JFK

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

On this day in LIFE magazine — November 29, 1963: President John F. Kennedy 1917 - 1636

See photos from JFK's funeral here: http://ti.me/QeLbqD

 

Vintage

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Steve McQueen kisses Natalie Wood's hand as the actors meet to discuss their new big-screen project, 1963's Love With the Proper Stranger: http://ti.me/ToLlsJ

(John Dominis—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

 

U.S. Grant

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

U.S. Grant is more relevant today given the publicity about a segment of the Texas population seeking to secede.

Here is what Grant had to say about the Texas territory in his memoirs: "Texas was originally a state belonging to the republic of Mexico... it had but a very sparse population, until settled by Americans who had received authority from Mexico to colonize. These colonists ... introduced slavery into the state almost from the start, though the constitution of Mexico did not, nor does it now, sanction that institution..."

Yes, Mexico outlawed slavery before the U.S.

Gandhi

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

First they ignore you,
then they laugh at you,
then they fight you,
then you win.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Bob

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Vintage

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Incredible cave which experts believe inspired the Greek legend of Hades

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The cave - named Alepotrypa - dates back to the Neolithic Age but laid undiscovered in southern Greece until the 1950s

Archaeologists have uncovered tools, pottery, obsidian, silver and copper artifacts

Findings suggest cave dwellers might have connected the cave with Hades

An ancient Greek cave nearly the size of four football pitches and with its own underground lake may be responsible for sparking the age-old myth about the Greek underworld god Hades, archaeologists claim.

The cavern - named Alepotrypa which means 'foxhole' - laid undiscovered for centuries in Diros Bay, Mani, southern Greece, until a man walking his dog found a tiny entrance to the cave in the 1950s.
Experts have spent the last few decades excavating the cave and believe hundreds of people lived inside Alepotrypa, making it one the oldest prehistoric villages in Europe, before the cave entrance collapsed burying everyone alive 5,000 years ago.

To the depths of hell: It has been suggested that this cave called Alepotrypa might have helped serve as the inspiration for the mythic ancient Greek underworld god Hades

Behind the legend: Greek archaeologist and director of the Diros Project, Giorgos Papathanassopoulos, believes that people used to make pilgrimages to the cave because it was seen as the entrance to Hades' underworld

Archaeologists have now uncovered tools, pottery, obsidian, silver and copper artifacts that date back to the Neolithic Age, which began in Greece began around 9,000 years ago, soon before the Stone Age.

 

The most important find - that the cave was used as a cemetery and for burial rituals - has led researchers to believe it could have inspired the legend of Hades' underworld.

The first archaeologist to ever dig inside Alepotrypa, Giorgos Papathanassopoulos, suggests that the Neolithic residents believed the cave was Hades.
Researcher Michael Galaty, an archaeologist at Millsaps College in Jackson, Missorri, told LiveScience: 'You can easily see why Giorgos would make that hypothesis. The cave really does recall the underworld, Hades and the River Styx.

Hidden treasures: The cave in southern Greece remained hidden for centuries until it was discovered by a dog walker in the 1950s

Mass graves: People apparently performed burials and spiritual rituals in the cave

Historical importance: Experts believe the cave society dates back to the Neolithic Age - making it one of the oldest prehistoric villages in Europe

 

'Alepotrypa existed right before the Bronze Age in Mycenaean Greece, so we're kind of seeing the beginnings of things that produced the age of heroes in Greece.

'You have to imagine the place torchlit, filled with people lighting bonfires and burying the dead.
'The burial sites and rituals that took place really do give the cave an underworld feel. It's like Hades, complete with its own River Styx.
'Giorgos Papathanassopoulos has always argued...that the cave was a kind of pilgrimage site where important people were buried, leading to the fanciful idea that this was the original entrance to Hades, that it was the source of the Greek fascination with the underworld.'
The cave is more than 1,000 metres long with a huge central chamber but the archaeologists still have a long way to go before they have explored the entire ruin.
Mr Galaty added: 'We don't know how much deeper deposits go. For all we know, we might have Neanderthals down there. We just haven't dug deep enough to know.'

On site: Diros Project co-directors Michael Galaty and William Parkinson, of The Field Museum, overlooking Diros Bay where the cave is based in western Mani

A lot to learn: Researcher Takis Karkanas analyzing deposits in the 1,000 metre long Alepotrypa Cave

Clues: Thousands of Neolithic pottery shards, which came from a variety of places, were excavated from Alepotrypa Cave

Shining a light on the Dark Ages: 1,000-year-old household objects and tools made from iron, bronze and bone found

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Pieces of a medieval board game and 1,000-year-old combs are among rare artefacts uncovered during an archaeological dig that is set to rewrite the history books.
Experts have hailed the finds in Co Fermanagh as internationally significant, claiming they shed new light on life in medieval Ireland and its connection with the wider world.
Iron, bronze and bone ornaments have been discovered at the crannog just outside Enniskillen, along with the chess-like pieces believed to have been part of the game.
Parts of log boats, leather shoes, knives, decorated dress pins, wooden vessels and a bowl with a cross carved on its base have also been unearthed during the six-month dig.

