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20th January
Breaking the Ice. Palestinian-Israeli team scale an Antarctic peak. An 'extreme peace mission'. Via MeFi.

Embryo Images Online. Development of human and mouse embryos; superb photo galleries.

Belle de Jour. Diary of a call girl. I really like this 'slice of life' weblog - very well-written.

Lubeck's Dance of Death. ' "Death from Lübeck" was a 30 meter painting, showing Death in a long chain-dance with 24 humans - painted life-size - from all classes of society, from pope to infant. Death skips around in the procession, calling people to the dance, but most of them try to decline. Pictures and text are combined so we have what may be one of the world's first and greatest comic strips.'
'The painting was destroyed during the 2nd world war and, anyway, it was only a copy since the original medieval painting from 1463 was replaced by a new one in 1701. On the other hand the painter, Bernt Notke, had made 2 versions of the painting and therefore in Tallinn, Estonia, one may still see his original work and read part of the original medieval text. On this site you'll find drawings and photos from both Lübeck and Tallinn.'
'When the painting was replaced in 1701, the old medieval text was replaced by a totally new one but, fortunately, the vicar wrote down as much of the medieval text as he could read. This site contains both of those texts plus the German and Danish manuscripts that are based upon the painting in Lübeck.'
'The purpose of this site is to make the original texts with pictures available on the Internet for the first time in 540 years. I have put focus on presenting the primary sources whether they are in Low German, High German or Danish.'

Ito Yuhan. 'Ito Yuhan (1882-1951) was a landscape artist who designed several woodblock prints during the 1930's. His work was published by Nishinomiya Yosaku. According to one source, Yuhan worked as a movie producer in later life, but this is unconfirmed. He is best known for designing several views of Miyajima printed in blue tones. His prints are characterized by vivid colors and subtle gradations. They look similar to watercolors, as they lack an outlining keyblock. Yuhan's soft style transcends his rather typical subject matter, evoking the romantic beauty of Japan's unspoiled past. The absence of human figures adds to the sense of quiet timelessness.'
Gallery.

Kawase Hasui. Postcards, prints, seals and signatures, Shinto architecture.
'Known for his exquisite landscape prints, Kawase Hasui was one of the most prolific and talented shin hanga artists of the early 20th century. He designed around six hundred prints total, mainly for the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo, although he also worked for several others briefly. Many people feel that Hasui's most original work was done at the beginning of his career. Unfortunately, the blocks for these early prints were destroyed in the devastating 1923 earthquake and they were never reprinted. Consequently, Hasui's pre-earthquake prints are among the rarest and most sought-after shin hanga. '

Chicago Architecture. Buildings and discussion.

Houston Architecture. Buildings and discussion.

Scientific, Medical and Mechanical Antiques. A selection of articles.

Julian Smith. Travel writing, photography and more.

The Crooked House. The 'leaning pub' of the West Midlands.
'Had I been drinking before taking these photos? No, they are not fake, either! The pub is situated at Himley, in the West Midlands of the UK. Over the years much coal was mined in this area, and this building has suffered severe subsidence, but as these photos show it is now well supported at the lower end. '

Rudy Rotter's Museum of Sculpture. Outsider art.
'Rudy passed away November 4, 2001, at the age of 88. He was born April 23, 1913, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received degrees from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and Marquette University (Milwaukee), served in the Army Dental Corps during World War II, and operated a thriving dental practice in Manitowoc until retiring at the age of 74. It wasn't until age 43 that he began making and exhibiting his art. From his earliest experiments with plaster in the mid-1950's to his more recent drawings, made just months before his death, he produced an estimated 17,000 works of art. Many remain housed in his Museum of Sculpture in downtown Manitowoc. The joy expressed when describing his creative process, and the imaginative energy of his artworks have been an inspiration to all who met him.'

Nigel Engelbert's Grandview. 'In 1937, after his children were grown, Nick Engelbert began to build an elaborate arched porch of concrete around the front entrance of his farmhouse, ultimately covering every inch of the outside surface of the house with concrete inlaid with shards of china, glass, beads, buttons, and sea shells. Over the next 15 years, Nick created more than 40 concrete sculptures in his yard, combining patriotic themes with imagery from history, fairy tales, mythology and his own imagination. At the age of 70, no longer able to make sculptures, he turned to painting, producing over 200 oils before his death in 1962 ... '

Art Raw. Outsider art.

