Some of our long-time readers (and new arrivals) might be wondering: "What's going on in metropolitan America?" Well, the Brookings Institution has provided some compelling information on that timely subject in their March 2009 report on recent demographic trends across the United States. This 28-page report authored by William H. Frey, Alan Berube, Audrey Singer, and Jill H. Wilson looks into...

Round about the middle of the 19th century, many politicians relied on the time-honored practices of broadsheets, barn-sized advertisements, newspaper endorsements, and other such forms of promotion to get the word out about their campaigns. This website, created by the Northern Illinois University Libraries, provides a close examination of this national popular political culture from 1840 to 1860...

What is the altogether mysterious "ghost sign?" Simply put, it is a painted advertisement on a building, most prominent prior to the 1930s. Many of these advertisements appear on brick walls in urban settings. This unique collection came out of a partnership between the University of Louisville Libraries and the school's Fine Arts department. Students in a course titled Documentary Photography...

Gift of the Indus: The Arts and Culture of Pakistan, presented by ARTSEDGE, the Kennedy Center's arts education network, introduces the arts and culture of Pakistan to young people and teenagers in the US, Pakistan, and all over the world, in the hope of fostering greater understanding. The site has three broad sections: The Nation, with information about the people and the land; Culture & Daily...

Throughout history, illustrators and others have seen fit to accurately skewer politicians, religious leaders, and countless others through their creative drawings and words. Born in 1756, English illustrator James Gillray was part of this honorable tradition. He reigned supreme during a period that became known as the "golden age of English caricature," and he "chronicled and ridiculed the...

During a long career in the United States and Confederate States of American Armies, Jeremy Francis Gilmer served as an engineer. Responsible for constructing fortifications and conducting land surveys, he created dozens of maps and other such documents. Eventually, these materials found their way to the University of North Carolina Library, and most recently a number of these materials were...

"GIS Day [November 16, 2005] is a grassroots event that formalizes the practice of geographic information systems (GIS) users and vendors of opening their doors to schools, businesses, and the general public to showcase real-world applications of this important technology." Visitors can find event information, a schedule of events, the latest news, and a registration form. Educators can find tips...

As Pliny the Elder wrote in "Natural History": "And so we must now proceed to explain also the nature of glass..." Taking its cue from that immortal line, this interactive exhibit from the Penn Museum explores the history of glassworking through the six centuries of Roman domination of the Mediterranean world. Through photographs and diagrams, this website tells the story of glassware in everyday...

The Glaswegians Photo Archive is a byproduct of the Cranhill Arts Project, the largest documentary photography project in Scotland; 30,000 photographs taken between 1989 and 1992. This online archive provides a selection of these photographs that are "a record of Glasgow through photographs of its people - their lives, habits, quirks and cultures." The images are organized into topical albums,...

The National Portrait Gallery recently decided to cast their gaze outside their doors to take a look at their immediate surroundings in the Penn Quarter of Washington, D.C. This exhibition tells "the story of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the heart of Penn Quarter." The neighborhood contains the Old Patent Office Building (the home of the National Portrait Gallery) and an eclectic mix of modern...