Bill Young has created a fascinating and well-thought out tribute to the New York World's Fair of 1964-1965, whose theme was "Peace Through Understanding." Easily navigated, the site features a navigation tutorial, which may be helpful, as there is a substantial amount of material contained here. Visitors to the site can search for different information about the Fair by clicking one of the maps...

Only in America, one might say, would artistic self-expression be so successfully mass produced, commodified, and regimented. Nevertheless, in a brave attempt at recuperation, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History offers this new Website on the popular 1950s' hobby of painting by number from the perspective of "the artists and entrepreneurs who created the popular paint...

Recently, PBS redesigned the section of its main homepage dedicated to the arts programming featured on the network. The results are quite impressive and the hope is that this new site will "bring audiences directly into the creative process." The homepage has a Featured Art area that includes a digital remix of Mister Rogers singing, along with craft shows from the gifted Randall Darwall. The...

Organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and Tate Modern, London, this major exhibition of Roy Lichtenstein's work is a great summer vacation destination - and, for those who can't arrange travel to Chicago or London, the website provides a fun mini-break. Short videos at the site include curator James Rondeau, talking about installing the "largest exhibition ever devoted to the iconic American...

The Smithsonian Institutions Libraries Web site currently features a unique collection of seed and nursery catalogs dating from 1830 to the present. Online visitors may view a portion of the exhibit, which offers a look at "the history of the seed and agricultural implement business in the United States, as well as provides a history of botany and plant research such as the introduction of plant...

Last August, in a nod to the long-running former sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," CBS announced plans to develop a type of reality show that would feature a rural family (most likely from Appalachia) that would be transplanted to Beverly Hills. CBS (and its parent company Viacom) came under attack by many within (and outside of) the region, particularly when the network began circulating fliers...

Founded in 1825, the Connecticut Historical Society is one of the oldest such societies in the United States, and a repository for a great deal of historical documents and other material dealing with the history of the state. On their site, visitors will find a host of online exhibits dealing with such diverse topics as Hartford in the 1850s, Connecticut in the Jazz Age, and Early American Tavern...

Researching and documenting local histories can be difficult work, as any genealogist or amateur historian can attest to. Barbara Stewart and her colleagues at the University of Massachusetts have created a valuable Web-based resource for people interested in researching Franklin County in Massachusetts. Essentially, the Archive Index allows users to search for articles (organized by subject) from...

An alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, Lester S. Levy had a profound love of music and, in 1976, presented his collection of over 29,000 pieces of sheet music to the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at his alma mater. Spanning from 1780 to 1980, the collection is especially strong in music related to military conflicts, the circus, and minstrels. The staff at the Eisenhower Library have devoted a...

The companion site to this week's excellent Frontline explores the symbiotic relationships between teens, the media, and the creators and sellers of popular culture. In the program, Frontline correspondent Douglas Rushkoff interviews marketers, media executives, cultural/media critics, and members of the teen market that the former are so desperately trying to reach (and create). Among other...