Dark Roasted Blend

The Extraordinary World of Ex Libris Art

2009-11-20T19:44:00.004-08:00

"QUANTUM SHOT" #48
Link - article by Simon Rose and Avi Abrams

Sometimes ex libris is more valuable than the book containing it

  Ex libris, meaning ‘from the library of’, or ‘from the books of’ is a Latin expression attached to the art form of bookplates. These are stamps or labels that appear inside books to denote ownership, and range from the simple to the decorative and elaborate, to the obscure or even bizarre and surreal.

Noble families often used a personal coat of arms or crest, frequently featuring a family motto in their native language or in Latin. Naturally, styles change over time, but most bookplates reflect the decorative styles of the era in which they were created.   A vast range of illustrations feature on bookplates - dragons, angels, trophies, animals, birds, children, musical instruments, weapons, floral displays, trees, plants, landscapes and much more.

(images credit: Pratt Libraries, via)

The study and collection of bookplates began around 1860. Bookplates are very often of high interest, exceeding that of the book in which they are placed. They are valued for their historical interest as examples of art from a particular time period, but also if they belonged to famous people. This article does not claim to include all the bookplates in history and simply examines and highlights some of the more interesting examples of ex libris art that uncovered in the course of my research.

(images via 1, 2)

The bookplate first came on the scene just after the first printed books made their appearance in the fifteenth century. The earliest known examples of bookplates are from Germany, where they were made in large numbers before the practice spread to other countries. Consequently, for collectors, these examples are often of the most interest artistically. The oldest recorded bookplate dates from around 1450.

This angelic design from Germany, known as the ‘Gift-plate of Hildebrand Brandenburg of Biberach to the Monastery of Buxheim’, dates from around 1480 - via

In France the most ancient ex-libris as yet discovered is that of one Jean Bertaud de la Tour-Blanche from 1529, while the oldest example from England belonged to Sir Nicholas Bacon, a politician in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and father of Francis Bacon. It served as a gift plate for books he presented to the University of Cambridge before his death in 1579.

Early plates from Holland and Italy are dated to 1597 and 1622 respectively. Examples are common from many parts of Europe in the seventeenth century and the earliest known American example is the plain printed label of John Williams from 1679.

Bookplates appeared in other parts of the world as well. This one attributed to Shah Jahan dates from the Mughal dynasty era in India in 1645:

(fragments, see the whole art here)

While this one (image below left) was also clearly inspired by the artwork and customs of the Indian subcontinent. The ex-libris on the right: great executioner design serves as a warning to respect the book’s ownership or face drastic consequences:

Heraldic designs were commonly used for decoration, as shown in this plate from England:

(image via)

This American design from 1905 has some heraldic and coat of arms elements, but also incorporates a house in an elegant frame (image below left). George Bancroft’s bookplate, complete with a signature, takes inspiration from Ancient Greece. “Eis phaos” translates from Greek as “towards the light.”

This plate created for himself by Samuel Hollyer dates from 1896, but mentions Hogarth and is in the style of the eighteenth century (image left). On the right is the great design for Jane Patterson, from 1890:

(images via)

Artist Amy Sacker designed many bookplates for her clients in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries:

(images via)

In this one, dated 1953, a monk sits at the foot of a tree, which bears books as well as leaves on the branches. Right image is a wonderful depiction of a skeleton playing the cello, from 1909:

(images via 1, 2)

These excellent examples of bookplates all date from the first half of the twentieth century:

(images credit: Pratt Libraries, via)

Historical personalities and celebrities, politicians, movie stars, athletes and even some of the more infamous figures of history, have all used bookplates as well:

French president Charles de Gaulle’s bookplate proudly displays the Cross of Lorraine, symbol of the Free French Forces during World War Two (left image); Edward Heath, former British Prime Minister, used a bookplate that reflected his passion for sailing (middle image); Ramsay MacDonald, Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister in the inter war period (right image):

This one on the left, dating from around 1907, belonged to the last Czar of Russia, the unfortunate Nicholas II. Upper right image: Queen Victoria’s bookplate looks suitably royal, displaying a coat of arms. Lower right image: This belonged to the Swedish and Norwegian King Oscar II -

George Washington’s bookplate, showing a family coat of arms, was engraved in London to his specifications in 1792 (left image). Paul Revere, hero of the American Revolution, was also an renowned engraver and a designer of silverware and had his own unique artwork for use with his book collection (right image):

