The 1964 World’s Fair was a two-year event centered on peace, understanding, and apparently, pop-up books. Released in 1963, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair shows two children, Peter and Wendy, – no relation to Peter Pan or Wendy Darling – enjoying the sights of the fair, including the famed Sinclair Oil “Dinoland” and the Unisphere, a sculpture that many will remember from the film Men in Black.
Mary Pillsbury, ill. Fred Ottenheimer, Peter and Wendy See the New York World’s Fair: In Pop-Up Action Pictures (New York: Spertus Publishing Company, [1963]
One of my most valued possessions during my childhood was a globe that sat on a table next to my bed. I spent countless hours traveling around the world on that globe imagining all of the places that I would visit. To this day, I am enamored of globes and maps. I can still spend hours daydreaming about my next travels.
So, it will come as no surprise that I swooned when I ran across the handmade globes by London-based cartographer/ceramicist Loraine Rutt. Her porcelain, ceramic, and wood creations are absolutely amazing. You can see more on her website The Little Globe Co, but here are some fine examples of her work.
Awhile ago I shared a story about the imminent big move for New York City’s historic Center for Fiction from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Well, it has finally happened and the new site’s grand opening is on Tuesday February 19th. The inauguration of the new facility comes almost two centuries from the opening of the original Mercantile Library, which became the Center for Fiction in 2008.
The Center for Fiction is the only literary facility in the country devoted solely to the genre. Founded in 1820 as The New York Mercantile Library in lower Manhattan, the Center was originally a lending library for mercantile workers and grew to be one of America’s largest libraries during the 19th century. The Library moved multiple times over the years to different locations across Manhattan, with trustees building a new eight-story home for the facility at 17 East 47th Street in 1932. The Mercantile Library re-branded as The Center for Fiction in 2008 and later sold its building on East 47th Street.
Brooklyn’s new Center for Fiction supports emerging new writers, offers a large bookshop, a cafe, writers’ workshops, and much more. It’s open to the public, but members get access to reading rooms, a terrace, and writers’ studios. The Center promises to have an expanded online presence with videos, podcasts, virtual workshops, and original fiction content.
I recently spotted a fantastic new edition of Neil Gaiman’s madcap fantasy novel Anansi Boys issued by the folks at the Folio Society press. This exciting version is packed with dynamic illustrations by the American artist Francis Vallejo (see video below) and has a fascinating introduction by the Afrofuturist author Nalo Hopkinson. It’s a bit pricey, but well worth the investment for collectors and Neil Gaiman fans.
I recently stumbled upon a marvelous new book of stories and illustrations exploring magical places, spooky folklore, mysterious legends, and unexplained phenomena in Italy. The Atlas of Mysterious Places of Italy was a joint project of illustrator Francesco Bongiorni and writer Massimo Polidoro. The book, published by Bompiani, contains more than 30 terrific original illustrations and maps. If you have spent any time traveling in Italy, I have no doubt that you discovered glimpses of old mysteries just behind the surfaces.
If you have ever undertaken an overnight train trip, this freaky stop motion animated film may bring back some memories. The short animated film Madame Tutli-Putli was directed by Canadians Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczebowski.
Travel Between The Pages 