Artesian Arts. Outsider art from Scotland.

Ask Gandhi. 'An Insight into the mind of Gandhi through Questions and Answers.'

Mahatma Gandhi Illustrations.

Photo Japan: Mark Hemmings.

Photo Japan: Pat Lyttle.

Kingait Currents: Leading Sculptors of Cape Dorset. Inuit art. 'In this collection, we take pleasure in presenting eight Cape Dorset artists who are in the prime of their careers, creating great works of art, which challenge and delight both collectors and casual observers alike. Just as the first generation of artists opened our eyes to Inuit art in earlier decades, carvers of this second generation are the heart and soul of northern art today. At this point in their careers they have the skill and established reputations that allow them to experiment freely both in style and technique. While traditional images and wildlife figures are still prevalent, modern imagery and influence is not at all unusual ... '

Joe David: Wolves at the Door. Inuit art. 'We are proud to present Wolves at the Door, Joe David's first major solo exhibition. After four years of acquisition and several decades in creating, the time is finally right for this collection to be veiwed and to focus attention on this remarkable artist. We present Wolves at the Door during the winter solstice, which is the most powerful time of year for the Tla-O-Qui-Aht., for it is during this magical time that the secret ceremonies of the Tlukwana, or wolf ceremonies are held. Joe David's work is grounded in this history of ceremony; each work made for a purpose, yet designed with grace. We invite you to explore this exhibition.'

Songs of the Russian People, 1872. 'This book, despite its title, is a treasure-trove of Slavic mythology, tradition, folklore and ethnography. There are plenty of songs, not only from Russia but every part of the Slavic region from Serbia to Siberia. The songs are used as a starting point for a wide-ranging discussion of pre-industrial Slavic peasant life, including weddings, funerals, witchcraft, demonology, games, riddles, and seasonal traditions. Also covered are the details of Russian pagan religion and mythology, with comparisons to related topics such as Vedic and Germanic mythology.'

Roumanian Fairy Tales and Legends, 1881.

Observation of the Moon. Images.
'The observation of our natural satellite, the Moon, is a very fascinating and rewarding activity for the amateur astronomer, even if he/she is only equipped with binoculars or with a modest telescope. In fact, the Moon presents a large apparent diameter in the sky (almost half a degree, or 30 arcmin), it is very bright, and it shows profound and predictable changes in its appearance during a 29 1/2 day cycle called a lunation. Throughout the lunation, the Moon will practically show us the same hemisphere, the so called near-side. However, the various lunar formations present therein, namely mountain ranges and craters, will always look different due to high variability of the light-shadow patterns that may occur at the Moon's surface. Even with a small telescope, the 3-D perception of the relief of the various lunar formations will be magnificent ... '

Observation of Planet Jupiter.

The Religion of Numa And Other Essays on the Religion of Ancient Rome, 1906. 'This is a short survey of the history of Roman religion, particularly the Roman pantheon, from its origins as abstract animistic deities, the infiltration of Greek gods and goddesses, the influence of the Sibyllines, the introduction of Near Eastern Goddess worship and other deities, and finally the rise of the God-Emperors, codified under Augustus. '

The Song of Roland.

American Folk Art Museum.

Carved Oak. Story.

Beginning. Story.

The Ant Nebula. Astro pic.
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19th January
A Taste of Africa. Weblog from the Horn of Africa, written by a development worker.

Rembrandt's Journey: Painter, Draftsman, Etcher. At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

South Wales Coalfield Collection. Includes photographic images of the Miners' Strike, 1984-5, a turning point in modern British history. We're coming up to the twentieth anniversary.

Children's Riding Toys. Gallery and stories behind each one. Thanks to the Metz Bicycle Museum.

Paul O'Neill Cartoons. Courtesy of Slate.

Hiyoshi Mamoru. Shin hanga. 'In the early 1950's, he designed brightly colored woodblock prints of Korean people and their customs, presumably for the tourist industry. The prints were published by the Kyoto Hanga-in. '
Gallery.

Ito Takahashi. 'Ito Takashi was one of the lesser known landscape artists who designed prints for the shin hanga publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. Like several other print artists of this period, including Ito Shinsui and Kawase Hasui, Ito Takashi studied painting under Kaburagi Kiyokata. In addition, he attended the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and studied with Yuki Somei. Takashi primarily worked as a painter and designed woodblocks intermittently. He designed about 85 woodblock prints during his life, from the early 1920's through 1965.'
Gallery. Incomplete, but still well worth a look.

The Age of Reptiles Mural at the Yale Peabody Museum. 'The vivid scene reproduced from Rudolph Zallinger's famous dinosaur mural The Age of Reptiles, overlooking the Great Hall in Yale's Peabody Museum, is far more than a magnificent work of art. It is also a scientific document transforming the knowledge, ideas, and thoughts of many scholars of ancient life into realistic and accurate images. The mural is one of the largest in the world, measuring 110 feet long by 16 feet high, and required more than four and a half years (1943-1947) to complete. '

Liverpool Museum.

Van Eyck to Bruegel. Art.

Tantric Temples of Alampur. 'Numerous romantic sculptures can be found on the pillars of Alampur's Kumara-Brahma temple in Alampur, Andhra Pradesh ... '

Dr. Seuss National Memorial. 'The five bronze sculptures include Dr. Seuss busily working at his drawing board with the Cat in the Hat standing at his side as his muse, and lots of other favorite Dr. Seuss characters such as Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle, the Grinch and his dog Max, the Lorax, Gertrude McFuzz, Things One and Two, and the lovable Thidwick the Moose ... '
Dr. Seuss gallery.

Aboriginal Art of the First Person. Tribal art from West and Central Africa, Aboriginal Australia, and Native America.

The Twelve Devas.
'During the Heian period, the imperial palace held Shinto rituals during the first week and Buddhist rituals during the second week of the New Year . These rituals were some of the most important for Buddhist sects at the time. Among them was the Goshichinichi no Mishio, the grandest ceremony of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism, which prayed for the security of the nation, the safety of the emperor, and bountiful harvests.'
'The Twelve Devas scrolls in the Kyoto National Museum collection were originally owned by Kyoogokoku-ji (To-ji) Temple and were used in this annual ceremony. The Twelve Devas are the guardians of esoteric Buddhist monasteries as well as the "twelve directions" of esoteric Buddhism--including the four quarters the four semi-quarters, up and down, and the sun and moon ... '

Tiffany at the Met. 'An expansion of the Deedee Wigmore galleries in The American Wing is devoted to the arts of Louis C. Tiffany, one of the most versatile and talented American artists working in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection highlights the Museum's preeminent collections and features Tiffany's windows, lamps, furniture, mosaics, blown Favrile glass vases, pottery, enamelwork, and jewelry. In addition, there is a rotating display selected from the Museum's collection of more than 400 design drawings from Tiffany's studios.'

Artemisia Gentileschi. 'Artemisia Gentileschi was an artist of remarkable qualities: the first woman who managed to live exclusively by her brush and who refused to be bound by the conventions usually imposed on female artists. In a time when still-life painting and portraiture were the genres deemed proper for a woman, Artemisia created impressive history paintings. The Metropolitan Museum's Esther before Ahasuerus is one such painting ... '

Magdalena Abakanowicz. 'The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened an outdoor installation of sculpture by Magdalena Abakanowicz, one of the most startlingly innovative artists of our time, on May 1, 1999. "Abakanowicz on the Roof" features a selection of figural works, including signature pieces as well as works created during the past year that have never before been exhibited ... '

Mary Cassatt. 'Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was a unique artist because she was a woman who succeeded in what was in the nineteenth century a predominantly male profession, because she was the only American invited to exhibit with a group of independent artists later known as the Impressionists, and because she responded in a very distinctive way to their mandate to portray modern life ...'

John Singleton Copley. 'John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) enjoyed a triumphant career in America before his departure for England in 1774. his respect for exacting craftmanship and his familiarity with the history of the visual arts made him the portraitist of choice in America for affluent New Englanders and New Yorkers during the two decades preceding the American Revolution. He appealed to the taste and aspirations of his sitters by depicting them in costumes made of expensive fabrics and surrounded by high style furniture. Copley provided his sitters with individualized likenesses that were psychologically penetrating and at the same time emphasized wealth and social position ... '
The Return of Neptune.

