Gallery May 1999 __FULL__

In 2010, Larry Weinberg wrote of the importance of this particular auction: "Before the Italian sale, before the Louis Kahn house, before the $500,000 Noguchi coffee table, and before branded luxury, there was the Treadway/Toomey Eames auction held on May 23, 1999. For Richard Wright, who curated and produced the auction, this represented a point of departure from Treadway, where he had worked for a number of years, and an early collaboration with Julie Thoma Wright, his wife and business partner-to-be. For the market, the auction represented a succession of firsts: first all-Eames sale; first Ray Eames splint sculpture to be offered for sale; and first catalog without a logo on the cover, with the title running across two pages, and with photos bleeding across pages.

Gallery May 1999

"Soon after the Eames sale, Richard founded Wright, his eponymous auction house, which has since become a force in the modern design and art markets, elevating Richard to first-tier status as a market-maker and connoisseur. In the spring of 1999, however, Richard still worked with Treadway, and his future plans were still on the drawing board.

This photograph of all members of the Scottish Parliament was taken in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, which served as a temporary home until the completion of a new Parliament building at Holyrood in September 2004. Back in 1707, the original Parliament of Scotland merged with its southern counterpart. However, after years of lobbying, in 1997 a referendum showed that a large majority of Scots were in favour of a new Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Elections followed, and the Parliament first convened on 12 May 1999. It can take decisions on devolved matters such as education, health, agriculture and justice.

Politics has never been my main topic of conversation, and Washington was a city I scarcely knew when I arrived there in early January to attend the impeachment trial of President William Jefferson Clinton. I was seated in the periodical gallery of the United States Senate, looking down on 100 senators as the House managers, led by Henry Hyde, presented their case against the president. Heady stuff, watching history. My feelings were passionate, at that point, and my devotion to Bill Clinton was absolute. Unlike Christopher Hitchens, another writer for this magazine, who publicly despises Clinton, I was an ardent admirer of both the president and the First Lady. I felt a personal dedication to them that I refused to allow anyone to tamper with.

During the day, there was always someone to look at in the visitors' gallery, and I was pretty good at pointing them out: There are Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella ... There are the Kennedy sisters, and the one with them in red is Teddy's wife, Victoria ... That's Senator Byrd's grandson ... That pretty blonde lady is Patricia Duff, who was recently divorced from Ronald Perelman and is going out with Senator Torricelli of New Jersey.

Being at the State of the Union speech was a thrilling experience. The spectacle of the justices of the Supreme Court walking in, followed the Cabinet, led by Madeleine Albright in turquoise and Janet Reno in purple, was American pageantry at its best. Usually, for the State of the Union speech, First Ladies wear bright colors for the television cameras, but this year Mrs. Clinton appeared in black, which I thought made a statement about her mood. All that day her husband's impeachment trial had been going on in the Senate, and it would be going on again the next day. As she acknowledged the thunderous standing ovation she received when she entered the gallery, her demeanor was that of a gracious lady whose husband was in big trouble. She sat with civil-rights legend Rosa Parks and baseball hero Sammy Sosa, and before the speech started she chatted and laughed and appeared to be having a wonderful time, but I felt restraint rather than joy coming from her.

One night Jeffrey Toobin and I went to the Palm for dinner. Jeffrey is writing a book about the impeachment. That day in the gallery he had passed me a note about Cheryl Mills during her brilliant speech: "Don't you love her?" I did. The Palm, which is the most fun place in town, was jumping with the media crowd. There's Roger Cossack of Burden of Proof... There's Georgette Mosbacher. She's here for the Republican National Committee annual meeting. Jeffrey and I had been together at the O. J. Simpson trial. We saw things the same way. He referred to one of the House managers as "the Pervert" because of his obsessive interest in the particulars of the sexual behavior of Monica and Bill, as detailed in the Starr report. Later, we joined P. J. O'Rourke's table for coffee. P.J. hates the president, but his diatribe was hilarious. An attractive lady who had worked at one of the networks told a story of being sent out to a golf course to tell the president that his interview with an important newsperson would begin in the clubhouse in 20 minutes. She said the president turned to his companion in the golf cart and said about her, "Nice ass." Although she was a Democrat, she said, her admiration for him evaporated on the spot.

Donny L. Hamilton1999, Conservation of the Hull of the Belle, Conservation Research Laboratory Research Report #7, Photo Gallery 5, World Wide Web, URL, -reports-gallery-5-conserving-the-belle/, Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M University; La Salle Shipwreck Project, Texas Historical Commission, Austin, Texas.

