In America, Jacques Henri Lartigue’s claim to fame was that he was replaced from the cover of Life magazine by the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. However, in the wider world, Lartigue was probably the symbol of the transformation of photography into an affordable family pastime. The greatest of the earliest amateurs, he showed how a mundane scene can be transformed into a magnificent image.
He started with photographs of family games and childhood experiences, later moving onto the beginnings of aviation and cars and the women of the Bois de Boulogne. Without even realising it, he became the father of “modern” photography. One of his favourite subjects was the motorcar, which he photographed as early as 1910 in the photo of a two-wheeled bobsleigh taking a turn at 60 km/h.
However, he would receive little attention until September 1954, when the French photography magazine “Points de vue – Images du monde” published “In the heroic times of the motorcar”. Of all photographs of car races taken by Lartigue, the above photo stood out. Automobile Delage, taken at the French Grand Prix in 1912, as someone pointed out, “conveys a remarkable impression of velocity–the wheels of the speeding car are elliptical and tilted forward, their spokes blurred with motion, and the road itself is but a streak of grey”. The picture, ultimately one of Lartigue’s most famous images, transformed him overnight from a painter with photography hobby into “France’s leading amateur photographer”–as the magazine called it. He retired as a society photographer, taking the official portrait for President Giscard d’Estaing.
For someone whose photo career began at the age of six–with his father’s camera–in 1900,the title of his firsbook, a journal he kept throughout his life was especially fitting: Diary of A Century.
I can’t remember why it was just my mother and I going to Grand Rapids that time. I think now, looking back on it that my mother must have had to do more work on my Uncle’s estate, and had to deliver documents in person. But none of my other siblings were with us; my brother stayed with my father and my sister was old enough to be left home alone. My mother and I trekked the three hours west in the late winter.
It didn’t seem that strange to me at all to be surrounded by adults when we visited. In fact, I really loved it. My elderly great aunts and uncles always talked to me with great interest in whatever it was I was doing or interested in. They wanted to share things with me too; my Aunt Maurine always showed me her photo albums full of old photos and told stories of when she was younger. Aunt Katie was always baking, and she taught me how to make her brownies and pie crust. Uncle Dave was the writer in the family, and he eagerly talked to me about my own writing and how he got started. I listened with interest to their dinner table debates on the Irish Republican Army or the death penalty.
We were coming home on Sunday afternoon. The weather was horrible; lake effect snow was falling hard and fast and it was slow going in the car. I was seated behind my mother, even though I was the only passenger. We had the dog with us, and my mother and I both agreed that it simply wasn’t safe to have the dog in the front seat. So I was in the back with the dog.
It was slow going, but I wasn’t worried. We had driven in a similar snow storm on the same route going up to Grand Rapids before. My mother just drove slowly and stayed in the ruts made from the 18 wheelers that always were on the interstate, no matter the weather. Slowly, slowly the miles peeled away…first we hit Lowell, then Grand Ledge, then Lansing, then Okemos. My mother was tense but sure.
And then suddenly, we saw a car on the side of the road. Inexplicably, the car started pulling out from the shoulder, even though we were approaching in the right lane. Silently, I could see my mother gauge what to do; swerving into the unplowed snow of the next lane was not an option. She eased up on the gas but it wouldn’t be enough to avoid hitting the car. She tapped the brake to slow the car just enough to avoid hitting the car.
But it was too much. The pressure was just enough to cause the car to lose control and start fishtailing. As if we were in slow motion, I watched as the car came to a stop at a 90 degree angle to oncoming traffic. I watched my mother, again, still silent, try to move us out of the position that put us directly in the path of any cars that might be behind us. I looked out the window and saw a single pair of headlights coming directly towards us. Without thinking, I leaned forward and put my arms around our dog in a protective grip and waited.
The impact didn’t seem that bad. The car that hit us hit right in the spot where I was crouched forward, where the car door met the frame of my mother’s small car. It didn’t hurt; I don’t remember it hurting at all right away. My mother’s voice came from the front seat: “Are you OK? Are you OK?” I answered that I was, so was the dog, was she OK? She said she was.
I don’t remember getting out of the car, though I suppose we must have. In those days before cell phones, I have no idea how long it was before the police came, and how much longer after that, the ambulance. I do remember being loaded into the ambulance and the paramedics having to ask my mother and I to stop holding hands so that they could walk between us. We were both in shock. No tears, no hysterics, just discussions on which hospital to take us to. We didn’t know exactly where we were on the interstate, and we weren’t familiar at all with the hospitals in the area.
My mother had broken ribs and I suffered a broken collarbone. It could have been much, much worse. The paramedics played with our dog while we were examined and x rayed in the ER. Finally, they helped us find a dog friendly hotel and set us up with a cab to get there after we were discharged.
It wasn’t until we were holed up in our tiny hotel room in Lansing, with the dog curled up on my mother’s bed, that it finally hit us. “Mom, I have stuff in my hair,” I told her, confused. She reached over to me.
“It’s broken glass,” she said as she pulled a tiny, round bit of it out from my scalp. Her voice was thick, and the tears that had waited for hours to come dripped onto the hotel blanket.
It was in that moment, when we both realized how lucky we were to be alive. Neither of us slept well that night.
The WHO released a very interesting and new Global survey on traffic injuries. The document is very long and exhaustive. Two data sets I found particularly shocking.
1. Between the ages of 5 and 29 yrs, road traffic injuries are the main cause of death. At older developmental stages, human beings prefer to die for HIV and hearth diseases.
