What I'm Reading: Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada

From time to time I find myself reading a work of historical fiction. I've always had an interest in such works as they attempt to illustrate a historical truth with imagination. Alone in Berlin is a work by German writer Hans Fallada that attempts to uncover the feelings and life of the common man under Hitler during the Second World War. This work is of extreme interest to me at the present as it begs to answer the question of culpability. Hitler and Fascism seems to be a resurgent topic in journalism coming from the United States with an administration that seems hellbent on controlling the press. We seem to be finding ourselves in a time not unlike that of Nazi Germany when people looking for government action against the domestic and abroad threat of terrorism, find that the "strong arm" way of ruling might actually be a good thing. Historians continually ask the question what sort of populace would find themselves complicit in electing a government like the Third Reich and this novel explores the idea that such questions aren't so easy to answer. The problem stems from the fact that people aren't accepting as much as they are afraid, and that fear can lead to some disastrous consequences.

Alone in Berlin follows a man by the name of Otto Quangle and his wife Anna who find themselves devastated at the news that their only son Otto has fallen in France. They feel the frustration of parents who find no solace in the despair of losing their only son who they believe died in vain in the service of the grotesque causes of the war. They believe that in some way they must resist the Nazi regime, although find no meaningful way. And so begins the appearance of dissident cards that speak out against the Nazis and most importantly Hitler. The care and diligence to leave the cards in places all over Berlin so that others may see and be inspired to do the same presents to enduring issues that remain today: How can we make our voices heard? And the other, more importantly, do we need validation in anyone hearing them?

It speaks to the stifling the millennial generation is feeling about being heard. Given the proliferation of social media it is easy to see why. When everyone has something to say, and theoretically the social media platform is giving people a chance to voice those opinions, however something remains insatiable. It could be that the hope that the Quangles felt in that they were being listened to and creating a difference was worth more than knowing whether it was or wasn't. When instagram tells you how many likes your photo gets and Twitter tells you how many people think your point is worth spreading, there is not much more that the average person can do to be heard. However, the Quangles story does affect important individuals in the novel. The story of human persistence against the great political machine is not new, but nor is it one that can easily be ignored. We as a society have a lot to learn from Fallada's work, and more important the purpose of telling these works in the age of information that we currently live in. And perhaps, you may find an inspiring new mechanism for telling your story.

Fall Visits: Top 5 Reasons to Visit Fallingwater

Kauffman Home

1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run

Fallingwater, Pennsylvania

Designed by: Frank Lloyd Wright

All Photos taken by: Amanda Chain 

There are few architects that garner the same awe as Frank Lloyd Wright. The American icon built some of the world's most memorable homes and structures. One of the most visited and frankly most inspiring is not too far from my home, and if you have the chance to visit this fall is the time to do. Fallingwater was a weekend second home built for the prestigious Kauffman family, known for their chic department stores around the Mid-Atlantic region. What makes Fallingwater so remarkable is not only the incredibly setting, but the fact that is an astonishing feat of ingenuity and architectural imagination.

Could there be a more idyllic setting?

NO. When the Kauffman family wanted to set up their weekend home, they chose a place they knew well. Fallingwater in the 1920s was a perfect getaway from Pittsburgh, where the family was based. It is only an hour away and a well connected town in the scenic area of Bear Run. They frequented the lodge on the property and when the Great Depression hit the area hard, the Kaufmanns bought the property and the surrounding acreage. Fallingwater is in an area of Western Pennsylvania that is now considered remote. The house takes on the features of the terrain that give the impression this house could not be built anywhere else. Built on top of the falls, the family could walk outside and be standing on the creek from various points in the house. The home is built into the terrain in such a way that its very foundation runs through a large boulder, that opens up as the family hearth in the living and communal area. The home would simply not work in any other location that it is, as it is made bespoke to its location, selected by the Kaufmanns themselves.

