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Today, Yokohama is Japan’s second largest city by population, with a booming port industry. These charming images of Yokohama at the turn of the 20th century confirm its history as an international city, with an influx of industrial technology and foreign influence during this period. After the Meji Restoration of 1868, Yokohama developed from a small fishing village to an important port with a silk trade connected to Great Britain.

The photographs, found in the album of a presumed German tradesman living and working in the area around 1908, show a city in flux, caught between tradition and modernity. Artisans worked on embroidery, textiles, and silver cloisonné for foreign export, demonstrating the foreign appetite for Japanese goods during this period. Steamships arrived to the port while animal labor continued to be used in agriculture.

The images also preserve a Yokohama that was largely destroyed by the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, providing precious insight into a Japan subject to natural disaster, whether it be flood, fire, or earthquake.

via [Vintage Everyday]

All images via Wolfgang Wiggers.

It’s commonplace to see illustrations grace the inside of a book, but long ago, some of the best imagery was displayed on the edge of a publication. Known as fore-edge painting, these incredible compositions were printed or drawn on the closed pages of a book.

As the book lays flat, entire scenes span the stack of pages. Some texts, however, are more secretive and can only be viewed when the book is fanned in a certain direction—if the book is closed as it normally is, it simply looks unadorned or perhaps gilded. Occasionally, there are two illustrations embedded on the fore-edge, and they’re each visible on different page slants (this is called a two-way double).

The Earl Gregg Swem Library is home to the Ralph H. Wark Collection, which comprises 700 fore-edge painted books—the largest array found in America. Jay Gaidmore, the Director of Special Collections at the Earl Gregg Swem Library offers insight to the special books. “Sometimes the fore-edge paintings corresponded to the subject of the book, and sometimes not,” he explains. “Typical scenes include Oxford and Cambridge, the Thames River, Westminster Abbey, the English village and countryside, Edinburgh, authors, ships, and classical figures.”

Although still seen today, the practice dates back to the 11th century, with the more sophisticated and elaborate forms of fore-edge painting (like the two-way double) appearing around the 17th century. The tradition peaked around the early 19th century and eventually fell out of vogue. Now, it’s used as a special, unexpected touch in modern publishing.

Above: Henry Longfellow from The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Photo via of The Swem Library.

A two-way double fore-edge painting from The Book of The Thames (1859), slanted one way. Photo via The Swem Library.

The American capital painted on the edge of American Poems (1870). Photo via The Swem Library.

A two-way double fore-edge painting from The Book of The Thames (1859), slanted one way. Photo via of The Swem Library.

A ship painted in Lectures on Modern History (1843). Photo via of The Swem Library.

A circus scene from Essays, Poems, and Plays (1820). Photo via of The Swem Library.

Spider monkeys from a fore-edge painting on The Natural History of Monkeys (1838). Photo via of the Swem Library.

Stonehenge painted on the side of The Royal Kalendar, and court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and The Colonies (Date unknown). Photo via of Albert H. Wiggin Collection/Boston Public Library.

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden on side of The Bible (1795). Photo via of Albert H. Wiggin Collection/Boston Public Library.

The Last Supper on the edge of The Holy Bible (1803). Photo via of Albert H. Wiggin Collection/Boston Public Library.

George Washington and Ben Franklin from the side of The Speeches of The Right Honourable William Pitt (1808). Photo via of Albert H. Wiggin Collection/Boston Public Library.

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A few years ago, Special Collections Librarian Colleen Theisen at the University of Iowa created GIFs of secret fore-edge paintings on a volume of seasons by Robert Mudie:
Autumn

Winter

Spring

Summer

Learn more about those volumes here.

via [Creative Boom, Atlas Obscura]

Evocative of twisting veins and pumping hearts, Etienne Meneau cleverly combines blood vessels with drinking vessels to create his striking series of Strange Decanters.

Featuring a set of exquisitely hand-blown receptacles, the series presents a peculiar twist on traditional wine decanting. The creative collection offers a wide range of styles, predominantly characterized by two aesthetics: linear, vein-like forms, and rounded, heart-inspired orbs. Although often interpreted solely as artery-influenced art, Meneau also draws inspiration from tree branches, plant roots, and other forms found in nature. He explains: “My work turns around geometry and nature. I love to put some flesh on geometrical shapes… that’s why vegetal life interests me… It is a pure living geometry and algebra.”

While the sculptural pieces may look more like works of art than practical carafes, they are entirely functional. Hand-blown from borosilicate, a sturdy glass, each decanter is designed to hold one bottle of wine (750 ml). And, while each vessel’s gnarled contours and twisting tubes may look impossible to wash, Meneau assures that simply rinsing each decanter and letting it air-dry upside down will do the trick—allowing you to wine and dine to your heart’s content. 

Etienne Meneau: Website 
via [Freshome, Food Republic]

All images via Etienne Meneau.

Legendary, eccentric artist Salvador Dalí declared at age 6 that he wished to become a chef. First published in 1973, Les Diners de Gala was a bizarre dream come true—a cookbook filled with surreal illustrations and recipes inspired by the lavish dinner parties that Dalí and his wife Gala organized. The parties were legendary for their wild opulence, with guests often required to dress in costume and wild animals left to roam free around the table.