MASTERPIECES FROM THE GILMAN PAPER COMPANY COLLECTIONForty-three exquisite examples of 19th-century British, French, and American photographs from the renowned Gilman Paper Company Collection are view in the Howard Gilman Gallery from February 26 through May 23, 1999. This installation provides the public with the opportunity to rediscover key monuments in the history of photography not seen since the Metropolitan's landmark 1993 exhibition The Waking Dream. Many of the works exhibited are rare or unique, and all are of exceptional quality, dating from the first quarter-century of the medium's existence.

INVENTING A NEW ART: EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE RUBEL COLLECTION IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTA selection of 36 recently acquired photographs from the famed Rubel Collection will be on view in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Howard Gilman Gallery from June 1 through September 19, 1999, in Inventing a New Art: Early Photographs from The Rubel Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Central Oklahoma Tornado Intercept: 3 May 1999For tornado numbers and locations of towns, please refer to this mapof the tornado outbreak, adapted from the NWS Norman's damage surveys. This page is separate from the SkyPix gallery, and contains both 35 mm still photos and video frame capturesfor documentation. All text and images are copyrighted 1999 Roger Edwards. Web design copyrighted 2002 Roger Edwards and Elke Ueblacker. All rights reserved. Chickasha tornado in its early, wide, diffuse, multivortex phase Fellow severe-storms meteorologist Rich Thompson and I left Norman at about 4:40 pm,headed SW toward rapid supercell development we noted on visible satellite and radar compositeimagery. [I had slept a few hours after a midnight shift; and Rich just got off a daytime mesoscaleforecast shift.]The supercell (map, Storm A) formed under a hole in a cirrus plume, just SW of Lawton. It was well-removed from any discernible surface boundaries; the dryline was several counties to the W. [Months later, Rich and I discoveredthe probable initiator of the storm: a horizontal convective roll. For details, see this conference paper from 2000.]Before we left, we alsonoted an area of ACCAS (altocumulus castellanus) buildups which were accreting into asurface-based thunderstorm NE of Altus, just E of the dryline and W of our target storm. This would becomeour second tornadic supercell (map, Storm B).Though the SPC Day-1 outlook had been (correctly) upgraded with each update during the day, from SLGT to MDT to HIGH,and Rich issued a mesoscale discussion alerting to the tornado threat in Oklahoma,several potential pitfalls still remainded in our minds. Storm-relative "anvil-level" flow (approxmated by equilibrium level) was forecast to be weak -- indicating HP (heavy precipitation) storm character; but winds were expected to be much stronger below the EL in the mid/upper levels of the storm envronment.Would the anvil from the western storm seed ours, prodding it toward HP also? The eastern storm wound up fast, producing several tornadoes near Stecker, Cyril and Anadarko (map: tornadoes A1-A5) before we could get to it. We were already hearing awestruck descriptions over the radio by KWTV televisionstorm spotters, still concerned that the storm could go HP, and that we may miss the show if the middle-upper level winds didn't cooperate. Seeding from other storms' anvils, and weaknesses in upper level flow, could allow the stormto recycle precipitation particles, become more precip-efficient, and turn into a giant, amorphously dark HP blob as wehad seen many times before. So, on the way down to the storm, pessimism ran rampant that we could possibly see no tornadoes. Little did we knowthe show was barely starting...and that the most destruction ever visited upon the state of Oklahoma was about to occur.Scientific analysis and observation would give way to amazement, then awe, then the sobering realization of human carnage, frustration...then finally,numb exhaustion.Between Blanchard and Ninnekah, we made a few bad road decisions, but stillmanaged to get within view of the storm's updraft by the time we were E of Ninnekah. Not HP at all --it was a large, circular, visibly rotating updraft area with very wide separation between the main updraftregion and the precipitation of the vault and forward flank regions. Physical concepts of storm-typeevolution were being slam-dunked by this rare, spectacular exception! Storm-relative "anvil-level" flow obviously wasn't representing the tremendous downshear precipitation separation and venting which we were observing under the equilibriumlevel. The