In August, 1945, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was shooting in Times Square when the US declared victory over Japan, and an end to WWII. At the same time, 27-year-old nurse Edith Shain joined co-workers and fellow New Yorkers pouring into the streets to celebrate. An unknown soldier grabbed her by the waist, tilted her back, and gave her a kiss. Eisenstaedt snapped an image, which later appeared in LIFE magazine, and 65 years later, that photo remains instantly recognizable to millions of Americans.

One of the most fascinating details about that photo is the fact that Eisenstaedt failed to catch the names of his subjects, and for 35 years, neither was identified. That changed in 1980 when Ms. Shain sent a letter to him, finally solving the mystery by identifying herself as the recipient of a kiss from a man she didn’t know, saying, “Someone grabbed me and kissed me, and I let him because he fought for his country.” The modest woman later confessed she kept silent for so long because she was embarrassed to have been photographed while kissing a complete stranger.

Edith Shain passed away this week at the age of 91. When I read her obit yesterday in the NY Times, I was struck by a comment she once made about the iconic photograph and what it meant to her. “It says so many things,” she told the Associated Press. “Hope, love, peace and tomorrow.” Well said, Edith.

Hey, remember that movie Space Camp, where the kids get accidentally launched into space? Well, I came close to that cinematic glory on my recent vacation to Florida, when I went to (watch) the Space Shuttle Atlantis launch in Cape Canaveral.

It was the perfect experience for an ex-Space Camp Nerd-turned-writer, and a sad send-off to the space program. Needless to say, it was an incredible day. The viewing area was set up about 6 miles away from the Cape Canaveral launch site at the Kennedy Space Center, so we entertained ourselves with Astronaut Ice Cream, flight simulators and IMAX movies about the Hubble Telescope while we waited for the countdown. There was also a “Rocket Park” filled with to-scale models of nearly all the aircrafts throughout NASA’s history, including a replica of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, as well as one of the Mercury capsule, Freedom 7, that sent Alan Shepard to space in a compartment about the size of a bathtub. (FACT: did you know the outside of the space shuttle is made out of silica tile that can be safely handled at nearly 2000 degrees Farenheit, only ten seconds after removal from a high temperature oven?)

The launch itself was really impressive, and the day was so clear that we not only got a great view of the shuttle as it went up, but also got a glimpse of the external fuel tank as it fell off the shuttle, and the after-burners diminishing into space. It was pretty cool to be able to simultaneously watch the flight video on a large flat screen, hear expert commentary, and watch the actual shuttle taking flight. NASA has obviously created many checks, balances, and procedures that go into such a large, complex, and carefully choreographed production. Enjoy some of my own photos of the venue and the launch below. (The shuttle photos were taken with a telephoto lens–click on them to get a larger resolution.) Or for some really breathtaking ones of liftoff, check out this photo gallery.

I have to say, even as I get older, space exploration (like dinosaurs and costume parties) really doesn’t get any less mind-blowingly awesome.

The Launch:

This screen showed the different steps to Countdown, and then video feed of the launch:

it’s like Woodstock for aerospace afficionados:

Zoomed out photo of the stream of smoke:

The Venue:

“Astronauts” attached the roof of the Kennedy Space Center:

The Rocket Park:

To give you a sense of the size of these rocket boosters:

The best photography advice I ever heard: Take more pictures. Google Streetview’s got us all beat there. While I’ve yet to edit the shots from my friend Mitch’s 30 birthday at the Russian restaurant from 2003, they’ve got about a gazillion photos sorted and geotagged. Sigh.

Anyhow, great post at the always-interesting Google Sightseeing about the beautiful serendipity that can occur when you put your camera (or nine, in Google’s case) out the window and just start shooting.

One of my favorite parts of living in Philadelphia is the odd mash-up of bougie-international-nerdy-hipster-eccentric characters that you can find in one place, at any given moment.

