General Interest
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/horydczak/index.html
While other photographers of the area such as Dorothea Lange may be more well-known to the general public, Theodor Horydczak’s body of work is one that deserves equal attention. Relatively little is known about his background, though most people agree that he was born in Eastern Europe and that he may have been a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. What is known is that he documented many aspects of the Washington metropolitan area from the mid-1920s through the 1950s. The American Memory Project at the Library of Congress has created this online archive of his work, which includes around 14,350 photographs. In the database, visitors can look through photographs that document commercial buildings, playgrounds, street scenes, and the 1933 World Series. Visitors can also read several short essays about his work and an even shorter essay about what is known about the man himself. [KMG]
People interested in urban affairs have a number of fine ways to find out about the latest developments in the field, and one of them is right here at this website. Hosted by Carol Coletta, Smart City is a public radio talk show that brings on experts to discuss topics such as affordable housing initiatives and economic development strategies. The program started in 2001, and visitors to the site can listen to programs from 2004 to the present day. Visitors can also sign up to receive their newsletter and their podcasts. Additionally, visitors can also take a look at a list of links related to recent presentations on the show. [KMG]
http://www.circusinamerica.org/public/welcome
For over a century and a half, the circus was at the forefront of Americans’ minds when they thought of large-scale entertainment. To be sure, there were other ways to experience crowds in a shared setting, but with their movement through towns both large and small, the circus seemed to captivate both cosmopolites and more rural folk. Designed by the staff members at The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia, this multimedia site brings together a range of primary materials (including video clips) that tell the stories of six major American circuses from 1793 to 1940. At the top of the homepage, visitors can elect to learn about the acts in each circus, the animals that delighted both young and old, and the transportation methods used to move these enormous productions from Nyack to New Bedford. There is also a circus timeline of events here, and some “Special Attractions”, which include essays on various aspects of circus history and a selection of sounds of the circus. The site is rounded out by some video clips of restored circus wagons on parade and itineraries for the six featured circuses which give users a sense of the exhausting schedules they often had. [KMG]
http://www.nli.ie/1916/index.html
As a formative and pivotal moment in Irish history, the 1916 Rising has commanded the attention of many historians over the past nine decades. Recently, the National Library of Ireland created this engaging online exhibit about these events. In total, this resource includes over 500 images drawn from the Library’s books, newspapers, drawings, and proclamations. The actual exhibit itself moves visitors through sections that provide a basic outline of Irish history, and then move through the events over the following centuries that would lead up to the Uprising itself. Perhaps the finest moments of the collection are contained within the last few sections, where visitors learn about the fate of those who were arrested due to their activities during the Uprising. [KMG]
http://main.wgbh.org/saybrother/
A number of public affairs programs of historical interest have found themselves on the web as of late, and the important African-American show “Say Brother” produced by WGBH is one of these programs. Started in 1968, the television program has featured conversations and discussions with Julian Bond, Nikki Giovanni, Eartha Kitt, and other leaders within the African-American community. With a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), WGBH began the process of preserving the original master tapes of this program, and they also placed excerpts of each program online at this website. Here, visitors can view these excerpts and also search all of the programs by subject, personal name, or program number. The site is rounded out by an exemplary list of online resources for African-American history organized under the headings of heritage collections, publications, and archives and archivists. [KMG]
http://staff.southwest.tn.edu/kfoster/links_4.htm#algtrig
A number of websites provide access to very fine educational resources designed to assist college students master their subjects of study. This site, created by Ken Foster at the Southwest Tennessee Community College, provides a detailed list of links to sites that cover topics such as art education, accounting, automobile repair, and computer sciences. By clicking on the “Table of Contents”, visitors can also learn more about which specific subject areas are included within each broader category. The sites are all basically contained within one extended list, so visitors may have to scroll around a bit to find what they are looking for, but other than that, the site is easy to use. For educators looking to provide students with a way to find supplementary learning materials, this is an excellent place to look. [KMG]
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/
Where will the next great ideas in engineering come from? What will they be? These are but a few of the excellent and thoughtful questions being asked as part of the Grand Challenges For Engineering initiative. Sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), this website is part of their effort to solicit opinions on this material from engineering experts and members of the scientific community. Visitors to the site can learn about members of the initiative’s committee and also learn about some of the innovations that the panel is already thinking about, such as the challenges of landing on Mars. In the “Hopes” section, visitors can read several essays, including one from President Jimmy Carter on his own thoughts on future challenges in this area of human endeavor. It is also worth noting that visitors can offer their own opinions on all of the material here, and that comments are moderated along the way. [KMG]
A project of the McKnight Foundation and Walker Art Center, the mission of mnartists.org is to "improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture." Right now mnartists.org provides an online database of the work of Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines, and hopes to evolve into a market place and communication forum for artists and supporters. Browse around to read about current art in Minnesota, like the Art Shanty Project, a 5-week exhibition that draws dozens of artists, who build ice shanties on Medicine Lake, near Minneapolis - this year the first shanty (the Postal Shanty) had to be set up on the beach, waiting for the lake to completely freeze. All kinds of events take place in and around the shanties, from a Go Fish card game tournament, to sing-alongs and performances. During regular open hours visitors can wander through shanties such as the Shanty of Misfit Toys, the knitting Shanty where you can learn how to knit, and the Postal Shanty, where you can send a letter. Mnartists.org also provides a wealth of art news, in the form of pictures, articles, blogs, audio, video and RSS feeds. [DS]