seeding influence from other anvils wasn't mattering either, despiteour storm's entrapment in the anvil of the one farther W. By the time we could seeunder the base, W of Ninnekah, there was already a furiously whirling wall cloud; and wispy tendrils of cloud material were beginning to dance along the ground beneath. Tornado! And the first of many to come.The next few hours would give us, by far,the most productive storm intercept ever in our 13 concurrent years of it: the most tornadoes, the greatest variety of tornado shapes and sizes, the most violent and destructive (Bridge Creek, F5 damage, $750 million and counting), and perhaps the biggest (Abell/Mulhall, up to 1.5 miles wide, rivalling Rich's Allison tornado on 8 Jun 1995). The tally: 11 tornadoes, 2 after dark, 2 violent wedges,at least 4 multiple-vortex tornadoes, and 3 separate times when two tornadoes were observed simultaneously. The story will now break down into sections taken from the intercept log, according to tornado chronology....NOTES:All times are CDT, from tape logs and video subsequently calibrated to Weather Channel time. Vantage locations are plotted on the map, as are paths of the tornadoes themselves. TORNADO 1 (map: tornado A6)VANTAGE 1: 3 SSW Norge (Grady County), map: V1 LOOKING: WNW-NW VANTAGE 1 TIME: 1752-1756 NOTES: Began as ragged, scuddy, rapidly rotating "wall cloud on the ground" with multiple brief, ephemeral vortices. Consolidated into a fuzzy, fat stovepipe under a very low wall cloud with occasional brief, adjacent subvortices, which were definitely members of the wholetornadic circulation. We drove a short distance N to find a better photographic vantage, maintaining view ofthe tornado. TORNADO 1 (map: tornado A6)VANTAGE 1a: 2 SSW Norge (Grady County), included within map: green dot V1 due to map resolution limitations LOOKING: NW-NNW VANTAGE 1a TIME: 1802-1814NOTES: Tornado narrowed to a SWward-tilted cone with an intermittent debris fan,briefly losing condensation through a translucent debris cloud. It redeveloped full condensation and then rapidly evolved into a wide, symmetric, vertical, slightly tapered cylinder reminiscent of Hesston KS (13 March 1990) or Seymour TX (10 April 1979), but with a fatter aspect ratio than Seymour. The wall cloud became less prominent during this transition. The tornado maintained big-cylinder form in virtual steady state for several minutes while cruising NE, as a satellite tornado formed to its E (below). Wide angle views show the tornadowell-centered under a dark, circular supercell base with long attached tails to the E and SW. At times, it looked like the Hesston tornado welded to the underside of a space ship fromIndependence Day.TORNADO 2 (map: satellite tornado A5)VANTAGE: 2 SSW Norge (Grady County); same as Tornado 1, Vantage 1a, map: green dot V1 LOOKING: NW-NNW VANTAGE TIME: 1813-1814NOTES: Thin, ragged, bent cone formed 1 mile E of themassive cylinder tornado and was clearly a distinct tornadic circulation. It moved toward the WNW and toward the big-cylinder tornado (zoom), then turned NW and orbited the larger tornado (zoom) -- disappearing from view behind (N)of the latter for 20 seconds. [During this stage, there is a strikingresemblance between the large tornado and the classic Erie, MI photofrom 8 Jun 1953, published in Flora's Tornadoes of the United Statesand Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes books. Of course, Erie had no satellite tornado!]The satellite tornado emerged as a vertical, narrow, slightly tapered stovepipe to the left (NW-W) of the large tornado. It then widened at the top and narrowed at the bottom -- becoming a tall cone with a small debris fan. The satellite tornado turned S and SE, still moving around the large tornado as the latter disappeared behindtrees. Though I uttered "Fujiwara" in video, this was not a truebinary, mutually-orbiting vortex: The larger tornado's movement was steady and unperturbed, while the smaller one was clearly the tornado in submissive orbit. Though the satellite tornado did kick up debris, its damage path (which should wind cyclonicallyNW-SW-S-SE) is almost completely masked by thatof the larger and obviously much stronger tornado. Both were moving across open country and doing little structural damage during the satellite tornado's existence. Paul Janish was with us for much of these two tornadoes, as were unknown others.The next time we could see clearly under the meso was looking N and NNW from the S periphery of Chickasha (map: green dot V2)-- and therewas no condensation or debris underneath despite very rapid cloud base rotation. During this time, we got stuck in a small chaser-induced traffic jamfor a few