Spies
Information passing in the First World War was made possible by pigeon post. Doing the job of spying by delivering letters up to 90 miles away was best done by tying them up on pigeon backs and releasing them home. At a time when enemy forces discovered the trick and were shooting them down, users of the 'pigeon post,' as it was known, painted them black so they would be confused for crows. Initially, they would only travel home (one way) but later on, their food was stationed away from home so they learned to travel to and fro destinations. According to Alexander Simon in his book Daily Book of Photography, the method was not only safe, it was less costly and environment-friendly. Exposing such vulnerable birds in the most dangerous and risky situations called for ideas to preserve and build caring 'homes' in honor and appreciation for their selflessness and sacrifice.
Pigeons have been revered since the biblical story on Noah (Blechman, 4) and have served in both world wars. Ancient Romans are the earliest breeders on record (Vriends, 4)they are also considered less graceful than doves. In Jewish culture and especially during Jesus' time, Pigeons were used for burnt offerings at the temple in the Jerusalem. Business dealers in pigeon sales were present in 33AD when Jesus found and sent them away (Blechman, 14).
Sky shots
After the war, pigeon post was still needed. Julius Neubronner delivered medications across German cities. He was the first to use pigeons for aerial photography (Alexander, 178) several pigeons would be used so the weight would be distributed. Since they could only 75grams, it was only fair not to burden them. Four years later (in 1907) he invented an aerial view photography technique popularly known as pigeon photography. By fixing a relatively lightweight camera not exceeding 75grams, Neburonner explored his hobby of capturing the view of Cities and other sceneries at height of 100meters. With the training, Andrew explains, the pigeons delivered desired photographs that were taken automatically with a specific time delay. Later, as late as 2004, the BBC used falcons fitted with miniature television cameras to capture live footage. To date, researchers and artists use critter cameras on various animals to reach places they will not reach and capture scenes angles and distances not possible for man.
Human-animal responsibility
The interaction of contemporary art, engineering and Science is an emerging issue in Beatriz da Costa's 'Pigeon Blog'. According to Jerolmack Collin, Through Costa's work, she defines the role and relevance of the artist in politics using techno-scientific ideas. Pigeon blog is a social Public experiment contributed by both humans and birds, explains Rusking. By providing a better alternative to save the environment by gathering data on air pollution, the project equips pigeons with GPS enabled electronic air pollution sensing devices. As they fly around, their real time location is detected and air pollution conditions sent to Google’s mapping environment (Collin, 2013). The flight patterns can be determined and the resulting air conditions displayed on a chart.
The project was inspired by Neubronner's initiative and the data obtained meant for the general public. It is an appropriate way of bridging scientific study agendas and citizen concern on the rising dangers and risks on health.
Homes for Pigeons
Dovecotes come in many shapes and sizes as a result of changes in architecture (Vriends, 7). The differences also emerge in the building material used since the earliest dovecotes in the 16th century. They were very attractive but never appreciated by the public. It was not until the 18th century that the decorative potential of dovecotes was exploited. By the end of the 19th century, the dovecotes constituted the landscape of gardens. Gertrude Jekyll states in her book Garden Ornament, that though the demand and preference for pigeon meat dwindled in the 20th century, and fewer dovecotes were built, beautiful dovecotes can still be found in the country-sides of most countries.
Since the Ancient Roman Empire, where columbaria were built underground, the evolution of designs in building Columbaria has been slow but steady. In new Kai Tak cruise terminal in Japan, local architecture firm designed a floating columbarium. Built on ship due to a shortage of burial space, the columbarium is a magnificent piece of architecture and an example to how far columbaria have evolved. The myths and beliefs that involve pigeons as sacred birds lead to the common phenomenon of constructing columbaria attached to Churches and cemeteries. Their designs range from those similar to Buddhist sacred temples to flowery classical new-age designs.
Representations of pigeons in art (especially carriers)
According to Hannavy (61) there are few symbols that are as long and as rich as a pigeon. Hannavy (61) also notes that a particular favorite in iconography and art, often, the dove represents various aspects of divine. The use of a dove has been adapted, interpreted and shared across cultures and millennia to ensemble changing beliefs systems. Hannavy (61) further notes that from the ancient world to contemporary times, the dove has developed layer upon layer of interpretive significance and meaning. This makes if complex and powerful addition to religious visual and texts representations.
