London in 1927 from Tim Sparke on Vimeo.
Around the time that technicolor features were first introduced to theaters, British film pioneer Clause Friese-Greene was experimenting with video travelogues using the color process that his father, a noted cinematographer, was experimenting with. Vimeo recently published Friese-Greene’s gorgeous video of London, filmed in 1926 for his cross-country travelogue The Open Road. (more…)
+ POOL, a proposed floating pool whose walls will filter millions of gallons of the East River daily, is all the rage with New Yorkers now as its Kickstarter gets over 40% funded in the past week. This isn’t their first Kickstarter either, with a campaign two years ago yielding $41,000 in under a week. These funds were used to perform filtration testing in the East River, with great results:
We tested 19 different parameters for 10 weeks under the guidance of researchers from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University and saw a huge reduction in contaminants across all counts. The materials even cleaned on the worst days, right after big storms, proving that + POOL is starting to work.
Last fall we explored the largest Census tract in New York City, Co-Op City with Hidden Cities author, Moses Gates. This Sunday June 23rd at 11:45am, he’ll be leading a 14 mile walk from the least diverse to the most diverse Census Tract in the five boroughs. The tour is long, but we can vouch that a day spent with Moses is well worth it–his knowledge of New York City (and cities around the world) is immense and entertaining.
Moses Gates reports on fun finds inside the Paris catacombs
Last fall we explored with Hidden Cities author, Moses Gates, in the largest Census tract in New York City, Co-Op City. Following the release of his book Hidden Cities, Moses became well-known for his exploration of the top of the Chrysler Building and supporting the re-opening of observations decks in New York City, now closed to the public.
But before this, Moses was known as a cataphile and urban explorer, with his vast experience in the underworld with Steve Duncan of UnderCity. As a follow-up to our roundup of catacombs around the world, we asked Moses some fun questions about his time in the catacombs:
The facade of Taipei’s historic Grand Hotel
One of Taipei’s most standout and recognizable buildings is the Grand Hotel, known in Chinese as the “Yuanshan Great Hotel” to locals. Once the tallest building in Taiwan (although it has been long overshadowed by newer skyscrapers), it is one of the few remaining examples of Chinese classical architecture present in Taiwan and is a permanent fixture in Taiwanese history and politics. (more…)
The movie experience at Cinema Paradiso comes complete with viewers’ own (temporary) Fiat. Source: LePoint.
There’s nothing everyday about Paris’ Grand Palais, but for two weeks this month, the sprawling monument is transformed into typical 1950s America when it becomes a temporary drive-in movie theater. From June 10-21, Cinema Paradiso is screening American classics like Taxi Driver, Back to the Future and The Big Lebowski. Expected to host up to 1,000 visitors per movie, the 12,000 square-meter cinema will be the largest drive-in theater to exist in a capital city. (more…)
