Good weather and vintage cars make a natural pair. During time recently spent in Hawaii, I spotted these automotive beauties: All photos by the author. Though it can be easily taken for granted, one of Hawaii’s appealing traits is the state of its roads. While this might sound odd, never underestimate the importance of high-quality [...]
The “Big Island” of Hawaii was so named due to its life as a volcanic island—the largest and youngest of Hawaii’s eight islands (a ninth one in Lōʻihi escalates to the Pacific Ocean’s surface). Out of the Big Island’s five volcanoes, Kīlauea is the most active—continually erupting since 1983. While visiting the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National [...]
Photo by Nate Burgos While driving on Interstate 64 toward St. Louis, Missouri (aka “Gateway to the West”), I enjoyed a glimpse of one of its most cherished sights: the Gateway Arch. I’d seen pictures and knew a tiny bit of its history. But this was my first time seeing it in person, though from [...]
In the previous week leading up to MetalMiner’s conference Commodity Edge in Chicago, there was another major gathering happening in Austin, Texas. First held in 1987, South by Southwest (SXSW) is known for its music festival, attracting a highly diverse range of musicians showcasing and sharing their love of rhythm and beats: Start ’em young: [...]
Professor Donald Sadoway speaking at TED2012. Photograph by James Duncan Davidson Donald Sadoway, materials chemistry professor at MIT, believes that “we need a better battery if we’re going to improve our ability to make use of electric power.” He explained his rationale, using a chalkboard, to an audience at the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment and [...]
Pliable and perfect for lettering, metal functions as ink when it comes to mid-century car logos. Made by writer and typographer Stephen Coles, Chromeography.com is dedicated to seeking and showcasing examples of fine vehicular type. Here’s a sampling of beauties: Photograph by John Lyttle Photograph by William Hopkins Photograph by Ben Hosking Photograph by Randy [...]
Engraving is the “practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it,” according to a Wikipedia entry. Among engravers, the rule of thumb for evaluating the engraving’s source material falls into two chronologically defined camps, as outlined by “Cooper & steel engraving explained” by Steve Bartrick of [...]
In January 1880, three months before the railroad arrived, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was proclaimed as the division point between the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. (1) In the 1950s, the Albuquerque Rail Yards was a major locomotive repair center. A proud Albuquerque local, innkeeper Sarah Miles Dolk, highlighted [...]
