CCCP@CCLaP

The words “exuberant” or “idiosyncratic” don’t usually pop into one’s mind when one hears the words “Soviet architecture.” The usual description of Soviet architecture involves unimaginative gray concrete structures created to fit the vision of a totalitarian state. Photographer Frederic Chaubin sought to prove otherwise upon his discovery of a radically energetic architectural aesthetic that arose during the latter days of the Soviet empire. Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed, despite its gimmicky title, offers a revisionist overview of this architecture. Chaubin’s introduction is written in an arch yet playful manner, throwing references to Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida and the movie … Continue reading CCCP@CCLaP

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Robertson’s Book of Firsts: Who did what for the first time, by Patrick Robertson

The first coins, the first hamburger, the first military motor vehicle.  These are but a sampling of Robertson’s Book of Firsts.  Researched and compiled by Patrick Robertson as a culmination of a lifelong passion, the book aims to chronicle not invention, but innovation.  This means a look at social and technological development and some surprising entries.  Robertson approaches this collection of firsts from a unique position.  A former government employee and a former chairman of the Ephemera Society, he also owns the largest private collection of vintage magazines in Britain.  Firsts are ephemeral, since once a first is achieved, social … Continue reading Robertson’s Book of Firsts: Who did what for the first time, by Patrick Robertson

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