Ouch!
On FriÂday, Glen Hansard & Lisa O’Neill perÂformed “FairyÂtale of New York” at Shane MacÂGowan’s funerÂal, givÂing the Pogues’ frontÂman quite the send-off. The movÂing perÂforÂmance took place before a packed church in Nenagh, a counÂtry town in IreÂland. And it all ends, perÂhaps fitÂtingÂly, with mournÂers dancÂing in the aisles. Below, you can also watch Nick Cave perÂform a Pogues song from 1986, “A Rainy Night in Soho.”
RelatÂed ConÂtent
The WonÂdrous Night When Glen Hansard Met Van MorÂriÂson
What hisÂtoÂry nerd doesn’t thrill to Thomas EdiÂson speakÂing to us from beyond the grave in a 50th anniverÂsary repeat of his groundÂbreakÂing 1877 spoÂken word recordÂing of (those hopÂing for loftiÂer stuff should dial it down now) Mary Had a LitÂtle Lamb?
The origÂiÂnal repÂreÂsents the first time a recordÂed human voice was sucÂcessÂfulÂly capÂtured and played back. We live in hope that the fragÂile tinÂfoil sheet on which it was recordÂed will turn up in someone’s attic someÂday.
ApparÂentÂly EdiÂson got it in the can on the first take. The great invenÂtor latÂer remÂiÂnisced that he “was nevÂer so takÂen aback” in his life as when he first heard his own voice, issuÂing forth from the phonoÂgraph into which he’d so recentÂly shoutÂed the famous nursÂery rhyme:
EveryÂbody was astonÂished. I was always afraid of things that worked the first time.
His achieveÂment was a game changÂer, obviÂousÂly, but it wasÂn’t the first time human speech was sucÂcessÂfulÂly recordÂed, as Kings and Things clarÂiÂfies in the above video.
That honÂor goes to Édouard-LĂ©on Scott de MarÂtÂinville, whose phoÂnauÂtoÂgraph, patentÂed in 1857, tranÂscribed vocal sounds as wave forms etched onto lampÂblack-coatÂed paper, wood, or glass.
Edison’s plans for his invenÂtion hinged on its abilÂiÂty to reproÂduce sound in ways that would be familÂiar and of serÂvice to the lisÂtenÂing pubÂlic. A samÂpling:
LĂ©on ScotÂt’s vision for his phoÂnauÂtoÂgraph reflects his preÂocÂcuÂpaÂtion with the sciÂence of sound.
A proÂfesÂsionÂal typeÂsetÂter, with an interÂest in shortÂhand, he conÂceived of the phoÂnauÂtoÂgraph as an artiÂfiÂcial ear capaÂble of reproÂducÂing every hicÂcup and quirk of proÂnunÂciÂaÂtion far more faithÂfulÂly than a stenogÂraÂphÂer ever could. It was, in the words of audio hisÂtoÂriÂan Patrick FeastÂer, the “ultiÂmate speech-to-text machine.”
As he told NPR’s Talk of the Nation, LĂ©on Scott was driÂven to “get sounds down on paper where he could look at them and study them:”
…in terms of what we’re talkÂing about here visuÂalÂly, anyÂbody who’s ever used audio editÂing softÂware should have a pretÂty good idea of what we’re talkÂing about here, that kind of wavy line that you see on your screen that someÂhow corÂreÂsponds to a sound file that you’re workÂing with…He was hopÂing peoÂple would learn to read those squigÂgles and not just get the words out of them.
Although LĂ©on Scott manÂaged to sell a few phoÂnauÂtoÂgraphs to sciÂenÂtifÂic labÂoÂraÂtoÂries, the genÂerÂal pubÂlic took litÂtle note of his invenÂtion. He was pained by the globÂal acclaim that greetÂed Edison’s phonoÂgraph 21 years latÂer, fearÂing that his own name would be lost to hisÂtoÂry.
His fear was not unfoundÂed, though as Conan O’Brien, of all peoÂple, mused, “evenÂtuÂalÂly, all our graves go unatÂtendÂed.”
