February 17, 2013 · 11:58 am

The Americhrome Dream.

ID: P06090. 1952, Apr.12. US 89A. Sedona, AZ. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P06090. 1952, Apr.12. US 89A. Sedona, AZ. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/


In President Obama’s State of the Union address, he called for the revival of American industry and the maintenance of a tattered transportation infrastructure. Middle-class factory jobs are a part of America’s past. Massive production outsourcing for cost efficiency has led to a service based economy. While America won’t be exhuming the steel or coal industry, the production of new technology is the future. America will never stop being co-dependent on the automobile (oh, how I miss my Volvo wagon and my first Toyota Celica). Our nation’s favorite means of transportation has been putting wear and tear on a neglected system of bridges, roads, highways. Meaning, middle-class job opportunities abound. As I often romanticize America in a 1940s-1950s lens, Obama inspired me to revisit the Charles W. Cushman Photography Collection.

ID: P07245. Long-Bell Lumber Co. stacks at Weed, California, near Mt. Shasta. 1954 Aug. 20. Weed, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P07245. Long-Bell Lumber Co. at Weed, CA, near Mt. Shasta. 1954 Aug. 20. Weed, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

 
ID: P07089. Monolith Portland Cement Co. Mill in Tehachapi Mtns. 1953. Nov. 23. Monolith, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P07089. Monolith Portland Cement Co. Mill in Tehachapi Mtns. 1953. Nov. 23. Monolith, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

 

ID: P01688. 1939 Nov. 29. [Cushman]. From Yavapai Point View is across to Wotan's throne and Vishnu Temple. AZ. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P01688. 1939 Nov. 29. [Cushman]. From Yavapai Point View. AZ. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

Last year, NPR highlighted the photographic archive of Charles W. Cushman (1896-1972). Cushman, an avid, enthusiast snapshot photographer traveled the United States extensively mostly by automobile. The collection spans thirty-two years (1938-1969). The aired story delved into Cushman’s background and personal life, including a tumultuous marriage that nearly ended in a murder/suicide. While there are over a staggering 14,000 images amassed by Cushman, the most unique feature is not only the volume but also the format. Cushman used the first Kodak color film, Kodachrome slides, which documented his sights in a stunning range of vibrant hues. It’s rare to see amateur color photos from this era, coupled with the collection size, it is a historical visual resource jackpot. While Cushman did travel and photograph other countries, his tireless photographing of America has brought to life the complex fabric of the American landscape. Being from Indiana and a graduate of Indiana University, the Indiana University Digital Library Program  took on the slide collection and digitized the Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection. Since Cushman was as meticulous of a note-taker as he was a curious photographer, much data has remained intact with images including original descriptions.

ID: P01859. 1940 Jun. 20. California's Hills along Morro bay - Atascadero Road. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P01859. 1940 Jun. 20. California’s Hills along Morro bay – Atascadero Road. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P01525. 1938 Nov. Tall corn in the Wabash bottoms. Posey, IN. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P01525. 1938 Nov. Tall corn in the Wabash bottoms. Posey, IN. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

As Cushman traveled by car on the infant US highways of yore, he captured America at work. Since Cushman was a journalist covering Depression-era American industry, his photographs also reflect this.  He captured industries long since exasperated. Steel, ore and copper mining which once fed looming factories encased in entangled metal masses topped with pluming smoke stacks. Although still pervasive in America’s vistas, agriculture used to be rustic and personal; the land toiled by hand and animal. While the industrial pollution is not to be revived, even the toxins appear dreamy in Cushman’s photos.

ID: P10343. 1958 Nov. 20. South Works - Carnegie Illinois Steel Corp. South Chicago, IL. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P10343. 1958 Nov. 20. South Works – Carnegie Illinois Steel Corp. South Chicago, IL. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P09289. 1957 May 14. Slanting sandstone rocks along AT & SF in Cajon Canyon, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P09289. 1957 May 14. Slanting sandstone rocks along AT & SF in Cajon Canyon, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/
ID: P09715. 1958 Apr. 1. C & H sugar refinery Crockett, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P09715. 1958 Apr. 1. C & H sugar refinery Crockett, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

On your next road-trip, look for Cushman’s America. It’s still here. Sometimes rusted, dilapidated, and abandoned, still chugging along, or possibly improved with new technology. Otherwise, take an American Kodachrome journey in the archive: THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.

