Comments on: The Secret Museum of Mankind website, the "World's Greatest Collection of Strange & Secret Photographs" http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 17:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: MrBaliHai http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110854 MrBaliHai Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110854 I suspect that a lot of these images were lifted directly from National Geographic. I recognized a couple of them from the December, 1921 "Islands of the Pacific" issue, which I own. I suspect that a lot of these images were lifted directly from National Geographic. I recognized a couple of them from the December, 1921 “Islands of the Pacific” issue, which I own.

]]> By: Pulpio http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111119 Pulpio Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111119 I attempted to track down the origins of this fascinating slice of Americana several years ago for the Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/vls/162/gehr.shtml You can still pick up fairly inexpensive copies of the original on eBay. They come in a wide variety of tints and editions. I attempted to track down the origins of this fascinating slice of Americana several years ago for the Village Voice.

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/vls/162/gehr.shtml

You can still pick up fairly inexpensive copies of the original on eBay. They come in a wide variety of tints and editions.

]]> By: Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-122658 Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-122658 Can do! Can do!

]]> By: igm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111421 igm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111421 The Secret Museum is down temporarily: my hosting company cut it off, too much pummeling of the shared server. It will be back later today with higher capacity. The Secret Museum is down temporarily: my hosting company cut it off, too much pummeling of the shared server. It will be back later today with higher capacity.

]]> By: igm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111202 igm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111202 Kieran: this is a common book, easily available, cheap. Anyone who wants to use the images for commercial purposes can just buy their own copy and have at it. Yes, the copyright status *is* questionable. <b>EVERYTHING</b> about it is questionable. It would be great if the author/publisher came forward and told me to cease & desist, then I'd know who it was. I have donated images to the Wikipedia commons before; if someone requests a specific image donation from the <i>Secret Museum</i>, I would surely comply. Finally, I highly recommend <a href="http://www.japanfocus.org/products/details/2317">this article</a> for an educated take on the biases of the times. Kieran: this is a common book, easily available, cheap. Anyone who wants to use the images for commercial purposes can just buy their own copy and have at it.

Yes, the copyright status *is* questionable. EVERYTHING about it is questionable. It would be great if the author/publisher came forward and told me to cease & desist, then I’d know who it was.

I have donated images to the Wikipedia commons before; if someone requests a specific image donation from the Secret Museum, I would surely comply.

Finally, I highly recommend this article for an educated take on the biases of the times.

]]> By: Svenski http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110697 Svenski Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110697 Well, there goes the rest of the day at work. This is an absolute treasure trove. Well, there goes the rest of the day at work. This is an absolute treasure trove.

]]> By: igm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-114814 igm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-114814 Everything's copacetic now at <a href="http://ian.macky.net/secretmuseum">The Secret Museum of Mankind</a>. Wish I could edit my previous comment and remove that IP address! Everything’s copacetic now at The Secret Museum of Mankind. Wish I could edit my previous comment and remove that IP address!

]]> By: Erin314159 http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110981 Erin314159 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110981 As an anthropologist, I love looking at the racist early popular anthropology as a window into evolving Western attitudes. Also, a quick search on amazon for the book title reveals a series of music recordings from 1925-1948 called "The Secret Museum of Mankind: Ethnic Music Classics." They seem to be arbitrarily jumbled playlists of a wide variety of world music and they look good. As an anthropologist, I love looking at the racist early popular anthropology as a window into evolving Western attitudes. Also, a quick search on amazon for the book title reveals a series of music recordings from 1925-1948 called “The Secret Museum of Mankind: Ethnic Music Classics.” They seem to be arbitrarily jumbled playlists of a wide variety of world music and they look good.

]]> By: igm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110990 igm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110990 wroberto, as I said in the intro, <i>"don't take it seriously and don't believe a word it says"</i>. Think of the photo commentary as that of a sideshow barker. Would you believe what a carny barker says? I don't see where the Arunta are described as being from New Guinea, tho. Where do you see that? MrBaliHai, can you check your National Geographic and see if the photos which come from there have matching captions as well? wroberto, as I said in the intro, “don’t take it seriously and don’t believe a word it says”. Think of the photo commentary as that of a sideshow barker. Would you believe what a carny barker says?

I don’t see where the Arunta are described as being from New Guinea, tho. Where do you see that?

MrBaliHai, can you check your National Geographic and see if the photos which come from there have matching captions as well?

