What's most interesting about this exhibit is that while it pays homage to the great artisans of Leonardo da Vinci's epoch, it also celebrates the Renaissance engineers for the timelessness of their works. Figures like da Vinci were responsible for great works of art, of course, and for many ingenious machines that became cornerstones of modern technology.

Called "Mechanical Marvels: Inventions in the Age of Leonardo," the exhibit showcases many works by da Vinci and his contemporaries. Structures and devices such as movable bridges, earth-moving machines, and paddleboats still in use today are exhibited as either original illustrations or actual models.

Other machines include hydraulic cranes, hoists, pulleys, and robots. Even a never-built human-propelled flying machine, with a wingspan of more than 35 feet, is among the 56 examples of early ingenuity.

Amazingly, these early designs, dating back almost half a millennium, have followed principles similar to those used by engineers today. Clearly, yesteryear's artist-engineers were the forefathers of today's modern technologies.

Da Vinci and his peers—including Francesco di Giorgio, who designed a paddleboat that had wheels driven by a single shaft and powered by a treadmill; and Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of the eight-sided dome of Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, which was built without using any wooden center supports—have left their mark on engineering not only because of what they produced but also because of how they illustrated their inventions. They were the first to understand the importance of drafting their devices on paper, and Da Vinci is the acknowledged master of mechanical sketches.

All of us recognize the necessity for sketches and illustrations. Thus, it is always rewarding to be recognized for the effectiveness of our own designs.

I am delighted to announce that our own staff has been recognized for design excellence. Although in no way would we dare compare the achievements of the Renaissance artists with our own, I am proud that Mechanical Engineering Magazine Online, our publication on the World Wide Web (www.memagazine.org), has received the prestigious 1997 Gold Medal Ozzie Award for Best Nonprint Magazine.

Of our online magazine, the judges said: "It's unusual to find such classic typography on the Web—this online title shines. It is elegant, using simple yet effective iconography to ease the reader through technical information."

We are particularly pleased by this award because the category in which we won was open to entries that included all commercial and trade publications, so competition was stiff.

Although winning an award is the last thing on our minds when we labor to get a story in on deadline, select an appropriate cover for the magazine, or pick a photo to use in a story—or even when we designed our Web site—it is certainly rewarding to be recognized for our efforts.

So while I can't offer you a trip to downtown Manhattan to see the exhibit of engineering artworks, I will invite you to visit our prizewinning Web site.

Email your comments or questions to: falcionij@asme.org

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© 1997 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers