General Interest
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/markrothko/default.shtm
During his productive life, Mark Rothko worked across a variety of media, but he is perhaps best known for his iconic paintings, which usually feature bold rectangles that are executed in deep reds, oranges, maroons, and browns. The Tate Modern recently decided to mount an impressive exhibition of Rothko's work, and visitors who can't make it across the pond to Britain will want to spend some quality time on this site. Visitors can read a brief introduction to the exhibit, and then click on the "Resources & Links" area to view paintings from the collection, listen to podcasts from Tate curators, and also read about previous Rothko exhibits at the Tate, such as the Seagram Mural installation that took place from 1988 to 1989. Moving on, visitors shouldn't miss the interview with Achim Borchardt-Hume, who is the curator for this particular show. [KMG]
Over the past several years, more and more big-city police departments have been able to join crime data with sophisticated geographic-information systems to offer a more detailed portrait of crime patterns for the general public's edification. Recently, the Metropolitan Police of London decided to engage in just such an initiative, and this website contains the helpful results of their concentrated labor. The site is graphics-intensive, but it remains easy to use. Users can use the "Find your area" to browse around by postcode or even select different boroughs from a drop down list. Visitors can zoom in and out as they see fit, and they will also want to consult the detailed key which offers some relative perspective on the various levels of crime throughout the different areas of the city. Overall, it's a very fine resource for aspiring criminologists, students of human behavior, and those who are just interested in London. [KMG]
http://content.lib.washington.edu/costumehistweb/index.html
There are fashion plates, and then there are the exquisite fashion plates that constitute the University of Washington Libraries digitized collection. The plates were first collected by long-time home economics professor Blanche Payne, who taught at the University from 1927 to 1966. The plates come from leading French, American, and British fashion journals of the 19th and early 20th century and they document many stylistic periods, such as the Empire, Romantic, Victorian, and Edwardian. Visitors will want to start by reading an essay on the collection, and then they should feel welcome to browse the collection of over 400 plates at their leisure, or to browse the collection by subject. One fascinating aspect of the site is an extended excerpt from the 1913 book "Dame fashion" which comments on the history and transformation of various fashions during the 19th century. [KMG]
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photosynth/synth
It would be pretty great to fly close by over the ponderous 16th century castle of El Morro in San Juan, but it could be a pricey proposition, and you might garner some unwanted attention from Puerto Rican officials. Well, there is another option, and that is to take in El Morro (and many other world landmarks) via the National Geographic Magazine's Photosynth website. The site draws on technology developed by Microsoft, and essentially takes a large collection of photos, analyzes them for similarities, and stitches them together to create a rather fine immersive experience. Visitors are also welcome to submit their own photos for inclusion in this project, and landmarks currently under construction include Petra, the Sydney Opera House, and Seattle's Space Needle. Also, visitors will need to download the free Photosynth software to take full advantage of the site. [KMG]
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/CD/
Nobel Prize-recipient Paul Berg has made major contributions to the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology for fifty years. This Profiles in Science feature from the National Library of Health contains biographical information on Berg, along with correspondence, laboratory notebooks, portraits, legislative records, reports, and articles related to his work and times. Visitors can start their visit within the site by reading his extended biography, which is divided chronologically into areas like "Protein Synthesis, Tumor Viruses, and Recombinant DNA, 1959-1975". The documents themselves offer a variety of insights into Berg's career, his interactions with other scholars, and the milieu of this type of scientific research over the second half of the twentieth century. [KMG]
Many a great invention has come out of MIT, and it's nice to know that their OpenCourseWare initiative provides materials from a class titled "Development of Inventions and Creative Ideas" taught by Professor Robert Rines and Dr. Dedric Carter. The course "examines the role of the engineer as patent expert and as technical witness in court and patent interference and related proceedings." That's far from all, however, as the course also delves into "American systems of incentives to creativity" and "various manners of transplanting inventions into business operations." Interested parties can breeze through the syllabus, look over a selection of readings, take a look into the assignments, and a bit of information on the course pedagogy. [KMG]
http://www.ceramicartsdaily.org/magazines/Ceramics%20Monthly/currentissue.aspx/
If you've ever thrown some clay around or experimented with different glazes (and even if you haven't), you'll want to turn the electronic pages of Ceramics Monthly. Published ten times a year, the magazine focuses on all things ceramics, and visitors to their site can read selected articles about exhibitions, installations, ceramics techniques, and those ceramicists who are making their mark in the field. Those already in the ceramics field will also want to make note of the "Call to Entries" area of the site and the "New Books" section. The site is rounded out by a link to the "Ceramic Arts Daily" site, where visitors can browse ceramics features, look through a glossary of terms, and view great videos of potters making pitchers, squared-off mugs, and vases. [KMG]
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http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/benin/index
The royal arts of the Benin Kingdom of south-central Nigeria focus on the centrality of the "Oba", or divine king, and this exhibit, organized by museums in Austria, Africa, Germany, the U.S., and France, traces the history of Benin's royal arts from the early 13th century to the mid-twentieth. On the exhibition's website there are ten themes to explore including "The Warrior Obas", "The Oba's Palace", and "Rituals at Court", and each theme is illustrated with selected objects. For example, an Ife, a foot-high, brass head of a man illustrates the "Mythic Origins" theme, dating from the 12th/15th century. Click on the theme "Oba Ewuare and the Portuguese" to see Oba's Fly Wisk (Ugbudian Ivie), 18th/19th century, an object that, despite its practical sounding name, is purely a luxury item, made of lovely red coral and agate, and weighing approximately five and a half pounds - far too heavy to swat a fly. Interactive and historical maps round out the experience and there are also several videos showing a 21st century artist at work and the Igue Festival, Benin City, 2002-2003. [DS]