But LĂ©on Scott got a secÂond act, as did sevÂerÂal unidenÂtiÂfied long-dead humans whose voicÂes he had recordÂed, when Dr. FeastÂer and his First Sounds colÂleague David GioÂvanÂnoni conÂvertÂed some phoÂnauÂtoÂgrams to playable digÂiÂtal audio files using non-conÂtact optiÂcal-scanÂning techÂnolÂoÂgy from the Lawrence BerkeÂley NationÂal LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry.
Dr. FeastÂer describes the eerie expeÂriÂence of lisÂtenÂing to the cleaned-up spoÂken word tracks after a long night of tweakÂing file speeds, using LĂ©on ScotÂt’s phoÂnauÂtoÂgrams of tunÂing forks as his guide:
I’m a sound recordÂing hisÂtoÂriÂan, so hearÂing a voice from 100 years ago is no real surÂprise for me. But sitÂting there, I was just kind of stunned to be thinkÂing, now I’m sudÂdenÂly at last lisÂtenÂing to a perÂforÂmance of vocal music made in France before the AmerÂiÂcan CivÂil War. That was just a stunÂning thing, feelÂing like a ghost is tryÂing to sing to me through that staÂtÂic.
ScanÂning techÂnolÂoÂgy also allowed hisÂtoÂriÂans to creÂate playable digÂiÂtal files of fragÂile foil recordÂings made on EdiÂson devices, like the St. Louis TinÂfoil , made by writer and earÂly adopter Thomas Mason in the sumÂmer of 1878, as a way of showÂing off his new-fanÂgled phonoÂgraph, purÂchased for the whopÂping sum of $95.
The British Library’s TinÂfoil RecordÂing is thought to be the earÂliÂest in exisÂtence. It feaÂtures an as-yet unidenÂtiÂfied woman, who may or may not be quotÂing from social theÂoÂrist HarÂriÂet MarÂtineau… this garÂbled ghost is excepÂtionÂalÂly difÂfiÂcult to pin down.
Far easÂiÂer to deciÂpher are the 1889 recordÂings of PrussÂian Field MarÂshall HelÂmuth Von Multke, who was born in 1800, the last year of the 18th cenÂtuÂry, makÂing his the earÂliÂest-born recordÂed voice in audio hisÂtoÂry.
The nonaÂgeÂnarÂiÂan recites from HamÂlet and Faust, and conÂgratÂuÂlates EdiÂson on his astonÂishÂing invenÂtion:
This phonoÂgraph makes it posÂsiÂble for a man who has already long restÂed in the grave once again to raise his voice and greet the present.
RelatÂed ConÂtent
A Beer BotÂtle Gets Turned Into a 19th CenÂtuÂry EdiÂson CylinÂder and Plays Fine Music
400,000+ Sound RecordÂings Made Before 1923 Have Entered the PubÂlic Domain
– Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is the Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine and author, most recentÂly, of CreÂative, Not Famous: The Small PotaÂto ManÂiÂfesto and CreÂative, Not Famous ActivÂiÂty Book. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday.
Before elecÂtronÂic ampliÂfiÂcaÂtion, instruÂment makÂers and musiÂcians had to find newÂer and betÂter ways to make themÂselves heard among ensemÂbles and orchesÂtras and above the din of crowds. Many of the acoustic instruÂments we’re familÂiar with today—guitars, celÂlos, vioÂlas, etc.—are the result of hunÂdreds of years of experÂiÂmenÂtaÂtion focused on solvÂing just that probÂlem. These holÂlow woodÂen resÂoÂnance chamÂbers ampliÂfy the sound of the strings, but that sound must escape, hence the cirÂcuÂlar sound hole under the strings of an acoustic guiÂtar and the f‑holes on either side of a vioÂlin.
I’ve often wonÂdered about this parÂticÂuÂlar shape and assumed it was simÂply an affectÂed holdover from the RenaisÂsance. While it’s true f‑holes date from the RenaisÂsance, they are much more than ornaÂmenÂtal; their design—whether arrived at by acciÂdent or by conÂscious intent—has had remarkÂable stayÂing powÂer for very good reaÂson.
As acoustiÂcian Nicholas Makris and his colÂleagues at MIT announced in a study pubÂlished by the RoyÂal SociÂety, a vioÂlin’s f‑holes serve as the perÂfect means of delivÂerÂing its powÂerÂful acoustic sound. F‑holes have “twice the sonÂic powÂer,” The EconÂoÂmist reports, “of the cirÂcuÂlar holes of the fithele” (the vioÂlin’s 10th cenÂtuÂry ancesÂtor and oriÂgin of the word “fidÂdle”).
The evoÂluÂtionÂary path of this eleÂgant innovation—Clive ThompÂson at Boing Boing demonÂstrates with a colÂor-codÂed chart—takes us from those origÂiÂnal round holes, to a half-moon, then to varÂiÂousÂly-elabÂoÂratÂed c‑shapes, and finalÂly to the f‑hole. That slow hisÂtorÂiÂcal develÂopÂment casts doubt on the theÂoÂry in the above video, which argues that the 16th-cenÂtuÂry Amati famÂiÂly of vioÂlin makÂers arrived at the shape by peelÂing a clemenÂtine, perÂhaps, and placÂing flat the surÂface area of the sphere. But it’s an intriguÂing posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty nonetheÂless.
Instead, through an “analyÂsis of 470 instruÂments… made between 1560 and 1750,” Makris, his co-authors, and vioÂlin makÂer Roman BarÂnas disÂcovÂered, writes The EconÂoÂmist, that the “change was gradual—and conÂsisÂtent.” As in biolÂoÂgy, so in instruÂment design: the f‑holes arose from “natÂurÂal mutaÂtion,” writes JenÂnifer Chu at MIT News, “or in this case, craftsÂmanÂship error.” MakÂers inevitably creÂatÂed imperÂfect copies of othÂer instruÂments. Once vioÂlin makÂers like the famed Amati, StradiÂvari, and Guarneri famÂiÂlies arrived at the f‑hole, howÂevÂer, they found they had a supeÂriÂor shape, and “they defÂiÂniteÂly knew what was a betÂter instruÂment to repliÂcate,” says Makris. Whether or not those masÂter craftsÂmen underÂstood the mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal prinÂciÂples of the f‑hole, we canÂnot say.
What Makris and his team found is a relaÂtionÂship between “the linÂear proÂporÂtionÂalÂiÂty of conÂducÂtance” and “sound hole perimeÂter length.” In othÂer words, the more elonÂgatÂed the sound hole, the more sound can escape from the vioÂlin. “What’s more,” Chu adds, “an elonÂgatÂed sound hole takes up litÂtle space on the vioÂlin, while still proÂducÂing a full sound—a design that the researchers found to be more powÂer-effiÂcient” than preÂviÂous sound holes. “Only at the very end of the periÂod” between the 16th and the 18th cenÂturies, The EconÂoÂmist writes, “might a delibÂerÂate change have been made” to vioÂlin design, “as the holes sudÂdenÂly get longer.” But it appears that at this point, the evoÂluÂtion of the vioÂlin had arrived at an “optiÂmal result.” Attempts in the 19th cenÂtuÂry to “fidÂdle furÂther with the f‑holes’ designs actuÂalÂly served to make things worse, and did not endure.”
To read the mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal demonÂstraÂtions of the f‑hole’s supeÂriÂor “conÂducÂtance,” see Makris and his co-authors’ pubÂlished paper here. And to see how a conÂtemÂpoÂrary vioÂlin makÂer cuts the instruÂmenÂt’s f‑holes, see a careÂful demonÂstraÂtion in the video above.
Note: An earÂliÂer verÂsion of this post appeared on our site in 2016.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
On the evening of JanÂuÂary 12, 1971, CBS viewÂers across the UnitÂed States sat down to a brand new sitÂcom preÂcedÂed by a highÂly unusuÂal disÂclaimer. The proÂgram they were about to see, it declared, “seeks to throw a humorÂous spotÂlight on our frailÂties, prejÂuÂdices, and conÂcerns. By makÂing them a source of laughÂter, we hope to show — in a mature fashÂion — just how absurd they are.” ThereÂafter comÂmenced the very first episode of All in the FamÂiÂly, which would go on, over nine full seaÂsons, to define AmerÂiÂcan teleÂviÂsion in the nineÂteen-sevÂenÂties. It did so not just by darÂing to find comÂeÂdy in the issues of the day — the VietÂnam War, the genÂerÂaÂtion gap, womÂen’s lib, race relaÂtions, homoÂsexÂuÂalÂiÂty — but also by spawnÂing a variÂety of othÂer major sitÂcoms like Maude, The JefÂferÂsons, and Good Times.
