http://home.fujifilm.com/efa/

Many people may be familiar with the Earth from Above project via the traveling exhibition that made its way across the United States a few years back. Sponsored by UNESCO and Fuji Film, the work was an ambitious project by the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand to document many of the world’s most interesting places and to examine the effects of humans on various corners of the earth. This remarkable website allows users to view many of these photographs via an innovative interactive interface that is relatively easy to use. Some of the sights that visitors to the site will see include the Mammoth Hot Springs, camels in Mauritania, and a mangrove forest in New Caledonia. It should be noted that to view the site visitors will need to use either Netscape or Internet Explorer in order to take advantage of the site’s full capabilities. [KMG]

http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2005/redon/

Entering Beyond the Visible: The Art of Odilon Redon is to be transported into the artists' dreamlike, surreal world. Several dozen of the works in the exhibition are arranged into three main themes: Monsters, Metamorphosis and Tales. The Monsters section includes some of Redon’s most reproduced images, such as Eye-Balloon, 1878; Spider, 1887; and The Egg, 1885. In the Tales section, one should page through all eleven prints in the portfolio labeled The Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1888. Life forms mutate into each in the Metamorphosis section, as exemplified by The March Flower, a sad human head, plate II from Homage to Goya, 1885. Finally, stop by the All Works section to see all the art in the show by date rather than theme. [DS]

http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/earthquakeandfire/splash.html

While it is not possible to return to San Francisco in the days after the destructive earthquake that shook the city on April 18, 1906, this well-thought out site from the Bancroft Library at Berkeley offers visitors a cornucopia of visual ephemera and primary documents related to this famed event. As part of a collaborative effort with other area institutions (including Stanford University and The Society of California Pioneers), staff members at the Bancroft Library have created this collection for the general public. On the site, visitors will find an interactive map of the city, complete with links to a host of historic photographs. Other features include a 360-degreee panoramic view of the city in ruins and a fine list of additional resources, such as relevant books, articles and dissertations of note. Overall, this is a well-presented site and one that merits several visits. [KMG]

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/styleAndStatus/

For some, the importance of style and fashion is paramount in their everyday lives. While many in contemporary society remain on the cutting edge of fashion in order to appear hip, life in other societies demanded much of vestments in terms of their ability to convey status and power. This was certainly true of life in imperial Turkey during the reign of the Ottomans, and this delightful online exhibition pays homage to their complex and beautiful robes and related items. On this site, visitors are treated to a fine introductory essay that describes the bright colors and bold designs of these robes, along with providing some important background information. With relative ease, visitors can zoom in to view details of some of these robes, which feature intricate weaves and explosions of vibrant color. For visitors who are not completely sated by this exhibition, the site also contains links to other sites on the Ottoman Library created by a host of other institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [KMG]

http://digicol.lib.depaul.edu/site-templates/client_CM1/index.html

St. Vincent de Paul was a 17th century priest who founded the Congregation of the Mission in 1625 and throughout his life the society worked towards preaching the gospel. Several centuries later, the Vincentians began to develop a presence in the United States, and this online collection from DePaul University contains postcards which reflect a wide variety of the Vincentians’ activities in the country, including images of their hospitals, universities, and religious orders. Visitors can elect to use the search engine provided on the site, or they can also look through a selection of searches, such as religious orders, Saint Vincent’s life, and building type. All told, the collection contains 580 postcards that offer substantial insight into the world of the Vincentians, as visitors can look at images of St. Joseph’s College in Maryland and places and buildings closely associated with the life of St. Vincent. [KMG]

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG341.pdf

A significant amount of intellectual hand wringing has gone on as of late regarding the nature and importance of early childhood intervention programs. Some have claimed that such programs (including Head Start) are inherently a waste of money, while others tout their apparent ability to increase future educational and life opportunities, particularly for the under-privileged. This intriguing research report from the RAND Corporation, authored by Rebecca Kilburn and Jill Cannon, provides compelling evidence suggesting that well-designed programs for disadvantaged children age four and younger can produce economic benefits that are quite significant. The report contends that high quality early childhood programs can “keep children out of expensive special education programs; increase high school graduation rates; reduce juvenile crime, and increase the number of students who go on to college.” Stimulating in its approach and its scholarly rigor, this report will be quite useful and helpful to persons interested in such policy issues. [KMG]