Category Archives: History

In Bruges

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Bruges before it became completely Disney-fied by over tourism. Still, I never got to see the Belgian gem as viewed in these amazing Photochrom prints from the 1890s. This … Continue reading →

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Don’t Forget To Remember

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Brian D. Butler
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Poster House

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

New Yorkers and tourists too can now visit a new museum entirely dedicated to the art of posters.The Poster House, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea district and which features an identity designed by Pentagram’s Paula Scher, will be the first museum of its … Continue reading →

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We Sing The Body Electric

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Today is Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday . This offers an important opportunity to reassess his tremendous contributions to American life and literature at a time when our country is so polarized. The University of Pennsylvania Libraries and the Pew Center … Continue reading →

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All animals are equal…

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently ran across the wonderful 50th anniversary edition of the first U.S. publication of George Orwell’s Animal House. Issued in 1995, Animal House: A Fairy Story features 100 mindblowing illustrations by the inimitable Ralph Steadman. Along with the addition of the brilliant illustrations, … Continue reading →

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Global Dickens

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I’m hoping that I will be able to catch the just opened exhibition called Global Dickens: For Every Nation Upon Earth this Fall at London’s excellent Dickens Museum. The show runs from this week through November 3, 2019. Here’s what … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Tourism: Manhattan

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

It seems that every week I read about the closing of another independent bookstore in New York City, so it’s a relief to discover a shop that’s thriving. Chartwell Booksellers is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year in its unique … Continue reading →

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Happy 300th to Robinson Crusoe

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Daniel Defoe’s Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was first published on April 25, 1719, and before the end of the year had run through four editions. An abridged children’s version was published in 1784 in Boston, printed and sold by N. … Continue reading →

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Word on the Street: San Diego

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Thomas Paine  

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Making Your Mark

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Most of us don’t give a second thought to the greatest human achievement in history. But now the British Museum’s new interactive exhibition Writing: Marking Your Mark is celebrating more than 5,000 years of our most amazing legacy. The exhibit, which runs … Continue reading →

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