The Glovers of Fulton County.
'The Glovers of Fulton County is a research and
documentation project that examines the glove
industry of Fulton County, New York. Fulton County
was long a center of world glove production. During
the late 1800s and early decades of this century the
county produced more than 90% of all fine leather
gloves manufactured in the United States ... '
Interesting pieces, such as
this autobiographical account.
Sketches and Tales Illustrative of Life
in the Backwoods of New Brunswick, North America,
by Mrs. F. Beavan.
'These
sketches of the Backwoods of New Brunswick are
intended to illustrate the individual and national
characteristics of the settlers, as displayed in
the living pictures and legendary tales of the
country. They have been written during the short
intervals allowed from domestic toils, and may,
perhaps, have little claim to the attention of the
public, save that of throwing a faint light upon the
manners and customs of that little-known, though
interesting, appendage of the British empire. A long
residence in that colony having given me ample means
of knowing and of studying them in all their varying
hues of light and shade. There, in the free wide
solitude of that fair land whose youthful face "seems
wearing still the first fresh fragrance of the
world," the fadeless traces of character, peculiar
to the dwellers of the olden climes, are brought
into close contrast with the more original feelings
of the "sons of the soil," both white and red, and
are there more fully displayed than in the mass of
larger communities ... '
Jane Austen E-texts, Etc.
Includes Juvenilia and The History of England
(illustrated!).
'A Janeite once replied when asked "Do you read
novels?", "Yes, all six of them. Every year." However
there is much more written in Jane's hand than simply
her six full length novels. Welcome to Jane Austen
E-texts, etc, a collection of resources of interest
to both the devoted and the closet Janeite ...'
A Tangled Tale, by Lewis Carroll.
Carroll wrote this 'puzzle in ten
chapters' (or 'knots') in installments for the
'Monthly Packet' in 1880-81. The puzzles are still
quite challenging, and a lot of fun. Carroll's answers
and 'class lists'
are pretty funny too.
Poems by Li Po. Tang Dynasty, Taoist, maybe China's
greatest poet.
Yank Magazine.
'Over the last six years, the Anne S. K. Brown
Military Collection has been acquiring original
sketches, drawings and paintings done by American
artists who served in the armed forces during World
War Two. These have come in the form of gifts from
over 30 artists and currently number over 1,600
original pictures. While the majority of these were
drawn by artists for their own pleasure, some were
created by official artists assigned to the various
fronts by the army and the Marine Corps. Other
pictures were drawn for Life magazine while a few
were published in the famous army magazine, Yank,
which first appeared on June 17, 1942 ... '
Lexicon Pentaglotton, Hebraicum, Chaldaicum,
Syriacum...Rabbinicum & Arabicum.
'It seems appropriate to inaugurate the continuing
series Focus on The John Hay Library with the first
known book to be included in Brown University's
library holdings, Valentin Schindler's Lexicon
Pentaglotton, Hebraicum, Chaldaicum,
Syriacum...Rabbinicum & Arabicum, published in
Hanover in 1612. A gift from Brown's first president,
the Lexicon is inscribed "The gift of the Revd. James
Manning to Rhode Island College June 17th, 1767." ... '
Brown & Dixon Blotters.
Old advertisments.
'The collection from the Brown & Dixon Company
records, has examples of several types of blotters.
All but a few show lots of use. There were Calendar
Blotters, Advertising Blotters, Signature Blotters,
political advertisement, etc. A few of local interest
can be found in the sampling of the blotters from
the collection. '
Brown Seniors 'Crack' Cuneiform Tablets.
'Visitors to the John Hay Library sometimes ask,
"How old is your oldest book?" Answer: 4,000+ years
old. The Library holds 27 cuneiform tablets and cones
from ancient Mesopotamia, none of which had been
translated until two seniors in Visiting Professor
Alice Slotsky's class, Ancient Scientific Writings:
Akkadian, undertook an elective project to decipher
two of the tablets. Their transliterations and
translations are published
below ... '
Bronx River Parkway Reservation.
Engineering history - modern and historic
photographs, engineering drawings.
'The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)
documentation of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation
was developed in 2001-02 as a collaborative effort of
the National Park Service and the Westchester County
Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. In
1969, the National Park Service expanded its
Depression-era Historic American Buildings Survey
program to record America's great engineering
accomplishments and industrial sites. HAER
documentation presents measured and interpretive
drawings, large-format photographs and the written
history of these sites to create a guide for their
future use and development, as well as to create a
permanent historical record in the event that the
site is destroyed or altered. HAER documentation
becomes part of the national collection at the
Library of Congress with exact duplicates going to
project co-sponsors -- in this case, the Westchester
County Archives.'
