Robert Proctor

Robert Proctor

@rproctor.bsky.social

Architectural historian of the twentieth century.

1.2K followers443 following1K posts

Robert Proctor reposted

I know it's hard to find another use for something this big, but it's bloody lovely and would be a loss. I popped back to see it properly. Hotel de Luc, Tunis.

I have issues. Not least, the use of two different sans-serif fonts and one not-quite-serif font. And the use of brown, 'limestone' and blue to represent Bath, but not, say, green?

Reading student reviews of my university, and the most frequent complaint is overcrowded, infrequent and overpriced buses to campus. Pretty much been the case for a decade at least. You'd think someone would look into that.

Particularly admired this Walter Ritchie sculpture, mid-1950s, moved to the side of the art gallery, representing (so the sign says) 'Man's struggle to control the world inside himself' and that 'outside himself'.

Have always suspected this, that the curves are to give a definite character rather than to appear straight.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

'after a detailed investigation, and a flurry of mathematical modelling, Prof Alain Goriely at the University of Oxford has reached an awkward conclusion. The optical illusions the curves are meant to fix are either nonsense or practically imperceptible....the illusions are themselves an illusion.'

Found a good CFP. Can't decide which of three possible proposals to put in. Writing them all out to see which looks best. Not sure this is the most fruitful use of my time.

You know when you think you've found a really good building and then you look it up and find that of course it was by such-and-such? Postmodern theatre and media complex at Chambéry by Mario Botta, 1982-87, extended by Aurelio Galfetti, 1992.

Hard drive on the blink. The eyewatering price of new computers now! Another AI benefit ... Bought an old fashioned replacement hard drive and a cable instead. Fingers crossed I don't break something.

Anyway, this year I'm taking all my annual leave whether I have anything fancy to do or not. So hello from a marsh in Gloucestershire, where there's a spoonbill looking as relaxed as me.

Robert Proctor reposted

NEWS: Yes, Prime Minister? The RC Church of St Oswald & St Edmund Arrowsmith (J Sydney Brocklesby, 1925-30) in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, has been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* by DCMS. The French Romanesque church contains an unrivalled collection of stained glass by artist Harry Clarke.

Robert Proctor reposted

Struggling to read a poorly written and badly edited academic book from a while ago, had to laugh when the last sentence just cuts off halfway through, 2/3 the way down a page, like the author reached a deadline at 5.00 so just stopped work and sent it in.