Images Humble, Quirky, and Grand
Bracelli’s Bizzarie di Varie Figure (1624)
A few years ago, when I was giving a talk at Vassar, I met a delightful person, a historian of architecture named Andrew Tallon. We corresponded a bit afterward, and then he fell silent. What I didn’t know was that he was suffering from a virulent form of brain cancer that killed him last November. He was 49, and left behind his wife Marie and four sons. Andrew was deeply learned in the history of architecture, especially medieval ecclesiastical architecture, and a deeply faithful Catholic Christian, but he was also a kind of technical wizard, with profound understanding of the powers of digital imagery. Put all that together and you have Andrew’s great labor of love, a nearly-complete digital imaging of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. You may read about that project, and about Andrew, in this lovely essay by Alexis Madrigal.
STATUS BOARD
- Work: Just got back from a lovely visit to Xavier University in Cincinnati, where I was surprised to learn that my host, philosophy professor Richard Polt, is the Typewriter Revolution guy. I’ve been reading his blog for years, but somehow never figured out who he was. Or figured it out and then forgot.
- Music: Nothing much lately.
- Reading: Jenny Odell’s How To Do Nothing is fabulous so far — further reports soon.
- Podcasts: I dropped Michael Lewis’s Against the Rules. After the first episode it became hectoring, full of righteous indignation at the expense of analysis. I really don’t give a rip how angry Michael Lewis is. However, two episodes in Blackout is really promising.
- Food: An excellent pulled-pork BBQ sandwich at Eli’s in Cincinnati.
- Drink: I’m recovering from a tragically watery margarita at an airport restaurant that shall not be named but used to be good.