

Witch - SCP-096

Tank - Bowser

Weapons

Guns

M16 - ACR (Call of Duty)

AK - FN SCAR-17

SCAR - FAMAS

MAC10 (silenced SMG) - silenced UMP-45

Uzi - Kriss Vector

MP5 - PPSH-41

SG 552 - MG42 (Far Cry)

Pump Shotgun - Pump Shotgun (but from GTA)

Chrome Shotgun - random shotgun from Counter-Strike, but with Asiimov

Tactical Shotgun - Tactical Shotgun (Fortnite)

SPAS-12 - AA12

Military Sniper - Barrett M82

Hunting Rifle - M1 Garand

Steyr Scout - M1903 Springfield

AWP - Bow (Minecraft)

Pistol - FN Five Seven

Magnum - Smith & Wesson .500 (Resident Evil 4)

Grenade Launcher - Mentos-powered Pepsi launcher

2. Melee

Fire axe - Axe (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)

Baseball Bat - Naofumi's Shield (Rising of the Shield Hero)

Cricket Bat - Shield of Wrath (Rising of the Shield Hero)

Crowbar - Nokia hammer (I am not kidding it's literally just a Nokia on a stick)

Frying Pan - Frying pan with Kirby's face on it

Golf Club - just a sword

Guitar - none

Katana - Murasama (Metal Gear Rising)

Machete - random sword and shield from Dark Souls

Nightstick - Kylo Ren's lightsaber

Pitchfork - plastic fork

Knife - Butterfly Knife (TF2)

Shovel - squeaky hammer

Chainsaw - Pochita

3. Throwables

Pipe bomb - Electrode (Pokemon)

Boomer bile - Jarate (TF2)

Molotov - literally just the Autism creature

Music/Sounds

Horde alert sound - Prowler meme sound (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)

Healing sound - "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler

Getting hit by a Tank sound - metalpipe.mp3

Shoving zombies sound - various Super Mario World sound effects

Saferoom fanfare - Final Fantasy VIII victory fanfare

Saferoom music - File Select (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Ridden by a Jockey music - Gas Gas Gas (Initial D)

Pummeled by a Hunter music - It Has to be This Way (Metal Gear Rising)

Horde battle theme - Bowser battle theme (Super Mario World)

Tank battle theme - Bellumbeck battle (Zelda: Phantom Hourglass)

Escape music - Finn McMissile's theme (Cars 2)

Credits music - Jump Up, Super Star (Super Mario Odyssey)

Dark Carnival concert music

Live & Learn - Sonic Adventure 2

Won't Stop, Just Go! (Green Forest theme) - Sonic Adventure 2

Live & Learn (30th Anniversary symphony ver.) - Sonic Adventure 2

That's the Way I Like It (Metal Harbor theme) - Sonic Adventure 2

Animations

Healing animation - breakdancing (doesn't work with Shadow/Nick for some reason)

Hunter pummel animation - rapid punching (now you see why that song from MGR plays and why it's Senator Armstrong)

Items

Medkit - Drip Goku body pillow

Pain Pills - crystal meth (I'm not joking, it's just Heisenburg blue crystal meth)

Adrenaline - coffee

Propane tank - Bowser Bomb (Mario Party 2)

Miscellaneous

The Ferris Wheel in Dark Carnival is now a giant statue of Garfield t-posing

Jimmy Gibbs Jr.'s car from Dead Center is now the magic carpet from Aladdin

Explosions have the "MY LEG" soundbite from Spongebob in them

#not an ask #daniel does left 4 dead 2 #left 4 dead #left 4 dead 2 #left 4 dead 2 mods #oh my GOD i must be the mayor of yapville #that was so long i'm so sorry

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dancuny · 1 month ago

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Kodak Beau Brownie Camera

To end the unofficial box camera month for my blog post, I was thinking about writing about a few different cameras, but my thoughts kept coming back to one specific model of Eastman Kodak camera, one of the most beautiful cameras made, the Beau Brownie camera.

The two factors of the Beau Brownie line of cameras that I enjoy are the five different colors they come in: black, tan, blue, green, and the most sought-after rose. The art deco design by one of America's outstanding industrial designers, Walter Dorwin Teague, is also bundled into a very uncomplicated camera marketed more as a fashion statement than the ordinary black box camera.

George Eastman and his marketing team realized early on that to broaden the photographic marketplace, they needed to expand the scope of photographers using cameras. Until the early 1900s and into the 1910s, the vast majority of photographers were males due to the time-consuming process of making photographs. While Kodak didn't invent photography, much like Henry Ford, he sold cameras to the masses due to the newer methods of making glass plates easier to obtain and process, making roll films, film processing, and printing available to the masses.

