I inherited this from my stepmother. I think she called it "Piano Baby." It is 7&rfrac12; inches long and the workmanship is special. It is in perfect condition. The markings are enclosed. Purpose and value? -- Barbara Messner, Solon

"Piano babies" were designed as decorative porcelain figures meant to perch on the flat top of an upright piano. Introduced in the 1880s, the poses and sizes varied from 4 inches to 12 inches long. Your example was made by Heubach Bros. of Germany, and the marks indicate a manufacture date around 1910. Heubach was also known for producing fine-quality bisque porcelain doll heads. They are considered to be the best maker of piano babies.

Estimate: $175-$275 in good condition.

My aunt gave me this sofa 30 years ago. She told me that it came from the Hollenden House hotel in downtown Cleveland. Her husband was doing some remodeling work there in the 1940s and brought it home because they were throwing it out! I believe it to be from the 1930s, and it has a metal plate with the name "Jamestown Lounge Company." Can you enlighten me further? -- Eleanor Hammond, Wadsworth

In the early 1900s more than 100 furniture makers were situated in Jamestown, New York, thus it was called as "the Furniture Capital of the World." Its location in the heavily forested western part of the state, plus proximity to a river and sawmills, was the reason.

The Jamestown Lounge Co. was founded in 1888 and is best known today for the line called "Feudal Oak." Loosely based on English designs of the 16th and 17th centuries, the solid oak furniture was ornately carved and hand waxed to a thick and lustrous finish. The company had a contract division and produced items they advertised as "constructed to stand the abuse of public use." Feudal oak is collectible today, and your uncle was wise to rescue it.

Estimate: $600-$900.

This gun was my father-in-law's, and I have no information about it other than the markings on it. -- Albert Brockway, Mentor

The Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. was incorporated in 1888. Founded under a different name in 1871, the company was in business in 1986. They produced shotguns, rifles, pistols and revolvers. Your Young America Double Action revolver was introduced in 1884 and made until 1941. Based on the marks you describe I believe that you have the second model, made between 1905 and 1941. Barrel sizes came in 2-inch, 4-inch and 6-inch lengths. The nickel finish appears to be a bit rubbed, which diminishes the value.

Estimate: $65-$125.

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Porcelain baby; sofa; old gun; French tea set: Attic Finds

BOCA RATON, Fla., April 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Q.E.P. CO., INC. (QEPC.PK) (the "Company") announced today that it will report its financial results for its fiscal year 2012 ended February 29, 2012 on Monday, May 7, 2012.

The Company also announced that it will be hosting a conference call to discuss these results and to answer your questions at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. If you would like to join the conference call, dial 1-888-846-5003 toll free from the US or 1-480-629-9856 internationally approximately 10 minutes prior to the start time and ask for the Q.E.P. Co., Inc. Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Call / Conference ID 4535314. A replay of the conference call will be available until midnight May 15th by calling 1-877-870-5176 toll free from the US and entering pin number 4535314; internationally, please call 1-858-384-5517 using the same pin number.

Q.E.P. Co., Inc., founded in 1979, is a leading worldwide manufacturer, marketer and distributor of a comprehensive line of hardwood flooring, flooring installation tools, adhesives and flooring related products targeted for the professional installer as well as the do-it-yourselfer. Under brand names including QEP(R), ROBERTS(R), Capitol(R), Harris(R)Wood, Vitrex(R), PRCI(R), BRUTUS(R), Porta-Nailer(R) and Elastiment(R), the Company markets over 3,000 flooring and flooring related products. In addition to a complete hardwood flooring line, Q.E.P. products are used primarily for surface preparation and installation of wood, laminate, ceramic tile, carpet and vinyl flooring. The Company sells its products to home improvement retail centers and specialty distribution outlets in 50 states and throughout the world.

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Q.E.P. Co., Inc. Hosts Conference Call to Discuss Fiscal Year 2012 Earnings

The residents of 1105 Sycamore Dr. spent the last five years remodeling the two story 1970s brick home that sits on a hill overlooking much of the neighborhood.

