General Interest
http://hcap.artstor.org/cgi-bin/library
Most college campuses have an "Old Main" type building, along perhaps a central quadrangle and other features that seem to be indicative of a traditional collegiate setting. In recent years, studying campuses through their architectural development has become quite popular, and this online project from the Council of Independent Colleges is a great way to learn about this field. Working with a grant from the Getty Foundation, the Historic Campus Architecture Project (HCAP) site documents over 2000 places of historical significance on private college and university campuses. Visitors can browse the database by institution, designer, building style or time period. For each building profiled, visitors can learn about its history and current use, and also view a selection of photos, drawings, or other pieces of documentation. Additionally, visitors should take a look at the glossary provided here to brush up on terms like "American Colonial" and "Gothic Revival". [KMG]
http://www.jazz-on-line.com/index.htm
For fans of jazz, the Jazz Old Time site will be a fun way to listen to few well-known chestnuts from the early days of this musical idiom. Of course, those who don't know much about jazz will appreciate listening to a few new artists as well. The site features over 18,000 songs in the public domain, and visitors can browse through the selections by artists or take a look at a few sample playlists. As one might suspect, artists like King Oliver, Meade Lux Lewis, and Louis Armstrong are featured prominently, though early recordings from later artists, such as Stan Getz, are also available. The site might also be recommended to students in a music appreciation course. [KMG]
http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk
From the expansion of the Underground to the waves of new arrivals from the British colonies, London was greatly transformed through the 20th century. Recently, several London institutions, including the Museum of London, combed through their respective resources to create this interactive exhibit and archive that would tell visitors a bit about the city's evolution during those 100 years. The materials can be viewed through three sections: "Timeline", "Themes", and "Places". In the "Timeline" section, visitors can browse through featured objects and also learn about major events during the period. Moving on, the "Themes" area organizes the city's recent past into topical areas that focus on art and design, the built environment, ethnic communities, and leisure activities. The "Places" section features a clickable map of London's boroughs which reveals artifacts from each of these respective areas. [KMG]
When discussing the fate of cities in the 20th century, few voices loom larger than those of noted urbanist and social commentator Jane Jacobs. The Municipal Art Society of New York recently paid tribute to Jacobs' legacy and work in an exhibit at their galleries on Madison Avenue, and they also saw fit to create this accompanying website. The site contains multimedia discussions on urbanism sponsored by the Society, along with an exhibition overview. The homepage also invites visitors to respond to questions such as "What makes a good neighborhood?" and "Can one person change the city?" The "Multimedia" section of the site includes interactive maps of New York, along with all of the video clips and podcasts related to this exhibit and its discussions of the future of New York. [KMG]
The design of many common (and some uncommon) objects is something that most people don't think about on a regular basis. Even very successful designs can go unnoticed, and only a few industrial designs have been elevated to iconic status. Creating better design is the focus of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), and their work takes place in over 50 countries and they present close to 150,000 designers. First-time visitors to the site may wish to look over their "Galleria" area. Here they can view innovative designs for desktop computers, vacuum cleaners, and ceiling fans. Moving on, the "Education" area features articles on design and design education, along with information on upcoming student design competitions. The site is rounded out by a selection of design case studies and documents which highlight issues such as copyright control. [KMG]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/
As the situation in Darfur continues to unfold, a number of media outlets have continued to investigate the United Nations involvement in the region. The journalists and researchers at the PBS program Frontline embarked on their own investigation into the subject. Along the way, they explored China's economic interests in the region, the actions of the Security Council, and those of various UN member nations. Visitors to this site can watch the documentary program in its entirety, and they can also read essays on various aspects of Darfur written by activists, historians, and policy experts. Other features on the site include a map of the region, a list of suggested readings and links, and journal entries from the show's producer, Neil Doherty. [KMG]
http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/
The applications of geographic information systems (GIS) grow with each passing day, and more people are interested in careers in this field. The SpatialNews site is a good way for students and professionals in the GIS field to stay on top of new developments via their feature articles, RSS feeds, and discussion boards. There is a great deal of information on the homepage, and first-time visitors should start by looking over the sections on "GIS Education", "Features", and "Business Bit & Bytes". Some of the more notable feature articles profile the history of GIS, the use of GIS in the military, and the use of GIS during hurricane evacuations. The site is rounded out by a listing of job opportunities and selected comments from the discussion boards. [KMG]
http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/motto/index.html
The exhibition "Let Your Motto Be Resistance" consists of 100 photographic portraits of prominent African Americans. The portraits were selected from the collections of the National Portrait Gallery as part of the inaugural exhibition of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. The show will begin a national tour in October 2008. The web site is designed for browsing in chronological order, beginning with Frederick Douglass and ending with Wynton Marsalis. Short biographies, caption information, and larger views are available with each picture. The portraits include an airborne Judith Jameson, 1976, performing in Cry; a smiling Billie Holiday photographed in 1926; and Gordon Parks in 1945 with camera and light meter in hand. There are two portraits of Martin Luther King; he is shown with his wife and daughter in 1956, and in 1968, as three of his four children file past his coffin. [DS]