In the late 1920s, Eastman Kodak started a relationship with Edwin Dorwin Teague, which forged a relationship and changed the design and quality of cameras for thirty to forty years until he died in the early 1960s.

The Relationship:

Walter Dorwin Teague, born Dec. 18, 1883, is often regarded as one of the pioneers of industrial design in America. He had a long and influential relationship with the Eastman Kodak Company. His collaboration with Kodak helped shape the visual and functional identity of the company's products, particularly its cameras, during the mid-20th century.

Teague, known for blending aesthetics with functionality, first worked with Kodak in the late 1920s. He continued influencing the company's product designs for several decades until his death on Dec. 5, 1960. His designs embodied the principles of streamlining, an artistic and engineering approach emphasizing smooth, flowing lines and modern, user-friendly aesthetics. Kodak sought to enhance its product appeal in an increasingly competitive market. Teague's expertise gave the company a fresh, contemporary design language that resonated with consumers.

One of Teague's most iconic contributions to Kodak was the design of the Kodak Bantam Special, introduced in 1936. The Bantam Special was a masterpiece of Art Deco design, featuring a sleek, black enamel and chrome finish. It was visually striking, compact, and easy to use, aligning with Kodak's mission to make photography accessible to a broader audience. The camera became a symbol of modern design and demonstrated how industrial design could elevate consumer products beyond mere functionality.

Teague's impact on Kodak extended beyond individual products; he played a key role in shaping the brand's overall aesthetic identity. His work helped Kodak establish a reputation for producing elegantly designed, high-quality, practical, and stylish cameras. His collaboration with Kodak set a precedent for integrating industrial design into mass-market consumer products, influencing Kodak's future designs and the broader field of product design.

Beyond the Bantam Special, Teague worked on several other Kodak models, including the Kodak Baby Brownie and the Kodak Medalist. These cameras showcased his ability to balance form and function, making photography equipment more appealing and accessible to everyday users. His designs helped Kodak maintain its position as a camera industry leader, reinforcing its image as both innovative and consumer-friendly.

Walter Dorwin Teague's relationship with Kodak was a testament to the power of industrial design in shaping consumer products. His work not only enhanced the usability and attractiveness of Kodak cameras but also set new standards for the role of design in consumer technology. Through this partnership, Teague left an enduring mark on both Kodak and the history of industrial design.

The Camera:

Beau Brownie cameras came in two sizes: the smaller Nos. 2, which takes 120 film, and the larger No. 2A, which takes 116 film. They were both introduced in October 1930 and ended production in 1933. However, the two rarer versions, the green and rose colors, were in production for 1 year, which ended in 1931. Luckily, I have all five colors in different sizes in my collection. I've had all five for many years, and this is the second time I've owned all five colors in both sizes.

The camera that I used for the blog post is the smaller Nos. 2 camera due to the easily accessible 120 film the camera uses. The Beau Brownie No. 2 camera is 4" tall by 3" wide or 3 3/8" wide if you include the film advance knob by 4 3/8" deep. The camera has a 6x9 negative size and weighs 14.1 oz.

The larger Beau Brownie, Nos. 2A is 5" tall, by 3 3/8" wide, or 3 3/4" wide if you include the film winding knob, by 5" deep. The No. 2A film format is 2.5" x 4.25" on 116 film, weighing 1 lb.—3.8 oz.

Looking online, I found a Beau Brownie Camera Manual, which is where I look for manuals for the cameras in my collection. It's a fabulous website and something we all should support.

The front of the camera has a beautiful, enameled Art Deco geometric design that is two-toned with an accent color to enhance the camera's beauty. The black version has a dark burgundy accent color. In contrast, the other colors have a lighter and darker version of the camera's color. The rest of the camera is made of thin metal material covered in pebbled imitation leather, the same color as the camera. The carrying handle is on the top of the camera, which is the same color as the camera's body.

Also, two round windows are used for the viewfinder on the front of the camera. The top circle is for viewing vertical-format photos from the top of the camera, and the bottom is used when you turn the camera on its side for horizontal-format photos. There is no focus on this meniscus doublet lens, so like many box-style cameras, the minimum focus is around 10 feet, but items around 8 feet may still be in focus.

