A bollard (aka "boles" or (French) "boulard") is a short, vertical post. Originally used mainly for mooring ships, bollards today have a number of functions. Among the earliest boles to be documented is the white marble Arch of Septimius Serverus in AD 203. Here, five of the structures are in place to protect the arch from damage by vehicles. It is unclear whether these were in place at the time the arch was constructed or whether they were installed later. Today, a bollard is likely to be set into the pavement in front of an expensive jewelry store to discourage would-be ram-raiders.
Another type of bollard is called a Dragon's tooth. This is a square, pyramidal bole made from reinforced concrete. The first recorded use of dragon's teeth was in the Siegfried Line in World War II. Their purpose was to retard the progress of tanks and gently guide them toward pre-designated "killing zones."
There is a collection of boll-art around Winchester Cathedral, where the devices are used both functionally and in a decorative manner. The posts have been painted to resemble famous paintings. Mona Lisa rubs elbows with works derived from Klimt, Lautrec, Matisse and Mondrian.
Another type of bollard is called a bell. Sitting at the crossroads of sidewalks, they look like they have been dropped there to trip the unwary pedestrian. This is not the case. They are there actually to protect the pedestrian from being run over by a careless trucker driver.
Boles are frequently lit up from the inside to aid visibility to motorists and keep them on the right side of the street. One local resident in London got hold of a marker pen and drew flowers and butterflies on a nearby bollard. She drew inspiration from her home town of Brisbane, where the town council encouraged locals to decorate their signal boxes.
London, England, has some amazing examples of boll-art. A particularly poignant example is entitled, "The Two Pupils." The complete sculpture consists of a little bronze girl sitting on top of a plinth. Nearby, there is a little boy leap-frogging over a bollard. The plinth is engraved with the story of the two children.
The concept of a mooring bollard with a cross bar to enable sailors to twist rope around in a figure 8 is especially eye-catching for tourists. Popularly photographed examples include "Mooring bollard at sunset, Lyme Regis, " "Ghent mooring bollard, " and "Mooring bollard in the Marina of Izola."
The bollard is a familiar object of life in Britain. We back into them in our cars, we trip over them in our streets. They protect us from bombers, ram-raiders and truck-drivers. They keep sailors figure-eight-tracing skills up to date and keep tourists occupied. Where would we be without the beautiful bollard!
Another type of bollard is called a Dragon's tooth. This is a square, pyramidal bole made from reinforced concrete. The first recorded use of dragon's teeth was in the Siegfried Line in World War II. Their purpose was to retard the progress of tanks and gently guide them toward pre-designated "killing zones."
There is a collection of boll-art around Winchester Cathedral, where the devices are used both functionally and in a decorative manner. The posts have been painted to resemble famous paintings. Mona Lisa rubs elbows with works derived from Klimt, Lautrec, Matisse and Mondrian.
Another type of bollard is called a bell. Sitting at the crossroads of sidewalks, they look like they have been dropped there to trip the unwary pedestrian. This is not the case. They are there actually to protect the pedestrian from being run over by a careless trucker driver.
Boles are frequently lit up from the inside to aid visibility to motorists and keep them on the right side of the street. One local resident in London got hold of a marker pen and drew flowers and butterflies on a nearby bollard. She drew inspiration from her home town of Brisbane, where the town council encouraged locals to decorate their signal boxes.
London, England, has some amazing examples of boll-art. A particularly poignant example is entitled, "The Two Pupils." The complete sculpture consists of a little bronze girl sitting on top of a plinth. Nearby, there is a little boy leap-frogging over a bollard. The plinth is engraved with the story of the two children.
The concept of a mooring bollard with a cross bar to enable sailors to twist rope around in a figure 8 is especially eye-catching for tourists. Popularly photographed examples include "Mooring bollard at sunset, Lyme Regis, " "Ghent mooring bollard, " and "Mooring bollard in the Marina of Izola."
The bollard is a familiar object of life in Britain. We back into them in our cars, we trip over them in our streets. They protect us from bombers, ram-raiders and truck-drivers. They keep sailors figure-eight-tracing skills up to date and keep tourists occupied. Where would we be without the beautiful bollard!
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