I was reminded of this particular urban charm on Sunday, when a few of us decided to bike up to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park.  It was a perfect day for a bike ride, a picnic—and everything else that ensued. Among the attractions:

1. Japanese tea gardens, and group demonstrations of traditional Japanese weaponry.

2. Kimonos, Gothic Lolitas, kites, face paint, platform shoes and adorable children holding paper parasols.

3. Feathered nunchucks (no kidding!)

4. Cherry blossoms, and a series of cat-embroidered flags.

5. A Japanese punk rock/rap group that kept the jams pumping (whether this was a good or bad thing is debatable)

6. A “Pretty in Pink” dog costume competition. Soukie took home the prize, with Pickles in a close second.

7. A quick zip by the Plateau, known to pop-culture enthusiasts as the place where The Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff have their fly picnic in the Summertime music video.

Needless to say, it was an awesome day. Check out the photos below, (courtesy of Ro & Kelly). Feel free to go Sartorialist on this blog and comment on your favorite look. I suggest you listen to this song while perusing the photos.

THE SCENE

this flag can be purchased at shepelavy.com:

THE LOLITAS

Gothic Lolitas checking out the Sweet Lolita picnic:

Sweet Lolita picnic:

the girl in the sunglasses is awesome:

Michael Jackson-inspired menswear:

THE YOUNG’NS

THE CULTURE

THE RANDOS

The Mad Hatter:

Look close. It’s a goat! In a tutu!:

I call her Socks:

For all the Philadelphians out there who are sad they missed the spectacle, have no fear. You still have this to look forward to.

]]> http://www.160over90.com/blog/2010/04/14/america-is-weird/feed/ 1 http://www.160over90.com/blog/2010/03/01/vans-and-the-places-where-they-were/ http://www.160over90.com/blog/2010/03/01/vans-and-the-places-where-they-were/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:41:03 +0000 stephen penning http://www.160over90.com/blog/?p=5318

Joe Stevens, the filmmaker behind Made In Queens, has been documenting custom and conversion vans across the West since 1996. His site ‘vans and the places where they were’ is a catalog of his endeavor. Enjoy.

Anna Hartley

Gina Kent

Jenn Miller

See the rest here:
Holiday Nostalgia Part 2
Holiday Nostalgia Part 1

Perhaps it was NBC that told the story best during their live interview with us this week:

Well our 15 minutes days (or so) of fame are nearing an end, as tomorrow (Friday, 10/30/09) is the last day of the who-wore-it-best competition. However, we will be posting photos on the site next week from the punishment that’s in store for the loser, so be sure to check back.

www.TieOrDie.com

Additional context and some fun interviews after the break.

The name “Tie or Die” proved to be the most worthy of the few options we considered when launching this site that was originally intended to be for our coworkers amusement. I suppose it’s an intriguing title, albeit a little bit creepy. We assure you there is nothing creepy about the site,  unless you are completely and utterly creeped out by young men wearing ties. I wish that everyone was creeped out by young men wearing ties, because then I would at least have a Halloween costume picked out.

But despite the quick-launch of this unplanned escapade, our quirky rivalry has garnered its fair share of attention. Check out the sites below that were kind and interested enough to feature our contest. The interviews were a real gas.

Man Over Board: “A collaboration of original content from a select few authors from around the world, delving in the male species.”

http://man-over-board.com/2009/10/17/mob-interview-the-cofounders-of-tieordie-com/

Shmitten Kitten: “We talk about dudes and dating in Philadelphia although our observations seem to be relevant to people in all time zones.”

http://www.shmittenkitten.com/2009/10/flippin-our-shades-boys-from.html

Philadelphia Weekly Style Blog:

http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/style/2009/10/28/tie-or-die-who-wore-it-best/

She Knows Best: “Fashion and Style Tips for Men from a Female”

http://www.splendicity.com/sheknowsbest/vote-in-the-tie-or-die-contest/

Photographer Irving Penn has passed away. One of the most versatile photographers ever, he has shaped the medium for the past 65 years. He pioneered fashion, portraits and still lives with a signature simplicity and elegance.  If you work in the art world, it’s a sad loss.

Working with type, I think it is always interesting to see how far letterforms can be forced before they become unreadable. Add too many details or abstract the form too much, and you have an unrecognizable mess. Rachel Young, of  Goollery.org started from scratch and made her letterforms out of google maps. Presenting all sorts of interesting experiments, Goollery showcases inventive ways to push google’s technologies to the edge. This typeface is just one small portion of the site. I’m just wondering when I can get this as a TrueType.

Rachel Young's google map typography

Rachel Young's "A"

Rachel Young's "C"

Rachel Young's "O"