Art
A Symphony Scored from a School District’s 1,000 Broken Instruments
When Robert Blackson learned about the broken instruments in Philadelphia's public schools, he turned them into a creative opportunity: the Symphony for a Broken Orchestra.
Allison Meier
Art
FDR’s Executive Order Authorizing Japanese-American Incarceration Shown on West Coast for First Time
On the 75th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's executive order that led to the imprisonment of 120,000 Japanese Americans, the document went on display at Los Angeles's Japanese American National Museum.
Art
Participatory Stool Making, Reclaimed Materials, and More at Collective Design Fair
Opening today, the 2017 edition of the fair features furniture, lighting fixtures, functional design, and photography from almost 30 international exhibitors.
Art
Six Rare Portraits of Jane Austen Go on View
A rare 1869 watercolor of Jane Austen will join five other portraits, including the only portrayal of the novelist known to have been made during her lifetime.
Art
An Archivist Sets Out to Save the Material History of Video Games
Launched in February by Frank Cifaldi, the Video Game History Foundation is racing to preserve ephemeral gaming material and the physical documentation of video games.
Art
A Retrospective of a Forgotten 1930s Photographer of Famous Faces
The Philbrook Museum is reconstructing the career of modernist photographer Lusha Nelson, whose life was cut short by an untimely death.
Art
"I Have Seen My Death": The First X-Ray Photograph
In December of 1895, Wilhelm Röntgen revealed the bones of his wife's hand in the first X-ray photograph.
Books
Watch the British Library Digitize One of the World's Largest Books
The 1660 Klencke Atlas is taller than most people, and now its rare maps are easily accessible online.
Books
The Early-20th-Century Photographer Who Magnified the Alien Beauty of Plants
Using a homemade camera, Karl Blossfeldt captured the sculptural details of plants, from the geometry of a seed pod to the alien curl of a fern.
Art
A Redesigned Floor at the New-York Historical Society Helps Illuminate the City’s Past
On April 29, the museum will reopen its fourth floor with a Gallery of Tiffany Lamps, Center for Women's History, and new space for permanent collection highlights.
Books
Remixing Six Centuries of Iconic Graphic Designs
In a new book, Phaidon considers the unexpected and deliberate connections between 500 of our most recognizable images.
Books
Matching the Smells of Musty Manuscripts with Chemical Compounds
Researchers at University College London studied the scents of old books to better understand how to identify and protect "heritage smells."