Prof. Boerner's Explorations

by Gerald Boerner

Today we look at another nature photographer, Peter Watson, who specializes in capturing the landscapes around his native Britain. He was largely self-taught and an advocate for using a 4×5 view camera and slow color film to record the detailed beauty of his native land. He also produced many panoramas over the years. His photographs have been exhibited in some major galleries. He continues to practice his art to record the details of the landscape before it becomes “civilized’”.  GLB

“Congress has an obligation to protect our country’s natural beauty, embodied in our nation’s parks, rivers, and breathtaking landscapes.”
— Dave Reichert

“Even in a less exaggerated description, any verbal account of a person is bound to find itself employing an assortment of waterfalls, lightning rods, landscapes, birds, etc.”
— Sergei Eisenstein

“I’d like to think that the actions we take today will allow others in the future to discover the wonders of landscapes we helped protect but never had the chance to enjoy ourselves.”
— Annie Leibovitz

“I’ve never put myself in the mindset that I’m actually any good at taking pictures, I just love to shoot things that catch my eye, whether it’s landscapes or just my kids.”
— Graeme Le Saux

“My career was 100% different from what I intended to do. I thought I’d photograph nature and landscapes but I wound up photographing the changing of the times.”
— Charles Moore

“I treat the photograph as a work of great complexity in which you can find drama. Add to that a careful composition of landscapes, live photography, the right music and interviews with people, and it becomes a style.”
— Ken Burns

“I used to paint landscapes without any people in them but now I paint people who happen to be in a particular place. They might be outside a pub, or on a beach or in a studio. They might have clothes on or they might not.”
— Peter Wright

“I’m very influenced by landscapes, not so much the way places look as the way the names sound. In this country we’ve got so many cultures, and the place names – the Spanish names and the Indian names, which are so incredibly musical.”
— Emmylou Harris

Note:
This posting is intended for the educational use of photographers and photography students and complies with the “educational fair use” provisions of copyright law. For readers who might wish to reuse some of these images should check out their compliance with copyright limitations that might apply to that use.

GLB

Peter Watson (Born: 1952)

Peter Watson is a British photographer best known for his large format landscapes of rural Britain.

Born in Wallasey, England Watson’s photographic career started in his teenage years when he photographed and produced his own black & white prints in an improvised darkroom. Peter Watson is a self taught photographer who has been photographing the landscape since the 1970’s. He is based in England and travels extensively throughout Britain, Europe, Australia and the United States.

They were sold in a local gallery and this early success encouraged him to pursue a career as a photographer. He studied art and graphic design and in 1993 obtained a diploma in photography from the New York Institute of Photography. Watson specializes in landscape and available light photography using large format Fujifilm with a 4×5 view camera. He photographs both in colour and black and white using slow, fine grain film which enables him to produce pictures of exceptionally high quality.  He hand prints his photographs and releases them as Limited Edition prints.

Before becoming a full time professional landscape photographer Watson worked in advertising and commercial photography. He now teaches lectures and is a photography instructor with VSP workshops. He is the author of several practical photography books and his work has featured in many publications including BBC’s Radio Times magazine, Cheshire Life and Outdoor Photography. In 2008 Watson was chosen as a contributor to the publication "Icons of England", produced by The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). He also runs a photo agency and picture library specializing in images of rural Britain.

His hallmark is the creation of unique and very beautiful landscape images.  His work has been critically acclaimed and is internationally published. His fine art prints are collected and are exhibited in galleries in Britain and America. He is the author of ‘Light in the Landscape—a photographer’s year’, ‘A Field Guide to Landscape Photography’ and ‘Capturing the Light’.

His Career

Watson’s web site biography, found at Peter Watson Photography (see citation in the Reference section below), reveals his exhibition and the influences behind his work.

Where and when was your first Gallery showing?

My first exhibition was held by the North West Arts Association in Chester back in 1992. Although I had been photographing for a number of years I was, at the time, relatively new to large format photography. I spent a lot of time in Delamere Forest in Cheshire familiarizing myself with the demands and intricacies of shooting with 5×4 equipment. The pictures I took were shown as part of the Cheshire Woodland Trust exhibition.

What was your motivation or inspiration to pursue Photography?

My introduction to photography goes back to my childhood days. I was fascinated with the concept of capturing moments in time. I used to take my camera with me everywhere I went photographing anything and everything that crossed my path! Looking back the pictures weren’t that good but it was the start of an ongoing learning process that continues to this day.

How has your work evolved from that first show?

As a photographer I look at images. I see things as shapes, patterns, colours and textures. The photographer’s eye develops and evolves over time. When I look at my work spanning the last decade it is noticeable that my images have become simpler in form. There is a minimalist quality to many of my landscape compositions which was not apparent in my earlier work. This has not been a conscious change in style, it is I believe a natural progression and a consequence of my pursuit of distinctive image making.

Who or what has been an influence in your photography?