The Legacy of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,
Indian Dalit ('untouchable') intellectual and
activist who agitated for
reform and equality through education for his
people. He converted from Hinduism to
Buddhism,
and encouraged other Dalits to do likewise, based on
that religion's casteless nature.
link
Dorothea Lange: The Migrant Mother Photographs.
'This sequence of 6 photographs should exemplify the process a
photographer goes through to come out with such a dynamite image, that
is, the image on the bottom right, entitled "Migrant Mother"(California,
1936).(To see a larger version of it, please click on the image). It is
evident that from the first to the last image, Lange had moved in
closer, and created an emphasis on the mother. Even (by the final image)
hiding the faces of the two children who cower on her shoulders. In
fact, we see that the family may have been as big as seven total--there
are six figures in the second image (top center), and the father, who
Lange photographed later, is absent from all of these images. Lange has
manipulated her subjects, to imply that a poor mother with two children
(an average amount) will be capable to lead her family(doesn't her face
express it?) out of their state of suffering, into the more prosperous
future, if she is given the chance. '
Paradoxes. Online articles, many of the most
famous, and a taxonomy of paradoxes.
'A paradox is an apparently true statement or group of statements that
seems to lead to a contradiction or to a situation that defies
intuition. The recognition of ambiguities, equivocations, and unstated
assumptions underlying known paradoxes has often led to significant
advances in science, philosophy and mathematics.'
('This sentence is false' is one everyone knows;
'the smallest number which can only be described in
more than fourteen words' is clearly paradoxical; 'if
truth does not exist, the statement "truth does not
exist" is a truth' is the so-called 'nihilist
paradox' ).
The Holocaust History Project.
'The Holocaust History Project is a free archive of documents,
photographs, recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including
direct refutation of Holocaust-denial. '
British Voices from South Asia.
'Barely more than fifty years ago, on July 10, 1947, the important
modern nations of India and Pakistan (including what later became
Bangladesh) came into existence as independent, modern states after two
centuries of domination by Great Britain. This event marked the
beginning of the end of the European political control of large parts of
Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world which had developed as
European empires extended their power outward over the course of several
centuries ... '
' ... This exhibition examines only one "corner" of European colonial
empire, albeit a very important one -- the Indian Empire, which was the
central focus of later British colonialism. It does not deal directly
with politics or economics, however, but rather with the social and the
cultural, with the experiences of British life in India and with
intercultural influences. The colonial subculture it depicts is an
example of the little societies spawned by colonialism worldwide. As
part of a greater process, such subcultures played a significant role in
contact between the West and the rest of the world within the context of
their times. '
British Methodism and the Poor 1739-1999.
'A distinctive aspect of early Methodism was its outreach to the poor.
Throughout his life, John Wesley identified himself and his movement
with the outcasts of society. He told one correspondent in 1757, `I love
the poor; in many of them I find pure, genuine grace, unmixed with paint
[i.e. make-up], folly and affectation.' '
'Scornful of the spiritual corruption which material wealth brings,
Wesley nevertheless recognised that giving was an expression of
Christian faith. Accordingly, he demanded that his followers visit the
sick and destitute and devote their efforts to alleviating want. He told
one rich convert, `Go and see the sick in their own poor little hovels.
Take up your cross woman, remember the faith...Put off the gentlewoman
... '
The Arthur Y. Ford Albums. Appalachian photographs.
'The Arthur Y. Ford Albums were assembled in 1904 for display in the
Kentucky Building at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
After the Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, the
albums remained in the hands of Arthur Y. Ford who had been the chair of
the Kentucky Committee for the fair. The three surviving albums were
donated to the University of Louisville Photographic Archives by the
Ford family in 1970 ... '
Contents.
Your
Life Cycle.
'You started life as a cell, smaller than a pin-prick. This divided
into two, then four, then eight - and so on. Your whole body is now
made up of about a 100 million million cells: just one teaspoon of
your blood contains about 25 billion red blood cells ...'
Walter
Benjamin. Jewish German
Marxist critic and thinker, 1892-1940. Great online collection of his
work. (There is a short bio of Benjamin
on this
page, if you scroll down
a bit).
The Fight.
'On June 22, 1938, 70,000 fans crammed into Yankee Stadium to watch
what some observers have since called "the most important sporting
event in history." Millions more tuned in to hear a blow-by-blow
description on the radio.' 'The rematch between the African
American heavyweight Joe Louis and his German opponent Max Schmeling
was riveting -- "one hundred and twenty-four seconds of murder," as
one newspaper put it. But for most spectators the fight was much more
than a boxing match; it was an historic event freighted with symbolic
significance, both a harbinger of the civil rights movement and a
prelude to World War II.' 'In this first feature-length documentary
about the momentous encounter, American Experience captures the
anticipation the bout generated, the swirl of events leading up to it,
the impact Louis's victory had on black America and its significance
for Jews on both sides of the Atlantic ...'
