4th March
A few links posted over the last day or two seem to
have gone south - adjustments have been made where
necessary. Thanks are due to
Languagehat
for the pointer.
Robert
Winkler - Nature Writing.
'Welcome to a collection of essays on birds and other
wildlife in New England's "suburban wilderness." '
Excellent.
The Man Who Draws Dinosaurs All Day.
Arnold and Jacques.
Matteo Ricci:
On Chinese Government, Selection from his Journals
(1583-1610 CE).
'Matteo Ricci (1552-1610 CE) was born into a noble
Italian family. At the age of 16 he was sent to Rome
to study law but became more interested in the new
science that was sweeping Western Europe. He studied
mathematics and astronomy and then petitioned to join
the Jesuits. He was sent on a Jesuit mission to the
Far East and studied for the priesthood in east India.
He was assigned the difficult task of organizing a
mission to China, a task at which earlier Jesuit
missionaries had failed. Ricci learned the Chinese
language with such proficiency that he persuaded
officials to allow him into the country where he
taught Chinese intellectuals about mathematics and
science and published the first six books of Euclid's
Elements in Chinese. After a long delay he was
finally allowed to enter the closed City of Peking in
1601, where he stayed for the rest of his life
teaching science, mathematics, and Christianity to
Chinese intellectuals. '
Hsieh Ch'ing kao:
Selections from The Hai-lu (1783-1797 CE).
'While there are many travelogues in which Europeans
describe the new cultures they encountered during
their travels abroad, there are far fewer accounts
of Europe by non-Western observers. Even as late as
the end of the eighteenth century, well-informed
Chinese only knew what they had been told of Europe
by European travelers to China. Thus The Hai-Lu of
Hsieh Ch'ing kao is an important travel account,
which reverses the conventional viewpoint. Hsieh Ch'ing
kao traveled throughout Western Europe during a
14--year period between 1783 and 1797. He worked,
presumably as an able bodied seamen, on a Chinese
merchant ship.'
'Hsieh Ch 'ing kao (1765-1822) was illiterate and went
blind during the course of his travels. Thus the places
he had seen were deeply etched in his memory. Toward
the end of his life, he dictated his account to one
of the local shoolboys. While it is possible that he
traveled to America, as his excerpt suggests, it is
more likely that he heard tales of the invention of
the steamship rather than saw one ... '
Beyond the Blue: The Art of Maxfield Parrish.
'Between the world wars, artist Maxfield Parrish was
the common man's Rembrandt. When a Parrish print was
placed in a department store window, crowds gathered
to admire it. Hotels hung his dreamscapes in their
lobbies. Housewives bought his calendars, viewed them
for a year, then cut off the dates and framed the
pictures. His 1922 painting Daybreak became a
decorating sensation and pop icon of the 1920s,
selling more than 200,000 prints ... '
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966). A brief biography.
Posters at the National Museum of American Art.
Article about a 1998 exhibition, with some great
poster images.
Illustration House. Dedicated to the fine art of
illustration.
'For over twenty years, Illustration House, Inc. has
been America's foremost gallery devoted to the art and
history of illustration. '
African Voices. Smithsonian exhibit - superb.
The Beauty of Bare Bones.
'For more than 30 years the 58-year-old artist has
devoted himself to transforming relics from nature's
midden into art objects of uncommon beauty. His
meticulously rendered, often monumental, graphite
drawings of bones invite the viewer to see these
relics in a new way--to journey beyond their ordinary
anatomical context to a deeper, more spiritual
realm ... '
Gendron Jensen Studio.
'In all my years of artistic poustinia on behalf of the
wild creatures' relics, people have asked me, "Why
bones?" It is no surprise that our bones and those
of our fellow creatures have held wonder since before
human habits of naming ... '
Photos of You, Ines Ulanovky.
The Absence, Santiago Porter.
From the introduction :-
'On July 18, 1994, at nine fifty three in the morning,
a bomb exploded in front of the building of the
Argentine Jewish Mutual Association. The AMIA. '
'In a way, the AMIA was the home of the Jewish
community in Buenos Aires. In the building, located in
the heart of the city, a whole set of social, cultural
and educational activities took place. Inside its
walls functioned an employment office, a schooling
network, the Center for the Study of Argentine
Judaism and the Jewish Science Institute, among
other organizations ... '
' ... With time, victims of catastrophes of this
magnitude unavoidably become-except for their family-
figures in statistics or files in a trial.'