We are increasingly becoming a visual society. Modern communication, media and art all have very strong visual content. Developments in technology are creating a more visually aware and sophisticated society. We are all exposed to it, there is no escape. As an artist I am influenced by what I see and the changes I see happening around me. I think that, perhaps subliminally, I am reacting to this visual bombardment by trying to create relaxing, timeless images, pictures which are simple in form but strong in content. When I look at a picture I ask myself – will it look as good in ten years, or twenty or fifty years? I want to create pictures which will stand the test of time. Some modern image making, I fear, will not.

What is visually inspiring or important to you now?

I have always been drawn to the landscape. Away from the suburban development there exists a timeless beauty which is a joy to behold. It might be a single tree which inspires me, or a passing cloud or a rolling wave. It is all out there on the landscape. That is my subject, my inspiration.

Is there any specific work or artist that you feel is particularly evocative?

Although I have been interested in photography for most of my life my first scholarship was at art college in the UK. I was very interested in the techniques of the old masters, particularly their subtle -and sometimes not so subtle- interpretation of light. Rembrandt’s use of light in portraiture is in my opinion without equal, it is divine, simply divine. However, the painter who truly inspired me was Turner. His landscapes are simply breathtaking. I mentioned earlier that pictures should be able to stand the test of time. Look at a Turner landscape and you will see what I mean. They are the epitome of timeless works of art. Oh to be the photographer equivalent of Turner…

In what direction do you feel your work is moving, or where would you like to go?

The concept of photography as a fine art excites me and I am fortunate to have strong gallery representation in the UK. My desire is to therefore become more widely exhibited internationally. This won’t happen overnight but the signs are encouraging.

What is your most memorable experience in photography?

Undoubtedly it was hearing that my first book ‘Light in the Landscape’ had been accepted for publication. I had spent the best part of five years travelling around Britain writing and photographing the landscape. I thought that finding a publisher would be a formality. Of course as every potential author knows this is by no means the case. It took me two years to find a publishing company. I will always remember receiving the telephone call as I was photographing in Northern Scotland. Yes, it was what the publishers were looking for and yes a contract would be with me shortly! Such events are once in a lifetime, but are worth waiting for.

The Film

Watson’s web site also includes a discussion of his preference for a slow speed, low grain photographic film for his work. Part of that discussion is found below.

Until recently I believed that only individually created Ilfochrome prints were capable of reproducing my work to the standard I require. Then not long ago my printer showed me a 30×40 print he had made from a 5×4 transparency which had just been processed. I was firstly surprised to see it because I had not commissioned the print. My second reaction was one of disbelief when I was told that what I was looking at was an archival inkjet print, not an Ilfochrome. The quality was remarkable. Pin sharp in every detail with superbly accurate colour rendition and saturation. My printer was justifiably proud of what he was showing me. It was time for me to revaluate my beliefs.

Since my introduction to the world of innovative printing techniques I have made careful comparisons of a number of my pictures produced both as Ilfochromes and as archival prints on watercolour paper. I personally favour the latter method. There seems to be an added depth, a resonance which crosses the threshold of traditional image making. This is not to decry the Ilfochrome print which is and always will be a very beautiful support for a fine photograph. Ultimately it is personal choice and I am happy to continue to produce my prints according to the wishes of my Clients. Please simply confirm your choice (Ilfochrome or Archival print) by email at the time of ordering. You can be assured that whichever you choose you will receive a faithful and authentic reproduction of the original transparency.

Light in the Landscape: A Photographer’s Year

A wintry seascape with a line of sunset pink shimmering in silky blue darkness. Sheets of brilliantly gleaming water cascading over cliffs. Golden skies illuminating rivers, green grass, and craggy rocks. All these astonishing images come from the camera of Peter Watson, one of the world’s finest photographers. But this is more than just a breathtaking coffee book: it’s an invaluable source of inspiration and instruction that will help you too capture the magnificence of a landscape. Through over 100 of his best works, he explains how he got the picture, what techniques and filters he used, the ways he developed depth and texture in the composition, and more. Month by month, it tracks seasonal changes, seizing nature in all its splendor.

References

Background and biographical information is from Wikipedia articles on:

Wikipedia: Peter Watson (Photographer)… 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Watson_%28photographer%29

Web Sites and Blogs:

Web Site: Peter Watson Photography…
http://www.peterwatson-photographer.com/pages/photographs.html

Brainy Quote: Landscape Quotes…
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/landscapes.html

by Gerald Boerner

Michael Dell, the entrepreneur, started a company to produce PC compatible computers and mass market them through his web site. This was an innovative way of selling computers; most vendors sold their hardware through store fronts, either their own or authorized resellers. Later Dell also implemented this manner of distribution, but Dell Computer is one of the largest microcomputer brands in the marketplace.

