Londonhua WIKI - User contributions [en]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-24T00:34:23Z

Jaroy: /* 6/23/17 - Prime Meridian & Leather Lane Market */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater Beyond the Actors''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater Beyond the Actors|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal was to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and historic, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I created my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
This project introduced me to the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare and the endless possibilities of how such shows can be reimagined. "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy featuring twins separated by a shipwreck, disguised genders and hidden emotions. There are countless possibilities of how the show can be interpreted. Historically, it was a comedy for the viewers. However, over time people have generally looked for some of the darker elements that Shakespeare includes in the show. While most performances focus on the comedy, the audience responds to the show best when the deeper emotions of the characters are brought forth. Furthermore, while Olivia or Viola would be the suspected star of the show, Malvolio is consistently the favorite character. His, or in some cases her, character steals the show. This character has been imagined as varying forms of strict and uptight as well as being changed into a female, Malvolia. The tone of performances has ranged from spoof to dramatic, dark comedy. The setting has grown to incorporate modern elements sometimes mixed with Elizabethan ones. While there is not necessarily a formula that can be used to create a perfect performance based on audience responses, we found that the show should balance the comedy with the drama, include some modern elements but also remain true to its origin.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
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Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
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==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
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Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
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==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
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Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
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Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
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==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
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==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
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Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
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==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
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Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
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==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
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Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
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==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
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Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
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==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
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==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
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Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
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==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
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==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
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==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
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==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>
 

==6/22/17 - Science Museum & Primrose Hill==
I was so glad I got to make it back to the [[Science Museum]] one last time. This time I primarily saw the materials exhibit and flight exhibit. In the materials exhibit was some cool art featuring different materials. There was a sculpture called the [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Challenge of Materials Gallery#Materials House|Materials House]] meant to showcase the greatest variety of materials. As part of that I learned that wood cement exists. I also learned about motorcycling suits and how there is one that monitors the riders body 800 times a second and can deploy airbags if needed. I saw some cool space technology including an electromagnetic levitator used for running tests. In the [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Flight|Flight]] exhibit I got to see some planes, both old and new. There was also a cross section view of a British Airways plane which I thought was interesting. After that I got to quickly a few other exhibits. I loved how many old computers and computing devices there are there. I walked back from the museum to enjoy the weather and appreciate the wealth of the Kensington area. At night I went back to Primrose Hill to see another sunset. While it was cloudy so the sunset was less remarkable, it was still a really fun, pleasant time.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Materials House- sm- JR.jpg|Materials House
Image:Old Plane- sm- JR.jpg|Old Plane
Image:Elliot 401 Computer- sm- JR.jpg|Elliot 401 Computer
</gallery>
 

==6/23/17 - Prime Meridian & Leather Lane Market==
It was funny because, until it had been mentioned a few days prior, I hadn't really realized that I could just go visit the Prime Meridian while in London. I am glad that I did find out. While I did not actually see the exhibit, I did get to stand straddling the Prime Meridian. I got to check off another important milestone for visiting London. Being up on a hill I also bet that it has a great view for sunsets. It certainly had a good view of the city. The bus rides turned out to be quite interesting. I saw yet another side of London. It was not as nice as the rest of the city yet still as nice as the nicer areas of Worcester. It seems like even the poorer areas of the city are well kept and not trashy. I also found it interesting how it is almost as if there are direct equivalents of US stores in London. For example, I found stores that appeared to be equivalents to Lowe's and Home Depot. Each of these stores had very similar appearances, logos and color schemes to each respective store. I also discovered that there is Spar in London apparently. (Spar is the grocery store we went to in Amsterdam.) There was also another funny coincidence. In Waterbury, Home Depot is right next to PetSmart and not too far from Toys "R" Us. The store that appeared to be an equivalent to Home Depot was also right next to a pet store and right down the road from a Toys "R" Us. For lunch I got the Baby got Mac sandwich from Grill my Cheese. It was heavenly. I'm going to miss these food markets. I wish there were some in my area back home. For dinner I helped prepare home made Greek food, garlic bread and cinnamon sugar pretzels. Everything was amazing. It made my top three meals accompanied by my lunch at The Eagle and the chicken shawarma wrap from King of Falafel. I'm going to have to find more interesting restaurants back home such as these.
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Image:Clock- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Observatory- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Standing on PM- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==Goodbye==
Over the past seven weeks, London has become a home for me. I know the streets. I know the transportation system. I know the nuances in pricing and variety at the nearby Sainsbury's Local, Tesco Express, and Waitrose. I love every aspect of being here (except maybe the terribly annoying lock on our door and hardly functional wifi in the flat) and I'm going to miss it all so much. I'll miss the common sights of the streets and the beauty of them all. I love all of the old architecture. There is such a seamless blend of the new and old. I'll miss the ability to wake up and just decide to go to Abbey Road, Hyde Park or other iconic landmarks. I'll miss that many museums are free. I absolutely love the science museum. Visiting three times over the seven weeks still wasn't enough. I'll miss the "lates" held at museums where you could get in for free or reduced prices and there were additional activities. I think that is definitely something that should happen back home. Another thing we should have is more food variety and markets. In London I could walk five minutes from my flat and get local, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, or other Mediterranean foods as well as a wide array of market foods. I will also miss the amazing three pound meal deals at Tesco and Sainsbury's. I'm going to miss that in a town where my food options can just about be summed up by pizza, pizza, hamburgers or pizza. I will have to make a point of finding more interesting restaurants in the area as my palate has expanded. Just as I'll miss the diversity of the food, I'll miss the diversity of the city. Different areas and boroughs have such different and unique cultures. They have different architecture and atmospheres. Regardless, throughout the city there was always the feeling of community and home. It never felt like a large, looming, intimidating city. I'll miss the street art because I learned quite a bit about it thanks to Olivia and Emily and it is quite fun. Being able to go to West End shows whenever I felt like it was really awesome. I had never really seen theater on that scale and caliber and it was an incredible experience. I love theater and I got to see so much of it. I saw seven shows in just seven weeks. It was especially cool that I could see such iconic actors there such as when I got to see David Tennant (will never get over that). I'm certainly going to miss my independence while here. While it did not make a difference, just the fact that I was considered of age and had a valid ID was just cool to experience. In London I got to be considered an adult. I also loved the freedom of mobility. I loved the tube just because it is kind of iconic. I love seeing the train cars bend as it goes around turns. It would remind me of a snake or worm. I loved sitting in the first row on the top level of buses. Those seats had an excellent view for taking in the city. I especially loved walking everywhere. I will miss the walks to and from the British Library and the Leicester Square. I became so familiar with many roads and I loved the exercise. It is strange to think how walking one mile in London get you really far. Walking one mile back home might not even get me into town. It's sad that I won't be able to continue walking everywhere like I had been. I find it amusing how I practically just woke up from a walk one day to casually walk an entire mile for a half hour meeting. Lastly, though there are probably still things missing here, I am going to miss the terminology. I will miss being told to "mind the gap" and queueing or throwing my garbage in a bin. Don't be surprised if I adapt some of these terms. I just want to hold onto parts of this culture I grew to love. I can only hope to someday return. Until then, goodbye London.
 

=Gallery=
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Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Shard Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-24T00:08:26Z

Jaroy: /* 6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

{{Infobox
|title = Justine Roy
|header1 =
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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater Beyond the Actors''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater Beyond the Actors|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal was to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and historic, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I created my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
This project introduced me to the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare and the endless possibilities of how such shows can be reimagined. "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy featuring twins separated by a shipwreck, disguised genders and hidden emotions. There are countless possibilities of how the show can be interpreted. Historically, it was a comedy for the viewers. However, over time people have generally looked for some of the darker elements that Shakespeare includes in the show. While most performances focus on the comedy, the audience responds to the show best when the deeper emotions of the characters are brought forth. Furthermore, while Olivia or Viola would be the suspected star of the show, Malvolio is consistently the favorite character. His, or in some cases her, character steals the show. This character has been imagined as varying forms of strict and uptight as well as being changed into a female, Malvolia. The tone of performances has ranged from spoof to dramatic, dark comedy. The setting has grown to incorporate modern elements sometimes mixed with Elizabethan ones. While there is not necessarily a formula that can be used to create a perfect performance based on audience responses, we found that the show should balance the comedy with the drama, include some modern elements but also remain true to its origin.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:The lion king- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=130p>
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chapel- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Guard- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Garden- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>
 

==6/22/17 - Science Museum & Primrose Hill==
I was so glad I got to make it back to the [[Science Museum]] one last time. This time I primarily saw the materials exhibit and flight exhibit. In the materials exhibit was some cool art featuring different materials. There was a sculpture called the [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Challenge of Materials Gallery#Materials House|Materials House]] meant to showcase the greatest variety of materials. As part of that I learned that wood cement exists. I also learned about motorcycling suits and how there is one that monitors the riders body 800 times a second and can deploy airbags if needed. I saw some cool space technology including an electromagnetic levitator used for running tests. In the [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Flight|Flight]] exhibit I got to see some planes, both old and new. There was also a cross section view of a British Airways plane which I thought was interesting. After that I got to quickly a few other exhibits. I loved how many old computers and computing devices there are there. I walked back from the museum to enjoy the weather and appreciate the wealth of the Kensington area. At night I went back to Primrose Hill to see another sunset. While it was cloudy so the sunset was less remarkable, it was still a really fun, pleasant time.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Materials House- sm- JR.jpg|Materials House
Image:Old Plane- sm- JR.jpg|Old Plane
Image:Elliot 401 Computer- sm- JR.jpg|Elliot 401 Computer
</gallery>
 

==6/23/17 - Prime Meridian & Leather Lane Market==
It was funny because, until it had been mentioned a few days prior, I hadn't really realized that I could just go visit the Prime Meridian while in London. I am glad that I did find out. While I did not actually see the exhibit, I did get to stand straddling the Prime Meridian. I got to check off another important milestone for visiting London. Being up on a hill I also bet that it has a great view for sunsets. It certainly had a good view of the city. The bus rides turned out to be quite interesting. I saw yet another side of London. It was not as nice as the rest of the city yet still as nice as the nicer areas of Worcester. It seems like even the poorer areas of the city are well kept and not trashy. I also found it interesting how it is almost as if there are direct equivalents of US stores in London. For example, I found stores that appeared to be equivalents to Lowe's and Home Depot. Each of these stores had very similar appearances, logos and color schemes to each respective store. I also discovered that there is Spar in London apparently. (Spar is the grocery store we went to in Amsterdam.) There was also another funny coincidence. In Waterbury, Home Depot is right next to PetSmart and not too far from Toys "R" Us. The store that appeared to be an equivalent to Home Depot was also right next to a pet store and right down the road from a Toys "R" Us. For lunch I got the Baby got Mac sandwich from Grill my Cheese. It was heavenly. I'm going to miss these food markets. I wish there were some in my area back home. For dinner I helped prepare home made Greek food, garlic bread and cinnamon sugar pretzels. Everything was amazing. It made my top three meals accompanied by my lunch at The Eagle and the chicken shawarma wrap from King of Falafel. I'm going to have to find more interesting restaurants back home such as these.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Clock- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Observatory- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Standing on PM- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

File:Standing on PM- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-24T00:07:24Z

Jaroy:

File:Observatory- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-24T00:07:02Z

Jaroy:

File:Clock- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-24T00:06:40Z

Jaroy:

File:Elliot 401 Computer- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-23T23:53:23Z

Jaroy:

File:Old Plane- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-23T23:52:50Z

Jaroy:

File:Materials House- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-23T23:52:15Z

Jaroy:

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-22T11:15:10Z

Jaroy: /* Conclusion */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
Photojournalism is used to convey a story or message. Anybody can take a picture of something. It takes a true photographer to capture an image with meaning. It is by no means easy. Thought and consideration must go into every photograph. It must capture a scene and it should elicit a response from the viewer. Art is often said to be about how it makes the viewer feel. By extension, this is true of photography. For example, Bill Brandt's photographs of the bomb shelters both capture the scene of what the people were experiencing at the time while creating sympathy in viewers. 
While there is no set method for photojournalism, my research revealed some techniques and components that have been used. Much of the photography I came across featured people. Bill Brandt Roger Mayne, and Anna Fox all captured people's lives. The human element of the photographs make them relevant to the viewers. They are about real people and real lives that could be the viewer's own. In the case of war time photography, the human element can bring about sympathy and compassion for those suffering. In the case of Anna Fox who captures everyday people, viewers can see their own lives reflected in the photographs. Other times the human element can be used to depict reactions to a situation. Facial expressions can be a direct indicator of how the subjects feel about whatever is transpiring in the photograph. Sometimes the human element can be indirect. Mediums such as newspapers and street art can also express people's reactions to situations. Jo Spence brought her own technique to photography, often heightening the human aspect. Jo Spence found that simply taking photographs of what she could observe was limited in the message that could be conveyed and introduced a new human element into her photography. She staged her photographs. While the messages would be real and related to what was actually transpiring, she would add elements to her photographs in order to further the message. Her modifications could use tools such as irony to really emphasize her point. While there was often the typical human elements in the photographs, her manipulation of the images served as another way to introduce the opinions of people. Overall, the involvement of people in photography aids in creating a relevant message for the viewer. 
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs. However, I learned that photography and photojournalism is not as simple as taking pictures. I learned that a successful photograph needs to be more than just an image of London. Unfortunately, I faced several disadvantages. Most simply, I was and am an amateur. The photographers I studied had years of practice and varying forms of training. Looking at some examples of photojournalism does not really qualify as training. Secondly, as professional photographers they had more privileges than I did. Some of their photography, such as Bill Brandt's photography of the bomb shelters, required media passes to gain access. Not only did I lack that access, but significant events that could have theoretically produced powerful photographs would not have been safe to be around. Furthermore, being a professional photographer gives people credibility. People are more likely to agree to a professional taking photographs of them as opposed to a random stranger. Such photographers may also spend time building up trust in communities with the people there. In contrast, it seemed best for me to avoid photographing people. I wanted to respect people's privacy and to photograph them would have quite possibly required paperwork. Therefore, for all of these reasons, and possibly more, the photography I captured did not rise to the level of photojournalism. The rest of the deliverable will look at the photographs I took, my intent for them, their shortfalls and possible ways to improve them.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" attempt to capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 
The foremost problem with these photographs is that they fail to capture a story, give a message or create an emotional response. They are simply artsy photographs of and from buses. The buses can be seen but there is no take away from the photographs. Perhaps a message could be created about the relationship between the culture and the transportation system. One thought for achieving this would be to capture people interacting with the transportation system. This could be photographs of people using and relying on the transportation network. It can also be photographs capturing people using the merchandise from Transport For London. I believe that it would show a passion for the transport system if a person, especially a citizen, is using a transport themed tote bag or has a transport themed print hung in their living room. This would be showing conscious decisions to further interact with the transportation system.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
These photographs try to capture how London is a blend of the old and the new. London has been around since Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 
Unfortunately, these photographs fail in that they fail to speak for themselves. Particularly so in "Liverpool", the photographs only appear to depict areas in London. It is not evident from the photographs alone that the theme is the mixture of the old and new elements of the city. A goal for these photographs could be for them to tell more of a story. For example, it could be interesting to capture the story of a building over the times. There are buildings that have been repurposed over the years. Old hospitals may now be used for something else such as a school. Therefore, expanding on these photographs to capture the contrast of the old buildings with their new purposes could add an interesting new element. Another way this could be achieved is by comparing new and old photographs of an area to see how old structures have remained or been modified and new buildings have been introduced.
 

==Skylines==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Central- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
Photojournalism has a lot to do with change. Photographs are used to capture the changing conditions of the time such as the growth of the Teddy Girl subculture or the change of lifestyle to adjust to war. Photographs are also used to bring about change such as Jo Spence's photographs during the women's rights movements. In these photographs I sought to show the changing conditions in London that are taking place on both a physical and cultural level. On a basic level, the change is seen in the skyline. Cranes and construction equipment are visible everywhere. That is what my photographs highlight. While some construction is maintenance, a lot of it is the result of gentrification in London. Gentrification is the movement of people and money into an area. A large cause of this movement in London was the 2012 Olympics because it was held in London. This attracted more people to the area. This created a demand for the area. Areas in travel zones two and three which were traditionally outside the wealth of central London had an influx of people. This drove property prices up. With the money comes demand for new stores and cafes. The East End, which has traditionally been an ethnic community of various immigrants over the years, is experiencing such gentrification. The old buildings and small shops are being replaced with new buildings. Meanwhile, the inhabitants are struggling to keep up with increasing prices and rent.
 
Again, these photographs fail to speak for themselves. Gentrification is very much a cultural issue, one involving the people. However, there is no human element in the photographs to indicate the struggle and changing conditions. Therefore, given the time, my goal would be to really explore the East End. That way I could capture how new businesses and chain businesses are taking over the old, community businesses as well as the reactions of the citizens. The East End is known for its street art. Therefore, I would not be surprised to find street art of people's reactions to the changes taking place. This would be a good long term project as the changes take place over the next many years.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic. Elements and techniques that go into photography and photojournalism would be a good area to pursue. Possible photography projects might include homelessness and the political environment (especially considering Brexit) as well as improving and expanding on the themes I began to explore.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-22T10:27:42Z

Jaroy: /* Section 2: Deliverable */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
Photojournalism is used to convey a story or message. Anybody can take a picture of something. It takes a true photographer to capture an image with meaning. It is by no means easy. Thought and consideration must go into every photograph. It must capture a scene and it should elicit a response from the viewer. Art is often said to be about how it makes the viewer feel. By extension, this is true of photography. For example, Bill Brandt's photographs of the bomb shelters both capture the scene of what the people were experiencing at the time while creating sympathy in viewers. 
While there is no set method for photojournalism, my research revealed some techniques and components that have been used. Much of the photography I came across featured people. Bill Brandt Roger Mayne, and Anna Fox all captured people's lives. The human element of the photographs make them relevant to the viewers. They are about real people and real lives that could be the viewer's own. In the case of war time photography, the human element can bring about sympathy and compassion for those suffering. In the case of Anna Fox who captures everyday people, viewers can see their own lives reflected in the photographs. Other times the human element can be used to depict reactions to a situation. Facial expressions can be a direct indicator of how the subjects feel about whatever is transpiring in the photograph. Sometimes the human element can be indirect. Mediums such as newspapers and street art can also express people's reactions to situations. Jo Spence brought her own technique to photography, often heightening the human aspect. Jo Spence found that simply taking photographs of what she could observe was limited in the message that could be conveyed and introduced a new human element into her photography. She staged her photographs. While the messages would be real and related to what was actually transpiring, she would add elements to her photographs in order to further the message. Her modifications could use tools such as irony to really emphasize her point. While there was often the typical human elements in the photographs, her manipulation of the images served as another way to introduce the opinions of people. Overall, the involvement of people in photography aids in creating a relevant message for the viewer. 
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs. However, I learned that photography and photojournalism is not as simple as taking pictures. I learned that a successful photograph needs to be more than just an image of London. Unfortunately, I faced several disadvantages. Most simply, I was and am an amateur. The photographers I studied had years of practice and varying forms of training. Looking at some examples of photojournalism does not really qualify as training. Secondly, as professional photographers they had more privileges than I did. Some of their photography, such as Bill Brandt's photography of the bomb shelters, required media passes to gain access. Not only did I lack that access, but significant events that could have theoretically produced powerful photographs would not have been safe to be around. Furthermore, being a professional photographer gives people credibility. People are more likely to agree to a professional taking photographs of them as opposed to a random stranger. Such photographers may also spend time building up trust in communities with the people there. In contrast, it seemed best for me to avoid photographing people. I wanted to respect people's privacy and to photograph them would have quite possibly required paperwork. Therefore, for all of these reasons, and possibly more, the photography I captured did not rise to the level of photojournalism. The rest of the deliverable will look at the photographs I took, my intent for them, their shortfalls and possible ways to improve them.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" attempt to capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 
The foremost problem with these photographs is that they fail to capture a story, give a message or create an emotional response. They are simply artsy photographs of and from buses. The buses can be seen but there is no take away from the photographs. Perhaps a message could be created about the relationship between the culture and the transportation system. One thought for achieving this would be to capture people interacting with the transportation system. This could be photographs of people using and relying on the transportation network. It can also be photographs capturing people using the merchandise from Transport For London. I believe that it would show a passion for the transport system if a person, especially a citizen, is using a transport themed tote bag or has a transport themed print hung in their living room. This would be showing conscious decisions to further interact with the transportation system.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
These photographs try to capture how London is a blend of the old and the new. London has been around since Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 
Unfortunately, these photographs fail in that they fail to speak for themselves. Particularly so in "Liverpool", the photographs only appear to depict areas in London. It is not evident from the photographs alone that the theme is the mixture of the old and new elements of the city. A goal for these photographs could be for them to tell more of a story. For example, it could be interesting to capture the story of a building over the times. There are buildings that have been repurposed over the years. Old hospitals may now be used for something else such as a school. Therefore, expanding on these photographs to capture the contrast of the old buildings with their new purposes could add an interesting new element. Another way this could be achieved is by comparing new and old photographs of an area to see how old structures have remained or been modified and new buildings have been introduced.
 

==Skylines==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Central- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
Photojournalism has a lot to do with change. Photographs are used to capture the changing conditions of the time such as the growth of the Teddy Girl subculture or the change of lifestyle to adjust to war. Photographs are also used to bring about change such as Jo Spence's photographs during the women's rights movements. In these photographs I sought to show the changing conditions in London that are taking place on both a physical and cultural level. On a basic level, the change is seen in the skyline. Cranes and construction equipment are visible everywhere. That is what my photographs highlight. While some construction is maintenance, a lot of it is the result of gentrification in London. Gentrification is the movement of people and money into an area. A large cause of this movement in London was the 2012 Olympics because it was held in London. This attracted more people to the area. This created a demand for the area. Areas in travel zones two and three which were traditionally outside the wealth of central London had an influx of people. This drove property prices up. With the money comes demand for new stores and cafes. The East End, which has traditionally been an ethnic community of various immigrants over the years, is experiencing such gentrification. The old buildings and small shops are being replaced with new buildings. Meanwhile, the inhabitants are struggling to keep up with increasing prices and rent.
 
Again, these photographs fail to speak for themselves. Gentrification is very much a cultural issue, one involving the people. However, there is no human element in the photographs to indicate the struggle and changing conditions. Therefore, given the time, my goal would be to really explore the East End. That way I could capture how new businesses and chain businesses are taking over the old, community businesses as well as the reactions of the citizens. The East End is known for its street art. Therefore, I would not be surprised to find street art of people's reactions to the changes taking place. This would be a good long term project as the changes take place over the next many years.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-22T09:13:32Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 1 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|title = Justine Roy
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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater Beyond the Actors''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater Beyond the Actors|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal was to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and historic, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I created my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
This project introduced me to the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare and the endless possibilities of how such shows can be reimagined. "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy featuring twins separated by a shipwreck, disguised genders and hidden emotions. There are countless possibilities of how the show can be interpreted. Historically, it was a comedy for the viewers. However, over time people have generally looked for some of the darker elements that Shakespeare includes in the show. While most performances focus on the comedy, the audience responds to the show best when the deeper emotions of the characters are brought forth. Furthermore, while Olivia or Viola would be the suspected star of the show, Malvolio is consistently the favorite character. His, or in some cases her, character steals the show. This character has been imagined as varying forms of strict and uptight as well as being changed into a female, Malvolia. The tone of performances has ranged from spoof to dramatic, dark comedy. The setting has grown to incorporate modern elements sometimes mixed with Elizabethan ones. While there is not necessarily a formula that can be used to create a perfect performance based on audience responses, we found that the show should balance the comedy with the drama, include some modern elements but also remain true to its origin.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
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Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:The lion king- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T20:37:29Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 3 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|header1 =
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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal was to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and historic, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I created my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
This project introduced me to the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare and the endless possibilities of how such shows can be reimagined. "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy featuring twins separated by a shipwreck, disguised genders and hidden emotions. There are countless possibilities of how the show can be interpreted. Historically, it was a comedy for the viewers. However, over time people have generally looked for some of the darker elements that Shakespeare includes in the show. While most performances focus on the comedy, the audience responds to the show best when the deeper emotions of the characters are brought forth. Furthermore, while Olivia or Viola would be the suspected star of the show, Malvolio is consistently the favorite character. His, or in some cases her, character steals the show. This character has been imagined as varying forms of strict and uptight as well as being changed into a female, Malvolia. The tone of performances has ranged from spoof to dramatic, dark comedy. The setting has grown to incorporate modern elements sometimes mixed with Elizabethan ones. While there is not necessarily a formula that can be used to create a perfect performance based on audience responses, we found that the show should balance the comedy with the drama, include some modern elements but also remain true to its origin.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:The lion king- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=130p>
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chapel- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Guard- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Garden- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Parliament- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Shard Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
Image:St Pauls- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T20:29:50Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 3 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|title = Justine Roy
|header1 =
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal was to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and historic, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will created my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
This project introduced me to the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare and the endless possibilities of how such shows can be reimagined. "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy featuring twins separated by a shipwreck, disguised genders and hidden emotions. There are countless possibilities of how the show can be interpreted. Historically, it was a comedy for the viewers. However, over time people have generally looked for some of the darker elements that Shakespeare includes in the show. While most performances focus on the comedy, the audience responds to the show best when the deeper emotions of the characters are brought forth. Furthermore, while Olivia or Viola would be the suspected star of the show, Malvolio is consistently the favorite character. His, or in some cases her, character steals the show. This character has been imagined as varying forms of strict and uptight as well as being changed into a female, Malvolia. The tone of performances has ranged from spoof to dramatic, dark comedy. The setting has grown to incorporate modern elements sometimes mixed with Elizabethan ones. While there is not necessarily a formula that can be used to create a perfect performance based on audience responses, we found that the show should balance the comedy with the drama, include some modern elements but also remain true to its origin.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
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Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
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Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
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==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
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==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
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Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
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==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
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Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
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Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
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==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
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File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
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==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
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==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
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Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
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Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
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Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
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Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
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Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
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</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T20:17:00Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 1 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I investigated different technologies and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=180p>
Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:The lion king- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
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</gallery>
 

==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Glass Ceiling- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Parliament- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Shard Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T20:15:41Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 2 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|header1 =
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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigated different technology and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I looked at examples of this relationship and captured my own photos that convey what I learned about the current conditions in London and my experiences with them.
 
