Just beautiful objects

[TwigtheWonderkid]

irocfan said:

All the more fantastic when you consider that it wasn't designed, but is the product of millions of years of evolution by means of natural selection. Stunning.

Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Sunday 25th May 11:37

[motco]

On similar lines to the above:



Opera in Austria

[Art0ir]

torqueofthedevil said:

BULLITT Rich said:

Babbage Difference Engine

Never heard of that before. Just watched this http://youtu.be/BlbQsKpq3Ak - interesting

Great video, thanks!

[GTIR]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Its your opinion that's it's wide of the mark.

I agree with toxicnerve. Naff.

(But then he did promise me bj's)

[robm3]

Rather like the detailing on the Zonda R myself

[Depthhoar]

chopper602 said:

Think these were mentioned separately, so here's a photo of them together (along with a Javelin for good measure)

Just love those 'form follows function' objects since the beauty is in their utility, not necessarily the curves or sleek lines. The 2CV6 is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. Yes, it's basic - even brutally utilitarian - but everything has a simple and economical function without any indulgent 'designer flourish'. It's a non-designer car? Less is definitely more in this case. It's pure, and beautiful in a strictly functional sense. The LandRover Defender is the same , or similar.

The English Electric Lightning, just behind the 2CV6 in the photo, is another pure, non-designer type object. The ultimate Cold War interceptor with a climb rate rivalled by very few military aircraft even to this day. Two 'stacked' Rolls Royce turbojet engines with an airframe wrapped around them. Designed in the 1950s and in service until 1988. One purpose: massive performance. Beautiful, functional success story (and British!)

One of my favourite beautiful objects is also non-designer but also a brutally effective one:





The radial engined Douglas A1 Skyraider: tooled up & ready for work. Was the direct predecessor of the A10 Warthog (another brutally 'beautiful' object). Could carry over 3600kg of ordnance, was heavily armoured but could loiter over targets for much longer than others. Mainly ground support capability but probably best known for CSAR in combination with the Jolly Green Giant helos. Low, slow and accurate, it was given all sorts of nicknames in its day - Spad (the WW1 old-school fighter), Able Dog, and Sandy. It had an uncompromisingly practical & physical profile, definitely function dictating form. An unadorned but remarkably effective object that exceeded it's design criteria and beautiful in its own way. Designed immediately after WW2, last saw military service in 1985. Yes, that long.

My Dad flew one for the USAF in a CSAR role in Vietnam.

Here's some in CSAR action (actual newsreel):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxmTqqFlsU4

In a different role, this clip was part of the Werner Herzog movie 'Rescue Dawn' but was actual combat footage shot during a 'secret' mission to bomb suspected NVA targets in Laos in February 1966:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp-NAkZNHBc

Edited by Depthhoar on Saturday 24th May 08:23

[Tony2or4]

For me, the most beautiful-looking WW2 fighter plane - even more so than the Spitfire - was the P51 Mustang:




While I'm at it, I've always had a bit of a thing about the Chance-Vought Corsair, with those amazing-looking inverted-gull wings:

Edited by Tony2or4 on Friday 23 May 23:33

[Nick M]

Jester27 said:

That is stunning. I think it was featured on a TV show I saw a while ago, and it makes it all seem so very simple.

[Marvib]

Astacus said:

Rickyy said:

This lamp was my Grandfather's, I know very little about it. But I wanted it as soon as I saw it.

Miner's Davey Lamp?

Before the Davey safety lamp was the Geordie safety lamp, care to guess which area of the country didn't swap to the new lamp?

[mp3manager]

Graphene - saviour of the modern world...apparently

[andy_s]

Michell Gyrodec turntable:



Pilot MYU 710 fountain pan:

[Veeayt]

Tony2or4 said:

For me, the most beautiful-looking WW2 fighter plane - even more so than the Spitfire - was the P51 Mustang:




While I'm at it, I've always had a bit of a thing about the Chance-Vought Corsair, with those amazing-looking inverted-gull wings:

Edited by Tony2or4 on Friday 23 May 23:33

300bhp's new username?

[mybrainhurts]

GTIR said:

I prefer a rusty trombone.

Pervert...

[StuntmanMike]

mp3manager said:

Graphene - saviour of the modern world...apparently

Looks like the Vortex off the Adventure game.

[StuntmanMike]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Its like something out of those goth Fantasy shops.
P.S I told him my name was GTIR, he finished me off beautifully.

[Morningside]

StuntmanMike said:

mp3manager said:

Graphene - saviour of the modern world...apparently

Looks like the Vortex off the Adventure game.

Bloody hell that takes me back.

[Justin Cyder]

Morningside said:

Bloody hell that takes me back.

Gronda gronda...

[sleep envy]

benjj said:

Some lovely things on this thread, particularly the 904GTS, the Eames lounger & ottoman and the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair. I have a thing about chairs and have a pair of the Eames loungers at home and a Barcelona chair and footstool in the office. Love them.

My contributions:

Not seen a Barcelona chair with that frame before, what sort are they?

[NomduJour]

sleep envy said:

Not seen a Barcelona chair with that frame before, what sort are they?

Tugendhat, MR70. Put into Farnsworth by Palumbo.

[JDMDrifter]

Walther PPK



Twin turbo gallardo



Newton's Cradle



Spyker C8 interior with the correct wheel



Audi gated shifter