I have used a Dell laptop for several years successfully in lieu of a desktop computer quite successfully. Dell has succeeded because it has adapted to the “box” selling mindset of today’s marketplace.  GLB

“Our business is about technology, yes. But it’s also about operations and customer relationships.”
— Michael Dell

“Twenty years and $40 billion. They seem like good round numbers.”
— Michael Dell

“It’s through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we’ve always mapped our path at Dell. There’s always an opportunity to make a difference.”
— Michael Dell

“Great companies have high cultures of accountability, it comes with this culture of criticism I was talking about before, and I think our culture is strong on that.”
— Steve Ballmer

“The interesting thing is when we design and architect a server, we don’t design it for Windows or Linux, we design it for both. We don’t really care, as long as we’re selling the one the customer wants.”
— Michael Dell

“There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities.”
— Michael Dell

“Certainly, we continue to bring in new people. We’ll hire, net new, over 4,000 people this year, and attract great people into the company. I’m very bullish about the employee base and what it can accomplish.”
— Steve Ballmer

“All companies of any size have to continue to push to make sure you get the right leaders, the right team, the right people to be fast acting, and fast moving in the marketplace. We’ve got great leaders, and we continue to attract and promote great new leaders.”
— Steve Ballmer

Wizards of the Internet: Dell Computers

Dell Inc. is a multinational information technology corporation that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services, as a merchant. Based in Round Rock, Texas, United States, Dell employed more than 76,500 people worldwide as of 2009.

Dell grew during the 1980s and 1990s to become (for a time) the largest seller of PCs. At the end of 2009, it held the third spot in computer sales within the industry behind Hewlett-Packard and Acer Inc. As of 2009, the company sold personal computers, servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, and computer peripherals. Dell also sells HDTVs, cameras, printers, MP3 players and other electronics built by other manufacturers.

In 2006, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 25th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list, 8th on its annual "Top 20" list of the most-admired companies in the United States. In 2007 Dell ranked 34th and 8th respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. A 2006 publication identified Dell as one of 38 high-performance companies in the S&P 500 that had consistently out-performed the market over the previous 15 years.

Background and origins

While a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984. Michael Dell founded the company as PCs Limited with capital of $1000. Operating from Michael Dell’s off-campus dormitory room at Dobie Center, the startup aimed to sell IBM PC-compatible computers built from stock components. Michael Dell started trading in the belief that by selling personal computer systems directly to customers, PCs Limited could better understand customers’ needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. Michael Dell dropped out of school in order to focus full-time on his fledgling business, after getting about $300,000 in expansion-capital from his family.

In 1985, the company produced the first computer of its own design — the "Turbo PC", sold for US$795 — containing an Intel 8088-compatible processor running at a speed of 8 MHz. PCs Limited advertised the systems in national computer magazines for sale directly to consumers, and custom assembled each ordered unit according to a selection of options. This offered buyers prices lower than those of retail brands, but with greater convenience than assembling the components themselves. Although not the first company to use this model, PCs Limited became one of the first to succeed with it. The company grossed more than $73 million in its first year of trading.

The company changed its name to "Dell Computer Corporation" in 1988. In 1989, Dell Computer set up its first on-site service programs in order to compensate for the lack of local retailers prepared to act as service centers. Also in 1987, the company set up its first operations in Ireland; eleven more international operations followed within the next four years. In June 1988, Dell’s market capitalization grew by $30 million to $80 million from its June 22 initial public offering of 3.5 million shares at $8.50 a share. In 1990, Dell Computer Corporation tried selling its products indirectly through warehouse clubs and computer superstores, but met with little success, and the company re-focused on its more successful direct-to-consumer sales model. In 1992, Fortune magazine included Dell Computer Corporation in its list of the world’s 500 largest companies.

In 1996, Dell began selling computers via its web site.

In 2002, Dell attempted to expand by tapping into the multimedia and home-entertainment markets with the introduction of televisions, Dell Axim handhelds, and Dell DJ digital audio players. Dell has also produced Dell-brand printers for home and small-office use.

In 2003, at the annual company meeting, the stockholders approved changing the company name to "Dell Inc." to recognize the company’s expansion beyond computers.

In 2004, the company announced that it would build a new assembly-plant near Winston-Salem, North Carolina; the city and county provided Dell with $37.2 million in incentive packages; the state provided approximately $250 million in incentives and tax breaks. In July, Michael Dell stepped aside as Chief Executive Officer while retaining his position as Chairman of the Board. Kevin Rollins, who had held a number of executive posts at Dell, became the new CEO.

In 2005, the share of sales coming from international markets increased, as revealed in the company’s press releases for the first two quarters of its fiscal 2005 year. In February 2005 Dell appeared in first place in a ranking of the "Most Admired Companies" published by Fortune magazine. In November 2005 BusinessWeek magazine published an article titled "It’s Bad to Worse at Dell" about shortfalls in projected earnings and sales, with a worse-than-predicted third-quarter financial performance — a bad omen for a company that had routinely underestimated its earnings. Dell acknowledged that faulty capacitors on the motherboards of the Optiplex GX270 and GX280 had already cost the company $300 million. The CEO, Kevin Rollins, attributed the bad performance partially to Dell’s focus on low-end PCs.

