poisonesque

Army Blimps

2011-11-30T03:56:00.000-08:00

While the large airships are most often associated with Germany, the US Army had a large interest in the craft in the 1920's and 1930's. This picture shows two of the airships circling the Washington Monument. It is generally recognized that most of the real innovation in this type of aircraft was done in Germany.

Four Open Slots for Tonight's Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class!

2011-11-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

Four slots have just opened up for tonight's anthropomorphic mouse taxidermy class with Susan Jeiven class at Observatory! Full details follow; if interested in attending, please email me ASAP at morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com. Emails will be considered in the order received.

Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand
Date: TONIGHT Tuesday, November 29th
Time: 7 PM-11 PM
Admission: $60
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Anthropomorphic taxidermy–the practice of mounting and displaying taxidermied animals as if they were humans or engaged in human activities–was a popular art form during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The best known practitioner of the art form is British taxidermist Walter Potter who displayed his pieces–which included such elaborate tableaux as The Death of Cock Robin, The Kitten Wedding, and The Kitten Tea Party–in his own museum of curiosities.

Tonight, please join Morbid Anatomy and taxidermist, tattoo artist and educator Susan Jeiven for a beginners class in anthropomorphic taxidermy. All materials–including a mouse for each student–will be provided, and each class member will leave at the end of the day with their own anthropomorphic taxidermied mouse. Students are invited to bring any miniature items with which they might like to dress or decorate their new friend; some props and miniature clothing will also be provided by the teacher. A wide variety of sizes and colors of mice will be available.

No former taxidermy experience is required.

Also, some technical notes:

We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Everyone will be provided with gloves.
All animals are disease free.
Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone.
All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class. All mice used are feeder animals for snakes and lizards and would literally be discarded if not sold.
Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the class

More information can be found here. Mouse shown above was created in our last class, created by attendee Ronni Ascagni. More mice from that class can be found here.

Call for Work for 2nd Annual Morbid Anatomy Holiday Fair, December 17th and 18th

2011-11-29T04:56:00.000-08:00

This year, Morbid Anatomy will be teaming up with our sister spaces Observatory and Proteus Gowanus to host a 2-day holiday fair over the weekend of December 17th and 18th, from 12-6. If any of you local artists, craftspeople, photographers and/or makers of macabre, uncanny or unusual objects, artifacts, or curiosa out there are interested in selling work, please contact us at morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com for more details. Please note: in order to participate, must be able to man your own table for the duration of the event.

Image: Crocheted Skulls by Dewey Decimal Crafts, a featured seller at last year's fair. More of her work can be found here.

Parking Zeppelin

2011-11-29T03:59:00.000-08:00

Today's picture features the tedious task of parking the Zeppelin. I am thinking you would have to have almost completely still conditions to put the Zeppelin in the Hangar.I wonder how they managed rough weather?

Interesting conversation yesterday in the comments on whether people would enjoy Zeppelin Travel today. Sort of a new version of cruising. I know people would enjoy it, but I wonder if it could be made economically viable. Given the Zeppelins had really limited passenger space (room for maybe 100 passengers), I would bet it would be quiet expensive.

"Dissection as Studio Practice" Illustrated Lecture and Studio Art Class with Artist Laura Splan at Observatory

2011-11-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

I am super excited to be announcing the upcoming class "Dissection as Studio Practice" at Observatory on Sunday, January 8th. I met the teacher--Laura Splan--at a conference many years back now. Since then, I have been a big fan of her work, a few examples of which can be seen above, including--top to bottom-- an installation view of her current solo show Reformulations; a blood-on-watercolor composition entitled "Elaborative Encoding"; and 3 images from her "Doilies"series of 2004, a set of computer machine embroidered doilies with the design of each doily based on a different viral structure; pictured here, top to bottom: Herpes, Sars, and Influenza.

This class--open to all experience levels--will "survey the use of dissection in contemporary art practice through an illustrated lecture, discussion and collaborative art project"; it will also provide a terrific opportunity to work with an accomplished and sophisticated conceptual artist while gaining insight into process and method behind the creation of iconic and powerful works dealing with dissection and the body. I, for one, simply cannot wait!

Full description of the class follows. Class size is limited; if interested, be sure to RSVP via email to morbidanatomy[at]gmail.com. You can see more of Laura Splan's work by clicking here. Hope very much to see you there!

CLASS: Dissection as Studio Practice
Lecture and Studio Art Class with artist Laura Splan
Date: Sunday, January 8th
Time: 1-4 PM
Fee: $60
*** Class size is limited to 20; please RSVP to morbidanatomy[at]gmail.com
This class will survey the use of dissection in contemporary art practice through an illustrated lecture, discussion and collaborative art project. We will examine the conceptual and cultural significance of cutting, excavating, disassembling, labeling, observing and displaying “bodies.” The lecture will present a brief history of dissection as well as work by contemporary artists exploring imagery, tropes and methods of dissection. The collaborative project will be a fun and lively hands on exploration of the meaning of dissection in a work of art. Participants should bring an object, artifact or specimen to “dissect” for the group exercise. Additional supplies, tools and materials will be provided. No prior art training is required.

Laura Splan is a Brooklyn based visual artist. Her mixed media work explores historical and cultural ambivalence towards the human body. She was recently a Visiting Lecturer at Stanford University where she taught “Art and Biology” in the Art & Art History Department. She has been a Visiting Artist at the New York Academy of Sciences, California College of Art, San Francisco Art Institute, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Cal Arts. She curates the visual portal DomesticatedViscera.com. Images of her artwork can be found on her website: LauraSplan.com.

You can contact Laura through her website with any questions about the class by clicking here.

If you are interested in signing up for this class, please email me at morbidanatomy[at]gmail.com. To see more of Laura Splan's fantastic work, click here. This class is one of the newest installments in the series newly termed The Morbid Anatomy Artist Academy; to find out more about that--including a full class list thus far--click here.

Airship in Hangar

2011-11-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the Zeppelin parked in a hanger. The hanger appears to be on a floating barge. I was not able to determine where this picture was taken. As I have studied more about airships this week, I have been impressed with how much passenger space they had. The gondola is much bigger than it looks, and decks actually extend up into the lower portion of the airship. Hope to show more on the interior later this week.

2011-11-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Royal Anjou Bible

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

"By any definition, it is one of the supreme Bibles of the gothic period"
[Christopher de Hamel*, Cambridge]

"The House of Anjou ruled over Central and Southern Europe for two centuries. The different areas gradually became close-knit states boasting efficient institutions, lucrative trade and a flourishing cultural life. It was the era of great artists and writers like Giotto, Simone Martini, Boccaccio and Petrarch. Music was also given a new lease of life at the Neapolitan court: even under Charles of Anjou (1226-1286), investments were made in more and better musicians.

This healthy artistic climate provided scope for musical experimentation. One of the most gifted musicians at Charles’ court was undoubtedly the trouvère Adam de la Halle, who wrote the celebrated musical pastoral play Le Jeu de Robin et Marion while in service in Naples.

Charles’ successor, Robert of Anjou, was a particularly well-read and sophisticated sovereign and [a] supporter of Pope Benedict XII and patron of numerous musicians from the latter’s entourage in Avignon. [..] The numerous musical instruments and musical scenes in the Anjou Bible are a unique, artistic externalization of this heyday of music." [source]

"The 14th century Anjou Bible, was created at the court of Robert I of Anjou, King of Naples. After peregrinations in royal circles, in 1509 the book ended up on Brabantine soil. During the course of the next 500 years, this unique manuscript fell into oblivion. Until 2008. On March 10th the bible was officially recognized by the Flemish Community as 'a Masterpiece' and that year a major project was launched which involved researching and conserving the book and making it accessible to the public." [source] ::
[The manuscript now resides in the strongroom at the Maurits Sabbe Library of the Theology Faculty at K.U.Leuven]

I recommend (more than usual, let's say) seeing this magnificent parchment manuscript online via the (often tri-lingual) Anjou Bible site [direct link to a flash zoom presentation of 91 illuminated folio pages that allows you to see the details at high magnification]

The manuscript decoration work is said to have been carried out (or overseen) by Cristophorus Orimina, the leading illuminator in Naples, whose signature appears in the Anjou Bible.

'The Anjou Bible: A Royal Manuscript Revealed. Naples 1340 (Corpus of Illuminated Manuscripts)' 2010, edited by J van der Stock & L Wateeuw was released at the time of the exhibition last year.

{all the images in this post were spliced together from screencaps : the full page images - after clicking through - are at 25% magnification and the details towards the end of the post were spliced from 50% zoom captures}

Graf Zeppelin over New York

2011-11-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

Today's photograph features a scene with the Graf Zeppelin over New York City. It appears to be a little foggy, so you have to look carefully to see the Zeppelin. This video shows what a grand event it was to have the Zeppelin arrive in New York.

Zeppelin over the Tower of David

2011-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Today we feature a photograph of the German Graff Zeppelin over the Tower of David in Old Jerusalem. The picture was taken in 1931. This week we will be looking at pictures of these grand old airships.

Crockett Ward and the Blogtrotters

2011-11-25T05:25:00.000-08:00

We wrap up Folk Music week with this picture of Crockett Ward and the Blogtrotters. If I am not mistaken the man standing is Fields Ward, whom we featured on Wednesday. We present them singing "Sugar Hill" below. I could not really figure out what that song was about. Maybe one of you can decipher it.

First Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

We take a break from Folk Singer week to wish you all a happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

China Court Service

2011-11-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Scenes of Service from a small album known as 'Chinese Drawings: Court and Society', hosted by the John Rylands University Library in Manchester.

We are told that these illustrations (scanned from colour transparencies) depict 19th century Chinese society and costumes and that these (slightly cropped) illustrations are bordered by blue silk.

This collection of delicate hand-painted scenes is part of a much larger set of Chinese cultural material owned by the Rylands Library [Chinese Collection description]. About fifty of these items are hosted on the Rylands' Luna Imaging site. Some of these sketches are just exquisite.

The full Rylands Luna Imaging site hosts more than 60,000 items.
The John Rylands University Library homepage.
Previously: China ::: costumes.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

2011-11-24T05:38:00.000-08:00

Via Abduzeedo's collection of vintage Thanksgiving postcards; more here.

Concours Karrefour Queendom !

2011-11-24T03:23:00.000-08:00

Pour fêter les bientôt quatre ans du Carrefour Etrange, les 300 personnes qui aiment sa page facebook (inscrivez-vous si ce n'est déjà fait!), et pour fêter le simple fait d’avoir partagé avec autant de gens des images, des idées et des univers communs, nous vous proposons un petit jeu avec cadeau à la clé !
Et pas n’importe quel cadeau, un cadeau My Queendom For s’il vous plaît ! Car c’est la truculente, la sémillante, que dis-je l’inénarrable Katia qui est à l’origine de cette idée et qui s’associe à nous pour vous proposer un bijou unique de sa création !
Les fidèles ont déjà compris à quel point nos deux univers ont des points communs. Bondieuseries kitsch, femmes court vêtues, icônes du 7ème art, freaks, stupre et sang sont notre credo. Et avant tout, nous croyons à la générosité (en bons Bisounours que nous sommes): le blog est gratuit, les bijoux de Katia sont à des prix défiant toute concurrence, et ce concours à la participation libre et sans engagement ne vise qu’à satisfaire les gens de bon goût que vous êtes, pour pas une clopinette. Alors nous vous espérons TRES nombreux à participer.
Pour cela, rien de plus simple...

LES REGLES :

- Katia a choisi une image postée sur le Carrefour à partir de laquelle elle a confectionné son bijou, vous avez simplement à trouver laquelle ! Simple non ?

- Cette image a été postée sur le Carrefour Etrange entre le 31 juillet 2011 (date de fin du concours précédent) et le 9 novembre 2011

- Chaque participant a le droit de proposer 1 image, et une seule. Si jamais personne ne trouve la bonne image au bout d’un certain temps, vous aurez le droit d’en proposer une autre. Nous vous tiendrons au courant !

- Soyez précis en indiquant la photo que vous pensez être la bonne : donnez le titre du post, sa date et une description de la photo (ex : la 3ème du post, celle avec le nain à 4 mains, celle avec la pin-up aux bas bleus etc.) afin qu’il n’y ait aucun débat.

- La date de fin du concours est la suivante : le 15 décembre 2011.

- Au terme de ce délai, si plusieurs personnes ont trouvé la bonne image, le vainqueur (la personne la plus rapide à avoir trouvé l’image) remportera le superbe bijou, les 2 suivants remporteront des badges uniques et peut-être quelque chose en plus, si vous êtes gentils !

- Pour envoyer vos réponses, deux solutions :
Les commentaires de ce post (et uniquement CE post) ou sur la page facebook du Carrefour Etrange, en commentaire de la photo du dossier Concours Karrefour Queendom. (logo de Katia)

Allez, tous à vos souris, ça vous rappellera les chasses au trésor dans la cour de récré !
Pour ceux qui ne la connaitraient pas encore (comment est-ce possible ?), voici un aperçu de ce que la Queen Katia est capable de faire avec ses doigts agiles. Wondeurfoule, isn’t it ? Alors imaginez en collaboration avec le Carrefour comme ça fait des étincelles… Parce que nous, le bijou-mystère, on l’a vu, et il en met plein les mirettes !

(précisons que ce dernier bijou a été réalisé à partir d'une image du Carrefour par Katia il y a quelques mois mais qu'il ne s'agit bien sûr pas de l'image a trouver...)

Bonne chance à tous !

Fields Ward

2011-11-23T03:48:00.000-08:00

Today we feature another folk singer from the 1930's . . . Fields Ward. I had not heard of him before, but did find his music interesting. Below you can listen to Fields Ward and the Grayson County Railsplitters singing Way Down in North Carolina.

Grand Guignol Spectacular: Tickets Now Available, Fundrasing Drive, and Film of Final Performance!

2011-11-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

Above is a narrated scene from the final performance--circa 1962--of the Grand Guignol, a Parisian theatre infamous from its opening in 1897 until it final performance in 1962 for naturalistic theatrical productions merging horror and elegance, sex and death, fear and humor.

To celebrate my 40th birthday this year, my friend John Del Gaudio and I are putting together a Grand Guignol-inspired variety show that will take place at The Coney Island Museum in Brooklyn this December 10th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $25 and include not only a night of horror variety theatre, but also a masquerade after party and complementary Hendricks Gin Cocktails prepared by Friese Undine.

The evening was developed in conversation with UC Berkeley's Mel Gordon, author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror and will feature a newly commissioned set by NYU’s Chris Muller, stagings of classic Grand Guignol plays, a toy theater version of Bryusov’s “The Sisters,” short films, song and dance, WWI 3D glass plate projection with theremin accompaniment, and more.

We are in the process of trying to raise funds with which to pay all participators a modest stipend and expenses. If you are interested in contributing to this campaign--and/or in finding out more about the evening, including the full lineup thus far--click here. Donations of $100 or more earn contributers a free ticket to the festivities, while donations of lesser amounts earn you a listing in the program; donations of any amount will earn our deepest and heartfelt gratitude!

Whether you are able to contribute or not, I would love to see you at the event! Tickets for the event have just gone on sale, so if you are interested in attending, please click here to purchase.

Thanks so much, and hope to ring in a new decade with you at Coney Island!

Stavin' Chain

2011-11-22T03:50:00.000-08:00

Today we feature another folk Singer . . . Stavin' Chain. The recording of him is another of Lomax's prison recordings. This one was done at the Ramsey State Farm near Otey, Texas in 1939.

William Cheselden Giving an Anatomical Demonstration to Six Spectators in the Anatomy-theatre of the Barber-Surgeons' Company, London, Circa 1730/1740

2011-11-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

In Cheselden’s time, surgeons trained through an apprenticeship during which, they would attend private anatomy lessons. Before the Anatomy Act of 1832, the only legal supply of bodies for anatomical purposes where those of criminals condemned by the courts. The Barber-Surgeons’ Company kept scrupulous control over the use of bodies dissected in their hall, with the macabre ritual of often later displaying the dissected bodies of executed criminals in niches around the walls. Cheselden himself was fined by the Company in 1714 for carrying out dissections without permission, which drew away audience members from regular lectures at the Company. With students having little opportunity to take part in dissections themselves, teachers would rely on models or anatomical preparations for class...

Image and text from The Wellcome Collection blog; you can learn more about this fabulous painting--and read the text in its entirety--by clicking here.

Full image credit: William Cheselden giving an anatomical demonstration to six spectators in the anatomy-theatre of the Barber-Surgeons' Company, London. Oil painting, ca. 1730/1740. Wellcome Images.

Blake Illuminations

2011-11-21T03:40:00.000-08:00

Example pages from William Blake's:

Songs of Innocence
Songs of Experience
The Book of Thel
Visions of the Daughters of Albion

"If a method of Printing which combines the Painter and the Poet is a phenomenon worthy of public attention, provided that it exceeds in elegance all former methods, the Author is sure of his reward." WB 1793

"The great advance in Blake's printmaking occurred in 1787, following the untimely death, probably from tuberculosis, of the artist's beloved younger brother Robert [..]. Blake reported discovering his wholly original method of "relief etching" — which creates a single, raised printing surface for both text and image — in a vision of Robert soon after his death.

Relief etching allowed Blake to control all aspects of a book's production: he composed the verses, designed the illustrations (preparing word and image almost simultaneously on the same copper printing plate), printed the plates, colored each sheet by hand (where necessary), and bound the pages together in covers. The resulting "illuminated books" were written in a range of forms — prophecies, emblems, pastoral verses, biblical satire, and children's books — and addressed various timely subjects — poverty, child exploitation, racial inequality, tyranny, religious hypocrisy." [source] [Also see: Illuminated Printing]

"William Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757 [d. 1827], to James, a hosier, and Catherine Blake. Two of his six siblings died in infancy. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions—at four he saw God "put his head to the window"; around age nine, while walking through the countryside, he saw a tree filled with angels.

Although his parents tried to discourage him from "lying", they did observe that he was different from his peers and did not force him to attend conventional school. He learned to read and write at home. At age ten, Blake expressed a wish to become a painter, so his parents sent him to drawing school. Two years later, Blake began writing poetry. When he turned fourteen, he apprenticed with an engraver because art school proved too costly. One of Blake's assignments as apprentice was to sketch the tombs at Westminster Abbey, exposing him to a variety of Gothic styles from which he would draw inspiration throughout his career. After his seven-year term ended, he studied briefly at the Royal Academy." [continued]

The William Blake images seen above were sourced from the Houghton Library at Harvard University: Songs of Innocence and Experience :::: The Book of Thel :::: Visions of the Daughters of Albion.
Via Houghton Library blog and John Overholt.
The William Blake Archive.
The Blake Society.
Wikipedia :: Amazon.

Alan Lomax

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Folk Singer week continues with this picture of Alan Lomax. We feature him not so much for what he sang, but what he did. From the 1930's through the 1940's Alan went across the country and recorded "real" folk music from real people. One of the more interesting aspects of his project was his recordings of prison Chain Gangs and other prison work crews. The prisoners would sing to make the work easier, and the tools they used became percussion for their music. As an example of one of his Chain Gang recordings, we present Po' Lasrus below.

Interestingly, this authentic Chain Gang recording was used in the opening scene of the hit movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Even more interesting, they were actually able to track down the main guy singing on the recording, and he got a completely unexpected, and very generous check for the use of his voice.

Pete Seeger

2011-11-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

Today we feature a picture of Folk Singer Pete Seger. Pete is pictured on his way into Federal Court.

As someone mentioned in the comments yesterday, it turns out that many of these early Folk Singers were communist, or at least communist leaning in their politics. But despite the politics, these guys came out with some great music. For your enjoyment we present some classic Pete Seeger below.

Woody Guthrie

2011-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

We kick off Folk Singer week with this picture of American Legend Woody Guthrie. This week we will be looking at some of the old time musicians. I want to look at the era before music became so commercialized and "plastic".

So, for all you Woody Guthrie fans we share this recording. Enjoy!

Artists in Action #641

2011-11-19T02:25:00.000-08:00

Sandy Denny circa 1966.

Prospecting in Pinos Altos

2011-11-18T03:55:00.000-08:00

We wrap up Old Prospector week with this photo from 1940. The picture shows a prospector working his Rocker Box near Pinos Altos New Mexico. I hope you have enjoyed the pictures this week as much as I have . . . now to decide on a theme for next week!

Prospector

2011-11-17T03:53:00.000-08:00

Today's picture was taken in 1903. It shows an old prospector in Wyoming, working in the area of Yellowstone. I love the hat . . .the turned up front bill really gives the guy a sense of credibility. I will admit though, I never really understood the "fold the front of the hat upwards" hat style.

PIke's Peak Prospector

2011-11-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite photo so far this week. It was taken around 1900, and it shows an old prospector and his cabin. He is working in the Pike's Peak area of Colorado. I like love the old stove, but wonder why it is not INSIDE the cabin. You also have to wonder what is in the little black jug.

Panning for Gold

2011-11-15T03:48:00.000-08:00

Today we feature another old photograph of prospectors. This picture was taken in 1940 near Pinos Altos in New Mexico. I wonder if this was a hobby, or how they made their living.

Anthropomorphic Taxidermy Classes! Powerpoint Film! The Occult in Art! Upcoming Events at Observatory

2011-11-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Anthropomorphic taxidermy! Powerpoint films! The occult in art! Hope to see you at one or more of these great upcoming events at Observatory.

Also, please note: although the next two mouse taxidermy classes are now sold out, there are newly scheduled classes taking place on Tuesdays January 10, January 24, February 14 (special Valentine's Day edition!) and February 21. There is also a very special Holiday-themed Anthropomorphic Chick Taxidermy Class on the first night of Hanukkah, December 20 (click here for more). If interested, please send number of party and first and second date choice to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com. Please note: these classes tend to sell out VERY quickly, sp email me as soon as possible!

Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand
Date: Tuesday, November 15th
Time: 7 PM-11 PM
Admission: $60
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
*** SOLD OUT
Anthropomorphic taxidermy–the practice of mounting and displaying taxidermied animals as if they were humans or engaged in human activities–was a popular art form during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The best known practitioner of the art form is British taxidermist Walter Potter who displayed his pieces–which included such elaborate tableaux as The Death of Cock Robin, The Kitten Wedding, and The Kitten Tea Party–in his own museum of curiosities.

On Tuesday November 15th, please join Morbid Anatomy and taxidermist, tattoo artist and educator Susan Jeiven for a beginners class in anthropomorphic taxidermy. All materials–including a mouse for each student–will be provided, and each class member will leave at the end of the day with their own anthropomorphic taxidermied mouse. Students are invited to bring any miniature items with which they might like to dress or decorate their new friend; some props and miniature clothing will also be provided by the teacher. A wide variety of sizes and colors of mice will be available.

No former taxidermy experience is required.

Also, some technical notes:

We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Everyone will be provided with gloves.
All animals are disease free.
Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone.
All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class. All mice used are feeder animals for snakes and lizards and would literally be discarded if not sold.
Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the clas

You can contact Sue with any more questions by clicking here.

The Occult in Modern Art 101
An illustrated lecture by Pam Grossman
Date: Friday, November 18th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8
Presented by: Phantasmaphile
Though few history books make mention of it, many of our most lauded artists — Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Duchamp, to name but a few — were deeply influenced by the occult. The imagery and tenets of arcane traditions including alchemy, Spiritualism, Theosophy, and shamanism have infused the work of artists through the ages. Beginning with the Symbolists, then spiraling through such periods as Cubism, Dada, Surrealism (with its wonderfully witchy women), Abstract Expressionism, and the visionary art of today, this evening’s lecture will be a visual primer on the existence of magic in our museums and galleries.

Pam Grossman is an independent curator and lifelong student of magical practice and history. She is the creator of Phantasmaphile, a blog which specializes in art and culture with an esoteric or fantastical bent. Her group art shows, Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, VISION QUEST, and Alchemically Yours have been featured by such outlets as Boing Boing, CREATIVE TIME, Time Out New York, Juxtapoz, Arthur, 20×200, UrbanOutfitters.com, and Neil Gaiman’s Twitter. She is a co-founder of Observatory, where her programming aims to explore mysticism via a scholarly yet accessible approach. By day, she is the Creative Planning Manager for Getty Images North America.
Image: Leonora Carrington "La maja del tarot" 1965

“No Computer Is An Island” : PowerPoint Film with Live Musical Accompaniment
Film by James Bell and music by Paul Deuth (a.k.a. Meteorologeist)
Runtime approx 1 hr.
Date: Saturday, November 19th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

“No Computer Is An Island” is a silent movie animated entirely in PowerPoint and accompanied by electronic music, mixed live during the presentation. Utilizing inventive music and limited animation presets, a depressing world of office life, shallow relationships and adult responsibility is presented in 256 colors. The presentation follows a day in the life of one workflow shape, appropriately named Bubbles, as he goes about the business of being a detached thought bubble. Other workflow characters overlap and interrupt his story, creating images that exploit the constraints of PowerPoint as an animation tool by using the conventions of silent film. “No Computer Is An Island” engages the timeless need for narrative, inviting the viewer to create meaning slide by slide.

James E. P. Bell regularly makes PowerPoint presentations in an office building in midtown Manhattan. A founding member of the interactive performance group PowerPoint, James has explored the aesthetic potential of MicroSoft Office applications in productions such as “Introduction to Change Management” (1999), “Violence in the Workplace” (2003), and now “No Computer Is An Island” (2010).

Paul Deuth is an electronic musician/composer/producer (A.K.A. Meteorologeist) and director of photography. With an extensive career in television, Paul most enjoys expressing himself in multi-media artistic ventures including projects with PowerPoint, Fire and Ice, Hold Please, and the Prospects. You can experience some of Paul’s music at http://www.myspace.com/meteorologeist

Onwards and Upwards:

Tuesday, November 29: Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand. 7-11pm/$60 *** SOLD OUT

Monday, December 5: Photographing the Dead: The History of Postmortem Photography from The Burns Collection and Archive: Illustrated Lecture and book signing with Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS 8pm/$5

Saturday, December 10: Grand Guignol Variety Show at The Coney Island Museum: Featuring classic Grand Guignol performances, antique 3D stereoscopic slides, puppet and toy theatre, song, dance, film and more, followed by after-party with cocktails courtesy of Hendrick’s Gin; support this project on IndieGoGo by clicking here 8pm/$25

Tuesday, December 13: The Missing Dimension: A Cultural History of 3D Images - Anaglyphs, Stereographs, View-Masters, Holograms, and Flaming Arrows Coming Right at You!: Illustrated lecture on and in 3D (glasses provided) by artist and NYU Professor Chris Muller 8pm/$5

Saturday, December 17: “Oddities” Marathon and Season Launch Party: Screening of TV’s “Oddities” followed by after party with MC Lord Whimsy, giveaways, special drinks, and DJ 8pm/$8
Tuesday, December 20: Anthropomorphic Chick Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Limited class size; must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com 7-11pm/$60
Sunday, January 8: CLASS: Dissection as Studio Practice: Lecture and Studio Art Class with artist Laura Splan *** Class size is limited; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy[at]gmail.com 1-4pm/$60
Thursday, January 26: The Search for Granny-Dump Mountain: Illustrated lecture by Journalist Justin Nobel 8pm/$5

Sunday, January 29: Class: Mummification: Learn the art and ritual of animal mummification with instructor Sorceress Cagliastro *** Limited Class Size; Please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com 1-4pm/$65
Thursday, February 2: PERFORMANCE: Buried Alive! A Matchbox Theatre: A matchbox theatre performance by Deborah Kaufmann 8pm/$12

Friday, February 3: PERFORMANCE: Buried Alive! A Matchbox Theatre: A matchbox theatre performance by Deborah Kaufmann 8pm/$12

More on Observatory can be found here. To sign up for events on Facebook, join our group by clicking here. To sign up for our weekly mailer, click here.