Tuesday night the homeowner and his son watched it go up in flames.

"It was really a big fire," said Rolla Fire and Rescue Department Training Coordinator Ron Smith who did not know the homeowners name as the fire report is not yet complete. "It was three stories of fire, the basement, the first floor and the second floor."

No one was injured during the blaze, which although not suspicious, is still under investigation.

Smith expects the investigation to rule the fire as an accidental fire originating in the electrical system.

According to Smith, the homeowner and his son were outside doing lawn work when they entered the house to find smoke near an electric outlet and heard crackling and popping noises.

The man made a quick check of the garage and discovered more smoke before dashing out of the home with his son and going to a neighbor's home to call 911 at 7:51 p.m.

Within 3.5 minutes of making the call, fire crews arrived with two fire engines and nine firefighters.

The number of firefighters eventually grew to 23.

Between the time the first crews arrived and the call was placed the fire went from being a cloud of smoke to flames consuming the entire back side of the house.

Link:
Home heavily damaged in fire, not a total loss

26-04-2012 12:31 Indoor lighting test video using Canon EOS 550D (EF 50mm f/1.8 II) I'll make a short sketch to do another test on these lights, 🙂

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Canon EOS 550D - Indoor Lighting Test (1080p) - Video

MONTREAL and BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire -04/26/12)- Lumenpulse Inc. (www.lumenpulse.com), a leading innovator and manufacturer of high performance, architectural LED-based lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments, today announced the release and availability of Lumentone, an intuitive LED lighting controller. Developed to simplify control, Lumentone opens the doors for anyone to be able to implement and manage sophisticated lighting shows.

Suitable for either white light or colored light installations, Lumentone is a wall-mounted DMX controller that gives users access to advanced lighting installations, by allowing them to dim, change colors, modulate the color temperature, add effects, or alter the rate of change -- with just a nudge and a turn of the dial.

"Lumentone will simplify fixture control, enabling anyone to take advantage of LEDs, regardless of their level of expertise or familiarity with the technology," said Franois-Xavier Souvay, Founder, President and CEO of Lumenpulse. "With Lumentone, users can alter the mood of a space simply by pushing and turning the dial. It's as easy as changing tracks on an MP3 player."

Lumentone comes with 13 standard, pre-programmed shows, which can be selected by pressing and turning the dial. There are 8 color changing scenes, including 3 that are specifically developed to utilize RGBW technology. These scenes range from static colors to random fades and sparkle effects. There are also 5 scenes dedicated to white light control, including a standard dimming control, comet effects and a Dynamic White option which allows the user to alter the color temperature from a warm 2700K to a cool 6500K -- or any temperature in between.

The dial itself provides instant feedback for the user as it illuminates to reflect the lighting effect chosen, further simplifying the lighting management process for the user.

The controller is compatible and easily integrated with all industry standard North American gang boxes and any decora faceplate, and is available in white, black or custom finishes. It is suitable for almost any environment, operating in temperatures as low as -10C (-14F) and as high as 40C (104F).

More information about Lumentone is available on the Lumenpulse website at http://www.lumenpulse.com/en/products/379.

About Lumenpulse Inc.

Founded in 2006, Lumenpulse develops and manufactures high performance, sustainable architectural LED-based fixtures and solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments. Attention to detail in mechanical, optical and fixture design has positioned Lumenpulse as a leader in the global LED lighting marketplace for indoor and outdoor uses. In addition to comprehensive product family offerings, Lumenpulse also specializes in the design, manufacturing and commissioning of large scale, customized, LED lighting solutions worldwide.

For more information, please visit http://www.lumenpulse.com.

