verb [ trans. ] melt and mold (metal). • fuse (materials) to make glass. • make (an article) by melting and molding metal.
ORIGIN early 16th cent. : from French fondre, from Latin fundere ‘melt, pour.’
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When I started looking for a foundry for the New Bell it was natural to pull up the old wikipedia and see if the original bell's foundry is still in business. It turns out that the first Liberty Bell was cast by a foundry of the British Empire. (Isn't that ironic?)
So that's been in the back of my mind: which foundry? It has to be an American outfit, with an appropriate mindset. Iron mongers with hearts of Gold. That's what we want.
Just then a friend of ours send me a message asking if the project is still on. How can I say yes or no when this is supposed to be a collective, head-less, effort? So I replied with a snippy (sorry!) "ask yourself". But it was good of him to ask (thank you!) as I did a quick search and sure enough, 1, 2, 3, and ye old search engine pulled up a very good candidate.
"Traveling foundry" for a traveling Bell.
Now we should start thinking about:
1) Design for the bell and Inscription.
2) Design for the traveling rig that is to go from state to state for the Ringing of The Bell.
3) Budget and Plan (for kickstarter)
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Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find
(It is the Truth.)
I am glad to see this. My 2 cents: 1) Perhaps the overall design should be classic and similar, but with a nod to a more modern aesthetic. Almost as if it were related to the first bell. It should remind people of the first bell, I think. As for the inscription, perhaps something similar, but a bit updated. Something like: 3) A good video is a must.
2) Practical (It needs to fly to Hawaii). :) Other than that, I don't have much to add. Proclaim
Liberty Is Ours.
Liberty Is Shared.
Liberty For All.
The critical issue in context of "design" is not superficial outward form. Aesthetics, fundamentally considered, is a concern of principles underlying the outward form. That first bell cracked for a good reason ... Yes.A good video is a must
I mean, let us ask ourselves what "We" mean when we say a more perfect union.
- That first bell cracked. A few inches here to there would not have remedied.
So the same size? I thought perhaps a circumference of a meaningful number. It has been 260 years since the first was cast. 260 cm in circumference? That's 2.6m or 0.702702702... of the first bell. To me, a more perfect union is the recognition that our liberty resides in the hearts of our fellow citizens.
- a meaningful number
Like that. Can't really parse that. The context is collective governance. The sentiment is sound and likely useful as a tool to determine the state of the union. Or to be clear :) why don't you go around and ask your fellow about the state of their heart (in this context)...To me, a more perfect union is the recognition that our liberty resides in the hearts of our fellow citizens.
1) The design for the bell - I don't think it should look vastly different from the original bell. The bell itself is still a source of great comfort for Americans and even people the world over. I think it should be traditional looking. Just as important as how it looks would be how it sounds. It should have a commanding sound, not too low and gong-like but also not too high pitched. It would need to have a sustained resonance. What type of material would ring out the longest? Also, it needs to be durable. The current inscription: PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF is extremely straight forward and gives the bell an action for its voice. I think The New Bell needs to do the same. Whatever we decide on the inscription should be succinct, universally acknowledged as true and should give command to our Bells voice. 2) Rig - After looking at the original bell, the crossbar that it hangs from is also important. I'm of the opinion that it should be made of wood, a type that is native only to the US and is strong and durable. I think the crossbar could also hold the inscription "The New Bell". As for how it would travel from state to state, it should be easy to transport. It would need to be available to be at major events as a reminder of our liberty. 3) Budget - this depends on a lot of factors: Making the bell, purchasing a transport vehicle, marketing the bell?, Someone to be the keeper and protector of the bell. I think we need to answer questions 1 and 2 thoroughly and then we can begin to get a real idea for #3. I'll think more on this.
Also, didn't we say we would tag it with "newbell" or something like that? I think some are following it. edit: it's #thenewbell fyi.