20th February
Andrew's Depression Page.
A Nice Cup of Tea. George Orwell's eleven-step
guide to making tea.
The Story of the Tea Leaf by Montfort Chamney,
with a picture of the biggest tea bush in the world.
'... Knowledge in remote times regarding some of the
properties of the tea plant is indicated by a few
early Chinese Chroniclers, and the introduction of its
leaf into Europe and first use there of the infused
beverage have attracted the notice of some modern
writers of repute.
In the light of these facts it may seem almost an
impertinence for a retired old Civil Servant, blind
and unknown, to take up such a subject anew.
Nevertheless the writer, who more than once and for
long periods has been brought into close contact with
different aspects of the great tea industry, here
ventures to outline from accumulated notes, and
through the medium of a Braille writing machine,
a brief summary of the strange and not uneventful
history of tea ... '
The Tea Tavern.
'This booklet is printed for distribution to owners of
roadside cafés and Tea Taverns in the British Isles
and is published by the Hovis Organization in
association with the Tea Bureau.'
The Tea Clippers.
'An account of the China Tea Trade and
of some of the British Sailing Ships engaged
in it from 1849 to 1869
by
David R. McGregor.'
The Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project.
Interesting site about the conservation of
the remains of 'Blackbeard's flagship'.
'Merry of Soul': The Legacy of Robert Louis
Stevenson.
A Fury from Hell - or Was He?
'As underwater archaeologists pull artifacts from what
may be the wreck of Blackbeard's flagship, historians
raise new questions about the legendary pirate.'
Treasure Island.
The Museum of
HP Calculators.
'The Museum of HP Calculators displays and describes
Hewlett-Packard calculators introduced from 1968 to
1986 plus a few interesting later models. There are
also sections on calculating machines and slide rules
as well as sections for buying and selling HP
calculators, an HP timeline, collecting information
and a software library. '
Reverse Polish notation.
The Quartz Watch. How it works.
The Intel Museum.
Ethnographie Ordinaire, Gens du Mali.
Portraits of people from Mali; in French.
Four African Artists.
The Buddha's Daily Habits.
Sources on the Buddha's Life and Death.
Buddha: The First Sermon.
Buddha: Sermons and Teachings.
The Ramayana Story in images.
The Plateau, website of Dr. Zahi Hawass,
the egyptologist.
The secret five chambers.
Dead Romans,
'a work-in-progress that features information about
Roman coins, architecture, and artwork from the Early
Roman Empire. '
Illustrated Guide to Sites of Greece.
Win Without War:
'On February 26th, you can join a massive march on
Washington without leaving your living room. The Virtual March on
Washington is a first-of-its-kind campaign from the Win Without
War coalition ... '
Virtual march on Washington.
Bloggers Against War.
Kurdish leaders enraged by 'undemocratic' American plan to
occupy Iraq.
link
19th February
Who Invented Body Odour?
'In the 1910s and particularly the 1920s, advertising agents
focused their attention on identifying—and often inventing—personal
anxieties that could be resolved by the purchase of specific products.
"Advertising," wrote one commentator in a trade publication, "helps
to keep the masses dissatisfied with their mode of life, discontented
with ugly things around them. Satisfied customers are not as profitable
as discontented ones." Advertisers, as historian Stuart Ewen notes,
tried to endow people with a "critical self-consciousness" directed
especially at their personal appearances ... '
The Children of Africa Gallery.
Art by African children.
Part of
the International Gallery of Children's Art.
Also from the site :-
When They Were Children.
'These collections highlight the artwork created by
artists in their early years. Through archiving their
early works within PapaInk, contributing individuals
and organizations help build a collective history of
creative youth. Art=Humanity!'
Building a Sense of Home.
'The On the Map: Building a Sense of Home project
brings together young people's capacity to express a
sense of home that is at once practical and visionary;
organizations that are positioned to benefit from
children's vision and to actualize it; and the archival
mission of PapaInk to build meaning-based art
collections that enter children's expressions and
experience into the cultural record.'
Happiness.
Redeeming the Irredeemable.
'The images in this collection share a strikingly
iconographic quality. The young artists' vivid
expressions throw a particular historical moment into
relief, while simultaneously projecting a redemptive
'solution' to the (il)logic of history.'
Rwanda.
Bosnia.
September 11.
Turtles.
Into the Wardrobe:
A Website Devoted to C.S. Lewis.
With a daily Lewis quote. So much to see here; a
really, really good site.
The Carolands
'is a 98 room mansion on 5-1/2 acres in Hillsborough,
California. At 65,000 square feet, it is said to be
the largest single- family residence west of the
Mississippi. It is 4-1/2 stories tall, and originally
stood on 544 acres. Features include bathrooms with
marble tubs, a central staircase, a library, and
hidden passageways for the servants. One hallway,
with its curved ceiling, resembles a Pullman car.'