Imagine. Online exploration
of museums in the northeast of England.
'Discover 15,000 images of objects from Tyne and Wear Museums'
collections with IMAGINE. Enjoy interactive access to these extensive
collections. Search and explore objects from Archaeology, Art, History
and Natural Science...'
The Folk-Lore
of the North-East of
Scotland, 1881.
'This is an ethnographic study of the inhabitants of the North-Eastern
area of Scotland in the mid-19th century, at a time when an agrarian,
barter economy still prevailed. Life was hard among these remote
coastal communities, and they lived in fear of maleficent witches and
the 'Evil Eye'. Many of the rituals, taboos and folkways in this book
are to ward off witchcraft directed against economic mainstays such as
livestock and fishing. The book has many fascinating bits of lore, as
well as extensive oral poetry, all in Scots dialect. (There is,
thankfully, an extensive glossary at the end, in case ye're na sure
fhat all the clatterin's aboot.). There are also detailed descriptions
of holidays, weddings, and other celebrations, which reveal that life
was not completely grim ... '
Ohya Shobo. Nice
collection of prints by
Hiroshige, Yoshitoshi, Hokusai, viewable online.
The History of Greenham Common.
'Greenham Common - a name linked world-wide with the awesome potential
of nuclear deterrence and the protest movement it gave rise to.'
'But there is a bigger story; here we explore the history of one thousand
acres of open land near Newbury in Berkshire.'
'Archaeology tells us that the area was inhabited in prehistoric times;
since then people have used it for activities ranging from grazing cattle
to the storage of nuclear weapons.'
Buddhism on the Silk Road.
'The civilizations which flourished along the Silk Road in the
first millennium CE were open to cultural and religious influences
from both East and West. Many religions, including Christianity,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, gained new
followers. But it was Buddhism, travelling the trade routes of the
Silk Road, which became the common factor uniting the different peoples
of the Silk Road ... '
The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork
1530-1830.
'The arrival of the Spanish in 1532 in South America dramatically
transformed the Andean cultural landscape, changing societies that
had evolved over thousands of years within less than one generation.
The arts, however, continued to thrive amid the upheavals, and they
preserved an unspoken dialogue between Andean and European artistic
traditions. '
Images.
Arts of Korea.
'This exhibition explores Korea's distinctive cultural identity
and the ways in which the arts of Korea have been affected by trade
and diplomacy, by war and peace, and by religion and philosophy.
Art forms unique to Korea are especially well represented by ceramics,
ranging from the stonewares of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668)
to the inlaid celadons of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) and the punch'ong
ware and porcelains of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). Important
developments in painting include the "true-view" landscapes and genre
paintings produced during the eighteenth century, a time of widespread
interest in defining and promoting native Korean cultural and artistic
traditions.'
Bill Keel's Telescopes.
Telescopes and astro images.
'I admit it - I'm a telescope junkie. Backyard, mountaintop, optical,
infrared, orbiting, any flavor. I do have the good fortune to be in
a profession that doesn't consider this too much of an aberration.'
Huichol Art.
Yarn paintings by the Huichol Indians of Mexico.
WorldChanging.
'WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models
and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of
people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work
remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound
positive change are already present. That another world is not just
possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together.'
Numeral Systems.
'A numeral is a symbol or group of symbols that represents a number. Numerals differ from numbers just as words differ from the things they refer to. The symbols "11", "eleven" and "XI" are different numerals, all representing the same number. This article treats the various systems of numerals. ' Also links to
articles about the numeral systems of various
civilisations.
Zombies Calling.
'Trapped at university. Surrounded by zombies. Our three heroes are desperately low on the only thing that can protect them from the undead hoard lusting for their tasty tasty brains: PUNCHLINES. Yes, it seems our heroes are not given to repeat viewings of Army of Darkness, and are without the greatest weapon known to zombie fighters everywhere, the snappy comeback. Thus, at a serious disadvantage due to their foolish ignorance of Bruce Campbell's career, they are at the mercy of the living undead. Will they somehow make it out of suburbia alive? Or will they face down the horror of university exams as a member of the tottering tribe of rotting corpses wandering the campus? Only time (and yours truly, the dumbass creator) will tell. So until then, grrg, argh!'
Demonology 101.
'An online comic about high school and other forces
of evil.'
The Rosetta Project.
'The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native
speakers working to build a publicly accessible online archive of ALL documented human
languages. Our goal is to create the most broad and complete reference work on the languages
of the world to date- a reference work of relevance for academic researchers and educators
as well as native communities looking for materials in support of language revitalization work. '
'We are creating this unprecedented digital library of human language through an open
contribution, peer review process and we invite you to participate. All documents and data
sets are freely available through this growing online database as well as archived on an extreme
longevity micro-etched nickel disk- a contemporary "Rosetta Stone" for the languages of the
world. '
The All Species
Project.
'The ALL Species Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the complete
inventory of all species of life on Earth within the next 25 years - a human generation. '
'To describe and classify all of the surviving species of the world deserves to be one of the great
scientific goals of the new century. '
'In applied science, this completion of the Linnaean enterprise is needed for effective conservation
practices, and for impact studies of environmental change. '
'In basic science, it is a key element in the maturing of ecology, including the grasp of ecosystem
functioning and of evolutionary biology. It also offers an unsurpassable adventure: the exploration of a
little-known planet. '
The 10,000 Year Clock.
'I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand
advances once every one hundred years, and the cuckoo comes out on the
millennium. I want the cuckoo to come out every millennium for the next
10,000 years. If I hurry I should finish the clock in time to see the cuckoo
come out for the first time. '
link
15th October
Terra. Amazing images of the Earth from space.
NASA site.
Photographically Illustrated Books.
'Use this website to search and view information and images from
one of the world's most comprehensive collections of photographically
illustrated books and texts in many languages relating to the history and
development of photography, from 1839 to 1914. '
Badges: Symbols of Identity.
'This tour explores the themes and beliefs expressed by twelve very
different badges. It was written to accompany the exhibition
Status Symbols: identity and belief on modern badges, at the British
Museum from 22 July 2004 to 16 January 2005.'
The Myth of the Trojan War.
'The myth of the Trojan War was a great and continuing inspiration to
Greek artists and poets. The main lines of the story were sketched out
by early epic poets such as Homer (eighth century BC), but the tradition
was never firmly fixed. Later poets treated the myth freely; small
incidents were enlarged, new episodes were introduced, local variants
incorporated and different (even contradictory) interpretations
offered.'
'This rich tradition was also explored by visual artists, who felt equally
free to formulate their own visions and interpretations of the myths.'
'The tour which follows presents a series of key scenes from the myths
relating to the Trojan War, as depicted on Greek vases now in the
collections of the British Museum. The paintings illustrate the variety
of ways in which ancient Greek artists chose to visualize the myth's
significant moments. '
Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth.
'Fabled for her sexual allure and cunning intelligence, Cleopatra VII
of Egypt has fascinated generations of admirers and detractors since her
life ended in suicide in 30 BC. This intriguing exhibition at The
British Museum focused on Cleopatra, last of the Ptolemaic monarchs,
Macedonian Greeks who had ruled Egypt since the death of Alexander the
Great in 323 BC. The exhibition traced Cleopatra's life as queen of
Egypt and her liaisons with the two great Roman leaders of the day,
Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The myth and iconic status of Cleopatra is
also examined, largely through the representation of the queen in European
art from the Renaissance to today.'
Sudan Past and Present.
'Sudan is the largest country in Africa, straddling the Nile between the
desert of Egypt and the forests of Uganda. The population is Muslim
and Christian, and contains no less than 56 ethnic groups and 570
tribal groups. In recent months, the eyes of the world have been on
Sudan and it has never been more important to understand its complex
past.'
'Sudan has been inhabited for at least 300,000 years. During its long
history it has been under Egyptian rule - and has also ruled Egypt.
It converted to Christianity in the sixth century AD before Islam became
the main state religion in the sixteenth century AD. The Turco-Egyptians
took over in 1821 before being ousted by the Mahdists in 1885. During the
first half of the twentieth century Sudan was governed by the
Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, but gained independence in 1956. Recent
Sudanese history has been characterized by upheaval and conflict
although the country's material culture remains rich and diverse.'
'Sudan past and present is the theme of a programme starting at the
British Museum in September 2004. It encompasses the long-planned
archaeological exhibition Sudan: ancient treasures as well as contemporary
displays which can be found at the North Entrance, in the Round Reading
Room and in Gallery 34. The Sudanese collection in the British Museum
is one of the most important and comprehensive outside Sudan.'
Buried Treasure: Finding Our Past.
British Museum exhibit.
'This tour reveals some of the things we have learned from the spectacular archaeological finds made in England and Wales. It also celebrates the role of the general public in making these discoveries. Over the centuries, farmers, labourers, beachcombers and metal detectorists have unearthed, often by accident, many of the most precious pieces of our past.'
NOAA Photo
Library.
