Daily Gazette for Wednesday, June 3rd - because I've been a slacker

A clump from a recent Metafilter post:
The Luttrell Psalter
...with fancy, fancy flash interface and superzoom magnifier
Marginalia
...the website of the Medieval Reading Group at the University of Cambridge
Got Medieval
...a funny blog - a "tonic for the slipshod use of medieval European history in the media and pop culture"

One more from Mefi:
Warner Brothers "Break Downs" and "Blow Ups" 1936-1947
...Pre-war blooper reels from Warner Brothers

A group from plep.org
Modern Medieval Map Myths
Northvegr: Texts for Northern European Studies
The Carpet Index: The Oriental Carpet in Early Renaissance Paintings
Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art by John Vinycomb [1909]
The Kings of Africa (photo portraits)
All American Space Fleet
... a set of trading cards from the 1950's. For me, the best part is the "tips" at the bottom of each card.

70's Danish interior design as seen in Porn Films
... probably Not Safe For Work, but no graphic sex shots. Cropped frames showing the furniture.

Judge a Book
Book covers and modern design

Wood Type Museum
"This Web Museum is established for the purpose of educating the general public, and the next generation, on the beauties of wood types and engraved blocks. Our mission is to gather, save, preserve, and interpret wood types and information about them.

As the demand for broadsides increased during first years of the nineteenth century, the need for the process of producing large letters cheaply arose. Wood was a logical material choice because of its ready availability, lightness, and proven printing qualities. In 1827, Darius Wells of New York City first found the means to mass produce wood letters. In March of 1828, first wood type catalogue was published by Wells. Throughout the wood type manufacturing history, many manufactories were in business. Among those, Wm. H. Page & Co., Vanderburgh, Wells & Co. and Hamilton Mfg. Co. was the most noted ones."

15 Sexist Vintage Ads

Vintage Sewing Info
... free online access to public domain sewing books from the 1800's - 1950's

The Vintage Sailor
... a blog about yardsaling for profit.

The Idle Parent
... this is actually a website promoting a book, but I like the manifesto on the front page. Tied to this recent NY Times article about the return of more relaxed parenting styles.

Ok, I think I'm done.

"If we don’t show anyone, we’re free to write anything." - A Ginsberg

Today is Allen Ginsberg's birthday. He would have been 83.

When Josh and I were first dating, he took me to see a live reading by Ginsberg (with musical accompaniment by Devonsquare) at the State Theater - one of their first events, I think. Torture for Josh, but an amazing evening for me. I remember Ginsburg in a straight backed chair, so small, rocking to the rhythm of his own voice, feet and knees and legs pressed tightly together. I still cannot enter a supermarket without thinking of that night, and Walt Whitman.

A few years previously I had met him at a small reading and workshop at the University of New Hampshire (that would have been 1987, a mere ten years prior to his death, now that I think about it). We were allowed to submit one poem in advance, and he read aloud the top five of the thirty or so that were submitted. Mine was not chosen, but it didn't matter. The chance to have those two hours in the room with him, to hear him talk about composition and meter and William Blake was quite enough. He signed my dog-eared copy of Howl with a big daisy on the title page and told me to keep writing on and in his books. I remember him saying that he signed so many copies of Howl that looked new and unopened -- that it was a pleasure to sign a copy someone had clearly read and loved.

I'm always surprised when I realize he's dead. Its a shame he didn't live to see the age of Obama, but also a blessing to think that he missed the ravages of the prior administration. I can imagine him standing up, wearily, in Boston or San Francisco to be married, because he was in love at that moment and because he could.

( Cosmopolitan Greetings )