MetaFilter posts tagged with history and art

Window Dressing

Miko — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:59:01 -0800

Holidays on Display, currently on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, offers an image-rich online exhibit as well, detailing the way businesses learned to capitalize on one of the country's largest celebrations. Peer into the artistry of holiday window design as well. I was especially happy to learn via this exhibit about the artist, puppeteer, illustrator, and balloon designer Tony Sarg, who designed some of the most wonderful early balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - very 20s and 30s in style, sort of the Fleischer Studios of balloons. He also created a wacky sea serpent stunt on Nantucket.

Coffee and Other Important Matters

brain_drain — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:56:10 -0800

15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee. 17 Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat. The MotherF**king Pterodactyl. These and various other amusements courtesy of The Oatmeal.

70 years of controversial magazine covers

Matthias Rascher — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:35:33 -0800

70 years of controversial magazine covers.

"Ja som aquí"

adamvasco — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:56:40 -0800

A daily photoblog of the mediterranean island of Mallorca. Checking the tags is a good way to trawl the archive.
food; history; customs and traditions; art

Ptak's Science Book Blog

Rumple — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:57:27 -0800

The blog associated with Ptak's online science bookstore is an absolutely fascinating, frequently-updated tour through historical, social, and scientific miscellany extracted from unusual books in the collection of the author, John Ptak. To give a flavour of the breadth of the mini-essays on his blog, consider: Maps of Lunar Nothingness Map of Missing People of Central Europe and Russia, 1881 (Both from the thread, Maps of Blank and Missing Things) Women Meat Pioneers (from the thread Impossible Titles) Seeing Renaissance Pillows: a Short Bit on an Unnecessary Topic (from the thread Prints: looking HARD/deeply at) Things People Did Underground (from the thread History of Technology). History of Normalcy, Part 1: "Girls" (from the thread militaria)

"All I got in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break either of 'em for nobody!"

bigmusic — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:43:12 -0800

Before the mouse, there was the trackball. Built for DATAR in 1952, DATAR turned out to be a complete failure. The next user interface device that used a ball was the mouse at Xeroc Parc in 1972. Trackballs are a dying breed of interface devices. But sometimes a trackball just seems more natural choice for certain applications - not so obvious for others. Would you sit on one?

India and South Asian resources

nickyskye — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:22:27 -0800

Dr. Frances W. Pritchett, Professor of Modern Indic Languages at Columbia University, New York, has created a superb online collection of resources, all about India and South Asia, its art, history, literature, architecture and culture. Her Indian Routes section (the Index page) is a particularly rich resource. Her vast, colorful and informative site also has many great images. Check out her "scrapbook pages" on the Princes l the Ghaznavids l British Rule l Women's Spaces l Perspectives on Hinduism. Photos of Professor Pritchett and her encyclopedic page of links about India/South Asia, Morningside Mix.

Flash Packets

Miko — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:10:39 -0800

Skin & Bones is a new exhibit about sailor tattoos and their symbolism and history, developed at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. NYTimes story with neat art slideshow.

19th century artistic printing

mediareport — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:41:44 -0800

Beautifully designed, quirky, colorful late 19th-century "artistic" and "gaslight" printing at Dick Sheaff's ephemera pages. [via, via] Info here. There's a book, too.

The Eglinton Tournament

verstegan — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:06:01 -0800

In 1839, soon after Queen Victoria's accession, the Earl of Eglinton staged a re-enactment of a medieval tournament to mark the beginning of what he hoped would be a new age of chivalry. Despite torrential rain, the Eglinton Tournament was attended by 100,000 people and sparked off a popular craze for all things medieval. A new website tells the story of the tournament and reproduces, for the first time, twenty original watercolours recording the event in all its romantic splendour and absurdity.

Dude, that spiky fish with the elephant trunk is, like, totally trippy.

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:54:09 -0800

When you were 12 or 13, did you like to draw scary monsters? Well, so did Michelangelo. Be sure to check out the slideshow that accompanies the article.

"I played at August Wilson's funeral. You know what he wanted me to play? Danny Boy."

Ndwright — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:59:23 -0800

Wynton Marsalis waxes poetic (and music) at the Kennedy Center about art, freedom, jazz, the minstrel shows of yesterday and today, Walt Whitman, American history, the similarities between the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Mickey Mouse Club March, rock and roll, and how it all ties together. Excerpts: "A financial inheritance can be accurately assessed in dollars, but what is the value of an artistic heritage? Who calculates the value of "Amazing Grace" or "Yankee Doodle" or "Go Down Moses"? ... "Random black folks on the plantation imitating the ways of white folks are imitated by itinerate white entertainers who blacken up and create plantation skits. Plantation owners then cull through their slaves for the most talented who then imitate the white entertainers’ imitation of black folks imitating white folks. These selected blacks are then imitated by professional white performers, and after the Civil War and the rise of black minstrelsy as an enterprise, white professionals were imitated by black professionals." ... "Artists effortlessly speak across time because the technology of the human soul does not change. Ask Eugene O’Neill who absorbed the spirit of the Greeks through the spirit of Wagner’s acolyte Nietzsche who told him what Whitman said was what Buddy Bolden said…Wake up!" Transcript