Legacy and Prestige

Fallingwater has played host to some of the most impressive people of the twentieth century including US presidents and cultural icons. The home receives more than 128,000 visitors each year. Albert Einstein was once said to have looked upon the house and could only react with a meaningful silence. Fallingwater is a landmark in every sense of the word. Not only is it a Pennsylvania state historical marker, but it is also on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and U.S. National Historic Landmark. It is the paradigm of organic architecture and has made the top of just about every architectural test and has graced every magazine since its inception. It was named the “best all-time work of American architecture by the American Institute of Architects in 2007. Smithsonian added Fallingwater to their list “Life List of places to visit before you die.”

Feat of architectural imagination

Only a man with the genius like Frank Lloyd Wright could dream up Fallingwater House. Frank Lloyd Wright was introduced to Edgar J Kaufmann Sr. through their son, Edgar Jr., and suggested plans for their weekend home. Everyone told Kaufmann senior that he was an idiot to trust that Wright’s design wouldn’t fall right into the falls. He called his engineers from the department store and they all said get out while he still could. At that point Wright had only designed and built six buildings, not the hundreds he would become famous for. When the Kaufrman’s brought their budget for their summer home to Frank Lloyd Wright of about $35,000. The project would go on to cost well over $150,000. Going over budget was also his style. And for good reason. Wright’s designs and interiors are meticulously planned according to four principles: organic, democratic, plasticity, continuity. In the end he was able to defy some of the best engineers of the day and build a home on the top of a falls through an intricate system of cantilevering that allows the home to appear weightless and float on top of the riverbed.

Timelessness

The Kaufmanns and their brood are long gone, and the home remains just as it did when they handed it over to the Pennsylvania Conservation Trust. However, there seems to be a feeling of enduring timelessness. When visiting with my mother she found inspiration to redecorate our family room giving me the sense that perhaps the eclectic ambiance has something for everyone that continuously inspires the inner interior designer in all of us.

For anyone that has been to Fallingwater there is something timeless about the home. It has an elegant style that despite the passing of decades retains a modern appeal. Part of this is due to the customization of the building. Frank Lloyd Wright built the home custom to the family. Everything down to the desks and the shelves were purposely built with the Kaufmann family in mind. Frank Lloyd Wright was exceptional in his desire to create a home that truly embodied the spirit and values of his client, which are a testament to the Wright’s outstanding ability. The exterior as well is organic. From the viewpoint, the house looks as if it has always been a part of the landscape it is so compatible with its setting. Wright made sure to quarry the stones from the Laurel Highlands area giving the home a seamless look. Even though it was constructed during the Great Depression, it looked toward the idea of self-capability to maintain both its relevance and its durability.

The Beginning of Global Style

Owing to the timelessness of the design has a lot to do with the interspersal of influences from around the world. Frank Lloyd Wright had recently returned from Japan designing a hotel at the time of designing Fallingwater, and there are clear connections to the architectural style. The general openness of the living spaces lends itself to a more Asiatic style. However, the furniture has a more Scandanavian feel. The furniture, especially the reclining chair by famed designer Bruno Mathsson of Sweden. These are then juxtaposed with pillow fabrics that with South American and African prints. The result is a complete mixture of patterns and styles that make the house feel globalized. At the time, the style was revolutionary and completely unheard of. Now, it still looks incredibly innovative and still iconic in its ability to balance so many different influences in such a harmonious and organic way. Given the recent trending of hygge it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world adopts the coziness of the Scandanavians the way Fallingwater did in the 1930s, hopefully in time for winter!

  

fallingwater@paconserve.org

http://www.fallingwater.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fallingwater/108558829168506?fref=ts

London's Modern and Contemporary Art Scene: The London Art Fair 2016

The London Art Fair 2016

24 January 2016

Photo By: Amanda Chain

This week (20-24 January) hailed the onslaught of the best in British Modern and Contemporary Art. In it's twenty-eight installment, the London Art Fair gave collectors and general enthusiasts alike a peak into the up-and-coming and the soon to be stars of the London Art Scene. Set in the Business Design Center in trendy Islington, the London Art Fair has the accessibility to the contemporary with less pretension and overstatement of the Frieze Fair.