The Danse Macabre Collection

2011-11-14T06:29:00.000-08:00

Title: Der Tod von Basel : acht Holzschnitte von Rudolf Schiestl zu dem alten Volksliede [LINK]
Author: Rudolf Schiestl, 1924

Title: Ein moderner Totentanz : dreiundzwanzig Blätter aus dem Bilderbuch des Todes [LINK]
Author: Tobias Weiss, 1913

Title: La Danse des Morts à Bâle [LINK]
Illustrator: (after) Hans Holbein, 1846

Title: The dance of death on the Muhlenbruke at Lucerne [LINK]
Author: Caspar Meglinger, 1893

Title: Ein Totentanz [LINK]
Authors: Walter Draesner & Max von Boehn, 1922

Title: Bilder des Todes oder Todtentanz für alle Stände [LINK]
Illustrator / Author: Johann Gottfried Flegel / Carl Merkel, 1850

Title: Auch ein Todtentanz [LINK]
Author: Alfred Rethel & Robert Reinick, 1902

Title: Daud un Düwel [LINK]
Author / Illustrator: Karl Wagenfeld / August Heumann, 1919

Title: Schau-Platz des Todes oder Todten-Tanz in Kupffern und Versen vorgestellet [LINK]
Author: Salomon van Rusting, 1736

The Heinrich Hein University of Düsseldorf recently uploaded the Graphiksammlung „Mensch und Tod“ (Danse Macabre Collection). There are more than ninety books available, many of them from the later (lesser known) Totentanz / Death's Dance period. The complete books are available for all but one or two of the entries.

Previous related entries (the first 3 in particular have a lot of background and links about the Death's Dance genre):
Heidelberger Totentanz ::: Death's Dance ::: Totentanz Blockbook ::: Ars Moriendi ::: Los Calaveras de Posada ::: The Day of The Dead - Papercuts ::: The Antikamnia Chemical Company ::: Speculum Musico-Mortuale.

UPDATE: See the Wurzeltod post: A Mid-November's Dance of Death in which the inimitable Suzanne puts some personal flesh on the bones of 'Bilder des Todes oder Todtentanz für alle Stände' by Carl Merkel & Johann Gottfried Flegel.

Prospecting in the Sierra Nevadas

2011-11-14T03:51:00.000-08:00

Today's picture shows a prospector in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The picture was taken in 1866. The man is using a Rocker Box to help in the prospecting. Perhaps some of our Gold Bugs on the site can better explain what a Rocker Box does. I do not completely understand what a white picket fence is doing in the background.

Prospecting for Gold

2011-11-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Today's picture was taken ni 1889 and it shows some Old Timers mining for gold. The picture was taken near Rockerville in the Dakota Territory. The men are Placer Mining using a Sluice. Placer mining is a technique where you are looking for gold in loose dirt or other sediment.

Prospecting is still a major hobby in the US although you do not hear it talked about much. When I was in New Mexico I had a number of friends who were avid prospectors in their spare time. I will have to tell you that it is a little bit of a sickness. Yes, they would find nuggets, but the value of the nuggets would never come close to the cost of the equipment, gasoline, supplies and so forth used in their expeditions. They would love to come to work though, and show their exciting finds from the weekends. They always had that dream, though, of finding the big one, and the dream kept them going.

Modern Rejection

2011-11-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

'Le Petit Journal des Refusées' (The Little Journal of Rejections) by Gelett Burgess was a fun, modernist magazine published in San Francisco in 1896 on butterfly-shaped wallpaper by James Marrion. Only one edition was ever released.

"The cover of Le Petit Journal des Refusées advertises that it will be published quarterly, but the magazine appeared only once. That issue came out in the summer of 1896 in San Francisco, California, a city that was not “attracting the same attention as that of other cosmopolitan centers”, but had a lively Bohemian scene. Le Petit Journal was the creation of Gelett Burgess. The other contributors, if there were any, are unknown.

Le Petit Journal is sixteen pages long, intricately illustrated by hand, printed on wallpaper cut into trapezoids, “and full of parodic references”. The small volume claims to print only “productions that have been ruthlessly rejected” at least three times “by less large-hearted and appreciative editors”. All of the pieces in Le Petit Journal are attributed to women whose names, such as Alice Rainbird and Lulu Lamb, signal to the reader that they are fictitious.

While the mysterious and short-lived journal is very humorous, it is also seriously well-informed of the trends of American and British magazines. Gelett seems to be poking fun at the quick rise of magazines because of the breadth and specificity of the magazines (real and invented) he names as having refused the “exceptional merit” of “female authoresses”. There is a magazine for everything, Gelett illustrates, yet there is not a place for these refused works. Until, of course, with playful absurdity, Gelett creates one.

Le Petit Journal des Refusees had a very small circulation that did not extend past San Francisco, but it is “important as a precursor of the more ambitious little magazines, offering hints of Dada and Surrealism before these modes of modernism existed” (Scholes)".
[Compiled by Zoe Balaconis for Little Magazines & Modernism. {nb. slightly edited for clarity}]

'Le Petit Journal des Refusées' - :: A “reductio ad absurdam” [sic] literary journal in which works “ruthlessly rejected by less large-hearted and appreciative editors than [James Marrion, 2nd] are permitted to witness the light of day for the first and last time.” :: is online at Harvard University's Houghton Library. In fact, they have a second printing also which is worth seeing for comparison [via & via]
A couple of pages of an essay - 'Le Petit Journal des Refusées: A Graphical Reading' by Johanna Drucker, 2010 - can be accessed here for free (the full article is available for subscribers/purchasers).
Ms Drucker released a facsimile version of 'Le Petit Journal des Refusées' (with an Afterword) in 2007 through Rice University Press. See: Druckweb ::: also.
A joint Brown U & U Tulsa Modernist Journals Project - another (so-so quality) digital copy of 'Le Petit Journal' can be accessed here.

Before the Age of Multiplexes #23

2011-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Art Theatre, Redondo Beach, CA, 1920.

Old Prospector

2011-11-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

It is a been a while since we have visited the men of the rugged outdoors, so I think it is time we have an Old Prospectors week. We start with this photograph from Idaho. The picture was taken in 1889. The prospector is Archie Smith, and he is prospecting near Eagle Creek. If you click on the picture you can see details of his camp much better.

Decadent Paris Weekend (with Complementary Absinthe!): Morbid Anatomy Presents at Observatory Tonight and Tomorrow Night!

2011-11-11T05:10:00.001-08:00

This weekend, you are cordially invited to join Morbid Anatomy at Observatory for a "Decadent Paris Weekend" comprised of two amazing lectures devoted to cornerstones of fin de siècle Paris--Grand Guignol horror theatre and diabolical liquors--augmented by complimentary absinthe (!!!) provided by our weekend's sponsor La Fée Absinthe.

Night one--Friday November 11th--of our weekend will feature one of my alltime favorite rogue scholars and public speakers, Mel Gordon, delivering an illustrated lecture on The Grand Guignol: Parisian Theatre of Fear and Terror 1897-1962. Copies of his out-of-print and groundbreaking book by the same name will be on hand, substantially discounted and available for signing.

Night two-Friday November 12th--will bring many time Observatory lecturer (1, 2, 3) and Midnight Archive creator Ronni Thomas back to Observatory for an ode to "Absinthe and Other Liquors of Fin de Siècle Paris" in the form of an illustrated lecture, a screening, and a liquor tasting.

You wil find full information below for both events, followed by a list of newly announced events including a lecture on postmortem photography by Stanley Burns, the man who literally wrote the book on the topic; a class by the amazing Laura Splan on Dissection as Studio Practice; a lecture on the cultural history of 3D images in full 3D (glasses provided!); and an Oddities season launch party and viewing marathon MCed by the ever charming Lord Whimsy.

Hope to see you at some or all of these fantastic events!

The Grand Guignol: Parisian Theatre of Fear and Terror 1897-1962
Illustrated lecture/booksigning with author and scholar Mel Gordon
Date: Friday, November 11th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise
***Signed copies of Gordon's long out-of-print Grand Guiginol will be available for sale at $30 (copies generally go for $60-150)

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 1 (For Decadent Paris Event #2, Click here)

Hidden among the decadence and sleaze of Pigalle with its roughnecks and whores, in the shadows of a quiet, cobbled alleyway, stands a little theatre... --"Grand Guignol: The French Theatre or Horror," Hand and Wilson

From its beginnings in turn-of-the-century Paris and through its decline in the 1960s, the Theatre of the Grand Guignol--literally "grand puppet show"--gleefully celebrated horror, sex, and fear. Its infamous productions featured innocent victims, mangled beauty, insanity, mutilation, humour, sex, and monstrous depravity in a heady mix that attracted throngs of thrill-seekers from all echelons of society. By dissecting primal taboos in an unprecedentedly graphic manner, the Grand Guignol became the progenitor of all the blood-spilling, eye-gouging, and limb-hacking "splatter" movies of today.

Tonight, join Professor Mel Gordon--author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror--to learn about the largely forgotten history of the Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in this heavily-illustrated and highly engaging lecture.

Mel Gordon is the author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror, Voluptious Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin, and many other books. Voluptuous Panic was the first in-depth and illustrated book on the topic of erotic Weimar; The lavish tome was praised by academics and inspired the establishment of eight neo-Weimar nightclubs as well as the Dresden Dolls and a Marilyn Manson album. Now, Mel Gordon is completing a companion volume for Feral House Press, entitled Horizontal Collaboration: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946. He also teaches directing, acting, and history of theater at University of California at Berkeley.
Image: Grand Guignol Poster, from the collection of Mel Gordon
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Absinthe and Other Liquors of Fin de Siècle Paris: Lecture and Tasting
Illustrated lecture and liquor tasting with film maker Ronni Thomas
Date: Saturday, November 12th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 2 (For Decadent Paris Event #1, Click here)

On Saturday November 12th, join Ronni Thomas and Observatory for an exploration of the exotic and often diabolic liquids of France's antiquity featuring absinthe, a liquor known in fin de siècle Paris as "the green fairy" for its bewitching allure and poetically transporting nature. Among history's most infamous and romanticized liquors, absinthe became a symbol of decadence and was drink of choice of such bohemian luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Jarry, Édouard Manet, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. By 1915, it was widely banned after having been publicly tied to sensational stories of madness, murder and degeneracy; recently re-legalized, it has developed a passionate contemporary fan base.

Tonight, absinthe devotee Ronni Thomas will deliver an illustrated lecture on the history of absinthe and other great elixirs of fin de siècle Paris--such as green chartreuse, armagnac, and ricard--complete with artwork and video excerpts; he will also screen his own contribution to the absinthe mythos: a promotional video he produced for contemporary absinthe maker Le Tourment Vert. Liquor samples for tasting will also be available throughout the evening, including complimentary absinthe from our sponsor La Fée. There will also a Francophile music-filled after party. It will be a night straight out of Brassaï's Paris right in the heart of Brooklyn.

Ronni Thomas filmmaker and creator of The Midnight Archive web series is an avid drinker who appreciates both the history of antique spirits and the effects they have on his self esteem. Incidentally, his favorite absinthe is tonight's sponsor La Fée.
Image: "La Muse Verte" (The Green Muse), Albert Maignan, 1895

More on Observatory can be found here. To sign up for events on Facebook, join our group by clicking here. To sign up for our weekly mailer, click here.

Decadent Paris Weekend (with Complementary Absinthe!): Tonight and Tomorrow Night!

2011-11-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend, you are cordially invited to join Morbid Anatomy at Observatory for a "Decadent Paris Weekend" comprised of two amazing lectures devoted to cornerstones of fin de siècle Paris--Grand Guignol horror theatre and diabolical liquors--augmented by complimentary absinthe (!!!) provided by our weekend's sponsor La Fée Absinthe.

Night one--Tonight, Friday November 11th--of our weekend will feature one of my alltime favorite rogue scholars and public speakers, Mel Gordon, delivering an illustrated lecture on The Grand Guignol: Parisian Theatre of Fear and Terror 1897-1962. Copies of his out-of-print and groundbreaking book by the same name will be on hand, substantially discounted and available for signing.

Night two-Tomorrow night, Friday November 12th--will bring many time Observatory lecturer (1, 2, 3) and Midnight Archive creator Ronni Thomas back to Observatory for an ode to "Absinthe and Other Liquors of Fin de Siècle Paris" in the form of an illustrated lecture, a screening, and a liquor tasting.

You wil find full information below for both events; Hope to see you there!

