Category Archives: History

Banksy and Bob

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

By now, you have likely seen photos of Banksy ‘s latest work painted on the wall of a historic British prison. The elusive street artist officially owned the piece by posting some footage of Bob Ross narration from The Joy … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Vintage is better

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I recently ran across a treasure trove of vintage Japanese travel posters from the early 20th century. As you know, I’m a little bit obsessed with travel related advertising, but I think that early travel posters managed to do a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, History, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The feeling of communion in the libraries

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Most English speakers are familiar with the American author E.B. White from his contributions to the iconic writing guide The Elements of Style or through his classic children’s books such as Charlotte’s Web. During World War II, he received a request … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Freedom of Speech, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Welcome to Mars

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 On February 9th, the United Arab Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe entered the Red Planet’s orbit. To commemorate the historic moment the UAE government has given visitors to the country a piece of space. Arrivals to Dubai airport on February … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Middle East, Public Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Das Neue Europa

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

In the aftermath of World War I, many politicians, political scientists, philosophers, and even cartographers offered innovative proposals to restructure Europe. P.A. Maas, an Austrian publisher, suggested a wildly creative way to re-imagine Europe as a political entity. “Does anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, History, Maps | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Hill We Climb

Posted on January 23, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Amanda Gorman became the youngest person to deliver a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration, with the 22-year-old reciting her poem “The Hill We Climb” after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as president and vice president. For many viewers, the highlight of the presidential … Continue reading →

Posted in History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Call and Response

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I’m disappointed that I will be missing this current exhibition at New York City’s magnificent Morgan Museum and Library. Betye Saar: Call and Response is based on Los Angeles–based artist Betye Saar who emerged in the 1960s as a major voice in American … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, History, Libraries | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lessons from the 20th Century

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Following the horrific events of last week, I am not alone in reflecting back on the cautionary warnings of Yale historian Timothy Snyder. His short, but powerful book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century published just days after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Freedom of Speech, History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Year of Good Reading

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

January. A year of good reading ahead is a wonderful book poster from a large WPA collection from the Library of Congress. The series of posters was created by the Federal WPA during the 1930s.  

Posted in Books, History, Libraries, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Year in Review

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Animation, History, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment