Surinam Slave Trade.

Prints related to the slave trade in the former Dutch colony of Surinam.

"Going now to take my leave of Surinam, after all the horrors and cruelties with which I must have hurt both the eye and the heart of the reader, I will close with an emblematical picture of Europe supported by Africa and America, accompanied by an ardent wish that the friendly manner as they are represented, they may henceforth and to all eternity be the props of each other... We only differ in colour, but are certainly all created by the same hand."




Japanese Crepe Paper Fairy Tales.

'The Baika Women's University Collection of Crêpe Paper Books in Japan consists of more than one hundred and fifty works produced between about 1880 and 1940 in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese editions. Not all of the books are present in each language and some of the books were published on thick Japanese paper rather than crêpe paper. Most, but not all, of the books are traditional fairy tales.'




Cambodian Paperback Novel Covers.

'So why follow the literary scene in Cambodia? Cool discoveries like these. The above image is by Hul Sophon, who has worked in illustration both before and after the years of war. In addition to his primary work on covers he does many other kinds of art, and had an adaptation of ‘Kolap Pailin’ published by Reyum. (Now sold out.)'




Roadside Art of the Northern Plains.

'Question: What do you do when you live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and want to drive to Glacier National Park, and you don't want to be bored out of your skull for 2000 miles?'

'Answer: You do a little research, and plan to take a week each way meandering around the countryside looking for roadside art!'




The Unintentionally Terrifying World of Bright Tales and Funny Pictures.

'Maggie Brown's 1894 Bright Tales and Funny Pictures has undergone a remarkable transformation in the digital collection of the The Baldwin Library. On Baldwin's site, you can click through these "placeholders" to see the original works, but I recommend just enjoying the accidental zebra face art.'




Vending Machines of Japan.

'PhotoMann has a large 'collection' of images of unique vending machines found around Japan. Over 50 of them can be seen here. The machines are everywhere. Estimates suggest there are 5.6 million vending machines which works out to be one for every 20 people in Japan.'




The Crystal Factory of Gus-Khrustalny.

'The crystal plant is the main and the greatest construction of Gus-Khrustalny, a small Russian town, which was granted its name for the fiver it is located on (Gus) and the crystal (khrustal’) industry. In the 19th century it was known all over the Russian Empire thanks to Ivan Maltsov, who brought in a lot of European innovations, including making Bohemian glass. In war periods the plant was manufacturing various glass mass-produced items, like thermometers, flasks, thermoses and other consumer goods. Later its status of the main crystal plant was reclaimed. In our short but fascinating photo set you can see how the crystal things are made in modern times.'




Atlas de Trudaine.

18th century maps of France.

'The National Archives of France offers a geneorous sampling from a collection of more than 3000 manuscript maps (62 volumes) of the roads and country side of France made by Charles Daniel Trudaine between 1745 and 1780. Each volume covers one or more parts of France according to the election regions under the Ancien Régime.'




60s and 70s Fashion Photo Galleries.



Nina Simone at the Harlem Cultural Festival, 1969.

Four Women, Backlash Blues : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65rz61qOwhc&fmt=18

Be My Husband : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwhV69f3Ej0&fmt=18

Ain't Got No, I Loves You Porgy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc49cprX5nc&fmt=18

To Be Young Gifted and Black, Revolution : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gLVvsy7TXE&fmt=18

Are You Ready? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHXtB9ssnhw&fmt=18




Biography of Khamtrül Ngak’chang Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche (1926 - 1993).

Tibetan shaman and the Dalai Lama's weather controller.




Kodachrome Goes to War, 1942.

'October 1942. "Women are trained as engine mechanics in thorough Douglas training methods. Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California." Skipping ahead to 2009, and the end of an era: Today Kodak announced that, after 74 colorful years, it will stop making Kodachrome film. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer, Office of War Information.'




Yamamoto and the Sosaku Hanga.

'Kanae Yamamoto (1882-1946) was a founder of the Japanese art movement, Sosaku Hanga or 'creative prints'. It was "a Japanese woodblock print movement of the 20th century which utilized Western concepts of art; both in the production, in which the artist was more involved in the production of the prints (often undertaking the entire process on their own), and in the subject matter and presentation, which was that of modern art."'




Gallery of Fanta Bottlecaps.




The Four Stages of Cruelty.

'The Four Stages of Cruelty is a series of four printed engravings published by William Hogarth in 1751. Each print depicts a different stage in the life of the fictional Tom Nero.'

'Beginning with the torture of a dog as a child in the First stage of cruelty, Nero progresses to beating his horse as a man in the Second stage of cruelty, and then to robbery, seduction, and murder in Cruelty in perfection. Finally, in The reward of cruelty, he receives what Hogarth warns is the inevitable fate of those who start down the path Nero has followed: his body is taken from the gallows after his execution as a murderer and is mutilated by surgeons in the anatomical theatre.'




Pension Office, 1918.

'Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Pension Office interior." This former repository of Civil War veterans' pension records is now the National Building Museum. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.'




Otter Family.



Querying the Hive Mind.


'What is an example of a cookbook wherein the recipes have had the hell tested out of them?'


'How do I learn to build stuff?'


'Help me find music that makes me feel small and insignificant.'


'Take three kids and a flute. Anne says the flute should be given to her because she is the only one who knows how to play it. Bob says the flute should be handed to him as he is so poor he has no toys to play with. Carla says the flute is hers because it is the fruit of her own labour. How do we decide between these three legitimate claims? '