I previously had little knowledge on the subject of photography. Through my research, I came to focus on photojournalism as its purpose is to make a statement. I learned that photojournalism, while important for communicating about the world we live in, is largely neglected by the artistic community. Photography has slowly been gaining acceptance as an art form since mid to late twentieth century. However, there is still little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The photographs primarily serve as visual examples of a condition but are not analyzed for their composition or implied meanings. Instead, my studies focused more on the lives of notable photographers of photojournalism such as Bill Brandt, Roger Mayne, and Jo Spence. To better understand the context of the photographs I studied, I also sought out information on the history of England and the cultural movements reflected in the photographs.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200>
Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:The lion king- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
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Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
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Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T20:06:52Z

Jaroy: /* Milestone 1 */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

{{Infobox
|title = Justine Roy
|header1 =
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigated different technology and methods used in theater. I used that knowledge to design an alternate set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" based on the methods and technology I learned about.
 
This milestone furthered my knowledge about the technical side of theater beyond my theater workshop course. In the course I heard and read about the history of theater technology and some practices. This milestone had me focusing more on those concepts as I had to write an overview of the scenic and promotional departments as well as analyze real examples of their work and attempt to produce my own work. While the WPI course had a good deal of theory, this milestone let me see the practice. I attended three backstage tours of major theaters in the area. These gave me insight into how theaters were being run and the actual process each theater used. I saw where costumes, sets and props are made in the theaters and heard accounts about the processes. I also attended seven theatrical performances. At these performances I saw many of the theories I learned about in use, often for the first time, such as a revolving stage. Working on the deliverable demonstrated the greatest lesson of just how complicated the design process is. When I faced difficulties in creating a set that would be visible to the entire audience, I discovered just how clever the original set designers of "The Play That Goes Wrong" were. What was perceived and accepted as just a rear wall was actually not flat. This demonstrated to me that the design process really requires the designer to think outside of the box.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I will look at examples of this relationship and capture my own photos that convey what I have learned about the current conditions in London and my experience with them.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=180p>
Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
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Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
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Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
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==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
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Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
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Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
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=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T19:53:05Z

Jaroy: /* Overview */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
I completed two milestones on theater towards my depth and a breadth project on photography. I had previously completed two theater classes at WPI and had various AP HUA transfer credit. My projects deepened my knowledge on the workings of theater, how the "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare has been adapted to different times and audiences, and the role of photojournalism in society and the artistic community. Furthermore, I gained invaluable cultural insight while living in London. I experienced everything from the local grocery stores and public transportation to the resilience of the people in the face of tragedies.
 

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|title = Justine Roy
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|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
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__TOC__

 

=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigating different technology and methods used in theater. I will use that knowledge to design the set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" including the methods and technology I learned about.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I will look at examples of this relationship and capture my own photos that convey what I have learned about the current conditions in London and my experience with them.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
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Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
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The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
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Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
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Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
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==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
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Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
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Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
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Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
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Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
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Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
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==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
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==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Glass Ceiling- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Parliament- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Shard Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
Image:St Pauls- sm- JR.jpg
Image:St Pauls Statue- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-21T19:25:59Z

Jaroy: /* Skylines */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
These photographs capture how London is a blend of the old and the new. London has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

==Skylines==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Central- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
Photojournalism has a lot to do with change. Photographs are used to capture the changing conditions of the time such as the growth of the Teddy Girl subculture or the change of lifestyle to adjust to war. Photographs are also used to bring about change such as Jo Spence's photographs during the women's rights movements. In these photographs I seek to show the changing conditions in London that are taking place on both a physical and cultural level. On a basic level, the change is seen in the skyline. Cranes and construction equipment are visible everywhere. That is what my photographs highlight. While some construction is maintenance, a lot of it is the result of gentrification in London. Gentrification is the movement of people and money into an area. A large cause of this movement in London was the 2012 Olympics because it was held in London. This attracted more people to the area. This created a demand for the area. Areas in travel zones two and three which were traditionally outside the wealth of central London had an influx of people. This drove property prices up. With the money comes demand for new stores and cafes. The East End, which has traditionally been an ethnic community of various immigrants over the years, is experiencing such gentrification. The old buildings and small shops are being replaced with new buildings. Meanwhile, the inhabitants are struggling to keep up with increasing prices and rent.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-21T19:24:31Z

Jaroy: /* Skylines */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
These photographs capture how London is a blend of the old and the new. London has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

==Skylines==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Central- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
Photojournalism has a lot to do with change. Photographs are used to capture the changing conditions of the time such as the growth of the Teddy Girl subculture or the change of lifestyle to adjust to war. Photographs are also used to bring about change such as Jo Spence's during the women's rights movements. In these photographs I seek to show the changing conditions in London that are taking place on both a physical and cultural level. On a basic level, the change is seen in the skyline. Cranes and construction equipment are visible everywhere. That is what my photographs highlight. While some construction is maintenance, a lot of it is the result of gentrification in London. Gentrification is the movement of people and money into an area. A large cause of this movement in London was the 2012 Olympics because it was held in London. This attracted more people to the area. This created a demand for the area. Areas in travel zones two and three which were traditionally outside the wealth of central London had an influx of people. This drove property prices up. With the money comes demand for new stores and cafes. The East End, which has traditionally been an ethnic community of various immigrants over the years, is experiencing such gentrification. The old buildings and small shops are being replaced with new buildings. Meanwhile, the inhabitants are struggling to keep up with increasing prices and rent.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-21T19:22:43Z

Jaroy: /* Then & Now */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
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Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
These photographs capture how London is a blend of the old and the new. London has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

==Skylines==
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Image:Central- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
Photojournalism has a lot to do with change. Photographs are used to capture the changing conditions of the time such as the growth of the Teddy Girl subculture or the change of lifestyle to adjust to war. Photographs are also used to bring about change such as Jo Spence's during the women's rights movements. In these photographs I seek to show the changing conditions in London that are taking place on both a physical and cultural level. On a basic level, the change is seen in the skyline. Cranes and construction equipment are visible everywhere. That is what my photographs highlight. While some construction is maintenance, a lot of it is the result of gentrification in London. Gentrification is the movement of people and money into an area. A large cause of this movement in London was the 2012 Olympics because it was held in London. This attracted more people to the area. This created a demand for the area. Areas in travel zones two and three which were traditionally outside the wealth of central London had an influx of people. This drove property prices up. With the money comes demand for new stores and cafes. The East End, which has traditionally been an ethnic community of various immigrants over the years, is experiencing such gentrification. The old buildings and small shops are being replaced with new buildings. Meanwhile, the inhabitants are struggling to keep up with increasing prices and rent.

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

File:Near MI6- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T19:06:10Z

Jaroy:

File:Forrest- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T19:05:45Z

Jaroy:

File:Central- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T19:05:03Z

Jaroy:

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T18:08:41Z

Jaroy: /* 6/19/17 - Improv Show */

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
The paragraph should give a three to five sentence abstract about your entire London HUA experience including 1) a summary of the aims of your project, 2) your prior experience with humanities and arts courses and disciplines, and 3) your major takeaways from the experience.
 

{{Infobox
|title = Justine Roy
|header1 =
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
|label2 =
|data2 =
}}

__TOC__

 
=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigating different technology and methods used in theater. I will use that knowledge to design the set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" including the methods and technology I learned about.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I will look at examples of this relationship and capture my own photos that convey what I have learned about the current conditions in London and my experience with them.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
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Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
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Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
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==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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Image:CK Sign- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Gold Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:MasterPeace- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Un Kolor Distinto- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=130p>
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chapel- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Guard- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Garden- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cars- sm- JR.jpg
Image:God Save the Queen- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chocolate Freakshake- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

==6/21/17 - Rolling Bridge & Abbey Road==
My trip started off at the Beatles store so I could get a gift on behalf of my sister. That store is pretty incredible with how much Beatles stuff is there. The atmosphere is also nice as they play Beatles music. Then I made the hot walk over the rolling bridge at Merchant square. Keep in mind that it was about 90 degrees outside and sunny. Google maps also directed me slightly the wrong way. I did eventually find the bridge though and it turned out to just be a small footbridge. It was still pretty neat looking. I was also disappointed when I discovered that if I arrived two hours earlier, I could have gone paddle boarding for half an hour for free. I love paddle boarding and, if I were in London another week, would totally go the following week. Merchant Square itself was a really cute area on this small waterway. There were patios out over the water and fountains. The next stop was Abbey Road. Google maps may or may not have taken me through the projects of the area. A bunch of the buildings were labeled estate buildings and, according to the tour guide from the Stonehenge trip, one meaning of estate is the equivalent of our projects. However, the area was still well kept with small green yards amidst the apartments. Abbey Road itself was interesting for the fact that people would stand out in the middle of the road to take photographs of each other crossing the street. Most importantly I can now saw that I've been to and crossed Abbey Road.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Bridge
Image:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg|Merchant Square
Image:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg|Abbey Road
</gallery>

=Gallery=
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Alley View- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cafe Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Eye Cityscape- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Ferris Wheel and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Glass Ceiling- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Kings Cross Area- sm- JR.jpg
Image:McDonalds Street Art- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Natural History Museum Entrance- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Parliament- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Shard Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
Image:St Pauls- sm- JR.jpg
Image:St Pauls Statue- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Radioactive Girl- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

File:Crossing Abbey Road- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T18:07:48Z

Jaroy:

File:Merchant Square- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T18:07:06Z

Jaroy:

File:Rolling Bridge- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-21T18:06:14Z

Jaroy:

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T17:42:32Z

Jaroy:

=Justine Roy=
 
=Overview=
The paragraph should give a three to five sentence abstract about your entire London HUA experience including 1) a summary of the aims of your project, 2) your prior experience with humanities and arts courses and disciplines, and 3) your major takeaways from the experience.
 

{{Infobox
|title = Justine Roy
|header1 =
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Garden- sm- JR.jpg|x450px|alt=Justine Roy]]
|caption = Windsor Castle
|label2 =
|data2 =
}}

__TOC__

 
=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigating different technology and methods used in theater. I will use that knowledge to design the set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" including the methods and technology I learned about.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I will look at examples of this relationship and capture my own photos that convey what I have learned about the current conditions in London and my experience with them.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
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Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Rainy Night- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Woman 2- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=225p>
Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
</gallery>
 

==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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Image:Flight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:I amsterdam- sm- JR.jpg
Image:On sign- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Canal- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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Image:Windmill- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Countryside- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Clogs- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sunset- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150>
Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
</gallery>
 

==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200>
Image:Horse and Knight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Sword- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Chest Plate- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Paper Weight- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Candelabra- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
</gallery>
 

==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200p>
Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
</gallery>
 

==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
</gallery>
 

==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
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Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
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Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

=Gallery=
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Image:Castle- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"

2017-06-21T11:27:46Z

Jaroy:

=Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"=
by [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Duke Orsino and Viola by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1850)
|label2 = by
|data2 = [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]]
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
 
This project explored various performances of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and how they were received by viewers and critics. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between "Twelfth Night" and how people have perceived the show over time. With this knowledge we created our own interpretation of how "Twelfth Night" should be performed. We address components such as tone, setting, characterization and the script. Our previous experience included courses on Shakespeare, theater technology, and photography. This milestone served as our culminating capstone project towards our theater humanities depths.
 

=Introduction=
 
Shakespeare was a brilliant, romantic and comedic writer. He could captivate audiences and his writings continue to do so. His romantic comedy, "Twelfth Night", provides humor to the audience and is open to different interpretations by many directors. This play encompasses the essence of Shakespeare as a funny, serious and romantic individual. The play has been made timeless as seen by the numerous interpretations that are performed even today. 
The main goal for this project was to make a written plan of an interpretation for "Twelfth Night" based on current and previous performances. We attended two current productions to analyze their style and researched the descriptions of two previous versions. One modern performance we used to learn about current adaptations of the show was the 2017 performance at the [[The Globe Theater|Shakespeare Globe]] in London. The other performance we viewed was the 2017 production at the [[National Theater]] in London. The two historical performances we analyzed are the 1983 production put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company and what is believed to be one of the first performances in 1602. Each of these performances had unique tones, characterizations and modifications. We additionally looked at their reviews to figure out what aspects of each performance were well received or poorly received by the critics. These findings informed us as we developed our own interpretation of the show.
 

=Section 1: Background=
 
==Summary==
 
"Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy by Shakespeare. After their ship is destroyed by a storm, twins, Viola and Sebastian, are individually rescued and each assume the other drowned. Viola hears of Olivia, the lady whom the Count Orsino is courting. Viola decides that she wants to meet Olivia who also is suffering from the death of her own brother. To do so she devises the plan of serving Orsino disguised as a boy and calling herself Cesario. Orsino has her pursuing Olivia for him as a messenger. Olivia falls in love with Cesario while Viola falls in love with Orsino. Meanwhile, Sebastian decides to go to Count Orsino unaware that his sister is alive. Upon arriving in the city, Sebastian is mistaken by Olivia for Cesario and she promptly marries him. Orsino finds out and, thinking that Sebastian is Cesario, gets extremely upset that his servant acted so wrongly against him. It is not until Viola and Sebastian end up in the same room that the siblings discover the other is alive and disguise of Cesario is abandoned. Olivia ends up happily married to Sebastian while Orsino and Viola become engaged.
 

==Inspiration==
 
[[File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|300px|thumb|Viola and the Countess by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1859)]]
There are clear relationships between "Twelfth Night" and other works that Shakespeare was exposed to as well as some new styles. 

"Twelfth Night" is considered one of Shakespeare's great comedies and defies many of the prior conventions of comedy that his earlier comedies followed. Comedy was seen as a show that resolved happily. However, "Twelfth Night", despite having a positive ending, is also serious and sobering. While Viola and Sebastian are reunited, the tragedy of what had happened to them is still present. In addition, the show does not end on the celebrations of the reunited twins and their relationships with Olivia and Orsino. Instead, the show returns to the shaming of Malvolio ending on a dark note as he promises revenge. Additionally, Shakespeare's focus in the structure of the show defies that of comedies. There are three subplots considered. The typical comedic plot focuses on the antics of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria harassing Malvolio and using his ego to deceive him. This plot is lighthearted and uses traditional styles of comedy such as farce. The second subplot is that between Olivia and Viola. As with the previous plot, a character is deceived and again follows the established comedic style. The third subplot involves Viola and Orsino and strays from comedy. Instead it explores a sentimental relationship between the two characters. Therefore, the logical structure for a comedy would focus on the plot against Malvolio then the relationship between Olivia and Viola and finally just feature the relationship with Orsino. This would satisfy a comedy of a series of carefully planned misfortunes. However, Shakespeare focuses on these plots in the reverse order. His focus is on the developing relationship with Orsino and Viola giving a considerable sincere side to the play. In doing so he defies the typical style of comedy. <ref>Crane, M. (1955). Twelfth Night and Shakespearian Comedy. Shakespeare Quarterly, 6(1), 1-8. doi:10.2307/2866046</ref>
 

Despite the play's differences from traditional comedies, plots within "Twelfth Night" parallel those of other shows. These shows likely acted as inspiration for Shakespeare. One of the inspirations Shakespeare used was another one of his own plays "The Comedy of Errors". "The Comedy of Errors" was written as an adaptation of the story named "The Menaechmi" by the Plautus who lived in the late BC era. <ref name = "plot"> Tosh, W. (2016, February 11). Hunting for Shakespeare's sources - Where did Shakespeare get his ideas for Twelfth Night from? Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://2016.playingshakespeare.org/essay/hunting-for-shakespeare-s-sources </ref>This story is about two twin brothers separated and when they are grown both find themselves in the same town and are mistaken for each other. This gives explanation for the plot of mistaking two twin siblings. However where does the gender switching come from? 

"Gl’Igannati" (The Deceived) (1537) by the academy of Intronati at Siena was likely the source for the gender triangle complication in Twelfth Night. <ref name = "gt"> William Shakespeare; J.M. Lothian; T.W. Craik (18 September 1975).[http://%5Bhttps://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kcd54asEHekC&pg=PR35&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|Twelfth Twelfth Night] Cengage Learning EMEA. pp. 35–6. ISBN 0-17-443625-4 </ref> In summary, Gl’Igannati is about a girl, Lelia (Shakespeare’s version Viola), and her love for Flamminio (Duke Orsino). Lelia's father, a rich man named Virginio, loses his wealth and his young son Fabrizio but saves Lelia. Upon moving to a different city Lelia falls in love with Flamminio. He returns her affection until Lelia leaves with her father on a trip. While Lelia is gone Flamminio falls in love with Isabella, who doesn't want him. When Lelia returns she finds Flamminio no longer wants her so she devises a plan. She disguises herself as a boy called Fabio and becomes Flamminio’s page. A similar situation is played out by Viola disguising herself as Cesario and serving Duke Orsino but being in love with him. <ref name = "gt"/> "Twelfth Night" has several key differences though that create a new tone. In "Gl’Igannati", Lelia previously was in a relationship with Flamminio and, after being wronged, empowers herself. She embodies a strong heroine. In contrast, Viola does not fall in love with Orsino until after she disguises herself nor is she empowered. In fact, when presented with the issue of the love triangle, she resigns herself and hopes that time will sort the problem out for her. Furthermore, Shakespeare further complicates the show with the two other previously mentioned plots, transforming it into a comedy. <ref>L. G. Salingar. (1958). The Design of Twelfth Night. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(2), 117-139. doi:10.2307/2867233</ref>
 

Neither of these inspirations, however, had a character like Malvolio. Malvolio is important since he is the butler that thinks he is high & mighty and is then tricked horribly making him the subject of the key comedic plot. It is assumed that he is Shakespeare’s own invention. The most reasonable explanation for this is found in Dr. Tosh's Article, "The answer lies in something Maria says, after Malvolio has interrupted a late-night party in Olivia’s house. ‘Sometimes he is a kind of puritan,’ she remarks (2.3.125). Today we use the term ‘puritan’ to mean someone who is excessively strict about issues of personal and sexual morality, but it had a more specific meaning in the early seventeenth century. For Shakespeare and his contemporaries, to call someone a ‘puritan’ was to use a disrespectful term for someone with radical religious views. England’s ‘puritans’ were various groups of zealous Protestants who condemned anything that resembled Catholic ritual or tradition. They had many targets for their disapproval: singing, dancing, festive games, rich food, gaudy clothes, long hair – and theatre. Throughout his career, Shakespeare had to contend with extremists who regarded drama as an offence against religion and morality" <ref name = "plot"/> The character of Malvolio was someone Shakespeare wanted to use to almost 'revenge' puritans about their theatre hatred. Even when Mavolio is abused, in the end of the play Shakespeare then shows the audience that he is human with feelings and that what was done to Malvolio was wrong. This suggests the theme that mistreatment of humans even when they are in the wrong is never alright.
 

Finally, Shakespeare used his audience, venue and resources as an opportunity to develop his comedy. It is believed that "Twelfth Night" was written to be performed at the Middle Temple for the queen. Shakespeare includes comments by the charaters about their surroundings that describe the venue, breaking the fourth wall. The characters also comment on several occasions on the audience. One example of this is when Malvolio says, "I say, this house is as dark as ignorance" (Shakespeare IV. ii. 46-50). This would play with the audience as it would have been comprised by many of the elite and well educated. <ref name = "mid">Akrigg, G. (1958). Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(3), 422-424. doi:10.2307/2867369</ref> Similarly, Shakespeare played with the fact that only men were allowed to act at the time. According to an Article written by Dr. Will Tosh on the inspiration of Twelfth Night, "Shakespeare’s plays were performed at a time when all of the actors were male, with teenage boys becoming the female roles. Shakespeare incorporated this convention into his plays, finding ways to turn what might be regarded as a disadvantage into a dramatic strength. In Twelfth Night, Viola isn’t just a girl dressing as a boy. She’s a boy playing a girl who pretends to be a boy, pursued by a boy playing a woman (Olivia) who ends up seducing a boy playing a boy (Sebastian). Part of the joke is that Viola-as-Caesario looks attractively feminine and irresistibly masculine depending on who is doing the looking: Orsino observes approvingly of his new pageboy’s appearance that ‘all is semblative a woman’s part’ (1.4.33), while Olivia compliments Viola on being ‘a proper man’ (3.1.125)". <ref name = "plot"/> Shakespeare through this inspiration also seems to suggest that the theme of gender is something based on how you act, rather than something based on what you were born with was a message he wanted to send trough this play.

 

==Original Performance==
 
This play was first performed in January of 1601 on 'Twelfth-Night Eve' for Queen Elizabeth I and her court at Whitehall palace according to J.W Draper, a professor of English at West Virginia University. <ref name = "tim"> Draper, J. W. (1950). Appendex A - Date, Season, and Time Analysis of The Play. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 257-261). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> It was "the Queen's Twelfth Night entertainment to regale 'the living Duke Orsino.'" <ref name ="tim"/> Virgino Orsino was the Duke of Bracciano at the time of Queen Elizabeth I and she entertained him royally on the twelfth night. However, it is known that the Middle Temple was the place where Shakespeare wanted this play to be performed. <ref name = "mid"/> Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple opened in February 1602. 

The set for the original play saw some parts taking place by the seashore, then in the nearby city. The city, according to J.W Draper, was supposed to be somewhere in Italy, specifically Venice and the Venetian colonies in Dalmatia. <ref name = "tom"> Draper, J. W. (1950). The Setting, Style, and Theme of 'Twelfth Night'. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 233-256). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> The dialogue of the play has some Italian wording but also Latin, French and Spanish. The suggestion about the setting and different combination of dialect is that Shakespeare wanted his play to reach across the globe to be performed other places and for it to not just be done in England. The plot, dialogue and costume, however, was written in Elizabethan style. Shakespeare's original style for this play was comedic and dramatic. 
[[File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|300px|thumb|Olivia by Edmund Leighton (1888)]]
===Reviews===
 
John Manningham who say the performance at the Middle Temple in 1602 gives his mention of the play talking about Steward Malvolio and how the play was similar to the plays 'Commedy of Errors', 'Menechmi' by Plautus and 'Inganni'. <ref name = "org"> Manningham, J. (1968). Diary of John Manningham, of The Middle Temple, and of Bradbourne, Kent, Barrister-At-Law (Ser. 1) (J. Bruse, Ed.). Westminster: J.B Nichols and Sons.
Facsimile reprint of 1868 ed. First published by Royal Historical Society, 1868. </ref>
In further taking about the subplot of the play in his original writing, 

''"A good practise in it to make the Steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfeyting a letter as from his Lady, in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparaile, &c., and then when he came to practise, making him beleeue they tooke him to be mad."'' <ref name = "org"/> 

According to a review on Bruce Smith's findings in John Manningham's Diary that ''"in this particular entry, and in those that surround it in the diary, Smith discerns seven subjects (or 'contexts' [6]) of continuing fascination to Manningham and presumably to others like him in the Middle Temple: Romance, Music, Sexuality, Clothing and Disguise, Household Economies, Puritan Probity, and Laughter and Clowning."''<ref> KO, Y. (2003). Early Theatre, 6(1), 101-104. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/43499184 </ref> Manningham and other playgoers at the time really enjoyed this original performance of "Twelfth Night'. It gave laughter and enjoyment to the people who saw it.
 