Find: This pair of iron shears was among the items uncovered during an archaeological dig just outside Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh

Relic: Weapons, such as this iron spearhead, were also found, giving an idea as to how they lived at the time

The style and design of the antler and bone combs suggest influences from northern Europe and indicate that the Fermanagh settlement had international links 1,000 years ago.
The Drumclay Crannog, which is an artificial island built in a lake, is the first of its type to be excavated in the north of Ireland since 1870.
Archaeologists believe people may have lived there from 600 AD to 1600 AD, and it was probably the home of a noble family, with perhaps four or five houses inhabited at any time. Parents, grandparents, children and servants would all have stayed on the crannog.
The artefacts uncovered so far date back to 900 AD but there are still a number of layers of settlement yet to be excavated.
Stormont Environment Minister Alex Attwood visited the site today and announced plans for an open day this Saturday to allow the public to tour the crannog and talk to the archaeologists.
'On my two visits to date, I have found the site, the dig, and the archaeology beyond my imagination, enormously exciting and changing my view of our history and Irish life,' he said.

Site: The archaeologists also uncovered the sub-floor of a circular house

'This is the first substantial scientific excavation of a crannog in Northern Ireland. What has been found has the potential not only to be internationally important but ultimately to lead to a reassessment of life in Ulster in early Christian and medieval times.'
The site was excavated during the construction of a new road on the outskirts of Enniskillen.
Mr Attwood placed a temporary exclusion zone on the area to facilitate the dig, which is due to finish at the end of December.
Dr John O'Keeffe, principal inspector of historical monuments with the Department of the Environment, explained that the site is right in the middle of the proposed route of the Cherrymount Link Road.
He said all the remains from the dig site would have been removed before construction work advanced.
'By the time the archaeological work is finished the site will not be here anymore,' he said.
Dr O'Keeffe said scientific advances made in the 140 years since the last time a crannog was excavated in the north had facilitated a greater understanding of life in such a settlement.
'It has enabled us to find out much more about diet, economy, agriculture and social structures here,' he said.
The expert said many of the finds had been unexpected and were similar to those unearthed at Viking sites in Dublin and York.

fine-tooth comb: The objects found indicate that people were very sophisticated in their tastes, say experts

This bronze pin was one of the finds hailed as internationally significant, claiming they shed new light on life in medieval Ireland and its connection with the wider world

Some of the wooden artefacts have survived 1,000 years or more as a result of being submerged in water.
The settlement at the crannog has provided new evidence of living conditions in medieval Ireland.
It shows people lived in houses that would have been little bigger than a large modern living room, cooking and sleeping in the same space.
The walls were insulated with heather and other plants.
The objects found indicate that people were very sophisticated in their tastes, living as farming families, butchering their own animals and ploughing the land for crops.
They were very skilled at metalworking and woodworking, excelling at carpentry to construct the houses and crafting and decorating wooden containers of all sizes.
They played board games probably around the fire on cold evenings. They wove their own cloth, having spun the wool from their own sheep.
'Archaeology is a fragile and finite resource,' said Mr Attwood.

The finds were made in a dig near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland

'Once sites such as this have disappeared, we can never get them back again. Such sites have the ability to teach us a great deal and we owe it to future generations to rescue and to safeguard what we can.
'It will further enrich the fascinating fabric of our history and I am sure bring even more tourists to our shores. Anyone who visits on Saturday will simply have an unprecedented opportunity to see how our forefathers lived and to see history revealed before our very eyes.'
The minister added: 'This is why I felt the need to open this spectacular excavation to the public.
'The Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Fermanagh District Council have been working in partnership to hold this open day between 9.30am and 3pm this Saturday and allow the public this unique opportunity to see the artefacts found, look down on the site of the dig and meet the experts behind this archaeological dig. It is an opportunity not to be missed and one likely not to be experienced in our lifetime again.'
The Drumclay Crannog open day will comprise a series of talks that will take place at the Fermanagh County Museum, followed by a guided tour of the archaeological site.
Access to the site for this tour can only be obtained via an official coach.

How British soldiers helped save iconic VW car by rescuing blueprints from bomb-hit German factory in 1945

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


Historical evidence of how plucky British army officers rescued Hitler’s original ‘People’s Car’ and transformed it into the legendary Volkswagen Beetle goes under the hammer next week.