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Lumenpulse Launches Lumentone LED Lighting Controller

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading the global shift towards sustainable LED lighting solutions, Lighting Science Group(LSCG.OB) announced today the launch of its high performance and feature-rich RoadMaster street light. Currently being installed throughout Puerto Rico, the Company's new street light provides a reduction in energy costs during its extended operating life, helping governments and communities avoid soaring energy and maintenance costs associated with traditional high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights. Priced at a fraction of other LED roadway luminaires, Lighting Science Group's new RoadMaster pays for itself by avoiding just one HPS lamp replacement, let alone the 4-6 traditional street light lamp changes it is expected to avoid over its rated life.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lighting-science-group-launches-ultra-efficient-led-roadmaster-street-light-reaches-cost-parity-with-traditional-street-lights-149055895.html

"Our new RoadMaster LED street light represents a breakthrough in street light technology," said Jim Haworth, chairman and chief executive officer. "The pairing of price and performance will save communities and cities around the world significant amounts of money. As a company, we don't just speak of catalyzing a clean energy future, we lead -- and light -- the way."

In an historic partnership with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, approximately 4000 high-pressure sodium 100 and 150 watt street lights will be replaced with Lighting Science Group's ultra-efficient and long-lasting RoadMaster street lights, resulting in a reduction in energy usage and maintenance costs of up to 50%.

Lighting Science Group's world-class team of scientists and engineers re-conceptualized the design of traditional roadway applications, and as a result, the advanced componentry inside the RoadMaster makes the product more affordable and reliable than competing alternatives. The RoadMaster joins Lighting Science Group's full line of roadway products that have been installed around the world, including Mexico City, Salt Lake City, Sydney, and Washington D.C.

For more information on Lighting Science Group's RoadMaster and other roadway products visit: http://www.lsgc.com

About Lighting Science Group

Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSCG.OB) designs, develops, manufactures and markets LED lighting solutions that are environmentally friendlier and more energy efficient than traditional lighting products. Lighting Science Group offers retrofit LED lamps in form factors that match the form factor of traditional lamps or bulbs and LED luminaires for a range of applications including public and private infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor applications. Lighting Science Group's Advanced Projects Group business unit designs, develops and manufactures custom LED lighting solutions for architectural and artistic projects. Lighting Science Group is headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida; the Company's European operations are based in Goes, The Netherlands; and, the Company has a sales office in Sydney, Australia. Lighting Science Group employs approximately 600 workers building lighting products from domestic and imported parts. Lighting Science Group is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company. More information about Lighting Science Group is available at http://www.lsgc.com.

Forward Looking Statement. Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the performance of LSG and its products and/or use terminology such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "plan," "project," "seek," "target," "will" and variations of such words and similar expressions. Such statements reflect the current view of LSG with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. In evaluating these statements, you should carefully review the risk factors detailed under "Risk Factors" in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that may cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact: Andy Beck MWW Group 202-288-6862 Andy.Beck@lsgc.com

Excerpt from:
Lighting Science Group Launches Ultra-efficient LED RoadMaster™ Street Light; Reaches Cost Parity With Traditional ...

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials at Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) recognized that Long Lake Elementary School needed a major overhaul. Out of renovation options, the District opted for a complete rebuild of the nearly 50-year-old building in an effort to make the new school a model of energy efficiency and sustainability. To help achieve its overall goal of creating a high-quality, LEED-certified visual learning environment, the school turned to energy-efficient solutions from Cooper Lighting, an industry leader committed to delivering innovative products and driving transformational technology in the lighting industry.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120426/DA95158)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101214/MM17721LOGO)

"The project originated from the need to replace an outdated elementary school that was built in the 1950s and out of options for renovation," says John E. Dancer, AIA, vice president, Cornerstone Architects. "The project is part of an overall effort to bring the TCAPS elementary schools into the twenty-first century, and to design efficient 'Learning Centers' to serve TCAPS students in today's world."

The building design team's lighting goal for the new $8.3 million, 50,752 square foot facility was to provide a comfortable atmosphere with flexible controls for the interior and sufficient illumination for safety in the exterior areas of the school. After analyzing the project based on cost and lighting calculations, the TCAPS design team selected a wide range of highly efficient interior fluorescent fixtures and exterior LED products from Cooper Lighting.