==Twentieth Century Performance==
 
According to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre production log, in 1983 the Royal Shakespeare Company, located in Shakespeare's hometown Stanford-upon-Avon, performed an interpretation of Twelfth Night. <ref>1960-2005 productions | Twelfth Night. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.rsc.org.uk/twelfth-night/past-productions/1960-2005-productions </ref> The Director was John Caird and the set designer was Robin Don. A huge tree was positioned in the middle of the stage that reached to the top of the theater. Sand surrounded the tree and there was a black back drop. The lighting was designed by David Hersey to look like stars, a moon, dawn, and twilight. <ref name = "old"> Farmer, P. (1984). Theatre Journal, 36(1), 113-115. doi:10.2307/3207372 </ref> The performance was traditional with Elizabethan era costumes and style. The story was not portrayed as a happy comedy but a dramatic, dark one. 
<gallery mode = "packed" heights = 200px>
File:Twelfthnightpic 1.jpg|Set for the 1983 Performance
File:Twelfthnightpic 2.jpg|Olivia and Malvolio
File:Twelfthnightpic mal.jpg|Malvolio
</gallery>
 
===Reviews===
 
Patrick Farmer, who reviewed three Royal Shakespeare Theatre plays done at that same time, found this interpretation the most satisfying. <ref name = "old"/> He thought that Malvolio was a comic force. He found that the actors of the company were very versatile in their roles. <ref name = "old"/> 
Another review from the Guardian in 1984 by Nicholas de Jongh said that ''"I (himself) cannot remember a Twelfth Night so steep in an atmosphere of autumnal rejection, or one which shows so graphically people wither under the strain of hopeless love."'' <ref> Gay, P. (2005). As she likes it: Shakespeares unruly women. London: Routledge. </ref>
 
Yet another review addresses the dark comedy and compares it to other performances. In this article from The Times, Irving Wardle writes ''Quite a deal of poison has been seeping into this play over the past few years, but John Caird's is the first I have seen that projects Twelfth Night as an all-out dark comedy. This is good news not only for jaded old spectators who have seen the piece too often. There is a limit to the amount of fun that can be extracted from the drinking scene and permutations of Malvolio's letter in a play that was never more than intermittently uproarious. And there is everything to be said for muting the comedy for once and giving full attention to the central matter of the illusions and frenzies of love.''"<ref> Irving Wardle, The Times, 21 April 1983 </ref> This play was put on more like the original interpretation then a more modern version. Overall, people seemed to like this interpretation a lot.
 

==National Theater==
 
The [[National Theater]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was playful but still grounded in realism. The setting spanned multiple time periods. While the costumes were largely modernized, older elements were brought in. For example, the maids' dresses were of a modern style but had ruffs on them. In the beginning the actors drove out in antique cars indicating yet another time period in the late twentieth century. The interior decorating of Olivia's house was modern. This blending of time periods is consistent with the idea that Shakespeare's plays are considered timeless. The [[National Theater]] took several creative liberties with the play. The gender of Fabian, Malvolio and the clown were all switched from male to female. This introduced new relationship dynamics as Malvolia was lesbian unlike Malvolio. Another surprising element introduced was Count Orsino boxing. It is another example of a modern activity being introduced to the show. The casting featured a relatively young cast with all the leads in what appeared to be roughly in their 20s or 30s. Overall, the show appeared to be quite faithful to the original script with only minor alterations being made to adjust for the different genders of characters. 
===Reviews===
 
While there are always dissenters, National Theater's performance of "Twelfth Night" was largely well received. Common to every review was praise for Tamsin Greig as Malvolia. Even those who disapproved of the show believed "Tamsin Greig shines in a production otherwise at sea"<ref>Cavendish, C. (2017, Feb 23,). Twelfth night, national's olivier theatre review: Tamsin greig shines in a production otherwise at sea. The Telegraph Online Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/twelfth-night-nationals-olivier-theatre-review-tamsin-greig/</ref>. They loved her sharpness and command of the character. There are two main differing perspectives on the tone. Several critics found that the show was too lighthearted and that it did not do the main themes justice. Alexandra Coghlin describes the performance as "siphoning off most of the play’s darker elements and leaving neat sunshine, song and laughter<ref>Coghlen, A. (2017). Twelfth night, national theatre. The Arts Desk, Retrieved from http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/twelfth-night-national-theatre-0</ref>. Marianka Swain stated that "Amidst the riotous clowning, the romances feel a tad undercooked"<ref>Swain, M. (2017). BWW review: TWELFTH NIGHT, national theatre. Broadway World, Retrieved from http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BWW-Review-TWELFTH-NIGHT-National-Theatre-20170223</ref>. Similarly, Michael Billington felt that "all (he) missed was the element of reflective melancholy that makes this, for many of us, the most perfect comedy ever written<ref>Billington, M. (2017, Feb. 23,). Twelfth night review – tamsin greig is brilliant in a show full of fun. The Guardian Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/23/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre-tamsin-greig</ref>. In contrast, others felt that enjoyment from the comedy outweighed this loss or that the core issues were still represented. Ben Dowell believes that the show "never loses sight of the play’s cloudy and troubling subtext"<ref>Dowell, B. (2017). Twelfth night theatre review: Tamsin greig brings dazzling comic brio to a gender-bending production. Radio Times Travel, Retrieved from http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-23/twelfth-night-theatre-review-tamsin-greig-brings-dazzling-comic-brio-to-a-gender-bending-production</ref>. The general consensus was that an excellent job was done with casting except for Doon Mackichan. There were very mixed opinions over her performance. Holly Williams is of the opinion that Mackichan "gives the unfunny fool a sparkle that goes far beyond her glittery boots"<ref>Williams, H. (2017). Review: Twelfth night (olivier, national theatre). What's on Stage, Retrieved from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-tamsin-greig-olivier-national_42961.html</ref>. However, Natasha Tripney finds that "she does not succeed in making the fool all that funny"<ref>Tripney, N. (2017). Twelfth night review at the national theatre – ‘Tamsin greig is resplendent’. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre/</ref>. Most reviews concur that the set design and costumes were a strong point of the show, though every critic seems to have a different idea of which decade it drew on for inspiration. Ann Treneman goes so far as to even describe the set as "sexy" <ref>Treneman, A. (2017, Feb. 24,). Theatre: Twelfth night at the olivier, SE1. The Times Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theatre-twelfth-knight-olivier-6tnjt27l5</ref>. Overall, the show appeared to have a positive response and received ratings ranging from three to five stars<ref>Morgan, F. (2017). Twelfth night starring tamsin greig – review round-up. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2017/twelfth-night-starring-tamsin-greig-review-round/</ref>.
 

==The Globe==
 
[[The Globe Theater|The Globe]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was nontraditional. The tone was that of a spoof directed by Mel Brooks. The performance was goofy and the performers maintained character though they did not present convincingly realistic people. Instead, the characters were dramatized and occasionally broke the fourth wall. One of the most notable changes made was the introduction of a musical aspect to the show. While the clown sings on occasion in the original script, all of the characters were singing on multiple occasions during the show. This resulted in significant modifications to the script as some lines were removed and some converted into lyrics. Many other lines, however, remained untouched. The show appeared to be set in Scotland in the late 1970s as several of the characters wore kilts and many of the other costumes drew on fashion from that time period such as jumpsuits with bell bottoms. In addition, several songs from that time period were referenced including "We are Family" and "I Will Survive". The casting for the show was older than for the [[National Theater]]'s performance and appeared to have a decent sized age gap between Olivia and both Orsino and Olivia. In addition, the clown did not have as clear of a role. While the clown in the [[National Theater]]'s performance had a significant role in the antics and in revealing themes, the clown in this performance was not well defined. He primarily just led the characters in song. Without knowing the play the character of the clown would quite possibly be very confusing. 
===Reviews===
 
According to a review from The Culture Whisper, ''"Twelfth Night is delightful and enchanting, even if it is not a transformative or revolutionary adaptation. More than anything, she (Emma Rice who was the artistic director) focuses on making Shakespeare highly entertaining, accessible, joyful and communal.''" <ref name ="glrev">Macdonald, B. (2017). Twelfth Night, The Globe review. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/theatre/summer_of_love_shakespeares_globe_twelfth_night_emma_rice_2017/8773 </ref> The review also talks about this Malivolio that ''"straddles the line beautifully between being endlessly obnoxious and equally loveable."'' <ref name ="glrev"/> 
Another review said that this interpretation was ''"an absolute hoot...freely embellished and fulsomely overdone. ...clownish caricatures instead of credible characters."'' <ref>Trueman, M. (2017, May 25). Review: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-shakespeares-globe-emma-rice_43684.html </ref> The pop songs and humor made the play more fun than serious from this review's perspective. This review warns traditional Shakespeare fans that this is not a traditional performance.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
Based on the research explained in the background, we created an idea & plan for our own personal interpretation of Shakespeare' s 'Twelfth Night'. The main things we focused on was the tone, setting, characters, and script for our interpretation.
 
==Tone==
 
The tones of the two different performances we saw at the National Theater and The Globe were quite different. While both performances were designed to be funny, the National Theater's performance remained grounded in realism. In contrast, The Globe's performance was overly theatrical and goofy coming off as a spoof. Based on personal opinion and others' reviews, we opted for a realistic tone. The reviews indicate that people appreciate when they can relate to the characters and have an emotional connection. In the 1893 performance, a key point was that it was not all just humor but that it also addressed the struggles of the lovers. We believe that by keeping the acting natural and realistic, the audience can become better immersed in the show, which also can result in heightened comedy when it does happen as the audience is better connected with what is taking place.
 [[File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|A mansion that we would use as the setting of Olivia's mansion with gardens]]
==Setting==
 
We decided to set the play roughly modern day and in an area inspired by New York City. Both of the adaptations of "Twelfth Night" that we saw incorporated various modern elements to them ranging from set to costumes to music. Modernizing the show keeps it interesting for viewers. It is harder for a person to relate to the entirely different culture of Shakespeare's time. By updating the show, it again helps viewers connect with the performance. To further that, we want the show set in an area similar to New York City. Cities are often closely tied with the image of modern society, particularly the modern architecture and skyscrapers present. Additionally, New York City is a very familiar sight to people all over the world as it is often the setting for many movies, television shows and featured in art forms. Therefore, this sort of setting would feel familiar to the audience. 

==Characters==
 
There are several creative liberties we would take with the characters including gender switching and modernizations. In keeping with the theme of modernizing the show, some minor and often subtle changes would be made to the portrayal of the characters. Instead of being a count, Orsino would be a mayor. [[File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Malvolio Character|200px|right]]This way he would still be in charge of the area but have a modern title. In accordance, Viola as Cesario would be portrayed as his personal assistant when working for him. This would be manifested only in how the character is presented. Nowhere in the script is Cesario's position clearly named. The distinction of being a personal assistant would be shown through costuming and their interactions. This sort of role would make the most sense for the characters in their modernized world. Viola and Sebastian's position in society would be translated to that of upper class citizens, there father having been a CEO. This would explain why Antonio should have known of their father. Meanwhile, Olivia, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew would be socialites as they are clearly rich. They live privileged, frivolous lives. Furthermore, Malvolio and the clown would have to be carefully executed. Malvolio consistently stole the show in all of the performances. As with the critics, we enjoyed the change of Malvolio to Malvolia. This change plays up the gender fluidity in the show and adds an additional layer of depth to the show. We believe she should be depicted as a strict, old school nun teaching in a Catholic school. Her harsh, straight edge demeanor provides greater contrast heightening the comedy of her transformation after reading the letter. If the character is made humorous at all beforehand, the transition becomes less comical as she would not be taken as seriously. A humorous character becoming the subject of comedy is nothing remarkable. However, a stern and harsh character turning comedic is noteworthy. In addition, we again liked National Theater's take on the clown as a clever, witty female. This made the humor more intellectual and she acted as a catalyst throughout the show. In contrast, The Globe reduced the role of the clown until it was almost unrecognizable. We prefer the clown to be a dynamic character. To keep with the modernization, she would not be portrayed as a stereotypical clown but more as a fun loving performer. Her costume would be colorful and playful in contrast to the other characters. 
==Script==
 
Our goal is to avoid tampering with the script. The more it is changed, the less authentic it feels and it loses the charm and character that Shakespeare put into it. The performances we have seen primarily kept the original script. Only minor revisions were made for gender switches. The Globe further altered their script to make it musical but that also seemed to detract from the script as many lines were lost in lyrics. Our modifications would only go so far as to account for the gender changes and role changes. For example, count would become mayor, Malvolio would be Malvolia, and the clown would primarily be referred to with generic terms and pronouns as clowns are no longer employed as they once were. We do not want to detract from Shakespeare's characters and themes by modifying the script too much.
 

=Summary=
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Performance !! Original !! 20th Century !! National Theater !! The Globe !! Our Interpretation
|-
! scope="row" | Tone
| inconclusive || dramatic, dark comedy || realism, lighthearted || spoof || realism, balance of comedy and drama
|-
! scope="row" | Setting
| Elizabethan Era || Elizabethan Era || blend of Elizabethan era elements into an 20th century setting || Scotland in roughly the late 1970s || modern day in a large city inspired by NYC
|-
! scope="row" | Characters
| Malvolio was a well liked character || Malvolio was a comic force || gender bending, serious and awkward Malvolio stole the show, clever fool || role of the clown was unclear, Malvolio was very strict and harsh || modernized titles and social roles, gender bending, harsh and strict Malvolio, witty and fun loving fool
|-
! scope="row" | Script
| original, Elizabethan style writing || inconclusive || minor alterations to account for gender changes || lines converted into lyrics and 70s songs blended in || only minor alterations for gender and title switches
|-
! scope="row" | Reviews
| Queen approved || tone was satisfying || overall positive but some felt darker elements were lost in the lighthearted tone || not for traditionalists but others found it very fun || N/A
|}

=Conclusion=
 
The story of 'Twelfth Night' is a romantic comedy, makes fun of the gender roles and humanity as a whole. Shakespeare when writing this play wanted to make people laugh and to also teach people about how important it is to treat others with respect and with dignity. Overall, people like this play when it is done more realistically. Making the tone of the story more of a spoof takes away some of the beauty of the story and the humanity lessons within it. Another aspect to the play that Shakespeare and modern adaptations have done is the
gender switching of the supporting characters like Malvolio. A female Malvolio gives the originally male character a new way of looking at the character as whole. 'Twelfth Night' is a brilliant Shakespeare play that can be interpreted in many different ways. 
Future research could include perspectives on another Shakespeare play. Using different performances by different companies around London could also be something to explore. 

=Attribution of Work=
 
==Mary Hatfalvi==
I contributed to the abstract section of this project. In the Background, I contributed to the research & writing of the inspiration subsection as well as researched & wrote the review subsection under The Globe Performance. I researched & wrote under the Background the 20th century performance summer & reviews as well as the original performance summery and reviews. In the Deliverable section, I contributed to the ideas and approach for a successful interpretation of 'Twelfth Night'. I contributed to the writing of the conclusion and the introduction sections as well as added all of the pictures on the milestone page. I contributed to [[The Globe Theater]] and the [[National Theater]] articles which were used in this milestone. 

==Justine Roy==
We both participated in all parts of the project. I wrote the summary, descriptions of the productions we viewed, reviews for the National Theater performance and deliverable. I co-wrote the inspiration section and made revisions throughout.
 

=References=
<references/>
 

=External Links=
[http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/index.html Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ]
 

=Image Gallery=
<gallery>
File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Duke Orsino and Viola '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1850 '''Attributed to''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOrsino_and_viola_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Viola and the Countess '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1859 '''Attributed to''' By Frederick Richard Pickersgill (25 September 1820, London - 20 December 1900) (Shakespeare Illustrated) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AViola_and_the_Countess_-_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|thumb|Olivia '''Artist''' Edmund Leighton '''Year''' 1888 '''Attributed to''' Edmund Leighton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEdmund_Blair_Leighton_-_Olivia.jpg
File:Twelfthnightpic 1.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Donald Cooper '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Donald Cooper [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=14083
File:Twelfthnightpic 2.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Tom Holte '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Thos. F. and Mig Holte Collection (Copyright Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=15564
File:Twelfthnightpic mal.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Donald Cooper '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Donald Cooper [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=14080
File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|Beige Painted Concrete Building '''Author''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] '''Attributed to''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] CC0 License via Pexels '''Link''' https://www.pexels.com/photo/park-historical-castle-fountain-87378/
File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Teacher-Classroom-School '''Author''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu] '''Attributed to''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu], CC0 Public Domain via pixabay '''Link''' https://pixabay.com/en/teacher-classroom-school-class-403004/
</gallery>
 

[[Category: Drama & Theater Projects]]
[[Category:2017]]

Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"

2017-06-21T11:16:47Z

Jaroy: /* Script */

=Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"=
by [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Duke Orsino and Viola by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1850)
|label2 = by
|data2 = [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]]
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
 
This project explored various performances of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and how they were received by viewers and critics. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between "Twelfth Night" and how people have perceived the show over time. With this knowledge we created our own interpretation of how "Twelfth Night" should be performed. We address components such as tone, setting, characterization and the script. Our previous experience included courses on Shakespeare, theater technology, and photography. This milestone served as our culminating capstone project towards our theater humanities depths.
 

=Introduction=
 
Shakespeare was a brilliant, romantic and comedic writer. He could captivate audiences and his writings continue to do so. His romantic comedy, "Twelfth Night", provides humor to the audience and is open to different interpretations by many directors. This play encompasses the essence of Shakespeare as a funny, serious and romantic individual. The play has been made timeless as seen by the numerous interpretations that are performed even today. 
The main goal for this project was to make a written plan of an interpretation for "Twelfth Night" based on current and previous performances. We attended two current productions to analyze their style and researched the descriptions of two previous versions. One modern performance we used to learn about current adaptations of the show was the 2017 performance at the [[The Globe Theater|Shakespeare Globe]] in London. The other performance we viewed was the 2017 production at the [[National Theater]] in London. The two historical performances we analyzed are the 1983 production put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company and what is believed to be one of the first performances in 1602. Each of these performances had unique tones, characterizations and modifications. We additionally looked at their reviews to figure out what aspects of each performance were well received or poorly received by the critics. These findings informed us as we developed our own interpretation of the show.
 

=Section 1: Background=
 
==Summary==
 
"Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy by Shakespeare. After their ship is destroyed by a storm, twins, Viola and Sebastian, are individually rescued and each assume the other drowned. Viola hears of Olivia, the lady whom the Count Orsino is courting. Viola decides that she wants to meet Olivia who also is suffering from the death of her own brother. To do so she devises the plan of serving Orsino disguised as a boy and calling herself Cesario. Orsino has her pursuing Olivia for him as a messenger. Olivia falls in love with Cesario while Viola falls in love with Orsino. Meanwhile, Sebastian decides to go to Count Orsino unaware that his sister is alive. Upon arriving in the city, Sebastian is mistaken by Olivia for Cesario and she promptly marries him. Orsino finds out and, thinking that Sebastian is Cesario, gets extremely upset that his servant acted so wrongly against him. It is not until Viola and Sebastian end up in the same room that the siblings discover the other is alive and disguise of Cesario is abandoned. Olivia ends up happily married to Sebastian while Orsino and Viola become engaged.
 

==Inspiration==
 
[[File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|300px|thumb|Viola and the Countess by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1859)]]
There are clear relationships between "Twelfth Night" and other works that Shakespeare was exposed to as well as some new styles. 

"Twelfth Night" is considered one of Shakespeare's great comedies and defies many of the prior conventions of comedy that his earlier comedies followed. Comedy was seen as a show that resolved happily. However, "Twelfth Night", despite having a positive ending, is also serious and sobering. While Viola and Sebastian are reunited, the tragedy of what had happened to them is still present. In addition, the show does not end on the celebrations of the reunited twins and their relationships with Olivia and Orsino. Instead, the show returns to the shaming of Malvolio ending on a dark note as he promises revenge. Additionally, Shakespeare's focus in the structure of the show defies that of comedies. There are three subplots considered. The typical comedic plot focuses on the antics of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria harassing Malvolio and using his ego to deceive him. This plot is lighthearted and uses traditional styles of comedy such as farce. The second subplot is that between Olivia and Viola. As with the previous plot, a character is deceived and again follows the established comedic style. The third subplot involves Viola and Orsino and strays from comedy. Instead it explores a sentimental relationship between the two characters. Therefore, the logical structure for a comedy would focus on the plot against Malvolio then the relationship between Olivia and Viola and finally just feature the relationship with Orsino. This would satisfy a comedy of a series of carefully planned misfortunes. However, Shakespeare focuses on these plots in the reverse order. His focus is on the developing relationship with Orsino and Viola giving a considerable sincere side to the play. In doing so he defies the typical style of comedy. <ref>Crane, M. (1955). Twelfth Night and Shakespearian Comedy. Shakespeare Quarterly, 6(1), 1-8. doi:10.2307/2866046</ref>
 

Despite the play's differences from traditional comedies, plots within "Twelfth Night" parallel those of other shows. These shows likely acted as inspiration for Shakespeare. One of the inspirations Shakespeare used was another one of his own plays "The Comedy of Errors". "The Comedy of Errors" was written as an adaptation of the story named "The Menaechmi" by the Plautus who lived in the late BC era. <ref name = "plot"> Tosh, W. (2016, February 11). Hunting for Shakespeare's sources - Where did Shakespeare get his ideas for Twelfth Night from? Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://2016.playingshakespeare.org/essay/hunting-for-shakespeare-s-sources </ref>This story is about two twin brothers separated and when they are grown both find themselves in the same town and are mistaken for each other. This gives explanation for the plot of mistaking two twin siblings. However where does the gender switching come from? 

"Gl’Igannati" (The Deceived) (1537) by the academy of Intronati at Siena was likely the source for the gender triangle complication in Twelfth Night. <ref name = "gt"> William Shakespeare; J.M. Lothian; T.W. Craik (18 September 1975).[http://%5Bhttps://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kcd54asEHekC&pg=PR35&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|Twelfth Twelfth Night] Cengage Learning EMEA. pp. 35–6. ISBN 0-17-443625-4 </ref> In summary, Gl’Igannati is about a girl, Lelia (Shakespeare’s version Viola), and her love for Flamminio (Duke Orsino). Lelia's father, a rich man named Virginio, loses his wealth and his young son Fabrizio but saves Lelia. Upon moving to a different city Lelia falls in love with Flamminio. He returns her affection until Lelia leaves with her father on a trip. While Lelia is gone Flamminio falls in love with Isabella, who doesn't want him. When Lelia returns she finds Flamminio no longer wants her so she devises a plan. She disguises herself as a boy called Fabio and becomes Flamminio’s page. A similar situation is played out by Viola disguising herself as Cesario and serving Duke Orsino but being in love with him. <ref name = "gt"/> "Twelfth Night" has several key differences though that create a new tone. In "Gl’Igannati", Lelia previously was in a relationship with Flamminio and, after being wronged, empowers herself. She embodies a strong heroine. In contrast, Viola does not fall in love with Orsino until after she disguises herself nor is she empowered. In fact, when presented with the issue of the love triangle, she resigns herself and hopes that time will sort the problem out for her. Furthermore, Shakespeare further complicates the show with the two other previously mentioned plots, transforming it into a comedy. <ref>L. G. Salingar. (1958). The Design of Twelfth Night. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(2), 117-139. doi:10.2307/2867233</ref>
 

Neither of these inspirations, however, had a character like Malvolio. Malvolio is important since he is the butler that thinks he is high & mighty and is then tricked horribly making him the subject of the key comedic plot. It is assumed that he is Shakespeare’s own invention. The most reasonable explanation for this is found in Dr. Tosh's Article, "The answer lies in something Maria says, after Malvolio has interrupted a late-night party in Olivia’s house. ‘Sometimes he is a kind of puritan,’ she remarks (2.3.125). Today we use the term ‘puritan’ to mean someone who is excessively strict about issues of personal and sexual morality, but it had a more specific meaning in the early seventeenth century. For Shakespeare and his contemporaries, to call someone a ‘puritan’ was to use a disrespectful term for someone with radical religious views. England’s ‘puritans’ were various groups of zealous Protestants who condemned anything that resembled Catholic ritual or tradition. They had many targets for their disapproval: singing, dancing, festive games, rich food, gaudy clothes, long hair – and theatre. Throughout his career, Shakespeare had to contend with extremists who regarded drama as an offence against religion and morality" <ref name = "plot"/> The character of Malvolio was someone Shakespeare wanted to use to almost 'revenge' puritans about their theatre hatred. Even when Mavolio is abused, in the end of the play Shakespeare then shows the audience that he is human with feelings and that what was done to Malvolio was wrong. This suggests the theme that mistreatment of humans even when they are in the wrong is never alright.
 

Finally, Shakespeare used his audience, venue and resources as an opportunity to develop his comedy. It is believed that "Twelfth Night" was written to be performed at the Middle Temple for the queen. Shakespeare includes comments by the charaters about their surroundings that describe the venue, breaking the fourth wall. The characters also comment on several occasions on the audience. One example of this is when Malvolio says, "I say, this house is as dark as ignorance" (Shakespeare IV. ii. 46-50). This would play with the audience as it would have been comprised by many of the elite and well educated. <ref name = "mid">Akrigg, G. (1958). Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(3), 422-424. doi:10.2307/2867369</ref> Similarly, Shakespeare played with the fact that only men were allowed to act at the time. According to an Article written by Dr. Will Tosh on the inspiration of Twelfth Night, "Shakespeare’s plays were performed at a time when all of the actors were male, with teenage boys becoming the female roles. Shakespeare incorporated this convention into his plays, finding ways to turn what might be regarded as a disadvantage into a dramatic strength. In Twelfth Night, Viola isn’t just a girl dressing as a boy. She’s a boy playing a girl who pretends to be a boy, pursued by a boy playing a woman (Olivia) who ends up seducing a boy playing a boy (Sebastian). Part of the joke is that Viola-as-Caesario looks attractively feminine and irresistibly masculine depending on who is doing the looking: Orsino observes approvingly of his new pageboy’s appearance that ‘all is semblative a woman’s part’ (1.4.33), while Olivia compliments Viola on being ‘a proper man’ (3.1.125)". <ref name = "plot"/> Shakespeare through this inspiration also seems to suggest that the theme of gender is something based on how you act, rather than something based on what you were born with was a message he wanted to send trough this play.

