Book giveaways
Dec 1, 2009 Events, Special Offers, Updates
For those of you who did not find the bottle of ether in the Taschen Magic book, here it is – the lucky winner is Paul Asselin, who also correctly kept his written piece to under 100 words.
We’re also sending Katie and Mike a copy of 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman each for our “leave a comment, win a book” giveaway.
New Book Store: Phaidon Chelsea
Nov 9, 2009 Events
A new Phaidon store opened up on the Kings Road in Chelsea. Like TASHEN they print their own books on a variety of subjects. There’s a fantastic selection from Art to history to fashion and a whole load more. It’s very difficult to go in to shops like this without seeing at least a few items you’ll want. So luckily there’s a 50% off section at the back and 20% off everything else during the opening period.
Today is the First Annual Carl Sagan Day
Nov 7, 2009 Biography, Events, Science and Technology
Carl Sagan was a Professor of Astronomy and Space Science and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He served as an advisor and consultant to NASA, and played a major role in the establishment of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
He was a Pulitzer Prize winning author and most familiar to the public through his COSMOS series on PBS. In addition to numerous awards, recognitions and honorary degrees for his outstanding contributions, he is acknowledged as one of the most effective public faces of astronomy and space science throughout the world. Sagan died in December 1996.
Exhibitions: The British Library – Points Of View
Nov 5, 2009 Events, Image based
From the first tentative ‘drawings of shadows’ produced in the mid-1830s to its universal acceptance as a leisure pursuit, photography was swept along by a tide of entrepreneurial activity throughout the 19th century.
As an influential new artistic and documentary medium, photography rapidly developed into a lucrative profession. Science, government, industry and a growing media quickly recognised its power both to reflect and to shape society, while both artists and amateurs embraced its potential for personal expression.
Organised by subject matter, the exhibition asks: ‘Who was taking the photograph and why?’ Section by section, items are presented within their cultural context to explore some of the major themes of the 19th century – from expansion to industrialisation, science, and the rapid changes taking place in society. The final section reveals how technology responded to the demands of a developing mass market for photography, which continues to the present day.