The Grand Guignol: Parisian Theatre of Fear and Terror 1897-1962
Illustrated lecture/booksigning with author and scholar Mel Gordon
Date: Friday, November 11th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise
***Signed copies of Gordon's long out-of-print Grand Guiginol will be available for sale at $30 (copies generally go for $60-150)

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 1 (For Decadent Paris Event #2, Click here)

Hidden among the decadence and sleaze of Pigalle with its roughnecks and whores, in the shadows of a quiet, cobbled alleyway, stands a little theatre... --"Grand Guignol: The French Theatre or Horror," Hand and Wilson

From its beginnings in turn-of-the-century Paris and through its decline in the 1960s, the Theatre of the Grand Guignol--literally "grand puppet show"--gleefully celebrated horror, sex, and fear. Its infamous productions featured innocent victims, mangled beauty, insanity, mutilation, humour, sex, and monstrous depravity in a heady mix that attracted throngs of thrill-seekers from all echelons of society. By dissecting primal taboos in an unprecedentedly graphic manner, the Grand Guignol became the progenitor of all the blood-spilling, eye-gouging, and limb-hacking "splatter" movies of today.

Tonight, join Professor Mel Gordon--author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror--to learn about the largely forgotten history of the Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in this heavily-illustrated and highly engaging lecture.

Mel Gordon is the author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror, Voluptious Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin, and many other books. Voluptuous Panic was the first in-depth and illustrated book on the topic of erotic Weimar; The lavish tome was praised by academics and inspired the establishment of eight neo-Weimar nightclubs as well as the Dresden Dolls and a Marilyn Manson album. Now, Mel Gordon is completing a companion volume for Feral House Press, entitled Horizontal Collaboration: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946. He also teaches directing, acting, and history of theater at University of California at Berkeley.
Image: Grand Guignol Poster, from the collection of Mel Gordon
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Absinthe and Other Liquors of Fin de Siècle Paris: Lecture and Tasting
Illustrated lecture and liquor tasting with film maker Ronni Thomas
Date: Saturday, November 12th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 2 (For Decadent Paris Event #1, Click here)

On Saturday November 12th, join Ronni Thomas and Observatory for an exploration of the exotic and often diabolic liquids of France's antiquity featuring absinthe, a liquor known in fin de siècle Paris as "the green fairy" for its bewitching allure and poetically transporting nature. Among history's most infamous and romanticized liquors, absinthe became a symbol of decadence and was drink of choice of such bohemian luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Jarry, Édouard Manet, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. By 1915, it was widely banned after having been publicly tied to sensational stories of madness, murder and degeneracy; recently re-legalized, it has developed a passionate contemporary fan base.

Tonight, absinthe devotee Ronni Thomas will deliver an illustrated lecture on the history of absinthe and other great elixirs of fin de siècle Paris--such as green chartreuse, armagnac, and ricard--complete with artwork and video excerpts; he will also screen his own contribution to the absinthe mythos: a promotional video he produced for contemporary absinthe maker Le Tourment Vert. Liquor samples for tasting will also be available throughout the evening, including complimentary absinthe from our sponsor La Fée. There will also a Francophile music-filled after party. It will be a night straight out of Brassaï's Paris right in the heart of Brooklyn.

Ronni Thomas filmmaker and creator of The Midnight Archive web series is an avid drinker who appreciates both the history of antique spirits and the effects they have on his self esteem. Incidentally, his favorite absinthe is tonight's sponsor La Fée.
Image: "La Muse Verte" (The Green Muse), Albert Maignan, 1895

More on Observatory can be found here. To sign up for events on Facebook, join our group by clicking here. To sign up for our weekly mailer, click here.

Biplane

2011-11-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

Today's picture was taken in about 1935, and it shows a very early form of commercial air travel. The plane is actually a twin engine biplane with closed passenger compartment. I had never seen one like this before. The picture was taken at an airport in Israel.

Peking Embassy

2011-11-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

The German 1666 title page (after the Dutch original) was rendered into English a couple of years later as:

'An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China: delivered by their excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously described by John Nieuhoff; also an epistle of Father John Adams, their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation; with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher; Englished and set forth with their several sculptures by John Ogilby'

Macau

Ceremonial barge or long-boat

Street scene in Nanking

Tianjin* (city in N China)

A pair of views of the Imperial Palace in Peking with bilingual legends

Canton town and harbour, including the palace of the Viceroy

Pagoda near the Chinese city of Sinkicien

The Porcelain Tower or Pagoda of Nanjing, otherwise known as the Temple of Gratitude

"It was a pagoda constructed in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty, but was mostly destroyed in the 19th century during the course of the Taiping Rebellion.

In 2010 Wang Jianlin, a Chinese businessman, donated one billion yuan (US$156.3 million) to the city of Nanjing for its reconstruction of the pagoda. This is reported to be the largest single personal donation ever made in China."

Chinese peasants near a traditional farmhouse

Untitled

Mongol ambassadors stand in front of an encampment [alternative]

Hunter or warrior men from Tartary*, Mongolia

Chinese priests and monks

Tiger, musk deer and other animals and birds

The first edition of this important book by Johan Nieuhof was published in Dutch in [?]1662 and translated into the major European languages within a couple of years. It was one of the few non-Jesuit sources on China from this period and was famous for its wealth of engravings.

The book was translated into English by the great Scottish mapmaker and publisher, John Ogilby, in 1669, and included excerpts from Athanasius Kircher's 'China Illustrata' (1667) and illustrations (at least some) by Wenceslaus Hollar, based on the originals from the Dutch text.

Nieuhof (1618-1672) [previously] was a Dutch diplomat and traveller who wrote about his journeys to Brazil, China and India. The most famous of these was a trip of 2,400 km from Canton to Peking in 1655-1657, which enabled him to become an authoritative Western writer on China. After an adventurous career in the service of the Dutch East India Company (or VOC) in Sri Lankan and Indian posts, Nieuhof lived in Batavia until 1670. In 1672 he disappeared without trace in Madagascar while travelling in a sloop from which he had landed to seek drinking water.

The images above were sourced from a newly digitised book posted by the University of Heidelberg, 'Die Gesantschaft der Ost-Indischen Geselschaft in den Vereinigten Niederländern an den Tartarischen Cham und nunmehr auch Sinischen Keiser' (1666; published by Jacob van Moeurs) :: {click anything below 'Inhalt' and then 'Vorschau' for thumbs}
The image below, engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, comes from the English edition of Nieuhof's book, online at the Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture at the University of Wisconsin (arguably, these are better quality engravings and also better quality digital files - note the gallery view link in the sidebar).
[W]: Johan Nieuhof, John Ogilby.
Previously: Connecting with China [& China]; Voyage to Exotica.
Follow along on Twitter, if you are so inclined.

Canton

Passengers

2011-11-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

Today's picture was taken in 1938 at the airport in Washington DC. The picture shows a group of passengers in front of an airplane. As people have noted earlier this week . . . look how nicely all the people are dressed. I don't understand how we have gotten to the point that so many people want to look "thuggy". When did it become desirable to look like a thug? I believe we sort of act like we dress . . . when we dress nice, we act nice. When we dress like thugs, we . . .

Paris Flash n°3

2011-11-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

Je pensais avoir déjà fait des posts sur cette revue qui m'est chère, Paris Flash, mais visiblement non. Alors je répare illico cet oubli. Des photos superbes et des dessins terribles comme un très beau Hodges... Bref un régal pour les yeux...

Stewardesses

2011-11-09T03:50:00.000-08:00

Today we feature another photograph from the grand old days of Air Travel. These were back in the days when Flight Attendants were still polite. Yes, Flight Attendants have gotten progressively grumpier over the last 20 years, but in fairness, I think it is probably because the travelling public has gotten a lot more impolite, and finally we have gotten to the point where everyone on the airplane is in a foul mood. Mrs. PJM works at the Rental Car counter at the airport. She has some pretty amazing stories about the terrible manners of the traveling public today. The first response everyone has to anything they do not like is to launch into a cussing fit. Ah for the old days when we lived in a polite society.

Morbid Anatomy Library Open Hours This Weekend, 12:30-6

2011-11-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend--Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th--the Morbid Anatomy Library--pictured above--will have open hours from 12:30 until 6 PM. So feel free to drop in for a perusal of the stacks and to meet our latest addition.

For more about the Morbid Anatomy Library and for directions and other such information, click here.

Photo of The Library by Shannon Taggart

Flying Veterans

2011-11-08T04:14:00.000-08:00

Today's picture was taken in 1938, which would have been the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. The picture was taken in Pennsylvania. They are flying some Battle of Gettysburg veterans over the battlefield for the 75th anniversary of the battle. The battle was in 1863, so you could imagine someone born in 1846 would have been 17 at the time of the battle, and would have been 92 at the 75th anniversary. I also understand that some soldiers could have been quiet a bit younger at the battle. But in any case, by the time the 75th anniversary rolled around, I would image the surviving soldiers would have been no more than a handfull.

Below is rare video from the reunion:

Decadent Paris Weekend (with Complementary Absinthe!): Morbid Anatomy Presents at Observatory, This Week and Beyond

2011-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

The Grand Guignol: Parisian Theatre of Fear and Terror 1897-1962
Illustrated lecture/booksigning with author and scholar Mel Gordon
Date: Friday, November 11th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $8
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise
***Signed copies of Gordon's long out-of-print Grand Guiginol will be available for sale at $30 (copies generally go for $60-150)

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 1 (For Decadent Paris Event #2, Click here)

Hidden among the decadence and sleaze of Pigalle with its roughnecks and whores, in the shadows of a quiet, cobbled alleyway, stands a little theatre... --"Grand Guignol: The French Theatre or Horror," Hand and Wilson

From its beginnings in turn-of-the-century Paris and through its decline in the 1960s, the Theatre of the Grand Guignol--literally "grand puppet show"--gleefully celebrated horror, sex, and fear. Its infamous productions featured innocent victims, mangled beauty, insanity, mutilation, humour, sex, and monstrous depravity in a heady mix that attracted throngs of thrill-seekers from all echelons of society. By dissecting primal taboos in an unprecedentedly graphic manner, the Grand Guignol became the progenitor of all the blood-spilling, eye-gouging, and limb-hacking "splatter" movies of today.

Tonight, join Professor Mel Gordon--author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror--to learn about the largely forgotten history of the Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in this heavily-illustrated and highly engaging lecture.

Mel Gordon is the author of Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror, Voluptious Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin, and many other books. Voluptuous Panic was the first in-depth and illustrated book on the topic of erotic Weimar; The lavish tome was praised by academics and inspired the establishment of eight neo-Weimar nightclubs as well as the Dresden Dolls and a Marilyn Manson album. Now, Mel Gordon is completing a companion volume for Feral House Press, entitled Horizontal Collaboration: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946. He also teaches directing, acting, and history of theater at University of California at Berkeley.
Image: Grand Guignol Poster, from the collection of Mel Gordon
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Absinthe and Other Liquors of Fin de Siècle Paris: Lecture and Tasting
Illustrated lecture and liquor tasting with film maker Ronni Thomas
Date: Saturday, November 12th
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
Complimentary absinthe provided by our sponsor La Fée Absinthe, the first traditional absinthe distilled in France since the 1915 ban and is the only absinthe endorsed by the Musée de l'Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise

Decadent Paris Weekend Event # 2 (For Decadent Paris Event #1, Click here)

On Saturday November 12th, join Ronni Thomas and Observatory for an exploration of the exotic and often diabolic liquids of France's antiquity featuring absinthe, a liquor known in fin de siècle Paris as "the green fairy" for its bewitching allure and poetically transporting nature. Among history's most infamous and romanticized liquors, absinthe became a symbol of decadence and was drink of choice of such bohemian luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Jarry, Édouard Manet, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. By 1915, it was widely banned after having been publicly tied to sensational stories of madness, murder and degeneracy; recently re-legalized, it has developed a passionate contemporary fan base.

Tonight, absinthe devotee Ronni Thomas will deliver an illustrated lecture on the history of absinthe and other great elixirs of fin de siècle Paris--such as green chartreuse, armagnac, and ricard--complete with artwork and video excerpts; he will also screen his own contribution to the absinthe mythos: a promotional video he produced for contemporary absinthe maker Le Tourment Vert. Liquor samples for tasting will also be available throughout the evening, including complimentary absinthe from our sponsor La Fée. There will also a Francophile music-filled after party. It will be a night straight out of Brassaï's Paris right in the heart of Brooklyn.

Ronni Thomas filmmaker and creator of The Midnight Archive web series is an avid drinker who appreciates both the history of antique spirits and the effects they have on his self esteem. Incidentally, his favorite absinthe is tonight's sponsor La Fée.
Image: "La Muse Verte" (The Green Muse), Albert Maignan, 1895

And also:

Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand. *** SOLD OUT; email morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com to be added to wait list (November 15:)
“No Computer Is An Island” : PowerPoint Film with Live Musical Accompaniment (November 19)
Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand. *** SOLD OUT; email morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com to be added to wait list (November 29)
Photographing the Dead: The History of Postmortem Photography from The Burns Collection and Archive: Illustrated Lecture and book signing with Stanley B. Burns, MD, FACS (December 5)
The Missing Dimension: The Missing Dimension: A Cultural History of 3D Images - Anaglyphs, Stereographs, View-Masters, Holograms, and Flaming Arrows Coming Right at You!: Illustrated lecture on and in 3D (glasses provided) by artist and NYU Professor Chris Muller (December 13)
"Oddities" Marathon and Season Launch Party: Screening of TV's "Oddities" followed by after party with MC Lord Whimsy, giveaways, special drinks, and DJ (December 17)
CLASS: Dissection as Studio Practice: Lecture and Studio Art Class with artist Laura Splan *** Class size is limited; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy[at]gmail.com (January 8)
The Search for Granny-Dump Mountain: Illustrated lecture by Journalist Justin Nobel (January 26)
Class: Mummification: Learn the art and ritual of animal mummification with instructor Sorceress Cagliastro *** Limited Class Size; Please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com (January 29)

More on Observatory can be found here. To sign up for events on Facebook, join our group by clicking here. To sign up for our weekly mailer, click here.

