Resources

February 12, 2019

‘Atlas of Endangered Alphabets’ Preserves Indigenous Scripts from Around the Globe

With appreciation for typography, hand-lettering, and calligraphy on the rise, there's more attention than ever on the diversity of scripts that exist in the world. While many of us are familiar with the basic Arabic, Chinese, Latin or Cyrillic alphabets, there is incredible variety in global writing systems. Since 2009, Tim Brookes, the founder of non-profit Endangered Alphabets, has made a concerted effort to help preserve writing systems in danger of disappearing.

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February 2, 2019

500 Japanese Woodblock Prints from Van Gogh’s Collection Are Now Available to Download

During the second half of the 19th century, interest in Japanese art by Europeans was at an all-time high. This appetite for studying Japanese aesthetics, and its influence on Western art, is known as Japonism. Though closely associated with Impressionist painters like Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt, Japanese woodblock prints also played a pivotal role in the career of Vincent Van Gogh.

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January 9, 2019

Interview: Researcher Creates Free Archive of Over 3,000 19th-Century Shakespeare Illustrations

There is perhaps no other author as synonymous with English literature as William Shakespeare. His works—from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to the wicked ambition of Macbeth—continue to capture the imagination of the public. Though many academics have studied the playwright, Dr. Michael John Goodman approached his work from a new angle. As part of his Ph.D., Goodman created the Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive (VISA), a database of over 3,000 Shakespeare illustrations.

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January 2, 2019

Hundreds of Copyrighted Works Finally Enter the Public Domain After 95 Years

On January 1, 2019, there was even more to celebrate than the start of a new year. This day saw many published works enter the US public domain for the first time. Literature, music, movies, and more that were created in 1923 are now available for anyone to republish and use in other projects—without asking permission or paying the previous rights holders.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.