25th June
Ashanti
Gold Weights.
"The discourse was interrupted by the entrance of a
troop of eunuchs, bearing on their heads
various articles ... which were passed in review
before the gazing multitude. These were a
number of ornaments, in molten gold, such as small
plates, circlets, twists, etc., beside
some large specimens of rock gold ... two fine camel's
hair carpets ... nine large pieces
of silk ... a long gold pipe, neatly and tastefully
decorated with gold wire, the bowl
being cast in the solid, and rudely sculptured; a
massive breast plate cast pure, of the
same metal, divided upon the outer surface into
compartments, and coarsely moulded into a
sort of filigrane work; a gold elephant's tail,
composed of a thick bunch of wire ...
besides a variety of the finest cotton cloths, striped
and ornamented with silk in the
fashions of the country" -
(Dupuis 1824, 173-4, describing presents intended for
the King of England).
African
Sculpture
Garden.
West
African Textiles.
'As you will see, the people of West Africa make all
kinds of beautiful, colorful cloth.
Weaving and dyeing are important parts of their
cultural traditions. Therefore, studying
cloth can help us learn about West African people,
too. '
Africana
Collection.
Nowo
or Zogbe mask.
Ratton
masks.
West
African textile
patterns.
The
Dances of India.
'The dance heritage of India is at least 5000 years
old. A dancing girl figurine was
found in the ruins of Mohenjodaro and is dated
approximately 2nd Century B.C. Many group
dancing sequences are depicted in exquisite rock
paintings of Bhimabetaka caves of Madhya
Pradesh. The Apsaras (Celestials) dancers are carved
at the gateways of Sanchi. The wall
paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, the sculptures of
Khajuraho, the temple walls of Hoysala
dynasty, stand ample evidence for popularity of Indian
dances from ancient times.'
'Through the centuries the dances have been used as a
vehicle of worship and expression of
emotions in India. The temple dancers (Devadasis) have
led a very austere lives in order
to perform sacred dances to please Gods and Goddesses.
The Devadasi system is still
prevalent in some states of India. In Karnataka they
are dedicated to the Goddess Yellamma
of Savadatti. In Orissa, they are appointed to perform
various activities of the
temple ... '
Dance
of the celestials.
India
in the State
Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.
'The small collection of Indian items covers the
period from the 2nd and 3rd centuries
right up to the 20th century. Ancient Indian art is
represented by Buddhist sculptures
of stone and stucco, while from the medieval period
come several stone sculptures of the
8th to 12th centuries and a collection of 14th to
18th-century bronzes from Southern India.
There are Indian paintings from the Mughal, Rajput and
Golkonda schools, including a number
of signed works of the 17th to 18th centuries. '
Amorous
couple.
A
Trip to the Moon. Thanks as ever to
madamjujujive.
Gang Rule.
History of organised crime in NYC and Boston;
really great site.
Thanks to
madamjujujive.
Flowers by
Katinka Matson. Via
MeFi.
Odd Musical Instruments Gallery.
Via
MeFi.
Canadian
Pacific Railway Posters. Via
MeFi.
Children's
Hair-dress Worldwide. Thanks to
iconomy.
Kobe
Gallery.
'At 5:45 AM on January 17th, 1995, a violent earthquake
struck the city of Kobe. In the 30
second quake, 5000 people lost their lives, and
billions and billions of dollars were
lost. '
'However, to this day, specialists say that Kobe was
lucky. If the quake had struck 30
minuets to an hour later, the death toll would have
been 50000. If the quake had struck
any time between 8 am to 9 pm, the death toll would
have been around 150000 because of the
crushed office buildings, the packed subway system,
and the ever crowded streets and
highways.'
'But for those who lost family, friends, and
neighbors, no one felt lucky. The fear is
engraved, and the sorrow is to remain.'
Kamasagaki
Gallery.
'Kamagasaki, is the largest slum in Japan. Located in
the south end of downtown Osaka,
Kamagasaki is a one square kilometer "city within a
city". It is the home to some thirty
thousand day labor workers, some three thousand
homeless, and close to ninety yakuza
(Japanese Mafia) offices. There are almost no social
benefits for the people in Kamagasaki,
and like the elderly workers that live here, the town
is dying. '
'I started to photograph this town back in 1989.
Originally, I thought that by showing the
Japanese the truth about this "city", that no "normal"
Japanese would enter, I could help
the people regain a "normal" life.'
'It only took me a few weeks to realize that, yes, the
people here needed assistance in
getting food and shelter when work is low, but no,
they didn't necessarily want "change"
to destroy their home. Kamagasaki is an odd town with
many different people, and each
person has a different need. The Osaka city government
tries it's best to stay out of
affairs in Kamagasaki, and is dreaming, that one day,
this town will just disappear from
the face of the map. At the same time, most Japanese
see the people here as "losers", and
do not realize that with the way the economy is going
these days, they just might end up in
Kamagasaki too. '
The Gateway to
Astronaut Photography of Earth.