Even if you didÂn’t live through the sevÂenÂties, you’ve probÂaÂbly heard of these shows. Now you can watch full episodes on the offiÂcial Youtube chanÂnel of NorÂman Lear, the teleÂviÂsion writer and proÂducÂer involved in the creÂation of all of them and many othÂers besides.
If you’ve ever seen SanÂford and Son, FerÂnÂwood 2 Night, DifÂf’rent Strokes, or One Day at a Time (or if you hapÂpened to catch such short-lived obscuÂriÂties as HangÂing In, a.k.a. Pablo, and SunÂday DinÂner), you’ve seen one of his proÂducÂtions. His death this week at the age of 101 has proÂvidÂed the occaÂsion to acquaint or reacÂquaint ourÂselves with Archie and Edith Bunker, George and Louise JefÂferÂson, FloriÂda and James Evans, and all the othÂer charÂacÂters from what we might now call the “NorÂman Lear mulÂtiÂverse.”
The best place to start is with the preÂmiere of All in the FamÂiÂly, which introÂduces the Bunker clan and the cenÂtral conÂflict of their houseÂhold: that between boisÂterÂousÂly prejÂuÂdiced workÂing-class patriÂarch Archie Bunker and his bleedÂing-heart baby-boomer son-in-law Michael “MeatÂhead” Stivic. LatÂer episodes introÂduce such secÂondary charÂacÂters as Edith Bunker’s strong-willed cousin Maude FindÂlay, who went on to star in her own eponyÂmous series the folÂlowÂing year, and the Bunkers’ enterÂprisÂing black next-door neighÂbors the JefÂferÂsons, who themÂselves “moved on up” in 1975. (So far did the teleÂviÂsuÂal LearÂverse evenÂtuÂalÂly expand that Good Times and CheckÂing In were built around the charÂacÂters of Maude and the JefÂferÂsons’ maids.)
An outÂspoÂken proÂpoÂnent of libÂerÂal causÂes, Lear probÂaÂbly wouldÂn’t have denied using his teleÂviÂsion work to influÂence pubÂlic opinÂion on the issues that conÂcerned him. Yet at their best, his shows didÂn’t reduce themÂselves to politÂiÂcal moralÂiÂty plays, showÂing an awareÂness that the Archie Bunkers of the world weren’t always in the wrong and the MeatÂheads weren’t always in the right. By twenÂty-first-cenÂtuÂry stanÂdards, the jokes volleyed back and forth in All in the FamÂiÂly or The JefÂferÂsons may seem blunt, not least when they employ terms now regardÂed as unspeakÂable on mainÂstream teleÂviÂsion. But they also have the forthÂrightÂness to go wherÂevÂer the humor of the sitÂuÂaÂtion — that is to say, the truth of the sitÂuÂaÂtion — dicÂtates, an uncomÂmon qualÂiÂty among even the most acclaimed comeÂdies this half-cenÂtuÂry latÂer. Watch comÂplete episodes of NorÂman Lear shows here.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Watch Mad Magazine’s Edgy, NevÂer-Aired TV SpeÂcial (1974)
Watch Between Time and TimÂbukÂtu, an Obscure TV Gem Based on the Work of Kurt VonÂnegut
Watch the OpenÂing CredÂits of an ImagÂiÂnary 70s Cop Show StarÂring Samuel BeckÂett
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
You’re busy. You don’t have much time to figÂure out the deal with Large LanÂguage ModÂels (aka LLMs). But you have some curiosÂiÂty. Enter Andrej KarpaÂthy and his preÂsenÂtaÂtion, “A Busy PerÂsonÂ’s IntroÂducÂtion to Large LanÂguage ModÂels.” It’s a one-hour tutoÂrÂiÂal that explains “the core techÂniÂcal comÂpoÂnent behind sysÂtems like ChatÂGÂPT, Claude, and Bard.” Designed for a genÂerÂal audiÂence, the video explains what Large LanÂguage ModÂels (LLMs) are, and where KarpaÂthy sees them going. Andrej knows what he’s talkÂing about. He curÂrentÂly works for OpeÂnAI (the makÂer of ChatÂGÂPT), and, before that, he served as the direcÂtor of artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence at TesÂla.