'The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
is the descendant of America's oldest science
agencies, the Survey of the Coast formed in 1807, the
Weather Service formed in 1870, and the forerunner of
today's National Marine Fisheries Service formed in
1871. The foundation built by these great
organizations has given rise to an agency whose realm
extends from the surface of the sun to the bottom of
the sea, whose concern for life in the sea extends
from microscopic creatures to the great whales, and
whose reach in time extends from thousands of years in
the past to decades in the future with global change
studies and observations. On any given day, NOAA
ships, buoys, observatories, aircraft, and satellites
will observe environmental conditions from Arctic to
Antarctic. They might observe features as diverse as
fish stocks, ozone content of the atmosphere, sun
spots, tornadoes, or coastlines. Or they could be
engaged in producing warnings and forecasts or
producing charts and tide tables to help keep the
citizens of the United States safe in their homes, at
their work, or on the seas. '
'The NOAA Photo Library has been built so as to
capture the work, observations, and studies that are
carried on by the scientists, engineers, commissioned
officers, and administrative personnel that make up
this complex and scientifically diverse agency. It
also has been built in an attempt to capture NOAA's
scientific heritage, which is in fact a heritage
shared by much of the physical and environmental
science communities in the United States today. To
date, over 16,000 images have been digitized and
reside in the online NOAA Photo Library. This number
will continue growing as long as there are
environmental problems to study and solve, as long as
the citizens of the United States are threatened by
violent weather, as long as mariners need nautical
charts, and as long as creatures of the sea need our
protection to survive. Until then, you are invited to
join NOAA in this photographic essay that spans the
World's oceans and atmosphere, carries you from the
surface of the sun to the bottom of the sea, and
travels through centuries of scientific thought and
observations. '
The
Age of
Charles V.
'Charles V, born in 1338, king of France from 1364 to
1380, was the eldest son of John II the Good, who
reigned from 1350 to 1364. A descendant of the royal
Capetian dynasty (named for its founder, Hugh Capet),
Charles was the third sovereign to issue from the
Capetian branch of the Valois, successors to the
direct-line Capetians who died out with Charles IV the
Fair in 1328. (The problem of succession that arose on
that occasion was a principal cause of the long
conflict between France and England known as the
Hundred Years' War). As duke of Normandy and dauphin
of Viennois from 1350 to 1364, the young prince lived
through the particularly trying and politically
troubled period that marked the onset of the Hundred
Years' War. In its first phase, French troops suffered
two very serious setbacks : at Crécy (1346) and more
especially at Poitiers (1356), where King John the
Good was taken captive by the English ... '
A
Hundred
Verses from Old Japan, 1909.
'This is a collection of 100 specimens of Japanese
Tanka poetry collected in the 13th Century C.E., with
some of the poems dating back to the 7th Centry. Tanka
is a 31 syllable format in the pattern 5-7-5-7-7. Most
of these poems were written about the time of the
Norman Conquest and display a sophistication that
western literature would not achieve for a long time
thereafter. These little gems are on themes such as
nature, the round of the seasons, the impermanence of
life, and the vicissitudes of love. There are obvious
Buddhist and Shinto influences throughout. Porter's
notes put the poems into a cultural and historical
context. Each poem is illustrated in this edition with
an 18th century Japanese woodcut by an anonymous
illustrator ... '
Seven
Walking Tours of Philadelphia.
'The genesis of these virtual tours began with John
Francis Marion's seminal walking guidebook to
Philadelphia, "Walking Tours of Historic
Philadelphia," originally published in 1974. In a city
that venerates venerable institutions, Mr. Marion, who
passed on in 1994, was as beloved a Philadelphia
institution as any of those he wrote about ... '
A
Hundred Highlights
from the Koninklijke Bibliotheek.
'The Koninklijke Bibliotheek is a treasure-house of
books and manuscripts from many centuries. In the
present publication one hundred of its finest and most
interesting objects are shown and interpreted, objects
which, except for temporary exhibitions, hardly ever
leave their bookcases or cabinets because they are so
extremely vulnerable. A most regrettable state of
affairs, for what is the use of having such treasures
if they can not be displayed and admired? The solution
to this quandary - for we would most certainly like to
put them on display - was found in mounting an
'exhibition' on paper. Valuable and vulnerable objects
can thus be made visible and accessible to a wider
public than just the specialist researchers, and this
is the underlying motive of this book. It contains a
selection from the 'Special Collections', covering a
period of more than a thousand years, from the Middle
Ages into this century. Provenance from the
Netherlands or, for the older period, from the
Northern and Southern Netherlands, was the main
selection criterion, but a link with the history of
the collections has also played a part. The result is
a pictorial atlas reflecting the development of book
culture in the Netherlands. Although the image of a
modern reading room or catalogue area might suggest
that this development has now come to an end, this is
by no means the case. True, where imposing bookcases
once caught the visitors' eyes, computer screens have
in many instances gradually stolen the show. The
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, too, has played its part in
applying new technical possibilities for the benefit
of scholarly and scientific information services with
great conviction, and continues to do so. But screens
and electronics will never oust the book. The
preservation of Dutch cultural heritage in written and
printed form is, and will always be, one of the most
important duties of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek ... '
Machynlleth. An interesting town in Wales with an
association with Owain Glyndwr.
