Author: Norman J. James
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1453594698
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 217
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Book Description
This is a designer’s story from the Golden Age, of Firebirds and Moonmen. It is the author’s story of how, through chance and circumstance, he was to live a 13-1/2 year odyssey, working with the most talented people in General Motors, on two of the most exciting projects that anyone could ever dream of. At GM Styling, under Harley Earl, to become responsible for the design of the Firebird III, the gas turbine experimental car that, half a century later, can arguably be considered the arch-typical representation for the concept car. Then, to follow that, to become involved in the earliest serious development of manned and unmanned vehicles for lunar exploration, and for hardware that rests on the moon today. The story is told in three parts. First is the early period, where hardships and family bonds temper and condition a polio survivor to abandon his high school preparation, to become a mechanical engineer, and to accept a college scholarship to study Industrial Design, an art curriculum, at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. This period continues, almost as a condensed course, on the fundamentals of design. Key elements evolve around the teachings of mentors Alexander Kostellow and Rowena Reed. In the second phase, the author is in Detroit and the methods and politics of General Motors Styling, during the height of the Motoramas, are detailed. The design of the Firebird III is the heart of the book and is its reason for existing. As the last surviving member of the four principals in its design (Harley Earl, Bob McLean and Stefan Habsburg being the others), the author feels obligated to assure that the story behind those closed studio doors is told. The story progresses from the Firebird III’s inception, as a Harley Earl vision, through its design and build phase then to its Motorama film production, for presentation in the main ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria. In the third phase, the author makes a career change, transferring to an aerospace organizational structure and accepting his role as a team player, responsible for carrying out his skills in the support of team objectives. Industrial design, conceptual and drawing skills are applied in the Mechanisms Group for the formulation of mechanical systems on manned and unmanned lunar exploration vehicles. The excitement of realizing that the group was “in on the ground-floor” of lunar exploration is only tempered now by a déjà vu feeling: of realizing that NASA is once again at that same point in time, planning for a return to the moon in 2024. During this period, the author served under Sam Romano, who would later become the head the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) program, with Dr. Greg Bekker as the Chief Scientist and Ferenc Pavlics as the mobility expert. These people, and others, are the Moonmen. Of Firebirds & Moonmen is heavily documented with photographs, illustrations and graphics, which were prepared at General Motors as proposal and contract deliverables. They are supplemented with personal photographs and other graphics collected or prepared specifically for the book. All illustrations, corporate and personal, are by the author. ****** The book is a fun read, and many amateurs old enough to remember the early days of spaceflight will relate to the path James followed as a telescope maker and amateur astronomer -Dennis di Cicco- SkyandTelescope.com ****** Excerpts from the book are included in GM’s online living history – Generations of GM Wiki, in celebration of their centennial anniversary in 2008. The author’s contribution is on the Firebird III, its inception as defined by Harley Earl and its first "flight," in filming for the 1959 Motorama in Mesa, Arizona.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 826
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Book Description
Author: Clive James
Publisher: Picador
ISBN: 9781509887248
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 128
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Book Description
A soaring autobiographical poem, meditating on death and celebrating life, from one of our most cherished, critically acclaimed and bestselling writers.
Author: Clara J. Anderson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Pageants
Languages : en
Pages : 28
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Book Description
Author: Tania Munz
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022602086X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 287
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Book Description
Karl von Frisch, in January 1946, deciphered the dancing language of honeybees. Over the previous summer, he had discovered that the bees communicate the distance and direction of food sources by means of the dances they run upon returning from foraging flights. The news of the discovery, which led later to a Nobel Prize, quickly spread across Europe and beyond. The Dancing Bees is a dual biography on the one hand of von Frisch as one of the most innovative and successful scientists of the twentieth century and, on the other, of his honeybees as experimental and especially communicating animals that play a rich role in human culture."
Author: Michael Lamm
Publisher: Lamm-Morada Publishing Company, Incorporated
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 314
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Book Description
This rich automotive history will engage car buffs for hours of learning and diversion, for the book differs from most chronicles of the evolution of the horseless carriage by focusing on one particular, and fascinating, aspect: the styling of cars--their 'overall shape, ornamentation and resulting aura.' Resting on the premise that 'styling sells, ' the authors' large-format, heavily illustrated account goes into luscious detail about important designers, influential design trends, and noteworthy (in their aesthetic appeal) car models throughout the entire 100-year history of the automobile. A distinctive addition to technology collections that all public libraries should consider for purchase. - Brad Hooper; 306p - YA: For browsers and reluctant readers, as well as YAs interested in cars. JC-
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Motion pictures
Languages : en
Pages : 1030
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Book Description
Author: John L. Jacobus
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786493380
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 361
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Book Description
The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild was a national auto design competition sponsored by the Fisher Body Division of General Motors. This competition was for teenagers to compete for college scholarships by designing and building scale model "dream" cars. Held from the 1930s through the 1960s, it helped identify and nurture a whole generation of designers and design executives. Virgil M. Exner, Jr., Charles M. Jordan, Robert W. Henderson, Robert A. Cadaret, Richard Arbib, Elia 'Russ' Russinoff, Galen Wickersham, Ronald C. Hill, Edward F. Taylor, George R. Chartier, Charles W. Pelly, Gary Graham, Charles A. Gibilterra, E. Arthur Russell, William A. Moore, Terry R. Henline, Paul Tatseos, Allen T. Weideman, Kenneth J. Dowd, Stuart Shuster, John M. Mellberg, Harry E. Schoepf, and Ronald J. Will, are among those designers and design executives who participated in the Guild. The book also describes many aspects of the miniature model Napoleonic Coach and other scale model cars the students designed.
Author: Jean-Marc Lofficier
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 812
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Book Description
Connoisseurs of fantasy, science fiction, and horror have long recognized the important contributions of thousands of French authors, filmmakers, and artists. The volume is divided into two parts. Part I gives historical overviews, complete lists, descriptions, and summaries for works in film, television, radio, animation, comic books, and graphic novels. This section also includes interviews with animation director Rene Laloux and comic book artist Moebius, as well as comments from filmmaker Luc Besson. Biographies are provided for over 200 important contributors to television and graphic arts. Part II covers the major authors and literary trends of French science fiction, fantasy, and horror from the Middle Ages to the present day. (French-Canadians and Belgians are also examined.) There is a biographical dictionary of over 3,000 authors, a section on major French awards, and a complete bibliography. Many illustrations (!) illuminate this thorough presentation.
Author: Charles Ebert Orr
Publisher: Franklin Classics Trade Press
ISBN: 9780344679179
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 158
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Book Description
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
