General Interest
http://www65.statcan.gc.ca/acyb_r000-eng.htm
Learning about Canada's past just became a bit easier with the Canada Year Book Historical Collection website. The site provides access to one hundred years worth of the annual "Canada Year Book". These books cover the years 1867 to 1967, and visitors will get the opportunity to learn about social and economic history from across the provinces. Visitors can browse by year or topic, and looking over the topics, which include "Occupations" and Economic Gains" is a good way to start. Additionally, visitors can also browse tables, charts, and maps as they see fit. Educators will want to look through the "Tools and Reference" area, as it contains lesson plans and a set of links to related sites. [KMG]
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/garibaldi/
Known as the "Hero of the Two Worlds" due to his military exploits in South America and Europe, Giuseppe Garibaldi played a key role in the Risorgimento in Italy. This movement effectively united the various political states that existed within the Italian peninsula during the nineteenth century. This excellent digital archive, created by the Brown University Library's Center for Digital Initiative, offers a broad range of materials related to Garibaldi and his various deeds. Perhaps the key element of this fine collection is a dynamic visualization of the library's Garibaldi panorama, which was a form of public art that was rather prominent throughout the nineteenth century. The panorama is essentially a vast linear canvas that portrayed and interpreted events and subjects from history. Here visitors can learn about the digitization process, view an animation of the panorama, and view a fifty-minute documentary about the panorama. Visitors can also view a selection of depictions of military figures from the Risorgimento. Overall, this is a fascinating exhibition, and one that will warrant several visits. [KMG]
http://www.greatchicagostories.com/
The hot dog is a powerful symbol of Chicago's past culinary triumphs, and it makes sense that it is one of the first things that visitors to this delightful site will encounter. This interactive site was created by the Chicago History Museum, with funding provided in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The site includes historical fiction stories that help illuminate Chicago's past through documents and ephemera culled from the Museum's vast storehouse of archival materials. The subjects covered within the archive include public housing, the migration of African Americans to the Second City, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Visitors can even listen to audio versions of the story, and educators will enjoy the classroom resources provided here as well. [KMG]
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/westsidestory/
Based on "Romeo and Juliet", the musical "West Side Story" reinvigorated Broadway by speaking (and singing) frankly about violence, adolescent gangs, and racial prejudice. The show's collaborators included Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins, and since its initial performance in 1957, it has become an iconic musical. While the in situ exhibit at the Library of Congress is no longer available for viewing, visitors can take in some of the artifacts related to the show's production on this site. The exhibit is a real treasure trove for musical lovers, and even those who've only heard "I Feel Pretty" once may be won over. The documents are divided into sections that include "Birth of A Musical" and "The Legacy of West Side Story". Along with interpretative introductions, visitors can look at rehearsal photographs from the original productions, posters, opening night telegrams, and choreographic notes. [KMG]
Have you ever wondered what the various parts of a guitar are called? Perhaps you need a refresher on the various types of dresses? The Visual Dictionary website covers both topics in copious detail, along with offering up information on transportation, biology, and the human body. Essentially, the site offers annotated images that identify each part of a given item, such as an automobile or a musical instrument. Visitors can search the site by using the embedded search engine or they can look over a list of topics. The coverage is quite broad, as users will find everything from the detailed anatomy of a turtle to an exploration of a car's engine. One can imagine that these materials might work well in a classroom setting, as well as for those who are just generally curious about the world around them. [KMG]
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/online/index.asp
As one might imagine, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney is partially housed within the shell of an old power station. The Museum itself has been around since 1880 in one form or another, and for those who can't make it to Australia, this selection of online resources draws on some of their delightful holdings. Visitors can get things started by finding out their ecological footprint with the 15-question "Bigfoot" quiz. Moving down the page, visitors can look through their electronic swatchbook, which contains a number of stunning fashionable fabric designs ranging from the 1830s to the 1920s. The site also contains the Hedda Morrison photographic collection, which features photographs taken by Morrison during her many travels through China, Sarawak, and Australia. Overall, it's a site that will merit several visits and it's worth coming back to just to see what they'll add next. [KMG]
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/
The good folks at Texas A&M University's Extension Horticulture program have been maintaining this site since October 1994. Currently, over fifty teachers, scientists, and extension specialists work to keep this site buzzing with activity and high-quality resources for Texans and anyone else who wanders on by. Visitors can navigate the materials offered here by combing over the links on the left-hand side of the page. Here they will find lists of tips for gardening in different regions of Texas, along with the "PLANTanswers" section. This special feature includes an archive of gardening information assembled by Dr. Jerry Parsons. Visitors will be delighted to learn that they can also watch videos of Dr. Parsons and his colleagues answering questions. This area also includes a sampling of recipes and quotes for general consumption and use. [KMG]
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=history&col_id=149
In 1997, the New York Public Library received a very impressive map collection from the estate of the late Lawrence H. Slaughter. Four years later, the remainder of his collection was also given to the Library's Map Division. It is certainly a tremendous offering, and these maps are offered as part of the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery site. Visitors to the site can look over 1000 maps of North America that date from the 16th century all the way up to the waning years of the 19th century. Users are free to select from sections that include maps of North America, New York City, Virginia, and diverse others. A few of the gems offered here include an early map of the plan for Washington, D.C. and a chart of the West Indies from 1702. [KMG]