Interactive map,
photos, history.
Macau: A Selection of Cartographic Images.
'Macau, the oldest permanent European settlement in
Asia, was returned to China on December 20, 1999. The
Portuguese established this port on the southeastern
coast of China at the mouth of the Zhu Jiang (Pearl
River) in 1557, when they were the dominant power in
European trade with Asia. Portugal continued its
presence in Macau for more than four hundred years. In
December 1887, after a series of negotiations between
Portugal and China about Macau's sovereignty, a
protocol was agreed upon which recognized Portugal's
occupation and governing of Macau. Following
Portugal's Revolution of 1974 and China's development
of a reunification strategy, the People's Republic of
China and the Republic of Portugal issued the Joint
Declaration on the Question of Macau on April 13,
1987. This declaration stated that on December 20,
1999, China would resume its exercise of sovereignty
in Macau ... '
The Brandywine Battlefield.
'The Brandywine Battlefield Park brings to life the
largest engagement of the Revolutionary War, fought on
September 11, 1777, between the Continental Army led
by General George Washington and the British forces
headed by General William Howe.'
British Columbia Archives. Interesting exhibits
about genealogy, visual and textual records,
royal visits, etc. Great site.
The Chaos Hypertextbook.
'I wrote this book for anyone with an interest in chaos, fractals, non-
linear dynamics, or mathematics in general. It's a moderately heavy
piece of work, requiring a bit of mathematical knowledge, but it is
definitely not aimed at mathematicians. My background is in physics and
I use mathematics extensively in problem solving. Like many educated
people, I also enjoy math as a diversion. This is the audience I am
writing for.'
The Prophecies of Paracelsus, 1915.
'Like the better known Prophecies of Nostradamus, the Prophecies of
Paracelsus are exceedingly cryptic, filled with allegorical symbols and
capable of being reinterpreted for any purpose. It comes with 32 surreal
woodcuts which seem to reveal additional details about each
prophecy.'
'This short book, published in London in 1915 in the shadow of the Great
War, was written anonymously (I have yet to figure out who 'J.K.' is).
It wraps the 32 prophecies in introductions and interpretations by the
mysterious J.K. as well as Eliphas Lévi, the French occultist--who
apparently felt that this text should be left to the experts. The
original J.K. edition is somewhat rare, and it was reprinted in 1974 by
Weiser, although the latter is out of print.'
'Paracelsus, a renowned scholar who is known for his chemical and
alchemical writings, may have meant this not only as a set of
predictions about the path of the Reformation, but as an allegory of the
evolution of the soul. This would not be surprising, as other authors of
the period cloaked arcane messages in almost impenetrable layers of
symbolism to escape eccelsiastical scrutiny. '
About Mary Vivian Pearce.
'Mary Vivian Pearce isn't your typical film star. As John Waters'
childhood friend in Baltimore, she appeared in every single film he made
as either the main character (such as Cotton in Pink Flamingos) or an
extra (homophobe in Pecker). My fascination with her started with seeing
Pink Flamingos. As a more feminine dead-ringer for Jean Harlow, Mary
exhibits a bit of class and style that only the Golden Era of actresses
have been able to pull off on the screen ... '
Mother Shipton's Cave and Petrifying Well.
'Mother Shipton is England's most famous Prophetess. She lived some 500
years ago in the times of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I ... ' An
interesting folk tale.
link
13th October
The World's Earliest Television Recordings -
Restored!
'From the dawn of our television technology age comes the restored wonders of original recordings made in the era of mechanically-scanned television! Not until the computer era came on us could we study these images. Now they can be seen in as close to their original quality as the latest techniques can take us. '
The Monkey Trial.