 

==Original Performance==
 
This play was first performed in January of 1601 on 'Twelfth-Night Eve' for Queen Elizabeth I and her court at Whitehall palace according to J.W Draper, a professor of English at West Virginia University. <ref name = "tim"> Draper, J. W. (1950). Appendex A - Date, Season, and Time Analysis of The Play. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 257-261). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> It was "the Queen's Twelfth Night entertainment to regale 'the living Duke Orsino.'" <ref name ="tim"/> Virgino Orsino was the Duke of Bracciano at the time of Queen Elizabeth I and she entertained him royally on the twelfth night. However, it is known that the Middle Temple was the place where Shakespeare wanted this play to be performed. <ref name = "mid"/> Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple opened in February 1602. 

The set for the original play saw some parts taking place by the seashore, then in the nearby city. The city, according to J.W Draper, was supposed to be somewhere in Italy, specifically Venice and the Venetian colonies in Dalmatia. <ref name = "tom"> Draper, J. W. (1950). The Setting, Style, and Theme of 'Twelfth Night'. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 233-256). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> The dialogue of the play has some Italian wording but also Latin, French and Spanish. The suggestion about the setting and different combination of dialect is that Shakespeare wanted his play to reach across the globe to be performed other places and for it to not just be done in England. The plot, dialogue and costume, however, was written in Elizabethan style. Shakespeare's original style for this play was comedic and dramatic. 
[[File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|300px|thumb|Olivia by Edmund Leighton (1888)]]
===Reviews===
 
John Manningham who say the performance at the Middle Temple in 1602 gives his mention of the play talking about Steward Malvolio and how the play was similar to the plays 'Commedy of Errors', 'Menechmi' by Plautus and 'Inganni'. <ref name = "org"> Manningham, J. (1968). Diary of John Manningham, of The Middle Temple, and of Bradbourne, Kent, Barrister-At-Law (Ser. 1) (J. Bruse, Ed.). Westminster: J.B Nichols and Sons.
Facsimile reprint of 1868 ed. First published by Royal Historical Society, 1868. </ref>
In further taking about the subplot of the play in his original writing, 

''"A good practise in it to make the Steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfeyting a letter as from his Lady, in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparaile, &c., and then when he came to practise, making him beleeue they tooke him to be mad."'' <ref name = "org"/> 

According to a review on Bruce Smith's findings in John Manningham's Diary that ''"in this particular entry, and in those that surround it in the diary, Smith discerns seven subjects (or 'contexts' [6]) of continuing fascination to Manningham and presumably to others like him in the Middle Temple: Romance, Music, Sexuality, Clothing and Disguise, Household Economies, Puritan Probity, and Laughter and Clowning."''<ref> KO, Y. (2003). Early Theatre, 6(1), 101-104. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/43499184 </ref> Manningham and other playgoers at the time really enjoyed this original performance of "Twelfth Night'. It gave laughter and enjoyment to the people who saw it.
 

==Twentieth Century Performance==
 
According to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre production log, in 1983 the Royal Shakespeare Company, located in Shakespeare's hometown Stanford-upon-Avon, performed an interpretation of Twelfth Night. <ref>1960-2005 productions | Twelfth Night. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.rsc.org.uk/twelfth-night/past-productions/1960-2005-productions </ref> The Director was John Caird and the set designer was Robin Don. A huge tree was positioned in the middle of the stage that reached to the top of the theater. Sand surrounded the tree and there was a black back drop. The lighting was designed by David Hersey to look like stars, a moon, dawn, and twilight. <ref name = "old"> Farmer, P. (1984). Theatre Journal, 36(1), 113-115. doi:10.2307/3207372 </ref> The performance was traditional with Elizabethan era costumes and style. The story was not portrayed as a happy comedy but a dramatic, dark one. 
<gallery mode = "packed" heights = 200px>
File:Twelfthnightpic 1.jpg|Set for the 1983 Performance
File:Twelfthnightpic 2.jpg|Olivia and Malvolio
File:Twelfthnightpic mal.jpg|Malvolio
</gallery>
 
===Reviews===
 
Patrick Farmer, who reviewed three Royal Shakespeare Theatre plays done at that same time, found this interpretation the most satisfying. <ref name = "old"/> He thought that Malvolio was a comic force. He found that the actors of the company were very versatile in their roles. <ref name = "old"/> 
Another review from the Guardian in 1984 by Nicholas de Jongh said that ''"I (himself) cannot remember a Twelfth Night so steep in an atmosphere of autumnal rejection, or one which shows so graphically people wither under the strain of hopeless love."'' <ref> Gay, P. (2005). As she likes it: Shakespeares unruly women. London: Routledge. </ref>
 
Yet another review addresses the dark comedy and compares it to other performances. In this article from The Times, Irving Wardle writes ''Quite a deal of poison has been seeping into this play over the past few years, but John Caird's is the first I have seen that projects Twelfth Night as an all-out dark comedy. This is good news not only for jaded old spectators who have seen the piece too often. There is a limit to the amount of fun that can be extracted from the drinking scene and permutations of Malvolio's letter in a play that was never more than intermittently uproarious. And there is everything to be said for muting the comedy for once and giving full attention to the central matter of the illusions and frenzies of love.''"<ref> Irving Wardle, The Times, 21 April 1983 </ref> This play was put on more like the original interpretation then a more modern version. Overall, people seemed to like this interpretation a lot.
 

==National Theater==
 
The [[National Theater]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was playful but still grounded in realism. The setting spanned multiple time periods. While the costumes were largely modernized, older elements were brought in. For example, the maids' dresses were of a modern style but had ruffs on them. In the beginning the actors drove out in antique cars indicating yet another time period in the late twentieth century. The interior decorating of Olivia's house was modern. This blending of time periods is consistent with the idea that Shakespeare's plays are considered timeless. The [[National Theater]] took several creative liberties with the play. The gender of Fabian, Malvolio and the clown were all switched from male to female. This introduced new relationship dynamics as Malvolia was lesbian unlike Malvolio. Another surprising element introduced was Count Orsino boxing. It is another example of a modern activity being introduced to the show. The casting featured a relatively young cast with all the leads in what appeared to be roughly in their 20s or 30s. Overall, the show appeared to be quite faithful to the original script with only minor alterations being made to adjust for the different genders of characters. 
===Reviews===
 
While there are always dissenters, National Theater's performance of "Twelfth Night" was largely well received. Common to every review was praise for Tamsin Greig as Malvolia. Even those who disapproved of the show believed "Tamsin Greig shines in a production otherwise at sea"<ref>Cavendish, C. (2017, Feb 23,). Twelfth night, national's olivier theatre review: Tamsin greig shines in a production otherwise at sea. The Telegraph Online Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/twelfth-night-nationals-olivier-theatre-review-tamsin-greig/</ref>. They loved her sharpness and command of the character. There are two main differing perspectives on the tone. Several critics found that the show was too lighthearted and that it did not do the main themes justice. Alexandra Coghlin describes the performance as "siphoning off most of the play’s darker elements and leaving neat sunshine, song and laughter<ref>Coghlen, A. (2017). Twelfth night, national theatre. The Arts Desk, Retrieved from http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/twelfth-night-national-theatre-0</ref>. Marianka Swain stated that "Amidst the riotous clowning, the romances feel a tad undercooked"<ref>Swain, M. (2017). BWW review: TWELFTH NIGHT, national theatre. Broadway World, Retrieved from http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BWW-Review-TWELFTH-NIGHT-National-Theatre-20170223</ref>. Similarly, Michael Billington felt that "all (he) missed was the element of reflective melancholy that makes this, for many of us, the most perfect comedy ever written<ref>Billington, M. (2017, Feb. 23,). Twelfth night review – tamsin greig is brilliant in a show full of fun. The Guardian Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/23/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre-tamsin-greig</ref>. In contrast, others felt that enjoyment from the comedy outweighed this loss or that the core issues were still represented. Ben Dowell believes that the show "never loses sight of the play’s cloudy and troubling subtext"<ref>Dowell, B. (2017). Twelfth night theatre review: Tamsin greig brings dazzling comic brio to a gender-bending production. Radio Times Travel, Retrieved from http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-23/twelfth-night-theatre-review-tamsin-greig-brings-dazzling-comic-brio-to-a-gender-bending-production</ref>. The general consensus was that an excellent job was done with casting except for Doon Mackichan. There were very mixed opinions over her performance. Holly Williams is of the opinion that Mackichan "gives the unfunny fool a sparkle that goes far beyond her glittery boots"<ref>Williams, H. (2017). Review: Twelfth night (olivier, national theatre). What's on Stage, Retrieved from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-tamsin-greig-olivier-national_42961.html</ref>. However, Natasha Tripney finds that "she does not succeed in making the fool all that funny"<ref>Tripney, N. (2017). Twelfth night review at the national theatre – ‘Tamsin greig is resplendent’. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre/</ref>. Most reviews concur that the set design and costumes were a strong point of the show, though every critic seems to have a different idea of which decade it drew on for inspiration. Ann Treneman goes so far as to even describe the set as "sexy" <ref>Treneman, A. (2017, Feb. 24,). Theatre: Twelfth night at the olivier, SE1. The Times Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theatre-twelfth-knight-olivier-6tnjt27l5</ref>. Overall, the show appeared to have a positive response and received ratings ranging from three to five stars<ref>Morgan, F. (2017). Twelfth night starring tamsin greig – review round-up. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2017/twelfth-night-starring-tamsin-greig-review-round/</ref>.
 

==The Globe==
 
[[The Globe Theater|The Globe]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was nontraditional. The tone was that of a spoof directed by Mel Brooks. The performance was goofy and the performers maintained character though they did not present convincingly realistic people. Instead, the characters were dramatized and occasionally broke the fourth wall. One of the most notable changes made was the introduction of a musical aspect to the show. While the clown sings on occasion in the original script, all of the characters were singing on multiple occasions during the show. This resulted in significant modifications to the script as some lines were removed and some converted into lyrics. Many other lines, however, remained untouched. The show appeared to be set in Scotland in the late 1970s as several of the characters wore kilts and many of the other costumes drew on fashion from that time period such as jumpsuits with bell bottoms. In addition, several songs from that time period were referenced including "We are Family" and "I Will Survive". The casting for the show was older than for the [[National Theater]]'s performance and appeared to have a decent sized age gap between Olivia and both Orsino and Olivia. In addition, the clown did not have as clear of a role. While the clown in the [[National Theater]]'s performance had a significant role in the antics and in revealing themes, the clown in this performance was not well defined. He primarily just led the characters in song. Without knowing the play the character of the clown would quite possibly be very confusing. 
===Reviews===
 
According to a review from The Culture Whisper, ''"Twelfth Night is delightful and enchanting, even if it is not a transformative or revolutionary adaptation. More than anything, she (Emma Rice who was the artistic director) focuses on making Shakespeare highly entertaining, accessible, joyful and communal.''" <ref name ="glrev">Macdonald, B. (2017). Twelfth Night, The Globe review. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/theatre/summer_of_love_shakespeares_globe_twelfth_night_emma_rice_2017/8773 </ref> The review also talks about this Malivolio that ''"straddles the line beautifully between being endlessly obnoxious and equally loveable."'' <ref name ="glrev"/> 
Another review said that this interpretation was ''"an absolute hoot...freely embellished and fulsomely overdone. ...clownish caricatures instead of credible characters."'' <ref>Trueman, M. (2017, May 25). Review: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-shakespeares-globe-emma-rice_43684.html </ref> The pop songs and humor made the play more fun than serious from this review's perspective. This review warns traditional Shakespeare fans that this is not a traditional performance.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
Based on the research explained in the background, we created an idea & plan for our own personal interpretation of Shakespeare' s 'Twelfth Night'. The main things we focused on was the tone, setting, characters, and script for our interpretation.
 
==Tone==
 
The tones of the two different performances we saw at the National Theater and The Globe were quite different. While both performances were designed to be funny, the National Theater's performance remained grounded in realism. In contrast, The Globe's performance was overly theatrical and goofy coming off as a spoof. Based on personal opinion and others' reviews, we opted for a realistic tone. The reviews indicate that people appreciate when they can relate to the characters and have an emotional connection. In the 1893 performance, a key point was that it was not all just humor but that it also addressed the struggles of the lovers. We believe that by keeping the acting natural and realistic, the audience can become better immersed in the show, which also can result in heightened comedy when it does happen as the audience is better connected with what is taking place.
 [[File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|A mansion that we would use as the setting of Olivia's mansion with gardens]]
==Setting==
 
We decided to set the play roughly modern day and in an area inspired by New York City. Both of the adaptations of "Twelfth Night" that we saw incorporated various modern elements to them ranging from set to costumes to music. Modernizing the show keeps it interesting for viewers. It is harder for a person to relate to the entirely different culture of Shakespeare's time. By updating the show, it again helps viewers connect with the performance. To further that, we want the show set in an area similar to New York City. Cities are often closely tied with the image of modern society, particularly the modern architecture and skyscrapers present. Additionally, New York City is a very familiar sight to people all over the world as it is often the setting for many movies, television shows and featured in art forms. Therefore, this sort of setting would feel familiar to the audience. 

==Characters==
 
There are several creative liberties we would take with the characters including gender switching and modernizations. In keeping with the theme of modernizing the show, some minor and often subtle changes would be made to the portrayal of the characters. Instead of being a count, Orsino would be a mayor. [[File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Malvolio Character|200px|right]]This way he would still be in charge of the area but have a modern title. In accordance, Viola as Cesario would be portrayed as his personal assistant when working for him. This would be manifested only in how the character is presented. Nowhere in the script is Cesario's position clearly named. The distinction of being a personal assistant would be shown through costuming and their interactions. This sort of role would make the most sense for the characters in their modernized world. Viola and Sebastian's position in society would be translated to that of upper class citizens, there father having been a CEO. This would explain why Antonio should have known of their father. Meanwhile, Olivia, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew would be socialites as they are clearly rich. They live privileged, frivolous lives. Furthermore, Malvolio and the clown would have to be carefully executed. Malvolio consistently stole the show in all of the performances. As with the critics, we enjoyed the change of Malvolio to Malvolia. This change plays up the gender fluidity in the show and adds an additional layer of depth to the show. We believe she should be depicted as a strict, old school nun teaching in a Catholic school. Her harsh, straight edge demeanor provides greater contrast heightening the comedy of her transformation after reading the letter. If the character is made humorous at all beforehand, the transition becomes less comical as she would not be taken as seriously. A humorous character becoming the subject of comedy is nothing remarkable. However, a stern and harsh character turning comedic is noteworthy. In addition, we again liked National Theater's take on the clown as a clever, witty female. This made the humor more intellectual and she acted as a catalyst throughout the show. In contrast, The Globe reduced the role of the clown until it was almost unrecognizable. We prefer the clown to be a dynamic character. To keep with the modernization, she would not be portrayed as a stereotypical clown but more as a fun loving performer. Her costume would be colorful and playful in contrast to the other characters. 
==Script==
 
Our goal is to avoid tampering with the script. The more it is changed, the less authentic it feels and it loses the charm and character that Shakespeare put into it. The performances we have seen primarily kept the original script. Only minor revisions were made for gender switches. The Globe further altered their script to make it musical but that also seemed to detract from the script as many lines were lost in lyrics. Our modifications would only go so far as to account for the gender changes and role changes. For example, count would become mayor, Malvolio would be Malvolia, and the clown would primarily be referred to with generic terms and pronouns as clowns are no longer employed as they once were. We do not want to detract from Shakespeare's characters and themes by modifying the script too much.
 

=Summary=
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Performance !! Original !! 20th Century !! National Theater !! The Globe !! Our Interpretation
|-
! scope="row" | Tone
| inconclusive || dramatic, dark comedy || realism, lighthearted || spoof || realism, balance of comedy and drama
|-
! scope="row" | Setting
| Elizabethan Era || Elizabethan Era || blend of Elizabethan era elements into an 20th century setting || Scotland in roughly the late 1970s || modern day in a large city inspired by NYC
|-
! scope="row" | Characters
| Malvolio was a well liked character || Malvolio was a comic force || gender bending, serious and awkward Malvolio stole the show, clever fool || role of the clown was unclear, Malvolio was very strict and harsh || modernized titles and social roles, gender bending, harsh and strict Malvolio, witty and fun loving fool
|-
! scope="row" | Script
| original, Elizabethan style writing || inconclusive || minor alterations to account for gender changes || lines converted into lyrics and 70s songs blended in || only minor alterations for gender and title switches
|-
! scope="row" | Reviews
| Queen approved || tone was satisfying || overall positive but some felt darker elements were lost in the lighthearted tone || not for traditionalists but others found it very fun || N/A
|}

=Conclusion=
 
The story of 'Twelfth Night' is a romantic comedy, makes fun of the gender roles and humanity as a whole. Shakespeare when writing this play wanted to make people laugh and to also teach people about how important it is to treat others with respect and with dignity. Overall, people like this play when it is done more realistically. Making the tone of the story more of a spoof takes away some of the beauty of the story and the humanity lessons within it. Another aspect to the play that Shakespeare and modern adaptations have done is the
gender switching of the supporting characters like Malvolio. A female Malvolio gives the originally male character a new way of looking at the character as whole. 'Twelfth Night' is a brilliant Shakespeare play that can be interpreted in many different ways. 
Future research could include perspectives on another Shakespeare play. Using different performances by different companies around London could also be something to explore. 

=References=
<references/>
 

=Attribution of Work=
 
==Mary Hatfalvi==
I contributed to the abstract section of this project. In the Background, I contributed to the research & writing of the inspiration subsection as well as researched & wrote the review subsection under The Globe Performance. I researched & wrote under the Background the 20th century performance summer & reviews as well as the original performance summery and reviews. In the Deliverable section, I contributed to the ideas and approach for a successful interpretation of 'Twelfth Night'. I contributed to the writing of the conclusion and the introduction sections as well as added all of the pictures on the milestone page. I contributed to [[The Globe Theater]] and the [[National Theater]] articles which were used in this milestone. 

==Justine Roy==
We both participated in all parts of the project. I wrote the summary, descriptions of the productions we viewed, reviews for the National Theater performance and deliverable. I co-wrote the inspiration section and made revisions throughout.
 

=External Links=
[http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/index.html Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ]
 

=Image Gallery=
<gallery>
File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Duke Orsino and Viola '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1850 '''Attributed to''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOrsino_and_viola_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Viola and the Countess '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1859 '''Attributed to''' By Frederick Richard Pickersgill (25 September 1820, London - 20 December 1900) (Shakespeare Illustrated) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AViola_and_the_Countess_-_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|thumb|Olivia '''Artist''' Edmund Leighton '''Year''' 1888 '''Attributed to''' Edmund Leighton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEdmund_Blair_Leighton_-_Olivia.jpg
File:Twelfthnightpic 1.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Donald Cooper '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Donald Cooper [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=14083
File:Twelfthnightpic 2.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Tom Holte '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Thos. F. and Mig Holte Collection (Copyright Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=15564
File:Twelfthnightpic mal.jpg|Image from Twelfth Night, Caird/Don, Royal Shakespeare Company, April 1983 '''Photographer''' Donald Cooper '''Year''' 1983 '''Attributed to''' Donald Cooper [This image may be used for educational purposes only], via Arts and Humanities Data Source - Performing Arts Collection '''Link''' http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/imagedetails.do?imageId=14080
File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|Beige Painted Concrete Building '''Author''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] '''Attributed to''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] CC0 License via Pexels '''Link''' https://www.pexels.com/photo/park-historical-castle-fountain-87378/
File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Teacher-Classroom-School '''Author''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu] '''Attributed to''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu], CC0 Public Domain via pixabay '''Link''' https://pixabay.com/en/teacher-classroom-school-class-403004/
</gallery>
 

[[Category: Drama & Theater Projects]]
[[Category:2017]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-21T10:04:49Z

Jaroy:

=Justine Roy=
[[File: Profile_pic_no_background.JPG|x350px|right|frameless|thumb|Justine Roy]] 

__TOC__

=Overview=
The paragraph should give a three to five sentence abstract about your entire London HUA experience including 1) a summary of the aims of your project, 2) your prior experience with humanities and arts courses and disciplines, and 3) your major takeaways from the experience.
 
=Milestone 1=
 
'''Theater in London''' 
'''Objective:''' I will be investigating different technology and methods used in theater. I will use that knowledge to design the set for "The Play that Goes Wrong" including the methods and technology I learned about.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Theater in London|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 2=
 
'''Photographs Worth a Thousand Words''' 
'''Objective:''' Current social, political and cultural conditions influence art and the media just as those outlets affect those very conditions and the people who view them. I will look at examples of this relationship and capture my own photos that convey what I have learned about the current conditions in London and my experience with them.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone.
 
[[Photographs Worth a Thousand Words|Read More]]
 

=Milestone 3=
 
'''Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"''' 
'''Objective:''' My goal is to analyze various theatrical interpretations of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", both modern and past, and viewers' perspectives on them. Using this knowledge I will create my own interpretation of how the play should be performed.
 
Below the objective statement, Insert a one or two paragraph summary of your findings from having reached this milestone. If this milestone, for you, represents a humanities and arts capstone, please indicate so. Edit the link below to link to your milestone page.
 
[[Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"|Read More]]
 

=Activity Journal=
The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.
 

==5/8/17 - Westminster Abbey & Tower of London==
 
The first stop of the day was [[Westminster Abbey]] and it came as a surprise. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but what I saw surpassed it. It is gorgeous and impressive. The Gothic architecture was captivating and put off a sense of power. While the sight was astounding, I am not convinced on the functionality of the space. We were told that it fits 2000 people for the royal weddings and fit around 8,000 for the last coronation but I can't imagine that sight lines are very good. With all the platforms and walls dividing the space as well as inward facing seats, it is not entirely clear to me how the audience is supposed to be or where the action takes place. I was also surprised by some of the people honored in the abbey. I was not expecting to see Americans represented there. I really respect the fact that the dean was so open to honoring so many different people. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was honored for his cooperation with Winston Churchill. In addition, I loved that there are two engineers and multiple scientists represented. I was not sure if I should be proud or a bit scared that I recognized parts of the math depicted on [[Westminster Abbey#Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton]]'s Memorial. I appreciate how Darwin is recognized in the church despite the controversy over his theory of evolution contradicting the story of creation and being agnostic since his contributions through science greatly contributed to human understanding. One of the most powerful memorials for me is [[Westminster Abbey#The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior]]. I've been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington but hearing the story that inspired these graves was powerful. I also love the tradition started by one of the queens to place their wedding flowers on the grave to pay their respects. I think it is amazing and a testament to what unites us all as humans that the US presented a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Unknown Soldier. Overall, the experience felt quite rewarding.
 
 
<gallery mode="packed">
Image:Cloister- sm- JR.jpg
Image: Stone Work- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Cannon- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tower Bridge- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 
The second stop was the [[Tower of London]]. My favorite part was the reenactors that we saw when walking along one of the walls. They were reenacting a siege on the Tower with the visitors. It was very lively and I wish I had seen more of it. The [[Tower of London#Crown Jewels|Crown Jewels]] were, of course, incredible. I can't even imagine how much all of the crowns, dishes and scepters must be worth. It's no wonder that they use 2000 kg security doors. I don't think I've ever seen anything so sparkly with so many real jewels as those crowns. Less glamorous but equally as fascinating was the [[Tower of London#Torture in the Tower|Torture in the Tower]]. I learned of a torture device that is new to me called the scavenger's daughter. Instead of pulling a person apart, it compresses them while folded up in a ball. No less gruesome but even more interesting is [[Tower of London#Bloody Tower|Bloody Tower]]. While the tower itself was not too impressive, it has an intriguing story. This story of the "Little Princes" caught my attention with its unsolved murder mystery. Another mystery to me is why the people used to like to sleep sitting up as one exhibit claims. So far my theories include that they sat up to avoid lying on the pillows as the sample pillows that we felt seemed quite hard. In general, the Tower appeared to do a good job of preserving and presenting the past in a fun and interactive manner.
 
 

==5/9/17 - St. Paul's Cathedral & Evensong==
I started off my day going to [[St. Paul's Cathedral]]. It was impressive and beautiful, as was Westminster Abbey. My favorite part was [[St. Paul's Cathedral|Whispering Gallery]]. I was impressed I made it up all those stairs but I was even more impressed by the view. Seeing the paintings on the dome makes you appreciate even more just how detailed they are and how much time it must have taken. I would never have the patience for that. It is also incredible how small the church seems from up there. Looking up, the space is huge. Looking down, it doesn't seem like much. It's incredible how much perspective can change the situation. That lesson is relevant to my photography milestone. Photographs can be similarly manipulated to invoke different emotional responses and perceptions. I also enjoyed the modern art. The sculpture of the cross with the cityscape was quite interesting. I'm also intrigued about the photographs with the rising waters and kinda wish they were mentioned in the digital tour. My favorite bit of art was [[St. Paul's Cathedral#Video Installations|"Martyrs"]]. I appreciated the modern twist on art. The mosaics were also stunning. I enjoyed how they sparkled a bit from the tiles being laid in at angles. Lastly, I think the history of the church being bombed during the Blitz was cool. That's a unique piece of history that it holds and it is great how they rallied after what had happened.
 
Later that day I went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey. As I expected, the space was not the most functional. There was a TV so all the attendees sitting on the sides could see. Aside from that, the service was beautiful though not family friendly. The choir's voices were amazing. I am interested in who actually participated in the choir. The other day we had been told that it was boys aged 7-13. However, there were definitely men in the choir. I'm not sure if they were some of the professors and only the older, more trained boys participate. I am very glad I went. It was good to be apart of such a significant event. I would definitely recommend it to others.
 