President Roosevelt Flying

2011-11-07T03:44:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning to you all! This week we are looking, and reminiscing about air travel. Today's picture was taken in 1943, and the President was being flown to North Africa. The headline that went with this picture was . . . "The First President Ever to Fly Seems to Enjoy it Hugely". Now, was FDR really the first President ever to fly . . . if not, who was?

The Fair: Building a Better Tomorrow #10

2011-11-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Transparent Car, on display at the General Motors Pavilion.

Eastern Airlines

2011-11-06T05:18:00.000-08:00

I guess back in the day Air Travel was a grand event. This picture is from 1938, and famous chefs are shown loading cakes onto the airplane for the passengers. Not something I ever experienced in my decades of air travel. I started traveling in the mid-1980's, and by that time it had already become "cattle cars". The food was terrible, and no customer service. I can even remember when I first started traveling there were still "smoking" sections on the airplanes. Now that was fun . . . the smoke never left the smoking section and bothered the other passengers . . . NOT.

Jean Rollin séquence émotion

2011-11-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

5 novembre 2011. Ce matin avait lieu le début de la vente privée des objets et livres du grand Jean Rollin. C’est sans assurance, avec un peu d’amertume et en même temps habité par une grande curiosité que je me suis rendu (bien accompagné, merci S.) au domicile du réalisateur. Il y a toujours quelque chose de triste et d’étrange à assister à ce genre de vente, de « dilapidation » mais au moins les objets seront entre de bonnes mains, celles des admirateurs et des collectionneurs. On raconte qu’une grande partie des collection de Pierre Charles aurait été jetée par la famille parce que trop obscène… (dixit Lucas Balbo sur son facebook) alors mieux vaut une vente honnête et ciblée. De plus la cinémathèque de Toulouse a heureusement récupéré de nombreux documents appartenant à Jean Rollin, ils font dorénavant partie de l’histoire du cinéma. Quant au reste, fans et collectionneurs ont pioché aujourd’hui dans sa caverne d’Ali Baba. Statuettes, livres, affiches, objets divers. Il y en avait pour tous les goûts. Contrairement à ce que je craignais, l’ambiance n’était pas glauque et les acheteurs n’avaient rien de vautours. Au contraire, chacun avait l’impression de sauver quelque chose. C’était mon impression en tout cas. Je poste ici l’intégralité de ce que j’ai acquis aujourd’hui et je tiens ces objets à la disposition de qui voudra les exposer, les répertorier ou que sais-je. Si besoin, sachez les entre de bonnes mains !

Si j’avais pu, j’aurais bien évidemment acheté plus de choses. Voir la bibliothèque de Jean Rollin était pour moi un grand moment d’émotion. C’est probablement et en grande partie grâce à lui qu’est née ma passion pour l’étrange. Avec Eric Losfeld, il fut l’un de ceux qui à mes yeux comprirent le mieux les liens unissant les cultures d’avant-garde (du surréalisme au lettrisme) et la culture populaire, érotique, fantastique et policière. Parmi les ouvrages repérés chez Rollin, Le Musée des Vampires de R.Villeneuve, annoté par Rollin et dédicacé par l’auteur, l’intégralité du Journal des Voyages (qui l’inspira beaucoup) reliés en un nombre de tomes assez faramineux, d’autres reliures d’Alexandre Dumas, Ponson du Terrail, Arnould Galopin, des piles de revues lettristes signées Isou ou Maurice Lemaître, du Pierre Mabille, du Fardoulis-Lagrange bien sûr, des polars de Goodis, Chandler, Hammett et bien d’autres, des livres sur Fritz Lang, Tourneur, le cinéma fantastique, des livres de Duras (les fans comprendront pourquoi), de Queneau, de Vian, de Ratno, Max Roussel et Anta Grey (Rollin réédita ces trois derniers), du roman populaire (Jean de la Hire, des fascicules Ferenczi, du Tallandier etc) tous ou presque compulsés jusqu’à l’effritement ! Et je ne parle pas des objets… On en voit une partie dans la vidéo postée ci-dessous… fauteuils-éléphants, poupées cassées, bougeoirs en crânes, mini-guillotine, et autres statuettes étranges… Si la plupart des gentilles octogénaires qui trainent leur cabas à roulettes dans les rues calmes du 20ème arrodissement avaient soupçonné un tel antre du démon, elles en auraient tout renversé sur la chaussée… Bref c’était merveilleux. Merci à Serge Rollin et Véronique D. Travers d’avoir organisé cette vente. Jean Rollin va nous manquer mais ses objets et ses films nous accompagnent.

Air Travel

2011-11-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Air Travel week here at OPOD. I must admit that I have spent much of my life on an airplane, and I am sad to report most of my memories of air travel are not pleasant ones. I will be sharing my memories this week, and hope you will too. Today's picture is an airplane from British Imperial Airways, and probably taken in the early 1930's.

DOMESTIC UPDATE:

Most of you by now are aware that the Evil Nate Maas has re-declared war on me, and is raising all types of disturbances on the internet with his vile slander against me. It has become clear that he has broken all the planks of the August 20, 2010 peace treaty.

While we have grown to expect vile outbreaks like this from Nate, this time he has slumped to new lows, even bringing the Lovely Ms. EAM into the feud. As I explained earlier, the malaria pills Ms. EAM takes leave her vulnerable to confusion and influence. Nate has used this weakened condition, and unending harrasment to try and influence her to join him in his corrupt nonsense.

As any good father would, yes, I read the lovely Ms. EAM's email. Why, you ask? Well, first I go in and delete the spam for her, so when she opens her email she is greeted only with relevant and important email. Then secondly, since she is out of the country, I check to see if anything like bills or matters like that need to be tended to, which I naturally take care of. Then of course if a young man appears to be showing any interest in her, I forward them my soyouwantodatemydaughter exam. It should be noted that no young man has yet to make it past the preamble section of the document, but I am sure at some point a worthy suitor will reveal himself. But I digress. Yesterday as I was performing this loving and fatherly duty, what do you think I find in her eamil? Well, I present the screenshot below. Read it and weap:

Yes, the Evil Nate Mass is secretly communicating with the lovely Ms. EAM trying to turn Daughter against Father, and trying to get her to participate in his evil schemes.

Another truth comes out from the email. Note that Nate ADMITS that he photoshops the pictures of me. For example the picture of me at the Occupy Pugh Park rally . . . he photoshopped it to make me look much heavier and much older than I am. Oh, and the picture of me with the Korean Dictator . . . I am much taller than that.

Finally the truth is out. When will this internet menace be removed from the world wide web?

Atlas Title Pages

2011-11-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

Title: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
Creator: Abraham Ortelius
Published in Antwerp, 1650

Title: Atlas Nuevo contiene Todas las Partes del Mundo, adonde Sono exactamente fefialados los Imperios, Monarchias, Reynos Estados, Republicas, y los Pueblos que al presente se conocen
Creator: Sanson
Publisher: Georgio Gallet, Amsterdam, 1699

Title: Atlas containing ye Best Maps of the severall parts of the World collected by Phil: Lea who selleth all sorts of Mathematicall Books and Instruments
Creator/Publisher: Phillip Lea, ~~1580~~ ~1690

Title: Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, Regna et Status exactis Tebulis Geographice demonstrans, Opera Johannis Baptistae Homanni
Creator: Johann Homann
Publisher: M.P.?, Nuremburg (undated but late 17th/early 18th c.)

Title: Ioannis Ianssonii Novus atlas, sive Theatrum orbis terrarum : in quo tabulae & descriptiones omnium regionum totius universi accuratissime exhibentur. In quinque tomos distinctus
Creator: Jan Jansson
Publisher: D. V. Bremden, Amsterdam, ~1649

Title: Cinquième Partie du grand Atlas, contenant une parfaite description du monde maritime, ou hydrographie générale de tout la terre, enrichie des particularities de la Navigation tant Ancienne que Moderne, avec un excellent et curieux tableau du monde des Anciens
Creator: Jan Jansson
Publisher: D.V. Bremden, Amsterdam, 1657

Untitled/incomplete title page
Creator: Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1645

Title: Livre Troisieme des Villes Principales du Monde
Undated and anonymous (according to the source site) but possibly by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenburg from the late 16th c.

Title: Nouveau Theatre du Monde ou Nouvel Atlas (Tome Second)
Creator/Publisher: Iohannem Iansonium (Jan Jansson), Amsterdam (undated but mid-1600s)

Title: Atlas Gerardi Mercatoris et Ivsti Hondii Cosmographorum mortem dolens
Creator: Gerhard Mercator
Published by Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam, 1633

The Artz Atlas Title Pages are among the Oberlin College Digital Collections - [FB Arntz bio].

Previously: cartography.

Morbid Anatomy Library Open Hours This Sunday, November 6

2011-11-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

This Sunday November 6th, the Morbid Anatomy Library--pictured above--will have open hours from 12 until 6 PM. So feel free to drop in for a perusal of the stacks and to meet our newest addition.

For more about the Morbid Anatomy Library and for directions and other such information, click here.

Photo of The Library by Shannon Taggart

Men Cannoeing

2011-11-04T03:50:00.000-07:00

While looking for Summer Camp pictures, I came across this picture, and while I m not sure it is a summertime picture, I can not help but use it. Wow, is this the perfect scene or what. I love the old wooden canoe, I like the mens clothing and hats, and can see they are about to go fishing. They are smoking pipes, and the one even looks like he has a comfortable chair. Looks like all the makings of the perfect day.

NetherWorld: A Morality Vaudeville, The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre and ClockWorks Puppetry Studio, Through Saturday

2011-11-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow and Saturday night at The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre and ClockWorks Puppetry Studio: NetherWorld: A Morality Vaudeville, the newest production of the very talented and lovely Mr. Jonathan Cross.

Hope to see you there!

NetherWorld: A Morality Vaudeville
The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre and ClockWorks Puppetry Studio
196 Columbia Street Brooklyn, 11231
Thursday to Saturday at 8 PM
Saturdays & Sundays Matinee at 4 PM

The Follies of Humanity… Enacted by Demonic Puppets!
Grimly Comical Vignettes… and Surreal Melodramas!
Journey Beyond the Grave… and Return!

“NetherWorld, A Morality Vaudeville” is a variety show in hell, interwoven with an operetta which tells the tale of the Demon King, Mister Scratch, and his search for an heir to the throne of NetherWorld. It features creepy & surreal marionettes, live sound effects, and an original live score performed on accordian, piano, and toy piano. NetherWorld was an Off-Off Broadway Review Award recipient for one of the Best Performances of 1995.

You can find out more by clicking here.

Amazing Baroque Bone Chapels and Real Life Mad Scientists: Episodes 5 and 6 of The Midnight Archive

2011-11-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Midnight Archive, as mentioned previously, is a new web-based documentary series "centered around the esoteric and always exotic personalities that spring from Observatory," the Brooklyn-based event/gallery space I founded a few years ago. The series is created and directed by film-maker Ronni Thomas, who has plans to upload approximately one new episode per week to the new Midnight Archive website.

Episodes five and six of The Midnight Archive--A. Head B. Body and Empire of Death--have just been uploaded is now available for viewing! You can view them above or on The Midnight Archive website.

For more on the series, to see former episodes, or to sign up for the mailing list so as to be alerted to future uploads, visit The Midnight Archive website by clicking here. You can also "like" it on Facebook--and thus be alerted--by clicking here.

"Of Pictures & Specimens: Natural History in Post-Revolutionary and Restoration France," Interdisciplinary Symposium, American Philosophical Society

2011-11-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

Another excellent looking symposium! Free and open to the public:

Of Pictures & Specimens: Natural History in Post-Revolutionary and Restoration France
Interdisciplinary Symposium
December 1 - 3, 2011
American Philosophical Society (APS) Museum, Philadelphia

Of Pictures & Specimens: Natural History in Post-Revolutionary and Restoration France is organized by the APS Museum in conjunction with its current exhibition, Of Elephants & Roses: Encounters with French Natural History, 1790 - 1830. The symposium includes French and American scholars, and addresses key ideas raised by the displays in the exhibition. Included are presentations exploring how Empress Josephine became shepherdess, botanist, and estate manager, how top scientists and artists pictured nature, and how natural science influenced everything from Balzac's novels to the 19th century's romanticized notions of long-lost worlds.

Of Elephants & Roses celebrates the life sciences during a time when Paris was the center of natural history in the Western world. On view are more than sixty objects from France never before seen in the U.S., including Josephine's black swan, gorgeous renderings of flowers on Sèvres porcelain, a mastodon fossil bone sent by Thomas Jefferson to Paris, an herbarium specimen of the flowering Franklinia tree, and everyday objects decorated with charming images of a giraffe who walked 550 miles across France to greet the king.

For information on speakers and program: apsmuseum.org/symposium
For online registration, required by Nov. 28, 2011: apsmuseum.org/registration

SYMPOSIUM IS FREE OF CHARGE
The symposium is made possible through generous funding by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.

More on this symposium can be found here.

More Summer Fun

2011-11-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

We have more summer fun from the 1920's today with this picture from Arlington Beach. We see three girls riding a donkey. I can honestly say that I have never ridden a donkey, and certainly never ridden one with two other people.

DOMESTIC UPDATE:

I have an update on yesterday's unpleasantness. It had appeared that Ms. EAM had simply Gone Rouge on us and had started posting inflammatory material over at her blog. But now it has become clear that the Evil Nate Maas is behind it all. Those of you who follow his blog see that he is orchestrating this great rebellion.