As one YouTube comÂmenter put it, “Andrej is hands-down one of the best ML [Machine LearnÂing] eduÂcaÂtors out there.” At StanÂford, he was the priÂmaÂry instrucÂtor for the first deep learnÂing class, which has become one of the largest coursÂes at the uniÂverÂsiÂty. Enjoy.
RelatÂed ConÂtent
GenÂerÂaÂtive AI for EveryÂone: A Free Course from AI PioÂneer Andrew Ng
NeurÂal NetÂworks for Machine LearnÂing: A Free Online Course Taught by GeofÂfrey HinÂton
Not quite a cenÂtuÂry ago, ShangÂhai was known as “the Paris of the East.” (Or it became one of the cities to enjoy that repÂuÂtaÂtion, at any rate.) Today, you can catch a high-speed train in ShangÂhai and, just an hour latÂer, arrive in a place that has made a much more litÂerÂal bid for that title: TianÂducheng, a disÂtrict modÂeled directÂly on the French capÂiÂtal, comÂplete with not entireÂly unconÂvincÂing faux-HaussÂmannian apartÂment buildÂings and bouleÂvards. StrugÂgling to attract resÂiÂdents in the years after its conÂstrucÂtion on farmÂland at the outÂskirts of Hangzhou in 2007, TianÂducheng soon came to be regardÂed as one of ChiÂna’s over-ambiÂtious ghost towns.
Bizarre as it may seem to those unfaÂmilÂiar with recent trends in ChiÂnese city-buildÂing, TianÂducheng actuÂalÂly belongs to a kind of imiÂtaÂtive traÂdiÂtion. “On the outÂskirts of BeiÂjing, a repliÂca of JackÂson Hole, Wyoming, is outÂfitÂted with cowÂboys and a Route 66,” writes NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic’s GulÂnaz Khan.
“Red teleÂphone booths, pubs, and statÂues of WinÂston Churchill pepÂper the corÂriÂdors of Shanghai’s Thames Town. The city of Fuzhou is conÂstructÂing a repliÂca of StratÂford-upon-Avon in tribÂute to ShakeÂspeare.” To get a sense of how TianÂducheng fares today, have a look at “I Explored ChiÂna’s Failed $1 BilÂlion Copy of Paris,” the new video from Youtube travÂel chanÂnel Yes TheÂoÂry.
The group of friends makÂing this trip includes one FrenchÂman, who admits to a cerÂtain sense of familÂiarÂiÂty in the built enviÂronÂment of TianÂducheng, and even seems genÂuineÂly stunned by his first glimpse of its one-third-scale verÂsion of the EifÂfel TowÂer. (It sureÂly pleasÂes visÂitÂing Parisians to see that the develÂopÂers haven’t also built their own Tour MontÂparÂnasse.) But apart from ChiÂnese couÂples in search of a wedÂding-phoÂto spot, this ersatz EifÂfel TowÂer doesÂn’t seem to draw many visÂiÂtors, or at least not durÂing the day. As Yes TheÂoÂry’s travÂelÂers disÂcovÂer, the neighÂborÂhood doesÂn’t come alive until the evening, when such locals as have setÂtled in TianÂducheng come out and enjoy their unusuÂal cityscape. The street life of this Champs-ÉlysĂ©es is a far cry indeed from the real one — but in its way, it also looks like a lot more fun.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
A 5‑Hour WalkÂing Tour of Paris and Its Famous Streets, MonÂuÂments & Parks
A 3D AniÂmaÂtion Reveals What Paris Looked Like When It Was a Roman Town
The Sights & Sounds of 18th CenÂtuÂry Paris Get RecreÂatÂed with 3D Audio and AniÂmaÂtion
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
New YorkÂers have a variÂety of sayÂings about how they want nothÂing to do with nature, just as nature wants nothÂing to do with them. As a counÂterÂpoint, one might adduce CenÂtral Park, whose 843 acres of trees, grass, and water have occuÂpied the midÂdle of ManÂhatÂtan for a cenÂtuÂry and a half now. Yet that “most famous city park in the world,” as vetÂerÂan New York archiÂtect Michael WyetÂznÂer puts it in the ArchiÂtecÂturÂal Digest video above, is both nature and not. Though CenÂtral Park may feel as if it has existÂed since time immemoÂrÂiÂal, organÂiÂcalÂly thrivÂing in its space long before the towÂers that surÂround it, few large urban spaces had ever been so delibÂerÂateÂly conÂceived.