 

==5/10/17 - The British Museum==
The [[British Museum]] was massive. There were so many exhibits and artifacts. Despite spending at least three hours there, I'm not sure that I saw it all. There were several topics of interest in the Mesopotamia exhibit. The Great Pit of Death showcased the jewelry the women wore and it was beautiful. That was also where I first discovered that they were not squeamish with displaying a crushed head. That continued to be a trend as there was another crushed head with a helmet on and several preserved corpses. While I found them very interesting, I was a bit surprised that they'd have such graphic material out. In addition, there was a case displaying the Royal Game of Ur which they once played. I find such artifacts interesting as it humanizes the past. It helps me feel more connected to the past societies and that they are less foreign. On the topic of games, they had out an elaborate chess board. One fact they gave was that playing chess was used to practice battle strategy. That I knew. A fact that surprised me a bit was that the church banned chess for many years. Additionally, chess was used as a bit of a battle of wits between men and women and acted as a sort of flirting. I found that last fact to be pretty amusing. I appreciate though that it put men and women on even ground. Throughout the museum they also had up info panels describing how the subject of different artifacts relates to LGBT rights and history. Having just been in a show that raised awareness for that community, I found some of those facts quite interesting. It seems that there was not this huge stigma until the time of Christianity. Before that, many forms of homosexuality was accepted, though not all. The idea of gender fluidity and having different characteristics was often accounted for in mythologies. Lastly, there were some really cool artifacts in general. As a fencer, I loved seeing various swords and weapons. I was definitely not expecting to have seen an antique grenade launcher though, so that was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed the exhibit on [[British Museum#Clocks & Watches|clocks and watches]]. This is probably due to the engineering that goes into designing a clock. The mechanical systems are quite interesting and the idea of the rolling ball clock was fascinating. I loved the creativity that went into them.
<gallery mode=packed heights=165p>
Image:Greek Busts- sm- JR.jpg|Greek Busts
Image:Lion- sm- JR.jpg|Lion Mosaic
Image:Mesopotamian Jewelry- sm- JR.jpg|Mesopotamian Jewelry
Image:Rolling Ball Clock- sm- JR.jpg|Rolling Ball Clock
Image:Preserved Man- sm- JR.jpg|Gebelein Man
</gallery>

 
 

==5/11/17 - Natural History Museum==
I enjoyed the [[Natural History Museum]] and that it was science oriented. The first exhibit I saw was on evolution. My favorite part of it was the facial reconstructions of skulls from throughout evolution. It really helped give a better image of what people used to look like as a skull only shows me so much. After that, I saw a bunch of fossils. I was impressed by how a woman, Mary Anning, is credited for finding some of the best fossils in their collection. She first found fossils when she was eleven years old and then went on to find many more, gaining respect from those in the field. I thought this was very impressive for a woman of the early 1800s. The [[Natural History Museum#Minerals & The Vault|minerals]] exhibit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I had not expected much from an exhibit on fancy rocks. However, I was quickly captivated by the various shapes and patterns the crystals took on. The last exhibits I saw were fun because they were more hands on. The [[Natural History Museum#Volcanoes and Earthquakes|volcanoes and earthquakes]] exhibit even had an earthquake simulator. The Restless Surface exhibit had lots of small demonstrations depicting how Earth's surface changes over time due to erosion. While the exhibits covered a lot of information I have learned before, it was fun to learn some new facts, get hands on and refresh my memory.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image: Geese- sm- JR.jpg|Swans
Image: Male Chimpanzee Skeleton- sm- JR.jpg|Male Chimpanzee Skeleton
Image: Agate- sm- JR.jpg|Agate
Image: Complete Triceratops- sm- JR.jpg|Complete Triceratops
Image: Pyrite- sm- JR.jpg|Pyrite
</gallery>

 

==5/12/17 - The National Gallery==
I thought [[The National Gallery]] was alright. I'm not very interested in art so I was not too interested in it. There were a few artists I was interested in though. Foremost, I was interested in seeing [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh]]'s work since he was featured in an episode of Doctor Who. Therefore, I really wanted to see [[The National Gallery#Vincent Van Gogh#Sunflowers|Sunflowers]] and was glad that I got to. In addition, I wanted to see the exhibit on [[The National Gallery#Claude Monet|Claude Monet]] because I used to read the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I could not find his art as several rooms were closed for improvements. In addition, I looked at the art of several Spanish artists I studied in high school including El Greco and [[The National Gallery#Francisco de Goya|Francisco de Goya]]. Afterwards, looking at the Wiki I noticed how an episode of Doctor Who had the Doctor and Clara there. I think it's really exciting that I probably was in the same room as Doctor Who was filmed in.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=250p>
Image:El Greco- The Adoration of the Name of Jesus- sm- JR.jpg|El Greco The Adoration of the Name of Jesus
Image:Goya- A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza- sm- JR.jpg|Goya A Scene from El Hechizado por Fuerza
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg| Van Gogh Sunflowers
</gallery>
 

==5/13/17 - "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater==
[[File: Twelfth Night- sm- JR.jpg|thumb|top|x300px|right]]
Seeing "Twelfth Night" at the [[National Theater]] was my first activity towards any of my milestones. The show was amazing and not how I had envisioned the show. When reading a script, there is a lot left to the readers imagination. In books, authors describe the setting and what characters are wearing or feeling. In a script the reader only has the dialogue to go off of. Sometimes there are stage directions but William Shakespeare does not often include them. I now see just how little context was provided in "Twelfth Night" and how much was left to interpretation. This is where [[National Theater#Twelfth Night|National Theater's Production of "Twelfth Night"]] surprised me. For starters, they included elements from many time periods. In the beginning, older model cars are driven on stage. The interior decorating of the house is modern. Many of the costumes are modern but also incorporate in old elements such as the ruff. I also did not expect Count Orsino to be introduced boxing. The creativity continued to impress me with the set. The scenic department did an amazing job. Many of the elements used, I had recently learned of in my theater workshop class last term. The revolving stage was really impressive. There was a wedge that could be spun around the center axis. This wedge could then also be split into multiple sections to create a variety of scenes. There were also two trap doors used to reveal a fountain and a hot tub. While I did not pick up on any fancy lighting, it was used quite effectively. For example, scenes that occurred out on the street at night had just a wash at the front of the stage, with dark shadows against the building walls. Another creative liberty that was taken was quite a bit of gender swapping. The clown, Malvolio and Fabian were all modified to be female roles. Overall, the performance was quite fun and I enjoyed it. However, that was not true for everyone. On my way out, I heard a few people expressing how they felt some scenes, such as the scene at the Elephant were overdone. That scene was set in a modern style club or bar. It seems that some people might have preferred a more traditional production of the show.
 

==5/15/17 - Klyne Concert==
I'm really glad we found this concert as it was really good and we all enjoyed it. The venue was small but nice. The music of Klyne, the main act, is considered to be electronic pop and the group is Dutch. While I had never heard of them before, it turns out that they are growing in popularity and actually have some following according to Spotify. This was pretty evident in the crowd at the concert. I could hear some people singing along and people would cheer as some songs began. The music was both chill but also fun and upbeat. The opening act, Oleka, was also pretty decent. Their sound was good but needed to work on acoustics. The sound got a bit mashed together and the volumes were at extremes. The singer was also hard to understand as he seemed to mumble a bit. However, I enjoyed them overall despite that. They are a small local band from southeast London. In conclusion, I am going to continue listening to Klyne on Spotify as I enjoyed their music and I believe the others might as well. I think it's cool that I will be able to go back home with more music that I like that is foreign. It is kind of like a free souvenir that does not take up space and I can continually enjoy.
 

==5/16/17 - Tate Britain==
While the focus for the day is the [[Tate Britain]] art museum, it is packed with much more fun activities. The day did start off at Tate Britain. The museum was varying degrees of entertaining. I enjoyed the modern art. I find the vibrant colors, geometric shapes and patterns appealing. The [[Tate Britain#Video Art|video art]] was interesting. The first one I saw was "Together". It seemed very strange to see people dressed in work clothes, with big smiles, pretending to beat each other up. I also really enjoyed "Dream English Kid" as it was interesting to have such common items and experiences emphasized. It reminds me a bit of the 5 gum slogan, "stimulate your senses". Additionally, though not modern art, "The Annunciation" by Arthur Hacker stood out to me for its style. While most of the image is pastel and has soft lines, the face of Mary is quite vivid, bold and stands out. "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent is also very beautiful and peaceful. I also learned how the font Gills Sans was invented. It was based on an inscription in stone by Eric Gill. After the museum, we visited MI6 which I loved because I am a huge fan of spy books and movies. We also visited a park and then made the 3.4 mile walk back as it was nice out so we wanted to enjoy the weather and get to see more of London. On that walk, I discovered that David Tennant was performing in a show and, being the huge Doctor Who fan that I am, decided to go see it with a few others at night. The show was "Don Juan in Soho". It was both fun and useful for my theater technology milestone. The show made lots of use of projections, both static and moving. Being a compact theater, we were able to get a decent look at the lighting, sound and projections set up. Lighting was also used quite a bit to indicate tone and shifts in it. There were also some special effects with the set. At one point, David Tennant's character and the statue are in a chariot that flies. In order to achieve this the chariot was on a large lever arm that was attached to a rolling platform. This allowed the crew to manually move both the chariots height and location. Another larger effect was at the end of the show when the side walls on the stage swung out, providing a wider scene. A ceiling that slanted down to the back heightened that effect while focusing attention on the actors. That ceiling was additionally used for projections. To finish out this amazing day, I got a picture with David Tennant and his autograph.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=175p>
Image:Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - John Singer Sargent- sm- JR.jpg|Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose John Singer Sargent
Image:In the Hold - David Bomberg- sm- JR.jpg|In the Hold David Bomberg
Image:The Annunciation - Arthur Hacker- sm- JR.jpg|The Annunciation Arthur Hacker
Image:The History of the World - Jeremy Deller- sm- JR.jpg|The History of the World Jeremy Deller
</gallery>
 

==5/17/17 - Victoria and Albert Museum & Royal Opera House Backstage Tour==
The day began with a trip to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] which was massive. In the end, I only saw a fraction of the museum. The [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space|Prix Pictet: Space]] exhibit was pretty interesting. Since it was photography, I was hoping it would be a bit more related to my milestone than it was. While the purpose of the exhibit was sustainability there were no photographs particularly relating to issues in the U.K. Regardless, there were some really interesting photos. I liked the concept behind [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Mandy Barker|Mandy Barker]]'s work. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Benny Lam|Benny Lam]]'s work was quite revealing. I did not realize the conditions were that bad. It makes my small freshman dorm room seem significantly larger. [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Sohei Nishino|Sohei Nishino]]'s dioramas were fun to look out and a really creative idea. I also appreciate the pictures of Mars by [[Victoria and Albert Museum#Prix Pictet: Space#Thomas Ruff|Thomas Ruff]] just because it involved science. There was also a print that I found interesting by Yuri Avvakumov. The art was printed onto newspaper. It reminded me of some art I've seen on Etsy where the artist printed their work onto dictionary pages. I think it's a really fun idea. The fashion exhibit was also interesting. For one, I cannot believe how wide women's dresses used to be. They appear completely dysfunctional and annoying. They would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways. Additionally, It always confuses me how people can call many those clothes fashion because they honestly typically look ridiculous and awful. To me, fashion should be what people actually wear and find attractive and trendy. Fashion should be appealing not appalling. There was also finally an exhibit related to one of my theater milestones. The exhibit actually dealt with the production process and some of the tech work that goes into it. I will probably be returning there to get more information and pictures for my milestone. After the museum I continued work on that milestone by going on my first backstage tour. The tour was of the [[Royal Opera House]]. We learned a variety of information about the theater and their production process. One of the most significant things we learned was about their system for changing the set between shows. Their wagon system that was developed by Rolls Royce allows a crew of about 25 people to change sets in 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, partial strike for the showcase which had limited set took over 50 people about an hour and a half. They are also only one of two theaters to have that system.
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Image:Court Mantua- sm- JR.jpg|Court Mantua
Image:Red Tower - Yuri Avvakumov- sm- JR.jpg|Red Tower Yuri Avvakumov
Image:Set Model for Sweeney Todd- sm- JR.jpg|Set Model for Sweeney Todd
Image:ma.r.s.14 - Thomas Ruff- sm- JR.jpg|ma.r.s.14 Thomas Ruff
</gallery>
 

==5/18/17 - Tate Modern & National Theater Backstage Tour & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1==
I could spend all day at the [[Tate Modern]]. While I think I did get to see everything available for free, I am not certain because it turned out to be larger than I initially thought. I loved the art there. I very much enjoy modern art. I love all the geometric shapes and typically find it quite visually appealing. I could have spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the works there. One of my favorite rooms was the one based around optical illusions including [[Tate Modern#Ambiguous Structure No.92|Ambiguous Structure No.92]]. The video [[Tate Modern#How Not to be Seen, Hito Steyerl| How Not to be Seen]] was also quite entertaining. Beyond aesthetics, there were some works that I also found their messages to be very interesting. Lorna Simpson had very intriguing pieces that address identity, racism and sexism. After that, I ate at Borough Market which was a really neat experience and the food was amazing. A bit later in the day I went on a backstage tour at the [[National Theater]]. The tour gave me lots of material for my theater technology capstone again. The most impressive aspect of the theater is the drum under the Olivier theater that is used for the revolving stage, storage and two stage lifts that is five stories deep. I also appreciate how the entire design of the building was based around wanting to make theater accessible to all people who are interested, not just the wealthy and elite. Lastly, I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1. The effects and transitions were amazing. A revolving stage was used quite a bit. Characters were flown around the stage. Effective lighting and careful timing led to some flawless transitions. There even appeared to be some pyrotechnics for when spells were cast. Projections were also used quite a bit. Most notably, projections and/or lighting was used to create a warped and kind of pulsing appearance to the stage at times.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
File:Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink - Victor Pasmore- sm- JR.jpg|Abstract in White, Green, Black, Blue, Red, Grey and Pink Victor Pasmore
File:Ambiguous Structure No.92 - Jean-Pierre Yvaral- sm- JR.jpg|Ambiguous Structure No.92 Jean-Pierre
File:For the lecture The Social Organism - a Work of Art - Joseph Beuys- sm- JR.jpg|For the lecture: "The Social Organism - a Work of Art" Joseph Beuys
File:Los Moscos - Mark Bradford- sm- JR.jpg|Los Moscos Mark Bradford
File:Nataraja - Bridget Riley- sm- JR.jpg|Nataraja Bridget Riley
File:System VI, White Traffic - Richard Tuttle- sm- JR.jpg|System VI, White Traffic Richard Tuttle
File:Twenty Questions (A Sampler) - Lorna Simpson- sm- JR.jpg|Twenty Questions (A Sampler) Lorna Simpson
</gallery>
 

==5/19/17 - Museum of London & Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2==
The [[Museum of London]] was alright. It was pretty much straight up history and I'm not a history person so I was not really into it. My favorite exhibit was probably the [[Victorian Walk]] because it was an immersive experience. The [[Museum of London#The London 2012 Cauldron|London 2012 Cauldron]] was kinda cool to look at as well. In addition, I thought the [[Museum of London#Present Day|present day exhibits]] were interesting. I like how they incorporated visitors into their projects and sought the voice of the people to be expressed. Overall, this was probably my least favorite museum we have visited. At night I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 2. Again, I still think it felt a bit unnatural. The plot was a bit cliche as was some of the behavior of the characters. Most of the time the characters did not really feel like themselves and some, particularly Ron, did not do him justice. Instead he was made to seem foolish. Nonetheless, I still feel that it was worthwhile and the themes were strong. The effects continued to be amazing. There was quite a bit more pyrotechnics in the second half. There were lots of streams of fire when spells were being cast and the patronus was created by lighting a wire frame on fire. I am glad I got to see that installment of the Harry Potter universe.
 

==5/20/17 - Bletchley Park & "Twelfth Night" at The Globe==
I started the day off with a fantastic trip to Bletchley park. I went because I've seen the movie, "The Imitation Game" twice now and absolutely love it. The park did not disappoint. There were a standard, museum type buildings in blocks B and C. They had a lot of information and, in block B, they had a recreation of one of the bombes that Alan Turing created. That machine is incredible. There was also a recreation of one of the machines that the British designed to check and decipher the intercepted messages. They had a sample menu so as that people could try checking a stop as the operators once did. I still cannot believe what the people who worked there were able to achieve and the technology that came out of it. I can't stop thinking what an amazing place it must have been to work at. According to the testimonies of people who were there the conditions were pretty awful. There were hardly any days off, the work was monotonous and the heat was often stifling. However, they also took care of their employees very well. They made sure that there was lots of entertainment to keep their spirits up including lots of theater and a fencing club. In addition, they got to know that their work was making a huge difference. They were saving lives by breaking puzzles which is just fun to begin with. Beyond the museum style buildings several buildings were also preserved for visitors. The mansion had multiple rooms staged as they had been as well as some of the huts. The huts were particularly interesting as, not only were they where important work was actually done, but they had interactive displays that taught about the cipher breaking process. These were both fun and educational. They would walk you through the process that the code breakers went through. One demonstrated all the inner workings of an enigma machine. While I know "The Imitation Game" might not be entirely factual as some people might not like, I am glad it inspired of me to learn more as it is all very fascinating. At night I saw my second performance of "Twelfth Night" for my capstone. This version was put on at The Globe. I could not get into this performance as much as the other one but it was still good. They had a very different style than the other version. The Globe took on more of a spoof style similar to a Mel Brook's movie. In contrast, the National Theater performance stayed more realistic despite its modifications. The Globe's performance also made it quite a bit more musical. I think in some ways this detracted from parts of the show as the script was changed and a bunch of it lost in the songs. In addition, the role of the clown was much less clear. While there's much more to discuss, I'll save that for my milestone.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=180p>
Image:Enigma- sm- JR.jpg|Enigma
Image:Alan Turing's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing's Office
Image:Bombe- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Recreation
Image:Bombe Interior- sm- JR.jpg|Bombe Interior
Image:Turing Memorial- sm- JR.jpg|Alan Turing Memorial
</gallery>
 

==5/21/17 - Flea Market & Street Art Tour==
In the morning we went to a flea market. It wasn't quite like the flea markets I'm used to. Back home it's mainly like a collective garage sale and has a bunch of antiques. Here there were a lot of people selling clothing, some that was home made as well as some other crafts and food. In the afternoon we went on a street art walking tour. The tour was pretty cool. Our guide did an excellent job. I knew art tends to have a story to it and he did an excellent job of describing the stories behind the art we saw. We learned about the backgrounds of the artists, politics and cultural movements. I thought the story of the street art war was really fascinating. I like how there is a whole culture and community behind the art. That is what makes the art truly interesting.
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Image:Purple Woman- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/22/17 - Imperial War Museum==
I did not expect to enjoy the [[Imperial War Museum]] but was pleasantly surprised. Walking up to the museum I thought the park it was situated in would be the highlight. However, upon walking in I was shocked to see planes and rockets hanging from the ceiling, war tanks and an SUV hanging over the edge of a balcony. Fortunately, the spectacle did not end there. The exhibits were excellent. They were packed with artifacts and actually interesting information. Not only were there facts but also personal accounts and stories. Interactive displays helped convey the information. I first went through the [[Imperial War Museum#First World War Galleries|World War I exhibit]]. Countless uniforms were displayed. I enjoyed one display that demonstrated war time jobs by having people complete simple tasks on the screen related to the jobs. There was a child's game from the time that people could play. There was even a recreation of what the trenches were like that people could walk through. The rest of the exhibits were similarly engaging. On the second floor there were artifacts such as a single person bomb shelter from World War II. I had expected to only like the [[Imperial War Museum#Secret War|Secret War]] exhibit at best because I am interested in espionage but the entire museum was very engaging.
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Image:Plane- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Propaganda- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Tank- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Uniforms- sm- JR.jpg
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==5/23/17 - Museum of London Docklands & Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour==
As with the main [[Museum of London]], the [[Museum of London Docklands]] was small and not that interesting. It was marginally better than the Museum of London as it had a nice atmosphere but the information did not relate to any of our milestones or present itself interestingly. The most interesting part of it to me was its location in [[Canary Warf]] as multiple Doctor Who episodes took place there. The next most interesting part was the recreation of the sailors' town as it was an immersive experience. I learned a bit about the life of sailors. While many of them would lose all their money once on shore before sobering up to alcohol and prostitutes, others left their money with surrogate wives while they were at seas. Later on I went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. It was incredible seeing the sets, props and costumes. My favorite part was Diagon Alley. Unlike many of the other sets, it was completely immersive and felt real. While many of the rooms were only parts of the set or never actually a complete room, Diagon Alley had you completely surrounded by the set. The model of Hogwarts was also incredible. The amount of detail on such a relatively small scale and even within the castle was unbelievable. It is crazy how the VFX team is able to blend and layer footage of the model with footage of the actors to create a believable scene. Unfortunately my phone died half way through so I only have photos from the first half. The experience was amazing though and even Mary, who has not seen or read any Harry Potter, loved it. I would totally recommend the tour to everyone.
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Image:Sculpture- sm- JR.jpg|Sculpture in [[Canary Wharf]]
Image:Dumbledore's Office- sm- JR.jpg|Dumbledore's Office
Image:Great Hall- sm- JR.jpg|Great Hall
Image:Gryffindor Common Room- sm- JR.jpg|Gryffindor Common Room
Image:Ministry of Magic- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Magic
Image:Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Potions
Image:Snape Potions- sm- JR.jpg|Snape in Potions Room
Image:Umbridge Office- sm- JR.jpg|Umbridge's Office
</gallery>
 

==5/24/17 - The Horniman Museum==
The [[Horniman Museum]] was pleasant though smaller than expected. The website mentioned it had multiple components including a zoo, aquarium and garden. While that might have been true, they were a robot zoo that required another ticket, a pitiful aquarium that also required another ticket and a garden that actually was quite nice. The [[Horniman Museum#Natural History Exhibit|natural history exhibit]] was a tad traumatizing. I had not be expecting to see the heads of dogs on display, dissected cats, or the skeleton of a baby. While these specimens might have been of scientific interest, the dog heads were a harsh contrast against the living dog that sat beside me on the bus trip there. The [[Horniman Museum#Music Exhibit|music exhibit]] was a bit interesting. I learned that a carpenters saw can be used as an instrument. The musician bends the blade different amounts to create different pitches and uses a violin bow on the flat edge of the saw. [[Horniman Museum#The Gardens|The gardens]] outside were quite nice to walk through especially since the weather was so nice. There was also a good view of London in the distance featuring St. Paul's Cathedral, The Shard and The Walkie Talkie.
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Image:Armillary Octahedron Sundial- sm- JR.jpg|Armillary Octahedron Sundial
Image:Mongoose- sm- JR.jpg|Mongoose
Image:Saw Instrument- sm- JR.jpg|Musical Saw
Image:Snowy Owl- sm- JR.jpg|Snowy Owl
</gallery>
 