ID: P07254. 1954 Aug. 21. . Shasta seen from McCloud Lumber Co. Mill at McCloud, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

ID: P07254. 1954 Aug. 21. . Shasta seen from McCloud Lumber Co. Mill at McCloud, CA. Retrieved from: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/

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August 21, 2012 · 10:37 am

Life During Wartime.

The Royal Air Force in Rome, Italy. 1944. Courtesy of:  http://www.iwm.org.uk/

My paternal grandfather, Rudolph Wittmann, (not pictured to the left, but he looked similar to this) was gone long before I arrived, having survived WWII only to meet his fate on an icy Nebraska highway in the 1960s. While I don’t know much about him, I’ve always imagined him in a military setting and wearing a shade of olive-green. I suppose this is because we are mostly acquainted via left-behind memorabilia from his service as a Navigator-Bombardier in the Army Air Forces (461st Bombardment Group) during World War II. The tokens of a solider: faded photographs, dog tags, medals in a cedar box, and a German pistol have been the tangible memories connecting me to my grandfather. Stationed in Italy, he navigated the hefty B-24 Liberator through the Alps, typically at night, to drop both explosives and men behind enemy lines. This post contains many Royal Air Force images, none are my relations but evoke my visual empathy. The 16mm film [above] is comprised of 17 sequences taken from a camera-gun, resulting in a dreamy stream of areal, disorienting vantage points, mixed with heavy artillery. The film was created in 1944 by the United States Bureau of Aeronautics, audio of Grouper’s Moon Is Sharp was added in August, 2012 (ahem, my tampering).

Jobson, Into Action (lithograph) 1942. Courtesy of IWM, retrieved from: http://media.iwm.org.uk/

Through my familial affiliation, along with a cataclysmic period of history, I’ve always had an interest in the Second World War. This intrigue lured me to visit a museum dedicated largely to WWII while visiting England: the Imperial War Museum (IWM). Don’t be mislead, the IWM is not just a massive building in south London full of tanks, airplanes, and weaponry of every variety. Aside from documenting Britain’s involvement in warfare, starting with the First World War through present conflicts, IWM conveys the personal side of life during wartime through its thoughtfully curated exhibits and onsite research facilities. A trip to London isn’t necessary, the IWM online catalog contains 600,000 items; 90,000 are digitized material , including: photographs (the Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection is a personal favorite), film, art (for a quick panning of high-caliber artwork the IMW collection on Google Art Project is a good introduction), posters (including many poignantly beautiful to bizarre WWII posters), and private correspondence. The selected WWII material displayed here will in no way reflect the countless viewing hours I spent getting lost in the IWM’s digital collections, my only wish is for advanced search query capabilities.

Not only were aircrafts and bombardiers used in WWII warfare, another heroic flying team was employed: carrier pigeons. If these photographs of the feathered messengers don’t pique your interest enough, listen to the Radiolab episode Birds-Eye-View. Although the birds’ infamous homing abilities are still researched and disputed today, there is a theory that their intense desire and ability to fly home might have been to fend off suitors from their monogamous, lady pigeon partners. Perhaps these guys had more in common with their fowl cohorts than they ever imagined.

The Royal Air Force Britain, 1942. (Photograph). Courtesy of Imperial War Museum, retrieved from: img.org.uk

The Eight Army Carrier Pigeon Service in Italy. 1944, November. (Photograph). Courtesy of IWM, retrieved from: http://www.iwm.org.uk/

Not to worry, no dandies were harmed in the RAF.

At a Royal Air Force Fighter station in Britain, November 1942. (Photograph) Courtesy of Imperial War Museum, retrieved from: http://www.iwm.org.uk/

 

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June 5, 2012 · 8:37 am

Door to the Cosmos.

The Carina Nebula: Star Birth in the Extreme. Courtesy of NASA, retrieved from: http://www.nasaimages.org

Afro-jazz-experimental-extraterrestrial musical group Sun Ra proclaimed Space is the Place in their 1970′s cult classic film. Although we might be able to elevate our minds to a cosmic state of being, it is unlikely we will get a real journey to outer space. Thanks to the geniuses at NASA, we can travel through deep space through hundreds of thousands of images, video, and audio collected over the history of space exploration. NASA Images  was created by NASA and the Internet Archive to display an in-depth digital archive with the mission of education and encouragement of interest in space exploration, aeronautics, and astronomy. Hosted by  the digital asset management system LUNA, which specializes in massive repositories and allows for some clever searching bells and whistles. Exporting images at various resolutions, creating presentations, advanced search and browse-ablity of categories based on object, expedition, and era make NASA Images’ mission successful.