'My project focuses on each one of the eighty-five
persons who were murdered and their relatives. The
idea for this work came up months before the sixth
anniversary of the bombing. At the beginning of that
year I finally worked out how to approach this series
in terms of photography, and shortly after I began
taking the first images ... '
Old News Is Good News.
'A burly man with a white beard sits late at night
smoking, making notes and fielding phone calls from
California, New York and many points in between. He
jots numbers on small pieces of paper, then reports
them to the various callers. '
'Welcome to an old newspapers auction. The process
begins with a mailed catalogue and ends with faxes
and late-night phone calls as unseen collectors bid
against each other ... '
On This Day in History.
Alice Austen
House. 19th century American photographer.
Small Town America Stereoscopic Views.
Looking Both Ways.
Heritage and identity of the Alutiiq people of
southern Alaska.
The Edicts of King Asoka.
'King Asoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan
dynasty, has come to be regarded as one of the most
exemplary rulers in world history. The British
historian H.G. Wells has written: "Amidst the tens of
thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns
of history ... the name of Asoka shines, and shines
almost alone, a star." Although Buddhist literature
preserved the legend of this ruler -- the story of a
cruel and ruthless king who converted to Buddhism and
thereafter established a reign of virtue -- definitive
historical records of his reign were lacking. Then in
the nineteenth century there came to light a large
number of edicts, in India, Nepal, Pakistan and
Afghanistan. These edicts, inscribed on rocks and
pillars, proclaim Asoka's reforms and policies and
promulgate his advice to his subjects. The present
rendering of these edicts, based on earlier
translations, offers us insights into a powerful and
capable ruler's attempt to establish an empire on the
foundation of righteousness, a reign which makes the
moral and spiritual welfare of his subjects its
primary concern. The Australian bhikkhu Ven. S.
Dhammika, the compiler of the present work, is the
spiritual director of the Buddha Dhamma Mandala
Society in Singapore. '
Ashoka, King of Behar:
The Rock Edicts, c. 257 BCE.
link
3rd March
Haskell Indian Nations University Cultural Centre &
Archive.
'Haskell Indian Nations University is one of the
oldest and most recognized American Indian/Alaska
Native Universities in the United States. Founded in
1884 as the U.S. Industrial Training School, in
Lawrence, Kansas, Haskell was originally established
to assimilate Native American children into mainstream
America. The United States wanted to solve
the "Indian problem" and they viewed education as the
fastest and most complete means of achieving that
end. It was felt that removing Indian children from
their families and communities would remove the
influences preventing the American Indian from
becoming productive and acceptable
members of the dominant society ... '
'Once a center to remove all traces of tribal
identity, Haskell now is a center for advanced
academic study and cultural preservation. Working to
preserve the vast history of Haskell's evolution from
boarding school to university, Haskell Indian Nations
University is in the process of building a cultural
center and museum to house its archive collections,
artifacts and oral histories projects ... '
Beyond the Reach of Time and Change. American Indian
portraits.
A Holocaust of Little Girls.
From the South China Morning Post, 1995.
'Mei-ming has lain this way for 10 days now: tied up
in urine-soaked blankets, scabs of dried mucus growing
across her eyes, her face shrinking to a skull,
malnutrition slowly shrivelling her two-year old
body. The orphanage staff call her room the "dying
room", and they have abandoned here for the very
same reasons her parents abandoned her shortly after
she was born. She is a girl. '
Fu Xuan: Woman. (c. 3rd century CE).
Les Catacombs, Paris.
The Ile de la Cite by night.
Jim Morrison's Paris.
Paris cityscapes.
Monuments.
All with amusing commentary.
The European Voynich Manuscript Transcription Project.
'In 1912, Wilfrid M. Voynich (a book collector) bought
a medieval or early modern manuscript (234 pages)
written in an unknown script and what appears to be an
unknown language or cipher from the Jesuit College at
the Villa Mondragone, Frascati, in Italy (near Rome).
