Category Archives: Europe

Real Art, Fictional Museum

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Foundation Kebbi is an imaginary museum created by Paris-based artist and illustrator Yann Kebbi. The fake cultural attraction is populated by the usual crowd of museum goers, tourists, lovers, and time wasters. However, if you look closely, you can also … Continue reading →

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Boating on the Thames

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The next time that I’m in London I look forward to using the recently launched Uber boat service. Thanks to a partnership with Thames Clippers the ride-hailing service will be operating a fleet of 20 boats making stops at 23 … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Europe, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , | 1 Comment

In Bruges

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Most of the world has made unprecedented changes to social, work, school, and travel arrangements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Europe’s most visited destinations has found a unique way to support the local community during the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Europe, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , | 9 Comments

This Time Next Year (fingers crossed)

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Like most folks, we have been forced to cancel or postpone our travel plans due to the pandemic. As U.S. citizens, we don’t have many options since most countries won’t admit us anyway. But that doesn’t mean we have abandoned … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Photography, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Books and Maps

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A big thanks to TBTP follower Maria W. for sending me the link to the wonderful video below from the British Library Learning series on Vimeo. What could be better than antiquarian books and maps together.

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, History, Libraries, Maps | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

This wonderful volume is the 1934 Limited Editions Club re-issue of Erewhon by the English Novelist Samuel Butler, with a special introduction by Aldous Huxley, and illustrated with 10 color lithographs and reproductions of 30 line drawings by American artist Rockwell Kent. The edition of … Continue reading →

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Magical Mystery Tour

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Vanity Fair magazine commissioned the marvelous video below guaranteed to warm the heart of any Beatles fan. It’s a 12 minute tour around the world using Google Maps, highlighting locations mentioned in the Beatles lyrics, from Liverpool to the Black … Continue reading →

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An Honor Without Irony

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Last week, an outdoor sculpture honoring the iconic American author J.D. Salinger was dedicated on a hillside near his family’s ancestral home in Lithuania. The artwork celebrates the writer’s most acclaimed novel The Catcher in the Rye. Ironically, Salinger’s 1951 bildungsroman … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Bookseller’s Lament

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

As a bookseller and collector, I occasionally lament the sale of a book. Sometimes it’s because I undervalued a title, but more often it’s nostalgia for the missing volume from my shelves. The other day I stumbled on a reference … Continue reading →

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Have you or a loved one been affected by persuasive cartography

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Although I am one of those odd people who actually took geography courses at university, Persuasive Cartography is a term I only recently encountered. It usually refers to propaganda art that uses cartography to make a point. An amazing collection … Continue reading →

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