 Dell’s headquarters

In 2006, Dell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer Alienware. Dell Inc.’s plan anticipated Alienware continuing to operate independently under its existing management. Alienware expected to benefit from Dell’s efficient manufacturing system.

On January 31, 2007, Kevin B. Rollins, CEO of the company since 2004, resigned as both CEO and as a director, and Michael Dell resumed his former role as CEO. Investors and many shareholders had called for Rollins’ resignation because of poor company performance. At the same time, the company announced that, for the fourth time in five quarters, earnings would fail to reach consensus analyst estimates.

In February 2007, Dell became the subject of formal investigations by the U.S. SEC and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The company has not formally filed financial reports for either the third or fourth fiscal quarter of 2006, and several class-action lawsuits have arisen in the wake of its recent financial performance. Dell Inc’s lack of formal financial disclosure would normally subject the company to de-listing from the NASDAQ, but the exchange has granted Dell a waiver, allowing the stock to trade normally.

On March 1, 2007, the company issued a preliminary quarterly earnings report showing gross sales of $14.4 billion, down 5% year-over-year, and net income of $687 million (30 cents per share), down 33%. Net earnings would have declined even more if not for the effects of eliminated employee bonuses, which accounted for six cents per share. NASDAQ extended the company’s deadline for filing financials to May 4.

Dell and AMD

When Dell acquired Alienware early in 2006, some Alienware systems had AMD chips. On August 17, 2006, a Dell press release stated that starting in September, Dell Dimension desktop computers would have AMD processors and that later in the year Dell would release a two-socket, quad-processor server using AMD Opteron chips, moving away from Dell’s tradition of only offering Intel processors in Dell PCs.

CNet’s News.com on August 17, 2006 cited Dell’s CEO Kevin Rollins as attributing the move to AMD processors to lower costs and to AMD technology. AMD’s senior VP in commercial business, Marty Seyer, stated: "Dell’s wider embrace of AMD processor-based offerings is a win for Dell, for the industry and most importantly for Dell customers."

On October 23, 2006, Dell announced new AMD-based servers — the PowerEdge 6950 and the PowerEdge SC1435.

On November 1, 2006, Dell’s website began offering notebooks based on AMD processors (the Inspiron 1501 with a 15.4-inch (390 mm) display) with the choice of a single-core MK-36 processor, dual-core Turion X2 chips or Mobile Sempron.

Dell and Desktop Linux

In 1998, Ralph Nader asked Dell (and five other major OEMs) to offer alternate operating systems to Microsoft Windows, specifically including Linux, for which "there is clearly a growing interest" Possibly coincidentally, Dell started offering Linux notebook systems that "cost no more than their Windows 98 counterparts" in 2000, and soon expanded, with Dell becoming "the first major manufacturer to offer Linux across its full product line" However, by early 2001 Dell had "disbanded its Linux business unit."

 Dell has supplied the free and
open source software Ubuntu
on select computers
since 2007

On February 26, 2007, Dell announced that it had commenced a program to sell and distribute a range of computers with pre-installed Linux distributions as an alternative to Microsoft Windows. Dell indicated that Novell’s SUSE Linux would appear first. However, Dell on February 27, 2007 announced that its previous announcement related to certifying the hardware as ready to work with Novell SUSE Linux and that it (Dell) had no plans to sell systems pre-installed with Linux in the near future. On March 28, 2007, Dell announced that it would begin shipping some desktops and laptops with Linux pre-installed, although it did not specify which distribution of Linux or which hardware would lead. On April 18, 2007 a report appeared suggesting that Michael Dell used Ubuntu on one of his home systems. On May 1, 2007, Dell announced it would ship the Ubuntu Linux distribution. On May 24, 2007, Dell started selling models with Ubuntu Linux 7.04 pre-installed: a laptop, a budget computer, and a high-end PC.

On June 27, 2007, Dell announced on its Direct2Dell blog that it planned to offer more pre-loaded systems (the new Dell Inspiron desktops and laptops). After the IdeaStorm site supported extending the bundles beyond the US market, Dell later announced more international marketing. On August 7, 2007, Dell officially announced that it would offer one notebook and one desktop in the UK, France and Germany with Ubuntu "pre-installed". At LinuxWorld 2007 Dell announced plans to provide Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on selected models in China, "factory-installed". On November 30, 2007 Dell reported shipping 40,000 Ubuntu PCs. On January 24, 2008, Dell in Germany, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom launched a second laptop, an XPS M1330 with Ubuntu 7.10, for 849 euro or GBP 599 upwards. On February 18, 2008, Dell announced that the Inspiron 1525 would have Ubuntu as an optional operating system. On February 22, 2008, Dell announced plans to sell Ubuntu in Canada and in Latin America From September 16, 2008, Dell has shipped both Dell Ubuntu Netbook Remix and Windows XP Home versions of the Inspiron Mini 9 and the Inspiron Mini 12. As of November 2009 Dell ships the Inspiron Mini laptops with Ubuntu version 8.04.

