History
July 12, 2021

Discover ‘Candle Clocks’: History’s Original Alarm Clocks Before Electricity

Today, candlelight is primarily used for romantic dinners or temporary solutions in power outages. Before electricity, however, the candle had diverse uses. Candles were a critical source of light, they could be affixed to chandeliers or carried around in convenient brass holders. And their wax could be used to seal correspondence for privacy or official approval.

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Illustration
July 11, 2021

Endearing Illustrations of Solitary Robots Invite You To Finish Their Story

While we may be many years away from interacting with humanoid robots in real life, creators continue to imagine what they can look like. UK-based artist Matt Dixon digitally paints endearing robot characters living in a human-less world in an ongoing series of illustrations called Transmissions. Each of these digital paintings stars a mechanical figure made up of rusted or beat-up parts with large oval holes in its head in place of eyes.

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Art
July 10, 2021

Download 1,000+ Japanese Woodblock Prints by Edo-Era Master Hiroshige

With rich colors and distinct aesthetics, Japanese woodblock prints blossomed between the 17th and 19th centuries, in the Edo era. During this time, Japan was mostly closed off from the outside world, and only a handful of Dutch and Chinese traders were allowed inside with severe restrictions. So, the style of ukiyo-e, which literally means “pictures of a floating world,” offers a window into what life was like before the country reopened.

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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.