]]> By: SamLL http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111256 SamLL Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111256 This link seems broken. I'm getting a 403 error. This link seems broken. I’m getting a 403 error.

]]> By: dougrogers http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111269 dougrogers Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111269 Link is broken :-( Not all is racist. I found some good old pictures of Nepal. http://dougrogers.wordpress.com/ Link is broken :-( Not all is racist. I found some good old pictures of Nepal. http://dougrogers.wordpress.com/

]]> By: bobkat http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111277 bobkat Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111277 link is broken link is broken

]]> By: mike h http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110774 mike h Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110774 (RE: Svneski) I agree that it's a treasure trove, but it would be nice if there were some way to search or index the site. It seems as though we must view everything in order to view what we might be interested in viewing. If not, I would be happy to hear otherwise! (RE: Svneski) I agree that it’s a treasure trove, but it would be nice if there were some way to search or index the site. It seems as though we must view everything in order to view what we might be interested in viewing.

If not, I would be happy to hear otherwise!

]]> By: igm http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111800 igm Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111800 The Secret Museum is back up <a href="http://74.50.10.50/ian/secretmuseum">here</a>; still waiting for nameservers to catch up with changed hosting. The Secret Museum is back up here; still waiting for nameservers to catch up with changed hosting.

]]> By: Kieran O'Neill http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111053 Kieran O'Neill Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111053 Hmmm ... I'm wondering about the copyright status. He's licensed it with a CC-NC 3.0 license, but if it was published in 1935 it must surely still be under the copyright of the original author (whoever that may be). It's also a little frustrating that he chose the Non-Commercial version. That makes it incompatible with Wikipedia. Wait, what am I saying - the book has no copyright. That means that the images are faithful two-dimensional reproductions of public domain images, and therefore in the public domain themselves (at least in the US and some European countries - excluding the UK). *sigh* Of course, it remains to be seen whether photos can be found that do not convey the intrinsic racial bias of the book. Hmmm … I’m wondering about the copyright status. He’s licensed it with a CC-NC 3.0 license, but if it was published in 1935 it must surely still be under the copyright of the original author (whoever that may be).

It’s also a little frustrating that he chose the Non-Commercial version. That makes it incompatible with Wikipedia.

Wait, what am I saying – the book has no copyright. That means that the images are faithful two-dimensional reproductions of public domain images, and therefore in the public domain themselves (at least in the US and some European countries – excluding the UK).

*sigh*

Of course, it remains to be seen whether photos can be found that do not convey the intrinsic racial bias of the book.

]]> By: Moon http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110814 Moon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110814 <i>A DANGEROUS BEAUTY IN SULLEN MOOD She has stood, until weary of attracting attention, by a wall in Biskra, this geisha of the Sahara, with her hard-won dowry of gold and silver adorning her person. She can sing Arab love-songs, play flute, hautboy, and zither, and dance more seductively than girls of any other tribe. Her skill in making cigarettes and coffee is famous, and all her charms and accomplishments are for hire</i> A little scandalous, don't you think? Hahahaha! Page 7 of the Africa volume for the picture A DANGEROUS BEAUTY IN SULLEN MOOD
She has stood, until weary of attracting attention, by a wall in Biskra, this geisha of the Sahara, with her hard-won dowry of gold and silver adorning her person. She can sing Arab love-songs, play flute, hautboy, and zither, and dance more seductively than girls of any other tribe. Her skill in making cigarettes and coffee is famous, and all her charms and accomplishments are for hire

A little scandalous, don’t you think?

Hahahaha! Page 7 of the Africa volume for the picture

]]> By: Merlinhoot http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-111334 Merlinhoot Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-111334 http://ian.macky.net/ just take away the secretmuseum part of the URL and it works http://ian.macky.net/ just take away the secretmuseum part of the URL and it works

]]> By: wroberto http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110836 wroberto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110836 Don't rely on anything being factual in this volume. For example, the Arunta are described as being from New Guinea, when in fact they are in the central Australian desert. Don’t rely on anything being factual in this volume.

For example, the Arunta are described as being from New Guinea, when in fact they are in the central Australian desert.

]]> By: EvilTerran http://boingboing.net/2008/01/23/the-secret-museum-of.html#comment-110843 EvilTerran Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-110843 #2 - the "A-Z" link between the back and forward buttons take you to <a href="http://ian.macky.net/secretmuseum/secret_index.html">an index</a>. #2 – the “A-Z” link between the back and forward buttons take you to an index.

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