Personnel

On January 31, 2007, Michael Dell returned to the company as CEO. As chairman of the board, Michael Dell had had significant input into the company’s operations during Rollins’ years as CEO. However with the return of Michael Dell as CEO, the company saw immediate changes in operations, the exodus of many senior vice-presidents and new personnel brought in from outside the company.

Michael Dell announced a number of initiatives and plans (part of the "Dell 2.0" initiative) to improve the company’s financial performance. These include elimination of 2006 bonuses for employees with some discretionary awards, reduction in the number of managers reporting directly to Michael Dell from 20 to 12, and reduction of "bureaucracy."

On April 23, 2008, Dell announced the closure of one of its biggest Canadian call-centers in Kanata, Ontario, terminating approximately 1100 employees, with 500 of those redundancies effective on the spot, and with the official closure of the center scheduled for the summer. The call-center had opened in 2006 after the city of Ottawa won a bid to host it. Less than a year later, Dell Inc. planned to double its workforce to nearly 3,000 workers and to add a new building. Journalists cited a high Canadian dollar and suggested high pay-rates as among the reasons for the cuts. The company had also announced the shutdown of its Edmonton, Alberta office, losing 900 jobs. In total, Dell announced the ending of about 8,800 jobs in 2007-2008 — 10% of its workforce. On January 8, 2009 Dell announced the closure of its manufacturing plant in Limerick, Ireland with the loss of 1,900 jobs and the transfer of production to its plant in Poland.

Environmental record

Dell became the first company in the information technology industry to establish a product-recycling goal (in 2004) and completed the implementation of its global consumer recycling-program in 2006. On February 6, 2007, the National Recycling Coalition awarded Dell its "Recycling Works" award for efforts to promote producer responsibility. On July 19, 2007, Dell announced that it had exceeded targets in working to achieve a multi-year goal of recovering 275 million pounds of computer equipment by 2009. The company reported the recovery of 78 million pounds (nearly 40,000 tons) of IT equipment from customers in 2006, a 93-percent increase over 2005; and 12.4% of the equipment Dell sold seven years earlier.

On June 5, 2007 Dell set a goal of becoming the greenest technology company on Earth for the long term. The company launched a zero-carbon initiative that includes:

1. reducing Dell’s carbon intensity by 15 percent by 2012
2. requiring primary suppliers to report carbon emissions data during quarterly business reviews
3. partnering with customers to build the "greenest PC on the planet"
4. expanding the company’s carbon-offsetting program, "Plant a Tree for Me".

The company introduced the term "The Re-Generation" during a round table in London commemorating 2007 World Environment Day. "The Re-Generation" refers to people of all ages throughout the world who want to "make a difference" in improving the world’s environment. Dell also talked about plans to take the lead in setting an environmental standard for the "technology industry" and maintaining that leadership in the future.

Environmental Performance Reporting

Dell reports its environmental performance in an annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report that follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) protocol. Dell’s 2008 CSR report ranked as "Application Level B" as "checked by GRI".

Energy Efficiency

The company aims to reduce its external environmental impact through energy-efficient design of products, and also reduce its direct operational impact through energy-efficiency programmes. Internal energy-efficiency programmes reportedly save the company more than $3 million annually in energy-cost savings. The largest component of the company’s internal energy-efficiency savings comes through PC power management: the company expects to save $1.8 million in energy costs through using specialised energy-management software on a network of 50,000 PCs.

Criticism

In the 1990s, Dell switched from using primarily ATX motherboards and PSU to using boards and power-supplies with mechanically identical but differently wired connectors. This meant customers wishing to upgrade their hardware would have to replace parts with scarce Dell-compatible parts instead of commonly available parts. However, company practice in this respect changed in 2003.

In 2005, complaints about Dell more than doubled to 1,533, after earnings grew 52% that year.

In 2006, Dell acknowledged that it had problems with customer service. Issues included call-transfers of more than 45% of calls and long wait-times. Dell’s blog detailed the response: "We’re spending more than a $100 million — and a lot of blood, sweat and tears of talented people — to fix this." Later in the year, the company increased its spending on customer service to $150 million.

On August 17, 2007, Dell Inc. announced that after an internal investigation into its accounting practices it would restate and reduce earnings from 2003 through to the first quarter of 2007 by a total amount of between $50 million and $150 million, or 2 cents to 7 cents per share. The investigation, begun in November 2006, resulted from concerns raised by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over some documents and information that Dell Inc. had submitted.

In May 2008, the New York Supreme Court ruled that Dell and Dell Financial Services "engaged in fraud, false advertising, deceptive business practices, and abusive debt collection practices". The relevant lawsuit aimed primarily to highlight and seek restitution for a lack of technical support given to customers by Dell. The court plans to hold further proceedings to determine how much money Dell has to pay out to customers and how much profit Dell made unlawfully, in New York.

