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 the bell. Situated on sidewalks at traffic junctions, they would appear to have the function of causing pedestrians to trip and fall, or at least stub their toes. Not so. Their shape presumably keeps heavy goods vehicles from jumping onto the pavement.
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.
Probably one of the most elaborate examples of boll-art is in London, located on Duke Square in the Sloane Street area of SW1. A boy is shown leap-frogging over a bollard. Nearby, there is a little girl sitting on top of a concrete plinth. Engraved on the plinth is the title of the piece, "The Two Pupils, " and a short description of how they came to be there.
The structure of a bollard designed for mooring may have a cross bar on either side. This is to enable the ship's crew to wind the rope around it in a figure 8. This type of bollard is a source of fascination for tourists. "Ghent mooring bollard 17, "Mooring bollard in the Marina of Izola, " and "Mooring bollard at sunset, Lyme Regis" are all perfect examples.
London would certainly not be the same without the humble bollard. They protect pedestrians from errant vehicles and keep motorists from wandering down the wrong way of a one-way system. By the sea and on canals, sailors would have a lot less fun mooring their vessels. Tourists would have fewer objects to photograph as evidence of their holidays.
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 the bell. Situated on sidewalks at traffic junctions, they would appear to have the function of causing pedestrians to trip and fall, or at least stub their toes. Not so. Their shape presumably keeps heavy goods vehicles from jumping onto the pavement.
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.
Probably one of the most elaborate examples of boll-art is in London, located on Duke Square in the Sloane Street area of SW1. A boy is shown leap-frogging over a bollard. Nearby, there is a little girl sitting on top of a concrete plinth. Engraved on the plinth is the title of the piece, "The Two Pupils, " and a short description of how they came to be there.
The structure of a bollard designed for mooring may have a cross bar on either side. This is to enable the ship's crew to wind the rope around it in a figure 8. This type of bollard is a source of fascination for tourists. "Ghent mooring bollard 17, "Mooring bollard in the Marina of Izola, " and "Mooring bollard at sunset, Lyme Regis" are all perfect examples.
London would certainly not be the same without the humble bollard. They protect pedestrians from errant vehicles and keep motorists from wandering down the wrong way of a one-way system. By the sea and on canals, sailors would have a lot less fun mooring their vessels. Tourists would have fewer objects to photograph as evidence of their holidays.
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