The blueprint Beetle plans and associated papers reveal how the British team who re-started production at the factory in 1945 led directory to the re-birth of what is now Europe’s biggest car company and to the revival of the booming German car industry.

The blueprints carry on them the name of one of the key figures - Colonel Charles Radclyffe – and will go to auction at the Bonhams motor cars and automobilia sale at Brooklands, Surrey on Monday.

Instructions: Scale drawings clearly show the outline of the famous Type 1 Beetle and explain how to build one

Hand-over: Colonel Charles Radclyffe signs over the 'saved' VW factory in Wolfsburg to the Germans in 1949

The documents were discovered originally by the British army officers in 1945 in the ruins of the Volkswagen factory in North Germany that had switched from pre-war car production to wartime military vehicles and even parts for the infamous V1 rockets or ‘Doodlebugs’ which rained down on Southern England.
The British officers and their team brought back to life what Hitler called his ‘Kraft durch Freude’ (KdF’) – or ‘Strength Through Joy’ – car in a town which carried the same name.
But they gave it back its original name – Volkswagen or ‘People’s Car ‘– and renamed the town Wolfsburg after the local castle.
After defusing an Allied bomb that had been dropped on the car plant in Wolfsburg, Colonel Charles Radclyffe and Major Ivan Hirst found the blueprints for Hitler's pre-war 'Peoples Car.'From them, they restarted car production of the car designed for Hitler by Dr Ferdinand Porsche – who founded the Porsche car dynasty - with an order for 20,000 Type 1 Beetles for the British army and in doing so helped get Germany working again after the war.
Since then 21 million Volkswagen Beetles have produced and its success was one of the major building blocks of today’s mighty German motor industry.

One careful owner: Colonel Charles Radclyffe's personal VW

How-to-guide: Blueprints were made into two books each containing 18 tabbed sections which will be auctioned by Bonhams on December 3

It comes as Volkswagen this week launches a new generation version of the Beetle Cabriolet at the los Angeles Motor Show in the USA.
The blueprints are believed to be copies as the originals were destroyed by Allied bombing during the war.
They were made into two folios each containing 18 tabbed sections and were used by Col. Radclyffe.
They are now being sold at auction in Surrey with a guide price of £3,000 to £4,000 pounds.
The scale drawings clearly show the outline of the famous car and tell the reader how to build a Beetle.
Various sections include the drawings for major components of the Type 1 car, including the engine, fuel pump, carburettor, gear box, steering gear and body.
The British Beetle adventure had begun when Colonel Radclyffe, who was looking for a workshop that could carry out repairs to Allied tanks and transport, sent Major Hirst of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) to check out the stricken factory and ‘take charge.’
Amongst the debris the British found some Beetle parts.
Hirst decided to make the car in the factory and use it as much-needed transport for the occupying Allies.
He had the car painted army green and sent it to his commanding officers. Shortly afterwards he received an order for 20,000 more cars.

Big order: British Army order for 20,000 Beetles in 1945. Raw materials were, however, in short supply due to the war and by 1946 the British army had produced 1,000 Volkswagens

 

Out with the old, in with the new: The new VW Beetle on display at Geneva Motor Show. But is it as popular?

They even lashed up a one-off cabriolet version which they dubbed the ‘Radclyffe Roadster’ in honour of the colonel.
And by March 1946 the British army had produced its 1,000th Volkswagen.
In May, 1949, the ‘Volkswagenwerk’ was formed and five months later the factory was officially handed back to the Germans.
A road close to the Volkswagen factory is now named after Major Hirst in appreciation of the work he did to save the Volkswagen factory.
The blueprints are being offered for sale by a private collector from the UK.
A Bonhams spokesman said: ‘Colonel Charles Radclyffe, along with Major Ivan Hirst and Colonel Michael McEvoy were deployed by the British Military to commandeer and oversee operations at the Volkswagenwerk KdF factory in Wolsfsburg after the end of World War II.
According to information supplied by the vendor they discovered these copies of blueprints for the car, the originals believed to have been destroyed by Allied bombing of the factory, and Hirst, Radclyffe and McEvoy each owned one set of the blueprint copies, Radclyffe's set being offered here along with another unnamed set. ‘
He added: ‘Major Hirst is credited by motor historians and enthusiasts as being instrumental in reviving the post-War production of the car that become known as the 'Beetle', which may never have happened if it wasn't for the discovery of these blueprints.’
Toby Wilson, head of the automobilia department at auctioneers Bonhams, said: ‘British influence on the industry in Germany immediately after the way cannot be underestimated.
‘The Beetle is iconic. Like the Mini Cooper it came through the age of austerity and came out the other side still going strong.
‘These blueprints are a reminder of the huge British influence in making the German motor industry the might that it is today.’

