Civil War photos megapost (95 images)
The second of today’s posts featuring old photos is a series containing 95 photos taken during the Civil War. The Civil War has become sort of an abstract event for me. It’s one of those things that I’ve read about, learned about, researched, etc. – but it doesn’t quite seem real. It’s too difficult to imagine a time when people in America owned other people, a time when a war was fought in my own country. I’ve developed a somewhat sterilized, distant notion of the Civil War. These photos,...
read moreThe American West 150 years ago (34 images)
As I’ve mentioned previously, I love old photos. For that reason, today I’m doing two posts featuring old historical photos of the United States, the first of which is a series of photos by 1800s photographer Timothy O’Sullivan. (The second post features American Civil War photos) This series features photos of the American West in the 1860s and 70s. It’s basically exactly how I pictured it in my head – vast, dusty, and beautiful. There is one especially cool photo of a Spanish inscription from 1726 carved...
read moreMesmerizing video of a jawbreaker on a lathe (1 video)
There’s no real point to posting this video, other than I expected it to be stupid and then ended up watching a decent amount of it. Basically, the guy shapes a ginormous jawbreaker into a cup by way of a lathe. It’s not worth watching for the whole 13 minutes, but it’s worth a skim. The way the colored layers are revealed is kind of...
read moreAtlas of America for the blind from 1837 (11 images)
This is one of the coolest things I’ve come across in a long time: an atlas of the United States created for the blind – in 1837. No ink was used in the making of this atlas, as the content is created by way of embossing so the blind could feel their way around. It was made for children at the New England Institute for the Education of the Blind in Boston, and is pretty awesome. It’s wild that this is from 1837, I suppose I assumed they didn’t make books for the blind back then. Let alone atlases. Perhaps some...
read moreStrained faces – faces made out of strainers (8 images)
These cool shadow faces were created by street artist Isaac Cordal out of standard-issue kitchen strainers, and they’re surprisingly detailed. They were created for a project called Cement Bleak. I would’ve never looked at a kitchen strainer and thought “I bet I could use that to make shadow faces.” But I’m glad Mr. Cordal did, because they’re a good reminder to try and look at things around you in a new and interesting light. Or in this case,...
read moreHomemade steak-knife-chainsaw. Yep. (1 video)
If there was ever a case to be made against Amazon.com, it would be that it allows this guy to buy the things he needs to make a homemade ‘chainsaw’ weapon out of steak knives and a handheld drill. I check this guy’s Youtube account from time to time, mainly to see if he’s still alive, and have to admit that there is a part of me that loves all of the homemade weapons he makes. Understand, though, that this is the same part of me that, as a 7 year old, thought I would have a chance in a street fight against Hulk...
read moreBill Murray’s bizarre plug for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2 videos)
So I came across this video tonight, a perfectly odd plug for what will undoubtedly be a perfectly odd Wes Anderson film titled Moonrise Kingdom. For those who don’t know, Bill Murray – in real life – is a weird guy. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s a weird guy. So this video is sort of what I imagine hanging out with Bill Murray would be like. It’s funny, although you can never tell if it’s meant to be. I’m sort of undecided about Wes Anderson...
read moreIllustrations of hope (10 images)
The works of art below were created by a group of artists for the Heartwork Project – a project designed to raise money for art supplies for the art room at Target House, a long-term treatment facility for children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The theme this year was Hope. This is such a heartwarming project, especially in a world where artists and designers are increasingly concerned with Facebook likes and website page-views, and sometimes they….okay….I lose sight of just how powerful art and design...
read morePeople staring directly into gale-force winds (32 images)
This series by artist and photographer Tadao Cern has been floating around the internet for a few days, but due to some recent computer issues I’m just now getting it posted. It’s a pretty hilarious concept and photo series, and perhaps the most unflattering (and probably most uncomfortable) way to have your portrait taken. Though, I sort of feel like anytime I take a picture I look as awkward as these people do, and I don’t have hurricane-force winds hitting me in the face. The series is called Blow Job, and you can check...
read moreInspiring solar eclipse photos (32 images)
There are few things as epic as solar eclipses. I rarely think about space or all that exists outside of our little planet, but eclipses always remind me that there are big things going on out there. These photos of solar eclipses are good examples of what I’m talking about. These images manage to make me feel helpless and empowered at the same time, if that’s possible. Helpless because I realize how little I’m actually able to control about the world around me, but empowered because they remind me that I live in a time...
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