Real USSR.

Articles about Soviet life.




The Great Flu.

Pandemic control game.




Land's End.

Fading towns of coastal British Columbia.




Giant Carnivorous Plant.




Sot oc'h gant ar binîoù?
- useful phrases in many tongues.




It's all Greek to me. 'The equivalent of this phrase in quite a few languages compares incomprehensible things to an unknown language, particularly Chinese or Greek, while many of the Slavic languages associate Spanish villages with incomprehsion. The Chinese themselves compare such things to a 'heavenly script'. The Japanese use a string of nonsense syllables which imitate the sounds of unknown languages, especially Chinese. '




Iranian Kids' Book Covers.




The Road from London to Land's End (1675 Map).

'This extraordinary map, dating from 1675, details The Road From LONDON to the LANDS END Comencing at the Standard in Cornhill and Extending to Senan in Cornwall. It was made by IOHN OGILBY Esq[ui]r[e] his Ma[jes]ties Cosmographer and covers 308 miles and 3 furlongs (almost 500 km).'




Old Circus Posters.




The Book of Genesis by R. Crumb.




North Korea at Night.




Old Japanese Octopus Toy Paintings.

'The Ningyo-do Bunko Database is a huge online collection of watercolor paintings by Kawasaki Kyosen (1877-1942). The collection consists of over 5,000 still-life images of antique toys and folk crafts from across Japan, including a few lovely octopus-themed items.'




Speech of the Dead Christ (1796).

'Here's an excerpt from Speech of the Dead Christ from the Universe that There Is No God (1796), a section from Jean Paul's Siebenkas (the word Siebenkas will stick in your head forever once you read Thomas Bernhard's Extinction).'




Turn-of-the-Century Bitters Trade Cards.

'Bitters originated in England to avoid a tax levied on alcohol by adding bitter flavoring to alcohol and promoting it as a tax-free medicine having healing and curing capabilities. During the "snake-oil" Patent Medicine period of the mid-1800s in America, bitters having other additives such as herbs, spices and narcotics were offered by many companies with extravagant claims as to their curative powers. Typical diseases claimed to be cured by bitters were ague, fevers, rheumatism, gravel, kidney complaints and nervous debility. They remained high in alcohol content, however, and usually made the user feel good if not cured.'

'... Popular bitters during this later, turn-of-the-century period included Pond's, Lash's, Rex and Hostetters, and their makers made good use of trade cards and postcards in advertising them to the public. In contrast to earlier bitters cards which emphasized curative powers and were nicely printed, these later cards are cruder and often vulgar and suggestive in their use of double entendre. However, today they serve as an interesting insight into the life and humor of that period.'




1893 World's Fair Cards.

'The American Cereal Co. issued a set of 12 trade cards as souvenirs of the 1893 World's Fair. These cards copied a set of paintings displayed at the American Cereal Co. exhibit and titled "The Procession Of The Seasons." The artists were H. Dalton Jones (1848 - 1927) and his brother Francis C. Jones (1857 - 1932) whose names appear on the first 11 cards.'




Abandoned Structures in Rochester, NY.

'Rochester has its fair share of fun abandoned buildings and public works. Most famous is the several miles of intact underground tunnel which is the Abandoned Subway. On Elmwood Avenue there is a partially Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital, the largest building being ten stories tall. Soon to be demolished, the Iola Campus on Westfall Road & East Henrietta Road features several overgrown buildings with plenty to offer explorers.'




Comic Ads.

'This site is devoted to the advertising in old comics. It begins with illustrated pseudo-comics, moves on seed-and-salve selling, muscle ads, guns, cereal, candy, bikes, the ads of the 60s and 70s (my childhood, and hence of great interest to the world) and finally, ten tons of stuff that doesn’t belong elsewhere.'




Minnesota's Historic Shipwrecks.



Querying the Hive Mind.


'Let's you and me talk about spooky music.'


'I like mind-blowing books. Please give me your best suggestions.'


'Did you work in an office before the Internet? What did you do? Also, what was on your desk?'


'What are some (non-Roswell) examples of unsolved "paranormal phenomena"?'


'The year is 1900, and I earn $2550 annually. What is my life like?'




Mathematical Modelling of an Outbreak of Zombie Infection.




Xeno-Canto: Bird Sounds from Around the World.




1970s Escalator Public Information Film.




Dark and Lonely Water.

A public information classic.




Green Cross Code.

Road safety classic.




All About Japan.




India Graphics.




Ainu.

Indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan's northern island.




East European Cars.




Graffiti Archaeology.