(images via 1, 2)

Charles Dickens, well known of course as a writer of books, had his own bookplates for the volumes in his personal collection (left image). Jack London’s bookplate looks ideal for placing inside his own novels, such as Call of the Wild or White Fang (on the right):

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, had a suitably grand design pasted into his book collection:

(Ex-libris on the right is dated 1909, via)

The bookplate belonging to Sigmund Freud contains a nude figure (left image). Jack Dempsey, world champion heavyweight boxer in the 1920’s (right image):

Benito Mussolini, the infamous Italian dictator, needs no introduction and these are two of the bookplates that he commissioned in the mid thirties:

(image via)

Greta Garbo famously declared that she wanted to be alone, probably with plenty of books for company, all displaying her own distinctive label (left image). Douglas Fairbanks Jr, was born in New York, but had a very aristocratic British style to his bookplate (right image):

The bookplate of Harpo Marx features a caricature of himself (top left image). Charles Chaplin used this bookplate in his personal library. Other Hollywood celebrities who had their own bookplates include: Cecil B. de Mille, Bing Crosby - see image below:

Wonderul sets of ex libris art are located here and here.

Some vintage ex libris art had an amazing amount of detail, comparable with paintings and engravings of the period:

(Bookplate circa 1814, 1907 - Designed for Franz James Mankiewicz - image via)

CONTINUE TO THE "UNUSUAL MAPS"! ->

Simon Rose is the author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children, including The Alchemist's Portrait, The Sorcerer's Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic's Tomb and The Doomsday Mask.

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Link Latte 123

2009-11-15T19:39:00.003-08:00

#123 - Week of November 15, 2009

The Stone Forest... this is something else - [awesome pics]
Very entertaining infographic about coffee - [cool info]
"Oasis Of The Seas", the biggest ship, is completed, video and pics - [wow]
Half Car, Half Bike, is Really Bizarre - [wow auto]
Living Room Decorated Inside a PC - [crazy PC mod]
Divers Wrestling with Octopusses! - [anyone has pics?]
Interesting Surreal Set of Female Form Variations - [photography]
Peculiar qualities of a hyroscope - [neat video]
Something is brewing in the Moscow skies - [click image to enlarge]
Anamorphic Images & Illusions! - [follow the links]
Great visual graphic of music sales - [cool info]
World's Longest BASE Jump - [wow video]
Very strange, and yet somewhat cool game, more - [art]
Even Mona Lisa needs some coffee in the morning - [cool art]
Computopia, courtesy 1969 Japan - [futuristic]
100 year old Antarctic whiskey - [wonder about the taste]
Man-eating monster is alive and well - [and plays with its hunters]
Wonder (Bread) Woman, Disposable Paper Dresses - [weird art] - via
Bizarre and Brilliant Bed Designs - [compilation]
Love Story, Flickr-style - [romantic geek article]
How to commute on a motorcycle with your pet - [funny guide]
Most unique... some are simply nuts... golf courses - [round-up]
The Ultimate Argument Resolution Device (and the Apologizer) - [ha!]
Zooey sings an upbeat song... - [nice video]
Vivaldi played like you never heard it before - [unreal video]
One Russian guy did this animation for fun - [cool video]
An Epic Song Plus Epic Destruction - [equals a cool music video]
Sleeping Betty... is tired! - [animation masterpiece, funny!]
Make stunning Flash websites for free! - [promotion]
The strangest animals... but you knew that - [wow nature]
Never buy an animal from a pet store? - [health tips]
Some unusual photos of fathers and kids - [compilation]

SEE ALL OTHER LINK LATTE ISSUES HERE

Outrageously Creative Ads, Issue 12

2009-11-12T21:25:00.007-08:00

"QUANTUM SHOT" #598
Link - by A. Abrams

You are going to be shocked and entertained... and then maybe you're actually going to buy stuff

It would be simply impossible to list or even mention all of the great ads that appeared since our last issue. We're sure you've seen some of them already in the running campaigns, and perhaps even succumbed to their appeal and reached for the wallet. For this is what they are: creative masterpieces designed to part you and your money.

As always, this next installment in our highly popular series covers print, urban, and viral advertisements, chosen for originality and lasting impression.

