1. This excellent Twitter (X) thread about a labyrinthine magical bookstore in Syracuse, NY
And then a hero of the labyrinthine magical bookstores of the world put all the bookstores that people listed in the replies on a map! Link to the first tweet in the thread. But a reader informed us that the bookstore is actually in Saratoga Springs!
2. Jack Kerouac’s Hand-Drawn Cover for On the Road (1952)
In 1950, when Jack Kerouac released his first novel, The Town and the City, he was less than impressed by the book cover produced by his publisher, Harcourt Brace… So, in 1952, when he began shopping his second novel, the great beat classic On the Road, Kerouac went ahead and designed his own cover. He sent it to a potential publisher A.A. Wyn, with a little note typed at the very top:
Dear Mr. Wyn:
I submit this as my idea of an appealing commercial cover expressive of the book. The cover for “The Town and the City” was as dull as the title and the photo backflap. Wilbur Pippin’s photo of me is the perfect On the Road one … it will look like the face of the figure below.
J.K.
Wyn turned down the novel, and it wouldn’t get published until 1957. It would, however, become a bestseller and be published with many different covers through the years. They’re all on display here.
Full article found on Open Culture.
3. New York’s Rejected Design for Central Park (the Versailles that never was)
Currently on display at the New-York Historical Society, this is the 8½ feet long rejected design for Central Park that was lost for years before being discovered in 2008 in an attic. The designer in engineer John Rink who was one of 33 entries in the 1857 design competition for the site. His park was to be a much more manicured Versailles-esque park, with plenty of elaborate topiary and zero open green spaces. The plan also details a two-winged museum.
Found here.
4. The Mind bending AI-generated art of Mac Baconai
Dune could never. All generated with Mid Journey AI software by Mac Baconai.
5. Dozens of Ancient Churches carved into cliffs in Tigray, Ethiopia
Abuna Yemata Guh is a monolithic church located 2,580 metres above ground and has to be climbed on foot to reach. It is notable for its dome and wall paintings dating back to the 5th century and its architecture and one of the “35-odd rock-hewn churches, the largest concentration anywhere in Ethiopia.
The paintings date back to initial traces of Christianity in Ethiopia and are themed around the nine saints and twelve apostles.
Found on Wikipedia.
6. Aztec Calendar Stone, 1886
Found on this very good instagram account.
7. The Vibrant Artwork of Turkish Tobacco Ads
Found in this Flickr Album.
8. The first Suntan Special back in Santa Cruz after World War II, 1947
Yes there was an actual train service called the Suntan Special. It was a summer excursion train service operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California, from 1927 to 1959. It has a Wikipedia page here.
9. For the Next Road trip?
Cabazon Dinosaurs, formerly Claude Bell’s Dinosaurs, is a roadside attraction in Cabazon, California, featuring two enormous, steel-and-concrete dinosaurs named Dinny the Dinosaur and Mr. Rex. Located just west of Palm Springs The roadside dinosaurs are best known for their appearance in the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).
The Cabazon Dinosaurs attraction also features an open-air museum with fiberglass and robotic dinosaurs. Other activities at the site include a sand pit where visitors can experience a “dino dig”. Pastor Robert Darwin Chiles, assisting Kanter in turning the exhibit into a non-denominational church, has been quoted as to his belief of why children are drawn to the dinosaur attraction: “There’s something in their DNA that knows man walked with these creatures on Earth.”. Chiles and Kanter plan to promote their views of creationism at the attraction based on their interpretation of the Book of Genesis.
Find the website here.
10. Rue de Rochechouart, Paris 9e
What it once was. Photograph by Pixdar.
11. This Picture Perfect French manor for €280,000
Nestled in the Argonne region of eastern France, where Champagne and Lorraine meet. Found via The Spaces, the listing is with Patrice Besse.
12. Early 20th Century Swedish grocery drawers. Just because.
Found via Present & Correct.
