The Wright brothers--Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912)--were two American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful motor-operated airplane.  They made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, 4 mi (6 km) south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  The brothers were also the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.  In 1904–1905, the Wright brothers developed their flying machine to make longer-running and more aerodynamic flights with the Wright Flyer II, followed by the first truly practical fixed-wing aircraft, the Wright Flyer III.  The brothers' breakthrough was their creation of a three-axis control system, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium.  This method remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds.  From the beginning of their aeronautical work, Wilbur and Orville focused on developing a reliable method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem".  This approach differed significantly from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines.  Using a small home-built wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than any before, enabling them to design more efficient wings and propellers.  Their first U.S. patent did not claim invention of a flying machine, but rather a system of aerodynamic control that manipulated a flying machine's surfaces.  The brothers gained the mechanical skills essential to their success by working for years in their Dayton, Ohio-based shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery.  Their work with bicycles, in particular, influenced their belief that an unstable vehicle such as a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice.  From 1900 until their first powered flights in late 1903, they conducted extensive glider tests that also developed their skills as pilots.  Their shop employee Charlie Taylor became an important part of the team, building their first airplane engine in close collaboration with the brothers.  The Wright brothers' status as inventors of the airplane has been subject to counter-claims by various parties.  Much controversy persists over the many competing claims of early aviators.  Edward Roach, historian for the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, argues that they were excellent self-taught engineers who could run a small company, but they did not have the business skills or temperament to dominate the growing aviation industry.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers  See also Wright Brothers National Memorial at https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm 

The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America.  Initiated in reaction against the perceived impoverishment of the decorative arts and the conditions in which they were produced, the movement flourished in Europe and North America between about 1880 and 1920.  It is the root of the Modern Style, the British expression of what later came to be called the Art Nouveau movement, which it strongly influenced.  In Japan it emerged in the 1920s as the Mingei movement.  It stood for traditional craftsmanship, and often used medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration.  It advocated economic and social reform and was anti-industrial in its orientation.   It had a strong influence on the arts in Europe until it was displaced by Modernism in the 1930s,  and its influence continued among craft makers, designers, and town planners long afterwards.  The term was first used by T. J. Cobden-Sanderson at a meeting of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1887, although the principles and style on which it was based had been developing in England for at least 20 years.  It was inspired by the ideas of architect Augustus Pugin, writer John Ruskin, and designer William Morris.  In Scotland it is associated with key figures such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  The terms American Craftsman or Craftsman style are often used to denote the style of architecture, interior design, and decorative arts that prevailed between the dominant eras of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the US, or approximately the period from 1910 to 1925.  The movement was particularly notable for the professional opportunities it opened up for women as artisans, designers and entrepreneurs who founded and ran, or were employed by, such successful enterprises as the Kalo Shops, Pewabic Pottery, Rookwood Pottery, and Tiffany Studios.  In Canada, the term Arts and Crafts predominates, but Craftsman is also recognized.  The first American Arts and Crafts Exhibition began on April 5, 1897, at Copley Hall, Boston featuring more than 1000 objects made by 160 craftsmen, half of whom were women.  The success of this exhibition resulted in the incorporation of The Society of Arts and Crafts (SAC), on June 28, 1897, with a mandate to "develop and encourage higher standards in the handicrafts."  The 21 founders claimed to be interested in more than sales, and emphasized encouragement of artists to produce work with the best quality of workmanship and design.  Built in 1913-14 by the Boston architect J. Williams Beal in the Ossipee Mountains of New Hampshire, Tom and Olive Plant's mountaintop estate, Castle in the Clouds also known as Lucknow, is an excellent example of the American Craftsman style in New England.  See lists of architectural examples, leading practitioners and many graphics at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_Crafts_movement 

William Morris (1834-1896) was an English artist, designer, writer and socialist.  William Morris quotes:  “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”  “Not on one strand are all life's jewels strung.”  “It took me years to understand that words are often as important as experience, because words make experience last.”   https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/william-morris-3212.php 

“Symbolism and meaning are two separate things.”  “Artists are those who can evade the verbose.”  “Cats know everything.  Not like dogs.”  Kafka on the Shore, a novel by Haruki Murakami  See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafka_on_the_Shore 

The name “Kafka” means crow in Czech.  Crows in Kafka on the Shore are harbingers of protection, warning, and advice.  More specifically, they signify wisdom that feels as if it is coming from an inner voice or conscience.  https://www.litcharts.com/lit/kafka-on-the-shore/symbols/crows 

List of fictional cats in literature:  the extensive list goes from Alonzo from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot to Tuffy from Diary of a Killer Cat by Ann Fine  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_cats_in_literature 

The 10 Most Beloved Dogs in Literature by Katherine Ripley  The list includes Lassie, her story based on the 1940 novel “Lassie Come-Home,” in which this faithful Collie goes on an epic journey to reunite with the little boy she loves.  The story touched so many hearts that it turned into one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises; Dorothy’s Cairn Terrier, Toto from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, a children’s book by L. Frank Baum before it was a movie.  Toto serves as Dorothy’s confidant on her journey through the land of Oz; and Argos, Odysseus’ dog in “The Odyssey.”  He plays a small role in the book, but an important one. When Odysseus returns home to Ithaca after 20 years, Argos is the only one who recognizes him.  Now that his master is home, Argos can die in peace.  See the complete list at https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/the-10-most-beloved-dogs-in-literature/ 

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2428  September 27, 2021