Are you ready? Let's dive in -

"Water on Lens" Exhibition - Click here to see more, via

Where even nightmares come to rest:

Get rid of your nightmares, already:

Some spectacular wide-format visual ads (click to enlarge) -

More monsters and disasters:

What's the worst that could happen? Well....

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Household Surrealism

Tough, very tough:

Good suction:

Good lubricant:

Let them see and appreciate your kitchen:

Some weird situations. Do they even have to be explained? -

Extreme zoom:

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Viral Street and Urban Ads

New urban sport:

Followed by thirst for Guinness, of course:

Warning: gross! Click at your own risk here to see the gruesome campaign of relieving normal poster people of heads and other extremities.

Not an ad, but the best placement of street art possible: "Periodic Table", indeed -

Homegrown mattress sale ad? -

Continuing a popular theme of effective advertisement in elevators, here are some good examples:

Left: "Wake up!" - Right: "Yo-Yo Effect of Most Diets":

Brilliant stuff:

(images via)

More street smarts:

A valid concern:

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Unexpected Weirdness

This is creative art by David Stewart: Workplace and Household Hazards -

(images credit: David Stewart)

A similar ad, via:

Even aliens need sunglasses:

Humans need sunglasses badly in particular situations:

Great demonstration for "Change":

Multiple choice situations:

More ads that caught our attention -

"Obesity is Suicide":

A brilliant lingerie ad? (in light of recent H1N1 outbreak):

Sometimes shadows play unwanted tricks on billboard advertisements (this one says "Vote for...") -

This is not an ad, but simply creative photography - although it is a masterpiece, in our humble opinion (and advertising agencies should take note):

(image credit: Tatiana Mikhina)

CONTINUE TO OTHER "COOL ADS" ISSUES! ->

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Marvelous Burj Dubai Fountain Show

2009-11-08T21:09:00.008-08:00

Link
Scroll down for today's pictures & links.

Marvelous Burj Dubai Fountain Show

I can watch this over and over again... The tallest fountain in the world (with water reaching as high as 150 meters), near the tallest building in the world (see here) was recently completed and tested with this water/light/music extravaganza. The musical piece is the "Time To Say Goodbye", performed by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.

url

We wrote about various architectural marvels of Dubai before. To check the latest updates on construction in Dubai, see this thread at SkyscraperCity.

Today's pictures & links:

Assemblage Cuties

Remember our Robot Art Series? Here is an odd couple, made by Joe Chasse - which already won a couple of awards at an art show (more info):

(image credit: Joe Chasse)

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Hamsters (Guinea Pigs) Are on the Move Today

(original unknown)

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Las Vegas? What Las Vegas?

We will not mention Las Vegas' Downtown Mainstreet Experience here. But... This is in China, so will take some traveling to get to:

"The Place" in Beijing, China, is covered by a giant LED screen - 250m (820 ft) long and 30m (98 ft) wide - claimed as the biggest in the world.

(images credit: Troy)

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This Is Paper Craft Gone to Heaven

Simply unbelievable construction put on display - where else? - in Tokyo. See other inspiring works from paper in our One Sheet of Paper and Cutting Up Books articles.

(images credit: zuzutop)

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Mixed fresh links for today:

This is more than fascinating - [journey into the micro-world]
Just a drop of water... and another drop, and another - [wow video]
The Man from Clapham, and a Person from Porlock - [interesting]
One of those 365 Days Flickr sets, but some are beautiful - [surreal]
Air Conditioner as a Thing of Beauty - [design]
Another awesome-looking motorcycle - [our soft spot]
Good overview of the state of digital music - [infographic]
Weirdest Restaurants! - [cool round-up, some nsfw]
Haunting Abandoned Places Gallery - [some are new to me, click next]
Rehashing YouTube videos to sell broadband - [fun video]
Bus Ride Through the Forest Fire - [harrowing video]
What if Matrix was shot in the silent films' era - [cool video]
Amazing Houses & Home Architectural Designs - [architecture]
Tips to boost metabolism (what, no beer?) - [health tips]
Make stunning Flash websites for free! - [promotion]

------------

Mind-boggling Cave Exploration Photography

Polish photographer Howito explores caves, with some spectacular visual results. See his photos in this gallery. Click to enlarge images below:.

(images credit: Howito)

Also, don't forget to check out our Most Amazing Caves article for more impressive photography.