The Beau Brownie cameras have two latches securing the back of the camera to the front. One latch is on the top of the camera, and one is on the side of the camera. Before you open the camera, you'll need to pull out the winding knob, which is engaged with the film transport. The winding knob needs to be pulled out; otherwise, the camera's front and back won't slide apart easily.

Once you have the camera apart, you can load the roll of film into the camera. Take the empty film spool from the top of the camera and move it to the bottom. Ensure it's adequately engaged, which will move the film from frame to frame. The fresh, unexposed roll now gets loaded into the camera's top film holder. Break the tape holding the film together and pull the leader over the opening with the paper backing looking outwards. Feed the leader into the empty spool on the bottom and wind a bit so you know the film is transporting properly. Also, check that the film fits within the walls of the spool so it can be transported easily. Wind the film until you see arrows pointing outwards. Ince you see the arrows, put the back onto the camera, press the winding knob, and secure the two latches. Now wind the film until you see the #1 in the red window. That's the indication that you're ready to make the first exposures.

There are only two controls for the camera, located on the top of the camera. There are two levers just in front of the handle. One is on the left, and the shutter speed controller is the smaller of the two controls. There are only two settings. When the lever is down, the camera is in "instant" mode and has a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec. Pulling that small lever up puts the camera in "B" or timed exposure mode. In this setting, you'll need to set the camera on some camera tripod or bracket to hold the camera still so as not to cause a blurry photo.

The other controller is the larger of the two levers that control the aperture settings. The lever can be in three positions to change the different apertures. When the lever is down, the camera has an approximate aperture of F11, the middle position is approximately F16, and the top position is approximately F22.

My Results:

I loaded the camera with Ilford 400 ISO/ASA film and walked through the neighborhood on a very overcast and sometimes rainy afternoon in February. The neighbors are getting used to the old man walking through the streets with an odd-looking camera in his hand, taking photos of houses, objects, or other items I find on my walks.

Here's what I took.

Conclusion:

Other than the stunning beauty of this camera, it's a fundamental camera with minimal controls and a fixed Meniscus Doublet lens that takes a significant negative. According to the manual, the minimum focus is approximately 8-10 feet. My judgment of distance was off in some photos, as the images are out of focus.

Overall, it was a fun camera to shoot with, and I'll need to take it out on a sunnier day to get more contrast images. There are a couple of filters available for the Beau Brownie, one of which is a portrait filter that allows for closer focus for portrait photos, so I'll need to dig through the box of old filters to see if I have one of the recommended filters to try on the camera.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. I'm truly honored to have one in my collection.

Until next week, please be safe.

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beautyinafruitfulworld · 2 months ago

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What is everyone fav color???

Sorry, but I'm going to chicken out on in-character responses because I'm starting to dread questions like these; it's exhausting trying to answer ones directed at everyone as each available character. I'll still answer them, but I'm officially designating these kinds of questions as normal responses from the mod.

Marco: Crimson

Tarma: Saffron-yellow

Eri: Olive green

Fio: It’s either cordovan or khaki

Trevor: Ruddy blue

Nadia: It’s either avocado or champagne

Ralf: Chrome orange

Clark: Cobalt blue

Tequila: It’s either linden green or Cambridge blue

Gimlet: Dark goldenrod

Red Eye: Tomato red

General Morden: It’s either scarlet or Persian indigo

Allen O’Neil: Ruby red

Doctor Amadeus: Teal

Ptolemaios: Metallic purple

Rootmars: Yellowish-green (as Pepozrumisha) and red-violet (as Mostro)

Invader King, Celaphios, and Ferdinand: They don’t have a favourite colour

Walter: Pacific cyan

Tyra: Puce

Hyakutaro: Field drab

Allen Jr.: Sea green

Dilovar: Mauveine

Torquil: It’s either maroon or pink lavender

Guilherme: Spanish blue

#iron eclipse au #only for the characters that have links #too lazy to link the characters #you ask i answer #thank you for the ask!#random stuff

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teravarna0 · 3 months ago

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Why Pick Warm Colors for the Upcoming Landscape Art Contest

“A landscape painting is essentially emotional in origin. It exists as a record of an effect in nature whose splendour has moved a human heart…”

- Walter J. Phillips

Landscape art has always been there to enamour the artists and the viewers alike when it comes to express beauty at its best. Through landscape art an artist not only paints but weaves a fairytale around us, from the sun-kissed dawn to the snow-caped mountain cliffs. Amidst the myriad hues and colors, we get to experience masterpieces like Van Gogh, Matisse, large landscape painting by Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, and more contemporary landscape artists like Eric Hanson to capture the true essence of nature - our mother earth.