"To satisfy the interior lighting goals, we designed recessed, pendant and high-bay linear fluorescent fixtures with multiple controls to allow users to determine the level of light that best suited their needs," says Jason VanBrocklin, PE, president, Nealis Engineering, Inc.

The fixtures included Cooper's Portfolio downlights in the media center and corridors, as well as multiple products from the company's Corelite and Metalux lines used in the classrooms, offices, cafeteria, gymnasium and other locations throughout the school.

For each exterior space, the design team specified conventional lamping with an LED alternative in order to compare initial cost during the bidding process. For the entries and exits, compact fluorescent wall packs were specified; for the parking lots and driveway, pole-mounted metal halide fixtures were chosen. The resulting analysis, based on cost and lighting calculations, overwhelmingly favored LED fixtures for all three applications. This guided the design team to choose LED products including Invue Entri LED Wall Mount Luminaires for the entries and exits and McGraw-Edison Ventus Outdoor LED Area Luminaires for the parking lots, main entrance and along the driveway.

"The biggest lesson learned from this project has to be the even distribution of light that the Cooper Lighting LED fixtures produce," says VanBrocklin. "There are no hot spots directly underneath the pole-mounted fixtures, creating a more even distribution of light."

Cooper Lighting's outdoor LED luminaires incorporate patent-pending modular LightBAR technology that features the company's patented AccuLED Optics system, setting the industry benchmark for reliable photometric performance, scalability and energy efficiency. The system's unique application-specific design allows lumen and energy output to be customized to fulfill the exact needs of the outdoor space -- eliminating wasted energy and obtrusive spill light. The technology provides up to 75 percent energy savings over standard H.I.D. systems while also providing a 50,000+ hour rated life, six times longer than the traditional metal halide sources found in most outdoor applications.

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Cooper Lighting Solutions Help Long Lake Elementary School Become a Model of Energy Efficiency

This evening, New Yorks Meulensteen Gallery opens Steven Holl Architects Forking Time exhibition, an unveiling of the firms new design for the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University (ICA) in Richmond, Va. The exhibition includes more than 30 watercolors and 30 models (both digital and analog). In the exhibit, Steven Holl, FAIA, and partner Chris McVoy, AIA, attempt to chart their definitively non-linear studio design process.

The shows title, Forking Time, refers to a concept present in both the New York exhibition and the design for the Richmond museum. When the ICA opens in 2015, four distinct galleries will allow for several shows to run concurrently. To the architects, the notion of forking spaces taps a vein within the current state of contemporary artone of multiple parallel paths being undertaken simultaneously, according to McVoy.

Forking time also describes Steven Holl Architects studio process, which McVoy describes as a kind of back and forth, where watercolor informs model, and model informs watercolor, and the models are both digital and analog. The show at Meulensteen Gallery, which runs through June 2, depicts this back-and-forth notion through the relationship of one watercolor to the next, and between models and watercolors.

Holls office has completed the schematic design for the new Institute for Contemporary Art, and Virginia Commonwealth University unveiled it yesterday in a press release announcing the general project details. Meulensteen Gallery, which has shown Holls watercolors in the past, asked Steven Holl Architects to mount a show as the designs coalesced for the ICA. We wouldnt do this with any project, but because this project has a resonance with contemporary art thats in Chelsea, and in the neighboring galleries, we felt that we could gain from that synergy, McVoy says.

As the 38,000-square-foot ICA project is scheduled to open in 2015, the gallery show opening tonight appears to be an effort to drum up support for the ICAalthough nothing in the show is for sale. Weve arrived at a design that were happy withafter trying many different things, which are shown in the exhibitionand VCUs happy with it. The project is ready to be unveiled to the public, so thats the kind of timing, McVoy explains. Also, for fundraising, theres a very real timing aspect.