'In 1925, a biology teacher named John Scopes was arrested for teaching
evolution in defiance of Tennessee state law. His trial became an epic
event of the twentieth century, a debate over free speech that spiraled
into an all-out duel between science and religion. Featuring two of the
century's greatest orators, attorneys Clarence Darrow and William
Jennings Bryan, the Scopes trial was America's first major media event,
with hundreds of reporters and live nationwide radio coverage dispersing
the sensational news. Outside the courthouse, a circus atmosphere
prevailed as a chimpanzee in a suit and hat vied with fire-and-brimstone
preachers for the crowd's attention. Monkey Trial explores the dramatic
moment when a new fault line opened in society as scientific discoveries
began to challenge the literal truth of the Bible. Often humorous and at
times frightening, the story of two value systems colliding resonates
today ... '
History of the Williston Northampton School.
Articles on scientific instruments, music, basketball.
'The Archives actively collect and preserve source materials for the
documentation and study of all aspects of the School's history, from the
founding of our parent institutions, Williston Seminary (1841) and the
Northampton School for Girls (1924) to the present day. The Archives are
valuable not only as a repository of documents and memorabilia, but as a
teaching resource. They are a means through which our students can come
to appreciate the values and traditions which have shaped the School we
know today. '
Bright Leaves: Tobacco Materials.
'Since its inception, North Carolina State University has played a
significant role in the development of the tobacco industry in North
Carolina and consequently, in the development of the economic and
cultural heritage of the state. During the period in which the
university has been in existence, economic and environmental factors
threatening small farms in North Carolina have been meticulously
addressed by researchers working in what is now the College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences and in the various offices of the
Agricultural Extension Service. Their efforts have significantly
enhanced the livelihoods of tobacco farmers and, however indirectly,
have proved to be a crucial factor in North Carolina's quality of life.
Regardless of how far one's life may be from arduous labor on a tobacoo
farm, the business of tobacco has been the state's economic linchpin
since colonial times ... '
'Bring Back Your Party Safe': Medicine and Health on
the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Exploring early
America.
'"[B]ring back your party safe...," orders Thomas Jefferson in his
instructions to Meriwether Lewis in preparation for one of the greatest
explorations in United States history. It was a daunting command. The
West was an unknown entity. Lewis and his co-commander, William Clark,
were armed with very little information about the obstacles and dangers
they would encounter. However, they were to keep their party safe - not
just for the value of human lives - but also, as Jefferson writes, in
order to protect the information they would acquire ... '
Theft of the Mona Lisa.
'It was the art theft of the century... On August 21st, 1911, someone
stole the most famous painting in the world from the Louvre. According
to author Seymour Reit, "Someone walked into the Salon Carré, lifted it
off the wall and went out with it! The painting was stolen Monday
morning, but the interesting thing about it was that it wasn't 'til
Tuesday at noon that they first realized it was gone." ... '
History of Surrealism.
'At the opening ceremony of The Art of This Century Museum on 57th St.
in Manhattan, Peggy Guggenheim, the founder, was wearing one earring
by Yves Tanguy, the surrealist, and another by Alexander Calder, the
abstractionist. She explained to her guests that this showed her
neutrality in the conflict between the often hostile schools of
Abstractionism and Surrealism. That was in 1941, yet soon after,
Peggy's gallery and museum became a center for abstract expressionism,
under the newly coined term Modernism ... '
The Mystery of Sharaku.
'Welcome to The Mystery of Toshusai Sharaku, a website devoted to the
enigmatic Japanese artist of the late 18th century. Appearing on the
Japanese art scene in Spring of 1794, he disappeared just as suddenly
in early 1795 after creating nearly 150 prints of Kabuki actors. Many
conjectures have been made to illuminate the identity of this artist
-- Was he a Noh drama actor? Was he actually another artist named
Utamaro using a different name? Or was he someone completely
different? -- At this point, no one really knows.
'
Faberge Eggs.
'Easter is the most joyful celebration of the Orthodox faith in
Russia... After the devout church services, families gather to
exchange gifts of decorated eggs, symbols of renewed life and hope.
The Easter of 1885 also marks the twentieth anniversary of Czar
Alexander III and Czarina Maria Fedorovna, and the Czar needs an
exceptional gift for his wife. So he places an order with a young
jeweler, Peter Carl Fabergé, whose beautiful creations have recently
caught Maria's eye ... '
Creativity Explored.
'Welcome to Creativity Explored! We are a nonprofit visual arts center
where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and
sell art.'
The 1911 Encyclopedia.
'The LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia is based on what many
consider to be the best encyclopedia ever written: the eleventh
edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, first published in 1911. At a
time when many encyclopedias have capsulated and condensed important
knowledge, the 11th edition is generally much more in-depth and
thorough on it's topics. It is not uncommon for our entries to be 5 to
10 times the length of other encyclopedias. As a research tool, this
11th edition is unparalleled - even today. LoveToKnow is in the
process of updating and editing thousands of the entries, preserving
the treasured entries that make it so unique, and adding entries on
new relevant topics. We hope that you enjoy and learn from the
LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia and that it becomes one of your
favorite places for reference information.'
