In the wake of World War I, the United Kingdom developed a powerful yet relatively low-tech architectural system for detecting incoming enemy airplanes, the remnants of which can still be found across the countryside.

Starting in the 1920s, these concrete sound mirrors were built to passively gather, reflect and concentrate acoustic waves, directing the sound to listening posts on the ground — key infrastructure in an extensive early warning alert system.

Incoming sounds were amplified by microphones and listened to by operators wearing headphones. Today, the remains of these mirrors are largely abandoned and in various states of disrepair, though some are protected with walls or fences and accompanied by historical plaques.

Based in Basel, photographer Piercarlo Quecchia discovered the existence of sound mirrors thanks to an album cover featuring one such structure. From there, he began the search out, find and photograph them — 13 in total (all that remain), most of which are located along the southern edge of England.

They may look monolithic and simple, but the curves of these structures were carefully calibrated. The designs were specifically calculated (and sound mirrors accordingly engineered) to pick up aircraft engine noises in particular.

“They represent an incredible demonstration of how sound can generate a physical form,” explains the photographer, in which “both the curvature radius and the dimensions of the dishes are studied and designed according to the sound frequency that they must reflect,”  He hopes the series will continue to raise awareness of these artifacts and bolster preservation efforts.

Like the airmail arrows that once guided planes from coast to coast across the United States, it can be easy to overlook such geometrically simple leftovers, at least until an understanding of their historical origins leads people to spot and appreciate them.

Tirana soars wrecks, anyone? The Kucove Air Base in south-central Albania houses dozens of historic Soviet aircraft dating back to the time of the Korean War.

Kucove Air Base, built in the Cold War years of the early 1950s, was quite advanced for its time. A trio of underground hangars carved out beneath nearby mountains and linked to the main runways by dedicated taxiways offered unprecedented security from potential NATO air raids. It’s no wonder dozens of Soviet- and Chinese-built jet fighters were based at Kucove… it’s definitely a wonder that in October of 2018, no less than 88 obsolete MiG fighter jets could still be found at the once state-of-the-art Albanian aerodrome!

Surely You Jets

In 1997 the base was captured by rebels during the Albanian Crisis (a civil war prompted by the collapse of nation-wide, government-sponsored Ponzi schemes). Both the aircraft and base’s infrastructure incurred damage and vandalism; as many as seven MiG jets were destroyed and their parts sold on the black market. Damage to the base was not completely repaired until the 2002-2004 renovation to NATO standards. The country officially joined NATO on April 1st of 2009… no foolin’.

Props For Good Defense

In 2005 the Albanian Air Force retired all 224 of its various MiG jets, including Shenyang J-5 and J-6 fighters (MiG-17 and MiG-19 jets built under license in China) and even a few propeller-powered trainers purchased in the late 1950s. The planes were mothballed but not immediately replaced, as Albania’s NATO neighbors Greece and Italy began monitoring the country’s airspace.

Capital Flight

From the time Albania retired its MiGs and MiG-variants, efforts have been made to auction the decommissioned airplanes, either individually or in batches. These images snapped by Flickr member Rob Schleiffert in April of 2007 show Kucove Air Base and its rolling (but not flying) stock in various states of completion.

Train in Vain

Many of the jets, including rare trainer versions, are in excellent condition considering their advanced age and the increasing difficulty of sourcing replacement parts. This may be a function of the corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys used in their construction combined with minimal actual hours in service – Albania withdrew from the Warsaw Pact in 1968 and as such, did not participate in the East Bloc’s frequent exercises.

Guerrillas in the MiGs

By 2007, Kucove Air Base was looking a tad rough around the edges as funding from Albania’s impoverished government was severely rationed. Retirement of the country’s air force (and the withering of support services) had a correspondingly deleterious effect on the region’s economy as well. Authorities began to explore a range of solutions that went beyond the sales of obsolete aircraft.

Scrapping Scrappy Fighters

Finally, in August of 2018, a deal was struck with NATO allowing the organization to modernize Kucove Air Base and subsequently use the base for training, support, logistics, drills, and supply storage. NATO’s footing the bill as well – someone tell President Trump – and the agreement will see an initial investment of 50 million Euros. “The base is the first footprint of NATO in the Western Balkans,” stated Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhacka to Reuters, “as it will transform Kucova into the first NATO air base for the region.”

Go Red Wings!

“A NATO base there will boost the country’s defense capacities, and foreign investors will have more confidence in Albania,” according to Klement Alikaj, a 68-year-old retired Albanian Air Force commander. “It will also be good for employment in the area.” All well and good but the future doesn’t look quite as rosy for the base’s 88 remaining MiG, Shenyang, Yakovlev and Nanchang aircraft, however. Expect NATO planners to expedite the auctioning-off and scrapping of the old war-horses – there’s truly never been a better time to acquire a vintage Cold War jet fighter!