Ingres. '"Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch" was a major international loan exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum from October 5, 1999, through January 2, 2000. It was the largest exhibition of portraits by the French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ever presented outside France. The forty paintings and ninety-two drawings on view offered a virtual Who's Who of the ruling elite in France—the aristocracy of birth, beauty, politics, wealth, and intellect. This feature presents sixteen portraits by Ingres, together with illuminating details of each portrait and related works from the exhibition and the Metropolitan's permanent collection.'

Anselm Kiefer. ' "Anselm Kiefer: Works on Paper in The Metropolitan Museum of Art" (December 15, 1998–March 21, 1999) displayed fifty-four works on paper, created from 1969 through 1993, by the contemporary German artist Anselm Kiefer, and acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1995. This feature takes a closer look at fourteen of those works and illuminates the themes and techniques used by the artist.'

John La Farge (1835-1910), ' one of the most innovative and versatile American artists of the nineteenth century, achieved renown as a painter in oils and watercolors, as a magazine and book illustrator, as a muralist and designer of stained-glass windows, and as an author of articles and books on art and travel. A quintessential "Renaissance man" of the American Renaissance, he responded to and encouraged the eclectic tastes and interests of his sophisticated patrons ... '

Sakamoto Ryoma and the Battles of the Late Edo Period. 'Sakamoto Ryoma (1835-1867) was a hero who lived at the end of the Edo Period and is one of the most famous figures in Japanese history. His tumultuous life has been the subject of numerous novels, plays, and movies, making him well known across Japanese society. '
'One reason we know so much about the activities and feelings of this man who lived over two hundred years ago is that Ryoma left behind a large number of hand-written letters chronicling events and episodes in his life, along with his thoughts and personal reactions to them.'
Letter from Sakamoto Ryoma to his sister.

Temples of India: Goddess Marikamba of Sirsi. 'In India, every village contains a small temple dedicated to various local form of goddess Mari or Mariamma who is worshipped as goddess of fertility and dispeller of epidemics. Goddess Mari or Marika at Sirsi is especially worshipped as the presiding deity of all epidemics like small pox, plague, cholera and natural disasters like floods, famines and cyclones, which take toll of thousands. Through the centuries the frightened population offered sacrifices to appease this fierce and blood thirsty deity ... '

American Agriculturist Microscopes. 'Agricultural magazines in the 19th century were the prime source of advertising read by rural families. In addition to farm machinery, there were many ads for sewing machines, washing machines, patent medicine and musical instruments. Inexpensive microscopes were offered to farm families both in advertising and as premiums for sending in one or more new subscriptions. The microscope was proclaimed valuable to farmers to detect disease in plants and animals, the degree of goodness of seeds, adulteration of fertilizer, insect pests, etc. In addition to farmers, it was also claimed useful to all classes to detect adulteration of coffee, tea, spices and sugar. Low cost premiums were offered by The American Agriculturist for a small number of subscriptions or even a single subscription. These usually included a selection of agricultural books, and frequently, a simple microscope ... '

Robert B. Tolles, American Microscope Maker. 'Robert B. Tolles was born in the early 1820's, in Litchfield County, Connecticut, to Elisha and Harriet Tolles. As a youth, he worked on his grandfather's farm and attended public school. He received no further formal education. In 1843, after his mother's death, Tolles visited an uncle near Rochester, then started for New York, stopping off in Canastota, where he met Charles A. Spencer. Legend has it that Tolles was so taken with Spencer's work that he decided on the spot to make microscope building his life's work. He arranged to apprentice with Spencer and stayed 15 years, until 1858 ... '

19th Century American Microscopes. Online gallery.

Quack Eye Massagers. 'A variety of devices designed to modify the shape of the cornea by applying pressure or vacuum were marketed for at least seven decades. Most claimed to cure all types of eye problems and to render eye glasses unnecessary.'

Zuni Link. Zuni fetish carvings. 'Imagine a universe where all things interconnect, sharing a common spirit. From the center of the earth to the outer reaches of the cosmos, everything from humans and animals to lumps of clay is an extension of the life spirit. In some objects, the spirit is animated. In others it is dormant, but nonetheless present ... '
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18th January
70 years after. Remembering the 1934 Nepalese earthquake.