Here, London's top galleries swarmed to show off the best in show, while also getting a chance to highlight permanent collections, such as the incredible curation of the Jerwood Gallery's permanent collection curated by Director Elizabeth Gilmore and Lead Curator Lara Wardle entitled "Coast" displaying artists whose work was centrally influenced by the geographic elements of one of the world's oldest coastlines including the likes of Christopher Wood and John Piper who also feature heavily throughout the fair. There were plenty of big names to choose from including personal favorites: Barbara Hepworth and L.S. Lowry, and also shining stars like sculptors Shaun Doyle, Mally Mallinson, and Anna Gillespie. Some of the most sought after pieces came from mixed media artists like the Connor Brothers and more traditional painting styles and and some spectacular photography. Although this is by no means the definitive list, here are my top 5 personal highlights.

Truth Is Weirder Than Any Fiction I've Seen, 2015
The Connor Brothers
Mixed media on canvas
191 x131 cm
Unique £7,500 Plus VAT
Photo By: Amanda Chain
Pertwee, Anderson, & Gold, 15 Bateman Street, London W1D 3AQ

The Connor Brothers exhibition at the Pertwee, Anderson, & Gold was amid with buzz. Located just to the right on the ground floor by the entrance this was one of the premier locations at the London Art Fair. By the time I arrived there were numerous editions of their work already sold. Much of it like this piece Truth is Weirder Than Any Fiction I've Seen, 2015 is thought-provoking. Images of models and book covers are juxtaposed with quotations that make the viewer do a double-take. Classic imagery meets literary persuasion, which seems in this case to become the Fine Art response to memes that take over today's social media.



Mama Bear, 2015
Nicola Hicks
Plaster, Straw and Tar
46 x 50 x 50 / 81 1/8 x 33 1/8 x 20 1/2 in
Flowers Gallery, 21 Cork Street London W1S 3LZ

Photo By: Amanda Chain

Nicola Hicks recently held an exhibition towards the end of last year which displayed her clever sculptures made out of tar and straw. The exhibition entitled Pause was a massive success and she showcased her talent for depicting real as well as mythical creatures. Her material choice makes evident the rawness of the subject. The seemingly harsh edges are used to display a broader banality of the subject. Working from memory Hicks attempts to create something both of this world and of her own imagined interpretation to create a new way of looking at things we think we've already seen.


Sumo Ergo Sum (I Shop, therefore I am)
Shaun Doyle & Mally Mallinson
Cast Bronze
Edition of 9. Sign and numbered. 2015
H 42.5 x W 45 x D 55 cm
£4,800
Paul Stolper 31 Museum Street, London WC1A 1 LH
Photo By: Amanda Chain

This piece by Doyla and Mallinson had visitors questioning the consumerist culture of the twenty-first century. Taking the classic latin quote by Descartes "Cogito, ergo sum," I think therefore I am and applying a critique on modern culture. The cast bronze is the sort of piece that emphasizes the accessibility of art at the fair. It is a simple statement supported by imagery that has a deep-seated effect by resonating immediately to the onlooker. The weight of material goods on the bare bones does more than just raise the question of whether "shopping' has taken over the societal conscience but furthermore that it is destroying it.

