Eurocentrism and the Noble Savage

These are from the Natural History Museum in New York, from the West Coast Native Indian exhibit. These depictions and ones like them hang over the area devoted to each grouping (i.e. Salish, Nootka, Haida, Bella-Coola, etc.) and were clearly done in the late 19th century. The Classical Academic style just killed me.

"House Building Ceremony - Nootka" Elaine got a particular chuckle out of the Christ-like representation of the shaman. Personally I liked how the unpainted totem-pole is made to look like a classical stone column.

"Cooking Clams - Salish" What exactly is that stone-looking structure in the background supposed to be? Last time I looked around the Indian reserve in Duncan I didn't see any Hellenic temples...

To be fair these paintings date from a whole different mindset and the artifacts and text displayed beneath them were more in keeping with contemporary standards.

Panorama of the Brooklyn Bridge

Click to view panorama (3000 x 300 px, ~200Kb)

Gay Pride

Later tonight we are going to go out with Elaine's Uncle Herb to drink sangria on the terrace of his favourite restaurant in Greenwich Village and watch the fun, which in his words, "should be gayer than a pink poodle."