Great!
Astronaut
Dan Bursch's
120-Day Report from Space.
Earthgazing,
Nasa-style.
'Earth scientists love it when astronauts gaze through
the space station's extraordinary #
Destiny Lab window.'
The Andy Warhol
Museum.
Reina
Sofia National
Museum, Madrid. Nice site, lots to see.
Solana.
Juan
Gris.
Picasso.
Miro.
Dali.
Rural,
Vermont.
'You're not the first folks to wander this way today.
Lots of folks visit Rural,
Vermont.'
'I think it's on account of the pace is a bit slower
here--the village an' surroundin'
area is awfully pretty.'
'And the people you meet are mighty friendly. (Well
most of 'em are anyway.)'
'Me? The name is Clara Reed and I've lived here in
Vermont my whole life. I'm just heading
over to the barn to hang this wonderful wreath ... '
Vermont
Folklore.
1816: A
Year Without a Summer.
'No subject in the weather history of New England
arouses so much interest today as does
the Summer of 1816. Was there actually "a year without
a summer," when "no month passed
without a frost, nor one without snow," and when "no
crops at all were produced"? This
account, taken from The Vermont Weather Book by David
M. Ludlum, uses the records kept by
individuals during this period ... '
Vermont
History. Lovely site created by the Vergennes
Union High School.
Flying
over the Nebraska of my Life.
Poem.
For
Joel. Poem.
link
24th June
Timeless
Treasures:
The Story of Dolls in Canada.
'A doll is much more than a miniature
three-dimensional representation of a person. It is
something common to every region, culture and time
period, and the roles it can play are limited only by
the imagination.'
This
Splendid
Gift: The 1897 Canadian Historical Dinner Service.
'Painted to commemorate John Cabot's 1497 landing in
North America, the Canadian Historical Dinner Service
was presented to Ishbel, Countess of Aberdeen, for her
contributions to Canadian life. Part of the set was
exhibited at the Canadian Museum of Civilization a
century later as a tribute to the exploits of the
explorer, the achievements of the artists and the
Women's Art Association of Canada, and the enduring
legacy of Lady Aberdeen. '
Old
Nova Scotian
Quilts.
Canadian
Folk Art
Outdoors.
Stones
Unturned.
'Selected images of Native clothing, musical
instruments, and games and toys from the collections
of the Canadian Museum of Civilization.'
Wave Eaters: Native Watercraft in Canada.
'Watercraft have long played a vital role in the
cultures of most First Peoples in Canada. Indian and
Inuit boat builders have produced many varieties of
wooden dugout, bark canoe and skin boat, each designed
for specific purposes and particular conditions. This
selection of Native watercraft from the Canadian
Museum of Civilization's collections highlights the
creativity and skill of Indian and Inuit boat
builders. '
Iqqaipaa: Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970.
Shunga.
Ryukyu
and Ainu Textiles.
'Japan is made up of a long string of islands
extending north and south along the eastern side of
the Asian continent. The northernmost island of
Hokkaido and the southernmost islands of Okinawa
differ not only in climate but also in the cultures of
the people who live there. Consider clothing, for
example. Differences in location result in clothing of
different shapes, made from different materials, and
with different patterns. Let's take a look at the
colorful woven and dyed textiles used for clothing by
the Ryukyu people, who live in the southern islands
that we call Okinawa today, and the Ainu, an
aboriginal people who live in Hokkaido ... '
The
Mystical Arts of Tibet.
Tibetan
Sand Mandala
at the Ashmolean.
Interesting Artifacts from Canada's West Coast.
'The coastal area of British Columbia is part of what
is often referred to as "the great Northwest Coast."
British Columbia has an advanced, thriving economy
with modern industries including manufacturing,
transportation, mining, fishing, and forestry. Even
the movie industry prospers by using the visual beauty
of this coastline of western North America.'
'Many
groups of people with different languages and customs
have prospered for thousands of years along the coast
and inland along the fjords, riverways and inland
plateau areas of British Columbia.'
The
Painted
Furniture of French Canada (1700-1840).
Imperial Austria: Treasures of Art, Arms and Armour
from the State of Styria.
'Ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty from the Late Middle
Ages to the early twentieth century, Austria has long
been one of the great cultural and political centres
of Europe. As a gateway between East and West, this
strategic region was often forced to defend its land,
its culture, and its religion against outside
invaders. Imperial Austria: Treasures of Art, Arms and
Armor from the State of Styria chronicles a
fascinating period in Austria's cultural history. '
Second
World War:
Canada's War Artists' Perspective.