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Dried Seahorse... Dried Gecko... Traditional Chinese Medicine. Add It to Your Tea?

Continuing the topic of weird, strange and (perhaps) wonderful food from all over the world, we just have to show these dried "herbal food" products, found by Troy in China:

(images credit: Troy)

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Mutant Snail Goes Hunting

What a splendid monster... Indeed, no Godzilla or any other Japanese imagination-spawned creature can tackle the German "Orchid-on-Drugs" Blob:

(image credit: A Journey Round My Skull)

See more illustrations from Der Orchideengarten, a rare German fantasy magazine, lovingly scanned by A Journey Round My Skull - Click Here. Also don't miss the covers (some nsfw).

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The Ugliest Car in the World

"The Aurora" (1957) was build by Rev. Alfred Juliano for safety, not speed... or beauty. Click to enlarge:

(click to enlarge)

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Awe-inspiring Hoover Dam Bypass Construction

Mind-boggling pics, recently taken from a helicopter flight over the site (see more construction photos here). A good addition to our Bridge Construction article:

Click to enlarge images!

(images credit: Hoover Dam Bypass - via)

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Is This Real?

Handshake with Mother Nature - more info.

(Photo credit: newsteam.co.uk)

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Cave City on the Moon

Check out these rarely-seen futuristic images from French sources (courtesy Mondorama 2000)

(source: "Le monde de demain", 1969, illustrator: inconnu)

(source: "Le monde et son aventure", illustrator: F.H.K. Henrion)

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Jeff VanderMeer's New Novel "Finch" is Launched

The third, and possibly final, part of a darkly surreal saga about strange City of Ambergris - "Finch" - was described as “fungal noir... steampunk delirium... paranoid spy thriller..." and can be already ordered from Amazon.

Visit "Finch" Reader's Page for various exclusive posters and downloads.

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Relax

(original unknown)

READ THE PREVIOUS ISSUE ->

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Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around The World

2009-11-05T00:12:00.008-08:00

"QUANTUM SHOT" #597
Link - Article by Chris Mitchell of Travel Happy, and A. Abrams

McDonald's Around The World: Marvels Never Cease, Especially in Asia

If you think McDonald's sells the same burgers and fries everywhere in the world, think again – here in Asia they’ve had to make some concessions to local tastes and come up with some peculiar fast-food variations on Asian favourites.

It all started with the Samurai Pork Burger. I saw this advertised outside a McDonald's in Bangkok back in 2004 and was somewhat perplexed. Why is it a Japanese name when I’m in Thailand? And what do Samurai have to do with pork? Actually, why is it called Samurai at all? Sadly, I never actually found out any of the answers, but it made me start paying closer attention to McDonald's every time I went to another country in Asia.

(Samurai Pork Burger, Bangkok, Thailand (left) and Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (right) - photos via)

Perhaps more traditional for Thailand, the Thai Spicy Fish McDippers (image above right) are a piscine breadcrumb and chili overload. Incidentally, don’t actually expect to eat your fast food in Thailand fast – you will inevitably be handed your burger but have to wait five minutes for your fries, which will be dutifully brought to you – by which time, of course, you’ve eaten your burger…

In Singapore, the national obsession with rice extends to having rice cakes in your burger.

(Rice Burgers, Singapore)

I expected lots of interesting stuff in a Japanese McDonald's – McTentacles perhaps – but the menu was disappointingly ordinary.

Although there were these – Seaweed Flavoured Fries. Also, see below-right: the tasty tentacle snack from Japan. Yum.

In Hong Kong, I nearly got arrested for taking this photo of the Green Tea and Red Bean Ice Cream Sundae. Didn’t realise they guarded their secret bean recipe quite so zealously.

(Green Tea And Red Bean Sundae, Hong Kong)

In Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim country, chicken is far more popular than beefburgers (and, of course, the Samurai Pork Burger would be completely taboo). Hence you get combo sets of chicken, rice and Coke:

Chicken, Rice and Coke, Jakarta, Indonesia

Perhaps my biggest WTF moment (Weird and Troubling Food, naturally) in a McDonald's was in the Philippines, when I spotted the clotted mess that is McSpaghetti. (McDo indeed). My Filipino friends explained to me that it was incredibly popular and basically consisted of spaghetti soaked in sugar. Ewwww.