Apparently, Voynich wanted to have the mysterious
manuscript deciphered and provided photographic copies
to a number of experts. However, despite the efforts of
many well known cryptologists and scholars, the book
remains unread. There are a number of claims of
decipherment, but to date, none of these can be
substantiated after critical analysis. The book was
bought by H. P. Kraus (a New York book antiquarian)
in 1961 for the sum of $24,500. He later valued it at
$160,000 but was unable to find a buyer. Finally, he
donated it to Yale University in 1969, where it
remains to date at the Beinecke Rare Book Library
with catalogue number MS 408. '
The Washington
Banana Museum.
'The Washington Banana Museum curator is Ann Mitchell
Lovell. Ann has assembled close to 4,000 items, a
melange of artifacts, folk art and other cultural
oddities devoted to the world's perfect fruit.
Assembled by a longtime scholar of banana
consciousness, it features a compendium of whimsical
and serious representations of the #1-selling fruit
in the United States. '
London's Subterranean River Fleet.
'The longest and most important of London's
subterranean rivers is the river Fleet. It rises from
springs a mile apart on Hampstead Heath, which feed a
line of ponds on either side of Parliament Hill. One
spring fills Highgate Ponds on the north side of
Parliament Hill, and the other fills Hampstead Ponds
to the south. These ponds were dug in the early
1700's as water reservoirs for London ... '
Women in China: Past and Present.
Marco Polo [1254-1324]: Travels in China.
Some interesting excerpts.
'Marco Polo [1254-1324], the most famous of medieval
European travelers. returned to Venice, his hometown,
in 1295 after an absence of twenty-five years in the
East. He claimed to have spent seventeen years in the
service of Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongols and of
the largest empire in the world. He had many stories
to tell. These stories were eventually written down
by Rustichiello of Pisa, who heard them while sharing
a Genoese prison with Polo, sometimes after 1298 ... '
Herbals. Scanned pages from herbals dating from
the 6th to the 12th centuries, plus a page from the
Voynich Manuscript.
Prefaces to Various Language Editions of the
Communist Manifesto.
Socialist and Communist Flags, Spain, 1931-39.
Pirate Image Archive. Pictures of pirates.
John Bellairs Walk.
'John Bellairs was born in Marshall, Michigan on
January 17, 1938. He grew up here, and both his
parents and grandparents lived here. As a young boy,
he roamed its streets and knew it well. When he began
writing books, he adapted many of its streets,
buildings, and surroundings to fit his stories ... '
Maps of the Middle Atlantic Region to 1850,
'depicting the Middle Atlantic region of North
America, dating from about 1660 to 1850, culled from
the Map Division's extensive collections. ' (Link fixed
4th March).
Ancient
Royal Thai Fruit and Vegetable Carving. Via
MeFi.
Full
Moon Names and Their
Meanings. Via MeFi.
A long time ago I experimented with adding comments
to this site. The experiment failed because it slowed
the site down too much. However, in a concession to
public opinion, there is now a
guestbook. Don't all rush at once, now.
link
1st March
Chinese Poems.
Via
Languagehat.
Where you live in one single photograph or
picture. The best Metafilter thread I've read
in a long time.
"What difference does it make
to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction
is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty
or democracy?" - Gandhi.
"I know not with what weapons World War III
will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with
sticks and stones." - Einstein.
"Never, never, never believe
any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange
voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman
who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he
is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable
events." - Churchill.
More
War is Stupid quotes.
Photography in Africa by Ami Vitale.
Japan Punk Project.
Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China.
'Down through the centuries of China's dynastic rule,
officials repeatedly memorialized the Dragon Throne,
pleading that eunuch interference in state affairs be
curbed. However, almost none recommended that the
ancient eunuch system be abolished. This is but one
indication of how deeply ingrained in Chinese thinking
was the custom that allowed only sexless males to
serve the Imperial Presence, the ladies of his royal
family, and his thousands of' concubines, all amassed
together in the "Great Within' behind forbidden palace
doors ... '
Pasteur in Australia.
'The Pasteur Institute undertook significant work in
Australia during the late 1800s. Pasteur and his
colleagues attempted to curb the growing rabbit
population (unsuccessfully). However, they were
successful in developing several other vaccines,
including one for the dreaded disease Anthrax. Rodd
Island, in Sydney, NSW, was the base of their
operations ... '
Deutsche Bank Kunst.
Deutsche Bank, one of the world's largest banks,
is also a major patron of the arts.
Magazine.
Exhibitions.
Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin.
'Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin is situated on Under den Linden
in the old and new centre of Berlin. The museum's
unusual name derives from its initiators - Deutsche
Bank and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation - and
of course from its location, Berlin. This co-operation
represents a unique joint venture between a bank and
a museum.'
Crossing the Hudson River with 34 Miles of Wire Rope.
Building the George Washington Bridge. Illustrated
history.
More at
the John A. Roebling's Sons Company online history
archive.
Collective Terms for Animals in English.
World Wide
Words. 'Investigating international English from
a British viewpoint.' A great site with interesting
articles on the history of English, the
origins of words, and the many ways
of communicating in English across the world.
The Word
Detective.
'The Word Detective on the Web
is the online version of The Word Detective, a
newspaper column answering readers' questions about
words and language.
The Word Detective is written by
Evan Morris and appears in finer newspapers
in the U.S., Mexico and Japan.'
The Death of the Last Emperor's Last Eunuch, 1996.
New York Times, Dec. 20, 1996.
'Over the centuries,. the most secretive and grotesque
corner of China's extensive imperial court belonged
to the fraternity of special guardians, the eunuchs,
whose high voices, and soft demeanors often cloaked
the viciousness of their back alley politiking and
custody of the Fordbidden City's magnificent exotica ...'
Lessons for a Woman, Ban Zhao, c. 80 CE.
' ... In every age, moreover, a handful of
extraordinary women managed to acquire literary
educations or otherwise achieve positions of
far-ranging influence and authority despite social
constraints. The foremost female Confucian of the
age of Han was Ban Zhao (ca 45-116 CE), younger
sister of the court historian Ban Gu (32 - 92 CE).
Upon Gu's death,, Zhao served as imperial historian
under Emperor Han Hedi (r. 88-105 CE) and completed
her brother's Han Annals, a history of the Former Han
Dynasty, which is generally regarded as second only
to the historical work of Sima Qian. Ban Zhao also
served as an adviser on state matters to the Empress
Deng, who assumed power as regent for her infant
son in 106 CE ... '
Giant Lava
Lamp.
'Theme structures built for cities throughout the
world are constructed to draw attention and tourists.
As someone said, "never underestimate the power of
awe." Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Seattle has the
Space Needle and Soap Lake has the worlds largest Lava
Lamp!'
The Late, Great Works of Delacroix.
Excerpts from Delacroix's Journal.
Banished
Words List.
''Make no mistakes about it,' Lake Superior State
University issued its 28th annual 'extreme' List of
Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use,
Over-Use and General Uselessness, which the world
needs 'now, more than ever.' '
'LSSU has been compiling the list since 1976, choosing
from nominations sent from around the world. This year,
words and phrases were pulled from a record 3,000
nominations. Most were sent through the school's
website: www.lssu.edu/banished.'
'Word-watchers pull nominations throughout the year
from everyday speech, as well as from the news, fields
of education, technology, advertising, politics, and
more. A committee gathers the entries and chooses the
best in December. The list is released on New Year's
Day.'
Ani-Gram,
or animated anigram; one per day. (Best viewed on
a fast connection).
Visual
Thesaurus. (Best viewed on a fast connection).
Word Puzzles. (Best viewed on a fast connection).
Excerpts from Slave Narratives, from 1682 to 1880.
'
Olaudah Equiano, an Ibo from Nigeria, was just
11 years old when he was kidnapped into slavery. He
was held captive in West Africa for seven months and
then sold to British slavers, who shipped him to
Barbados and then took him to Virginia. After
serving a British naval officer, he was sold to a
Quaker merchant from Philadelphia who allowed him to
purchase his freedom in 1766. In later life, he played
an active role in the movement to abolish the slave
trade. '
'
Kidnapped at the age of six, Venture Smith was
sold to the stewart on a slave ship and brought to
Connecticut. At the age of 31, after several changes
of ownership, he purchased his freedom with money that
he earned by hiring out his labor and "cleaning musk-
rats and minks, raising potatoes and carrots, and by
fishing in the night, and at odd spells." In order to
purchase his wife and sons, he fished, sailed on a
whaler, ferried wood from Long Island to Rhode Island,
and raised watermelons. Later, he actually became a
slaveholder, purchasing at least three slaves. At his
death at the age of 77 in 1805 in East Haddam,
Connecticut, he left a hundred- acre farm and three
houses. '
link