'From the beginning, Canadian painters who
participated in the Canadian War Records lived and
worked closely with the armed forces, spending a great
deal of time close to the front lines. Wherever they
found themselves, they were expected to produce
accurate images of fighting men, machinery, and the
landscape of war. This they did by sketching in the
field and later developing the sketches in watercolour
or pastel. Only when they returned to their
headquarters in London, or, after the war, to Canada,
did they compose their studio works - the oils on
canvas. '
Reflections on the Holocaust: The Art of Aba
Bayefsky.
'The paintings and drawings on view comprise two
collections of work by Jewish artist Aba Bayefsky.
Those from the collection of the Canadian War Museum
are based on his personal experiences of the
liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in May
1945. As he commented in an interview, "For the first
time I became aware of man's monstrous capacity for
evil." '
'The images from this time have never left
him, nor has his anger at what was suffered by the
victims of the Holocaust. His personal reflections on
what he saw half a lifetime ago were the inspiration
for the recent series of works collectively entitled
Epilogue. '
George Washington's Distillery.
Thanks to homunculus @
MeFi.
Stamp
Quest.
The
Astrobiology
Index.
The
Large Magellanic Cloud.
The
Small Magellanic Cloud.
link
23rd June
Military Uniforms of the British Indian Army.
On cigarette cards.
Dance Masks from Mexico and Guatemala.
The Chicana/Chicano Experience in Arizona.
'Maria Flores, dressed in this costume, presents an
image that is representative of the Indian, Spanish
and Mexican
cultures that are indigenous to this area of the
southwestern region ... '
The Epic Images of Kurosawa.
French Tobacconist Shop Signs.
Sao Paulo Street Leaflets.
Graphic City: Hong Kong.
Tirana.
Photos.
The Tracks of the Little
Deer. The Native American peyote religion.
'Ever since the arrival of the first Europeans in the
New World, Peyote has provoked controversy,
suppression, and persecution. Condemned by the
Spanish conquerors for its "satanic trickery", and
attacked more recently by local governments and
religious groups, the plant has nevertheless
continued to play a major sacramental role among
the Indians of Mexico, while its use has spread to
the North American tribes in the last hundred years.
The persistence and growth of the Peyote cult
constitute a fascinating chapter in the history of the
New World - and a challenge to the anthropologists
and psychologists, botanists and pharmacologists
who continue to study the plant and its constituents
in connection with human affairs ... '
The George H.N. Luhrs Family in Phoenix and Arizona,
1847-1984.
'Do you remember when the town was young,
The kindly, honest, busy little man
Who every moment of his life long span
Helped build the place whence his success was wrung?
Whose nimble hands first set the wagon's tongue
Toward mines that fed his mule train's caravan;
Whose friendly heart more won the stranger
His beg and board and beer straight from the bung? ... '
Museum of the City of San Francisco:
1906 Earthquake and Fire.
Photo gallery.
Museum of the City of San Francisco:
Golden Gate and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
Construction 1934-36.
The
Allen Parker Slave Narrative Site.
'Welcome to the web site for the Allen Parker Slave
Narrative Project! This site is the first scholarly
treatment of Allen Parker's Recollections of Slavery
Times, an important but little known slave narrative
published in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1895.
Parker was an illiterate popcorn and candy peddler in
Worcester when he came, through avenues unknown, to
relate the story of his life in slavery to a
sympathetic friend, also unknown. Published by a
small local press, Parker's Recollections quickly
faded into obscurity and was lost to the general
public and scholars alike until rediscovered in the
last few years ... '
The Arizona Jewish Historical Society Oral History
Project.
'Shema Arizona adds a Jewish voice to Arizona's
history. Shema (sheMA) means "hear" in Hebrew.
With this site you can hear some of Arizona's
Jewish history. '
Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.
Oremus Hymnal.
'This online hymnal contains texts and MIDI files of
tunes used in much of the English-speaking world, with
particular emphasis on the Anglican tradition.
Currently, fifty-two Anglican hymnals from the past
140 years have been indexed. These 52 hymnals contain
nearly seven thousand distinct texts and over eighteen
thousand text/tune combinations. '
Find the Highest Note.
'This dynamic presentation digitally recreates three
auditory illusions found at the Exploratorium Science
Museum in San Francisco, California. '
National Geographic: Cats.
Toshiro Mifune: Official Website.
Kaniner. Via
Everlasting
Blort.
Mexican
Horror DVDs.
Via
iconomy.
ThirdView:
A Rephotographic
Survey of the American West.
Via Solipsistic.
Musicians
as Artists.
Via
Sugar &
Spicy.
Crazy Horse Memorial.
Thanks to homunculus @
MeFi.
Sketchbooks from the Archives of American Art.
Via
iconomy.
Nazi
and East German
Propaganda. Via
Internet
Weekly.
Salvador
Dali: Dream of
Venus. Via
Internet
Weekly.
The Norton Museum of
Art.