References:

Katie Hafner & Matthew Lyon. (1998) Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet. Simon & Schuster

Background and biographical information is from Wikipedia articles on:

Wikipedia: ARPANet… 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPAnet

Wikipedia: The Internet…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internet

Wikipedia: Dell, Inc…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell

Web Sites and Blogs:

Brainy Quote: Michael Dell Quotes…
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/michael_dell.html

by Gerald Boerner

Andrew Carnegie, philanthropist, industrialist, and man of influence during the latter part of the 19th century, helped to build this nation. He built the U.S. Steel from the acquisition of many small companies, often using rather ruthless tactics. He built up the level of steel production to rival the UK or other international steel producers. In his later years, he donated his money to build various libraries in this country and his native Scotland. His gifts to education led to a university, Carnegie-Mellon University, to be named after himself.  GLB

“As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“Concentration is my motto – first honesty, then industry, then concentration.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department.”
— Andrew Carnegie

“The ‘morality of compromise’ sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don’t compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.”
— Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie: The Man Who Gave Back

Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, entrepreneur and a major philanthropist.

He was one of the most famous leaders of industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He emigrated to the United States as a child with his parents. His first job in the United States was as a messenger boy, and he progressed up the ranks of a telegraph company. He built Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Steel Company, which was later merged with Elbert H. Gary’s Federal Steel Company and several smaller companies to create U.S. Steel. With the fortune he made from business, he later turned to philanthropy and interests in education, founding the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Mellon University and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Carnegie gave away most of his money to establish many libraries, schools, and universities in America, the United Kingdom and other countries, as well as a pension fund for former employees. He is often regarded as the second-richest man in history after John D. Rockefeller. Carnegie started as a telegrapher and by the 1860s had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges and oil derricks. He built further wealth as a bond salesman raising money for American enterprise in Europe.

He earned most of his fortune in the steel industry. In the 1870s, he founded the Carnegie Steel Company, a step which cemented his name as one of the “Captains of Industry”. By the 1890s, the company was the largest and most profitable industrial enterprise in the world. Carnegie sold it to J.P. Morgan in 1901, who created U.S. Steel. Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on local libraries, world peace, education and scientific research. His life has often been referred to as a true “rags to riches” story.

Early life

Birthplace of Andrew Carnegie
in Dunfermline, Scotland

Andrew Carnegie was born on 25 November 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland in a typical weaver’s cottage with only one main room consisting of half the ground floor which was shared with the neighboring weaver’s family.

In 1850, Carnegie became a telegraph messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Office of the Ohio Telegraph Company, at $2.50 per week, following the recommendation of his uncle. His new job gave him many benefits including free admission to the local theater. This made him appreciate Shakespeare’s work. He was a very hard worker and would memorize all of the locations of Pittsburgh’s businesses and the faces of important men. He made many connections this way. He also paid close attention to the telegraph’s instruments (he could translate the clicks of the telegraph before they appeared on the printed tape) and within a year was promoted as an operator.

Carnegie’s education and passion for reading was given a great boost by Colonel James Anderson, who opened his personal library of 400 volumes to working boys each Saturday night. Carnegie was a consistent borrower and a “self-made man” in both his economic development and his intellectual and cultural development. His capacity, willingness for hard work, his perseverance, and his alertness soon brought forth opportunities. At work, Carnegie quickly taught himself to distinguish the differing sounds the incoming telegraph signals produced and learned to transcribe signals by ear, without having to write them down.

Starting in 1853, Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company employed Carnegie as a secretary/telegraph operator at a salary of $4.00 per week. At age eighteen, the youth began a rapid advancement through the company, becoming the superintendent of the Pittsburgh Division. His employment by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company would be vital to his later success. The railroads were the first big businesses in America, and the Pennsylvania was one of the largest of them all. Carnegie learned much about management and cost control during these years, and from Scott in particular.

Scott also helped him with his first investments. Many of these were part of the corruption indulged in by Scott and the Pennsylvania’s president, J. Edgar Thomson, which consisted of inside trading in companies that the railroad did business with, or payoffs made by contracting parties “as part of a quid pro quo,” as biographer David Nasaw writes. In 1855, Scott made it possible for Carnegie to invest $500 in the Adams Express, which contracted with the Pennsylvania to carry its messengers. The money was secured by the act of his mother placing a $500 mortgage on the family’s $700 home, but the opportunity was only available because of Carnegie’s close relationship with Scott.

A few years later, he received a few shares in T.T. Woodruff’s sleeping car company, as a reward for holding shares that Woodruff had given to Scott and Thomson, as a payoff. Reinvesting his returns in such inside investments in railroad-related industries: (iron, bridges, and rails), Carnegie slowly accumulated capital, the basis for his later success. Throughout his later career, he made use of his close connection to Thomson and Scott as he established businesses that supplied rails and bridges to the railroad, offering the two men a stake in his enterprises.