minutes as the wall cloud loomed to the NNW.Though the cloud-basemeso was visually continuous with that of the next tornado, we believe the twin tornadoes themselves to be separate from the next tornado (the Bridge Creek-Moore wedge). NWS damage survey results support thisseparation near Chickasha.We believed there could be damage in Chickasha, and wantedto avoid being part of another such traffic blockage. We decided to circumnavigate the town to its S and E using unmarked section roads. We also deliberately avoided I-44 with its limited access, concerned the meso could either be cruising right up the freeway or crossing itat an oblique angle with little escape option.TORNADO 3 (map: tornado A6)VANTAGE: 2.5 WSW Tabler (driving N then NE) to 1 NE Middleburg (Grady County). Not plotted on map. LOOKING: NW-NNW-N VANTAGE TIME: 1825-1837NOTES: By doing that SE Chickasha detour, we missed the start of this massive wedge tornado by a few minutes; but had an uninterrupted view of it distant NW-N through this drive and the subsequent stop... TORNADO 3 (map: tornado A6)VANTAGE: 1 NE Middleburg (Grady County), map: green dot V3 LOOKING: NW-NNE VANTAGE TIME: 1837-1852NOTES: In the preceding driving segment and for thisstationary vantage, the contrast was poor. However, wehad a long-duration view of both sides of this enormous tornado,surrounding storm structure, and massive/hard convective towers above the flared supercell base. The whole time,the shape and appearance was almost steady-state as a wedge with an aspect ratio of about 4 wide to 1 tall.A slight clear slot became visible to the near leftof the giant tornado (zoom), indicating the occlusion downdraft.Bobby Prentice (NWS/FAA Academy) was beside us for muchof this vantage. While observing the wedge, we noticeda tilted "barber-pole" storm distant WSW and couldsee a low wall cloud under the N portion of its base...TORNADO 4 (map: tornado B3)VANTAGE: 1 NE Middleburg (Grady County), map: green dot V3 LOOKING: distant WSW VANTAGE TIME: 1850-1852NOTES: It became apparent the giant tornado now to ourN was going to move into the metro area (both by our estimation and all the TV coverage being broadcast on the radio). We were trying to decide whether to go NE thru Newcastle on US 62 and go for the close-upcrossing shot, or break off and head for the new supercell. We were on high ground and had a greatview (for being so distant) up the Washita valley. A cone tornado appeared under the center of the distant western storm with condensation fully to ground; so we decided not to mess with the big tornado entering the metro area and headed W. We could see the distant western tornado for part of the drive, also...TORNADO 4 (map: tornado B3)VANTAGE: 1 NE Middleburg - 2 NE Tabler (Grady County). Not plotted on map. LOOKING: WSW VANTAGE TIME: 1852-1857NOTES: This was the same tornado near Ft. Cobb of which Jim Leonard (jmlcat-5@ix.netcom.com) was shooting spectacular, close-up, front-lit footage -- perhaps the best white-tornado video I have ever seen. The top part of the "cone" visible to us turned out to be a dense, diagonally striated, helically ascending collar of accreting scud -- corkscrewing around the top of the tornado and brilliantly front-lit in Jim's video. The tornado itself was a tapering elephant-trunk shape. At 1857, it got too narrow for us to see from this distance.We watched a new updraft base develop, also with a wallcloud on the N end (reminiscent of Spearman), but without any apparent tornado, as we drove thru Chickashaand W to Verden. In transit, we somehow failed to seebrief tornadoes B4 and B5 (map).TORNADO 5 (map: tornado B6)VANTAGE: 3.5 N Verden (Caddo/Grady County line), map: green dot V4 LOOKING: NW VANTAGE TIME: 1922[EST. TORNADO LOCATION DURING VANTAGE: near northern Chickasha Lake, 7 ESE Gracemont (Caddo County)]NOTES: Short (less than a minute), multiple-vortexspinup under a vigorously rotating wall cloud (much more apparentin motion on video than in this freeze frame!). Condensation connecting cloud base to ground verybriefly appeared. TORNADO 6 (map: tornado B7)VANTAGE: 3 E Dutton OK (Grady County), map: green dot V5 LOOKING: NW VANTAGE TIME: 1934NOTES: Possibly multivortex spin-up with condensation briefly to ground level, under the central portion of a rotating wall cloud (no stills or video). This was the last of six tornadoes in Caddo Countyfrom this supercell. Mike Kay (SPC), Matt Crowtherand Betsy Abrams (TWC) joined us at this overlook.The wall cloud subsequently had a classic, nicely cut clear slot around the S side. It became quite elongated E-W, with intermittent wispy funnelsand possibly brief ground-level spin-ups under its center. AFter several minutes