I love old books. In this computerized era, I still enjoy spending hours in museums and old libraries. Many of them have done an excellent job in digitizing photos and manuscripts from their archives. The Library of Congress, The British Museum or The Vatican Library are just a few clicks away… In one of my previous posts, I showed some modern bookplates. Now is the time to share new discoveries. These old bookplates are truly gorgeous, aren’t they?
ancient
Designed in 1610’s: Magic Calculator
This amazing wooden box contains two calculating machines for performing multi-digit multiplication. They were designed in 1610’s by Scottish mathematician John Napier. This is one of the world’s first mechanical calculators, known as “Napier’s Bones”. Such boxes were widely used in Europe up to the late 1700’s.
Google Inspires Designers and Artists
These five Google services are in my bookmarks list. I think each of them is a great source of inspiration and knowledge…
1. Google Art Project // The world’s cultural treasures online
Museums from over 40 countries have contributed more than 40,000 high-resolution images of artworks. Some images are available in “gigapixel” format, allowing you to zoom in to examine incredible detail. You can take virtual tours, create your own gallery and share your favorite masterpieces via social media.