1860–1865: The Civil War

Before the Civil War, Carnegie arranged a merger between Woodruff’s company and that of George M Pullman, the inventor of a sleeping car for first-class travel which facilitated business travel at distances over 500 miles (800 km). The investment proved a great success and a source of profit for Woodruff and Carnegie. The young Carnegie continued to work for the Pennsylvania’s Tom Scott, and introduced several improvements in the service.

In spring 1861, Carnegie was appointed by Scott, who was now Assistant Secretary of War in charge of military transportation, as Superintendent of the Military Railways and the Union Government’s telegraph lines in the East. Carnegie helped open the rail lines into Washington D.C. that the rebels had cut; he rode the locomotive pulling the first brigade of Union troops to reach Washington D.C. Following the defeat of Union forces at Bull Run, he personally supervised the transportation of the defeated forces. Under his organization, the telegraph service rendered efficient service to the Union cause and significantly assisted in the eventual victory. Carnegie later joked that he was “the first casualty of the war” when he gained a scar on his cheek from freeing a trapped telegraph wire.

Defeat of the Confederacy required vast supplies of munitions, as well as railroads (and telegraph lines) to deliver the goods. The war demonstrated how integral the industries were to American success.

In 1864, Carnegie invested $40,000 in Story Farm on Oil Creek in Venango County, Pennsylvania. In one year, the farm yielded over $1,000,000 in cash dividends, and petroleum from oil wells on the property sold profitably. The demand for iron products, such as armor for gunboats, cannon, and shells, as well as a hundred other industrial products, made Pittsburgh a center of wartime production. Carnegie worked with others in establishing a steel rolling mill and steel production and control of industry became the source of his fortune. Carnegie had some investments in the iron industry before the war.

After the war, Carnegie left the railroads to devote all his energies to the ironworks trade. Carnegie worked to develop several iron works, eventually forming The Keystone Bridge Works and the Union Ironworks, in Pittsburgh. Although he had left the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, he remained closely connected to its management, namely Thomas A. Scott and J. Edgar Thomson. He used his connection to the two men to acquire contracts for his Keystone Bridge Company and the rails produced by his ironworks. He also gave stock to Scott and Thomson in his businesses, and the Pennsylvania was his best customer. When he built his first steel plant, he made a point of naming it after Thomson. As well as having good business sense, Carnegie possessed charm and literary knowledge. He was invited to many important social functions—functions that Carnegie exploited to his own advantage.

Carnegie, circa 1878

Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. He wrote:

I propose to take an income no greater than $50,000 per annum! Beyond this I need ever earn, make no effort to increase my fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes! Let us cast aside business forever, except for others. Let us settle in Oxford and I shall get a thorough education, making the acquaintance of literary men. I figure that this will take three years active work. I shall pay especial attention to speaking in public. We can settle in London and I can purchase a controlling interest in some newspaper or live review and give the general management of it attention, taking part in public matters, especially those connected with education and improvement of the poorer classes. Man must have an idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money! Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during these ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically!

1880–1900: Scholar and activist

Carnegie continued his business career; some of his literary intentions were fulfilled. He befriended English poet Matthew Arnold and English philosopher Herbert Spencer as well as being in correspondence and acquaintance with most of the U.S. Presidents, statesmen, and notable writers.

Carnegie erected commodious swimming-baths for the people of his hometown in Dunfermline in 1879. In the following year, Carnegie gave $40,000 for the establishment of a free library in Dunfermline. In 1884, he gave $50,000 to Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now part of New York University Medical Center) to found a histological laboratory, now called the Carnegie Laboratory.

In 1881, Carnegie took his family, including his 70 year-old mother, on a trip to the United Kingdom. They toured Scotland by coach, and enjoyed several receptions en-route. The highlight for them all was a triumphal return to Dunfermline, where Carnegie’s mother laid the foundation stone of a Carnegie Library for which he donated the money. Carnegie’s criticism of British society did not mean dislike; on the contrary, one of Carnegie’s ambitions was to act as a catalyst for a close association between the English-speaking peoples. To this end, in the early 1880s, he purchased numerous newspapers in England, all of which were to advocate the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of “the British Republic”. Carnegie’s charm aided by his great wealth meant that he had many British friends, including Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

In 1886, Andrew Carnegie’s younger brother Thomas died at age 43. Success in the business continued, however. While owning steel works, Carnegie had purchased at low cost the most valuable of the iron ore fields around Lake Superior. The same year Carnegie became a figure of controversy. Following his tour of the UK, he wrote about his experiences in a book entitled An American Four-in-hand in Britain. Although still actively involved in running his many businesses, Carnegie had become a regular contributor to numerous magazines, most notably the Nineteenth Century, under the editorship of James Knowles, and the influential North American Review, led by editor Lloyd Bryce.

In 1886, Carnegie wrote his most radical work to date, entitled Triumphant Democracy. Liberal in its use of statistics to make its arguments, the book argued his view that the American republican system of government was superior to the British monarchical system. It gave a highly favorable and idealized view of American progress and criticized the British royal family. The cover depicted an upended royal crown and a broken scepter. The book created considerable controversy in the UK. The book made many Americans appreciate their country’s economic progress and sold over 40,000 copies, mostly in the U.S.

