Skip to main content

Rare vintage globes are being digitized so you can spin them online


The University of Southern Maine's Osher Map Library is making some of its oldest and rarest globes available in online models so you can rotate them from the comfort of your computer screen. The collection includes the library's two oldest: 1603 and 1607 celestial globes by Dutch cartographer Willem Janszoon Blaeu. Of course, there's nothing like spinning the real thing. But vintage globes are pretty fragile (usually made of plaster wood and paper), and some are in storage and out of reach.

[h/t: Motherboard]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

The Adorable Sculptures of Yen Yen Lo

These images are from a series of wall sculptures created by Yen Yen Lo . Here you can see her intricately textured ceramic pieces, looking downright adorable. Yen Yen Lo's eye for the unique and whimsical is delightful. Apparently they are not intended for kids under 16. Fifteen-year-olds cannot be trusted with fragile stuff. Get them a Funko Pop instead.

These skateboards look like something you'd want to hang on your wall than ride

If you're looking for the most artistic skateboards in town, then you just have to head to The Skateroom . They sell decks that feature the work of legendary artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Nobuyoshi Araki, and Ai Weiwei. Just recently, the company has teamed up with Vik Muniz to produce these beautiful decks that are true collector's items. They don't come cheap though. Each skateboard will set you back $350.