'According to the SF Chronicle, the internal structure
of the Carolands is composed of a skeleton of
reinforced vertical columns and horizontal beams. All
of the floors are of reinforced concrete, and the
bays between the columns are filled in with mortared
bricks. The exterior walls are stucco finished to
look like stone. All of the exterior decorative
features are of cast concrete ... '
Images.
Murals in the kitchen.
San Francisco Bay Area Arts & Crafts Movement.
Good collection of articles, and images (though they
may take some digging around for).
'The Arts & Crafts Movement had its roots in the Mid
19th Century in the UK with the designs and works of
such individuals as William Morris, Charles Rennie
MacKintosh, and Richard Norman Shaw. The Arts & Crafts
Movement gained followers in the US through the
efforts of Gustav Stickley, Elbert Hubbard and the The
Roycrofters, and many major architects at the end of
the 19th and early 20th centuries.'
'California provided a wealth of opportunities for the
Arts & Crafts Movement to flourish. The Gold Rush
during the middle of the 19th century spurred the
growth of the region. Fortunes were made by many
individuals in mining, transportation, banking and
other industries. The varied climate, geography, and
abundance of natural scenery and materials provided
the followers of the Arts & Crafts Movement with
wealthy clients willing to explore the elements of
living in harmony with nature espoused by the style.
The earliest history of the Arts & Crafts Movement
in California might be credited to a Swedenborgian
minister named Joseph Worcester, who designed his
own shingle-style residence in 1876. Rev. Worcester
was associated with many significant architects and
artisans, among them Bernard Maybeck, A.C.
Schweinfurth, A. Page Brown and Charles Keeler.'
Walter Burley Griffin: In His Own Right. (PBS)
His Eminence Ngor Ewam Phende Rinpoche.
The Dalai Lama's Homepage.
From
Frying Pan to Flying V: The Rise of the Electric
Guitar.
'This exhibit features instruments that illustrate
how innovative makers and players combined the guitar
with a pickup (sensor) and amplifier to create a new
instrument and a new sound that profoundly changed
popular music--blues, country, rhythm and blues, jazz,
and rock and roll--in the 20th century.'
The Enchanted Gardens of the Renaissance.
Belarusian Architecture.
'During the course of its history Belarusian nation
has created a highly developed and original
architecture. Its best monuments mirror the
peculiarities and most important architectural trends
and achievements of the epoque, prove the practical
wisdom and artistic craftsmenship of Belarusian
people. The history of Belarusian architecture is the
history of the development of Belarusians as a nation
in the middle of Europe - a nation experiencing
numerous invasions and wars, absorbing and developing
european ideas and philosophies, building socialism,
capitalism, and still struggling to its better future ... '
Ancient Lego Building Contest.
Via
Gordon
:-
Leaving
the Temple.
'These photographs are the result of 3 years of work
in Asia and represent, in many ways, the discovery
that I wouldnt find spiritual
fulfillment in Asia. When I arrived in Thailand in
1988, I saw a land of golden light and saffron robed
monksidealistic images of an idealized
land. Although an atheist, I briefly thought I'd find
God in Asia ... '
Native
American Masks.
Rally
at the South Pole. Via
ghost
rocket.
Peace on the
Beach.
Via Gordon
Coale.
Baring
all for peace.
F16
march in San Francisco.
Harrumph!
in SF.
Bitter
Shack of Resentment.
All via dumbmonkey.
a moveable beast:
pictures from Knoxville -
such
as
these
few.
What
would you suggest? (Jonathan Freedland)
'Those who are opposed to war on Iraq need to show
that there is a peaceful way to liberate its
people.'
' ... First, we have to establish that we oppose the
Ba'athist regime with all the fervour now claimed by
the PM. (And it won't do to bring
out the yellowing scrapbook, and brag about all the
anti-Saddam rallies we held in the 1980s: the issue is
now.) '
'Second, we have to dispute Blair's description of the
coming attack as a war of liberation. He may be
claiming that now, as he
seeks to win over a stubbornly sceptical public
opinion, but it hardly squares with the rhetoric
coming from the chief prosecutors
of the war. Washington does not cast this conflict
centrally in humanitarian, Kosovo-style terms, but as
a way of snuffing out a
threat to US security. Those who claim this as a war
for the Iraqi people need to listen harder to the men
who will be fighting it:
Bush, Rumsfeld and the guys don't talk that way ...
'
'Third, the peace camp has to set out its own,
alternative method of ridding Iraq of its oppressor.