==5/25/17 - Hampton Court Palace==
I could have spent all day at [[Hampton Court Palace]]. The place was massive. The [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace|gardens]] were lovely. There were so many gardens and they were huge. If it were not so far away I'd just spend a day relaxing in the gardens. Perhaps the best garden was the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Magic Garden|Magic Garden]]. It contained a medieval themed playground with some pretty awesome slides. In all seriousness though, the view of the [[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]] from [[Hampton Court Palace#William III's Apartments|William III's Apartments]] was impressive. My favorite part of the visit was the [[Hampton Court Palace#Interactive Exhibits#Encounters with the Tudors: PowerPlay|interactive performance]]. The performance presented the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as actors guided spectators through the palace. The performance was engaging and brought the history instead of just reading information cards.
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Image:Privy Garden- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Privy Garden|Privy Garden]]
Image:Arms Display- sm- JR.jpg|Arms Display
Image:Garden Tunnel- sm- JR.jpg|[[The Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Different Gardens at Hampton Court Palace#The Wilderness Garden|Wilderness Garden]]
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==5/26/17 - Van Gogh Museum & Anne Frank House==
This was my first day in Amsterdam. We started it off at The Avocado Show, a restaurant serving all avocado dishes that was absolutely delicious. I had the Avo Rose which was toasted Dutch bread with filet americain and avocado on top. I'm not much of an avocado person but it was amazing. Next was the Van Gogh Museum. Ever since seeing the Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh I was interested in him. The museum was fantastic. I never realized how much diversity there was in his art and how many styles he tried out. He started off wanting to be a peasant painter and evolved into a master of colors. I learned to appreciate his use of colors and lines. Many of his pieces are quite fascinating when you take the time to really look at them. In the afternoon we visited the flower market, cow museum and cheese museum. The cheese tasting was great. There were so many good cheeses. A collective favorite seemed to be the pesto cheese. We then went to the Anne Frank House. While there was not much to see in the house itself as the Nazi's had emptied it out, the story was quite powerful. The half hour presentation in the beginning was a great preface to seeing the house. It's incredible to think the impact this young girl had on the world. That day I also discovered stroopwafels, poffertjes and the waffles from Spar, the local supermarket. They were amazing and I need to find the recipes as I will miss them. In addition, they eat fries a lot and like to use mayonnaise as a dipping sauce which is actually a bit better than it sounds.
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==5/27/17 - Countryside Bike Tour & A'DAM Toren==
The morning was spent just meandering the city and getting some amazing food at a market. I'm still not sure what most of it was but it was delicious and only €5. The focus of the day was a bike tour into the countryside. The tour proved just how long it had been since I last rode a bike. It had been at least four years and I was a bit wobblier than I expected for the first few minutes. While riding in the city with all the traffic was a bit stressful at first, riding through the countryside was so much fun. I was a bit jealous of all the people in their boats on the Amstel River but was having my own fun. The farm we stopped at was really interesting. After getting to see the cows, the owner explained the cheese making process for us accompanied by more cheese tasting. This cheese was even better and I could easily eat an entire wheel of it if given the chance. The clog demonstration was also fascinating. After explaining the process, he showed us a clog being cut on the lathe and then being hallowed out. I learned that clogs are good for your feet as they provide good arch support and some farmers still wear them for that reason. Different designs also have different purposes. Plain clogs are for farming. Yellow clogs are for women. The dark blue clogs are for men to wear to church and when dressing formal. The house clogs, natural color with engraved patterns, are for when you get married. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed the tour. That night we went up the A'DAM Toren tower where we got a fantastic view of the city. Some people went on the largest swing which swings out over the edge of the building. Our food discovery for that day included bitterballen which was very good.
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==5/28/17 - Grand Holland Tour & Canal Cruise==
Our last real day in Amsterdam was filled with a tour of Holland. Our first stop was in the Hague. It is quite interesting because it is where all of the politics takes place but it is not the capital. Instead, Amsterdam is the capital. This had to do with politcs and the public image of the different cities. The city was generally attractive but nothing too impressive, though we mainly only saw it from the bus. The next stop was Madurodam, a scale replica of all the major sights in Holland. The detail and extent of it was incredible. Many of the models were also interactive which was fun. For example, I controlled the replica wind turbines. After that we went to Delft and saw the old pottery factory. It was interesting to see one of the painters at work. I also never realized that they created ensembles for fashion week. I find it amusing that there was a dress designed using shopping bags like one I bought. Next we went up the Euromast. Despite the sketchy structure and stability of the building, nothing went wrong. The view was fantastic. Our last stop of the tour was in Rotterdam at the cube houses. I loved the eccentric architecture. After the tour, we went on a canal cruise. While I wish I could have been really boating and not just sheltered in a slow boat, it was nice to be on the water. It gave a great perspective of the streets, revealing a new beauty that could not really been seen or appreciated while walking along. Our food discovery for the day was beef croquettes which was just as excellent as all of the other foods.
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Image:Madurodam- sm- JR.jpg|Madurodam
Image:Delft- sm- JR.jpg|Royal Delft
Image:Rotterdam Boats- sm- JR.jpg|Rotterdam
Image:Cube Houses- sm- JR.jpg|Cube Houses
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==5/30/17 - The Wallace Collection==
[[The Wallace Collection]] was alright but nothing too exciting. It was another ornate building with lots of art that was not in a style that interested me. While there were a few paintings of dogs and horses, most were portraits or of cherubs. Portraits are not interesting as they are just an illustration of some person. There was an armory though which was pretty great as I love swords and armor. While it was not as awesome as Higgins Armory once was, it was a change of pace from all the art. The best part was the area where we could try on replica armor. Afterwords I stopped by 221B Baker Street and visited the Beatles store checking off two more things I had to do before leaving London.
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==5/31/17 - Science Museum Lates: Robot Takeover==
The Robot Takeover themed night at the [[London Science Museum]] was absolutely amazing and so much fun! Upon arriving there, we made robot heads out of paper, LEDs, button batteries and copper tape. They are super cute though the typical problem of getting good contact between the tape and LEDs was an issue. My robot currently has only one eye that lights up but it is an easy fix. Next, I visited the [[London Science Museum#Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human|robotics exhibit]]. I loved seeing all of the robots and learned a bit about their origins. Apparently robots can be traced back to clocks which then evolved into animatronic displays. These were mainly used for religious purposes at first and then for enterainment and personal use. Think along the lines of the animatronic display in Shrek. A bunch of the new information on robotics I was already familiar with such as the efforts towards walking robots and social robots. However, I did get to see some of my favorite robots such as Nao and robots that I've learned about such as Baxter. I just absolutely love what can be done with robots and the work that goes into them. Next I was able to create a screen printed robot poster for free so yay free souvenirs. After that I got to program YuMi, an industrial robot from ABB robotics. The robot can be programmed through a user friendly interface that allows them to move the robot to different configurations, record the positions and then play the sequence back. I also saw some people using a flight simulation suit. Combined with a VR headset, it allows a person to fly a drone as if they themselves were flying. The suit even includes haptic feedback. Next we checked out the Beam robot. Beam is a telecommunications robot. Essentially, it is a monitor used for video conferencing on a mobile platform. This one provided users with multiple views for navigating and intuitive controls. The robot is driven using the arrow keys on a keyboards. Visual feedback on the screen allows the user to predict the path the robot will take. The robot we used was located in the companies engineering department. We got to spend about half an hour talking with the engineers there. We discussed everything from the merits of the robot to the best and hardest parts of engineering. It was so much fun to talk to different engineers. After that I saw some 3D printed prosthetics. Work was being done to add touch sensors that could provide haptic feedback. The demonstration provided this feedback in the form of status lights and beeping. However, it sounded like current working models use pressure. There were thoughts about switching to vibration as people become numb to the pressure feedback after some time. Right next to that booth was a third year student's project on soft, inflatable robotics. I was able to spend some time hearing from him about the field and discussing our interests in robotics. We discussed the NASA robotics challenge for a while after he asked if I'd heard of it and responded about how I got to volunteer at it. Overall, the themed night was amazing. I only wish it went on for an entire weekend so I could see all of it. There were over 40 talks, exhibits and activities to do. I only got to see a small portion of them. I cannot wait to return to actually see the museum itself in the morning.
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Image:George- sm- JR.jpg|George
Image:Byrun- sm- JR.jpg|Byrun
Image:Nexi- sm- JR.jpg|Nexi
Image:Harry- sm- JR.jpg|Harry
Image:Nao- sm- JR.jpg|Nao
Image:Pepper- sm- JR.jpg|Pepper
Image:Baxter- sm- JR.jpg|Baxter
Image:YuMi- sm- JR.jpg|YuMi
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==6/1/17 - London Science Museum==
The [[London Science Museum]] is absolutely fantastic! It is great for all ages. Many museums are either boring and dry or otherwise dumbed down for children. The London Science Museum effectively caters to all ages. The exhibits contain plenty of information to be learned that is not a simple regurgitation of topics covered in school. This information is explained in a way such that a wide range of ages and backgrounds can understand it. The museum is certainly visually appealing. The displays easily catch visitors' attention. Walking through the museum a visitor will see planes and rockets suspended above them. It is captivating. The museum also features many interactive exhibits. The [[London Science Museum#Level 2#Atmosphere|Atmosphere]], [[London Science Museum#Level 1#Who am I|Who am I]], and [[London Science Museum#Level 3#Engineer your Future|Engineer your Future]] exhibits feature numerous interactive displays with videos and games that pertain to the content of the exhibit. I loved seeing displays on technology and what has been achieved. I followed the progression of the steam engine in the [[London Science Museum#Level 0#Energy Hall|Energy Hall]]. The space exhibit was also phenomenal. I wish my sister could go see it since her goal is to be an astronaut. The exhibit is packed with information on space travel, artefacts and recreations. It was quite inspiring. I easily could have spent all day in the museum but needed lunch so I am looking forward to returning yet another time to see even more of the museum.
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Image:Apollo 10 Command Module- sm- JR.jpg|Apollo 10 Command Module
Image:Mill Engine- sm- JR.jpg|Mill Engine
Image:Particle Accelerator- sm- JR.jpg|Particle Accelerator
Image:Robocar- sm- JR.jpg|Robocar
</gallery>
 

==6/2/17 - Stratford-upon-Avon==
I was a wall. Specifically, I was a wall with a chink in it separating the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon featured multiple stops. I began at the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of my theater technology milestone. First I went up in their tower to enjoy a view of the town. The town is absolutely adorable as is the case with many places over here in Europe. Many of the buildings were old and quaint and there were cute shops. The view over the town was pleasant and I could see out to the countryside beyond. Next was my tour of The Other Place, Royal Shakespeare Company's studio theater, rehearsal space and costume shop. The tour was designed to explore the process of a show going from the script to the stage. While it was not quite as detailed as other tours had been, it was a fascinating look into their space. The highlight was probably the costume storage room we saw. It is incredible what the costumes department is able to fabricate. I also appreciate the work done in the studio theater to help promote rising playwrights. It reminds me of New Voices at WPI. I would love to see one of those performances but unfortunately it is a bit far away and I've seen many shows already. After the tour, I visited the exhibit on what goes into their performances. It was small but charming and entertaining. Many old and iconic costumes were on display. Naturally, the costume David Tennant wore in "As You Like It" was my favorite. The exhibit offered visitors the chance to try out some different costumes digitally and even be the star in a part of "Hamlet". That concluded my visit with the Royal Shakespeare Company and I continued on to Shakespeare's birthplace. The museum leading in had some neat art in it that was inspired by Shakespeare. His childhood home was very cute. It was there that I became a wall. There were two actors putting on parts of Shakespeare's works. When a visitor suggested the play of Pyramus and Thisbe from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" they requested volunteers. I took the opportunity and was assigned the role of the wall. It was quite an honor and probably the highlight of the day. After that we saw Shakespeare's house he bought and the house of his son-in-law. They were equally charming homes with beautiful gardens. It was inspiring to visit these sites and it left me wanting to watch more Shakespeare. It was a great day and another experience to check off on the bucket list.
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Image:Stratford-upon-Avon- sm- JR.jpg|Stratford-upon-Avon
Image:Touchstone Costume- sm- JR.jpg|Touchstone Costume
Image:Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Childhood Bedroom
Image:Shakespeare's Garden- sm- JR.jpg|Shakespeare's Garden
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==6/3/17 - St. James's Park & Draught's Board Game Cafe==
It was a pretty cool day. I spent the afternoon helping Victoria with her milestone. She taught me some fun self defense and how to use a dagger. It was really cool and I'm glad I volunteered to help. We then walked around with Trinity so she could get pictures of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for her milestone. For dinner we went to Draught's which is a board game cafe. We tried out two new games. Spyfall was fun though a bit confusing at first. Codenames turned out to be really fun and I would definitely recommend it. That was followed by Scrabble and one of the longest games of Uno. The game must have lasted upwards of an hour and only ended because we agreed to stop picking up new cards. The place was really fun and a great place to hang out at night.
 

==6/6/17 - "Romeo and Juliet"==
The day began with some work at the cafe Look Mum No Hands. The place doubles as a bike repair shop and had a good aesthetic and atmosphere. Following that, I got some cookie dough from a new cookie dough cafe called Naked Dough. I got the hazelnut and chocolate flavors. So far I have had the hazelnut flavor and it is excellent and dangerously addicting. That night I saw "Romeo and Juliet" at The Globe. The show was very modernized and different than a person would expect. The Montagues and Capulets all had white face makeup. There was a smattering of R&B and dubstep music. While I generally liked how Romeo was portrayed, I was not a fan of Juliet. The actress was easily three times Juliet's age and while she might have tried to bring youth to the character, it didn't work. The actor, however, seemed to have some swagger and energy reminiscent of David Tennant which I found interesting. The actors also were unafraid of breaking character. At one point, Mercutio accidentally flung a bat onto the upper level stage. The actress stopped to ask for it back then shrugged and continued on. In addition, there was some gender swapping that was unclear. Mercutio was played by a female. While she often wore a skirt and there were some interactions that appeared to suggest a sexual attraction and jealousy of other females, Mercutio still seemed to be referred to as a male. As with the performance of "Twelfth Night", The Globe does not seem to do as well at bringing forth the meaning of the lines as the National Theater did. When watching the performance of "Twelfth Night" at the National Theater the lines simply seemed to make sense. At both of the performances I've seen at The Globe, it has taken quite a bit more focus to extract real meaning from what the characters are saying. Overall, the performance was fun though not most people's cup of tea.
 

==6/7/17 - Speedy's Cafe==
The highlight of the day was visiting Speedy's Cafe where BBC's "Sherlock" is filmed. It was a small cafe but lived up to it's name of being speedy. While there I took care of another item on my must do list and had fish and chips. The meal was pretty good. The best part was, of course, being at such an iconic place. Despite its ties to "Sherlock" it still seemed quite a humble cafe for the locals.
 

==6/8/17 - Stonehenge & Bath==
This tour was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever ride in a Mercedes-Benz. Seriously, many of the coach buses over here are made by these high end car companies. The one we were in was Mercedes-Benz and super nice. Not the seat belt buckles though. Those got stuck quite frequently. The quality of our tour guide, however, was all around excellent. He was lots of fun and joked around a lot. On the way out of London we drove through Chelsea and South Kensington which make up a rich area of London. Chelsea is also where the book character Alex Rider is from. It is interesting to see what a literally rich background the character was given. I also think the hospital that Alex stays at in "Ark Angel" is based on Cromwell Hospital which we drove by. That hospital is private and for the rich and famous as was the one in the book. Our first stop for the day was [[Stonehenge]]. Despite the gloomy weather it was a good experience. I think the most amazing part was how the stones were notched to lock them together. The next stop was [[Bath]]. Places like Bath have absolutely captured my heart. It is gorgeous there. All of the buildings are old limestone structures. There is so much character and charm. Despite the hype, the King's Bath itself was not overly impressive to see but still neat. The trip would not have been complete if I had not seen it. After that there was a secret stop that must not be named. That stop, while maintaining confidentiality, appealed to my inner nerd and was just magical. I'm glad I got to see it as it is on the list of places I just have to see while I'm over here for obvious reasons and I'll leave it at that. Overall, today's trip was one of the better adventures I've been on though there's a lot of competition.
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Image:Stonehenge- sm- JR.jpg|Stonehenge
Image:Bath Abbey- sm- JR.jpg|Bath Abbey
Image:King's Bath- sm- JR.jpg|King's Bath
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==6/9/17 - Cereal Killer Cafe & "The Play That Goes Wrong"==
In the morning I finally went to Cereal Killer Cafe. The cafe was in one of those featured videos on Facebook so I had to go given the chance. The cafe itself is super fun. There is a lot of retro and cereal themed decorations. It is colorful and happy. I got "The Lion King" cereal bowl. It contained lion cereal, coco caramel shreddies, Rolos and caramel milk and was quite excellent. Afterwards, we walked around and saw some more street art. The talent of the street artists amazes me. There are some really captivating pieces of street art and they can have some very good messages. One example of this is "MasterPeace" by Shok-1 that seeks to promote peace while utilizing a punny name. That night I saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Duchess Theater. The show was hysterical and seemed like so much fun to put on. Before the show even starts, the cast is amongst the audience acting. They look for a lost dog actor and seek helping repairing the stage. Throughout the show actors forget their lines and are given the wrong ones, there a multiple sub ins for a role when the actress is knocked out, actors cannot pronounce words and the set literally falls apart. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone looking to have a fun time. This performance was also important to our milestone. This is the show that we will be creating our own version of. One of my thoughts is to make our set appear to be high school quality. Despite the portrayed theater company being small and low budget, the set overall looks high quality though it does fall apart. Therefore, one of my thoughts is to bring out the amateur quality of the theater company.
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==6/10/17 - Jack the Ripper Tour==
The Jack the Ripper walking tour through Strawberry Tours was fantastic. The tour guide was very well informed and gave us a very immersive experience. It is incredible to me how people had much of a life in the East End during the 19th century when the killings took place. The area was described as very dark since a fog mixed with all of the pollution was often present. During those times people would have to feel their way along the roads, many were only arms width wide, to navigate. At least 10% of women were prostitutes. Sewage ran through the streets. Disease was rampant. People would work day to day just to be able to buy a spot, even just leaning against a rope, in a dosshouse to sleep. The life expectancy was about 55 years but it amazes me that it was even that high. Despite all that, the stories of these victims made them seem like normal, everyday people. They had lives and friends. I think just surviving through that time is an incredible feat in itself. I had not really known anything about Jack the Ripper before, but the tour guide really captured my interest in the mystery of what happened.
 

==6/11/17 - Harry Potter Walking Tour==
While this tour was not as good as the other Strawberry Tours, it was still a good time. We visited Trafalgar Square where the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2" took place, the Ministry of Defense that served as the Ministry of Magic, other film sites and the inspiration for Diagon Alley. My favorite story from tour was how Daniel Radcliffe completely bought out all seats for the show he was in at the time when the fans begged him to come to opening night for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2". It reminds me of Dean Kamen's story of when he bought the helicopter company. While it was not my favorite tour, it was still of good value.
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Image:Ministry of Defense- sm- JR.jpg|Ministry of Defense
Image:Scotland Yard- sm- JR.jpg|Scotland Yard
Image:Diagon Alley Inspiration- sm- JR.jpg|Diagon Alley Inspiration
</gallery>
 

==6/12/17 - Windsor Castle==
The highlight of [[Windsor Castle]] was the changing of the guard. You have to have respect for these people for serving their country and then they go through this ceremony on a regular basis. The entire ceremony supposedly lasts 45 minutes. That is a long time to stand so still and disciplined. The entire thing is very impressive to watch. At times they did this shuffle kind of like penguins which was a bit amusing but the precision that goes into all of the ceremony is incredible. Most of them had to form rows and were then very precisely adjusted to be in exactly the right position with proper posture. Aside from that, the castle itself was gorgeous. The stonework and architecture is beautiful. I loved the chapel as it was elegant but not overdone with bright colors. The apartments were quite similar to those at [[Hampton Court Palace]] and others that we've seen, but still impressive. The Queen's Ball Room had a pleasant color scheme using a bright blue. In addition, there was quite a bit of weaponry and armor that I appreciated.
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==6/13/17 - Primark==
Since I don't want to forget any of my experiences, this is the day I went to Primark. We were getting make up for our theater milestone. Primark is a popular cheap clothing store. Many shirts are around 6 pounds. Tank top dresses were only 3 pounds. Camis are 1.99 pounds. It would be easy to completely reinvent your wardrobe with just 100 pounds.
 

==6/14/17 - Circle Line Tour==
After the presentation meeting for the day, we rode Circle Line all the way around the circle. We could not make it out to Hammersmith because that portion of the line was closed but we made it all the way around the namesake. At each stop we dashed off and took quick selfies with the roundels. It was then a rush to get back on the train before it left. Once or twice I leapt through the doors just before they closed. I felt kind of like a spy at those times. It was quite an adventure and we learned that it only takes about an hour to make it all the way around the circle in the Circle Line.
 

==6/15/17 - Platform 9 3/4 & Primrose Hill==
[[File:London Sunset- sm- JR.jpg|thumg|right|x150px]]
To start the day, I got to Platform 9 3/4 bright and early to beat the crowd. While it might be called Platform 9 3/4 it is not even a platform. It is a sign on the wall next to a Harry Potter shop in King's Cross. Apparently there was an issue with too many people going to the real Platform 9 3/4 so they renumbered the platforms and put a sign elsewhere in the station. Regardless, I would have needed a train ticket to get out to the platforms. I can still say, though, that I have been to Platform 9 3/4 and the set version as well at Leavesden. At night we went up on Primrose Hill in Regent's Park to see the sunset. The view across the city was fantastic. Pretty much all of the major sights could be seen including the London Eye, Walkie Talkie, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Shard.
 

==6/16/17 - God's Own Junkyard & Box Park & Camden Market==
I can never say enough how amazing I believe London is. Taking the bus I to God's Own Junkyard I saw quite a few sights. While they are probably generally unremarkable, I find them all incredible. I absolutely love London and all these buildings and streets, no matter how average, all make the city what it is. It is incredible the different characters associated with the different areas. Some areas are a bit more modernized and fit my customary idea of a city but yet still seem homey. Other areas have more historic charm. God's Own Junkyard was a really cool place and I would recommend it to anyone just for the experience. The first thing I noticed when arriving was the giant cow because my sister loves cows. The next thing I noticed was the TARDIS which meant the place instantly got my approval. The signs were really fun to look at. Some were inspirational, others were less tasteful. It was fun to look for ones that came from music lyrics. I saw a little robot and a Statue of Liberty holding a fencing foil. The place had something for everyone to enjoy. Next stop was Box Park. I took the overground for the first time to get there. Box Park is a cluster of shops and restaurants in storage/shipping boxes that are lined up together. The place was very trendy. While there we got a chocolate freakshake from Soft Serve Society. After that we hit up Camden Market. While I arrived resolved not to spend any money, it is impossible there. Not only is there a wide selection of mouthwatering foods, the merchandise ranges from your typical London souvenirs that you can get on any street side to one of a kind, homemade trinkets. I gave in and bought a pair of earrings made out of a circuit board that I think are absolutely amazing. I also discovered this fun art series called the Unusual Superheroes Collection by Michael Kozlov which is really fun. I suppose I should be proud that I only spent 6 pounds there. Throughout the day I also got to see more incredible artwork.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Make Believe- sm- JR.jpg
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Image:Child with Heart- sm- JR.jpg
</gallery>
 

==6/17/17 - Trooping the Colour==
Trooping the Colour is the parade for the Queen's birthday. To see it, we got up at 4:30 am to arrive at Buckingham Palace at 6. Waking up that early paid off because we got an excellent spot right on the edge where we could see everything. There were so many horses for cavalry and bands. Most importantly, we saw all of the royal family. They rode by right in front of us. We also befriended a very friendly bobby. It was worth waking up awfully early and getting quite sunburnt.
<gallery mode="packed" heights=150p>
Image:Buckingham Palace- sm- JR.jpg|Buckingham Palace
Image:Kate- sm- JR.jpg|Kate Middleton
Image:Queen- sm- JR.jpg|Queen Elizabeth II
Image:RAF- sm- JR.jpg|The Red Arrows
</gallery>
 

==6/18/17 - Art Market==
I am definitely going to miss all of the markets all over London. There are so many with everything from unique foods and produce to hand made goods. I love being able to grab a container of berries for a pound when out walking somewhere. This market, however, was an art market. It always impresses me the talent that people can have. Walking down the street with all of the art hung on the fence I really appreciated the concept that the value of art is how it makes you feel. There were many beach scenes with light, bright blues seamlessly blended together. Looking at them I could feel the calm and peacefulness emanating from them. They also made me really want to go to the beach. Another artist had scenes taking place in vibrant, unusually colored forests. The color combinations and lighting effects made them appear magical. Some abstract artists captured their subjects and distorted them in various ways that captured the eye with bright colors. One artist created surrealistic works similar to Salvador Dalí but with more vibrancy and modern elements. The art represented at this market was quite remarkable. Afterwards we got macaroon ice cream sandwiches which were pretty great. Using macaroons as the cookie part really made the sandwich.
 

==6/19/17 - Improv Show==
At night I saw the most fantastic improv show. It was located above a pub at Angel Comedy. The improve group was called "Shoot from the Hip". They were comprised of two guys and did phenomenal. Every game was well done. I was laughing the whole time. The last skit of the night had them trying to recreate a couple from the audience's first date. The guy and the girl were each given a tambourine and whistle. When they got a part of the date right, one of the couple would whistle. When a detail was wrong they would hit the tambourine. Before long, the couple was disagreeing on the details which concluded in the girl having both instruments and making all of the calls. In another sketch they would randomly insert quotes written on papers by the audience. I had submitted the Doctor Who quote "You can't even sink the Titanic!" and it was pretty great. Another game had them acting out a scene and we would randomly have them switch genres when they said change. The scene was between a tax accountant and their client. Before the first change, a girl in the audience shouted out for them to switch genres. One of the earlier skits was called change. While the scene was going on, if one person was bored of what the other did, they could say "change" and the other person would have to change what they said/did. That was probably the funniest game as the guys would have to constantly change what they said making them more ridiculous each time. They had some political jokes and some about British culture. Perhaps the best was something along the lines of their best oysters being their cards. The show didn't have any weak points and I was laughing the entire time. I would definitely recommend their shows.
 

=Gallery=
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Image:Tower of London- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Van Gogh- Sunflowers- sm- JR.jpg
Image:Big Ben and London Eye- sm- JR.jpg
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</gallery>

 

=My Complete Contributions=
==[[Special:Contributions/Jaroy|All of My Created Content and Edits]]==
 
 

[[Category:Profiles]]
 
[[Category:2017]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Manzo]]
 
[[Category:Advisor:Clark]]

Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"

2017-06-20T22:05:04Z

Jaroy: /* Abstract */

=Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"=
by [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Perspectives on "Twelfth Night"
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Duke Orsino and Viola by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1850)
|label2 = by
|data2 = [[User:Mthatfalvi|Mary Hatfalvi]] & [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]]
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
 
This project explored various performances of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and how they were received by viewers and critics. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between "Twelfth Night" and how people have perceived the show over time. With this knowledge we created our own interpretation of how "Twelfth Night" should be performed. We address components such as tone, setting, characterization and the script. Our previous experience included courses on Shakespeare, theater technology, and photography. This milestone served as our culminating capstone project towards our theater humanities depths.
 