Let me repeat this: Spaghetti - Soaked In - Sugar!.

McSpaghetti, Philippines

I also seem to remember that when I first went to Australia in 2003, there was a Billabong Burger that had tinned beetroot between two patties. Sadly (or perhaps thankfully), I don’t have any photographic evidence, though it tasted as grim as it sounds. There was also a similar one called McOz with only one patty (plus the tinned beetroot that is ubiquitous in Australia – fresh beetroot isn’t nearly as popular).

Spam, Spam, Spam, Eggs, Bacon, and Spam

David Gardner shares his experience: "Did you know you can get Spam, eggs, and rice for a McDonald’s Breakfast in Honolulu? Yup. Right there on Kalakaua St facing Waikiki. Totally cool!"

See this classic Monty Python sketch to truly appreciate the irony.

(images via 1, 2)

In the middle of Moscow, on a busy Arbat street, you can get a take-out for your horse:

(image credit: Kotofei)

Big Macs are a Big Unknown in Chongqing, China

My most memorable experience of McDonald's in Asia, however, is stumbling onto a MaccyDs in Chongqing, China. I’d just completed an excruciating trip up the Three Gorges on an overloaded passenger boat that played earsplitting soap operas the entire journey, and I was in need of comfort food. Chongqing is a vast city with a mind-boggling 31,000,000 inhabitants – and that’s just the official figure. Arriving there just as dusk began to fall was somewhat intimidating to say the least. Things were not helped when I arrived at the front of the McDonald's queue dishevelled and hungry, and found, much to my horror, that the universally understood phrase of “Big Mac” was not understood here.

Managers were summoned despite (or perhaps because of) my increasingly strident pointing at the overhead menu, until a Chinese teenager behind me stepped up and got me exactly what I wanted in 20 seconds flat. He spoke a little English, and I could tell he wanted to practice so I invited my culinary rescuer to join me and we had a great, if slow conversation about his life in Chongqing. “Chongqing is great”, he said. “But I want to go to America”. “Why?” I asked. He broke into a beam of a smile and said “Because I want to meet Christina Aguilera!”

That conversation rescued what had otherwise been a grim day, and makes me smile every time I recall it. And it wouldn't have happened if I hadn’t gone to McDonald's.

Some Other Fast-Food Masterpieces From Around the World

Some are not McDonald's, technically, but very hard to omit when making an article like this. Here is -

Tuna Pie! Seen at Jollibee (Philippines).

(image via)

This is wonderful pizza jigsaw puzzle, where every piece is a tasty morsel:
(Winter Double King Pizza at Pizza Hut, Japan)

(image via)

Peas and potatoes make up the patty in the McAloo Tikki at McDonald's in India -

(image via)

Great travel site Trifter shows more international Mac food variations, among them guacamole (avocado paste) McPollo burger in Chile:

(image via)

Let us know about other interesting McDonald's offerings you found around the world.

When Looking for McDonald's, Beware of Imitations!

(original unknown)

If you’re wondering why I even frequent McDonald's when I’m travelling in the continent of tremendous cuisine, the reasons are threefold:

1) Sometimes you’re so tired or cultureshocked or plain lazy you just want something completely familiar to eat in an air-conditioned, relatively clean environment, however bad it may be for you;

2) McDonald's is actually a great place to peoplewatch because, funnily enough, all the locals go there, and;

3) It irks travel purists no end, so that’s always a winner. (There is a great explanation of why eating at McDonald's while traveling is not to be sneered at by Rolf Potts, with an equally interesting addendum by Pico Iyer, both of which save me having to rewrite it here).

McDonald's Creativity Zoo: Unlimited Imagination from Used Packaging

We wrote about "Bent Objects" sculptures from McDonalds materials before.

(art by Bent Objects)

But now they've got some creepy new sculptures made, right in time for Halloween:

(art by Bent Objects)

But you do not need to use any fast food materials to create monsters: here is how to make (cook and eat) your very own alien caterpillar:

Speaking about post-Halloween cooking, here is another idea:

(original unknown)

CONTINUE TO OTHER "WEIRD FOOD"! ->

Other articles by Chris Mitchell Chris Mitchell of Travel Happy, for Dark Roasted Blend:
Komodo Dragons: They Eat Meat
Plain of Jars: Bombs and Mystery in Laos

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