The Vespampère is slim, light and stylish, recalling a vintage classic from 1948 with an electric motor and other contemporary technological tweaks to bring it in tune with the modern era. Among other neat twists, a mobile phone becomes an integrated component, effectively serving as the vehicle’s dashboard.

Italian designer Giulio Iacchetti’s fresh model draws inspiration from the film-famous silhouette of historical scooters, returning to the lighter look of original models (a plus for urban maneuverability).

The minimalist design is an intentional rejection of heavier new vehicles on the road today, and taps into mobile tech by tying controls and displays (including speedometer, fuel gauge and lights) to a connected smartphone. This gadget, in turn, is housed in a clear compartment, front and center.

The phone can charge off the vehicle’s on-board electrical system, slim rear-view mirrors feature turn signals, and the cantilevered seat links back to the very first Vespa launched by the company over a half-century ago.

Back in the 1600s, long before science fiction authors dreamed up digital e-readers, this Jacobean traveling library was making the rounds, housing dozens of small books in a larger book-shaped case. Bound in leather like a large folio volume, it is thought to be one of the first of its kind.

The handcrafted wooden shell was purpose-built to house a collection of littler volumes that could in theory be swapped out for different journeys, much like loading up a modern device with novels or other entertainment.

Located at the University of Leeds Library, this case is presumed to have been commissioned by a lawyer and politician named William Hakewell in 1617 as a holiday gift (as the recipient’s and giver’s coats of arms are both found on the case). The case is quite compelling — it looks a lot like a book upon casual inspection — while the contents are neatly arranged in similar-looking bindings.

The gift included classics by Ovid, Virgil and Cicero among others, spanning a range of philosophical and theological subjects. Hakewell commissioned several similar cases over the years, which would also have facilitated trades across collections of friends if they were so inclined. Each case also contained a list of original books that came with the commission, which in turn have numbers corresponding to the list

Charming and quaint hand-painted knife sharpener vans are one of the few remaining holdouts from the golden age of hand-delivered household services.

There’s never a dull moment when the knife-sharpener van comes around, rolling along at walking speed and ringing its distinctive mournful bell. Humorously likened by some to “ice cream trucks for serial killers”, knife sharpener and blade-grinding vans can trace their roots back to hand-pulled carts and cries of “bring out your dead… er, dull blades!”

Though many johnny-come-latelies to the age-old trade have employed professional sign writers to decorate their late-model grinding vans, a substantial number of old-school knife sharpeners continue to operate decades-old vans displaying amateur artwork of a similar vintage. NYC-based Del Re’s Grinding is typical of the genre.

According to The Trowel Tribune, owner/operator Dominic Del Re began his career as a mobile blade grander back in the eighties after leaving his job as a commodities trader on Wall Street. Guess he couldn’t bear the bull anymore.

Long Hard Grind

Step-vans and re-purposed bread trucks are often the mobile knife sharpener’s fave choice, as seen by the mobile shop used by Carlo’s Sharpening Service of Ottawa, Canada.

Carlo flaunts his Italo-Canadian pride along with examples of various bladed tools on the sides of his van, as snapped by Flickr member Andrew Codrington (acodring) in 2008 and Twitter member Laura Dudas in 2015. The van’s sun-faded sides pay homage to 7+ years (and uncounted miles) of slow-motion service.

Gotta Look Sharp

Most mobile blade sharpening services are Mom & Pop-type operations (though we’ve yet to see an actual “Mom” at the wheel – or even riding shotgun), with the owner’s name painted on the van’s sides. As such, one “G. Vecchiarelli” does the needful within his spiffy red “Grinding & Sharpening Service” Grumman step-van – possibly an ex-mailvan – in and around the Greater Toronto Area.

Dude better mind his letters, as the sun is beginning to peel them. Flickr member Jennie Robinson Faber snapped the second not-so-sharp photo in early September of 2009.

Bob’s Yer Uncle

Bob’s Grinding Service has been a frequent sight in and around New York City for many years now. His sharp-looking Grumman-Olson van sports spiffy professional lettering offset by the charming folk-art Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner characters gracing the van’s back bumper – Tweety-Pie’s painted on the hood. Kudos to Flickr member Nicholas Noyes (niznoz) who captured Bob’s van going away in February of 2008.

“This is the second time I’ve seen this truck” states Flickr member Casey Holford (chachlate), who was evidently unaware blade sharpener vans were a thing. “It apparently drives around and SHARPENS TOOLS for people, just like streetside service out of the truck. There’s a guy in there right now sharpening some tools. It’s crazy.” Crazy like a blade-sharpening fox, Casey.

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