=Introduction=
 
Shakespeare was a brilliant, romantic and comedic writer. He could captivate audiences and his writings continue to do so. His romantic comedy, "Twelfth Night", provides humor to the audience and is open to different interpretations by many directors. This play encompasses the essence of Shakespeare as a funny, serious and romantic individual. The play has been made timeless as seen by the numerous interpretations that are performed even today. 
The main goal for this project was to make a written plan of an interpretation for "Twelfth Night" based on current and previous performances. We attended two current productions to analyze their style and researched the descriptions of two previous versions. One modern performance we used to learn about current adaptations of the show was the 2017 performance at the [[The Globe Theater|Shakespeare Globe]] in London. The other performance we viewed was the 2017 production at the [[National Theater]] in London. The two historical performances we analyzed are the 1983 production put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company and what is believed to be one of the first performances in 1602. Each of these performances had unique tones, characterizations and modifications. We additionally looked at their reviews to figure out what aspects of each performance were well received or poorly received by the critics. These findings informed us as we developed our own interpretation of the show.
 

=Section 1: Background=
 
==Summary==
 
"Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy by Shakespeare. After their ship is destroyed by a storm, twins, Viola and Sebastian, are individually rescued and each assume the other drowned. Viola hears of Olivia, the lady whom the Count Orsino is courting. Viola decides that she wants to meet Olivia who also is suffering from the death of her own brother. To do so she devises the plan of serving Orsino disguised as a boy and calling herself Cesario. Orsino has her pursuing Olivia for him as a messenger. Olivia falls in love with Cesario while Viola falls in love with Orsino. Meanwhile, Sebastian decides to go to Count Orsino unaware that his sister is alive. Upon arriving in the city, Sebastian is mistaken by Olivia for Cesario and she promptly marries him. Orsino finds out and, thinking that Sebastian is Cesario, gets extremely upset that his servant acted so wrongly against him. It is not until Viola and Sebastian end up in the same room that the siblings discover the other is alive and disguise of Cesario is abandoned. Olivia ends up happily married to Sebastian while Orsino and Viola become engaged.
 

==Inspiration==
 
[[File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|300px|thumb|Viola and the Countess by Frederick Richard Pickersgill (1859)]]
There are clear relationships between "Twelfth Night" and other works that Shakespeare was exposed to as well as some new styles. 

"Twelfth Night" is considered one of Shakespeare's great comedies and defies many of the prior conventions of comedy that his earlier comedies followed. Comedy was seen as a show that resolved happily. However, "Twelfth Night", despite having a positive ending, is also serious and sobering. While Viola and Sebastian are reunited, the tragedy of what had happened to them is still present. In addition, the show does not end on the celebrations of the reunited twins and their relationships with Olivia and Orsino. Instead, the show returns to the shaming of Malvolio ending on a dark note as he promises revenge. Additionally, Shakespeare's focus in the structure of the show defies that of comedies. There are three subplots considered. The typical comedic plot focuses on the antics of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria harassing Malvolio and using his ego to deceive him. This plot is lighthearted and uses traditional styles of comedy such as farce. The second subplot is that between Olivia and Viola. As with the previous plot, a character is deceived and again follows the established comedic style. The third subplot involves Viola and Orsino and strays from comedy. Instead it explores a sentimental relationship between the two characters. Therefore, the logical structure for a comedy would focus on the plot against Malvolio then the relationship between Olivia and Viola and finally just feature the relationship with Orsino. This would satisfy a comedy of a series of carefully planned misfortunes. However, Shakespeare focuses on these plots in the reverse order. His focus is on the developing relationship with Orsino and Viola giving a considerable sincere side to the play. In doing so he defies the typical style of comedy. <ref>Crane, M. (1955). Twelfth Night and Shakespearian Comedy. Shakespeare Quarterly, 6(1), 1-8. doi:10.2307/2866046</ref>
 

Despite the play's differences from traditional comedies, plots within "Twelfth Night" parallel those of other shows. These shows likely acted as inspiration for Shakespeare. One of the inspirations Shakespeare used was another one of his own plays "The Comedy of Errors". "The Comedy of Errors" was written as an adaptation of the story named "The Menaechmi" by the Plautus who lived in the late BC era. <ref name = "plot"> Tosh, W. (2016, February 11). Hunting for Shakespeare's sources - Where did Shakespeare get his ideas for Twelfth Night from? Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://2016.playingshakespeare.org/essay/hunting-for-shakespeare-s-sources </ref>This story is about two twin brothers separated and when they are grown both find themselves in the same town and are mistaken for each other. This gives explanation for the plot of mistaking two twin siblings. However where does the gender switching come from? 

"Gl’Igannati" (The Deceived) (1537) by the academy of Intronati at Siena was likely the source for the gender triangle complication in Twelfth Night. <ref name = "gt"> William Shakespeare; J.M. Lothian; T.W. Craik (18 September 1975).[http://%5Bhttps://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kcd54asEHekC&pg=PR35&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|Twelfth Twelfth Night] Cengage Learning EMEA. pp. 35–6. ISBN 0-17-443625-4 </ref> In summary, Gl’Igannati is about a girl, Lelia (Shakespeare’s version Viola), and her love for Flamminio (Duke Orsino). Lelia's father, a rich man named Virginio, loses his wealth and his young son Fabrizio but saves Lelia. Upon moving to a different city Lelia falls in love with Flamminio. He returns her affection until Lelia leaves with her father on a trip. While Lelia is gone Flamminio falls in love with Isabella, who doesn't want him. When Lelia returns she finds Flamminio no longer wants her so she devises a plan. She disguises herself as a boy called Fabio and becomes Flamminio’s page. A similar situation is played out by Viola disguising herself as Cesario and serving Duke Orsino but being in love with him. <ref name = "gt"/> "Twelfth Night" has several key differences though that create a new tone. In "Gl’Igannati", Lelia previously was in a relationship with Flamminio and, after being wronged, empowers herself. She embodies a strong heroine. In contrast, Viola does not fall in love with Orsino until after she disguises herself nor is she empowered. In fact, when presented with the issue of the love triangle, she resigns herself and hopes that time will sort the problem out for her. Furthermore, Shakespeare further complicates the show with the two other previously mentioned plots, transforming it into a comedy. <ref>L. G. Salingar. (1958). The Design of Twelfth Night. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(2), 117-139. doi:10.2307/2867233</ref>
 

Neither of these inspirations, however, had a character like Malvolio. Malvolio is important since he is the butler that thinks he is high & mighty and is then tricked horribly making him the subject of the key comedic plot. It is assumed that he is Shakespeare’s own invention. The most reasonable explanation for this is found in Dr. Tosh's Article, "The answer lies in something Maria says, after Malvolio has interrupted a late-night party in Olivia’s house. ‘Sometimes he is a kind of puritan,’ she remarks (2.3.125). Today we use the term ‘puritan’ to mean someone who is excessively strict about issues of personal and sexual morality, but it had a more specific meaning in the early seventeenth century. For Shakespeare and his contemporaries, to call someone a ‘puritan’ was to use a disrespectful term for someone with radical religious views. England’s ‘puritans’ were various groups of zealous Protestants who condemned anything that resembled Catholic ritual or tradition. They had many targets for their disapproval: singing, dancing, festive games, rich food, gaudy clothes, long hair – and theatre. Throughout his career, Shakespeare had to contend with extremists who regarded drama as an offence against religion and morality" <ref name = "plot"/> The character of Malvolio was someone Shakespeare wanted to use to almost 'revenge' puritans about their theatre hatred. Even when Mavolio is abused, in the end of the play Shakespeare then shows the audience that he is human with feelings and that what was done to Malvolio was wrong. This suggests the theme that mistreatment of humans even when they are in the wrong is never alright.
 

Finally, Shakespeare used his audience, venue and resources as an opportunity to develop his comedy. It is believed that "Twelfth Night" was written to be performed at the Middle Temple for the queen. Shakespeare includes comments by the charaters about their surroundings that describe the venue, breaking the fourth wall. The characters also comment on several occasions on the audience. One example of this is when Malvolio says, "I say, this house is as dark as ignorance" (Shakespeare IV. ii. 46-50). This would play with the audience as it would have been comprised by many of the elite and well educated. <ref name = "mid">Akrigg, G. (1958). Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple. Shakespeare Quarterly, 9(3), 422-424. doi:10.2307/2867369</ref> Similarly, Shakespeare played with the fact that only men were allowed to act at the time. According to an Article written by Dr. Will Tosh on the inspiration of Twelfth Night, "Shakespeare’s plays were performed at a time when all of the actors were male, with teenage boys becoming the female roles. Shakespeare incorporated this convention into his plays, finding ways to turn what might be regarded as a disadvantage into a dramatic strength. In Twelfth Night, Viola isn’t just a girl dressing as a boy. She’s a boy playing a girl who pretends to be a boy, pursued by a boy playing a woman (Olivia) who ends up seducing a boy playing a boy (Sebastian). Part of the joke is that Viola-as-Caesario looks attractively feminine and irresistibly masculine depending on who is doing the looking: Orsino observes approvingly of his new pageboy’s appearance that ‘all is semblative a woman’s part’ (1.4.33), while Olivia compliments Viola on being ‘a proper man’ (3.1.125)". <ref name = "plot"/> Shakespeare through this inspiration also seems to suggest that the theme of gender is something based on how you act, rather than something based on what you were born with was a message he wanted to send trough this play.

 

==Original Performance==
 
This play was first performed in January of 1601 on 'Twelfth-Night Eve' for Queen Elizabeth I and her court at Whitehall palace according to J.W Draper, a professor of English at West Virginia University. <ref name = "tim"> Draper, J. W. (1950). Appendex A - Date, Season, and Time Analysis of The Play. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 257-261). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> It was "the Queen's Twelfth Night entertainment to regale 'the living Duke Orsino.'" <ref name ="tim"/> Virgino Orsino was the Duke of Bracciano at the time of Queen Elizabeth I and she entertained him royally on the twelfth night. However, it is known that the Middle Temple was the place where Shakespeare wanted this play to be performed. <ref name = "mid"/> Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple opened in February 1602. 

The set for the original play saw some parts taking place by the seashore, then in the nearby city. The city, according to J.W Draper, was supposed to be somewhere in Italy, specifically Venice and the Venetian colonies in Dalmatia. <ref name = "tom"> Draper, J. W. (1950). The Setting, Style, and Theme of 'Twelfth Night'. In The 'Twelfth Night' of Shakespeare's Audience (pp. 233-256). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. </ref> The dialogue of the play has some Italian wording but also Latin, French and Spanish. The suggestion about the setting and different combination of dialect is that Shakespeare wanted his play to reach across the globe to be performed other places and for it to not just be done in England. The plot, dialogue and costume, however, was written in Elizabethan style. Shakespeare's original style for this play was comedic and dramatic. 
[[File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|300px|thumb|Olivia by Edmund Leighton (1888)]]
===Reviews===
 
John Manningham who say the performance at the Middle Temple in 1602 gives his mention of the play talking about Steward Malvolio and how the play was similar to the plays 'Commedy of Errors', 'Menechmi' by Plautus and 'Inganni'. <ref name = "org"> Manningham, J. (1968). Diary of John Manningham, of The Middle Temple, and of Bradbourne, Kent, Barrister-At-Law (Ser. 1) (J. Bruse, Ed.). Westminster: J.B Nichols and Sons.
Facsimile reprint of 1868 ed. First published by Royal Historical Society, 1868. </ref>
In further taking about the subplot of the play in his original writing, 

''"A good practise in it to make the Steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfeyting a letter as from his Lady, in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparaile, &c., and then when he came to practise, making him beleeue they tooke him to be mad."'' <ref name = "org"/> 

According to a review on Bruce Smith's findings in John Manningham's Diary that ''"in this particular entry, and in those that surround it in the diary, Smith discerns seven subjects (or 'contexts' [6]) of continuing fascination to Manningham and presumably to others like him in the Middle Temple: Romance, Music, Sexuality, Clothing and Disguise, Household Economies, Puritan Probity, and Laughter and Clowning."''<ref> KO, Y. (2003). Early Theatre, 6(1), 101-104. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/43499184 </ref> Manningham and other playgoers at the time really enjoyed this original performance of "Twelfth Night'. It gave laughter and enjoyment to the people who saw it.
 

==Twentieth Century Performance==
 
According to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre production log, in 1983 the Royal Shakespeare Company, located in Shakespeare's hometown Stanford-upon-Avon, performed an interpretation of Twelfth Night. <ref>1960-2005 productions | Twelfth Night. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.rsc.org.uk/twelfth-night/past-productions/1960-2005-productions </ref> The Director was John Caird and the set designer was Robin Don. A huge tree was positioned in the middle of the stage that reached to the top of the theater. Sand surrounded the tree and there was a black back drop. The lighting was designed by David Hersey to look like stars, a moon, dawn, and twilight. <ref name = "old"> Farmer, P. (1984). Theatre Journal, 36(1), 113-115. doi:10.2307/3207372 </ref> The performance was traditional with Elizabethan era costumes and style. The story was not portrayed as a happy comedy but a dramatic, dark one.
 
===Reviews===
 
Patrick Farmer, who reviewed three Royal Shakespeare Theatre plays done at that same time, found this interpretation the most satisfying. <ref name = "old"/> He thought that Malvolio was a comic force. He found that the actors of the company were very versatile in their roles. <ref name = "old"/> 
Another review from the Guardian in 1984 by Nicholas de Jongh said that ''"I (himself) cannot remember a Twelfth Night so steep in an atmosphere of autumnal rejection, or one which shows so graphically people wither under the strain of hopeless love."'' <ref> Gay, P. (2005). As she likes it: Shakespeares unruly women. London: Routledge. </ref>
 
Yet another review addresses the dark comedy and compares it to other performances. In this article from The Times, Irving Wardle writes ''Quite a deal of poison has been seeping into this play over the past few years, but John Caird's is the first I have seen that projects Twelfth Night as an all-out dark comedy. This is good news not only for jaded old spectators who have seen the piece too often. There is a limit to the amount of fun that can be extracted from the drinking scene and permutations of Malvolio's letter in a play that was never more than intermittently uproarious. And there is everything to be said for muting the comedy for once and giving full attention to the central matter of the illusions and frenzies of love.''"<ref> Irving Wardle, The Times, 21 April 1983 </ref> This play was put on more like the original interpretation then a more modern version. Overall, people seemed to like this interpretation a lot.
 

==National Theater==
 
The [[National Theater]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was playful but still grounded in realism. The setting spanned multiple time periods. While the costumes were largely modernized, older elements were brought in. For example, the maids' dresses were of a modern style but had ruffs on them. In the beginning the actors drove out in antique cars indicating yet another time period in the late twentieth century. The interior decorating of Olivia's house was modern. This blending of time periods is consistent with the idea that Shakespeare's plays are considered timeless. The [[National Theater]] took several creative liberties with the play. The gender of Fabian, Malvolio and the clown were all switched from male to female. This introduced new relationship dynamics as Malvolia was lesbian unlike Malvolio. Another surprising element introduced was Count Orsino boxing. It is another example of a modern activity being introduced to the show. The casting featured a relatively young cast with all the leads in what appeared to be roughly in their 20s or 30s. Overall, the show appeared to be quite faithful to the original script with only minor alterations being made to adjust for the different genders of characters. 
===Reviews===
 
While there are always dissenters, National Theater's performance of "Twelfth Night" was largely well received. Common to every review was praise for Tamsin Greig as Malvolia. Even those who disapproved of the show believed "Tamsin Greig shines in a production otherwise at sea"<ref>Cavendish, C. (2017, Feb 23,). Twelfth night, national's olivier theatre review: Tamsin greig shines in a production otherwise at sea. The Telegraph Online Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/twelfth-night-nationals-olivier-theatre-review-tamsin-greig/</ref>. They loved her sharpness and command of the character. There are two main differing perspectives on the tone. Several critics found that the show was too lighthearted and that it did not do the main themes justice. Alexandra Coghlin describes the performance as "siphoning off most of the play’s darker elements and leaving neat sunshine, song and laughter<ref>Coghlen, A. (2017). Twelfth night, national theatre. The Arts Desk, Retrieved from http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/twelfth-night-national-theatre-0</ref>. Marianka Swain stated that "Amidst the riotous clowning, the romances feel a tad undercooked"<ref>Swain, M. (2017). BWW review: TWELFTH NIGHT, national theatre. Broadway World, Retrieved from http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BWW-Review-TWELFTH-NIGHT-National-Theatre-20170223</ref>. Similarly, Michael Billington felt that "all (he) missed was the element of reflective melancholy that makes this, for many of us, the most perfect comedy ever written<ref>Billington, M. (2017, Feb. 23,). Twelfth night review – tamsin greig is brilliant in a show full of fun. The Guardian Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/23/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre-tamsin-greig</ref>. In contrast, others felt that enjoyment from the comedy outweighed this loss or that the core issues were still represented. Ben Dowell believes that the show "never loses sight of the play’s cloudy and troubling subtext"<ref>Dowell, B. (2017). Twelfth night theatre review: Tamsin greig brings dazzling comic brio to a gender-bending production. Radio Times Travel, Retrieved from http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-23/twelfth-night-theatre-review-tamsin-greig-brings-dazzling-comic-brio-to-a-gender-bending-production</ref>. The general consensus was that an excellent job was done with casting except for Doon Mackichan. There were very mixed opinions over her performance. Holly Williams is of the opinion that Mackichan "gives the unfunny fool a sparkle that goes far beyond her glittery boots"<ref>Williams, H. (2017). Review: Twelfth night (olivier, national theatre). What's on Stage, Retrieved from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-tamsin-greig-olivier-national_42961.html</ref>. However, Natasha Tripney finds that "she does not succeed in making the fool all that funny"<ref>Tripney, N. (2017). Twelfth night review at the national theatre – ‘Tamsin greig is resplendent’. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/twelfth-night-review-olivier-national-theatre/</ref>. Most reviews concur that the set design and costumes were a strong point of the show, though every critic seems to have a different idea of which decade it drew on for inspiration. Ann Treneman goes so far as to even describe the set as "sexy" <ref>Treneman, A. (2017, Feb. 24,). Theatre: Twelfth night at the olivier, SE1. The Times Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theatre-twelfth-knight-olivier-6tnjt27l5</ref>. Overall, the show appeared to have a positive response and received ratings ranging from three to five stars<ref>Morgan, F. (2017). Twelfth night starring tamsin greig – review round-up. The Stage, Retrieved from https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2017/twelfth-night-starring-tamsin-greig-review-round/</ref>.
 

==The Globe==
 
[[The Globe Theater|The Globe]]'s performance of "Twelfth Night" was nontraditional. The tone was that of a spoof directed by Mel Brooks. The performance was goofy and the performers maintained character though they did not present convincingly realistic people. Instead, the characters were dramatized and occasionally broke the fourth wall. One of the most notable changes made was the introduction of a musical aspect to the show. While the clown sings on occasion in the original script, all of the characters were singing on multiple occasions during the show. This resulted in significant modifications to the script as some lines were removed and some converted into lyrics. Many other lines, however, remained untouched. The show appeared to be set in Scotland in the late 1970s as several of the characters wore kilts and many of the other costumes drew on fashion from that time period such as jumpsuits with bell bottoms. In addition, several songs from that time period were referenced including "We are Family" and "I Will Survive". The casting for the show was older than for the [[National Theater]]'s performance and appeared to have a decent sized age gap between Olivia and both Orsino and Olivia. In addition, the clown did not have as clear of a role. While the clown in the [[National Theater]]'s performance had a significant role in the antics and in revealing themes, the clown in this performance was not well defined. He primarily just led the characters in song. Without knowing the play the character of the clown would quite possibly be very confusing. 
===Reviews===
 
According to a review from The Culture Whisper, ''"Twelfth Night is delightful and enchanting, even if it is not a transformative or revolutionary adaptation. More than anything, she (Emma Rice who was the artistic director) focuses on making Shakespeare highly entertaining, accessible, joyful and communal.''" <ref name ="glrev">Macdonald, B. (2017). Twelfth Night, The Globe review. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/theatre/summer_of_love_shakespeares_globe_twelfth_night_emma_rice_2017/8773 </ref> The review also talks about this Malivolio that ''"straddles the line beautifully between being endlessly obnoxious and equally loveable."'' <ref name ="glrev"/> 
Another review said that this interpretation was ''"an absolute hoot...freely embellished and fulsomely overdone. ...clownish caricatures instead of credible characters."'' <ref>Trueman, M. (2017, May 25). Review: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/twelfth-night-shakespeares-globe-emma-rice_43684.html </ref> The pop songs and humor made the play more fun than serious from this review's perspective. This review warns traditional Shakespeare fans that this is not a traditional performance.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
Based on the research explained in the background, we created an idea & plan for our own personal interpretation of Shakespeare' s 'Twelfth Night'. The main things we focused on was the tone, setting, characters, and script for our interpretation.
 
==Tone==
 
The tones of the two different performances we saw at the National Theater and The Globe were quite different. While both performances were designed to be funny, the National Theater's performance remained grounded in realism. In contrast, The Globe's performance was overly theatrical and goofy coming off as a spoof. Based on personal opinion and others' reviews, we opted for a realistic tone. The reviews indicate that people appreciate when they can relate to the characters and have an emotional connection. In the 1893 performance, a key point was that it was not all just humor but that it also addressed the struggles of the lovers. We believe that by keeping the acting natural and realistic, the audience can become better immersed in the show, which also can result in heightened comedy when it does happen as the audience is better connected with what is taking place.
 [[File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|A mansion that we would use as the setting of Olivia's mansion with gardens]]
==Setting==
 
We decided to set the play roughly modern day and in an area inspired by New York City. Both of the adaptations of "Twelfth Night" that we saw incorporated various modern elements to them ranging from set to costumes to music. Modernizing the show keeps it interesting for viewers. It is harder for a person to relate to the entirely different culture of Shakespeare's time. By updating the show, it again helps viewers connect with the performance. To further that, we want the show set in an area similar to New York City. Cities are often closely tied with the image of modern society, particularly the modern architecture and skyscrapers present. Additionally, New York City is a very familiar sight to people all over the world as it is often the setting for many movies, television shows and featured in art forms. Therefore, this sort of setting would feel familiar to the audience. 

==Characters==
 
There are several creative liberties we would take with the characters including gender switching and modernizations. In keeping with the theme of modernizing the show, some minor and often subtle changes would be made to the portrayal of the characters. Instead of being a count, Orsino would be a mayor. [[File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Malvolio Character|200px|right]]This way he would still be in charge of the area but have a modern title. In accordance, Viola as Cesario would be portrayed as his personal assistant when working for him. This would be manifested only in how the character is presented. Nowhere in the script is Cesario's position clearly named. The distinction of being a personal assistant would be shown through costuming and their interactions. This sort of role would make the most sense for the characters in their modernized world. Viola and Sebastian's position in society would be translated to that of upper class citizens, there father having been a CEO. This would explain why Antonio should have known of their father. Meanwhile, Olivia, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew would be socialites as they are clearly rich. They live privileged, frivolous lives. Furthermore, Malvolio and the clown would have to be carefully executed. Malvolio consistently stole the show in all of the performances. As with the critics, we enjoyed the change of Malvolio to Malvolia. This change plays up the gender fluidity in the show and adds an additional layer of depth to the show. We believe she should be depicted as a strict, old school nun teaching in a Catholic school. Her harsh, straight edge demeanor provides greater contrast heightening the comedy of her transformation after reading the letter. If the character is made humorous at all beforehand, the transition becomes less comical as she would not be taken as seriously. A humorous character becoming the subject of comedy is nothing remarkable. However, a stern and harsh character turning comedic is noteworthy. In addition, we again liked National Theater's take on the clown as a clever, witty female. This made the humor more intellectual and she acted as a catalyst throughout the show. In contrast, The Globe reduced the role of the clown until it was almost unrecognizable. We prefer the clown to be a dynamic character. To keep with the modernization, she would not be portrayed as a stereotypical clown but more as a fun loving performer. Her costume would be colorful and playful in contrast to the other characters. 
==Script==
 
Our goal is to avoid tampering with the script. The more it is changed, the less authentic it feels and it loses the charm and character that Shakespeare put into it. The performances we have seen primarily kept the original script. Only minor revisions were made for gender switches. The Globe further altered their script to make it musical but that also seemed to detract from the script as many lines were lost in lyrics. Our modifications would only go so far as to account for the gender changes and role changes. For example, count would become mayor, Malvolio would be Malvolia, and the clown would primarily be referred to with generic terms and pronouns as clowns are no longer employed as they once were. We do not want to detract from Shakespeare's characters and themes by modifying the script too much.
 

=Conclusion=
 
The story of 'Twelfth Night' is a romantic comedy, makes fun of the gender roles and humanity as a whole. Shakespeare when writing this play wanted to make people laugh and to also teach people about how important it is to treat others with respect and with dignity. Overall, people like this play when it is done more realistically. Making the tone of the story more of a spoof takes away some of the beauty of the story and the humanity lessons within it. Another aspect to the play that Shakespeare and modern adaptations have done is the
gender switching of the supporting characters like Malvolio. A female Malvolio gives the originally male character a new way of looking at the character as whole. 'Twelfth Night' is a brilliant Shakespeare play that can be interpreted in many different ways. 
Future research could include perspectives on another Shakespeare play. Using different performances by different companies around London could also be something to explore. 