Mappa Mundi Major Londinium, 2015
Ewan David Eason
Black UV treated ink on 24 Carat Gold leaf mounted on Aluminum panel
Signed and editioned by the artist
195 cm Diameter
Edition of 3
£12,000
TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a BDC, 52 Upper
Street, London N1 0QH
Photo By: Amanda Chain

There was quite the buzz around TAG Fine Arts showcase. There were a number works with more than a mere hint of political charge. The theme at this event was centered around geo-politics and included various maps with laser-printed passport reconstructions to signify place and identity. Among these works was a piece by Ewan David Eason entitled: Mappa Mundi Major Londinium, 2015. This work was stunning not only for its sheer size, but for the intricacy of the detail within the piece. Eason is a product of the UK having received his BA Hons in Fine Art from Bath Spa University College in 2003. He has since gone one to build a repertoire of work that illustrates the ancient and medieval through mapping. He particularly uses the Charles Booth's Poverty Maps as a point for inspiration. In this work he uses gold to draw attention to the egalitarian nature of people without the all-encompassing product of location by using a precious material like gold to bring the viewer in to the work.

Rain
Anna Gillespie
Bronze Edition 1/5
£14,000
Beaux Arts Bath, 48 Maddox St, London W1S 1AY
Photo By: Amanda Chain

Anna Gillespie is what we call "mover and shaker" in the British Contemporary figurative sculpture scene. Much of her work centers on the environment in which the sculptures are made of natural materials that compliment their surroundings. Some of this year's pieces were just so made out of material like acorns. This particular work is bronze and demonstrates the erosion process of the material after rainfall, although not clearly a depiction of rain itself. Some of her work is exhibited in parks and other places such as Gloucester Cathedral, and by Saturday afternoon it was clear that her work was selling quickly.

The London Art Fair is by no means unpopular, this year saw unprecedented numbers and backing by major sponsors like Sotheby's Institute of Art who was a major partner as well as Infiniti and The Art Newspaper. What makes this event more accessible is that the work is aimed at the Middle Market. You won't find works worth millions here, but you will find works ranging from £100 to £100,000, and a whole lot in-between. Here is art for the general consumer, some of these works were political. There seemed to be a particular occurrence of immigrant and refugee subject pieces giving the feel that this was art "of the times." It was in a word: relatable. The talks during the day were aimed at trying to determine the position of the art market for the general consumer highlighting issues that are hot topics like: public versus private collections and encouraging diversity in art and photography.

Even if you found yourself on the other end, and missed the event, make sure to visit the website at London Art Fair so that you can get a full list of the galleries present and talk re-caps. 

The London Art Fair, London, 20-24 January 2016

Bournemouth and Poole: Dorset Coastal Break

Sun Setting in Poole

Poole, United Kingdom

Image By: Amanda Chain

Summer's pretty much over, and I have found myself scrambling in the midst of rainy London trying to get a dose of Vitamin D anywhere and everywhere I can. Some of the most overlooked and undervalued places, have been hiding right underneath my nose. Britain doesn't garner the same emotion as the more popular seaside retreats of its Mediterranean EU partners, but the South coast does have something to offer.

Dorset in particular is known to be one of the most popular destinations for professionals outside of London. Poole alone has some of the best surgeons and veterinarians in the country making it a popular destination for families trying to escape the throngs of London life, for a slightly more relaxed and slower paced lifestyle.

Watching the Fireworks in Bournemouth

Poole, United Kingdom

Image By: Amanda Chain

I spent this weekend with a lovely family that were able to show just how much this seaside retreat has to offer. Starting with a fireworks show, we had a proper welcome on the Sandbanks Beach. Every Friday evening Bournemouth puts on a fireworks show that can be seen well outside the city. Right on the coast, it's best to walk down to the beach for 10pm and watch the 20 minute show.

Saturday we had a lovely boat ride through Poole Harbour, it was clear how the Jurassic Coast of Dorset became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The 95 miles of coastline demonstrate 185 million years of earth's history. On the Poole Harbour end you can see the famous Old Harry Rocks, and on the opposite Durdle Door.

The Walk along the Studland Beach

Poole, United Kingdom

Image By: Amanda Chain

After a breeze around the Harbour we went up the solent and through the river to Warehem. A small town on the river Frome it was a perfect place to stop and have a pub lunch at The Old Granary. In operation for over 230 years, this pub is one of the last standing family brewers in the region. I enjoyed the Badger Beer-Batter Fish and Chips, one of their signature dishes. As dark clouds were forming we opted to sit inside to avoid any potential rain. After a sufficient stop we proceeded back though the river to try our hand at wake-boarding. And by we I meant they, as I watched and lived vicariously through them. With wine spritzers, I was happily content in my seat on a speeding boat watching as the kids did all sorts of tricks and jumps off of the boat.

Bankes Arms

Poole, United Kingdom

Image By: Amanda Chain

Sunday was a late start, but we still managed to spend a few hours walking on one of England's nicest beaches. After taking the Chain Ferry over to Studland Beach we were able to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf. Studland is also a nature reserve and the beaches are overseen by the national trust and is known for some of the best coastal path walks and views of Old Harry Rocks. You can rent kayaks and canoes and discover bird life. Along the South and Middle beach are a number of huts that you can rent for the day or the week and cook and relax for the day. There are two amazing options for a pub lunch. One is the Bankes Arms and the other is the Pig on the Beach. Both have fantastic views of the coast and are worth relaxing at after a nice walk down the beach.

Boats at North Haven Yacht Club

Poole, United Kingdom

Image By: Amanda Chain

We then said goodbye to Dorset and returned home on the national express bus to London Victoria. Sorry to say goodbye, and well relaxed after a weekend by the sea.

Proms at the Albert Hall

Proms 36: Wednesday, August 12th 2015

BBC Symphony Orchestra

BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London

Having never gone to my Senior Prom, the idea of a summer full of Proms at first seemed a little overwhelming. But Proms in London is completely different than the American idea of Prom. Here they're classical music concerts put on by the BBC that premier live on BBC Radio. They a unique music festival that date back to the first held on the 10th of August 1895. This year thus marks 120 years of Proms. The intention was to bring the best possible music to the widest possible audience. Tickets start for as low as £7.

One of my regrets about living in London is that I have not been able to really experience the music and theatre life that is so rich and diverse in the city. However, last night Lady Luck was on my side and I was able to see Prom 36 which featured the work of Boulez, Ravel, and Stravinsky played by the pianist Marc-André Hamelin.

The focus of the night was on Paris and the post-First World War world. It was the first premiere for Boulez's 1958 piece Figures - Doubles - Prisms. Which, to be honest, was far more technical than I was able to appreciate. He combines a sophisticated technical ear for sound to create fantastical virtuoso. However refined, it gave me the impression that the orchestra was competing within itself, striving for attention that I'm sure for someone with more of an ear music.

I was far more blown away by the two Ravel pieces. The first Frontispice (1918, orch. 2007) had its debut at the Proms. Intended for two pianists it lasted only a short two minutes. It was written at the request of the Italian poet Ricciotto Canudo which went to his poem La poème du Vardar which was inspired by his First World War experience. Arranged for the orchestra by Boulez, the piece mixes both color and urgency with the use of the solo violin and the piccolo.

The second Ravel piece was so moving, it was only after that I realized just how meaningful it was. The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (1929-1930) was written for the left hand of Paul Wittgenstein. It's his most successful Concerto by far. Wittgenstein lost his right arm in the First World War, and attempted to reassemble his career as a pianist by further developing his left hand skills. He commissioned a number of scores from composers of the day. When he was given Ravel's piece he thought it was terrible, but after several months he learned to appreciate it, however he made adjustments to the score, which deeply enraged Ravel. He attempted to stop Wittgenstein from playing his version, but eventually acquiesced.

The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (1929-1930)

Featured Pianist: Marc-André Hamelin

BBC Symphony Orchestra

BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London

The work is an emotional rollercoaster for lack of a better analogy. The tempo works at various movements allowing the pianist a reprieve. The pianist is ushered in once more after a sustained crescendo and returns with an almost lyrical melody. The combination of wind with the piano and string and bassoon for the reprise of the Lento give the piece a relentless press to the ultimate finale.

