Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Leyland Gnu

 
The Gnu was introduced to the world at the 1937 Commercial Motor Show and its official designation was the TEC2. Five of these revolutionary coaches (HVW213-7) were delivered new to City Coach of Brentwood in Essex in August 1939 and numbered G2-6. They carried dual door 39 seat bodies by Duple.
 
Sadly the Gnu’s twin-steer arrangement did not find favour with operators and only 8 in total were built. A change to regulations allowing a 30ft PSV on 2 axles meant that the idea was soon dropped. (Source)
Image sources:
1. johnmightycat1 @ Flickr;
2-4. SCT61 Pages;
5. Austin7nut @ Flickr

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Red Hotel

Grand Hotel Trento 
The building of Grand Hotel Trento is a fine example of Razionalismo, the Italian version of International Style. It was built by Giovanni Lorenzi in 1939

Photo and caption by AndreasC @ Flickr

Friday, May 25, 2012

A Touch of Green

Case: malachite and platinum
Created by Vacheron & Constantine (Geneve) for Mauboussin (Paris)
1930s

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Light Experimental

'Lightweight' 2-cylinder 4-6-2 locomotive with add-on experimental streamlined casing
Deutsche Reichsbahn, 1930s

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Chemical Hiking

 Young pioneers from the Artek Camp in Crimea are prepared for poisonous gas attack!
1940

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Blue Lightning

 The H-44 tactical bomber of the Heliconian Royal Air Force nicknamed the “Blue Lightning” for its speed and ability to inflict massive damage on the ground.

By JonHall18 @ Flickr

See "JonHall's Air Power" (NEW!) @ Dieselpunk Encyclopedia

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Green Inkstand

This gorgeous example of plastic Deco is made of Galalith plastic, that one made from cow's milk. This jewel was machined out of Galalith slabs. Made in Brazil, unmarked.

Photo by galessa's plastic @ Flickr

Friday, May 18, 2012

Rationalism

Palazzina Reale (part of Santa Maria Novella railway station, Florence)
1935
Architect: Giovanni Michelucci

Photo by Cheego @ Flickr

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Biopunk

Nice, 1944

An improvised AFV, armed with two machine guns in a Panhard 178 turret and fitted by a gazogene (gasification device). Wood chips were used as a fuel.

See Biopunk Vehicles @ Dieselpunks.org

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Thought For Food

 A booklet issued by Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, 1936

National Mark was a 1920s and '30s marketing 'brand' promoted by Government to boost sales of home grown UK foods - this is one of a series of recipe booklets issued and is, unusually, colourful - earlier examples had tended to be quite dull 'governmental' productions!

Via mikeyashworth @ Flickr

Monday, May 14, 2012

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Some Timetool

Hamilton US Army 24-hour dial
1942

See "Dieselpunk Timetools" (NEW!) @ Dieselpunk Encyclopedia

Saturday, May 12, 2012

MLC Building

231 Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand
1939-1940
Architects: Mitchell & Mitchell


Photo by Deco Danny @ Flickr

Friday, May 11, 2012

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Flying Vulture

Breguet Br.460-01 Vultur
June 10, 1935

In 1935 the Société Anonyme des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Breguet produced the Bre 460 M5 Vultur light bomber and strike aircraft, powered by two Gnome & Rhône 14Krsd engines, only one example was produced.
The Bre 460 M5 was developed into the Bre 462 B4, fitted with new engines, reduced cabin glazing area, a new tail, and enhanced equipment; the first of two examples produced was flown in October 1936.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Republic Steel

Photo by William Rittasse, from a 1931 issue of Fortune magazine

Scanned and retouched by paul.malon @ Flickr

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Friday, May 4, 2012

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Japy Typewriter

Japy P6 portable
Made in France, 1937 - 1948 under licence from Patria, Switzerland

Photo by shordzi @ Flickr

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Dream Bomber

First flown in prototype form in mid-1930, the Handley Page HP.50 Heyford was the last of the RAF's long-range biplane night bombers.
 The Heyford was an equal-span biplane with staggered wings: the upper wing centre-section rested on top of the fuselage, while the lower was positioned well below the fuselage, connected to the under-fuselage by N-type struts.
The inner interplane struts supported the engine mountings. An interesting feature of the design was that bombs of various sizes were carried inside the thickened centre-section of the lower wing, each bomb being carried in a separate cell closed by spring doors. The fixed landing gear comprised two large wheels faired into the lower wing.
A total of 124 Heyfords were built, made up of 38 Mk I and IA, 1 intermediate Mk IA/II, 16 Mk II and 71 Mk III - these figures being adjusted to take into account changes made from the original production orders. Heyfords served with heavy-bomber squadrons from 1933 to 1939, giving way to more modern monoplanes of World War II-type.