Monthly Archives: July 2012

Library Himmel

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I can never resist a collection of great library photographs. So, I was thrilled to stumble across a wonderful series of photos of libraries from around Northern Europe. Professional photographer Christoph Seebach is based in Köln, Germany, where he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Starbucks’ Progenitor

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Some of us seem to think that travel is just an opportunity to hangout at new cafes and coffeehouses. Thanks to the British Museum we can trace the Western roots of our coffee obsession back to England’s very first public … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Do Fictitious Dishes Have Calories

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

For her very clever photo project called “Fictitious Dishes“, graphic artist/designer/editor/photographer Dinah Fried has reimagined meals for iconic fictional characters. She recreated and staged meals from Moby Dick, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Catcher in the Rye, Alice … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Photography, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Voices in High Towers

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

British artist Robert Montgomery’s text/art has appeared on streets and in galleries around the world. His eloquent, moving and ruminative statements challenge viewers’ beliefs and illusions. Montgomery usually plasters over existing signage and replaces the advertising with poetry. This summer, … Continue reading →

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Why Garamond Light

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

We see nearly 500,000 words in print every day—and that’s just on websites. Do we pay any attention to the typefaces website designers choose? Don’t know a Dunbar from a Lucida? Ever wonder why Garamond Light is suddenly everywhere? Well … Continue reading →

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Better Than a Pub Crawl

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday bibliophile bikers inaugurated Chicago’s first annual Bookstore Bike Crawl and Art Show. The participants pedaled from Powell’s Bookstore North to Bookworks Used and Rare Books, on to Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview, then to Open Books (Chicago’s nonprofit bookstore) and … Continue reading →

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Room for Art

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Clarion Hotel in Stockholm‘s happening Södermalm district, loves art so much that they inaugurated a scheme this summer that offers artists the opportunity to pay for their accommodations with a work of art. The offer is good for a … Continue reading →

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Paris: free wi-fi and more

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

All photos © Felipe Ribon The Mairie de Paris commissioned the firm JCDecaux to create the clever Escale Numérique , a “green” free wi-fi/gadget charging station/information kiosk at the Rond Pont des Champs-Elysées. The Escale Numérique’s sheltered hotspot is equipped … Continue reading →

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Scripturient or Xenization

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Project Twins, James and Michael Fitzgerald operate a graphic design and illustration studio in Cork City, Ireland. They design posters, create books, develop brands and do illustrations . But one of their most impressive projects to date is called … Continue reading →

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The Palace Under the Alps

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I foolishly sold my first edition copy of Bill Bryson’s The Palace Under the Alps (Congdon & Weed, 1985) a few years ago. So, I was dead chuffed to stumble across this blog with the same handle that posts excerpts from … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Museums, Tourism, Travel Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments