I recently had the pleasure of attending a talk by the provocative philosopher John Gray as he discussed his new book – The Silence of Animals: On Progress and other Myths. During the engaging talk (which you can listen to here) he made a strong case for the idea that, while technology has progressed substantially over the last centuries, society and human behavior has not. Are we all just animals with mobile phones and machine guns? As we’ll see from this excellent graphic detailing the major causes of death in the 20th century, John Gray may be on to something. [Read more...]
UK Road Safety Posters from the WWII Blackout
During the German bombing raids of WWII city dwellers in Britain were subjected to long nights of complete darkness to protect them from being spotted from above. Called the Blackout, it was a dark foreign world for people accustomed to the brightly lit city, and one which posed new challenges many weren’t aware of. These road safety posters from the period (1939 – 1946) point out some of the hazards people needed to watch out for as they tried their best to “keep calm and carry on.” [Read more...]
American Life: Rare Color Photographs During WWII
Black and white photographs always seem to be stuck in the past, giving us an often unrealistic perspective on how long ago events really were. Think about it, most of us know someone who was alive during the 1940s, many of them fully grown members of society. For them life during World War II was a vibrant one full of memorable experiences, both challenging and enjoyable. These images, taken by photographers working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI), make the war years look much more recent using one rare tool of the time: color film. [Read more...]
Japanese Posters Teach Chemical Warfare Safety
With the outbreak of the Japan-China War in 1937 and the threat of airstrikes a real likelihood on Japanese soil, these posters from 1938 were created by the government to educate the public about the new Anti-Aircraft Defense Law. According to Pink Tentacle, the law “required citizens to take protective measures against gas attacks and prepare for disinfection, evacuation and relief.” Included in the informative posters, which look a lot like predecessors to airline safety brochures, are instructions for creating your own quick emergency mask, how to evacuate the area and treat patients wounded with mustard gas [Read more...]
Action Figures: If Star Wars Happened In 1942
Nearly everyone growing up in the 1980′s had a few Star Wars action figures… and if you didn’t you wished you did. Now an artist going by the name Sillof has re-imagined a huge array of figurines based on the original trilogy, but not quite so long ago. The images featured here are from his series World Wars 1942, but be sure to swing by sillof.com and sillof.deviantart.com for his excellent wild west and medieval (!) versions. [Read more...]
100 Years of World Cuisine: A Visualization of War
This shocking informational work of art is not for those with weak stomachs. Using red liquid to represent blood, 100 Years of World Cuisine uses measured amounts to depict the staggering number of casualties from just 25 conflicts over the last century. A project by Clara Kayser-Bril, Nicolas Kayser-Bril and Marion Kotlarski, the piece acts as a graphic commentary on how the true impact of war is often hidden by the numbers… this stark gory work brings that impact home. For more on the project, visit 100yearsofworldcuisine.com.
The Power of Music: An Inspiring Story from WWII
This is the most moving thing I’ve heard all week. Jack Leroy Tueller, at age 90, recounts a remarkable experience he had in WWII while waiting out a German sniper. It makes one believe in the power of music, of story and of humanity. We hope it makes your week too.
Star Wars: Not So Long Ago After All
Recently discovered vintage photographs prove once and for all that Star Wars is REAL! Ok, maybe not true, but what if it was? These great photo manipulations by If Star Wars Was Real make it seem as if R2D2, AT-AT’s and even Boba Fett were actually walking the streets as recent as the 60s. For more re-imagined history from not so long ago, check out IfStarWarsWasReal.com.
Vintage Navy Posters Encourage Food Etiquette
During World War 2, there was a push for moderation in all things; from a complete halt on nylon stocking production to the first ever recycling programs. People were encouraged to limit their use of resources and use all they took. These classic U.S. Navy posters challenged sailors to tighten their belts and clean their plates. Down the hatch sailor! [Read more...]
Amsterdam: From World War II to Now
Using old photographs and duplicate shots at their same location over 60 years later, Jo Teeuwisse has created images that juxtapose time and political climate from a bygone era with today. Showing just how much time has changed, the original images in these photographs were taken before, during and after the Nazis occupied Amsterdam.
For more on Teeuwisse’s superb work, be sure to check out her flickr photos or hab3045.nl.














