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Monday, November 2, 2026

Famous Last Meals is now in paperback — stories, history and 25 recipes

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Famous Last Meals: Stories, History, and Recipes is now available in paperback on Amazon. The illustrated collection brings together 23 his...
Sunday, October 25, 2026

Photogravure: How a Photograph Becomes Ink Held Below a Plate

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A photogravure can look like a photograph while being physically made of printing ink. Its dark areas may feel exceptionally rich, and a pa...

Netsuke: A Small Sculpture That Belonged to a Larger System

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A tiny carved animal in a museum case can look entirely self-sufficient. It has a face, a pose and enough detail to reward a magnifying gla...

Guédelon: A Castle Site Where the Experiment Is in the Work

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A castle under construction can be more revealing than a finished castle. Before plaster hides a wall or a roof covers a joint, choices rem...

Fan Vaulting: The Stone Ceiling That Repeats a Curve

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Look upward in a fan-vaulted cloister and the stone seems to open from the walls like a series of umbrellas. Curves rise from narrow suppor...

Volvelles: When a Book Asked the Reader to Turn the Page’s Machinery

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Some books ask more of a reader than turning pages. A circular disc attached to a page can rotate over another disc, bringing marks, window...

Niello: The Dark Material That Makes Silver Draw in Black

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A line cut into polished silver can be surprisingly hard to see. Turn the object and the groove flashes; turn it again and the reflected ro...