The lightning roared overhead as I opened my front door. The main supercell had already passed, however I managed to set up my tripod just in time to capture these stunning clouds.
Shot on the iPhone 16 pro, 1080p timelapse, stabilized.
This was my first time trying to capture the Andromeda Galaxy, and I succeeded with the aurora borealis popping in! That faint light in the middle? That’s a galaxy 2.5 million light years away.
Captured on the iPhone 16 pro, 30-second exposure, 24mm camera.
I found these weird perfectly circular boulders in Lake Huron, MI. They’re in about five and a half feet of water, just a couple dozen feet from the shoreline. This area has no rocks at all, just sand bars. How is it so perfectly round?
I found this small dentary bone on the beach in Lake Huron, MI. It is 1 - 1 1/2 inches in length. I assume it is a fish bone. Any ideas?
Today I would like to share two books I recently added to my collection! Shown here are Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volumes I and IV, from the year 1889. The author is Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, who was Napoleon’s private secretary from 1797 to 1802. This edition was produced by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., 1889 as a 4-Volume Set, with Col. R. W. Phipps as the editor from the Royal Artillery.
Volume one focuses entirely on Napoleon’s early life, education, military rise, and the early establishment of the Consulate (1769-1802). The book contains eye-witness accounts of many key battles, including Lodi, Arcola, and the Pyramids. It also includes a very detailed account of how Napoleon overthrew the Directory of France, allowing his seize of power as First Consul. Because of the direct contact that Bourrienne shared with Napoleon daily during this very important period of time, this work of literature offers rare personal details about his life; his speech patterns, his temper, as well as his personal relationships before he became the Emperor.
The fourth volume focuses on Napoleon’s downfall, and the final years of his life. It covers the Russian campaign, the defense of France, and of course his forced abdication at Fontainebleau, France in 1814. The book records the battle of Waterloo in 1815, highlighting Napoleon’s ultimate defeat.
I would like to now highlight that these books are in surprisingly good condition. The wood-engraved prints are beautifully crafted, featuring portraits of prominent figures of Napoleon’s history. For books 137 years old, the binding still holds on strong. I really like that Napoleon’s golden coat of arms appears on both covers.
Overall, I am simply excited to have added these two pieces of history into my collection! I am glad I have the opportunity to share these with you! Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you have any other interesting insights below.
This is my personal friendship album from the year 1716, once owned by Johann Bartholomäi Gehler. Friendship albums (Stammbücher) were a popular way for university students and nobles to commemorate special relationships, collecting sentimental keepsakes, words of encouragement, and personal advice. I wanted to share this specific artifact with the community because its condition is truly pristine beyond reasonable doubt.
The state of preservation is phenomenal for its age. No pages are missing, and the painted colors and gold leaf accents are as vibrant as one could imagine they looked the day they were applied; each page also still retains incredibly crisp, sharp edges. I would also turn your attention to the preservation of the handwritten ink—the beautiful, dark calligraphy has survived in flawless condition for over 300 years.
Adding to its rarity, the album features two original watercolors signed by Gabriel Ambrosius Donath (1684–1760). Donath was a German Old Masters painter and miniaturist who specifically worked as a portraitist in Görlitz, Germany, before moving to Dresden in 1733 to serve as the official court and cabinet painter to Maria Josepha of Austria (the Electress of Saxony and Queen of Poland). Donath additionally contributed a personal handwritten entry to Johann himself in 1720, which remains beautifully intact within the album.
The original owner, Johann Bartholomäi Gehler, lived in Görlitz. His grandfather, Bartholomäus Gehler (1601–1676), was ennobled by Ferdinand III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Local lore says that the day before his grandfather died at the age of 75, the candle before the church altar went out as an omen. He was buried in the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a grand epitaph was erected for him in St. Peter's Church, and over 3,000 people are said to have attended his funeral.
In total, this remarkably crisp volume contains roughly 30 pages of letters written entirely by hand in ink. Bound inside are four original gouache miniatures as well as a contemporaneously hand-colored copperplate engraving (Stammbuch-Kupferstich), making it an incredibly complete, museum-grade survivor of 18th-century European nobility.
This is a friendship album from the year 1716, once owned by Johann Bartholomäi Gehler. Friendship albums were a way to collect sentimental keepsakes, such as words of encouragement and personal advice. They were a way for university students and nobles to commemorate special relationships and experiences.
Johann Bartholomäi Gehler lived in Görlitz, Germany. His grandfather Bartholomäus Gehler (1601-1676) was ennobled by Ferdinand III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The day before his grandfather died at the age of 75, the candle before the altar is said to have gone out as an omen. He was buried in the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), and an epitaph was erected for him in St. Peter's Church. Over 3,000 people are said to have attended his funeral.
This friendship album (or Stammbuch), holds many personal letters to Johann Bartholomäi Gehler. Included are four original gouache miniatures, as well as contemporaneously hand-colored copperplate engraving (Stammbuch-Kupferstich). There are 30 or so pages of letters, all hand-written in ink.
The condition of the book is phenomenal for its age. No pages are missing, and the painted colors are as vibrant as one could imagine they looked the day they were painted; each page also still has sharp edges.
Another interesting detail to include is that there are two original watercolors signed by Gabriel Ambrosius Donath (1684–1760). He was a German Old Masters painter and miniaturist who served as the official court and cabinet painter to Maria Josepha of Austria, the Electress of Saxony and Queen of Poland. Donath specifically worked as a portraitist in Görlitz, Germany before moving to Dresden in 1733. Donath additionally wrote a letter to Johann himself in 1720, which is included in this friendship album.