Via
Internet
Weekly.
Prairie
Tumbleweed Farm. Via
Everlasting Blort.
link
21st June
Paintings, Sculpture and Vodou Banners from
Haiti.
Maharaja Portraits of Cochin.
Portraits of maharajas on stamps.
'Cochin was a small state on the Malabar coast, deep
in the southwestern region of the Indian peninsula.
Malayalam, the language of the region, is displayed
on the stamps of both Cochin and Travancore. However,
it's not necessary to learn Malayalam, as all the
stamps of these states are bi-lingual, displaying
both Malayalam and English. For the advanced
collector, it will be useful to learn a bit of
Malayalam in order to identify errors that occur
in the typesetting of the script ... '
Afghanistan. Photos from 1933.
Robotic Life: Public Anemone.
'Inspired by primitive life, Public Anemone is a
robotic creature with an organic appearance and
natural quality of movement. By day, Public Anemone
is awake and interacts with the waterfall, pond,
and other aspects of its surroundings. It interacts
with the audience by orienting to their movements
using a stereo machine vision system. But if you
get too close, it recoils like a rattlesnake.'
A Magic Reality: Art from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Cardboard
Retablos.
Via ikastikos.
Plant Pathology Photos. Via
Morfablog.
Primitive
Kool Art.
Via Sugar &
Spicy.
St.
Anne's Virtual
Sewing Machine Gallery. Via Sugar &
Spicy.
Bookplates.
Via iconomy.
Fictitious Texts, 1992-1996:
Book Sculptures by David Laufer.
Via
Booklab II.
Herbals
& Early Gardening Books. Via
wood s
lot.
Historical
Atlas of the 20th Century.
Via
Incoming
Signals.
Josef
Sudek.
Via Solipsistic.
Barbies.
'If you have ever spent much time in a toy store or
have been subjected to
Barbies by children or The Antichrist, you may have
noticed that they have
"Barbie as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz" etc. There
are many "Barbie as "
dolls. I knew they would never make any cool ones, so
I took it upon myself.'
Via Geisha
Asobi.
Pierre Monet: Bain de Soleil.
Via
gmtPlus9.
Bjork in Many Guises.
Via iconomy.
50 Years after the Execution of the
Rosenbergs: Treason & Patriotism in Post
9/11 America.
'Robert Meeropol is the younger son of Ethel and Julius
Rosenberg and the founder and Executive Director of the
Rosenberg Fund for Children. On June 19th, the 50th anniversary
of his parents' executions, St. Martin's Press will publish his
memoir, An Execution in the Family: One Son's Journey. '
Thanks to
Juliet.
Also in
the Globe and Mail
- 'Michael and Robert Meeropol look around the
United States today, and they are struck by the
resemblance to June 19, 1953: the day their parents
were executed by the U.S. government ... '; and
the Guardian... lessons to be learned from this,
indeed.
Images of Life in Hong Kong. Photos taken
1980-82.
Historic Magic Lantern Slides of California.
'In the early years of the twentieth century glass
lantern slides, sometimes hand-tinted, were a popular
form of entertainment, known as "magic lantern"
exhibitions. They were also used in education ... '
Images of the American West.
Atoms for peace.
Anti-grazing sign.
Waterfalls of Western North America. Photos of the
best in the West.
Virtual Reality Panoramas of Western North America.
Images of the California Environment.
A Manual
of Greek Numismatics. Images.
French Proverbs from 1611.
'In 1611, Randle Cotgrave published A dictionarie of
the French and English tongues, a French/English
dictionary with about 50,000 entries. In addition to
word definitions, Cotgrave's dictionary contains
numerous proverbs, presumably to illustrate word
usage. These proverbs provide an interesting look
into both French and English proverbs in this era,
and is one of the earliest printed collections of
proverbs ... '
The Inscribing
of Paris Street Names.
'The plaques
of Paris street names are one of the symbols of the
capitol, just like the Eiffel Tower. The template,
which has remained the same since 1847, is unlike
any other in the world and is one of the oldest still
in usage. But behind this symbol, there are many
different models: some of them already belong to
history and no longer have an official existence;
others are nothing more than variations of the
official model; and still others are architect's
whims for the most part and are purely
decorative ... '
Signs of Love: Brazilian Motels.
Streets of Havana. Photos.
Fonkoze: Haiti's
Bank for the Organised Poor.
Strange Science.
'Ever wonder how people figured out there used to be
such things as dinosaurs? Curious about how scientists
learned to reconstruct fossil skeletons? The knowledge
we take for granted today was slow in coming, and
along the way, scientists and scholars had some weird
ideas. This Web site shows some of their mistakes,
provides a timeline of events, gives biographies of
a few of the people who have gotten us where we are
today, and lists resources you can use to learn
more. '
Kodo. Drummers.
The Smithsonian
Gardens.
link