In 1889, Carnegie published “Wealth” in the June issue of the North American Review. After reading it, Gladstone requested its publication in England, where it appeared as “The Gospel of Wealth” in the Pall Mall Gazette. The article was the subject of much discussion. Carnegie argued that the life of a wealthy industrialist should comprise two parts. The first part was the gathering and the accumulation of wealth. The second part was for the subsequent distribution of this wealth to benevolent causes. The philanthropy was key to making the life worthwhile.

Carnegie was also known to be a great journalist. This came about from his experience in constantly writing to newspapers and to their editors. His knowledge in reading newspapers stems from a habit from his childhood. He also would go on to publish three books on travel. One of them entitled “Round the world” he began writing while traveling England and Scotland.

In 1898, Carnegie tried to arrange for independence for the Philippines. As the end of the Spanish American War neared, the United States bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million USD. To counter what he perceived as imperialism on the part of the United States, Carnegie personally offered $20 million USD to the Philippines so that the Filipino people could buy their independence from the United States. However, nothing came of this gesture and the Philippine-American War ensued.

Carnegie opposed the annexation of Cuba by the United States and in this, was successful with many other conservatives who founded an anti-imperialist league that included former presidents of the United States, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison, and literary figures like Mark Twain.

Industrialist

1885–1900: Empire of Steel

Carnegie made his fortune in the steel industry, controlling the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by an individual in the United States. One of his two great innovations was in the cheap and efficient mass production of steel rails for railroad lines. The second was in his vertical integration of all suppliers of raw materials. In the late 1880s, Carnegie Steel was the largest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke in the world, with a capacity to produce approximately 2,000 tons of pig metal per day. In 1888, Carnegie bought the rival Homestead Steel Works, which included an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a 425-mile (685 km) long railway, and a line of lake steamships. Carnegie combined his assets and those of his associates in 1892 with the launching of the Carnegie Steel Company.

1901: U.S. Steel

In 1901, Carnegie was 66 years of age and considering retirement. He reformed his enterprises into conventional joint stock corporations as preparation to this end. John Pierpont Morgan was a banker and perhaps America’s most important financial deal maker. He had observed how efficiently Carnegie produced profit. He envisioned an integrated steel industry that would cut costs, lower prices to consumers, produce in greater quantities and raise wages to workers. To this end, he needed to buy out Carnegie and several other major producers and integrate them into one company, thereby eliminating duplication and waste. He concluded negotiations on 2 March 1901, and formed the United States Steel Corporation. It was the first corporation in the world with a market capitalization over $1 billion.

1901–1919: Philanthropist

 Carnegie, right, with James Bryce,
1st Viscount Bryce.

Carnegie spent his last years as a philanthropist. From 1901 forward, public attention was turned from the shrewd business acumen which had enabled Carnegie to accumulate such a fortune, to the public-spirited way in which he devoted himself to utilizing it on philanthropic projects. He had written about his views on social subjects and the responsibilities of great wealth in Triumphant Democracy (1886) and Gospel of Wealth (1889). Carnegie bought Skibo Castle in Scotland, and made his home partly there and partly in New York. He then devoted his life to providing the capital for purposes of public interest and social and educational advancement.

He was a powerful supporter of the movement for spelling reform as a means of promoting the spread of the English language.

 A Carnegie library, Macomb, Illinois

Among his many philanthropic efforts, the establishment of public libraries throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and other English-speaking countries was especially prominent. Carnegie libraries, as they were commonly called, were built in many places. The first was opened in 1883 in Dunfermline. His method was to build and equip, but only on condition that the local authority matched that by providing the land and a budget for operation and maintenance. To secure local interest, in 1885, he gave $500,000 to Pittsburgh for a public library, and in 1886, he gave $250,000 to Allegheny City for a music hall and library; and $250,000 to Edinburgh for a free library. In total Carnegie funded some 3,000 libraries, located in 47 US states, and also in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Fiji. He also donated £50,000 to help set up the University of Birmingham in 1899.

Other Events on this Day

• In 1765…
  The British Parliament enacts the hated Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing for British soldiers.
• In 1900…
  Andrew Carnegie incorporates his giant Carnegie Steel Company.
• In 1934…
  Franklin D. Roosevelt signs legislation providing for independence for the Philippine Islands.
• In 1958…
  Elvis Presley is inducted into the Army for two years.
• In 1989…
  The tanker Exxon Valdez strikes a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, spilling an estimated 11 million gallons of oil.

Dates and events based on:

William J. Bennett and John Cribb, (2008) The American Patriot’s Almanac Daily Readings on America. (Kindle Edition)

Background information is from Wikipedia articles on:

Wikipedia: Andrew Carnegie… 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie

Brainy Quote: Andrew Carnegie Quotes… 
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/andrew_carnegie.html