Comments on: The Smithsonian on Flickr

The Smithsonian on Flickr

Kattullus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:55:41 -0800

The Smithsonian has a Flickr page as part of the Flickr Commons program. So far there are 6 sets, Portraits of Scientists and Inventors, Portraits of Artists, American Celebrations, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, People and the Post and Smithsonian's First Photographer, featuring the work of Thomas William Smillie. [via The New Yorker's Book Bench]

By: DU

DU — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:10:50 -0800

I'm surprised by how many of these scientists and inventors I've never heard of. Also, old-timey proto-nerds are hilarious. The winner of the Best Name and Hair Award (so far!) goes to Camille Flammarion. (I'm laughing with you, not at you, good sir.)

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:39:55 -0800

Flammarion is one of those figures that keep cropping up when one reads about the history of science, and especially about astronomy (he named Triton, for example). I'm pretty sure he was mentioned in Owen Gingerich's fascinating The Book Nobody Read about the first and second editions of Copernicus' De revolutionibus which I read a couple of months ago. Flammarion also wrote an early science fiction classic, OMEGA: The Last Days of the World. Flammarion was an interesting guy.

By: DU

DU — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:42:38 -0800

Flammarion is one of those figures that keep cropping up when one reads about the history of science... One of 3 things may be true: 1) This statement is false. 2) I read less history of science than I think. 3) I have a poorer memory for funny names than I think.

By: DU

DU — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:45:32 -0800

Also, just realized: Twins!

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:53:36 -0800

I think that the particular confluence of oddness that Flammarion represents (astronomer, science fiction writer, book collector) puts him square in my zone of interest. Also, if you like history of science books, The Book Nobody Read is a good choice.

By: grabbingsand

grabbingsand — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:13:48 -0800

Special Delivery.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:28:42 -0800

I had seen the picture grabbingsand linked to before but I hadn't read the description: "After parcel post service was introduced in 1913, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples." Surely that can't be right? Those must be urban legends.

By: DU

DU — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:37:41 -0800

There weren't already any laws or practices in place that would have forbidden the mailing of children?

By: carter

carter — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:40:34 -0800

Good stuff, thanks Kattallus!