The international space age obsession might have ended, but looking at heavenly images galaxies, planets, and stars it is easy to slip back under the intergalactic spell. With the recent astrological eclipses, radiant moons, and today’s transit of Venus across the Sun,the cosmos could be pulling some attention seeking stunts. Let’s give them what they are asking for.

Triple eclipse [Jupiter]. Courtesy of NASA, retrieved from: http://www.nasaimages.org

A Picturesque Venus Transit [Sun]. Courtesy of NASA, retrieved from: http://www.nasaimages.org

Giant Twisters and Star Wisps in the Lagoon Nebula. Courtesy of NASA, retrieved from: http://www.nasaimages.org

Happy Face Crater Mars. Courtesy of NASA, retrieved from: http://www.nasaimages.org

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May 10, 2012 · 10:51 pm

The Third Avenue El: Train on High.

Frank, J. (Photographer).(1957). Image 26019. Retrieved from: http://www.nycsubway.org

Having wrapped up another semester, one of my final class projects came near and dear to my heart. We were given the assignment to create short podcasts using E.B. White’s Here is New York as inspiration, resulting in a collection of miNY Stories pertaining to New York in 1949. At this time, the last of Manhattan’s now extinct elevated trains was still standing…but not for long. While creating the podcast The Third Avenue El: Noise-talgia, the longstanding admiration for the above ground transportation system that once loomed above the avenues of Manhattan became apparent. The Third Avenue El being the most adored and romanticized of rides.

A focal piece of research was Sunny Statler’s article “Farewell to the El: Nostalgic Urban Visuality on the Third Avenue Elevated Train” (2006), Statler explores the unique experience of riding on the El. This commute not only induced straphangers to daydreaming, but also gave inspiration for artists alike.  Works such as Gnir Rednow, the collaborative film between Joseph Cornell and Stan Brakhage, depict the Third Avenue El in a dream-like sequence of reverse frames, reflections, and shadows. A trip on the Third Avenue El allowed riders to view the city in an intimate way; glimpsing into the private sanctuary of apartment life, catching the aroma kitchen concoctions, and all the daily chores and pastimes of compact Manhattan life. Statler eloquently explains how the El encouraged the imagination of its passengers:

“The embodied connection to city space should not suggest that El riders experienced a more real version of the city than subway riders did – it was a wholly different one. Subway car views alternated between dark tunnels and stations distinguishable only by name; lone riders retreated into internal fantasy through reading, daydreaming or dozing. El passengers, on the other hand experienced fantasies that were directed outward into external city space. Technologies of transportation reinforce urban subjectivity by literalizing views of the city: moving underground, New York became a space of invisibility and isolation; moving above ground and in close proximity to city life opened up otherwise invisible space to fantasies of communion.” (p. 872)

The Coenties Slip Curve. (1946) Image 114437. Retrieved from:http://www.nycsubway.org

Being in the School of Information and Library Science, the focus of our assignment was research and the use of collections as resources. While the New York Transit Museum and NYPL Digital Gallery fueled El imagery, this post is dedicated to the website NYCSubway.org.  Ran by enthusiasts and volunteers, NYCSubway.org is an extensive and comprehensive digital archive for all eras of New York City transportation.  The endless pages of photos of train cars, stations, tracks, and maps sends the heart of the little boy fascinated with trains inside all of us into a flutter. The Third Avenue El has a collection of 770 images alone. Audio of the rumble that was ultimately the El’s demise, was taken from the below film hosted on the Prelinger Archives. Sometimes, noise pollution can be sorely missed.

Stratler, S. (2006) Farewell to the El: Nostalgic urban visuality on the third Avenue elevated train. American Quarterly. 58(3). 869-890. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/

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April 8, 2012 · 6:36 pm

She Sells: Advertising to Women.

With another season of Mad Men back on the air, our heads are swimming with iconic images of the American advertising industry in its heyday: cocktails, cigarettes, beautiful secretaries, and big ideas on Madison Avenue. In honor of our consumer-centric society and to explore the history of advertising in America, the Duke University Libraries’ Digital Collections of Advertising Collections is a resource like none other. Consisting of many collections in itself, the Advertising Collections the most comprehensive archive of advertisements, and all available online. Some of the more prominent of the sub-collections include Ad*Access, AdViews, Emergence of American Advertising: 1850-1920, and Outdoor Advertising Association of America Archives (OAAA). Ad*Access presents over 7,000 images of print advertisements made available through J. Walter Thompson Competitive Advertisements Collection dating from 1911-1955 and focusing mostly on subjects of radio, television, beauty and hygiene, transportation and World War II. AdViews contains nearly 9,000 TV commercials produced by the advertising agency D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) during the 1950s-1980s, all are hosted by the Internet Archive. The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920  collection includes over 9,000 images that illustrate the rise of consumerism in the United States. The OAAA displays an impressive images of 16,000 billboards, posters, murals, electronic signs and transit ads taken across America.

