Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Maiden Castle

(Encyclopedia)Maiden Castle, prehistoric fortress, Dorset, S England, near Dorchester. The finest earthwork in the British Isles, c.120 acres (50 hectares) in area, is there. Two sets of large-scale excavations at ...

Meryon, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Meryon, Charles shärl mĕryôNˈ [key], 1821–68, French etcher. His short life was saddened by poverty and neglect and complicated by recurring forms of mental aberration. Prevented by color blindn...

Konyukhov, Fedor Filippovich

(Encyclopedia)Konyukhov, Fedor Filippovich, 1951–, Russian adventurer and explorer, b. Chkalove, Ukraine. After attending nautical schools in Odessa and Leningrad, he became a marine engineer and navigator and se...

Landseer, Sir Edwin Henry

(Encyclopedia)Landseer, Sir Edwin Henry lănˈsēr [key], 1802–73, English animal painter. The best known of all animal painters, he is especially remembered for his sentimental, humanized paintings of dogs. He w...

Pallas, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Pallas pălˈəs [key], in astronomy, 2d asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1802 by H. Olbers. The second largest asteroid, it has a diameter of c.300 mi (480 km). Its orbit has a semimajor ax...

Robinson, Sir John Beverley

(Encyclopedia)Robinson, Sir John Beverley, 1791–1863, Canadian jurist, b. Lower Canada (Quebec). After holding many important offices, he entered upon his long career (1829–62) as chief justice of Upper Canada;...

Böhm, Dominikus

(Encyclopedia)Böhm, Dominikus dômēˈnĭko͝os böm [key], 1880–1955, German architect. The widely varied styles of Catholic churches designed by Böhm have strongly influenced 20th-century ecclesiastical archi...

bow, in music

(Encyclopedia)bow bō [key], implement used in playing stringed instruments. Its name originated from the fact that in its early form it resembled an archer's bow, but by the 17th cent. the European bow had gradual...

Blaeu, Willem Janszoon

(Encyclopedia)Blaeu, Willem Janszoon vĭˈləm yänˈsōn blou [key], 1571–1638, Dutch cartographer and printer. He studied astronomy and instrument making under the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. The printing es...

Taglioni, Maria

(Encyclopedia)Taglioni, Maria, 1804–84, Italian ballerina, b. Stockholm. Taglioni is considered the first and foremost ballerina of the romantic period. She made her debut in Vienna in 1822 in a ballet created fo...