If you are an artist primarily focused on landscape painting, and if you are eyeing at the most promising landscape painting competition organized by an esteemed art gallery like TERAVARNA, then you need to have some super-cool ideas as to how to go about the compositions. Streamline strategies for the coming landscape art contest revamping your palette a bit. This time, choose the warm colors over the pastel ones and see the vibrancy dance on the canvas like a shaft of ray. Read this blog through to the end and know the intrigues of the vibrant hues. Your art is just a few steps ahead to win the gallery wall space! Just stick around!

5 Reasons to Use Warm Colors: Make Your Landscape Study Stand from the Clutter

Art platforms like TERAVARNA organize online art contests to encourage painters, artists, sculptors, visual artists, etc. to immortalize the beauty of landscapes through their artistic interpretations. Whether you are more adaptable to abstract landscape art or modern landscape painting or happier to go with en plein air study, these platforms help increase your visibility as a landscape artist to get responses from a worldwide viewership. Isn’t that just great!

Why Warm Colors are Preferred for Landscape Watercolor Painting and Acrylics?

Let your imagination run wild and observation merge seamlessly while creating beautiful landscape art, no matter if it's watercolor, acrylic, or oil-based paints.

1. Warm Colors are the Power Houses of Vibrancy and Brightness

Go beyond the stereotypes and rule the contest with your warm and bright canvases just too intriguing to ignore. Paint your horizons of imagination with the uses of orange, chrome yellow and red, rust and vermilion in adequate proportion to enhance the appeal of the sceneries.

2. Warm Colors can Make the Canvas Look Real and Credible

Warm colors jolt our senses very fast, unlike any neutral color palette. They are perfect to make the lifeless canvas look animated! Heat, fire, sun and blood have always been the greatest inspirations for the bright hues in art and design. The hearty combination of red, yellow, orange, and pink, has fuelled artists’ imagination ever. These colors are filled with warmth and intimacy, best captured in colorful paprika, pumpkins, warm-colored flowers like sizzling sunflowers, or the color palette of orangish and yellowish-brown shaded leaves of maple, oak, etc. casting an intimate shadow during the fall. You can use them to make the objects in the landscape look almost real-life.

3. Warm Colors Evoke Mood in Your Art Canvases

Are you someone obsessed with red? Do you know that a bit of red-purple or burgundy used in your landscape painting can make it look more passionate and animated? Ignite your love for hues and embrace all of the bright tints to make it look like a celebration just like a vibrant forest painting by Eric Hanson. She follows the impasto technique of Vincent Van Gogh, the master of landscape art. In one of her paintings of a thick forest in Aspen, she uses the thick strokes of oil color on canvas that showcases the beauty of the forest, and the enchanting pine trees there. She suggests the autumnal beauty of the season, with the bright-hued leaves of the trees in Aspen.

4. Make Your Palette Dynamic for Abstract Landscape Art with Warm Hues

No matter if it’s a landscape to paint or create, you can as well integrate abstract elements into the flow of your storytelling. Vibrant shades can do wonders in abstract landscape art, as we have seen in Wassily Kandinsky or Jackson Pollock’s abstract canvases. Create more inspiring non-representational art to transform moods and spaces using great contrasts of black and white landscape painting with the luminous colors.

5. Create Some Iconic Landscapes with Bright Shades

You can draw inspiration from some of the world’s iconic landscapes that have inspired landscape artists time and time over.

Get inspired from the breathtaking geographical wonders like the Grand Canyon in the USA, with contrasting hues and textures.

If you wish to draw a serene landscape with misty skies, waterbodies, and welcoming hills in the backdrop, you can take cues from the Lake District in the UK.

For the ideal warmth and vibrancy, you can paint the Italian Amalfi Coast. It is ideal for capturing the coastal beauty with dreamy cliffs.

Even for the jungle safari-seekers, Serengeti Forest in Africa can be a rare landscape model. Capture the interplay of light and shadow of the vast plains with bright hues to energize the canvas.

Boost Your Chances of Winning Online Landscape Painting Competition with Better Color Sense:

Organizers like TERAVARNA art gallery makes an artist aware of preserving the sanctity of the natural universe through participating in landscape themed contests. Smart indeed! Warmer tones help to enhance your creation adding vitality and warmth to everything they touch upon. So, pick up your brush and stylus to let the colors blend well with the sceneries.

#Landscape Art Contest #landscape painting competition #landscape watercolor painting #modern landscape painting #large landscape painting #black and white landscape painting

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