In digging into things a little deeper, I have found that the Malaria pills that Ms. EAM is taking have the following side effects:

"The FDA product guide states Mefloquine can cause health problems including: anxiety, hallucinations, depression, unusual behavior, and rebellion among others."

So, apparently the Evil Nate Maas has used the opportunity of Ms. EAM's weakened cognitive state to turn her against all that is good and just and to align with his dark schemes.

"Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race" Exhibition and Symposium, Museum of Jewish Heritage, NYC, Through January 16

2011-11-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have long been enthralled with the chilling Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, a catalog for a touring exhibition of the same name organized by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I have just found out that this exhibition is now on view right here in New York City, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, through January 16th. If the catalog is any indication, this exhibit is simply not to be missed.

As a further lure, this Sunday, November 6th, the museum is hosting a fascinating looking symposium entitled "Medicine and Medical Ethics in Nazi Germany" preceded by a guided tour of the exhibition.

Full info follows for both exhibition and symposium; hope very much to see you there!

Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race
On view through January 16, 2012
Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Place, New York City

“Nazism is applied biology.”
— Rudolf Hess, Deputy to Adolf Hitler

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, examines how the Nazi leadership, in collaboration with individuals in professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, used science to help legitimize persecution, murder and, ultimately, genocide...

Eugenics theory sprang from turn-of-the-century scientific beliefs asserting that Charles Darwin’s theories of “survival of the fittest” could be applied to humans. Supporters, spanning the globe and political spectrum, believed that through careful controls on marriage and reproduction, a nation’s genetic health could be improved.

The Nazi regime was founded upon the conviction that “inferior” races and individuals had to be eliminated from German society so that the fittest “Aryans” could thrive. The Nazi state fully committed itself to implementing a uniquely racist and antisemitic variation of eugenics to “scientifically” build what it considered to be a “superior race.” By the end of World War II, six million Jews had been murdered. Millions of others also became victims of persecution and murder through Nazi “racial hygiene” programs designed to cleanse Germany of “biological threats” to the nation’s “health,” including “foreign-blooded” Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), persons diagnosed as “hereditarily ill,” and homosexuals. In German-occupied territories, Poles and others belonging to ethnic groups deemed “inferior” were also murdered...

And the symposium:

Medicine and Medical Ethics in Nazi Germany
Sunday, November 6, 1 P.M.
Prof. Sander Gilman, Emory University; and Prof. Arthur Caplan, University of Pennsylvania; moderated by Museum Director Dr. David G. Marwell

Lectures by Prof. Gilman, a cultural historian who has written on Nazi science, and Prof. Caplan, a leading scholar in the field of medical ethics, will be followed by a conversation about the origins and legacies of Nazi medical practices.

$10, $7 students/seniors, $5 members

Co-presented by FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics). mjhnyc.org/faspe

This program has been made possible by a generous grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany: Rabbi Israel Miller Fund for Shoah Research, Documentation and Education.

Presented in conjunction with Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. Tour the exhibition at 12 P.M. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 646.437.4202.

You can find out more about the exhibition by clicking here and more about the symposium by clicking here. You can watch an exhibition overview video by clicking here. You can order a copy of the fantastic catalog by clicking here, or peruse it anytime in The Morbid Anatomy Library.

Images top to bottom:

International Hygiene Exhibition, 1911 promotional poster: The eugenics movement pre-dated Nazi Germany. A 1911 exhibition at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden included a display on human heredity and ideas to improve it. The exhibition poster features the Enlightenment’s all-seeing eye of God, adapted from the ancient Egyptian “Eye of Ra,” symbolizing fitness or health. Credit: Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin
Students at the Berlin School for the Blind examine racial head models circa 1935. Students were taught Gregor Mendel’s principles of inheritance and the purported application of those laws to human heredity and principles of race. During the Third Reich, German born deaf or blind, like those born with mental illnesses or disabilities, were urged to submit to compulsory sterilization as a civic duty. Credit: Blinden-Museum an der Johann-August-Zeune-Schule fur Blinde, Berlin
Head shots showing various racial types. Most western anthropologists classified people into “races” based on physical traits such as head size and eye, hair and skin color. This classification was developed by Eugen Fischer and published in the 1921 and 1923 editions of Foundations of Human Genetics and Racial Hygiene. Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Nazi officials at the “The Miracle of Life” exhibition, German Hygiene Museum, Dresden, 1935. The new Nazi museum leadership asserted that societies resembled organisms that followed the lead of their brains. The most logical social structure was one that saw society as a collective unit, literally a body guided by a strong leader. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration
The head of a Jewish youth was sculpted from wood by the Jewish artist M. Winiarski for German officials in the occupied Polish city of Lodz. Credit: Zydowski Instytut Historyczny, Instytut Naukowo-Badawyczy, Warsaw

Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand, November 15th and 29th

2011-11-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have some very exciting news! Observatory's perennially sold out Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven is back for 2 newly announced classes this November, one on Tuesday the 15th and the other on Tuesday the 29th. For those as-of-yet unfamiliar with Sue's work or the history of anthropomorphic taxidermy, check out the video profile of Sue above, compliments of the always amazing Midnight Archive.

Full details follow for the classes follow; if interested, please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com making sure to specify which date you would like to attend. And these classes are VERY popular and tend to sell out fast, so please RSVP as quickly as possible to secure a slot!

Anthropomorphic Mouse Taxidermy Class with Susan Jeiven: Back by Popular Demand
Date: Tuesdays November 15th and November 29th
Time: 7 PM-11 PM
Admission: $60
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
***MUST RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com; Class size limited to 15
Anthropomorphic taxidermy--the practice of mounting and displaying taxidermied animals as if they were humans or engaged in human activities--was a popular art form during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The best known practitioner of the art form is British taxidermist Walter Potter who displayed his pieces--which included such elaborate tableaux as The Death of Cock Robin, The Kitten Wedding, and The Kitten Tea Party--in his own museum of curiosities.

On Tuesdays November 15th and 29th, please join Morbid Anatomy and taxidermist, tattoo artist and educator Susan Jeiven for a beginners class in anthropomorphic taxidermy. All materials--including a mouse for each student--will be provided, and each class member will leave at the end of the day with their own anthropomorphic taxidermied mouse. Students are invited to bring any miniature items with which they might like to dress or decorate their new friend; some props and miniature clothing will also be provided by the teacher. A wide variety of sizes and colors of mice will be available.

No former taxidermy experience is required.

Also, some technical notes:

We use NO harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Everyone will be provided with gloves.
All animals are disease free.
Although there will not be a lot of blood or gore, a strong constitution is necessary; taxidermy is not for everyone.
All animals were already dead, nothing was killed for this class. All mice used are feeder animals for snakes and lizards and would literally be discarded if not sold.
Please do not bring any dead animals with you to the clas

You can contact Sue with any more questions by clicking here.

You can find out more about both classes by clicking here. You can find out more about The Midnight Archive by clicking here. And again, if interested, please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com making sure to specify which date you would like to attend. Also, please click on image to see much larger version.

Camp Tak It Ezy

2011-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today's picture is another Summer Camp picture from the 1920's. The sign on the tree reads Tak it Ezy, so this looks like my kind of summer camp. I am enjoying reading your camping memories in the comments. One of the big memories I have of summer camp that has not been discussed much are the practical jokes. I remember summer camp being filled with kids playing pranks on each other. When I was at summer camp, this one kid fell asleep before everyone else. He was really out. His name was Billy Charles Gunstead. So he is over there snoring away, and the rest of us are awake. So, we walk over, and very gently, with three people on each side of his cot, pick the cot up. He does not wake up. So we start walking with it. When he starts moving, like he is disturbed, we would put the cot back down. Anyway, we walk him about three miles into the woods like that. Then we put the cot down and come back to camp. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon the next day that he finally found his way back to camp. I have often wondered what he thought when he woke up in the middle of nowhere.

DOMESTIC UPDATE:

The young lady formerly known as the Lovely Ms. EAM has decided to declare Intercontinental Internet War on me. I would invite you to read back over all my posts to see that I have treated her with nothing but the utmost of respect. She really started prodding me on Monday on her blog. I ignored it figuring it was just some form of latent post traumatic rebellion going on, and then she unloaded with both guns yesterday, and I feel at this point that her insolence and malfeasance can not go unpunished. After all I have done for her . . . changing her diapers, home schooling her for 12 years, paying for her college, and keeping a roof over her head, and then she bites the hand that has fed her.

So, she wants to play hardball huh. Well, two can play that game and she picked the wrong internet opponent to cross I say. I keep reading her writing . . . "You can not touch me, I am in Africa . . . You can not touch me, I am in Africa".

I throw down the gauntlet and declare war back on her. She will now be known as the Detestable Ms. EAM.

Oops . . . look whose pickup got left parked out back by Chickie Town:

Oh my, is that Handsome Jack, Joaquin, Sonny and Junior all up on the shiny new pickup? I wonder who put the pickup out there and left it? And what is that up top under Handsome Jack . . .perhaps we should take a closer look

Now that is going to leave a mark. Blahahahaha! Its On Like Donkey Kong!

Internet watchers are holding their breaths to see which side the Evil Nate Maas takes in this Intercontinental Internet War. To date he has remained quiet but all expect him to weigh in shortly.

Lithos anonymes

2011-11-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Pas grand chose à raconter sur cette série d'illustrations anonymes vendues sur ebay il y a plusieurs mois. Vous aurez compris à la faible qualité des images que je n'ai pas pu acheter ce lot mais je pense qu'elles méritaient un éclairage sur le carrefour.

Grand Guignol Spectacular: Call for Pieces, Volunteering Opportunities, Save the Date and More!

2011-11-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Grand Guignol--posters from which you see above--was a Parisian theatre infamous in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for theatrical productions merging horror and elegance, sex and death, fear and humor. To celebrate my 40th birthday, my very talented friend John Del Gaudio and I are putting together a Grand Guignol-inspired variety show and masquerade after-party on December 10th of this year that will be co-presented by Atlas Obscura and The Coney Island Museum and will take place at the latter.

We have just launched an IndieGoGo campaign to raise money for the production, with which we hope to pay participants a modest honorarium for their materials and labor. If you are interested in helping support this laudable endeavor, you can visit our campaign online (and contribute!) by clicking here.

To get inspired, check out our image- and video-rich Grand Guignol mood board (be sure to scroll down and click on thumbnails to see larger images) by clicking here. To learn more about The Grand Guignol, make sure to attend Mel Gordon's absinthe-sponsored lecture on the topic at Observatory next Friday, November 11th! More on that can be found here.

Also, if anyone is interested in pitching a short piece for inclusion, or volunteering their time for costumes, props, acting, etc, please email me at morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Thanks! And whether you can contribute or not, mark your calendars! I promise this will be a great party; more on that as it develops.

Full text for the call-for-funds follows:

Join our band of curios and support the Grand Guignol Variety Hour at Coney Island Museum on Saturday, December 10th.

THE INSPIRATION
From its beginnings in turn-of-the-century Paris and through its decline in the 1960s, the Theatre of the Grand Guignol gleefully celebrated horror, sex, and fear. Its infamous productions featured innocent victims, mangled beauty, insanity, mutilation, humour, sex, and monstrous depravity in a heady mix that attracted throngs of thrill-seekers from all echelons of society. By dissecting primal taboos in an unprecedentedly graphic manner, the Grand Guignol became the progenitor of all the blood-spilling, eye-gouging, and limb-hacking “splatter” movies of today.

THE PROJECT
Presented by Atlas Obscura, Coney Island Museum, and Morbid Anatomy, our event will be a one-night-only ode to The Grand Guignol and its legacy. Our evening of variety theatre will be dedicated to such Guignol-esque and fin de siècle pleasures as the uncanny; spectacular illusions; sex and death, elegance and horror; tableau vivants; occult tinged magic shows; phantasmagoria; hysteria; contortionists; toy theatre; puppets; optical tricks and much more!

Participating artists include Lord Whimsy, Jonny Clockworks, Ronni Thomas, Doll Parts, GF Newland, Sarah Shoerman, Angela Di Carlo and Kathleen Kennedy Tobin, with a special set to be designed by NYU’s Chris Muller. Projects include a toy theater version of Bryusov’s “The Sisters,” a harmonious and creepy rendition of “Dry Bones,” an installation of classic Grand Guignol posters, magic lanterns, horrific film montages, and stagings of classic French and London Grand Guignol plays, all followed by an after-party with records on the victrola and cocktails courtesy of Hendrick’s Gin.

THE NEED
Your donation will go directly to the artists involved, providing them with a small honorarium and production budget for their piece. All donors will receive advance word about buying tickets to the event. There’s a limited capacity so to guarantee yourself a ticket, consider giving at least $100.

PERKS
$20 Contribution
Listing in program with your fellow horror afficionados, advance word on ticket sales to the event.

$100 Contribution
One ticket to the event on December 10th, listing in program

$500 Contribution
Two tickets to the event on December 10th with reserved seats, an old-timey shout out during the show and listing in program
Pledge your support now and get ready to geek out with us.

Joanna Ebenstein & John Del Gaudio
Co-Curators

To find out more and to contribute (thank you!), please click here.

Kinderbuch

2011-11-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Wer kommt?
(Who's Coming?)
1910

'Wer kommt? : ein Buch für Kinder von 3 bis 7 Jahren' (Who's Coming? - a Book for Children aged 3 to 7 Years) is online at the State Library of Berlin. There are a few illustrations at the site not displayed in this post. The images above were cropped slightly from the full page layouts.