Avibase: The World Bird Database.
'Avibase is an extensive database information system about all
birds of the world, containing over 1.4 million records about 10,000
species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution
information, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages and more. This site
is managed by Denis Lepage and hosted by Bird Studies Canada, the
Canadian copartner of Birdlife International. Avibase has been a work
in progress for nearly 12 years and I am now pleased to offer it as a
service to the bird-watching and scientific community. '
Paris Commune 1871.
'The Paris Commune is one of the great epics of French history. 'It was
the first revolution in which the working class played a central role
and sought to change society for the better.' '
' 'Why is the idea represented by the Commune of Paris so attractive
to the workers of every land, of every nationality? The answer is easy.
The revolution of 1871 was above all a popular one. It was made by the
people themselves, it sprang spontaneously from the midst of the mass,
and it was among the great masses of the people that it found its
defenders, its heroes, its martyrs. It is just because it was so
thoroughly "low" that the middle class can never forgive it. And at
the same time its moving spirit was the idea of a social revolution;
vague certainly, perhaps unconscious, but still the effort to obtain at
last, after the struggle of many centuries, true freedom, true equality
for all men. It was the revolution of the lowest of the people marching
forward to conquer their rights.' ... '
Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters.
'Everyday Matters is a series of occasional essays on creative
things, journal making, drawing, etc. intended to challenge,
inspire and perplex. '
Phagpa Lokes'vara of the Potala.
'In The Newark Museum collection is a small ivory figure representing
a form of Avalokites'vara of a type that has long puzzled historians
of Himalayan art. Figures displaying the stylistic eccentricities of
this bodhisattva are, as evidenced here, relatively common. These
stylistic eccentricities can be briefly catalogued as: a high
three-lobed crown of rather simple design; the hair in an elaborate
chignon which spills in two long buns on either side of the head and
crown, and bell-like earrings. The images also show a remarkable
lack of ornamentation; they stand on a small, square base in a
relatively stiff pose, with, when complete, the right hand in varada
mudra (gesture of bestowal) and the left close to the thigh in a
gesture of holding a (missing) lotus ... '
Building America.
'Building America explores the broad scope of U.S. achievement in
architecture, design, engineering, construction, planning, and
landscape architecture. Hundreds of images showcase highpoints in
American building, from the U.S. Capitol to the Empire State Building,
as well as places like shopping centers, offices, and suburban homes
where many live their daily lives.'
The Digger Archives.
'The Digger Archives is an ongoing Web project to preserve and present
the history of the anarchist guerilla street theater group that
challenged the emerging Counterculture of the Sixties and whose
actions and ideals inspired (and continue to inspire) a generation (of
all ages) to create models of Free Association. '
Outside
the Lines:
Ordinary Pastimes, Extraordinary Art.
'If making art with a capital "A" is inaccessibly ambitious for most
people, a whole industry of popular crafts exists to bring them
expression with a small "e." The craft chains that dot metropolitan
shopping strips, the street-corner ceramics workshops and the blizzard
of make-it-yourself magazines all serve people who would never
consider themselves artists but feel perfectly comfortable making nice
things with a small "t." ... '
The
Concuspidor.
'The Concuspidor & The Grand Wizard of Many Things is an on-line fable
that was presented on the web in weekly instalments between June and
December 1995. When it was in weekly instalments, it was easy to
manage, but now it's much too big to comfortably work through in a
single sitting. So it's probably best to start at the start (of
course) and use your browser's bookmark facility to remember the scene
you've got to when you want to have a break, and come back later.'
Guernica: Testimony of War.
'It is modern art's most powerful antiwar statement... created by the
twentieth century's most well-known and least understood artist. But
the mural called Guernica is not at all what Pablo Picasso has in mind
when he agrees to paint the centerpiece for the Spanish Pavilion of
the 1937 World's Fair ... '
Borobodur.
'On the island of Java stands a mountain of a thousand statues...
surrounded by volcanoes, shrouded in mystery. In 1814, two hundred men
cross the lush Kedu plains of Central Java to search out this
legendary mountain near the small village of Boro. For six weeks, they
slash and burn the choking vegetation. They clear away tons of
volcanic ash. Hidden beneath the debris, they find strange figures
carved in stone - thousands of them ... '
The Notorious Hope Diamond.
'It is the rarest of stones... But that's not the only thing about the
Hope Diamond that fascinates Evalyn Walsh McLean, the spoiled young
heiress with a multi-million-dollar fortune and a taste for jewelry
expensive jewelry ... '