2. Around 40% of the people slaughtered in car accidents are not (!) inside a car: they are pedestrians, cyclers, motor bikers and so on.
In a normal society, cars would be considered for sure more dangerous than pig, cow, bird flues or whatever. Of course, not in our society, where cars are still sold as powerful status symbols and drivers do not keep in mind they are in charge of a death bringer: their own car.
Speed is one of the big problems in road safety. Drive very carefully on the road. Defensive and smooth drive is also important for your passenger and your vehicle. Drowsy driving is also very dangerous for you and your vehicle. You must alert during parking your car. Understand your car brakes because many cars have antilock brakes. Drive very carefully in water area. Lock your car doors while drive and park carefully. Keep your driving license in your car. Obey the traffic signals. Don’t violate the traffic signals. Improve your behavior on the road. Before drive buckle up yourself and your passengers. Speed is one of the greatest problems in road safety. This thing may cause in increases most accidents. Driving rules are varied country by country. Seat belts are one of the easiest methods to avoid from injury. In 2006 use of seat belts mandatory in all cars. If every person buckled up according to the law so we can save many lives in a year.
Stay calm and cool while driving. Drive with your family always takes extra care during drive. Follow all road side traffic signals. Check your car mirrors. Must understand the road and weather condition before drive. Don’t drive in a bad weather. Check your car tires. Rotate your tire regularly. Check your tire pressure regularly. Choose a best and quality tire for your car. Make sure your vehicle up to date through its maintenance. And also check your car fluid levels system. Check your car tires air pressure.
A road safety is not a responsibility of government alone you also responsible for your road. The commercial sectors and non government organization play a big role in road safety awareness. Traffic signal following is the responsibility of every citizen of a country. Research and development can also play a big role in road safety. Traffic police is also a good method for road safety. Road safety awareness is another important part of road safety. Education and development can take part an important role in road safety. Many developing countries are adopting latest methods for road safety.
Many people die due to road side accidents every year in the world. Use of advanced technology can play an important role in road safety. There are many FM radio channels used to spread the massage road safety education and other traffic related news. Road safety audits also play a role in road safety problems. Avoid from high speed. Wear your seat belt while driving. Drive slow and steady. Use your brakes for avoiding any accident or mishap. Maintain your route. Plan your trip before drive. Long drive is so dangerous for you it increase the mishaps.
Check engine oil in your car engine. Check the water level in your car radiator. Check your tire positions before drive. And also check the air pressure level in your car tire. These are thing must do before a long journey. Keep a road safety emergency kit in your car like torch, mobile phone, jumper cable, tow rope, first aid kit, and rain coat. You must avoid from stopping your car in a bend road. changing a car tire stop in a safe position. You must wear a white t- shirt or coat while driving.
Keep your car door in a lock position. Carry a cell phone in any emergency. Stop in a well lighted area at night in any emergency. Use the head lights of your car in night time. Adjust your car side mirrors before drive. Don’t overload your car. Drive defensively. Be alert all the time.
It’s a good thing the mainstream media and the federal government are all over the Toyota recall efforts. Yes, I said “efforts”, in plural. We all know that Toyota stunk up the joint with their recent issues. Their President publicly took the blame for the problem. The company has halted production to fix the slew of problems. And they are having to give account of themselves to Congress. Anything to keep the company honest, right? After all, they assemble cars and trucks, right here in America. They need to do things the right way, and the MSM is making sure the story gets out.
In showing a shockingly high level of consistency, the MSM, the Obama administration, and Congress are also showing disdain for another auto company who has just quietly recalled a number of their models. Consumer complaints deal with power steering lock-ups. If the driver cannot control their car, the problem is significant. Harry Reid is all over this story, as are David Axelrod, Nancy Pelosi, and the union leadership country-wide.
Oh, I’m sorry. That last paragraph is just not true. Not when Government Motors is the company issuing the recall. We wouldn’t want the truth to be known, would we?
Oh, I need to do an about face on the MSM involvement. Depending on the search terms used, MSM coverage of this event does not occur until the second or third page of search results. Everything else is either related to auto industry publications or blogs. HuffPo ranked higher than other MSM outlets in covering this story.
Who says we don’t have a government, controlled media? Idiots!
Ferrari 458 Italia
I may not be the exotic car guru but i can recognize the bold sexiness of Ferrari’s new 458 Italia. Complete with the company’s newest mid-engine V-8 Berlinetta, it is said to surpass the company’s legendary Enzo with top speeds hitting 202 mph.
“But each time I seemed to be climbing into a roller coaster and finding myself coming through the downhill run with that sort of dazed feeling that we all know.”
“Enzo Ferrari”
Hello everyone. This will be my first real blog from WordPress! So far I’m really enjoying my WordPress experience. Anyway, that’s not what this post is all about. :D
Anyway, I’m blogging about my cousin’s car. I hope he doesn’t have a transmission problem. :/ As I’ve blogged about on my other site, LittlePoopMachine, his car was having brake and accelerator issues.
As we were exiting the freeway and coming to a stop, the car jerked a little bit. Now that’s nothing new as of a couple days ago, but the acceleration was a different story. As we turned off the offramp and onto our road, the car jerked heavily as my cousin accelerated. It felt like the car’s brakes weren’t disengaging. I have a fair knowledge of vehicles and can identify small problems and whatnot, but when it comes to big stuff like this, it could be anything.
I just hope it’s not the transmission or gears. We’ll have to wait until to tomorrow and see. We dropped his car off at the shop and the mechanic said they’d look at it in the morning. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