Heyoka. Via Citrus Moon.
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17th January
Nepal Handmade Paper Products. Not much there at the moment, but the beginning of a new project.

Pixel Characters. Make your own. Remember Stortroopers? These are better. Via Sugar N' Spicy.

How Lock Picking Works. 'Most people carry five to 10 keys with them whenever they go out. On your key ring you might have several keys for the house, one or two more for the car and a few for the office or a friend's house. Your key ring is a clear demonstration of just how ubiquitous lock technology is: You probably interact with locks dozens of times every week. '
'The main reason we use locks everywhere is that they provide us with a sense of security. But in movies and on television, spies, detectives and burglars can open a lock very easily, sometimes using only a couple of paper clips. This is a sobering thought, to say the least: Is it really possible for someone to open a lock so easily? '

Cecilia Bobrovskaya: Twenty Years in Underground Russia: Memoirs of a Rank-and-File Bolshevik.

Fushimi Inari Taisha: Kyoto's Business and Agriculture Shrine. Photography. 'Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine located in a southeast section of Kyoto city. The Fushimi Inari (Fushimi being the name of the suburb in which the shrine is situated, Inari formed from the abbreviation for ine-nari meaning 'ripening of rice') was first built on Mount Inari in 711. It is dedicated to Uta Mitami No Okami (the god of agriculture) and four other deities who oversee the basic necessities of life; namely, food, clothing and shelter. In 816 the shrine was moved to its present location at the foot of the mountain. During the feudal age the shrine was given the first grade of court rank, and in 1871 this honor was elevated to the level of Kampei Taisha, the highest status among national shrines ... '

Hupa Texts, 1904. 'This is a collection of texts from the Hupa, who lived in Northern California, Humboldt County, on the Trinity River. The texts are unfiltered translations of stories related by Hupa at the start of the 20th century in an ethnographic context. They largely take place in a time before the arrival of human beings, populated by trickster gods and supernatural beings called Kīxûnai. The texts include a number of shamanistic formulas for healing, protection and good luck. '

Chuck Close Process and Collaboration. 'The subjects of the prints by renowned contemporary artist Chuck Close, like those of his large paintings, are the faces of relatives and fellow artists, as well as self-portraits. This retrospective presents more than 100 images, ranging from Close's first print, Keith, a mezzotint made in 1972, to the 120-color Japanese-style ukiyo-e woodcut Emma, completed in 2002. Also displayed are other intaglios and woodcuts, lithographs, silk-screen prints, linoleum cuts, and selected print matrixes, such as woodblocks and etching plates. The exhibition includes a number of progressive proofs and state proofs of certain images to illuminate Close's working methods.'
Images.

Penny Arcade. Online comic.

Paedophile Priests Cartoons. Collected by Slate.

Simone de Beauvoir: The Second Sex. 'For a long time I have hesitated to write a book on woman. The subject is irritating, especially to women; and it is not new. Enough ink has been spilled in quarrelling over feminism, and perhaps we should say no more about it. It is still talked about, however, for the voluminous nonsense uttered during the last century seems to have done little to illuminate the problem. After all, is there a problem? And if so, what is it? Are there women, really? Most assuredly the theory of the eternal feminine still has its adherents who will whisper in your ear: 'Even in Russia women still are women'; and other erudite persons - sometimes the very same - say with a sigh: 'Woman is losing her way, woman is lost.' One wonders if women still exist, if they will always exist, whether or not it is desirable that they should, what place they occupy in this world, what their place should be. 'What has become of women?' was asked recently in an ephemeral magazine ... '

Asia Arte. Dealer's site; art from India, Nepal, China and southeast Asia.

Acts of Gord. 'I took it upon myself to bring the slobbering masses into my embrace, and occasionally one aspiring demigod stood above the rest, and proved himself worthy of the name Owner. One of my most promising Keepers of the Retail Faith was The Gord. "Go," I said unto The Gord. "Go, and continue to give to the masses what they so richly deserve!" And he did ... '

The Life Covers of Alfred Eisenstaedt. 'In 1935, a 37-year-old Alfred Eisenstaedt immigrated to the United States--narrowly escaping the Holocaust in Europe--and landed a job as one of the first staff photographers at LIFE magazine. He would become one of the most important photographers in America--indeed, the father of photojournalism. Eisie--as his friends called him--applied a simple credo to taking pictures: "It's more important to click with people than to click the shutter." '
Sophia Loren.

