Wednesday, December 10, 2008

listening to the sky...

listening to the sky from a 1940's linen postcard

a detail from a 1940's "linen" postcard (so called because of the texture of the paper), of some military men with an incredible listening device to hear approaching airplanes. i suppose it is the equivalent of a telescope for ears. it would be nice if one could use such a device to listen to the stars or the sky, not for planes and bombs, but for voices that have somehow gotten lost, dawn or dusk stars perhaps, or the quiet breath and motion of clouds... i wonder how birdsongs from a nearby tree would sound coming through such a contraption, as well as someone in a treehouse whistling... does the moon make sounds as it drifts in orbit... and what about singing or playing records beneath this thing and projecting the sounds up to sky. i think the sky would like that.

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5 Comments:

Blogger Steven Grimley-Taylor said...

On this theme, check out the Japanese War-Tubas!

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/COMMS/ear/ear.htm

5:03 AM  
Blogger susan heggestad said...

Reminds me of the image from Kate Bush's single, Cloudbusting...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudbusting

6:18 AM  
Blogger sroden said...

hey thanks for the links! amazing stuff!!!!!

8:00 AM  
Blogger ArtSparker said...

Hypervigilant hardware

4:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

See a Shorpy posted photo titled "Bolling Field 1921"

10:45 AM  

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