Category Archives: History

Bukowski on the Block

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

On June 2, 2011, PBA Galleries of San Francisco will offer at auction one of the finest private collections in existence of the literary and artistic work of the poet Charles Bukowski. Featuring a large selection of original typed, signed … Continue reading →

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Please Come to Boston…

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

From May 3rd until June 19th visitors to Boston’s sublime Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will get a chance to see seven rare Venetian manuscripts from the museum’s extensive rare books collection. The exhibition , called Illuminating the Serenissima: Books of … Continue reading →

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Somedays The News Is Good

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Not All Progress Is Good

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

  It revolutionized the way people worked and communicated, becoming an essential piece of office equipment for more than a century. But after decades of service, the humble typewriter has reached the end of the line. Mumbai, India-based Godrej and … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, History, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

I Can See The Connection

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

This week the PBS show Independent Lens aired a fascinating documentary on William S. Burroughs that was directed by newcomer Yony Leyser. “William S. Burroughs: A Man Within” is a star-studdied portrait of the revolutionary writer, his eccentricities, and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Freedom of Speech, History, Music, Photography | Leave a comment

Happy Belated Public Domain Day

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

The Public Domain Review is a fascinating newish website that reviews literature which has entered the public domain due to copyright expiration. Founded and edited by Jonathan Gray and Adam Green from the Open Knowledge Foundation, London, the site was … Continue reading →

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When Air Travel Meant Luxury

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Once considered the zenith of air travel luxury, the long-gone Boeing 314 Clipper could transport pampered flyers to faraway, exotic locales in only a matter of days. The enormous airliner, first launched in 1936, had the amazing range of 5,200 … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Tourism, USA | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Cheaper the Crook, the Gaudier the Patter

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

An unpublished collection of short stories by the groundbreaking author Dashiell Hammett, often named as the originator of hardboiled noir fiction, has been discovered in Austin, Texas. Hammett, best-known for the novels The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man and Red Harvest … Continue reading →

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Isn’t It Ironic ?

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Isn’t it ironic that as mobs surround the Egyptian Museum in Cairo Dr. Zahi Hawass is again demanding that the Neues Museum in Berlin return the famous bust of Nefertiti. Hawass, the head of Egypt’s Council of Antiquities claims that … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Art, Europe, History, Museums | Tagged | Leave a comment

Yesterday’s Rubbish

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday was the last opportunity to spend the night in Madrid’s Corona “Save the Beach Hotel”. The five room temporary rubbish B&B was designed by German eco-artist Ha Schult and was built of 12 tons of garbage collected from beaches … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Tourism | Tagged , | 1 Comment