Thursday, June 30, 2011

Lars Sjoberg, hero of Swedish Heritage Conservation ... Restorer of the Gustavian Style.


Gustav III of Sweden

In 1771, the future Gustav III returned to his native Sweden from the French court of Versailles to ascend the throne as king after his father’s sudden death. The young monarch had been profoundly inspired by French Neoclassical architecture and decorative arts. Later trips to France and Italy gave further impetus to Gustav’s passion for the classical. During his reign (1772-1792), Sweden rose to a level of architectural and cultural sophistication never known before. The king transformed this once removed European country into the “Paris of the North,” setting a standard of style for most levels of Swedish society that continued well into the 19th century.

Early Gustavian decoration was clearly inspired by the French Neo-classical movement but the late Gustavian style was more closely identified with Italy after engravings inspired by the excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum began to circulate in Sweden following the return of Swedish court architects and artisans such as Rehn, Adelcrantz and the Masreliez brothers. Following these foreign impulses the Swedes created a more restrained or austere style of decoration more suitable for Sweden than the over embellished Baroque and Rococo styles.


‘I feel very strongly that it is ultimately damaging to our humanity if we surround ourselves with things that are not worth maintaining and restoring. It must affect our psyches to know that we live in an ephemeral world, bequeathing little of value to the coming generations.’

My goals have always been to salvage and reveal hidden qualities wherever possible. I feel that if we bulldoze or strip away the past we are depriving the next generation of an essential part of their cultural heritage.’
Lars Sjoberg


Lars Sjöberg is an art historian and curator of the National Museum of Stockholm.
He is a well-known author of beautiful published books about Swedish furniture.
He is mentionned in a lot of international magazines.
In the 1990's he designed a Swedish furniture line for Ikea.
Lars Sjöberg owns 6 beautiful houses in Sweden.



Lars Sjoberg is one of Sweden's national treasures. He is as widely known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of Sweden's historic houses as he is for his passionate concern to preserve them. Presented here are the eight houses (and one church) that he has acquired over forty years, many of which he bought in order to save them from being demolished. They range from a miniature Baroque manor house to an imposing Italianate Neoclassical villa, from a late 17th-century aristocratic mansion to the two-room dwellings of early 19th-century smelting workers. Each house tells a story giving an insight into why it was built and how it changed with succeeding generations. Each has been lovingly photographed by Ingalill Snitt. Text and pictures combine to show how the appealing style that has come to be recognized as quintessentially Swedish developed from its roots in the late 17th century to flower in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Here are the pale wood floors and muslin curtains, the elegant Gustavian furniture, the gleaming gilded mirrors, the charming painted wall decorations and the simple sprigged or striped fabrics, used in entirely authentic interiors. An art historian and a museum curator, Sjoberg is also a superb self-taught craftsman who believes ardently in the value of learning from the past to preserve the future. His principles are borne out by the meticulous way in which he has restored and conserved his houses. His first and most complex undertaking was the manor of Regnaholm. Built in the 1770s, redecorated in the early years of the 19th century and unoccupied for about forty years when he took it on in 1966, it allowed him to experiment with interior decoration and refurnishing. He has built on this knowledge over the decades, reproducing furniture, having fabrics rewoven and reprinted and lighting and even porcelain copied. This book is a ravishingly beautiful, deeply personal summary of everything Lars Sjoberg has learnt in his years of working and living with classic Swedish interiors.

Table of Contents
Foreword by Ingalill Snitt A Plea for the Past Salaholm Sorby Odenslunda Regnaholm The Brukskontoret at Leufsta Bruk Ekensberg The Hyttan at Dylta Bruk Bratteberg The EFS Church at Bollsta Bruk Index Acknowledgements

About the Author
Lars Sjoberg had a 36-year career at the National Museum in Sweden, and for many of those years he was Senior Curator in the Department of the Royal Castles Collections. During that time he worked on the exhibitions Empire Style, Thought and Form in Rococo and The Sun and the Polar Star (Stockholm and Paris). Since 1990 he has been a consultant on reproduction 18th-century furniture for the National Board of Antiquities and IKEA. He is the author of over fifteen books, including The Swedish Room. Ingalill Snitt specializes in architecture and interior design photography, and also directs television commercials. Her books of photography include Splendore di Sicilia, Swedish -- Light, Shape, Architecture, Living in Norway and two with Lars Sjoberg: The Swedish Room and The Swedish House. Her work is regularly featured in magazines including Elle, Marie Claire, Architectural Digest and The World of Interiors.


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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Dakar Rally 30

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The Dakar Rally is an event of superlatives: In Lisbon on 6 January 525 teams start the 7915 kilometre marathon trek to Dakar situated on the Atlantic coast of Africa. An intricate puzzle of spare parts, diesel, 'quick' soups, ... 30 vehicles form the Volkswagen fleet: 4 Race Touareg 2, 3 Race-Trucks, 7 Service-Trucks, 1 TV-Truck, 3 Volkswagen Transporter T5, 9 Service-Touareg and 3 Press-Touareg. On top of this come one Race Touareg 2 and 3 support ...