Arborglyphs in Nevada

Kattullus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:42:42 -0800

Sheepherders in Northern Nevada came largely from Basque country back in the day. They brought with them a tradition of making arborglyphs, carving text and images into living trees. You can see pictures of 175 Nevada arborglyphs here, 73 of which have companion videos showing a bit more of the surrounding. The unquestioned expert on Nevadan arborglyphs, Professor Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, has written a great deal on the subject and in 2001 he wrote a good overview article in Forest History Today called Carving Out History: The Basque Aspens. Another good introductory article by journalist Emma Nichols in the Sacramento News & Review, Mystery of the Arborglyphs, with a focus on the more salacious arborglyphs. Basque Tree Carving: Legend in Nevada is an 18 minute documentary. Here is a video of Professor Mallea speaking about the arborglyphs and here is an interview with him. [all videos asx format]

Venus Of Utapau

The Whelk — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:26:26 -0800

A long time ago in an art gallery far far away: Star Wars as Classic Art via

Visual review of art history

filthy light thief — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:29:13 -0800

Are you looking to review your art history knowledge but find google too chaotic, and Prof. Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe's site is overwhelming and has a few too many dead links? Maybe wikipedia lacks the visuals you associate with an art history review, and Art cyclopedia could be a bit more straight-forward? Then The Art Browser might be the thing for you. The site combines brief descriptions of movements and artists from wikipedia, classifications from Art cyclopedia, and large images from Art.com for compact visual overview of art history. [via mefi projects] Previously posted when the site was focused on Picasso, Matisse, Degas, and Okeefe, the site grew to include Cézanne, Chagall, Dali, Gauguin and others. The new version is completely reworked, covering a much broader expanse of history, and image viewing is handled differently.

Teaching Art History

netbros — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:17:33 -0800

SmARThistory is an edited online art history resource to augment or replace traditional art history texts. For a given artwork, smARThistory brings together podcasts, video clips, images, links to other resources, and commentary, providing a rich context for the work. Indexed by timeline, artistic style, artist and theme.

Pictures don't lie

Miko — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:27:24 -0800

Photomontage timeline, 1850-2007. Spirit photography, trick photography, comic montages, Photoshop, etc. I only wish you could enlarge these images. But I'm glad to have learned about the Cottingley Fairies.

Nancy Luce

paduasoy — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:56:06 -0800

A "singular creature, whose secluded life and remarkable eccentricities have long made her an object of peculiar interest” is described in the 1876 A guide to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. This woman, Nancy Luce (c 1814 to 1890), published books of poems and information about her chickens. Her first book was Poor Little Hearts and her second was A complete edition of the works of Nancy Luce ... containing God's words--Sickness--Poor little hearts--Milk--No comfort--Prayers--Our Savior's golden rule--Hen's names, etc. Here’s part of Poor Little Hearts and here’s Lines composed by Nancy Luce about poor little Ada Queetie and poor little Beauty Linna, both deceased ... . A sad poem – “I hope I never shall have a hen, to set so much by again ... “ is quoted in this account of a visit to her grave. She put up a gravestone (NYT, 1873) to one of her hens, Tweedle Dedel Bebbee Pinky. Luce’s papers were sold by the town authorities to pay her burial expenses, and are now at Brown University Library. The papers were used by Walter Magnes Teller in his biography, Poor I: The Life and Works of Nancy Luce – NYT review.

There are several pictures of her: with one hen; with two hens; sitting outside her house; sitting in the doorway of her house; and what looks like a postcard of her and her house. Luce has become important in the local history and tourism of Martha’s Vineyard. There is a tradition of putting model chickens on her grave. Artist and gallery owner Ruth Adams says she is inspired by Luce – here’s a small image of her sculpture of Luce. Other artists have also used Luce as a starting point; Jennifer Langhammer’s Broken Hearted puts lines from one of Luce’s poems on an egg, and Victoria Marks makes her own chicken books.

During her life, however, Luce’s relationship with tourism was more difficult. Although she made her living from tourists, and the 1876 guide says “It is always best to go with a party: the fun is apt to be proportionately greater,” it doesn’t sound like much fun for Luce. The poet and printmaker Daniel Waters, who has made a linocut of Luce, quotes a letter she wrote in 1879 saying she was “murdered alive”: see his poem The Hag of Tiah’s Cove.

Ancient Greece

netbros — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:24:40 -0800

Explore the History of the Ancient Greek World from the Neolithic to the Classical Period. Covering important topics, such as Art and Architecture, Mythology, Wars, Culture and Society, Poetry, Olympics, History Periods, Philosophy, Playwrights, Kings and Rulers of Ancient Greece.

