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Mona Lisa

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Mona Lisa

She smiles well…

  • The Mona Lisa is a portrait of a woman, believed to be Lisa Gherardini, and the painting was probably commissioned by her husband, Francesco del Giocondo, a cloth merchant.
  • The Mona Lisa is also known as ‘La Gioconda’, a reference to her married name, or ‘La Joconde’, meaning ‘the happy one’.
  • The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian artist, and was painted between 1503 and 1506.
  • The Mona Lisa is an oil painting on a poplar wood panel, and has the dimensions of 77 cm by 53 cm (30 inches by 21 inches), and is the most famous painting in the world.
  • It is believed that the person who commissioned the Mona Lisa was never given the painting, and remained in da Vinci’s possession until his death, and eventually was obtained by the French king, King Francis I.

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Mona Lisa
Image courtesy of Edwin/Flickr
  • The Mona Lisa was stolen on the 21 August 1911 by an Italian Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, and was missing for two years, and eventually turned up in Italy, where Peruggia had taken it.
  • The fame of the Mona Lisa painting was partly fueled by its theft in 1911, as the media reported it across the world.
  • The Mona Lisa has had acid, rocks, paint and a cup thrown at it, but it is still in good condition due to the restoration, touch-ups and cleaning it has had.
  • The Mona Lisa has been located at the Louvre (Musée du Louvre) in Paris since 1797, and approximately 6 million people visit it every year, even though most of the visitors only get to see it in a crowded room and choose to look at it for approximately 15 seconds.
  • The Mona Lisa is not insured as it is considered priceless, and it has a current estimated value of almost US$760 million, based on an insurance assessment in the early 1960s, valued then at $100 million.
Bibliography:
Mona Lisa, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

Hollywood

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Hollywood

World of film.

  • Hollywood is a suburb located in Los Angeles, California, United States and is also known as ‘Tinseltown’.
  • Hollywood is  famous for being the home of many celebrities and film studios, although much of the film industry has now been scattered throughout the region.
  • The name ‘Hollywood’ was named by land developer, Hobart Johnstone Whitley and his wife, whilst they were honeymooning in 1886, who is known as the “Father of Hollywood”.
  • As of 2012, Hollywood is a multicultural suburb, with a population of between 180,000 and 200,000 people, with nearly 50% of those born in a foreign country.
  • Hollywood was originally known as Cahuenga Valley to the agricultural community that lived in the area in the mid to late 19th century, and by 1900 the area had a post office, hotel, and a newspaper.

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Hollywood
Image courtesy of J Voves/Flickr
  • David Wark Griffith was the first person to make a film in Hollywood, a short film released in 1910, and the first studio in Hollywood was the Nestor Studio, which was established in 1911.
  • Hollywood has seven primary schools, two middle schools and three high schools.
  • The first Academy Awards in 1929, or Oscars as they are now known, were celebrated and presented in Hollywood at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and since then they have changed venues numerous times, but are now held annually in Hollywood.
  • Many famous landmarks are in Hollywood such as the Hollywood sign which is found on Mt Lee, the highest point in Los Angeles, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where over 2300 celebrity names can be found.
  • At one point, Hollywood was the home of nearly all of the Los Angeles radio stations, although most of them have now moved to different areas.
Bibliography:
Hollywood, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood>

Bougainvillea

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Bougainvillea

Everyone look at me!

  • Bougainvilleas are a woody vine from the family Nyctaginaceae, which is the family of Four O’Clock plants.
  • Bougainvilleas are also known as Napoleón, veranera, trinitaria, Santa Rita and papelillo.
  • South America is the native home of bougainvillea plants, and in its natural tropical growing environment, it flowers all year.
  • Bougainvilleas grow 1-12 metres (3 to 39 feet) in height depending on the species, and can be grown in pots, as a bonsai, in hanging baskets, along walls, over trellises, as a hedge and other places in the garden.
  • Bougainvilleas were first recorded by the Europeans, by French botanist Philibert Commerçon, in the 1760s.

Bougainvillea, Pink, Flowers, Bunch, Stem, House, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • The bougainvillea was named by Commerçon, after the French admiral, Loui-Antoine de Bougainville, who was an explorer, and whom Commerçon had joined for an expedition around the world.
  • Bougainvilleas are evergreen and grow well in warm to hot climates, although they can become dormant and lose their leaves in winter if it becomes too cold, and they can be damaged  by frosts.
  • Bougainvillea flowers are generally white or cream coloured, and are sometimes overlooked, as the papery bracts surrounding them easily distract with their vibrant colours of pink, white, orange, purple or burgundy.
  • Bougainvilleas need good drainage, are very hardy once established, can tolerate salty environments, and are not usually attacked by pests.
  • Bougainvilleas are a popular garden plant, due to their stunningly coloured bracts and their versatility in the garden.
Bibliography:
Bougainvillea 101, 2013, BGI,  <http://www.bgi-usa.com/kb/bougainvillea-101/>
Plant Profile: Bougainvillea, 2011, Gardening Australia, <http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866496.htm>

Eyeglasses

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Eyeglasses

Magical lenses.