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The English Season 2 ... Waiting for the Henley Regatta 2011 ...Henley Royal Regatta 2011 is being held from Wednesday 29th June to Sunday 3rd July.‏




Henley Royal Regatta 2011 is being held from Wednesday 29th June to Sunday 3rd July.‏ Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage. It should not be confused with the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course (Henley Women's Regatta, Henley Veterans Regatta and Henley Town and Visitors Regatta), each of which is an entirely separate event.
The regatta lasts for 5 days (Wednesday to Sunday) over the first weekend in July. Races are head-to-head knock out competitions, raced over a course of 1 mile, 550 yards (2,112 m). The regatta regularly attracts international crews to race. The most prestigious event at the regatta is the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights, which has been awarded since the regatta was first staged.
As the regatta pre-dates any national or international rowing organisation, it has its own rules and organisation, although it is recognised by both British Rowing (the governing body of rowing in England and Wales) and FISA (the International Federation of Rowing Associations). The regatta is organised by a self-electing body of Stewards, who are largely former rowers themselves. Pierre de Coubertin modelled elements of the organisation of the International Olympic Committee on the Henley Stewards.
The regatta is regarded as part of the English social season. As with other events in the season, certain enclosures at the regatta have strict dress codes.










One has to pay careful thought when getting dressed for Henley Royal Regatta. It's the rowing fixture of the season, and, like Royal Ascot, which kicked off the summer social sporting calendar last month, has a strict dress code; in some respects it's even stricter than the racing week.
It goes without saying that anyone entering the Stewards' Enclosure will be turned away if their dress does not cover the knee. Trousers, culottes, divided skirts and skirts with splits are forbidden. Gentlemen must wear a lounge suit or a blazer with flannels and a shirt and tie is a total necessity.
Once you have paid heed to these rules, keep it smart. Hats are encouraged, but not enforced - especially not over-the-top styles; although in this weather they are advisable.
We have come up with two dressing solutions suitable for a day out at Henley: A striking and sharp look based around a sunny yellow dress by Marks and Spencer, and a softer, more demure ensemble, for those who prefer pastel shades.
So enjoy, as off they row and off they go!

The Stewards' Enclosure
Situated on the Berkshire bank near the finish of the Course, this is a private Enclosure and admission is only available to Members and their Guests. There are two Grandstands as well as many rows of deckchairs along the river frontage.

Luncheons and teas are obtainable and there is also a Seafood Restaurant serving throughout the day. On Sunday, in addition to to the usual menu available in the Luncheon Marquee, the Seafood Restaurant will be serving a special 2-course traditional cold lunch platter for £21. No advance bookings will be taken for this special platter.

In addition there are a number of licensed bars including a Champagne and Oyster Bar.


Dress
Those attending the Regatta in the Stewards' Enclosure must dress in accordance with long-established tradition. Gentlemen are required to wear lounge suits, or jackets or blazers with flannels, and a tie or cravat. Ladies are required to wear dresses or skirts with a hemline below the knee and will not be admitted wearing divided skirts, culottes or trousers of any kind. Ladies are encouraged to wear hats. Similarly, no one will be admitted to the Stewards' Enclosure wearing shorts or jeans. Members are particularly asked to bring the dress code to the attention of their Guests, to ensure that the standards are maintained and to avoid the possibility of embarrassment of a Guest being refused admission.


In 2009 The chairman of the exclusive rowing club announced that all male spectators in the Stewards' Enclosure could remove their blazers and flannels before lunch.

However, the dress code was only relaxed slightly - they were ordered to retain their ties or cravats.

No such decision has been made since the summer of 1976.

The weather for this summer's event is a marked change from recent years, which have been particularly wet.

The event which is 170 years old, is steeped in tradition much of which surrounds entry to and mingling in the Stewards' Enclosure.
29 Jun 2009
The dress code is strict, men must wear jacket and tie and ladies' skirts must feature hemlines below the knee.
The announcement was made over the loudspeakers at 11am on Wednesday by chairman Mike Sweeney who said: "In view of the current high temperatures, gentlemen may remove their jackets but not their ties or cravats and only for the remainder of today."
As the day went on, regatta enthusiasts searched out shade as the hot weather continued on the second day of the event on the Thames.
It was not just the spectators that were struggling in the heat, rowers were also seen lying exhausted on the pontoons after races.
John Turnbull, from Weybridge Rowing Club in Surrey, said: "Rowing is much nicer when it is not too hot and not too cold."
An estimated 30,000 people are expected to attend the five-day event, in which 468 crews from 15 different countries will compete on the course on the Oxfordshire stretch of the water.