While roaming through this archive, it is apparent how women have been the prime target of consumerism from the beginning. Women are often seen as the decision makers for household goods and known to spend a lot to look good. Preying on ladies’ insecurities has long been a part of marketing campaigns. Featured here are a selection of some of the more far-fetched strategies.  [Above] Three kids sure take a toll on mom’s hairdo. At Once Stretch Wig will give such effortless perfect locks to bed head moms, they will be inspired to twirl through the grocery store. [Below] Kotex’s “Confessions of a Private Secretary” appeal to those who are slaves to the buzzer and must look good while abstaining from selfishly fretting. Odors must be the culprit behind the single dame. Mouthwash and soap seem to deliver the more cruel messages: if you’re stinky you’ll never be loved. Body odor of the glamorous lounge ladies, heiresses with looks and money, and charming socialites alike will repel everyone, including suitors. And ladies, you can just forget about ever getting married if you have bad breath.

Kotex Company. 1939. Motion Picture Magazine. Ad*Access Collection Courtesy of Duke University Libraries’ Digital Collections, obtained from: http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollection

Palmolive Soap. 1937. Good Housekeeping Magazine. Ad*Access Collection Courtesy of Duke University Libraries’ Digital Collections, obtained from: http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollection

Listerine Mouth Wash. 1937. Unknown Magazine. Ad*Access Collection Courtesy of Duke University Libraries’ Digital Collections, obtained from: http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollection

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March 12, 2012 · 9:58 am

Wear it Loud.

The African Activist Archive, which is part of the Africa Online Digital Library supported by Michigan State University, documents the activism in support of African people.  Voices united around the world in the support of the end of colonialism, apartheid in South Africa, and social injustice during the 1950s-1990s. While the African Activist Archive includes documents, oral histories, photographs, video, and posters, documenting this international support, it also hosts a mesmerizing ephemera collection of buttons and t-shirts.  Most of these wear-ables call for the end of apartheid in South Africa and the boycott of Afrikaner led companies. Although it took much time and international advocacy, apartheid officially ended in 1994. Never underestimate the power of a t-shirt, our bodies can be billboards for political change.

Buttons.

1982. Opland. Courtesy of African Activist Archive, obtained from: http://africanactivist.msu.edu

1980s. Button. Courtesy of African Activist Archive, obtained from: http://africanactivist.msu.edu

Courtesy of African Activist Archive, obtained from: http://africanactivist.msu.edu

1980s Button by Coke Boycott Campaign Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

T-Shirts.

Viva the women of South Africa. 1980s. T-shirt. Courtesy of African Activist Archive, obtained from: http://africanactivist.msu.edu

Isolate apartheid, support the front line states! 1980s. T-shirt. Courtesy of African Activist Archive, obtained from: http://africanactivist.msu.edu


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January 20, 2012 · 6:15 pm

Outerwear of the Fashion Plates.

‘Tis the season for frigid temperatures and winter weather advisories aplenty; when the importance of dressing appropriately for the weather is crucial for one’s survival outdoors. These days, cumbersome, heavy coats often damper our appearances with their muted tones and ever evolving synthetic fabrics promising a high-tech shield against the frosty air. While style often takes a back seat to functionality, the Pratt Institute Libraries Fashion Plate Collection shows us some of the most decadent of outerwear, created in the 1920’s Art Deco fashion. The plates appeared in the most influential fashion magazine of its time (1912-1925), the French periodical La Gazette du Bon Ton. Keeping warm never looked so good.

“Coat of English velvet, trimmed with opossum.” Ca. 1920. Courtesy of Pratt Institute Libraries Special Collections, obtained from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34900073@N07/

“Sable and silk matelasse coat, fabric by Bianchini.” 1922. Courtesy of Pratt Institute Libraries Special Collections, obtained from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34900073@N07

“Red and brown evening coat by Paul Poiret.” 1922. Courtesy of Pratt Institute Libraries Special Collections, obtained from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34900073@N07/

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