These delightful chromolithographs detailing the house visitors were produced by Julie Conz to accompany short verses composed by Julie Neunhöffer. This high quality book was issued by the Attenkofer Publishing Company in 1910 in Straubing in Lower ~~Saxony~~ Bavaria. There is very little else by way of web mentions of the authors or the book - WorldCat lists this book as the only publication by either of the Julies. [I thought I saw a sale for ~€3000 but I can't re-find it so maybe I imagined it]

Previously: kids.

Writing Letter Home

2011-11-01T03:37:00.000-07:00

Today's picture is from 1942, and it shows a picture of a girl at summer camp writing a letter to home. I don't know about you, but I think this picture must have been staged. When I went to summer camp, I did not know anyone who wrote letters, even though we were supposed to. When you were away from home, did you write letters?

Morbid Anatomy Mummification Class on Time Magazine's Website!

2011-10-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

More video documentation of our extremely popular mummification class at Observatory, this time from Time Magazine's website. And, of course, just in time for Halloween!

Please note: our next mummification class taking place this Sunday, November 6th, has a few open slots. You can find out details by clicking here; you can RSVP for the class by emailing me at morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com. You can find out more about Observatory and the classes and lectures we offer by clicking here.

Happy Halloween From Morbid Anatomy!

2011-10-31T06:33:00.000-07:00

All images drawn from Rip The Skull's Halloween Poscard Flickr set; you can see the entire fantastic set by clicking here.

Summer Camp

2011-10-31T03:50:00.000-07:00

Today's picture shows a group of boys at Summer Camp. The picture is from the 1920's. The picture reminds me of one of the most important aspects of camping . . . eating. When I was in Boy Scouts during normal camp outs you cooked over a camp fire, but at Summer Camp, they had a mess hall and you got to eat in there. I remember it as being pretty good food.

Medical Caricatures

2011-10-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sampling from :::Medical Caricatures, 1736-1932:::
{Lowcountry Digital Library}*

The Prevailing Epidemic
"Ah! you may laugh, my boy; but it's no joke being funny with the influenza!"

This print is recorded as anonymous at the source site, but I think the "JL" bottom left of the sketch (as well as the general illustration style) matches up well to the English caricaturist, John Leech, from the mid-1850s.

The Quack Doctor
Anonymous, date unknown (?late 18th, early 19th c.)

Toothpuller Entertaining in Public
Artist unknown, 1767

The Company of Undertakers

::: Beareth Sable, an Urinal proper, between 12 Quack-Heads of the second & 12 Cane Heads Or, Consultant. On a Chief Nebuloe, Ermine One Compleat Doctor issuant, checkie sustaining in his Right Hand a Baton of the second. On his Dexter and sinister sides two Demi-Doctors, issuant of the second, & two Cane-Heads issuant of the third; The first having One Eye conchant, towards the Dexter Side of the Esocheon; the Second Faced per pale proper & Gules, Guardent.
With this Motto - Et Plurima Mortis Imargo :::

Designed/engraved by William Hogarth, 1736

"[This is] Hogarth's delightful commentary upon the medical profession. Represented within a satirical coat-of-arms the engraving is bordered in black, like a mourning card. Beneath it are a pair of ominous crossbones and the motto, "Et Plurima mortis imago" -- 'And many an image of death'.

The three major doctors inhabiting the upper portion of the coat-of-arms were based upon actual practitioners. In the centre of this trio is a figure dressed in a clown's suit which Hogarth refers to as "One Compleat Doctor". This figure was actually a woman named Sarah Mapp, a well known bone-setter. To her left is a feminine faced physician meant to portray Joshua Ward ('Spot Ward'), a doctor who had a birth-mark covering one side of his face. To her right, resides John Taylor, a well known oculist of the day. Taylor, it is reported, had only one eye. These physicians apparently lack the skills to heal themselves.

The lower portion of the coat-of-arms contains twelve more quack doctors. Most are occupied in sniffing the heads of their canes, which, in the eighteenth century, contained disinfectant. Three doctors, however, are absorbed by the contents of a urinal. Their expressions range from sour to unintelligent." [source]

Incidentally, a (much crisper/clearer) copy of this print was reissued later minus the text below the illustration, but bearing the title, 'Consultation of Physicians'.

The Battle of the Cataplasm
Artist: JW Bunbury (pub'd by J Bretherton, 1773)

"One of a series of illustrations to Laurence Sterne's 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman' showing Dr. Slop and Susannah exchanging abuse. Dr. Slop stands, with his wig burning, about to throw cataplasm* in Susannah's face. Susannah stands behind the cradle in which lies the infant Tristram, a plaster across his nose, as she holds her nose and a candle."*

An Old Negro Melody
IN: The Antikamnia Chemical Company Calendar, April-June, 1901

After the Holidays - Cooling Off
IN: The Antikamnia Chemical Company Calendar, Jan-March, 1901

***See: The Antikamnia Chemical Company post on BibliOdyssey for many more related images and background.

La Potion Draught

A man is taking a draft of Copaiba medicine for his cough.

IN: 'Le Charivari', November 1836 ('Galerie Physionomique') by Honoré Daumier

The 'Galerie Physionomique' was a series of 25 lithographs that appeared in 'Le Charivari' between Nov. 1836 and Dec. 1837.

I Have a Secret Art to Cure [Each malady, which men endure]

Thomas Rowlandson's illustration from 1815 first appeared in the classic 2-vol. publication, 'The English Dance of Death'.

Gentle Emetic (by James Gillray, 1804)

"An emetic is a medicine that produces nausea and vomiting. “Puking” was considered to be another way to restore balance to the body. In this etching, a man and his physician [..] patiently wait for the effects of an emetic. The physician solicitously holds the man's head in his hands while the patient looks extremely uncomfortable. A bowl on the table awaits the contents of his stomach. The use of “gentle” in the title is definitely tongue-in-cheek." [source]

Gare la Vaccine
Triomphe de la Petite Verole
(Mind the Vaccine, Triumph of Smallpox)

Vaccination had become quite widespread in France and England by the beginning of the 19th century and was energetically attacked by fearmongers in satirical pamphlets showing victims acquiring vaccine-host-animal qualities, for instance.

Breathing a Vein

Etched engraving by James Gillray 1804, published by H Humphrey, St James St. London

"Bloodletting, or phlebotomy, had been a standard medical practice since antiquity. It entailed withdrawing a considerable amount of blood from a person in order to cure disease. Blood was thought to build up in excess and then stagnate in certain areas of the body. Removing the extra blood would restore the natural balance of the body.

In this etching Gillray demonstrates venesection, which he calls “breathing a vein.” The title suggests that the procedure was a pleasant way to allow the vein a little air. The reality of the procedure was something else, as the cartoon suggests. A tourniquet was placed above the elbow, the artery in the forearm was punctured by a lancet, and the blood, gushing like a geyser, was captured in a bowl." [source]

A Curse for Drowsiness -or- A Pinch of Cephalic

Engraving by George Cruikshank after a sketch by (the late) James Gillray and published by H Humphrey, St James St. London, 1822. [in colour]

A gouty old John Bull, seated with his brandy, water and pipe, takes a pinch of snuff.

A Great Doctor is Accompanied by a Great Angel
[Mit a groissen roifeh gait a groisser malech]

Undated etching by Mel Fowler (d. 1987)*

Waring Historical Library at the Medical University of South Carolina offers up a collection of medical caricatures through the collaborative Lowcountry Digital Library.

Previously: medicine; science.
All the images above were spliced together from screen shots.
Amazon: Thomas Rowlandson - George Cruikshank - James Gillray - William Hogarth.

Girls Swimming

2011-10-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today's picture features a group of girls swimming. The picture was taken in 1925 at Arlington Beach. You can see the Washington Monument in the background. Yesterday's and todays pictures really remind me of summer camp. So do any of you all have fond (or otherwise) memories of summer camp? I went to summer camp with the Boy Scouts, and always thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you will share your memories this week as we look at summer recreation from a bygone era.

Domestic Update:

Happy Orphans at the African Village of Mattaw

I have been really enjoying keeping up with the work of the Lovely Miss EAM. For those of you new to the blog, she is my daughter. She just got her RN degree, and thanks in large part to the generosity of the good people on this blog, she is presently serving as the village nurse at the Mattaw Orphan Village in Africa. She is also coordinating their efforts to actually build a small medical clinic in the village.

To be honest with you though, I am finding myself extremely jealous of her. I was always the one with the most interesting travels and stories. Now, I fear she has surpassed me, and has become a true adventurer. Where she lives is pretty much the last outpost of civilization, and just to her north are the tribal regions and no-man lands of Africa. As she relays stories to me of what is happening in that part of the world, I become intrigued and would very much like to be a part of it.

So, Mrs. PJM and I have decided to take a little trip to Africa over Christmas to get a little taste of the adventure.

Canoes

2011-10-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today's picture features a canoe rental stand in Arlington Beach park. The picture was taken in the 1920's. I have had lots of memorable times in canoes, and also some times I ended up tipping over. Any one else had any canoe adventures . . . please share them!

Morbid Anatomy Library Open Hours This Saturday, October 29

2011-10-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

This Saturday October 29th, the Morbid Anatomy Library--pictured above--will have open hours from 1 until 6 PM. So feel free to drop in for a perusal of the stacks and to meet our newest addition.

For more about the Morbid Anatomy Library and for directions and other such information, click here.

Photo of The Library by Shannon Taggart

“Metaphor as Illness,” Lecture by Mark Dery, Embodied Fantasies Conference, Sunday October 30

2011-10-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Mark Dery, one of my favorite all time thinkers and lecturers, will be giving a new presentation this Sunday as part of the amazing looking Embodied Fantasies Conference. Full details, drawn for his Shovelware blog, below; hope to see you there!

Live, from the Cancer Ward!
I’ll be lecturing on “Metaphor as Illness” at the School of Visual Arts this Sunday, at 1:30 P.M., in a double-header with media theorist McKenzie Wark.

Executive Summary: A personal essay—live, from the cancer ward!—that is simultaneously a philosophical investigation into the ways in which disease widens the Cartesian chasm, untethering our thought balloons from the Body in Pain.

Directions, program, list of speakers, HERE.

Teaser: During my recent hospitalization for a medical emergency—an unexpected vacation in hell, during which I had boundless hours to muse about Illness as Metaphor and The Body in Pain—I conceived the essay in question, an essay that simply had to be written, as a meditation on language, embodiment, language as embodiment, and the ontologically dislocating experience of being a patient. Drawing on my five-year tour of duty through ER’s, OR’s, and hospital wards as a cancer patient, the lecture in question combines a cultural criticism reminiscent of Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor with the mordant humor of Christopher Hitchens’s recent reports on his battle with the Big C. It’s a philosophical inquiry into the existential black comedy of being a patient—Burton’s Melancholy of Anatomy , reimagined as an episode of the cynical medical drama House.

It’s also one of the best things I’ve ever written—a closely observed, unsparingly honest, emotionally raw self-anatomization that manages, even so, to be philosophically probing, I think.

You can find out more about the conference and its schedule by clicking here.

Image: The Anatomy lesson of Dr Frederik Ruysch, Jan van Neck (lifted from Wikimedia Commons).

Morbid Anatomy Library on Fox News. Yes, Really.

2011-10-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Fox News (yes, THAT Fox News) sent over Red Eye host Bill Schulz and former medical examiner of New York Dr. Michael M. Baden for a little filmed visit to the Morbid Anatomy Library. In the course of our time together, we talked about phrenology, body snatching, and mummification. In addition, the very knowledgeable Dr. Baden conducted a thorough and pretty fascinating forensic examination of the newest addition to the library: an early 20th century human skeleton medical preparation, seen in the screen shot above.

You learn all about the skeleton--and watch the segment in its entirety--by clicking here.

Old Busses

2011-10-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

Today's picture comes to us from 1913. It shows two buses in New York City. I love how the buses really look more like motorized train cars. Not sure what part of New York the picture is taken in.

Dreamland Destinations #5

2011-10-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Everytown - 1940, 1966 and 2036, (Things to Come, d. William Cameron Menzies, 1936)

They Were Collaborators #700

2011-10-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Vivien Leigh and Simone Signoret.

Exhibition: "Mechanical Wonders: The Sandoz Collection," Through November 26, 2011

2011-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

This exhibit looks truly amazing! Many of the objects, I am told, come only very rarely to The United States, so make sure to take advantage of this opportunity while you can! I will absolutely be making a personal pilgrimage.

"Mechanical Wonders: The Sandoz Collection"
Presented by A La Vieille Russie and Parmigiani
October 26 – November 26, 2011

Visit ALVR this Fall to see a very special loan exhibition of intricate marvels that jump, sing and act as you never believed jeweled creations could.

Featuring early 19th century Swiss gold and enamel automaton snuff boxes, watches, magicians, and animals, the Imperial Swan Egg of 1906 and the Imperial Peacock Egg of 1908 by Fabergé, as well as contemporary interpretations by Parmigiani Fleurier of watches in the Sandoz Collection. In addition, the catalogue raisonné of the collection will be presented for the first time.

EXHIBITION HOURS (beginning October 26):
Monday through Friday 11am-6pm
Thursday 11am-7pm
Saturday 12pm-5pm
Closed for Thanksgiving Day.

Address: 781 Fifth Avenue at 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-752-1727
www.alvr.com

You can find out more and purchase tickets by clicking here. Thanks so much to the inspiring Jere Ryder for alerting me to this exhibition!

Arnould Galopin

2011-10-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Quelle bonne idée ont eu les défricheurs de L'Arbre Vengeur (une maison dont on ne dira jamais assez de bien) d'aller repêcher Arnould Galopin (déjà, s'appeler comme ça c'est juste incroyable). Prolifique auteur de romans populaires en fascicules et d'oeuvres diverses et variées, le pauvre Arnould (1863-1934), malgré son nom, n'a pas creusé son sillon dans la mémoire collective... et pourtant. Ce simple texte, Le Bacille (1928), mérite vraiment une redécouverte enthousiaste.

