Category Archives: History

Snippets of Europe

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Illustrator, teacher and Fulbright scholar Emma Fick has created a marvelous digital sketchbook of her life and travels in Europe. “Snippets” is a charming, whimsical and introspective pictorial journal of observations of European culture and life on the road from … Continue reading →

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We Share Their Grief

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

This March 11th will mark the 10th anniversary of the horrendous Madrid train bombings in which 192 innocent people from 17 different nations were murdered by terrorists. Paris-based, Italian photographer Ciro Prota has organized a moving photographic memorial book to … Continue reading →

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The Allure of Old Books ( & maps )

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

The Peculiar Underworld of Rare-Book Thieves The Allure of the Map What is the oldest book in the world? The Library of Congress by the numbers. What happens when Oxford’s Bodleian Library and the Biblioteca Vaticana collude?

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Sarajevo: Rescue and Revival

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

On January 15th in Sarajevo, a new library opened to the public :  the reborn Gazi Husrev Bey Library which is home to a priceless collection of rare books and manuscripts dating from 1106. The original library was established in 1537 … Continue reading →

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Wellcome Images

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

On Monday, London’s famed Wellcome Library released a dizzying collection of digitized images from its vast archive. The free, downloadable high resolution images are available to copy, distribute, manipulate or edit. The rich and unique collection is wide-ranging, from social … Continue reading →

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The Burroughs Century

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

William S. Burroughs was an American author, painter, actor, Beat icon, and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. To celebrate the anniversary of his 100th birthday ( February 5, 2014 ), his birthplace, Bloomington Indiana is … Continue reading →

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Adventures Underground

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or … Continue reading →

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London Underground

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Way back in 2013, the London Underground marked its 150th anniversary, and to celebrate the historic event the UK’s Institute of Civil Engineers released this impressive short film, “Engineering the London Underground”. The compelling little documentary highlights just how revolutionary … Continue reading →

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Yule Got Your Goat

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

If you’re a gambler, the bookies in Gävle, Sweden are still taking bets on the fate of this year’s Gävlebocken ( Gävle Goat ). Each winter since 1966 the city in central Sweden has been erecting a 40-foot tall straw … Continue reading →

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We Always Remember

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Brian D. Butler
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