We have to have an answer to
our critics' legitimate question: what would you do? ... '
Settle down and listen up.
' ... I was in Paris on Sept. 11, 2001. The reaction was so
immediate, so generous, so overwhelming. Not just the government,
but the people kept bringing flowers to the American embassy.
They covered the American Cathedral, the American Church,
anything they could find that was American. They didn't just leave
flowers, they wrote notes with them. I read over 100 of them. Not
only did they refer, again and again, to Normandy, to never
forgetting, there were even some in ancient, spidery handwriting
referring to WW I: "Lafayette is still with you." '
Via BookNotes.
Voices on Iraq.
link
18th February
Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
'Welcome to my pages about Charles Rennie Mackintosh
(1868-1928), Scottish architect and designer. On these
pages I will try to give an overview on his life, show
some pictures of his work and provide links to other
sites. '
His life.
Pictures.
'
The entrance to 5 Blythswood Square
is one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's minor works. In
1908 he fitted the doorway into the rounded arch for
The Glasgow Society of Lady Artists' Club. The
panelled entrance hall behind the door might be from
CRM as well, but this is not confirmed ... '
Queen's Cross Church.
House for an Art Lover.
'Situated in Parkland and adjacent to magnificent
Victorian Walled Gardens, the House for an Art Lover
is a truly unique venue. It represents one of the most
exciting pieces of recent research on Charles Rennie
Mackintosh and provides an excellent resource for
visitors as a contemporary conference venue and
cultural attraction. '
The John Hudson Thomas Gallery.
Biography.
'John Hudson Thomas was born in Ward, Nevada and grew
up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Yale
University, graduating in 1902. Later that year he
entered the U. C. Berkeley Department of Architecture
where he studied under Bernard Maybeck and John Galen
Howard. After graduating from Berkeley, he worked for
two years in Howard's office. In 1906, he entered
into a partnership with George T. Plowman and
established an independent practice in 1910 ... '
Buildings by John Hudson Thomas.
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.
Berkeley Observed. Articles and images of
Berkeley buildings.
A reminder of West Berkeley's industrial heritage.
'The H. J. Heinz Building is located on San Pablo
Avenue just north of Ashby Avenue. Its
Mediterranean-style facade is a prominent and
distinctive feature on the streetscape of San Pablo
Avenue. The building looks like an elegant school or
office complex from the exterior, but behind the
nicely detailed facade was once a real
industrial/manufacturing building engaged in the
production of 28 of the H. J. Heinz company's famous
" 57 Varieties". '
One structure with many associations.
'The history of garbage disposal is an interesting
and rather shocking one. Our current concern for the
protection of the environment was not shared by our
forefathers. When garbage was out of sight it was
considered adequately deposed of; the land, sea and
sky were believed able to absorb all the "bad
things" ... '
The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Special online exhibition.
Whispered Prayers: Portraits and Prose of Tibetans
in Exile.
The woman who whispered her prayers.
'My name is Ama Adhe and I am sixty-five years old.
I spent twenty-eight years of my life in eight
different Chinese prisons as a political prisoner.
My chuba, which is the traditional dress of both
Tibetan men and women, became my protection at night
in the cold and dampness of my small prison cell. I
used my sleeve as a pillow, one side of my chuba as
a mattress and the other side as a blanket, since in
many of the prisons there was no other bedding or
blankets. Often, when I worked in the prison vegetable
gardens that fed the Chinese guards, my chuba became a
secret hiding place where I would store and conceal
food to bring to the other prisoners who were
starving. I was caught and severely punished for this
on many occasions.'
Chiefs
& Spirits. Contemporary African art gallery
in the Netherlands.
Selection.
Thomas Alva Edison 1847-1931. Site celebrating
the 150th anniversary of Edison's birth.
'On February 11, 1997, the Lemelson Center celebrated
Thomas Edison's 150th birthday with a special
Innovative Lives program. In an electronic field trip,
school groups from the Washington, D.C., area visited
the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in
Dearborn, Michigan.'
Make a light bulb.
The Harp. An essay on its history, playing of,
tuning of, and feeding of.
Amsterdam Heritage.
'The city of Amsterdam enjoys great fame for being the
proud owner of one of the most important intact
historical city centres in the world. The distinctive
Amsterdam cityscape is dominated by canal houses, most
of them built as residences for wealthy citizens. These
rich mansions are characterised by narrow, relatively
tall facades, crowned by richly ornamented gable tops.
Amsterdam Heritage includes an introduction to the
history of Amsterdam as well as an outline of the
topographical development of the city. Moreover,
this website offers you a unique opportunity to take
part in a virtual guided tour along the most
significant historic buildings and sites. Detailed
information on the architecture and on the
preservation of historic buildings is presented along
the way.'
Prints
Old & Rare - Monkeys Page.
'1913: The First Love Story. A monkey dressed as cupid
writing a letter from the cover of Life Magazine Vol.
61, No. 1600, June 26, 1913. '
Via Speckled Paint.
Then and Now.
Things change, not always for the better.
Via
Skimble.
link
17th February
Andes
Expedition: Searching
for Inca Secrets. (National Geographic)
Huarochiri,
a Peruvian Culture in Time.
'Huarochir is an Andean province near Lima, Peru.
This site offers an ethnographic and historical tour
of some of its communities. It samples the Huarochir
Quechua Manuscript, which alone among colonial
documents explains a pre-Christian tradition in an
Andean language, and visits modern highlanders who
inhabit and interpret the mythic landscape.'
Huarochiri's
ancient Quechua
book.
The village of
Tupicocha.
Khipus, or quipocamayos, a unique Huarochiri
legacy.
'Today, the citizens of Tupicocha, in central
Huarochir, call cord records like this one
"quipocamayos" or "equipos" or "caytus". They treasure
these post-Inka specimens of the ancient Andean
information technology as their sacred charters. '
Sri
Krishna: The
Prophet of Love and Action.
'The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture,
Golpark, Kolkata, in collaboration with the Indian
Museum, Kolkata has organised an Art Exhibition on
'Sri Krishna, the Prophet of Love and Action.' The
exhibits range in date from the 7th through 20th
centuries hailing from different parts of India,
belong mostly to Indian Museum collection; it has been
supplemented by a small collection of the Institute.
The exhibition is on display from 23rd December 2002
to 22nd January 2003 at the Insititute Mueum & Art
Gallery, Golpark, Kolkata.'
Krishna
killing
Bakasuru.
Soul
of India: Bronze
Sculpture.
Via the
Indian Museum, Calcutta.
Painted
Tales from India.
A
Brush
with Truth: Early Buddhist Ink Paintings from Japan
and China.
An
Eternity of Forest: Paintings
by Mbuti Women. ' @All lives, all dances and all
is loud." Energy, motion and sound: the exuberance and
vitality of the forest aesthetic is defined alike by a
Gabon Pygmy song, and by the paintings of the Mbuti
women of the Ituri Forest of northeastern Zaire ... '
Ituri
Forest People's Fund.
'Established in 1985 to promote the health and
education of Efe (pygmy) foragers and Lese farmers in
northeastern Congo.'
Selected
African American Artists.
Titian
at the
National Gallery, London.
Virtual tour of the 'camerino dalabastro'.
'Reconstruction of Alfonso d'Este's lost 'camerino
d'alabastro' from his castle in Ferrara, showing the
arrangement of the surviving paintings commissioned
for the room.'
Puzzling Pictures.
'This section of the National Gallery website looks at
some of the more unusual paintings in the collection:
those which may have had an interesting history since
they were painted, or perhaps have a surprising
subject or have been deliberately left incomplete. The
pictures may come from very different places and
periods but all of them have unconventional or
puzzling aspects. Choose one of the pictures below to
find out more.'
Manet -
Strozzi -
Rubens -
Piombo -
Velazquez
The
National
Gallery During the Second World War.
The
Art of Science. 'Some of the National Gallery's
paintings can tell us about scientific instruments and
inventions from the past. Click on the details below
to find out more...'
Fundamentals
of Physical
Geography.
Build-a-Bot.
Centre for
the Quilt. Quilting heritage.
Rock
Art in the
British Landscape.
Stone
Circles in Angus and Perthshire.
Sacred Sites,
Contested Rights/Rites.
'Paganisms, archaeological monuments, and access.
Megalithic
Ireland.
The
Prehistoric Monuments of
Wales.
California
Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the
Thirties.
'The WPA California Folk Music Project is a
multi-format ethnographic field collection that
includes sound recordings, still photographs,
drawings, and written documents from a variety of
European ethnic and English- and Spanish-speaking
communities in Northern California. The collection
comprises 35 hours of folk music recorded in twelve
languages representing numerous ethnic groups and 185
musicians. '
Correspondence.
Drawings and sketches.
Photographs.
Poetry
and American
Memory. (The Atlantic Online, 1999)
'The poet laureate reflects on what makes the American
people "a people" -- and what our poetry can teach us
about the "fragile, heroic enterprise of remembering".
'
The
American Sense
of Puritan.
Pilgrims
and
Puritans.
The
Pilgrims in the
Capitol.
Fire and Ice:
Puritan and Reformed Writings.
100 Worst Britons.
AntiWar
Game. Via
diminishedResponsibility.
Snake Robots. Via
Speckled Paint,
Geisha
Asobi.
link