=References=
<references/>
 

=Attribution of Work=
 
==Mary Hatfalvi==
I contributed to the abstract section of this project. In the Background, I contributed to the research & writing of the inspiration subsection as well as researched & wrote the review subsection under The Globe Performance. I researched & wrote under the Background the 20th century performance summer & reviews as well as the original performance summery and reviews. In the Deliverable section, I contributed to the ideas and approach for a successful interpretation of 'Twelfth Night'. I contributed to the writing of the conclusion and the introduction sections as well as added all of the pictures on the milestone page. I contributed to [[The Globe Theater]] and the [[National Theater]] articles which were used in this milestone. 

==Justine Roy==
We both participated in all parts of the project. I wrote the summary, descriptions of the productions we viewed, reviews for the National Theater performance and deliverable. I co-wrote the inspiration section and made revisions throughout.
 

=External Links=
[http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/index.html Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ]
 

=Image Gallery=
<gallery>
File:Orsino and viola Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Duke Orsino and Viola '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1850 '''Attributed to''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOrsino_and_viola_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Viola and the Countess - Frederick Richard Pickersgill.jpg|thumb|Viola and the Countess '''Artist''' Frederick Richard Pickersgill '''Year''' 1859 '''Attributed to''' By Frederick Richard Pickersgill (25 September 1820, London - 20 December 1900) (Shakespeare Illustrated) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AViola_and_the_Countess_-_Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg
File:Edmund Blair Leighton - Olivia.jpg|thumb|Olivia '''Artist''' Edmund Leighton '''Year''' 1888 '''Attributed to''' Edmund Leighton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons '''Link''' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEdmund_Blair_Leighton_-_Olivia.jpg
File:Pexels-photo-87378.jpeg|Beige Painted Concrete Building '''Author''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] '''Attributed to''' [https://www.pexels.com/u/ingo/ Ingo Joseph] CC0 License via Pexels '''Link''' https://www.pexels.com/photo/park-historical-castle-fountain-87378/
File:Teacher-403004 1280.png|Teacher-Classroom-School '''Author''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu] '''Attributed to''' [https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tumisu-148124/ Tumisu], CC0 Public Domain via pixabay '''Link''' https://pixabay.com/en/teacher-classroom-school-class-403004/
</gallery>
 

[[Category: Drama & Theater Projects]]
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T21:42:59Z

Jaroy: /* Analysis */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that was taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T21:39:29Z

Jaroy: /* Background */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photograph captures dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T21:37:30Z

Jaroy: /* Section 1: Existing Photographs */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away from photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project looks at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I chose several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T21:32:44Z

Jaroy:

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project was to explore how photography has been used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I selected a few photographs that reflect British culture and analyzed how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I included historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. 
Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> 
Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism from an artistic perspective. The emphasis of the material was placed on the historical or cultural condition depicted by the photograph. The photographs were used simply as visual aids in articles about a time period or cultural movement. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. 
Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
My goal for the deliverable was to capture some of my own photography of London that I felt conveyed aspects of the current culture. All of these photographers that I researched at some point saw something in the UK that they wanted to capture. For Jo Spence it was the injustice against women of her time. For Ken Russel it was the subculture of the Teddy Girls. My time in London revealed part of their culture to me that I attempted to capture in some photographs.
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

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Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

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Jaroy: /* Photographs Worth a Thousand Words */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg|x650px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project is to explore how photography is used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I will be selecting a few photographs that reflect British culture and will analyze how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I will also tie in historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism indicating that it still continues to suffer from this bias. The emphasis of the material was placed on the subject issue of the photography with the pictures simply as a visual aid instead of on the photograph and how it captured the problem. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

File:Collage- sm- JR.jpg

2017-06-20T10:52:58Z

Jaroy:

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T10:43:07Z

Jaroy: /* Conclusion */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:ProjectPicture.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project is to explore how photography is used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I will be selecting a few photographs that reflect British culture and will analyze how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I will also tie in historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism indicating that it still continues to suffer from this bias. The emphasis of the material was placed on the subject issue of the photography with the pictures simply as a visual aid instead of on the photograph and how it captured the problem. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
Photographs can contain important messages and act as windows into the time and place that is being photographed. They can contain stories about their subject and reveal the culture of the time. They can also be a reflection of the photographer's beliefs. Despite this, photography has faced discrimination in the artistic community. While the artistic elements of photography have gained more recognition, some styles, such as photojournalism, are still largely ignored. This opens up quite a bit of material that can still be researched. While there are always more photographs that can be looked at, the development of the recognition of photography as an art form is probably another viable research topic.
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T10:20:16Z

Jaroy: /* Analysis */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:ProjectPicture.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project is to explore how photography is used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I will be selecting a few photographs that reflect British culture and will analyze how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I will also tie in historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism indicating that it still continues to suffer from this bias. The emphasis of the material was placed on the subject issue of the photography with the pictures simply as a visual aid instead of on the photograph and how it captured the problem. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications but transcends the male stereotypes. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance. This captures the culture of everyday people.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
In this section, provide a summary or recap of your work, as well as potential areas of further inquiry (for yourself, future students, or other researchers).
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T10:16:58Z

Jaroy: /* Background */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:ProjectPicture.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project is to explore how photography is used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I will be selecting a few photographs that reflect British culture and will analyze how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I will also tie in historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism indicating that it still continues to suffer from this bias. The emphasis of the material was placed on the subject issue of the photography with the pictures simply as a visual aid instead of on the photograph and how it captured the problem. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK. The photographer, Anna Fox, is known for capturing lifestyles "outside the sophistication of a cosmopolitan world", "situations and characters of a non-elite social realm" <ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>. This photograph is probably part of her "Back to the Village" series which captures people of all ages dressed up in costumes for various events such as parades and Halloween. The series speaks to the "desires to dress up an transcend"<ref>Cotton, C. (2008). ANNA FOX: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1983–2007. Aperture, (192), 82-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24473462</ref>.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
In this section, provide a summary or recap of your work, as well as potential areas of further inquiry (for yourself, future students, or other researchers).
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

Photographs Worth a Thousand Words

2017-06-20T09:59:44Z

Jaroy: /* Background */

=Photographs Worth a Thousand Words=
by [[User:Jaroy|Justine Roy]] 

{{Infobox
|title = Photographs Worth a Thousand Words
|bodystyle = width:25em
|image = [[File:ProjectPicture.jpg|x450px|alt=Milestone Image]]
|caption = Justine Roy
}}

__TOC__

=Abstract=
The purpose of this project is to explore how photography is used as a form of communication, reflecting on the social and political conditions of the time. I will be selecting a few photographs that reflect British culture and will analyze how the photographer captures the subject and conveys his/her message to the viewer. To achieve this, I will also tie in historical background as needed. This project will provide breadth beyond my theater concentration.
 
=Introduction=
 
This project explores photography that captures significant cultures, political states and living conditions of London throughout time. It deals with the history of London, a closer look at the culture of London and photography. My inspiration for this project came from a similar project my friend completed as her high school capstone. Her project dealt with major global issues throughout time and present day. She looked at past photographs of humanities issues and created her own photographs. My focus, however, is specifically on British culture and includes more analysis of the photographs. While there are galleries that focus on showcasing specific themes or time periods, my project spans a large time period, addresses a variety of topics and includes both background context for the image as well as an analysis.
 

=Section 1: Existing Photographs=
Photography can be a powerful outlet and tool. People can use it as a coping tool or a way to get their voice out. The British Journal of Photography recounts multiple instances of photography being used to adjust to a new environment, gain new understanding or speak out. David Gaberle took up photography after moving to London and struggling for a while. Now he travels internationally, capturing the essence of major cities. <ref>D'Aliesio, S. (2017). Photobook: Metropolight by david gaberle. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/04/photobook-metropolight-by-david-gaberle/</ref>Spencer Murphy gained new insight into the dirt biker subculture. He no longer sees them as reckless criminals but as a community of individuals seeking freedom from mundane life. <ref>Hamilton, R. S. (2017). Wheelies, balaclavas and broken bones: Welcome to UK BikeLife. British Journal of Photography, Retrieved from http://www.bjp-online.com/2017/05/wheelies-balaclavas-and-broken-bones-welcome-to-uk-bikelife/</ref> In recent years the British Journal of Photography has launched a new yearly campaign to showcase British culture and what it means to live in the United Kingdom called Portrait of Britain through creating a collection of professional and amateur photographs. Such photographs join ranks of photographs from throughout history that are treasured for the story they tell about British society. The Hyman Collection was created to share such material and contains iconic photographs from throughout the United Kingdom's history to modern day. Despite the significance of photography, it is often disregarded by the artistic community. In 1954 the Virginia and Albert Museum was quoted saying that "art is a purely mechanical process into which the artist does not enter".<ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Furthermore, Peter P. Blank of the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that photography was left out of many significant art books and that photographs were not looked at from an artistic perspective. In later times there have been more critical analysis but the sections in literature on photography are notably short. <ref>Blank, P. (1990). THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL AND CULTURAL BIAS ON THE LITERATURE OF CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: Difficulties in the Literature Search and the Librarian's Response. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 9(2), 96-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27948206</ref> Likewise, my research using scholarly portals such as JSTOR was able to find little analytical material on photojournalism indicating that it still continues to suffer from this bias. The emphasis of the material was placed on the subject issue of the photography with the pictures simply as a visual aid instead of on the photograph and how it captured the problem. Otherwise, articles focused on other stages of the photographer's careers that were considered more artistic. I noticed a trend in the lives of the photographers I researched. Many of them started off as assistants and/or took portraits. They would then feel motivated to take social action and take up some form of photojournalism. For some reason or other, they would then move away photojournalism and develop their own style. That last stage in their career is what would capture the attention of scholars. Therefore, my project will be looking at individual photographs and their significance more than has previously been done. I have chosen several photographs from The Hyman Collection as well as some from collections featured in the British Journal of Photography to analyze the message the photographs are telling.
 
==London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940==
{{Infobox
|header1 = London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940 <ref>Brandt, B. (1940). London, air raid shelters, east end underground station, november 12th, 1940. Private Collection: Private Collection.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:London, Air Raid Shelters, East End Underground Station, November 12th, 1940.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Bill Brandt
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1940
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 25.1 x 19.5 cms (9.86 x 7.66 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Private Collection
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken on November 12th, 1940. This was about 10 days prior to the end of the Blitz. The Blitz was one of the major events in World War II for Britain. In early September of 1940, Hitler was aggravated at Britain's dominance over Luftwaffe and the bombing of German cities. In order to save face, the head of Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, decided to change tactics and launch an air raid on Britain. His goal was that the bombings would destroy public moral and draw out all of Britain's forces to be destroyed. Instead, the shift of focus from attacking military bases gave the British the opportunity to strengthen their forces and gave the soldiers a stronger cause to fight for, the lives of their families and friends. The air raids lasted for 76 days. Bombs were dropped day and night. The bombs decimated infrastructure and left fires ravaging London. Similar raids were also held against Bristol, Manchester, Swansea, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Southampton.<ref>Germany bombs london. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london</ref> Bill Brandt was commissioned to take this photograph and others documenting the conditions of the air-raid shelters by the Ministry of Information's Home Office in the fall of 1940. <ref>HAWORTH-BOOTH, M., & MELLOR, D. (1985). BILL BRANDT: Behind the Camera: PHOTOGRAPHS 1928-1983. Aperture, (99), 1-99. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24471593</ref><ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photograph has been noted for the contrast between light and dark created by using flash and long exposure. This mirrors the contrast in the subject of the photograph. The photographs capture dull, everyday life yet the chaos of people crowded into the shelters during a time of danger. <ref>Field, G. (2002). Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940-1941. International Labor and Working-Class History, (62), 11-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/27672803</ref> The photographs have been called "a moving portrait of London's resilience during the Blitz". <ref>Brooke, S. (2006). War and the Nude: The Photography of Bill Brandt in the 1940s. Journal of British Studies, 45(1), 118-138. doi:10.1086/497058</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the hardships that people had to go through during the Blitz. It depicts people sleeping in a metal shelter underground. People are packed together and have few personal belongings. All that can be seen are blankets and a few jackets. The photograph highlights a mother with her children. This heightens the emotional impact as women and children are traditionally seen as innocent and more vulnerable. The photographer uses perspective in this photograph to increase the drama. The vanishing point makes it appear as if this scene continues on for a ways.
 

==God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington) <ref>Mayne, R. (1957). God save the queen (hampden crescent, paddington). Quaritch, London:</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:God Save the Queen (Hampden Crescent, Paddington).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Roger Mayne
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1957
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 58.4 x 78.5 cms (22.95 x 30.85 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Quaritch, London
}}
===Background===
"God Save the Queen" was taken in 1965. The 1960s were a period of great change for Britain. The country was coming back from World War II with the rise of the baby boomers. Culture changed as this generation, whose parents wanted them to have it better than they did during the war, took full advantage of their freedom. Recreational drugs such as LSD became a part of culture. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> The Beatles ushered in a new generation for music that broke down some of the social barriers. They made pop music and pop culture acceptable to multiple classes of people. <ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> Miniskirts were introduced as the new fashion for women and feminism grew. <ref>Watson, K.The 1960s the decade that shook britain. Retrieved from http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/</ref> Several key events occurred in 1965 including the death of Winston Churchill, implementation of legislation against racial discrimination and abolition of the death penalty. <ref>  1965: New UK race law 'not tough enough. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm</ref> <ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> The last event is significant for the reason that it diminished the power of the government. Roy Jenkins was elected into office who would later legalize abortion and homosexuality. People responded very differently to this change and still have differing opinions to this day.<ref>Morris, I. (2014). 1965: The year modern britain was born review – analysis of a revolution. The Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/28/1965-year-modern-britain-was-born-review </ref> The photographer, Roger Mayne, did most of his photography in North Kensington. His photography seemed to encourage new connections between the social classes. At the time Britain was establishing a new welfare system and reaching political compromises. Mayne's photography was noted for having a "scrupulous regard for truth". <ref>Haworth-Booth, M. (1988). Where We've Come From: Aspects of Postwar British Photography. Aperture, (113), 2-9. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.wpi.edu/stable/24472181</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph appears to portray a negative perspective on all the change that is taking place. First of all, the building is run down showing a state of decay. The sidewalk is crumbling. Secondly, the kids are supposed to be the future of the people and are part of the generation bringing about all the change. However, one kid is just laying down on the window sill of the abandoned building. Even the kids who should be full of energy, are run down. Perhaps most significantly, there is graffiti on the building saying "God Save the Queen". Within that statement, two symbols of tradition are called forth. The first is religion. Religion has had very strong roots in the country as England had a whole civil war over their official religion. The second symbol is the Queen. The monarchy is an establishment that continues today even though primarily only for the sake of tradition. The writer of the graffiti clearly felt as though such institutions and traditions were being threatened by the changes taking place in the country. As the person wanted the queen "saved" there is no doubt that the changes were seen as negative.

==The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield)==
{{Infobox
|header1 = The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield) <ref>Spence, J. (1979). The highest product of capitalism (after john heartfield). Richard Saltoun Gallery, London: Jo Spence Memorial Archive.</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:The Highest Product of Capitalism (After John Heartfield).JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jo Spence
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1979
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 20.32 x 25.4 cms (7.99 x 9.98 ins)
|label5 = '''Location'''
|data5 = Jo Spence Memorial Archive Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
}}
===Background===
This photograph was taken during a period of feminist movements. Some of the changes brought about by this movement include the passage of the Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Domestic Violence Act as well as the formation of the Women's Aid Federation. <ref>Shrew. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/liberation/shrew/shrew.html</ref> While significant milestones had been reached towards female rights, women continued protesting for further equality. Photographer, Jo Spence participated in the movement. Spence came from a working-class family, started off as a professional photographer and then shifted her focus to political photography. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref> While the photography began as photojournalism, she found that style limited. Instead she chose to add an element to her photographs that was posed, enabling the photographs to act as a photographic equivalent to political cartoons. <ref>Rosenblum, B. (1988). Feminist Review, (29), 151-154. doi:10.2307/1395158</ref> This photograph was modeled off another photograph, "[[:File:Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus.JPG|Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus]]"<ref>Heartfield, J. (1932). Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus</ref> by John Heartfield, taken in 1932. Heartfield was also a political photographer during the early 1900s and opposed Hitler. <ref>Blumberg, N.John heartfield Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.</ref> "Spitzenprodukte des kapitalismus" addressed the gap in classes as a man seeking work stood next to a mannequin bride wearing a pricey dress. <ref>WILSON, S. (2015). Art labor, sex politics; feminist effects in 1970s british art and performance University of Minnesota Press.</ref>
 

===Analysis===
There appear to be multiple similar themes in this photograph. The sign says "I'll take (almost) any work". This could be indicating a struggle for women to get employment at the time despite the progress being made towards women's rights and equality. Furthermore, the original photograph by John Heartfield called attention to the gap in classes. This could be functioning the same way in Spence's photograph but in regard to the lack of equality between men and women. It is also interesting that Spence chose to cross dress when recreating this image. The image of her cross dressed may symbolize that there is no real difference between her as a female and a man. This would further the idea that women deserve the same rights.

==Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009==
{{Infobox
|header1 = Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette, 2009 <ref>Fox Anna. (2009). Resort 2, fairy with cigarette, 2009</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:Resort 2, Fairy with Cigarette.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Anna Fox
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2009
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 73.66 x 91.44 cms (28.95 x 35.94 ins)
}}
===Background===
Modern British culture is largely one of acceptance. In 1967, homosexuality was legalized. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.<ref>Britain:1945 to present. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/present_timeline_noflash.shtml</ref> This acceptance is reflected in modern entertainment. In 2011, Doctor Who, a popular British family show, introduced a couple that was both lesbian and interspecies. In 2014, the couple kissed. While 6 complaints were filed to the television regulator, the audience response was largely positive. <ref>Williams, K. (2014). Doctor who: Lesbian kiss in series 8 debut will not be investigated by ofcom. Wales Online, Retrieved from http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/doctor-whos-lesbian-kiss-not-7684850</ref> In addition, the National Theater's production of "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare features several gender swapped characters and gay relationships. This is in contrast to the United States where gay marriage was only just legalized in 2015 and people who identify as other than heterosexual still face mistreatment. Another notable difference seen in British culture is the amount of smoking people still do. While smoking cigarettes has largely taken on a social stigma in the United States, it appears to still be fairly widely done in the UK.
 

===Analysis===
This photograph is all about contrast. It defies stereotypes. The clashing elements of a man dressed as a fairy who is smoking clearly shows that people do not fit into simple classifications. The man is big and bald yet dressed in a stereotypically pink and girly outfit. The sight of the man smoking goes against the idea of childhood innocence invoked by the fairy costume. Even the bright pink costume stands out against the darker and blue surroundings. However, the casual nature of the photograph tells the viewer that it is ok. The man does not appear to care, nor does anyone else around him, therefore neither should the viewer. In such a way, the photograph promotes diversity, individuality and acceptance.

==A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire==
{{Infobox
|header1 = A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire <ref>Tonks, J. (2014). A gather of sheep, long island farm, from empire</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:A Gather of Sheep, Long Island Farm, from Empire.JPG|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Jon Tonks
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 2014
|label4 = '''Dimensions'''
|data4 = 101.6 x 101.6 cms (39.93 x 39.93 ins)
}}
===Background===
In 2014 there were a couple of major political shifts and events. Most significant was the vote on Scottish independence. The result was 55% of people chosing for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom and 45% wanting independence. Another shift in the politics was an increase in support for the UK Independence Party. This party held anti-European Union sentiment. <ref>United kingdom profile - timeline. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18028620</ref>
===Analysis===
The image of the sheep gathered around the flag is a very patriotic image. In the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd with Christians being his sheep. Likewise, the sheep symbolize the British people. The British flag represents the United Kingdom. The sheep are gathered around the flag as the people stand by their country. Within the sheep there are young and old just as citizens of all ages feel patriotism towards the country. This sentiment resonates with the political climate that year. The vote, while divided, for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom is an example of the people standing by the country as opposed to leaving it. The image may also be suggestive towards those people who wanted independence. It can be sending the message to follow along like a sheep would, stay a part of the herd and stay with the country. In addition, the increased support for a party against the European Union also meant an increase in support for national autonomy. In the case of the American colonies, this desire for autonomy was linked to the people strongly identifying with their colony. They believed strongly in their own colony and did not want interference from others. Likewise, this can indicate a similar loyalty in the British people to their country and way of life. Therefore, the image also reflects this renewal of patriotism.

==In Your Dreams==
{{Infobox
|header1 = In Your Dreams <ref>Russel, K. (1955). In your dreams</ref>
|bodystyle = width:30em
|image = [[File:In Your Dreams.jpg|x250px]]
|label2 = '''Artist'''
|data2 = Ken Russel
|label3 = '''Year'''
|data3 = c. 1955
}}
===Background===
The Teddy Boys and Girls were the first youth subculture in Britain. They existed in the early 1950s post World War II. Having grown up in the war, they were tough. With the war being over they had more time for leisure than the previous generations. These youth came from the working class. Their style drew on Edwardian fashion, giving them a bit of a refined look. In part, they were asserting their importance in the class divided society. Despite their outward appearance, these kids were rebellious. While not as much is documented on Teddy Girls, Teddy boys were despised by adults. Most carried weapons and many committed violent crimes and vandalism in order to assert dominance and claim territory. They quickly became associated with the crime in the city. However, these youths also embodied the new vitality coming back to the city as they embraced their freedom.<ref>Bell, A. H. (2014). Teddy boys and girls as neo-flâneurs in postwar london. Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London, 11(2) Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:ilcs-us&rft_id=xri:ilcs:rec:abell:R05202533</ref>
 

===Analysis===
This photograph captures the culture of the Teddy Boys and Girls. The focus of the picture is a Teddy girl. She appears to have quite an attitude as she looks defiantly at the camera. Meanwhile, some of the boys in the background peer mischievously at the camera. This is consistent with their rebellious behavior. This impression of their boldness is heightened by the camera angle. An upward angle is said to give a sense of power to the subject. Likewise, the slight upward angle towards the kids shows their power in society. They were the next generation and shaping the culture. Their violent and criminal activities could also impact people's lives powerfully. In addition, the photo shows the style of the Teddy girl as the primary subject is wearing the typical blazer with jeans.
 

=Section 2: Deliverable=
 
==Red Buses==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=500p>
Image:Double Decker- sm- JR.jpg|Double-Decker
Image:Passenger- sm- JR.jpg|Passenger
</gallery>
"Double-Decker" and "Passenger" capture several iconic images associated with London. The focus of the pictures is on the classic double-decker buses. These buses are closely associated with London culture. It would be difficult for a visitor to London not to see one as they are all over the streets. They are also a symbol of the public transportation system as a whole. Public transportation is a large part of living in the city as there is limited room for cars. In London it is particularly glorified. It seems odd that something as common as public transportation would have its own extensive line of merchandise but it does. It is also raining in the pictures showing the notorious rainy weather of the United Kingdom. "Passenger" has some additional elements. First of all, it was taken from the perspective of a bus passenger. This was done to give a more personal and immersive feel. Secondly, there is a sticker that someone left on the window. The shape of the sticker is the standard transit logo, again showing its pervasiveness. The sticker says "#HopeNotHate". This little sticker displays the open culture that has been created in the country and the belief in acceptance. It is a little bit of positivity amidst all the chaos that the city can be. Finally, I made some artistic modifications to the photographs. I changed the photographs to black and white aside from a few colors. I preserved the bold and iconic red as well as blue and yellow. The red and blue comprise the transport logo and call attention to it as a focus of the pictures. The yellow is used on the buses and for the emergency exit sign, again drawing attention to common but integral parts of the buses. The red is predominant in the pictures to focus on the buses. It is also a bit symbolic. Not only is the red significant because it is the color of the buses but it is the color of the telephone boxes.
 

==Then & Now==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=300p>
Image:Liverpool- sm- JR.jpg|Liverpool
Image:Times- sm- JR.jpg|Times
</gallery>
London is a blend of the old and the new. It has been around from Roman times and still holds onto bits of those times. For example, there is still a section of Roman wall standing by Liverpool. While there is an abundance of old architecture, the city is also modern and still growing. There are skyscrapers and construction taking place all over the city. My photographs capture this blend of the old and the new. In "Liverpool" there is an example of older architecture on the left and a modern building on the right. In the back there is the iconic Gherkin and a high rise building. Construction cranes can also be seen indicating the continuing growth and development of the city. "Times" features an underground sign in the foreground with the Tower of London in the background. The Tower of London is a historic site that was once really used by royalty and as a fortress. In contrast, the underground sign represents modern society. Both photographs utilize the rule of three. In "Times" the underground sign is situated roughly where the right division line would be. In "Liverpool" the vertical lines are created by each side of the street and the horizontal lines are formed by the edge of the street and the skyline. It additionally has an element of perspective, focusing towards the construction in the back. The bus aids in forming a strong line that leads to the background.
 

=Conclusion=
 
In this section, provide a summary or recap of your work, as well as potential areas of further inquiry (for yourself, future students, or other researchers).
 

=References=
 
<references />
 

=External Links=
If appropriate, add an external links section
 

[[Category:Art Projects]] 
[[Category:2017]]

User:Jaroy

2017-06-19T20:59:04Z

Jaroy: /* 6/18/17 - Art Market */