The last piece was the popular Stravinsky piece The Firebird which comprised of the two first scenes from the ballet. The movement comprises the arrival of the the Firebird, the bird's spell and the awakening and death of Kashchey. I always enjoyed the fairytale of the Firebird, and the dance of the firebird from the ballet. There is something both aggressive and vulnerable that when hearing only the music takes on a deeper resonance of the dynamism of the characters.

I do feel as though the evening achieved its purpose. Playing to a packed house the Royal Albert Hall is an incredible venue to be introduced to some of the most talented composers of Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries. Armed with all the captivation and romance that one could expect with an evening's selection formed around the theme of the city of Paris, it was impossible not to be swept up in the cascading movement of the music. There are still quite a few Proms selections left this month that are worth highlighting. There will of course be more opportunities to experience Boulez and perhaps submerse yourself into the technical genius' repertoire as well as some other favorites such as Mozart and Bach who will be featured next week.

CLICK HERE for more details about the Proms and for the complete schedule CLICK HERE

Decisions: You want it all but can you have it All? A look at Carsten Höller at the Hayward Gallery

"Dice (White Body, Black Dots), 2014

Carsten Höller: Decision

10 June - 6 September 2015

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

The Southbank Centre puts on a number of shows, concerts, and exhibitions. One that has been gaining in popularity, especially among the young adults is Carsten Höller's Decision exhibition on now at the Hayward Gallery.

For twenty years, Höller has been attempting to get his audience to rethink the way they see art and exhibitions through the creation of a myriad of devices, and situational installations that interweave people between various psychological states. He intentionally forces his audience to venture out of their comfort zone, and this exhibition is no exception. Upon entering, you are given the choice of picking two entrances. They alternate signs between A and B, although both provide the same experience. You are taken through a maze of disintegrating light and forced to find your way through darkness in an enclosed space.

This is the first of many instances throughout the exhibition that asks visitors to make a choice. His intention is to bring out so-called "moments of not-knowing." However, it is impossible to take a part the void of knowing and the indecision out of the setting. Knowingly visitors enter the museum expecting to touch, see, and do, and yet at many occasions are they reminded of "museum etiquette." Reminiscent moreso of behavioral psychology than the decision-making process, visitors are still influenced in their actions by gallery assistants telling them protocol.

In this regard, I find the exhibition somewhat lacking. In addition there are a number of installations that appear to have no purpose at all. I found myself more enthralled by a large die in the middle of the room through which I wasn't suppose to crawl (Dice: White Body, Black Dots, 2014), but could indeed poke my head through rather than the fat pink snakes in the middle of the room with a not-so-imaginary boundary around it (Half Mirror Room, 2008/2015). Although you are very much part of the exhibition and your actions are what determine your experience, I can't help but see how mediated this experience actually is. My group and I felt the need to recall the article by Tony Bennett entitled "The Exhibitionary Complex" in which he discusses how the structure of a museum influences our behavior an how we interpret everything inside.

My greatest disappointment surrounded the two roaming beds. It's all well enough to look at beds that appear to be moving themselves around an empty room. What would be far more entertaining would be the option of laying on one of these beds and feeling as though you are being taken in an unknown direction. The experience of which I'm told you can purchase an evening of for a mere £400. However, there are a couple I didn't even bother, such as the Memory Game and Table, which looked like a disheveled child's play area (Memory Game and Table, 2013).

One of the most memorable however, would have to be the goggles (Upside Down Goggles, 1994/2009). You are given a set of goggles and escorted outside to the terrace to which everything you see is reversed. The sky is down, the ground is up, and you are completely disoriented. Should you choose, you could spend a few hours getting your eyes to settle and adjust to that norm, however my general fear of falling off buildings, made me spend not nearly as much time on this installation.

