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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
This is the entire fountain which sits in a pool of water.
The Historic Purpose of Fountains
Fountains harmonize water and are designed to fulfill both practical and aesthetic purposes. In the past, public fountains served places to meet while fetching water for drinking or washing, but there were also landmark fountains designed to impress as they refreshed. Then, as now, fountains embody symbolic, artistic and social ideas as they enliven places and reinvigorate people. As an structures of stone, metal or concrete, the success of a fountain design is ultimately determined by its aesthetic mastery of water and it's interplay with light and the surrounding environment. While water is a common substance, understanding its unique qualities and how best to use them and fountains require sustained observation of nature, knowledge of technical hydraulics and artistic sensibilities. Many water fountain sounds attest to the ingenious ability of designers to transform a dry, solid monument into a vibrantly wet and changeable work of art. The existence of fountains as amenities for peoples use in pleasure, however, depends upon the expert irrigation of rising and falling water, design elements and hydraulic technology.
Nature’s Fountains
Nature herself provides the most dramatic spectacles of rising and falling water. The Old Faithful geyser in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park shoots huge columns of hot spring water and steam skyward and periodic eruptions occur almost hourly. Reaching heights ranging from 100 to 180 feet, each dazzling display lasts only a few minutes. The majestic beauty and unceasing power of the mighty waterfalls of Niagara Falls, one of the most celebrated natural landmarks in North America, impress all who visit hold them. No two waterjets and no two waterfalls are exactly alike since moving water produces an almost endless range of changing forms and sounds. Fountain designers deliberately exploit the unique liquid properties of flowing water. For instance, water can separate into variously sized drops like sparkling diamonds; conversely, drops can seamlessly join together as they flow and fall to form undulating shapes. Because of the viscosity of water, smaller, individual drops disappear completely when they merge with larger volumes. But these technical details fade when you are faced with a well designed, fully functional water fountain. The simple peace and visual joy of the flowing water seems to touch us deeply, in an ancient part of our soul.
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