The letters in this friendship album are almost entirely in Latin and German. If anyone is an expert at reading these in cursive, or would simply like to take a crack at it / give it a try, please reach out and I can send over more photos of the text.
I believe this book is a friendship album or Stammbuch. The earliest date is November 9th, 1716 if I have read it properly. The condition of this book is extraordinarily pristine for its age. I believe there are no pages missing, and every corner is still sharp and not ripped. The primary location of the book is Görlitz, Germany, however many locations are noted across over a decade. Contributors include theology and law students, as well as medical doctorates.
The book contains German, Latin, and Polish language. It appears to have belonged to Johann Bartholomai Bekkers. Included inside of the book are four illustrations, three of which are original and hand-painted works of art. The fourth, a lady standing next to a lamb, appears to be a print glued into the book, and hand-colored afterwards.
One of the artworks is signed in the bottom right corner, “G. Dunath pinxit Ao 1716.” This translates from Latin to: "G. Dunath painted it in the year 1716." I believe the artist to be Gabriel Ambrosius Donath, who wrote on another page in 1726. In 1733, Donath was appointed as the official Court and Cabinet Painter to Maria Josepha of Austria (the Electress of Saxony and Queen of Poland).
An interesting inclusion in this book is a 13x13 magic square, dated 1716 as well. The inking throughout each page is detailed and highly legible. The front and middle pages are empty of text, but they are still in excellent condition. In the entry next to the magic square, the writer expressed 1716 as “the year divisible by 11, 12, and 13”, suggesting intellectual playfulness and a puzzle for the owner to solve.
Common themes included in the book include declarations of solemn friendship, approval of character to the owner, and words of wisdom for the young man to carry throughout his life.
**I picked the german flair tag, but if another one is more appropriate, please let me know. I am an amateur book collector, not an art collector, so therefore I am not educated on the wide topic. I just thought that these paintings were too beautiful not to share.
I believe this book is a friendship album or Stammbuch. The earliest date is November 9th, 1716 if I have read it properly. The condition of this book is extraordinarily pristine for its age. I believe there are no pages missing, and every corner is still sharp and not ripped.
The book contains German, Latin, and Polish language. It appears to have belonged to Johann Bartholomai Bekkers. Included inside of the book are four illustrations, three of which are original and hand-painted works of art. The fourth, a lady standing next to a lamb, appears to be a print glued into the book, and hand-colored afterwards.
One of the artworks is signed in the bottom right corner, “G. Dunath pinxit Ao 1716.” This translates from Latin to: "G. Dunath painted it in the year 1716." I believe the artist to be Gabriel Ambrosius Donath, who wrote on another page in 1726. In 1733, Donath was appointed as the official Court and Cabinet Painter to Maria Josepha of Austria (the Electress of Saxony and Queen of Poland). So finding his potential signature in this book could be historically valuable.
An interesting inclusion in this book is a 13x13 magic square, dated 1716 as well. The inking throughout each page is detailed and highly legible. The front and middle pages are empty of text, but they are still in excellent condition. In the entry next to the magic square, the writer expressed 1716 as “the year divisible by 11, 12, and 13”, suggesting intellectual playfulness and a puzzle for the owner to solve.
Common themes included in the book include declarations of solemn friendship, approval of character to the owner, and words of wisdom for the young man to carry throughout his life.
There is specifically a polish entry and that is worth noting, because I think it may be unusual to find. The primary location of the book is Görlitz, Germany, however many locations are noted across over a decade. Contributors include theology and law students, as well as medical doctorates.
I took these photos at the Dayton Air Show on my iPhone 16 pro. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flew alongside the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in a Heritage Flight, honoring all of those who have served in the U.S. Air Force past and present.
Photo number six features a Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair, a fighter from World War II and the Korean War. It is nicknamed the “Korean War Hero”.
POV: Everytime I open up a two star wonderpick
No but for real, it feels like it’s rigged. However i’ve gotten some good stuff before. This one just felt terrible.
I specifically really want the two star Giovanni card if anyone has it lmk.
The C-45 was the World War II military version of the popular Beechcraft Model 18 commercial light transport. Beech built a total of 4,526 of these aircraft for the Army Air Forces between 1939 and 1945 in four versions, the AT-7 Navigator navigation trainer, the AT-11 Kansan bombing-gunnery trainer, the C-45 Expeditor utility transport and the F-2 for aerial photography and mapping. The AT-7 and AT-11 versions were well-known to WWII navigators and bombardiers, for most of these men received their training in these aircraft. Thousands of AAF pilot cadets also were given advanced training in twin-engine Beech airplanes.
During the early 1950s, Beech completely rebuilt 900 C-45s for the Air Force. They received new serial numbers and were designated C-45Gs and C-45Hs, remaining in service until 1963 for administrative and light cargo duties.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Span: 47 ft. 8 in.
Length: 34 ft. 2 in.
Height: 9 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 9,300 lbs. maximum
Armament: None
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-985s of 450 hp each
PERFORMANCE:
Maximum speed: 219 mph
Cruising speed: 150 mph
Range: 1,140 miles
Service ceiling: 18,200 ft.
I’m primarily offering Raikou, but any of these cards i’m offering as well.
Taken on my iPhone 16 Pro, ten second exposure. I could have gotten a better photo, but it moved very quickly across the sky.
It is very beautiful, seeing them trail together across the sky. However, I wonder if I will feel the same way as progressively more and more take up valuable space in our night skies.
May 2nd, 2026.