Events and Festivals Across the USA

netbros — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:49:11 -0800

Top Events USA lists their top 20 events across the USA, the top 10 events and festivals for each of the United States, and lists of the best annual events and festivals by category or theme. There are comment input boxes on every page - or nominate a new event or festival that you think is something important Top Events USA has missed.

History of War and Peace Collection

Rumple — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:03:01 -0800

Peace and War in the 20th Century is an ambitious, in progress, massive assemblage of posters, photographs, propaganda, ephemera, letters, diaries, paintings, sketches, stories, letters, music and related items, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The collection is international in scope. Some of the nodes lack content, and the navigation is a little confusing, so the jump I list some of my favourite case studies from their site. Note: Many of the images are reasonable resolution if you right click and open in a new tab rather than only view in the pop-forward window. Also scroll down for thumbnails of additional material. The advanced search option is very useful as it includes a detailed site map. Representing War: Posters, Art and Music. Many of the posters are unusual and new to me, such as 'Save Waste Bones - They Make Glue for Aircraft', 'Boys, Come Along, You're Wanted', and this beautiful poster of the Earth and Doves. Concentration Camp correspondence Sir Norman Angell: a lifelong proponent of peace (many images of his pamphlets and posters) The Spanish Civil War: Foreign Intervention, American Reaction. Includes evocative pamphlets, leaflets, and posters. Waging War London prepares for World War II: a great selection of instructional and civil defence materials such as posters and memos. Britain prepares for World War I: some diary pages of Adrian Duff. William Frank Kenwood, Canadian Pilot and Prisoner of War, including newspaper clippings, a letter from the Red Cross, telegrams, etc. Vera Brittain's diaries and pamphlets Canadian Women's Roles in World War I: anything new in war work? Mapping and Photographing World War I: interesting instructional materials, etc. The Nuclear Disarmament Movement, which includes a great collection of very striking posters and leaflets. Evolving Technology in World War I, which includes numerous artistic visions of machine guns, tanks, etc. War Resisters, including pamphlets. World War 1 in the Middle East I like this typed report of a raid. I also like this leaflet against War Toys. As I noted, there is a huge amount of great stuff at this site, interspersed with some dead ends as one would expect from a work in progress.

Have a break

tellurian — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:20:29 -0800

Mutton pie. An Orange organisation. A portrait size. A delicious confection Desired the world over. The true meat of this post – Inns and taverns of old London. [PDF]

Views from the 18th and Early 19th Centuries

nickyskye — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:16:24 -0800

Some really beautiful, unusual visuals and reading: The Art of the Pochoir Book. The University of Cincinatti Rare Book archive has some cool stuff, like Leviathan: Watercolors of Whales from William Jardine’s The Naturalist’s Library l 4 pages of a newspaper called The Colored Citizen from November 7th 1863 (awesome to read knowing Obama is elected) l Travel and Exploration in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries: A View of the World through the Art of the Explorers. More Pochoir (hand-colored) prints. And more from the NYPL. And more from LiveAuctioneers. About Pochoirs.

The digital collection of the Tokyo National Museum

Kattullus — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:08:24 -0800

The digital collection of the Tokyo National Museum is full of wonder. TNM is the oldest museum in Japan and collects archaeological objects and art from Japan as well as other parts of Asia. The collection can be browsed by type or region. Here are some of my favorites: Buddha's life, The name "Korin" given to pupil, Tale of Matsuranomiya, Coquettish type, Tea caddy in shape of bucket with handle, Mirror, design of sea and island, Traditionary identified as Minamoto no Yoritomo, Seated Monju Bosatsu (Manjusri) and attendants, Sword mounting of kazari-tachi type and (my current desktop background) Figures under a tree. This is but a small sampling of all that can be found in the digital collection

The Wickedest Town in the West

Bageena — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:37:19 -0800

The town of Jerome was incorporated on March 8, 1889 when Arizona was still a territory. A mining town of the real 'wild west' variety, Jerome was incorporated after three devastating fires within an eighteen month period that nearly destroyed the town. Jerome was a wild town with little law enforcement, building codes, or real government. It earned the title "The Wickedest Town in America" by the New York Sun in 1903 for being a hotbed of gambling, prostitution, and vice. Jerome is the town of stories. The same fires that plagued the town plagued the mine. Strikes at the United Verde Mine lead to forced deportation of the miners at gunpoint. Capitalizing women opened bordellos. The population grew to a then-staggering 15,000 residents before the price of copper dropped and the mines went bust. In 1953 they closed, and the population dropped. Jerome is now known as an art destination, with more than 30 galleries and working studios. The Old Jerome High School is home to many artists and their open studios. The few hotels there are rumored to be haunted. The town currently boasts a population of 343, including Maynard James Kennan of Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer fame. He resides in the small town full time... making wine.