Acclaimed publisher Taschen is reissuing the cookbook, available for pre-order, as only 400 of the original publications are known to exist. The book, which includes 136 recipes divided into 12 chapters, is arranged by courses—including aphrodisiacs. Aside from his illustrations, Dalí’s musings are scattered through the publication, giving insight into his philosophy on gustatory delights. If, as the artist proclaims, “the jaw is our best tool to grasp philosophical knowledge,” he does well to display the bizarre and decadent aspects of cuisine. “Thousand Year Old Eggs,” “Veal Cutlets Stuffed With Snails,” “Frog Pasties,” and “Toffee with Pine Cones” are all on the menu, with sometimes unsettling imagery to match. Overtones of cannibalism also creep into the work—for instance, an armless woman with a skirt formed from lobster stands atop of pile of dead bodies, many with severed heads.

Those interested in taking on the challenge of cooking Dalí-style will also need to throw their diets out the window. Dalí writes from the outset, “We would like to state clearly that, beginning with the very first recipes, Les Diners de Gala, with its precepts and its illustrations, is uniquely devoted to the pleasures of Taste. Don’t look for dietetic formulas here. We intend to ignore those charts and tables in which chemistry takes the place of gastronomy. If you are a disciple of one of those calorie-counters who turn the joys of eating into a form of punishment, close this book at once; it is too lively, too aggressive, and far too impertinent for you.”

Whether purchased for the cuisine or the art, Les Diners de Gala demonstrates how Dalí, as a multifaceted artist, never allowed himself to be bound by the limits of the canvas. His artistic mind knew no bounds, moving from the gallery to the kitchen with ease. 

Taschen: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Colossal]

All images via Taschen.

Origami extraordinaire Gonzalo Garcia Calvo meticulously crafts expressive and imaginative paper creatures. Using only his hands and a single, square sheet of colorful paper, the Madrid-based artist brings the animal kingdom to life through intricate folds.

From the cute and cuddly—like his slinky cats and energetic dogs—to more exotic wildlife—including a tiny treefrog and an elegant giraffe—the creatures that comprise his collection represent a wide array of animal life.  Some, like his exquisite unicorn and fierce dragon, are even mythical. Whether real or imaginary, however, all of his creations demonstrate Calvo’s indisputable talent and unwavering patience.

While many modern origami artists use multiple sheets of paper, adhesives, and scissors to sculpt their creations, Calvo’s method remains true to the ancient craft’s rudimentary roots; he uses just one square of paper per piece and only his fingers to bring his fantastic designs to life. He does, however, enjoy experimenting with different patterns, textures, and types of paper—including one that features fur, making his wooly mammoth actually wooly!

Through his stunning sculptures, Gonzalo Garcia Calvo successfully communicates the “feeling of fragility and delicacy” intrinsic to the origami art form. 

Gonzalo Garcia Calvo: Flickr 
via [Citkart]

All images via Gonzalo Garcia Calvo.

Women around the world are handing over their bottles of nail polish to the men this month, saying, “I prefer a polished man.” For the third year in a row, Australian-based nonprofit YGAP is encouraging men to participate in a simple social media movement called Polished Man, by coloring one fingernail for the month of October to raise awareness and support for child victims of physical and sexual violence.

The idea to use nail polish came after YGAP’s CEO, Elliot Costello, was traveling to Hagar International in Cambodia and met an 8-year-old named Thea. She told him her story—of how her father died and left her family with nothing; of the years she was sent to an orphanage; of the two years she was repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted by the western man who was supposed to take care of her. The day Costello sat down with the girl, she took his gentle hand and first, drew a heart, and then painted his fingernails blue. He became a polished man that day, and decided to paint one nail to always remember her.

Above: Chris Hemsworth, actor

Elliot Costello, founder of Polished Man.

Hear the moving story behind Costello’s project.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLlF3EOzprU?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0&w=750&h=480]

Unfortunately, Thea’s story is not unique. According to Polished Man’s website, 1 in 5 children around the world suffer physical and/or sexual violence before the age of 18. Costello believes that with enough support, an end to violence will be achieved in our lifetime. “The power to stop this is on your hands,” Costello writes. “It starts with painting a fingernail. That nail leads to a conversation. That conversation inspires a donation. That donation allows for prevention and protection.”

Big names, such as Olympic Gold medalist Michael Klim, actors Chris Hemsworth and Tyler Blackburn, and photographer David Higgs are already “nailing it” on social media, and are helping to usher in over $280,000 in donations. All funds raised will be “channelled into trauma recovery and trauma prevention programs for children who have suffered or are at risk of suffering violence globally,” including the Australian Childhood Foundation, Hagar International, the New York Centre for Children, World Vision, and YGAP-supported entrepreneurial ventures combatting violence.

Check out a few of these world-class man-i-cures.

Michael Klim, Olympic Gold Medalist in Swimming

Anthony Selemidis, footballer and fitness model

Original photo via @andreaskats93. Black & white via @polishedman.

Polished Man: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
via [Mashable]

All images via Polished Man.