Significantly close to nature since his young days, Jean-Jacques pigeon keeps working with it (Hansell and Jean76). Hansell and Jean (76) also indicate that deliberately heading to the way of fascination of the world instead of evocation of its decline. As affirmed by Hensel (42) Jean-Jacques pigeon’s painting is symbolic and demonstrates a formal power of the vegetal kingdom. Sinclair et al. (56) further notes that Effeullages has their inspiration of the tree leaves. As such, by shunning trueness to representation of live, Jean Jacques idea on pigeon is to revive the effervescence of shrubbery, in addition, the energy of vegetal through resources of painting. Jean-Jacques aims beyond representation, to rise above and to suggest the power of nature, with an aim of reminding on the modest piece of nature and drawback humility. In proportion to his painting, a Jean-Jacques pigeon creates astonishing sculptures and large-sized installations with painted branches and twigs.
Sinclair et al. (56) note that between nature and culture, representation and abstraction, reality and artfulness, ostentation and discretion, Jean-Jacques pigeon tries a modest made of vegetal to demonstrate some magic to the world and make us dream.
Pigeon photography (Neubronner)
In 1907, according to Vay (13), Julius Neubronner a German apothecary invented an aerial photography technique referred to as Pigeon photography. Vay (14), notes that by affixing a lightweight time-delayed miniature on a breast harness made of aluminum, Neubronner then affixed his design to homing pigeons that would then capture aerial photographs when the fly. Evidently, the mechanism was simple. Neubronner had placed a pneumatic timing mechanism which was attached to the pigeon with a cute small harness. He then released the pigeon and the timer would often go off and a puff of compressed air triggered exposure (Emden (96). Arguably, the pigeon had a range of approximately 60 miles. This meant they could get sizeable coverage. The heyday for the photography was during the First World War, when Neubronner took his birds to the battle field of Somme Verdun. I9n keeping with Emden (96) the spy Museum located in Washington Dc has a room dedicated to the surveillance service offered by pigeons during the WWI. The clever marketing of bird photography quickly received international attention. Nonetheless, this initial excitement over pigeon photography was overshadowed by other superior forms of superior forms of photography that emerged causing more people to abandon Neubronner’s pigeon photography idea.
Dovecotes as architecture
A dovecote, as referred by Vay (81) is a structure intended to house pigeons, doves and small birds. Vay (81) further indicates that dovecotes may be square, circular or standing structures construct into the end of a house or a barn. Emden (96) indicates that the main purpose of building dovecotes is to allow nesting house for pigeons built of paved stones with assorted tiled roof. Emden (96) indicates that these unusual structures provide a safe and friendly environment for pigeons to create a habitat for themselves that encourage them to live there. In history, doves and pigeon have been known to be food and eggs.
Emden (96) notes that for the past years, dovecotes have gradually evolved from food source into pleasure. In contemporary times, people build dovecotes to magnetize doves and pigeons for pleasure as their residence. Dovecotes have in many cases been incorporated into free elected buildings, castles, buildings, and farmhouses.
The columbarium as architecture
The names are from the Greek word Columba which means Pigeon. At the time pigeon were kept from various reasons like sacrifices. The dung of the pigeon was used to light fire and as fertilizers. Pigeon were used to deliver messages and also as a source of food. According to Choi and Mattias (34) the presence of dovecotes was not established in France prior to the Roman invasion of Gaul by Caesar. Arguably, the pigeon farm became a passion in Rome: the Roman which is generally round, columbarium had its inside covered with a white coating of sandstone powder. Choi and Mattias (35) state that Varro, Pliny, and Columella have written the works on pigeon farms as well as, dovecote construction. Choi and Mattias (35) further emphasizes that in the city of Rome during the Republic and the Empire the inside design of banks of pigeonholes was purposefully adapted to dispose cremated ashes after death. Notably, these columbaria were usually constructed underground. Notably, another extremely impressive cave was the pigeon coop (columbarium).
Beatriz da Costa's "Pigeon Blog" project
The Beatriz da Costa’s Pigeon blog was inspired by a renowned photograph of a pigeon carrying a camera on its neck. The photograph was taken at the turn of the last century. Arguably, this technology which was developed by the German photographer and engineer for military purposes allowed for photographs to be taken by pigeon while on flight. This initial example of using the pigeon as a participant in early surveillance technology puzzled many people. Beatriz da Costa in his demonstration released 20 pigeons into the smoggy skies at California in August. This flock will was to determine what might be the global first avian blog that offered the bird’s view perspective on air pollution. Accordingly, each pigeon was affixed with a tiny backpack loaded with devices that measure pollution and transmit the data to the web hence creating a real-time air pollution index. Da Costa, who is an assistant professor in the graduate arts, engineering and computation program at UCI (University of California Irvine, would realize the pigeons twice a day f or an entire 9-day conference of the inter-society for the electronic arts. The pigeonblog is not just a cutting-edge art project since it projects more on the egalitarian future for monitoring of the environment, with the increasing ubiquity of communications network and very small and powerful personal electronic gear will enhance the quality of air every person breathe.
Work Cited
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