Life Magazine Rock & Roll Covers.
Kingston Trio - Beatles - Jackson Five - Madonna - Woodstock remembered.

Martin Luther King: Classic Images from Life Magazine.
Leading a demonstration demanding a strong civil rights plank in the GOP campaign platform, in Chicago.
With wreath for James Reeb.
Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr and children, disembarking plane bringing body of Martin Luther King, Jr home for burial in Atlanta.

Larry Burrows: Vietnam War Photos.

Larry Burrows: Photographs of People.
Bardot.
Burma surgeon.
Churchill.
A Swedish couple celebrates their 50th anniversary beneath their wedding photograph.

Larry Burrows: Humanity.
Congo refugees.
Hong Kong refugees.

Joe diMaggio 1914-1999. Photo-essay.
Joe and Marilyn.

Monet: The Water-Lily Pond.

Monet: Houses of Parliament, Sunset.

Monet: Flood Waters.

Photo Japan: Shimizu Teruyo.

Photo Japan: Peter Oxley.

Photo Japan: Nic Cleave.

Photo Japan: Hans Krueger.

The Leonids. Photographs of meteor showers.

Perseid Photos. Meteor showers.

A Perseid Aurora.

Hopi Pottery.

Hopi Ceremonial Textiles.
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16th January
The Twelve Devas and the Landscape Screen. 'This New Year exhibition features the Twelve Devas and the Senzui Byôbu (Landscape Screen), designated National Treasures. Originally from Tô-ji Temple in Kyoto, these masterworks represent the efflorescence of Heian art. During the Heian period (794–1185), the imperial court held various events at New Year in hope for a propitious beginning. Paintings of the Twelve Devas, esoteric guardians of the twelve points (the four cardinal directions, four intermediate points, the zenith (heaven), the nadir (earth), the sun, and the moon), were used in the most auspicious of the annual celebrations, Goshichinichi no mishiho (Austerities after the Seventh Day), an esoteric Buddhist ritual to pray for the good health of the emperor, the peace of the nation, and abundant harvests. The Twelve Devas from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum is a set, which was formerly used in this imperial ceremony and which several records suggest was produced in 1127 (Daiji 2) after a fire destroy ed the original paintings in that year. The Twelve Devas exemplify the brilliant hues and meticulous decorative details reflective of the aesthetic sensibility of the imperial court and of the late Heian-period painting ... '

Calligraphic Masterpieces by Japanese Emperors.

The Oxford Book of French Verse, 1920. 'These 317 works begin with the emergence of Villon as the first master of verse; to the Renaissance men Ronsard and Du Bellay; through the dramatic verse of Corneille and Racine; concluding with the Romanticism of Hugo and Gautier.'

The Oxford Book of Latin Verse. 'These 384 selections from 76 authors survey the pantheon of Roman poets in their native tongue.'

Maidu Texts, 1912.
'The Maidu lived in the central Sierra Nevada of California, to the north of Yosemite. The Maidu, who were not particularly numerous to begin with, were decimated by the incursion of Americans. These texts were collected by a linguist at the beginning of the 20th century. '
'In these texts Coyote is the central character. He is first seen in the company of Earth-Maker, giving him advice about how to build the world. The Maidu tales of Coyote are well known for being exceptionally transgressive; he is constantly seducing women by guile and deceit. While these stories are very entertaining, they shouldn't be taken to imply that this was normal behavior for Maidu. The trickster figure is an anti-hero, used as a way of defining the limits of the acceptable. '

How Nuclear Bombs Work.

Sesame Street Terror Alert Level. Elmo, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, or Oscar.

Demonology 101. An online comic about high school and other forces of evil.

Crocodile Hunter Cartoons.

Martin Luther King: Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam. 'Delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr April 1967 At Manhattan's Riverside Church'.
'Over the part two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent? Peace and civil rights don't mix, they say. Aren't you hurting the cause of your people, they ask. And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live ... '

Maxwell James Guilfoile - a new addition. Congratulations!

Ephemera Now.

