Saturday 17 February 2018 at 13:46
This wonderful sketch of “teeth painlessly extracted by steam power” appears on an envelope addressed to a certain Dr J. Chapman of Totton, Southampton. As to whether he is the creator of the drawing also (or indeed someone in his household), the jury is out — though the idea that the envelope made its way […]
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/steam-powered-tooth-extraction-on-an-envelope-1894/
Wednesday 14 February 2018 at 17:51
An exploration of covert communication through history by the artist, naturalist, antiquarian, and writer Frederick Edward Hulme.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/cryptography-or-the-history-principles-and-practice-of-cipher-writing-1898/
Thursday 8 February 2018 at 16:10
Travel diary of the English sculptor Clare Sheridan telling the story of controversial trip to early Soviet Russia.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/russian-portraits-1921/
Wednesday 7 February 2018 at 16:29
For more than 150 years the city of New Orleans has been known for the theatricality and extravagance of its Mardi Gras celebrations. Allison C. Meier looks at the wonderfully ornate float and costume designs from Carnival's "Golden Age" and the group of New Orleans artists who created them.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/2018/02/07/illustrating-carnival-remembering-the-overlooked-artists-behind-early-mardi-gras/
Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 16:44
Celebrating the centenary of Gustav Klimt's death with a selection of close-ups from his most famous painting.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/details-from-gustav-klimts-the-kiss-1908/
Friday 2 February 2018 at 14:42
Miniaturised dancers give a history of dance from the stone-age to the early 20th century, all upon a table-top.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/the-dances-of-the-ages-1913/
Wednesday 31 January 2018 at 17:01
Fantastic depictions of various Roman antiquities from a wonderful catalogue of objects once found in the private museum of 18th-century antiquities collector Giovanni Carafa.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/curiosities-from-the-museum-of-giovanni-carafa-1778/
Thursday 25 January 2018 at 20:16
Science fiction novel by astronomer Camille Flammarion, concerning a near comet miss and a vision of the earth's far distant future.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/omega-the-last-days-of-the-world-1894/
Wednesday 24 January 2018 at 18:27
Bennett Gilbert peruses a sketchbook of 15th-century engineer Johannes de Fontana, a catalogue of designs for a wide-range of fantastic and often impossible inventions, including fire-breathing automatons, pulley-powered angels, and the earliest surviving drawing of a magic lantern device.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/2018/01/24/the-dreams-of-an-inventor-in-1420/
Tuesday 23 January 2018 at 11:21
Japanese woodcuts from a series by Kamekichi Tsunajima titled “Ryūkō eigo zukushi”, showing images of animals, activities and objects each with their Japanese and English names.
Source: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/a-collection-of-fashionable-english-words-1887/