  • Glasses are also known as ‘eyeglasses’ and ‘spectacles’.
  • Glasses are used to help correct one’s vision, or give protection to they eyes from something, such as the sun.
  • Glasses were first made in Italy in about 1286, although the concept of magnification was discovered before 400BC Egypt.
  • Some glasses, called ‘safety glasses’ are used to protect eyes from chemicals, potentially dangerous machinery, and fragments or debri that may lodge in the eye.
  • Some glasses have special lenses that create a visual 3D effect when wearing them, so one can watch a film in 3D.

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  • Modern glasses sit on the nose, have two lenses usually made from polycarbonate or other plastic, and are supported by arms that rest on the ears.
  • In the 1500s and 1600s, demand for glasses greatly increased due to the accessibility of books to the general public, and then the release of newspapers, and merchants were commonly seen in streets selling them.
  • Some older glasses don’t have ear supports or have one lens such as the pince-nez and the monocle.
  • Some glasses, called sunglasses, have dark lenses, to darken bright light from the sun and protect the eyes from UV rays.
  • It is estimated that approximately 64% of adult Americans wear glasses.
Bibliography:
Glasses, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasses>

Octopus

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Octopus

Yummy food!  Interesting creature…

  • ‘Octopuses’, the plural form of ‘octopus’, also called ‘octipi’ or ‘octopodes’, have also be known as ‘devilfish’, and are from the mollusc family, octopod, and grow from 5 cm (2 inches) to 10 metres (32 feet) in length, depending on the species.
  • Octopuses live in the ocean, in rocky, protected areas close to the seabed, and spend their time in dens when they are resting.
  • There are over 200 species of octopuses, all of which are venomous, although they are not dangerous to humans, except for the deadly Blue-Ringed Octopus as its venom can be fatal.
  • Octopuses squirt ink to confuse and hide from their predators, and the colour of the ink comes from melanin, the same colouring agent in human hair and skin.
  • Octopuses have eight arms, hence the name ‘octo’pus, that hang behind them when swimming, although they often ‘walk’ on them, and on each arm they usually have suction cups or suckers that enable them to feel and taste.

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Octopus
Image courtesy of Morten Brekkevold/Flickr
  • Octopuses live for as long as six months to five years, depending on the species, and usually die a few months after mating.
  • An octopus has three hearts, two to pump blood to its gills, and one to pump blood around its body, and they have no skeleton, which allows them to squeeze into tight places and escape from predators.
  • Octopuses have been observed playing with toys, using tools, escaping tanks and boarding ships, and sometimes they decorate the entrance to their den with shells, rocks and other interesting things they can find.
  • Octopuses can change body colour to blend into their surroundings, due to their skin cells containing a colour changing pigment called chromatophores, which can be coloured yellow, red, brown, black, or orange.
  • Octopuses have a retractable parrot-like beak that they use to eat their prey, which can include crabs, molluscs, crayfish, worms, and small fish.
Bibliography:
Octopus, 2013, Animal Planet, <http://animal.discovery.com/marine-life/octopus-info.htm>
Octopus, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus>

Watermelon

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Watermelon

Refreshing, on a hot day.

  • The scientific name for watermelons is citrullas lanatus, and they grow on a vine-like flowering plant from the family Cucurbitaceae, which is the family of squashes, melons and gourds.
  • Watermelons are believed to be native to southern and tropical Africa, where it grows in the wild.
  • Watermelons have a smooth outer casing that can be green, yellow, black or white in colour, often with dark stripes, and they normally have a juicy red interior, although they can also be white or yellow inside.
  • Watermelons were eaten in Ancient Egypt, and watermelon seeds have been found in Pharaoh tombs.
  • One beehive is normally placed for every 4000 square metres (1 acre) of watermelon plants, so that they can be effectively pollinated.

Watermelon, Cut, Halves, Seedless, Pattern, Green, Red, Ten Random Facts

  • Watermelons take from 80-95 days to mature, and be ready for harvest, depending on the variety.
  • China produced almost 70 million tonnes (77 million tons) of watermelons in 2011, which was over 66% of the world’s production.
  • Watermelons contain significant amounts of Vitamin A and C, and water makes up approximately 91% of a watermelon’s weight, and 6% is sugar.
  • Some Japanese watermelon farmers have been known to grow watermelons in glass cubes, which produces cubic watermelons, that enables the watermelons to be stacked more easily.
  • The seeds and rind of the watermelon are nutritious and edible, and even though it is common for people to discard the rinds and just eat the flesh, they can be made into pickles, jams, candy, stir-fried, or cooked in curries or other dishes, or eaten raw, and the juice of the watermelon can be made into wine.
Bibliography:
Watermelon, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon>
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