Thanks for the ED poem and anniversary remembrance, Jill--the weather's
turned bleak and wintry here as well following a glorious autumn with all
the cathedral tunes a certain slant of light could bear to heft after noon.
Has anyone read the new biography, _My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life
of Emily Dickinson_ by Alfred Habegger? It's at the top of my Christmas
list.

And here's something to take the chill off--_Devices of Wonder: From the
World in a Box to Images on a Screen_--the spectacular new interactive
exhibit at the (LA) Getty Museum website:
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/devices/flash/ (note the flash, which
you'll need and can upload at the site, if necessary).

"An inquiry into emergent media's rich lineage, _Devices of Wonder_ explores
the artful machines humans have used to augment visual perception.

The encyclopedic cabinet of curiosities serves as a model for this study of
the archaic instruments lurking in state-of-the-art technology. Featured in
_Devices of Wonder_ are android automata, lunar landscapes, perspective
theaters, _vues d'optique_, microscopes, magnetic games, magic lanterns,
camera obscuras, boxes by Joseph Cornell, Lucas Samaras's _Mirrored Room_,
Suzanne Anker's _Zoosemiotics_, Mark Tilden's _UniBug 3.1_, panoramic works
by Jeff Wall and Giovanni Lusieri, paintings by Jean-Baptiste Chardin and
Joseph Wright of Derby, projections by Diana Thater and James Turrell, and a
pop-up book by Kara Walker.

... Like the cabinet of curiosities, _Devices of Wonder_ functions as an
analogical instrument, reframing the beautiful 'eye machines' that continue
to mediate our encounters with the world."

--Excerpt from the catalog, which can be ordered online
(http://www.getty.edu/bookstore/titles/devices.html).

I was delighted to discover--after having had a wonderful time playing in
and with the exhibit last night--that a "collector's kit" based on it can
also be purchased--and for less than $50, a real bargain with all that's
included and a great gift this time of year for older children (or younger
adults!): http://www.getty.edu/bookstore/titles/devicekit.html

Here's a rundown of what's contained in "The Collector's Box":

A CHARMING HOUSE OF LEISURE
The workshop of Martin Engelbrecht produced thousands of paper theaters
during the eighteenth century. Sets of six or seven sequenced prints created
three-dimensional views of biblical stories, historical events, or snapshots
of contemporary life. This reproduction of a theater in the Getty Research
Institute's collection gives the viewer a glimpse of a festive banquet.
Size: 8"H x 5"W x 2 1/2"D

NINETEENTH-CENTURY PULL-TAB PICTURE CARDS
Ingeniously designed to rotate, unfold, or pop up, these cards carry
affectionate messages of love and good wishes. Reproduced from the original
cards in the collection of the Getty Research Institute. Six cards with
envelopes in a collectible box. Size: 4 1/2" x 6"

A CABINET OF DELIGHT
In the seventeenth century richly decorated, finely crafted cabinets with
complex series of drawers and cupboards were made to store and display
private collections of precious objects. These collections can be viewed as
the precursors to the modern museum. This reproduction of a cabinet from the
J. Paul Getty Museum's collection has twenty-four secret compartments that
open to reveal a delightful display of objects also found in the Museum.
Size: 14" x 11 3/4"

[NB: one of the best items in the exhibit, I think--with beautifully colored
"sparkles" appearing wherever one of these secret compartments is to be
found and opened by clicking on it.]

WONDERPACK
The _WonderPack_ offers a collection of seven creative visual games from
another era. Each one is a reproduction of an object in the exhibition....
Use these cards to make your own set of age-old illusions and optical
tricks. Size: 10 1/4"H x 6 1/4"W

COLLECTOR'S BOX
This portable archive comes with partitions to create as many as sixteen
individual compartments, category labels for each partition, and an
identification label for the outside of the box. Whether your collections
are scientific, historical, or whimsical, preserve them in this box made of
sturdy archival fiberboard. Size: 14 1/2"L x 12 1/4"W x 2 1/2"D

[NB: teachers' discounts are available.]

Enjoy,

Candice