Carefree 1937 Berlin ...

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

This collection of rare color photos of Berlin in 1937, taken by Thomas Neumann and uncovered from Norwegian archives, show life in the German capital during a tumultuous decade. They capture scenes in the vibrant city, which was under the iron grip of Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich at the very height of his power. Yet just eight years later the city was in ruins as Russians and Allies occupied it in victory.
At the time these images were taken, Hitler's Berlin was vibrant. Hitler had taken power after the collapse of the democratic Weimar Republic in 1933 as severe economic problems caused by the Great Depression drove ordinary Germans into the far-right party's arms. As well as chilling pictures of buildings emblazoned with swastikas, there are scenes of ordinary life as Germans go about their business. They show a child in a sun-drenched square, smiling friends at a train station, a cart selling bananas and a food vendor in a sunny park.

Regal: These rare color photos of Berlin in 1937 give a unique perspective of the capital's pre-war period. The Stadtschloss, or Berlin City Palace, was heavily damaged during bombing and demolished by East German authorities after the war

Devastated: The Stadtschloss after it was gutted by Allied bombs. It was torn down by East German authorities after the war but is currently being rebuilt

Ominous: In 1937 Hitler was at the very peak of his power. Ordinary Germans were content and opposition was being ruthlessly crushed

Smiling: An unknown trio at a train station. It is likely they were friends or colleagues of the photographer

Rally: Soldiers and civilians at a rally on the decorated streets in Berlin. This photo is believed to have been taken on Labour Day (May 1) in 1937

Bustle: A cart sells fruit on a busy Berlin street

 

Norwegian engineer Thomas Neumann (1901-1978) took the photos while working in Germany. The film he used was the first of its kind, and there are few similar images preserved in Norwegian collections. His coloured pictures gives historians a valuable view of the interwar period.

In 2007 his photo gallery given to the National Archives of Norway by his daughter.

 

Thomas Neumann trained as an electrical engineer in Dresden. After graduating in 1928 he worked in Berlin until 1933. Neumann was a member of the National Unity party, a fascist organisation and was appointed its propaganda leader in Oslo and Akershus. He left the party in 1937 and in October 1944 he was arrested for illegal activities and sent to the notorious Grini concentration camp.

Echoes of history: This street scene shows the Augustiner Keller, a beer cellar in central Berlin. Few buildings were not festooned with Nazi regalia

Power: Hitler had consolidated his power by the mid-1930s, thanks to widespread disillusionment with the Weimar Republic

Youth: A little boy outside an unknown sunny square in Berlin

Order: This intimidating picture shows troops lining a boulevard festooned with swastikas in anticipation of a parade

Relaxation: Berliners enjoy snacks in a sun-soaked park

Crowds: The pictures were taken by Thomas Neumann, a Norwegian engineer who worked in Germany

Church and state: Swastikas and a maypole outside Berlin Cathedral

Docking: Two men in suits aboard the steamer Preussen, presumably approaching Germany

Quiet moment: A driver leans against a state car and enjoys a cigarette. The photos show candid moments among Berliners

One candid picture shows a Brownshirt (a member of Hitler's paramilitary force) lounging against a state car in front of a building draped with the maligned Nazi symbol.

On 30 January 1933, President Hindenburg, under pressure from Franz von Papen, appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Shortly after the Fuhrer seized power.
The Nazi government restored prosperity and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending and a free market economy. Extensive public works were also undertaken, including the construction of the Autobahns, to boost employment.
Just two years later Germany would invade Poland and begin the most destructive war the world has ever seen. An estimated 60 million people lost their lives as a result of the Second World War and the global political landscape changed forever.

Ripple: The 1937 May Day celebration was also a celebration of 700 years of Berlin's history

Grand: The Messe Berlin situated in Berlin-Westend. It was completed in 1937 yet heavily bombed by Allied aircraft

 

Masses: A lkarge crowd in Berlin, presumably in connection with Labour Day

Force: In this picture we see military personnel father beneath decorations. An officer appears to be inspecting the men

Overseer: A guard in a pristine white uniform looks on at a gathering crowd

Civilians: Walkers on a mystery German street. Eight years later it would have been filled with Russian, British and American troops

Serene: An unknown park in Berlin. The heat of the summer of 1937 meant sprinklers were required to keep the grass verdant

History: Flags snap and flap in the breeze among a throng of Germans celebrating May day

Colourful: Berliners gather to look at a giant maypole outside the Berlin City Cathedral