Comment

Comment by Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat) on June 24, 2023 at 12:11pm

Congratulations, Val, on a great and fascinating project, and surely and interesting book. 

Why are manhole covers round?

...to make happy faces on 'em :-)

Comment by Carien van Hest on June 24, 2023 at 9:56am

Congratulations on this achievement!

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 24, 2023 at 7:21am

"MANHOLE COVERS", BY VALENTINE M. HERMAN

My latest book is now available from Amazon.com.  It costs $20/€21 (plus shipping). Alternatively you can buy a copy directly from me for $15/€15 (plus shipping). A signed copy is also available at $15.01/€15.01(plus shipping), and a copy signed by me is also available at $15.02/€15.02 (plus shipping).

Here is a description of the book:

"This book contains images of 120 Manhole Cover designs from 100 cities in 20 different countries.

Manhole Covers are a neglected form of street art. They are largely ignored even though we encounter them every day. We walk, drive and cycle over them. Usually we don’t take any notice of them: they are just there, all around us on roads and pavements in many different shapes, sizes and patterns. – an essential, but ignored, part of the architecture of our urban environment. They are part of our Urban Architecture.

This comprises elements of the cities in which we live, play and work. It includes street lamps; mail and post boxes; shop fronts and signs; shutters and windows; doors and door knockers on private and public buildings; mail, post and telephone boxes; statues in parks; stone ornaments and metal plaques on houses and in gardens in public and private spaces; fountain and monuments; etc. And Manhole Covers.

We live in not one, but rather two, urban environments. An overground one; and a parallel, underground, subterranean one that is hidden from us, is unknown, and consequently ignored. Manhole Covers are an interface between these two worlds of light and darkness.

As a form of street art, a Manhole Covers provide a surface – a canvas, if you like – for a wealth of industrial and artistic expression in the open-air urban art gallery that we (usually subconsciously) visit daily.

The collection of Manhole Covers in this book includes Art Deco-style Manhole Covers with geometric patterns; Art Nouveau-style Manhole Covers with winding and twisting patterns; and a whole range of Manhole Covers with designs both ancient and modern. They are rich in imagery whether it be the coat of arms or view of a city, a company logo, a regional animal, bird or fish, or even an inspirational message --‘I Have A Dream’– a dream of what? A Manhole Cover?"

I would like to thank, nay thank very much, all members of this Group who have sent me Manhole Covers especially:  Heleen   Bradford   Carien  Raphael   Alan B   Bobbi   Katerina   Bonnevieda   Sil   Mim  Mother Brando   Richard C   Irene S  Diane H   Ilya S-B  Amy K

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!

Comment by Raphael Nadolny on June 23, 2023 at 1:32pm

Somewhere in Warsaw ... 

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 23, 2023 at 7:56am

TOMORROW BRINGS AMAZON MANHOLE COVER BOOK DETAILS: TODAY DELIVERS HELEEN'S SECOND MANHOLE COVER CARTOON

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 22, 2023 at 7:27am

COMING VERY SOON VIA AMAZON....DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE WEEKEND......MY 'MANHOLE COVERS' BOOK

Featuring 120+Manhole Covers from 40+ different countries, AND two special Manhole Cover cartoons from Heleen

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 19, 2023 at 9:47am

Job Interview Question And Answer: Why Are Manhole Covers Round?

This question was made famous when Microsoft began using it in job interviews. It is an example of a creative problem-solving question that is used to assess how a person approaches a problem with more than one possible answer, and to test their logic, common sense and ability to think through an unusual question in a high pressure interview setting.  

According to Joel Spolsky, one of Microsoft’s early program managers, questions like these distinguish between people who are smart and get things done, people who are smart but don’t get things done, and people who get things done but are not smart.

Microsoft must have been onto something, because this type of question has been adopted by many other companies as an alternative to more traditional interview questions.

A number of possible explanations for why manhole covers are round include:

• A round manhole cover cannot fall through its circular opening, whereas a square manhole cover could fall in if it were inserted diagonally in the hole.
• Circular covers don’t need to be rotated or precisely aligned when placing them on the opening.
• A round manhole cover is easily moved and rolled.
• Human beings have a roughly circular cross-section.
• Round tubes are the strongest shape against the compression of the earth around them, so the cover of the tube would naturally be round as well.
• It’s easier to dig a circular hole.
• Round castings are much easier to manufacture using a lathe.

                            (No, I didn't get the job)

Comment by Carien van Hest on June 18, 2023 at 6:15pm

Souillac, Corrèze, France:

Comment by Raphael Nadolny on June 12, 2023 at 2:25pm

Somewhere in Warsaw ....

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 9, 2023 at 8:11am

FOUR FROM HAN FISCHER IN EINDHOVEN, HOLLAND : BEDANKT, HAN

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