Tons of links this week!
— So, the Olympic opening ceremony! The very beautiful first half of the show featured ancient Chinese paper and printing technology, including a giant LED scroll, human calligraphy, a troop of dancers dressed as Confucian disciples carrying bamboo scrolls, and a truly amazing homage to movable type. (I certainly never thought that I would hear an NBC announcer talking about “movable printing.”) Unfortunately I, and it seems no one else, can find any video online. So check out this BBC page for photos (they captured more of the book history stuff than NBC or CNN). If you want to take a shot with video here’s the Wired guide to watching the Olympics online.
— Hoefler & Frere-Jones point out the intensely beautiful work of typographer and graphic designer Janno Hahn. Do check out the gallery on Hahn’s website. I will probably make some desktops for my computer from these images.
— Acephalous discusses the 1934 obscenity case that was decided in favour of Ulysses.
— PhiloBiblos and Upward Departure report on the sentencing of Richard Delaney, an electrician who stole £89,000 worth of rare materials from the Birmingham University Library. Apparently the guy claimed he was going to read and then return them?! Terrible.
— Morbid Anatomy shares some wonderfully creepy images from The Dances of Death Through the Various Stages by Hans Holbein the Younger reproduced as copperplate engravings by Dabid Deuchar in 1803.
— Satirical maps of World War I at BibliOdyssey.
Bookride continues a great series called “Where Do You Get These Books?” This week’s installment is on the perils and pleasures of Book Towns.
— Book Patrol farewells skilled marbler Ann Muir.
— The Exile Bibliophile gets the prize for discovering the best toy ever. If only I had several hundred extra dollars lying around.
— Hoefler & Frere-Jones also point us to an awesome pencil collection website. I have to stop looking before I drool on the keyboard.
— The New York Times presents a sideshow titled “Book Ads: The Golden Age, 1962-1973. Via Quillblog.
