Making Things Move with 507movements.com

In a fantastic "back to the future" moment, the fine folks at the 507movements.com website have created a wonderful resource for any maker, designer, or builder that makes things that move.

Basically, they've created a Web version of the classic technical reference Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements by Henry T. Brown. (The original printed edition came out in 1868!)

As the title of both the original book and the website suggests, here are five hundred and seven drawings of mechanical movements -- from two simple gears meshing to a labyrinthine collection of intricate pulley arrangements.

The beauty of the website is that they are now animating each of the 507 drawings so you can see the mechanisms in action!

Definitely worth a look (and worth bookmarking for future reference!) so click on over to the 507movements.com website to see the entire collection!

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Cool Museum/Exhibit/Design Tool -- Old Maps Online

Old maps are super handy for explaining the concepts and stories embedded in history-related exhibits.

Unfortunately, it's often difficult to find just the right map to illustrate an idea or provide context.

Enter the website Old Maps Online, which is effectively a search engine for historical maps.

Just pick a location or browse the available maps on the OMO website to get started.

Old Maps Online indexes over 400.000 maps, thanks to the archives and libraries that are willing to provide their content online.

Go unleash your inner cartographer by clicking over to the Old Maps Online website!

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Creative Inspiration -- MonkeyBird

As I recently returned from a trip to Springfield, Massachusetts which has a surprisingly vibrant urban murals scene, I was prompted to share the work of MonkeyBird.

MonkeyBird is the working name of French stencil artists, Louis Boidron and Edouard Egea.

If you have a limited view of the artistic potential of stencil work, just take a look at the wonderful images here and more of MonkeyBird's amazing work on their Instagram page.

After seeing some of Monkeybird's work, I'm inspired to think of ways to include stencil artists in my programs and exhibition work. How about you?

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Newsletters as Idea Nets

I subscribe to quite a few digital newsletters.  I find great inspiration in the ideas and resources that the authors come up with -- not to mention useful sites or tools I might have never come across myself.  So, I thought I would share four of my favorite "idea nets" below:

The Pinkcast

Every other Tuesday author Daniel Pink shares a short (usually around two minutes) video along with a paragraph or two of ideas that recently caught his attention. Short. On-point. Highly recommended. 

Electric Speed

Electric Speed is writer Jane Friedman's free email newsletter with all-original content, focusing on digital tools and helpful resources for writers. It arrives every other Saturday morning.

When you subscribe, you'll immediately receive a free download of business and writing tools that power Friedman's career. Those tools alone are worth the time it takes to sign up!

10 Things Worth Sharing

Every Friday morning author Austin Kleon sends out a list of 10 things worth sharing — new art, writing, and interesting links.  I love Kleon's books and his worldview which carries over to his weekly list.

Recommendo

Put together by a team of three, Recommendo is a weekly newsletter that gives you 6 brief personal recommendations of cool stuff.  For a limited time, all new sign-ups will receive a free digital book!

Which newsletters or blogs are "idea nets" that you subscribe to?  Let us know in the "Comments" section below!

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Sign up for Free ExhibiTricks Blog Updates" link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"

Creative Inspiration: Making Sand from Glass

Maybe it's because I'm finishing up a project with the National Bottle Museum, but I am fascinated by the work of a Louisiana-based organization called Glass Half Full, which turns glass back into sand.

I did not realize that there is a looming international sand shortage.  The United Nations has reported that sand is the most exploited natural resource in the world after water. Countries are consuming sand (for use in glass, concrete, and other construction materials) faster than it can be replaced by geological processes -- that takes hundreds of thousands of years!

This is where Glass Half Full comes in. The company was started by two college friends to address the sand crisis in a creative and ecologically-minded way.  Glass Half Full recycles Louisiana glass “waste” into sand for disaster relief and prevention, coastal restoration, eco-construction, new glass products, and more.

Check out this YouTube video to learn more about how over 16 tons of glass is recycled at the Glass Half Full facilities per week. The recycled glass pieces, called cullet, are crushed and sorted into gravel-sized chunks, a fine powdery material, and a coarse grind; this last material is shipped to wetlands for use in coastal restoration efforts. 

I love the idea of "reversing" the process by which sand is usually changed into glass and changing our perceptions about how the glass bottles we use can be repurposed to solve a worldwide problem.

To find out more about Glass Half Full, click on over to their website!

Glass Half Full co-founder, Franziska Trautmann, on top of "Glass Mountain"

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"

Support Striking PMA Workers

Unionized workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) are on strike.

These museum workers in Philadelphia are fighting on behalf of all museum workers.

They are fighting against a Board that has paid to hire union-busting lawyers instead of negotiating in good faith.

The museum is paying its Director upwards of $700,000 a year, while its unionized workers ask that their minimum pay is raised to $16.75 per hour.

I ask that you please consider supporting these museum workers, either by sending emails on their behalf to the PMA Director and Board through this website or, if you are able, by contributing to the strike fund here.

To find out more, check out the PMA Union website.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Sign up for Free ExhibiTricks Blog Updates" link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!