Ng Shing Gung. 'The Ng Shing Gung was built in San Jose's Heinlenville Chinatown in 1888. The ground floor functioned as a community center with a Chinese calligraphy and literature classroom for children. An elaborately carved and gilded altar stood on the second floor. The temple housed statues of five divinities: Kwan Yin, Goddess of Mercy; Choi Sun, God of Wealth; Cheng Huan, God of Canton City; Kwan Gung, God of War and Justice; and Tien Hou, Queen of Heaven. '

Chinese History of Australia Stories. 'It is easy to lose sight of the individual people whose lives contribute to the broader history of the Chinese in Australia at the time of Federation. At this time there were almost 35,000 Chinese in the Australian colonies. Each of these individuals to varying degrees has played a role in the development of Australia. This page explores the lives of some of these people - both ordinary and famous. If you have a story you would like to add we welcome your contribution.'
' In 1901, at the age of 16, Guo Shun boarded a boat in Hong Kong bound for Australia. Guo Shun was born on 10 December 1885 in Zhuxiuyuan Village in Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan City) in Guangdong Province ... '

Suzanne Meunier. Vintage-style pin-up gallery.

100 Years of New York City. 'The following articles offer a glimpse into the past 100 years of New York City -- a decade at a time. Each decade includes a full time line prepared by the staff at The New York Times, photos from The Times archives, headline clippings from archive copies of The Times, and essays by noted authors and Times staff writers.'
The new born city, seen from above. A panorama of New York, from the first decade of the 20th century.

Hollywood Underground. The burial sites of Hollywood stars and moguls.

Susan Verberg Photography: Sunsets & Moonscapes.

Susan Verberg Photography: American Landscapes.

John E. Marriott Wilderness Prints.

Berlin 1983. Travelogue with photos.
'Imagine London divided by a wall that stretches from Watford in the north, through the West End, to Croydon in the south. Imagine that wall encircling every London borough west of the City. Now imagine that the Tower of London and Houses of Parliament are in two different countries, and that a passport is required to travel between the two. If you can imagine this, you start to get an idea of what happened to the city of Berlin.'

Return to Berlin 2000. 'It took me 21 hours to reach Berlin by train from London in 1983, including the ferry crossing. Today the journey time has been halved, thanks to the channel tunnel and high speed rail links, the easing of border formalities between European Union countries and, most significantly, the reunification of Germany. It's now quite possible to hop on a train at London Waterloo at breakfast time, and arrive at Berlin Zoo station comfortably in time for dinner and a show. '

Berlin Then and Now. Slideshow.

The Inter-Rail Experience 1987. The story of a month travelling around Europe.

Chinatown Sydney. Community and culture site - Sydney's Chinese heritage, today: traditions, festivals, food, politics etc.

East Asia Center. East Asian culture-focused blog.

Rooting Out Evil. Send a weapons inspection team to the USA.

War Against Corruption. Nigerian poster.
'Nigeria's government, police, civil services, and businesses are plagued by extortion, bribery, and other forms of corruption. While many point to a failure of leadership, corruption is largely a byproduct of an economy fueled almost exclusively by petroleum exports. With no vested interest in developing Nigeria's infrastructure and manufacturing sectors, the wealthy simply profit from oil while the nation falls ever deeper into economic chaos. Recently elected President Obasanjo has vowed to crack down on corruption and bribery. '
'In the center of this poster we see Obasanjo attempting to lasso corruption in the form of a bull which is, in turn, trampling on Nigeria's economy. Surrounding this image are small details showing the extent to which corruption pervades Nigerian life. Enlargements of some of these details are included below.'

Death Does Not Take Bribe. Nigerian poster.
'The late General Sani Abacha was one of the nation's most ruthless military dictators. He and his family have been accused of systematically plundering the nation's treasury during his five-year reign. The new democratically elected Nigerian government is currently attempting to reclaim some of these funds but are finding British banks and foreign institutions uncooperative. Abacha is always depicted in sunglasses with boxes of money. Here we find him attempting to bribe death. Although the poster ironically mourns Abacha's death (seen on the right at his funeral), it offers a scathing criticism of Abacha's misuse of power. In the bottom we see him standing before Christ on judgment day, still holding his box of looted money. To the left are many of Nigeria's previous leaders already in heaven. To the right is the devil waiting in hell for his next victim. '

The Generosity Game: Spread Random Acts of Kindness.

History of Armenia, via the Armenian Embassy in Washington.
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