Some crafts don't benefit from modern conveniences.
Collodion processSomewhere between the daguerreotype and the Polaroid on the timeline of photographic technology you'll find the wet-plate collodion process. Collodion photography involves coating a piece of glass with a chemical solution, exposing it to light through a camera, and then placing the glass in a development bath, which transforms it into a photographic negative. Unlike the techniques that preceded it, collodion was inexpensive; had a relatively quick exposure time (a few seconds versus several minutes); and the negative allowed for multiple, identical prints. But there was one enormous drawback: Because the entire process had to be completed while the solution was still wet, it left the photographer with fewer than 10 minutes to coat the plate, shoot the subject, and develop the negative. Despite these limitations, the technique has seen a resurgence in recent years-especially in fine art circles, most notably in the work of Sally Mann (featured at top), which The New York Times has described as "murky," "evocative," and "ethereal."GuédelonIt's easy to see how a massive skyscraper is erected: with cranes and beams and power tools. But the monumental architecture of earlier eras can be even more awe-inspiring in terms of the inscrutability of its methods. In Burgundy, France, about two hours from Paris, archaeologists are attempting to build a 13th-century castle, which they are calling Guédelon, using only techniques available at that time. This involves quarrying their own stone, hewing their own oak beams, and hefting materials with ropes and pulleys. The archaeologists behind Guédelon hope the undertaking will lead to discoveries about how our ancestors managed to make such massive, impenetrable buildings with seemingly primitive technology.Pictorial Webster'sAfter discovering a century-old copy of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in his grandfather's house, the printer John Carrera became fascinated with the small, engraved illustrations contained therein-and the idea that the methods used to assemble such a volume might be lost to history. After contacting the dictionary company and obtaining the engravings, Carrera used a 1968 Linotype machine to print 100 copies of his 512-page Pictorial Webster's. An arrestingly beautiful copy of the book, finished using painstaking and detailed non-automated bookbinding techniques (the bindings are hand-sewn, the finger tabs cut manually) costs a mere $3,100. The whole process took 10 years.Photo: A deteriorated wet-plate featuring Theodore Roosevelt.
Between the bras, makeup, periods, catcalling, sexism, impossible-to-attain beauty standards, and heels, most men wouldn't survive being a woman for a day without having a complete mental breakdown. So here's a slideshow of some of the funniest Tumblr posts about the everyday struggles that women face that men would never understand.
In some states, women are put through humiliating and dangerous pre-abortion medical consultations and waiting periods before being allowed to undergo the procedure. In four states, women are even forced to bury or cremate the fetal remains after the procedure.
These government-mandated roadblocks and punitive shaming serve no purpose but to make it more difficult, emotionally damaging, and expensive for women to have an abortion.
There are two types of people in this world – those who panic and fill up their cars with gas when the needle hits 25% or so, and people like me who wait until the gas light comes on, then check the odometer so you can drive the entire 30 miles to absolute empty before coasting into a gas station on fumes.
If you ask people what they think the “perfect" body looks like, you're sure to get a range of answers, depending on where the person is from. Last year, Superdrug Online Doctor created a project, “Perceptions of Perfection" that showed what people in 18 countries think the “perfect" woman looks like. The project was a viral hit.
This time, they asked graphic designers—11 women and eight men—in 19 countries to photoshop the same image to highlight the male beauty standards for their country.
It's not revolutionary news that smoking wreaks havoc on your body in different ways. More often than not, however, the focus of anti-smoking campaigns is on your internal health, citing emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer, to name just a few consequences.
While the superficial effects may not be as lethal, appealing to people's sense of vanity can have a powerful effect as this clever gallery below shows. Twins, only one of whom smokes, sit side by side, showing the profound damage smoking can cause to your face, hair, and teeth.
Body autonomy means a person has the right to whatever they want with their own body.
We live in a world where people are constantly telling women what they can or can't do with their bodies. Women get it form all sides — Washington, their churches, family members, and even doctors.