In the video, WyetÂznÂer (preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture for his explaÂnaÂtions of New York apartÂments, subÂway staÂtions, and bridges, as well as indiÂvidÂual works of archiÂtecÂture like Penn StaÂtion and the Chrysler BuildÂing) shows us sevÂerÂal spots in CenÂtral Park that reveal the choicÂes that went into its design and conÂstrucÂtion.
Many were already present in landÂscape archiÂtects FredÂerÂick Law OlmÂstÂed and Calvert Vaux’s origÂiÂnal plan, which they subÂmitÂted to an open design comÂpeÂtiÂtion in 1857. Of all the entries, only theirs refused to let the park be cut apart by transÂverse roads, optÂing instead to round autoÂmoÂbile trafÂfic underÂground and preÂserve a conÂtinÂuÂous expeÂriÂence of “nature” for visÂiÂtors. (If only more recent urban parks could have kept its examÂple in mind.)
CenÂtral Park would be welÂcome even if it were just a big of expanse of trees, grass, and water. But it also conÂtains many disÂtincÂtive built strucÂtures, such as the much-phoÂtographed mall leadÂing to BethesÂda TerÂrace, the “secÂond-oldÂest cast-iron bridge in the UnitÂed States,” the dairy that once proÂvidÂed fresh milk to New York’s chilÂdren, and Belvedere CasÂtle. That last is built at three-quarÂters scale, “which makes it appear furÂther away than it actuÂalÂly is, and gives it this sort of magÂiÂcal fairy-tale qualÂiÂty,” the same trick that the builders of DisÂneyÂland would employ intenÂsiveÂly about a cenÂtuÂry latÂer. But the priÂorÂiÂties of Walt DisÂney and his colÂlabÂoÂraÂtors difÂfered from the designÂers of CenÂtral Park, who, as Vaux once said, put “nature first, secÂond, and third — archiÂtecÂture after a while.” If a mutuÂalÂly benÂeÂfiÂcial deal could be struck between those two pheÂnomÂeÂna anyÂwhere, sureÂly that place is New York City.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The Lost NeighÂborÂhood Buried Under New York City’s CenÂtral Park
An ImmerÂsive ArchiÂtecÂturÂal Tour of New York City’s IconÂic Grand CenÂtral TerÂmiÂnal
ArchiÂtect Breaks Down Five of the Most IconÂic New York City ApartÂments
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
Image via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
The LasÂcaux Caves enjoyed a quiÂet exisÂtence for some 17,000 years.
Then came the sumÂmer of 1940, when four teens invesÂtiÂgatÂed what seemed to be a fox’s den on a hill near MonÂtiÂgnac, hopÂing it might lead to an underÂground pasÂsageÂway of local legÂend.
Once inside, they disÂcovÂered the paintÂings that have intrigued us ever since, expandÂing our underÂstandÂing of preÂhisÂtoric art and human oriÂgins, and causÂing us to specÂuÂlate on things we’ll nevÂer have an answer to.
The boys’ teacher reached out to sevÂerÂal preÂhisÂtoÂriÂans, who authenÂtiÂcatÂed the figÂures, arranged for them to be phoÂtographed and sketched, and colÂlectÂed a numÂber of bone and flint artiÂfacts from the caves’ floors.
By 1948, excaÂvaÂtions and artiÂfiÂcial lights renÂdered the caves accesÂsiÂble to visÂiÂtors, who arrived in droves — as many as 1,800 in a sinÂgle day.