Il y est question de Martial Procas, un jeune et beau scientifique spécialiste de la bactériologie. Adulé par de nombreuses admiratrices qui viennent le reluquer pendant ses cours à la Sorbonne, la vie de Martial semble idyllique. Il tombe même amoureux de Meg, un belle américaine. Jusqu'au jour où (car il y a toujours un "jusqu'au jour où") il découvre que Meg le trompe et là... accrochez vous... il est foudroyé par une crise de cyanose, une asphyxie qui le transforme en monstre. Sa peau devient bleue et ses yeux jaunes! Imaginez le drame. Commence alors une vie de solitaire, de reclus. Son physique lui interdit tout rapport social. Les gens le fuient, l'insultent, le soupçonnent des pires méfaits. Seul un chien errant, Mami, vient lui apporter un peu de réconfort.
Un beau jour (pas si beau que ça), un enfant disparaît dans le quartier... Rapidement, on soupçonne cet homme seul et repoussant, que l'on surnomme 'L'horreur', "ce monstre bleu, ridicule et sinistre, plus hideux qu'un masque japonais" (sa propre image dans le miroir). Les habitants, poussés par l'euphorie de groupe, s'acharnent à démontrer sa culpabilité. Le pauvre freak n'a plus qu'une seule solution face à l'opprobre et la médisance, une vengeance d'intellectuel, un coup, le terrorisme biologique!
Vous me ferez le plaisir de lire ce livre unique et mystérieux, hallucinante fable sur la violence sociale, le désir de notoriété, la différence et la solitude, matinée d'ambiances rappelant Franju ou Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. Une pépite, j'vous dis!!!

Editions l'Arbre vengeur. 2011. Illustrations de Hugues Micol.

Amazing Auction Alert: Bonhams "Objects of the Wunderkammer including an Exceptional Private Collection of European Ivories," London

2011-10-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Wow. Via Artdaily.org:

LONDON.- On Wednesday 2 November, to coincide with Halloween, Bonhams will hold its first sale dedicated to the Wunderkammer, also known as the ’Kunstkammer’ or ‘cabinet of curiosities’, a collection of fine objects created from the rarest and most exquisite materials and designed to induce excitement and wonder in the viewer.

Comprising works of art ranging from ivory figures and reliefs, early and rare bronzes, fine enamels, chalices and caskets, the Wunderkammer brought together objects produced from the most expensive and highly prized materials of the day, including ivory, tortoiseshell, rhino horn, enamel and gilt bronze.

This unique, one-off sale features one hundred and thirty ivory carvings, including a very spooky South German skull (estimate £10,000 – 15,000); an eerie 17th century anatomical model of an eye (estimate £4,000 – 6,000); and a gruesome relief depicting the martyrdom of Saint Erasmus (estimate £10,000 – 15,000). The top lot is a rare collection of forty four mid 18th century ivory intaglios of Roman Emperors, which has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 – 30,000. ...

You can read the full article on Artdaily.org by clicking here. You can find out more about the auction by clicking here.

Images of lots, top to bottom:
1) Lot No: 225
An 18th / 19th century North European carved and painted wood skull
possibly from a large crucifixion group, 14cm high

Estimate: £500 - 700, € 580 - 810

2) A rare South German anatomical model of an eye
probably late 17th century
composed of ten individual sections including an iris, pupil, and a section painted with veins, with a turned handle to the reverse and on a turned ivory spiralling stem and foot, together with a small 17th century circular carved wood and painted box which the eye fits into when disassembled, glass lense repaired, the ivory 8.5cm high, the box 8cm diameter (2)

Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000, € 6,900 - 9,200

Footnote:
The exquisite workmanship combined with the use of a rare and prized material in this miniature model of a human eye are typical of the objects that were collected and displayed in the Wunderkammer. Detailed models of eyes, as well as skulls and skeletons that are now associated with the Wunderkammer, were produced from the 17th century onwards and originally conceived as anatomical teaching tools. Ivory carvers such as Stephan Zick (1639-1715) and Johann Martin Teuber were influenced by the anatomical drawings of Andrea Vesalius in the mid 16th century and later George Bartisch who produced a manuscript relating to the eye in 1583. For a similar anatomical model of an eye, see Christies, London, December 4 2008, lot 75.

3) Lot No: 174Y
An 18th century South German ivory skull
carved with an entwined crown of thorns, with a snake above, later mounted on a perspex rectangular plinth, the ivory 10.5cm high

Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000, € 11,000 - 17,000

Footnote:
For a comparable ivory skull see the Robert and Angelique Noortman Collection: Paintings and Works of Art from Chateau De Groote Mot, sold at Sotheby's, Amsterdam, December 17, 2007, lot 557.
A similar skull monogrammed by Josef Konrad Wiser (1693-1760) but lacking the snake was sold at Sotheby's, London, July 9, 2008, lot 92, £37,250.

Sleeping in Bus Terminal

2011-10-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

Today's picture was taken in 1943, and it shows a woman sleeping in a bus station in Chicago, Illinois. I have never slept in a bus station, but I have slept in airports. By airport standards, this couch looks very comfy. In airports you just have chairs, and have to scoot down in the chair far enough to rest your head on the backrest. Not comfortable at all. Have any of you slept in a bus station or airport?

Pushkin Silhouettes

2011-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

A collection of silhouette illustrations relating to Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin, was published in 1949. The images above were cropped from the full page layouts posted to the da_zdra_per_m LJ site. {if you click through on an image and then "В другом размере", you can view enlarged versions}.

The Russian Silhouette Museum advises that the book includes illustration works by a number of artists, including "V.Gel'mersen, N.Il'in, B.Kustodiev".

Previously: The Silhouette Book || van Geldorp || literature || Russia.

Crowded Bus Terminal

2011-10-26T04:04:00.000-07:00

Today's picture comes from 1943, and shows a crowded bus terminal. The picture was taken in Memphis, Tennessee. I like looking at all the individuals in the crowd.

Pulp Visions of the New Empire #1

2011-10-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

General Mark Clark's Manhunt for Europe's G.I. Vice Lord
(Mort Künstler; 1962)

Aftermath: U.S.A. #16

2011-10-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

Original Caption:

New York -- Mary Joe Connolly, King Features Syndicate photographer, smiles a million-dollar smile to match the half-million dollar pearl gown she modelled in an interview on the Frances Langford-Don Ameche television show. The dress, made of 100,000 cultured pearls, is to be donated, after a tour of the country, to the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund by the Imperial Cultured Pearl Syndicate. In addition to the pearl dress, Miss Connolly wears four strands of pearls valued at $250,000, a purse valued at $40,000, bracelet at $40,000, earrings at $15,000, pin at $10,000, ring at $10,000, and a single solitaire pearl valued at $35,000. Those two pistols say she isn't going anywhere with all that stuff. (1952)

They Were Collaborators #699

2011-10-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jean Renoir and Charles Laughton

Annals of Crime #107

2011-10-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Original Caption:

Washington -- A police ambulance leaves a house in Northwest Washington, DC, where seven persons were found murdered. According to initial reports, four men on foot were observed running from the house and two .38 caliber pistols were found along their path. It was later discovered that the crimes had been committed by seven members of the organized crime syndicate and rival Muslim group the Black Mafia as part of an ideological attack again the Hanafi (Orthodox) Muslims based in the house. The intended target, Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, the leader of the Hanafi Muslims, was not at home. Two adults and a child were shot to death, while four other children were drowned. (1973)

The Gunslinger Guide to Elizabeth Taylor #2

2011-10-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Greyhound Bus

2011-10-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Today's picture shows a Greyhound Bus from 1938. I can remember riding the bus as a very small child. My parents would sometimes put me on the Greyhound to go visit my Aunt in San Angelo, which was 45 miles away. It was quiet an adventure to get to travel all by myself when I was that small. Now of course, the bus driver knew me, there were no stops between Eldorado and San Angelo, my Aunt was waiting for me at the Bus Station in Angelo, and the bus driver was watching out for me on the short trip up there . . . but at the time it felt like a real adventure.

Similar Images #15

2011-10-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ace in the Hole
(Billy Wilder; 1951)

Jordan's Dance
(Derek Jarman; 1977)

Seven Years, Folks. Seven Years

2011-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

As Joan Crawford cuts the cake with perhaps more zeal than the task requires, If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger . . . marks its seventh anniversary in existence.

Now, in the words of Lyndon Johnson: Let us continue . . .

Feuerwerksbuch

2011-10-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

15th Century Artillery Book

"1475 – Martin Merz was a gun-master in the service of Frederick I, the victorious, Elector Palatinate. 1469 he was the supreme canon master of Frederick’s army. He remained in the service of the Frederick’s successor Philip the Upright, Elector Palatine of the Rhine. He created his Feuerwerksbuch around 1460-1480 (Munich, BSB Cgm 599). [SOURCE]"

Feuerwerksbuch ||BSB Cgm 599|| by Martin Merz from 1473 is available from the Bavarian State Library (click 'Miniaturansicht' for thumbnail pages).
Martin Merz at Wikipedia (translation).
Previously: combat & machines & medieval.

Crowded Bus

2011-10-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying reading your Bus Memories the last few days. Most of the memories have been about school buses. I am sure some of you have ridden the Greyhound Buses. Maybe you can share some of those stories today.

This picture was taken in 1943. It shows a crowded bus. The bus was going from Memphis to Chattanooga. It looks like some people had to stand as the bus was too crowded for everyone to get a seat. Looks like the men were polite enough to allow the ladies to have the seats.

René Caillé !

2011-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Même si avec Lassalvy, on avait atteint un stade d'humour sexy un peu plus original, Le prolifique René Caillé mérite toute notre attention! On aime beaucoup ses pin-ups cinglantes et bien foutues et leur petit air boudeur...

Editions Dupuis, collection "Gag de poche"

School Bus

2011-10-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

I certainly enjoyed all the comments and discussion yesterday. It appears that most of the memories are centered around School Buses. So, I will give you another picture of an old school bus, and hope your stories and memories continue again today.

I did not ride the bus to school, but was in band and other extracurricular activities, so went on lots of bus trips. I read one comment yesterday from recumbent conspiracy theorist reminiscing about kids sitting on the back of the bus so they could chew tobacco without the driver seeing. Where I went to school there was no rule against kids chewing tobacco on the bus, or if there were rules they were not enforced. So, on every trip you would have a number of students chewing or dipping on the bus. On one particularly long and hot trip, all the side windows on the bus were open and we were driving down the highway. The kid in the front seat was dipping Copenhagen the whole way. He finally reached the point that his spit cup was completely full. Not understanding the subtleties of wind dynamics in a bus at full speed going down the highway with the windows open, he simply stuck his cup out the window and dumped it. Any of you that have traveled much with the windows down know that whatever goes out the front seat window comes right back into the back seats. So, when he dumped his cup out the window, all the contents came back into the bus through the other windows and sprayed everyone behind him with the contents of his cup. It was only the driver who prevented this young man from being beaten to a bloody pulp that day. Luckily the driver was in front of the kid, and did not get sprayed. Otherwise I feel the young man would not have lived through that day.

Old School Bus

2011-10-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had Train Week. Well, this week will be Bus Week. I wonder if people have as pleasant of memories riding on buses as trains? Hopefully we will find out this week. The picture above shows a school bus. It was taken in 1921 in West Virginia.

Most of my memories of school bus riding was not very pleasant. Long trips, uncomfortable seats, and getting home very late, and still having school the next day.

Punch and Judy

2011-10-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

"In my opinion the street Punch is one of those extravagant reliefs from the realities of life which would lose its hold upon the people if it were made moral and instructive.

I regard it as quite harmless in its influence, and as an outrageous joke which no one in existence would think of regarding as an incentive to any kind of action or as a model for any kind of conduct.

It is possible, I think, that one secret source of pleasure very generally derived from this performance… is the satisfaction the spectator feels in the circumstances that likenesses of men and women can be so knocked about without any pain or suffering.."

[Charles Dickens (in a letter) 1848]

[All images below were spliced together from screen shots]

"Who'd be plagued with a wife
That could set himself free
With a rope or a knife,
Or a good stick, like me"

"The Character of Mr Punch is descended from the Italian clown Pulcinella who featured in the Commedia Dell' Arte [previously] medieval tradition of the 15th Century.

Players toured Europe and Samuel Pepys recalls seeing such a troupe in Covent Garden in 1662 during the festivities surrounding the wedding of Charles II. This date is considered 'Punch's Birthday' and Mr Punch first become popular in London under the name Punchinello before it was shortened to the Mr Punch we know today.

This new irreverent wooden star was taken up by British puppeteers for his moral story could be used to comment on the politics of the day and so he traveled around the country for the next century. By 1800, he had become a hand puppet in the little street corner stages used by travelling puppeteers and known as Puppet Booths, new characters were added, he gained a wife, called Judy and began taking on British theatrical traditions.

This transformation from an adult morality play with plenty of contemporary social comment and satire to the colourful knockabout 'Punch and Judy Show' we know today performed using Glove Puppets was brought about as Punch absorbed the comedy of the Slapstick theatrical tradition." [source]

Etchings by George Cruikshank (pub. by S Prowett in London in 1828) accompanied the first written Punch & Judy script. The images are available via the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale University (search on 'Punch').
Punch & Judy at Wikipedia.
'Punch and Judy: A Short History with the Original Dialogue' (J Collier & G Cruikshank)
BBC: Puppet Show Faces Knockout Punch?
Previously: George Cruikshank.