Yet my favorite would have to be the last installation, if even it was that: the slide. The kid in me made me love that aspect of fascination of spiraling in an unknown direction into a space you only know to be down from whence you came. Höller described these (Isometric Slides) as a "sculpture you can travel inside and a device for experiencing a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness." I find madness to be somewhat more intense a term, but nonetheless fairly accurate.

Regardless, I did enjoy the exhibition as a whole. It made me seriously contemplate what it was I was experiencing and what I was meant to gain from this awareness. And furthermore, I had to accept the decision of each opportunity for action no matter what. Alea iacta est.

Henley Royal Regatta 2015

"Leander Club and Boating Dock from Henley Bridge"

Henley-On-Thames, UK

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

Henley never ceases to amaze me. Whether it is the fact that the majority of people that attend are more concerned with picnicking, Pimms, and being seen, or the fact that it passes by unnoticed most of the time as it falls at the same time as another major sporting event: Wimbledon; Henley is the unsung subtle hero of British sporting institutions.

"Henley Royal Regatta: Spectators" 2012

Henley-on-Thames, UK

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

As a rower, I find it absolutely incredible how what normally would be considered one race, in actuality becomes a Five-Day event, ranging with participants as young as 15 to ages exhibiting much more maturity. It brings junior and national team representatives into the same realm and inspires young athletes and mesmerizes the older ones.

This Henley was rather meaningful on two respects. The first was that for the Women's Henley which took place two weeks prior, after a grueling year I was able to win the Intermediate Academic 4+ with the University of London Boat Club. I had come over when I was a junior and lost with Mount Saint Joseph Academy and so this was especially poignant as MSJA brought over girls to race again and my old coaches were able to witness the race. It felt like something out of a Disney movie to be honest.

"Intermediate Academic 4+ Winners ULBC 

with The Cathy Cruickshank Trophy"

Henley-on-Thames, UK

Photograph Courtesy of: Beth Welch

The other poignancy comes from the fact that I spent the last three years of my life coaching at Winchester College and this year, I watched the boys from Winchester College compete, the majority of whom I taught to row when they first joined the school. They had an admirable showing but lost to a crew traveling from the States by a little over a length open water. The boys are majority J16 so they have many more races ahead of them, it was so nice to see them compete with "the big boys," and still stack up phenomenally.

"Winchester College racing Boston College High School"

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup

Henley-on-Thames, UK

Photograph Courtesy of: The Henley Royal Regatta

www.hrr.org

In fact, there were many crews traveling from the States including University of Washington, and the Ivy contingent of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and Princeton, with a few representatives in the University Barge Club from my alma mater UPenn. I'm not even going to get into all the various countries represented, of which there were many.

This year was the first expansive effort for live coverage of the racing. Drone cameras made it possible for viewers to watch from all over the race course and video screens set up in the Steward's enclosure made it possible to see the racing from start to finish. For people who are not well-versed in rowing it made it a lot easier for them to understand what was happening with each race in conjunction with the announcers and of course the leader board. To see aerial footage of rowing was breath-taking and unlike anything I had ever seen with the sport. It changed the vantage point, and made me see rowing in a different, more exciting light.

"Live Drone Footage from Racing on Friday Morning"

Henley-on-Thames, UK

Photograph Courtesy of: The Henley Royal Regatta

www.hrr.org

This year being the year before an Olympic year tends to bring a number of athletes from abroad. As England is the birthplace of rowing, it should come as no surprise that the most prestigious event takes place here. Aside from the Olympics, there is no other regatta that commands the same respect and reverence from international rowers. Hence the presence of sporting celebrities like New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale who is an Olympic gold medalist in his own right, and the Czech Republic's Miroslava Knapková who also won gold in the London 2012 Games.

The number of people drawn to the banks of the Thames is an ever increasing figure. Although the event retains is prestige, it is slowly becoming more accessible for competitors from all over the world to take part. It is not so much a British institution as it is an International one these days, and this is seen by the ever increasing numbers of world-class athletes coming over for the opportunity to participate, and the chance to win the renown Little Red Box.