General Interest
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/spalding/
On a cold and blustery day in November 1887, a group of Chicagoans were eagerly awaiting inside the Farragut Boat Club for the telegraphed results of the Harvard-Yale football game. George W. Hancock was one of their number, and while waiting he created a game that used a boxing glove for a ball and a broomstick for a bat. This game was known as indoor base ball, and it was the predecessor to the sport which would later be called softball. This delightful collection from the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress contains 35 of the official indoor base ball guides published between 1889 and 1939. The guides include editorials from baseball writers on the state of the game, a selection of photographs, and of course, a slew of statistics. The guides are fun, informative, and who knows, they might serve as the timely spark to start a revival of this pastime. [KMG]
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/print/exhibits/multiple/
While this particular exhibit closed in January 2008, visitors with a penchant for printmaking and the visual arts in general will be glad to learn that this online exhibit is still available for viewing. The exhibit was funded by Miriam and Ira D. Wallach, and it takes a close look at some of the many contemporary prints which reside in the New York Public Library's Division of Art, Prints and Photographs. Visitors can start their journey through the prints by first reading an introductory essay on the exhibition. After that, they can click on an alphabetical list of the artists whose work is included here. While there are many compelling works available, visitors should not miss the prints by Olafur Eliasson, Wayne Gonzales, and Elliott Green. [KMG]
http://www.mostly-medieval.com/explore/
Mostly Medieval accurately describes this webpage, and it's a rather fine potpourri of information related to the Middle Ages. The site was created by Susan Wallace as the result of a research for a novel set in 13th century Scotland. Visitors can make their way through sections such as "Ballads," "Beasties," "Book of Days," "God and War," and "Heradlry." The "Ballads" area is a nice place to start; users can read (and perhaps sing) through such ballads as "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne," "Gude Wallace," and "The Battle of Harlaw." After that bit of warm-up, visitors should take a look inside the "Book of Days" section to learn more about holy days and celebrations throughout the months. Finally, visitors can also use the A-Z index to look up specific topics of interest. [KMG]
http://www.universalleonardo.org/
To say Leonardo da Vinci was a bit of a polymath is akin to casually mentioning that Rachmaninov had some facility on the piano. His works spanned the visual arts, engineering, mathematics, anatomy, and many other areas which have fascinated and confounded humans for millennia. This website serves as an tribute to his prodigious skills, and it warrants several visits. On the top of the homepage, visitors will find sections that include "Visit," "Explore," "Play," "Discover," and "Research." Visitors would do well to look through the "Explore" section first. Here they can take in interactive exhibits which look into da Vinci's work on human anatomy, the natural world, and his thoughts on light and vision. Moving along, the "Play" section is truly fun for all ages, as visitors can make their own monster, interact with a series of pulleys, and even make the Mona Lisa smile. Additionally, the "Discover" area discusses the various scientific techniques used to explore and analyze da Vinci's "Madonna of the Yarnwinder." [KMG]
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/connect/rpt.cfm
Located at the Kennedy Center, the National Arts and Education Network (known as ArtsEdge) "supports the placement of the arts at the center of the curriculum and advocates creative use of technology." Along with creating online teaching resources, activities, and exhibits, they also have a substantial research initiative. On this site, visitors can browse over 35 different reports and articles that have been created by ArtsEdge or one of its partners. Visitors can scroll through the list of available documents or also perform a quick keyword search. The titles offered cover everything from arts education to educational technology, and they include "Arts, Artists, and Teaching," "Media Paints Arts Education in Fading Light," and "What Are They Teaching Art Students These Days?" [KMG]
http://lcmedia.com/mindprgm.htm
Broadcast on National Public Radio, The Infinite Mind program takes a close investigative look into the inner workings of the human mind through interviews with various medical professionals, artists, and those coping with mental illness. Guests of the program have included everyone from comedienne Margaret Cho to left-handed boxers, or "southpaws," as they are known in the business. Recent programs have included shows on the nature of altruism, shoplifting, Tourette's syndrome, and internal body clocks. Visitors can listen to the various shows online here, read about the radio stations that broadcast the program, and learn more about the company that produces it, Lichtenstein Creative Media. [KMG]
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a historic tour of the Colorado River Canyon? Wonder no more, as this site from the U.S. Geological Survey makes just such a sojourn possible. Drawing on thousands of historic and contemporary photographs, views, documents, and other items, the USGS has created these fine 3D and photographic tours of dozens of national parks. On the site, visitors will find an alphabetical list of the parks, along with links to the 3D image galleries, standard image galleries, and selected online field guides. There's a great deal to recommend here, but visitors should definitely look at the stereograph images from the Powell Survey Expeditions of the Colorado River from 1871 and 1872 (in the "Other park-related resources" section) and the guidebook titled "Where's the San Andreas Fault?" Along with providing entertaining edification, this site might also spark some ideas for an upcoming trip. [KMG]
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/colorchart/flashsite/
This fun exhibit from MOMA uses the commercial color chart as its organizing function, which allows visitors to look at art several ways. Browse artists alphabetically from Bas Jan Ader's "Primary Time" video, featuring red, blue and yellow carnations to Christopher Williams' photographs of bright red, yellow and green plates in dishwashers. Select "by Medium" to see work sorted into categories: a few media, 16 photographs, a handful of sculptures and other installations, 8 drawings and prints, and almost four dozen paintings. You can also view the art work on a timeline by year – beginning with Marcel Duchamp's "Tu m'" as the only 1918 entry and moving to Robert Rauschenberg's "Rebus" from 1955 makes 1962 seem a watershed year for color, with several stripe paintings by Frank Stella, a couple of paint-by-number Andy Warhols, as well as five of his Marilyn Monroes in different color schemes. It's also possible to view online videos of four artworks as they are being installed at the Museum. [DS]
