Forget bells and intercoms – this month’s CBBH Photo Challenge is all about decorative door furniture, to make an entrance look perfect.

Of course, the purpose of a door knocker is to let the householder know there is someone at the door, but at some point in history they took on shape and symbolic meaning. I’ve seen protective dogs and lions, honorary wreaths, severed hands, mythological references to Medusa and Cleopatra, as well as elegant and ornate displays of wealth in polished brass.

There are some really interesting knobs and knockers out there, just waiting to be discovered and photographed.  CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOURS!

SPOILER: SCROLL DOWN FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO GET MY $25 THANK YOU GIFT – FOR EACH ONE OF YOU!

I photographed this beauty in the Spanish city of Toledo, at the end of last summer.  Isn’t it amazing?!

Used frequently as door knockers, another vestige of the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula is the Hand of Fatima. Fatima Zahra was the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, and the hand door knockers are talismans used to ward off the evil eye, and offer protection to the household.

This may not be a photo of a fancy door knob, but it is a significant one.  Around many of the little villages in Andalucía there is often a morning bread delivery.  The little van from the panaderia winds its way around the steep streets, leaving a loaf of bread tied to the doors of many of the houses, in much the same way that the milkman used to make his early morning deliveries to make sure you had your daily pint of milk, back in the UK.  Does that still happen I wonder?   🙂

So, there you have them – some grand knockers on plain doors, some quite plain knobs and knockers on grand doors.

This month’s CBBH Featured Blogs:

** The Legion of Door Whores has a collaboration of contributors who post doors of many descriptions they have photographed.  Considering the theme of this month’s challenge,  l was delighted to find a particularly splendid pair of door knobs in Girona, Spain as well as these fine brass knobs in Buenos Aires, along with a host of other doors in all shapes, sizes and condition.  If you are a bit of a Door Whore yourself, you will be amazed at some of the beautiful photographs posted onto this blog.

** Kiva is a non-profit organization close to my own heart, with a mission to connect people through lending, to alleviate poverty.  Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. Learn more about how it works.

Kiva gives you the chance to make small loans to borrowers working to start businesses and improve their lives. I’m already a Kiva lender and as a way of saying thank you for your support of my blog, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU A $25 FREE TRIAL. 

To redeem your Free Trial all you have to do is CLICK THIS LINK and choose who to lend your money to – BUT HURRY – THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF FREE TRIALS.  IT WON’T COST YOU A PENNY – I PROMISE!   Kiva will notify me if any of my readers take up a Free Trial, but I’d love you to still let me know in the Comment section, below.

TOGETHER, LET’S TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS MONTH!

So that´s the CBBH Photo Challenge for MAY, everyone!

Remember, all you have to do is post your entry by the end of the month, tag your entry ‘CBBH Photo Challenge’,  link back to this blog and, most importantly, don´t forget to add links to any two blogs that you´ve commented on during the past month, so that we can all HOP OVER and have a look.  Make sure you FOLLOW THIS BLOG so you don´t miss next month´s exciting challenge!

For more information on how the CBBH Photo Challenge works click here.

I hope everyone taking part enjoys the exposure the CBBH Photo Challenge offers to featured blogs and, who knows, you may end up finding a new favourite!  I´m looking forward to seeing your interpretations.

[CBBH logo Image credit: (cc) Mostly Dans]