Exhibit about the civilization inhabiting the interior sea of an undiscovered southern continent

The Society for Linian Studies is presented what promises to be a wonderful exhibition: "The Cognomi Theory of the Antarctic Interior."

The Velaslavasay Panorama proudly welcomes an extraordinary exhibition and presentation from The Society for Linian Studies - The Cognomi Theory of the Antarctic Interior, which unearths the history of Linian Scholarship.
More than 300 years ago, a man thought lost at sea re-appeared in Italy with accounts of a civilization inhabiting the interior sea of an undiscovered southern continent. Giuseppe Cognomi composed numerous volumes on this advanced and isolated culture - which he called The Linians - and the singular environment they inhabited at the bottom of the world. Though widely disregarded by the scientific community, the tradition of Linian scholarship has been kept alive through the years by a devoted few. The Society for Linian Studies is the first organized attempt to preserve Cognomi's legacy and progress his research.
Saturday, April 11, 2009 marks the opening of The Cognomi Theory of the Antarctic Interior, an exhibit examining the fascinating but largely forgotten origins and history of Linian scholarship. The public is invited to explore the Linian Sea through a series of enlightening dioramas based on Cognomi's original drawings, and to learn about notable Linian scholars of the past along the way. The evening debut of the exhibit features a lecture from Lyman Emery, the world's leading Linian Scholar and Director of The Society for Linian Studies.
Crafted through the tireless efforts of The Society for Linian Studies, The Cognomi Theory of the Antarctic Interior will remain on view through August 16th of 2009 during our regular open hours - Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12-6pm. This is the première exhibit to be held in the recently refurbished ancillary salon of The Velaslavasay Panorama, a room which shall serve hence as host for a wide array of pleasing temporal presentations. In fitting complement to our current 360-degree arctic panorama Effulgence of the North and in this, the International Polar Year, The Cognomi Theory of the Antarctic Interior adds a southern dimension to our elucid investigations into polar regions and distant landscapes.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Gudmundsson

So what is this an ARg/viral for? The site and especially that Smyth Arctic Institute site smells very ARG’y to me…
Anonymous

“Though widely disregarded by the scientific community”

that’s an understatement. (Not to mention disproved witht he advent of satellites.

“the tradition of Linian scholarship has been kept alive through the years by a devoted few.”

I wonder if they get any of my tax money to perform this “faith based initiative?”
trr

Too bad there was no Art Bell show in the seventeenth century. He definitely would’ve been on it!
Doran

This should fit in well with the Hollow Earth theory.
peterkempt

Remind anyone of the cartoon “Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea”?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartakus_and_the_Sun_Beneath_the_Sea
Anonymous

i was about to say the Jurrasic folks at their wonderful best again
nanuq

Damn! The Upper Worlders have found out about us! I knew we shouldn’t have let that sailor escape!
Anonymous

This sounds an awful lot like end of the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allen Poe.
Anonymous

Is this real, or some really strange (and very cool)sort of performance art? In the News section of the Linian Society website, there is a mention of conflict with the Benjamin Smyth Institute, which has a so-soothing-it’s-unsettling website.
Anonymous

Did you see that Hollow Earth podcast post from Mark F? Really great. There are some other terrific little off-kilter history stories there. (www.thememorypalace.us). I subscribed.
Crispy Critter

Did they keep Shoggoths as pets?
Anonymous

The Elder Things were there first.
Anonymous

Apparently, it was all a (not very effective) hoax.

This here blogger sez he was hired to portray a protestor from a rival organization that attempted to disrupt a “Society for Linian Studies” event in San Diego:

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:RFeGmRSHqMAJ:lalarantsla.livejournal.com/tag/fools+Benjamin+Smyth+lyman+emery&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&

According to the above Google cached blog page, the faux protestor was told that the fake Cognomi event was “a lot like Improv Everywhere,” in other words, a big public prank.

If so, as my wife puts it, “this was the most elaborate tree that I have ever heard not fall in the forest.”
Scooter0101001

Brzzt!!!

Cog vs Dis is becoming overwhelming…overwhelming!!

Brzzzzzzttt!!!

Neurons are now reforming and locating the source of dislocation.

Venice…

Culver City…

Museum of Jurassic Technology?

Brzzz-zzz-zzz-ttt!!!!

Activating thumbs and cerebral cortex *NOW*!!!
Caelaetemus

What’s the deal with the legal wrangling vs. the Benjamin Smyth Arctic Institute? The news section mentions their exhibit got vandalized a year ago.
pharbeson

The Smyth Institute calls themselves the Guardians. Many people suspect they’re actually the Linians themselves, protecting their still-hidden civilization. Naturally they don’t want the Linian Society spreading this information. Regardless, something big is in the works for late 2012, the 125th anniversary of Smyth’s death. If in fact he really is dead.

And by the way, that “telescope” the Institute claims to be building at the south pole? What do you suppose it really might be?
pharbeson

Oh, one more thing. Look at the model in the foreground on this young lady’s desk. The one with the seven colored balls connected in a particular way.
Norene Z. Byrnes
Anonymous

tr4inspotter says:

This reminds me of the Dream Dollars project created by Stephen Barnwell. He wrote up a backstory for an experimental settlement in Antarctica and drew up fictional money to support the story.

Since I last checked in, he has apparently created more fake currencies. Pretty neat stuff.

http://moneyart.biz/dd/ (formerly http://www.dream-dollars.com/)
allenbukoff

And if you believe this, maybe you’ll also believe the Fluxus Indian Museum’s documentation of the long-lost Fluxus Indian tribe–http://www.fluxus.org/museum.