Less than 20 years latÂer, The Collector’s Rosie Lesso writes, the caves were in criÂsis, and perÂmaÂnentÂly closed to tourism:
…the heat, humidÂiÂty and carÂbon dioxÂide of all those peoÂple crammed into the dark and airÂless cave was causÂing an imbalÂance in the cave’s natÂurÂal ecosysÂtem, leadÂing to the overÂgrowth of molds and funÂgusÂes that threatÂened to oblitÂerÂate the preÂhisÂtoric paintÂings.
The lights that had helped visÂiÂtors get an eyeÂful of the paintÂings caused fadÂing and disÂcolÂoration that threatÂened their very exisÂtence.
DeclarÂing this major attracÂtion off limÂits was the right move, and those who make the jourÂney to the area won’t leave entireÂly disÂapÂpointÂed. LasÂcaux IV, a painstakÂing repliÂca that opened to the pubÂlic in 2016, offers even more verisimilÂiÂtude than the preÂviÂous modÂel, 1983’s LasÂcaux II.
A handÂful of researchers and mainÂteÂnance workÂers are still perÂmitÂted inside the actuÂal caves, now a UNESCO World HerÂitage site, but human presÂence is limÂitÂed to an annuÂal total of 800 hours, and everyÂone must be propÂerÂly outÂfitÂted with sterÂile white overÂalls, plasÂtic head covÂerÂings, latex gloves, douÂble shoe covÂers, and LED foreÂhead lamps with which to view the paintÂings.
The rest of us rabÂble can get a healthy virÂtuÂal taste of these visÂiÂtors’ expeÂriÂence thanks to the digÂiÂtal LasÂcaux colÂlecÂtion that the NationÂal ArcheÂolÂoÂgy MuseÂum creÂatÂed for the MinÂistry of CulÂture.
An interÂacÂtive tour offers close-up views of the famous paintÂings, with titles to oriÂent the viewÂer as to the parÂticÂuÂlars of what and where — for examÂple “red cow folÂlowed by her calf” in the Hall of the Bulls.
Click the butÂton in the lowÂer left for a more in-depth expert descripÂtion of the eleÂment being depictÂed:
The flat red colÂor used for the silÂhouÂette is of a uniÂforÂmiÂty that is selÂdom attained, which implies a repeatÂed gesÂture startÂing from the same point, with comÂpleÂmenÂtary angles of proÂjecÂtion of pigÂments. The outÂlines have been creÂatÂed with a stenÂcil, and only the hindquarÂters, horns and the line of the back have been laid down with a brush…The fact that the artist used the same pigÂment for both figÂures withÂout any picÂtoÂrÂiÂal tranÂsiÂtion between them indiÂcates that the fusion of the two silÂhouÂettes was intenÂtionÂal, indicaÂtive of the conÂnecÂtion between the calf and its mothÂer. This duo was born of the same gesÂture, and the image of the offÂspring is mereÂly the graphÂic extenÂsion of that of its mothÂer.
The interÂacÂtive virÂtuÂal tour is furÂther comÂpliÂmentÂed by a trove of hisÂtoric phoÂtographs and interÂviews, geoÂlogÂiÂcal conÂtext, conÂserÂvaÂtion updates and anthroÂpoÂlogÂiÂcal interÂpreÂtaÂtions sugÂgestÂing the paintÂings had a funcÂtion well beyond visuÂal art.
Begin your virÂtuÂal interÂacÂtive visÂit to the LasÂcaux Cave here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent
Was a 32,000-Year-Old Cave PaintÂing the EarÂliÂest Form of CinÂeÂma?
AlgerÂian Cave PaintÂings SugÂgest Humans Did MagÂic MushÂrooms 9,000 Years Ago
40,000-Year-Old SymÂbols Found in Caves WorldÂwide May Be the EarÂliÂest WritÂten LanÂguage
– Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is the Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine and author, most recentÂly, of CreÂative, Not Famous: The Small PotaÂto ManÂiÂfesto and CreÂative, Not Famous ActivÂiÂty Book. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday.
Even if you’ve nevÂer travÂeled the seas, you’ve sureÂly known at least a few rivers in your time. And though you must be conÂscious of the fact that all of those rivers run, ultiÂmateÂly, to the sea, you may not have spent much time conÂtemÂplatÂing it. Now, thanks to the work of mapÂmakÂer and data anaÂlyst Robert Szucs, you won’t be able to come upon at a rivÂer withÂout conÂsidÂerÂing the parÂticÂuÂlar sea into which it flows. He’s creÂatÂed what he calls “the first ever map of the world’s rivers dividÂed into ocean drainage basins,” which appears just above.
This world map “shows, in difÂferÂent colÂors, all the rivers that flow into the Atlantic, ArcÂtic, IndiÂan or PacifÂic oceans, plus endorheÂic rivÂer basins which nevÂer reach the coast, mostÂly due to dryÂing up in desert areas.”
Szucs has also broÂken it down into “a set of 43 maps in this style for difÂferÂent counÂtries, states and conÂtiÂnents,” all of them availÂable to downÂload (and to purÂchase as large-forÂmat posters) from his web site GrasshopÂper GeogÂraÂphy.
We preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured Szucs here on Open CulÂture back in 2017, when he pubÂlished a rivÂer-and-stream-visuÂalÂizÂing map of the UnitÂed States made accordÂing to a simÂiÂlarÂly colÂorÂful and inforÂmaÂtive scheme. ExamÂinÂing that work of inforÂmaÂtion design gave me a richÂer conÂtext in which to imagÂine the rivers around which I grew up in WashÂingÂton State — the SamÂmamish, the SnoÂqualmie, the ColumÂbia — as well as a clearÂer sense of just how much the UnitÂed States’ largÂer, much more comÂplex waterÂway netÂwork must have conÂtributed to the develÂopÂment of the counÂtry as a whole.
Of course, havÂing lived the betÂter part of a decade in South Korea, I’ve lateÂly had less reaÂson to conÂsidÂer those parÂticÂuÂlar geoÂgraphÂiÂcal subÂjects. But Szucs’ new globÂal ocean drainage maps have brought relatÂed ones to mind: it will henceÂforth be a rare day when I ride a train across the Han RivÂer (one of the more subÂlime everyÂday sights Seoul has to offer) and don’t imagÂine it makÂing its way out to the PacifÂic — the very same PacifÂic that was the desÂtiÂnaÂtion of all those rivers of my west-coast AmerÂiÂcan youth. OceanÂiÂcalÂly speakÂing, even a move across the world doesÂn’t take you quite as far as it seems.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
A RadÂiÂcal Map Puts the Oceans — Not Land — at the CenÂter of PlanÂet Earth (1942)
Tour the AmaÂzon with Google Street View; No PassÂport NeedÂed
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
We’re takÂing you on a wistÂful trip down memÂoÂry lane. Above, Shane MacÂGowan and SinĂ©ad O’ConÂnor perÂform “HauntÂed” on the British music show, The White Room. OrigÂiÂnalÂly recordÂed in 1986 with Cait O’RiÂorÂdan on vocals, “HauntÂed” got a secÂond lease on life in 1995 when MacÂGowan and O’ConÂnor cut a new verÂsion, comÂbinÂing her etheÂreÂal vocals with his inimÂitable songÂwritÂing and whiskey-soaked voice. Below, they both appear in an interÂview recordÂed durÂing the same periÂod.
The two Irish musiÂcians first met in LonÂdon durÂing the 1980s, startÂing a friendÂship that would have its ups and downs. Their colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion on “HauntÂed” marked a high point. Then, in 1999, O’ConÂnor called the police when she found MacÂGowan doing heroÂin at home. Angered at first, MacÂGowan latÂer credÂitÂed the interÂvenÂtion with helpÂing him kick his habit. When SinĂ©ad gave birth to her third child in 2004, she named him Shane, in honÂor of her friend.
MacÂGowan and O’ConÂnor both died this year, just months apart from one anothÂer. As you watch their duet, you can’t help but feel the sand runÂning through the hourÂglass. It leaves you feelÂing grateÂful for what we had, and sad for what we have lost. May they rest in peace.