Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Dr. Eliot Gnass von Sonnenstern






Friedrich Schröder-Sonnenstern was born in 1892 in Kuckerneese, near Tilsit, Lithuania. He had a troubled youth and spent much time in correctional institutions, including five months in a mental asylum in 1910 where he was declared insane. He was again institutionalized in 1917 after an arrest for smuggling.

 After these episodes, he took the identity of the “Esteemed Professor Dr. Eliot Gnass von Sonnenstern, Psychologist of the University Sciences,” and became a healer and fortuneteller. Rather than keeping the profits he made through these ventures, he gave the money he made to the poor. Despite the beneficent attitude of these schemes, he was arrested for his fraudulent medical practice. While incarcerated, he met an artist who inspired him to draw, and in 1949 Sonnenstern moved to Berlin where this became his primary activity. He found success with his sharp and often sexually charged imagery, and by 1959 was earning a considerable income from his work. Sonnenstern died in Berlin in 1982. Link…

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

John L. Ridgway






A zoologist in the 1867-69 United States Geological Fortieth Parallel Survey, Ridgway produced this scrapbook containing drawings and proof prints including these Singer Sewing Machine trade cards. Link…

Monday, April 28, 2008

Death Valley






"This small collection of black and white photographs of the Death Valley area of Nevada and California was taken mainly in the late 1920s by "Shorty" Harris or one of his associates." Link…

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Polish Thespians
















Sets and actors from the early 1900s. Thanks to peacay for the pointer. Link…

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Illustrated Bible











Lots of death and destruction from Gabriel Chappuys – 1582. Link…

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Clowns







From the Cushman collection. That first picture reeks of "Don't fuck with me or you'll get this stick up your arse", the second looks like the kid is totally freaking - wringing his hands and screaming. The Jello clown with the little girl is all kinds of wrong and what's happening with that dog? Unsettling. Link…

Monday, April 21, 2008

Medical Chests






"The series of MD Chests was introduced to the Medical Department in 1942 as a means by which to transport large unit medical supplies and to enable medical units to easily redeploy." Link…