We believe in this multiple forking path ourselves in our process, McVoy says. That we try one route, and then it leads to new things, and then we abandon other things and fork off in another direction, both in terms of media and in terms of design.

Link:
Steven Holl Architects Opens “Forking Time” Exhibit

Architects from some of the most prominent firms in the world -- including Renzo Piano and UN Studio's Ben Van Berkel-- joined a long list of well-known local designers Wednesday in presenting hugely ambitious if largely fanciful plans for expanding Los Angeles' Union Station.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which now owns the station and a 40-acre parcel of land surrounding it, plans to choose a single team of designers as the master planner for the station site by late June.

Anticipating not only the possible arrival of high-speed rail service but also the construction of a massive mixed-use development -- Metro holds entitlements to build as much as 6 million square feet of new office, retail and residential space around the station -- Metro officials asked the six teams of architects, engineers and consultants to prepare "vision boards" imagining what the site might look like in 2050.

But -- talk about raining on your own parade! -- those officials stressed Wednesday in introducing the competing teams that the boards will play little role in their deliberations. A press release Metro handed out was even blunter. "The Vision Boards are not part of the formal evaluation process," it read.

Instead, Martha Welborne, Metro's executive planning director, said the idea was to try to find some inspiring ideas for the site and for downtown by asking the participating architects to let their imaginations roam.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off the event, which attracted a standing-room only crowd to Union Station's Old Ticket Room. He said the master plan offered an opportunity for Los Angeles to pursue a major transformation, pivoting "from the city of congestion and sprawl" to a city with increased mass-transit options and a commitment to environmental sustainability.

Then each team gave a condensed, five-minute version of what it saw as the potential for the site, which sits between a resurgent downtown core and the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. In each proposal Union Station itself would be fully preserved, with new station buildings added to handle high-speed rail or other train traffic.

Several teams called for new ribbons of development stretching from Union Station either toward the river or across the 101 Freeway and toward the Civic Center. Others, including Piano, imagined a collection of new towers rising at the rear of the existing station.

Still others -- including the group made of up local architects Moore Ruble Yudell in collaboration with Mexican architect Enrique Norten and the Dutch landscape architecture firm West 8 -- put their focus on open-air amenities and taking advantage of the mild Southern California climate.

There was an embarrassment of design talent packed inside the room on Wednesday, to be sure. But it remains impossible to guess what the connection will be between these visions -- many of them unconstrained by political or financial realities -- and what is ultimately built.

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Star architects unveil wild plans for Union Station circa 2050

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Landscape architects will join others from Honolulu to Philadelphia and gather today on local street corners, in parks, and on trails in celebration of National Landscape Architecture Month (NLAM). An often-misunderstood profession, landscape architects will demonstrate how they design the environment by preserving nature, creating active ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, contributing to cleaner air and, in particular, encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Landscape architects create spaces that promote physical activity, including parks, recreational facilities, bicycle paths, walking trails, and transportation corridors that offer alternatives to a reliance on cars, said Susan Hatchell, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

National events include landscape architects sketching new designs to better their neighborhoods or leading bike- or walking-tours that showcase examples of landscape architectures contributions to local communities.

The 26th marks Frederick Law Olmsteds birthday, who is considered the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted designed such iconic spaces as Central Park, and his son helped found ASLA in 1899.

View all scheduled nationwide events via Google maps.

The national map of events is truly impressive, and we know many more events have yet to be reported, said Hatchell. This day of action is indicative of our memberships commitment to educating the public on how design tackles issues from obesity and heart design to climate change. A new ASLA brochure, Designing for Your Health and Well-Being, describes the ways that landscape design can promote healthy living.

Since Olmsteds time, the field of landscape architecture has led environmental solutions and prompted new, healthy approaches to civic planning with such design innovations as green roofs, partnership in sustainability certification, and green infrastructure solutions.

Learn more about landscape architecture by visiting http://www.asla.org/design.

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Landscape Architects Hold Simultaneous Events Coast to Coast on April 26th