Category Archives: Museums

Art For Free

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I’m always surprised about just how much great art is now available under the public domain, meaning you can use it for free however you see fit. Artvee is an open source archive of over 100,000 public domain works, including illustrations, photos, … Continue reading →

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Reading Room

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The British Museum in London has reopened its famous circular Reading Room for visitors with free tours .The historic Reading Room was built between 1854 and 1857 to a design by Sydney Smirke using cast iron, concrete, and glass. Much of … Continue reading →

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Souvenir for writers

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years I have been both the giver and recipient of some quite silly travel souvenirs, so it’s heartening to find that even the ancient Romans weren’t above bringing home the occasional humorous gift. The Museum of London Archaeology … Continue reading →

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Lucifer’s Big Book

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The Codex Gigas (or Devil’s Bible) is a large 13th-century manuscript from Bohemia, one of the historical Czech lands. Renowned for its size and its striking full-page rendition of the devil (found on page 577), it contains a number of … Continue reading →

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Collecting Memories

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I’m hoping to get to see the manuscript treasures including Abraham Lincoln’s handwritten draft of the Gettysburg Address, a map from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and lyrics from The Sound of Music are among more than 120 items in the new Library … Continue reading →

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Nobody Really Likes It

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

In our ongoing effort to keep you up to date on museum offerings around the world, we present the Cyril Callister Vegemite Museum. Launched in May 2023 with much fanfare in Beaufort, Australia the Cyril Callister Vegemite Museum was created to … Continue reading →

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When in Rome

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

When I visited Rome for the first time more than four decades ago, I quite randomly chose to pop in at the Museo della Civiltà Romana to see the massive model of the ancient city. The archaeologist and architect Italo Gismondi … Continue reading →

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Philosophy Museum

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Brian D. Butler
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Emulating Books

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I look forward to visiting the upcoming Emulating Books: Book Objects from the Lynn and Bruce Heckman Gift which is an intriguing new exhibition that features a wide range of items which look like books but aren’t. Running through July … Continue reading →

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Waiting to Work

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently surprised to discover a glass enclosure about the size of a large shipping container with mummy-like figures peering out. The installation is situated in Philadelphia’s  Independence Historic National Park, at Market Street between 5th and 6th, near the … Continue reading →

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