Did everyone know that the LIFE photo-archive is now available via Google image search? From the Google official blog: "This effort to bring offline images online was inspired by our mission to organize all the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. This collection of newly-digitized images includes photos and etchings produced and owned by LIFE dating all the way back to the 1750s. Only a very small percentage of these images have ever been published. The rest have been sitting in dusty archives in the form of negatives, slides, glass plates, etchings, and prints. We're digitizing them so that everyone can easily experience these fascinating moments in time. Today about 20 percent of the collection is online; during the next few months, we will be adding the entire LIFE archive — about 10 million photos."
You can search the archive, as well as see some example pictures, from the Google blog post. Some bloggers have already been busy picking out their favourites. See selections and favourites at
The Great Beyond (Nature news blog)
Discover's Cosmic Variance
Symmetry Breaking ("gorgeous physics")
The Hairy Museum of Natural History
This looks like it could be so good I am going to keep it for Christmas!
Posted by: Clare D | 27 November 2008 at 10:48
No I did not and thanks for letting me know. I have an old book somewhere in the house, full of such pics and they really do capture place, time and culture. I was in Amsterdam this week and looked at some old copies in a collector's/trader's window, which reminded me of the book. Now I come home to see this. Brill! Thanks, Maxine.
Posted by: crimeficreader | 28 November 2008 at 19:02
I clicked on Cosmic Variance and browsed some fascinating photographs of the Mount Wilson's telescope. But I liked even better the site's injunction to drop what I was doing and look at more photographs of scientists at work. I had never before thought of that as a compelling visual subject, but now I am taken by the idea.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Peter | 30 November 2008 at 08:22
Well, I hope they are more realistic than those depicted in "Eddington and Einstein", Peter, which I finall got to watch last night. At least the film did attempt to explain a bit of the science. But the scientists themselves - oh dear!
Posted by: Maxine | 30 November 2008 at 09:02
Thanks for the information on topics.I was excited for this article.
Thank you again.
Posted by: Russian Brides | 20 January 2009 at 09:47