Astronomiæ Instauratæ Mechanica

Instruments for the Restoration of Astronomy Tycho Brahe (1602) - here in colour.

Portuguese Scenes

Sketches of Portuguese life, manners, costume, and character (1826). A very interesting read. The illustrations form the basis for the narratives. This for example, accompanies the last illustration shown here:

I was in one of these stables, when a slave merchant from the latter place came in and enquired what sort of stuff was on sale. The shopman, anxious to transact business immediately, took a sack of arrow-root (farinha de pao) and placing about a dozen little handfuls of it here and there on the ground, made signal to the slaves to come and eat, just as we see done by a servant to call together the fowls in a poultry yard. The slaves made a rush at the little heaps, and squatting down on their haunches, just like monkeys, began to eat with avidity.

It then goes on to relate several anecdotes and observations regarding the slave trade in this region.

Brazilian Lithographs

Images from Voyage pittoresque et historique au Brésil Volume 1 — Jean Baptiste Debret 1768-1848. Volumes 2 and 3 are available on the site too but I didn't find them as interesting, depicting as they do the 'civilizing' of the natives. You can see them in colour (albeit at lower resolution) via S4U.

Meet the Fuggers

Acquisitive bankers and venture capitalists that took over the Medici reign but didn't always manage to acquire a partner.

American Clown

Here's a gif animation I made from the illustrations in the American Clown: Athletic Dance for Men or Boys manual.

Nice Etchings

Paradigmata Graphices variorum Artificum, Jan de Bisschop. What seems to be an uncompleted digitisation from manuscriptorium - european digital library of written cultural heritage. I thought I'd grab a few images before they finished it and slapped their watermarks all over them.

Russian Uniforms

No, really this time.










Another set from the Russian State Library. Representation of uniform coats of the Russian Imperial forces, as shown by images of 88 people, illuminated. (1793). Jakob von Lude.