Link Banana

Like Mr. Kottke, I’m fascinated by color photos from an era usually seen in black-and-white. After explaining autochrome, he offers these links:

Here’s a slideshow of some photos taken by this process. Here’s some autochromes of Mark Twain from 1908.

More early color photography (not necessarily autochromes): Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii’s stunning photographs of Russia circa 1909-1915, photos of WWI, photos of WWII, and photos of America in the late 30s/early 40s (color corrected).

Metafilter user Artw explains it better than I can:

Jake and Dinos Chapman have bought a stack of Adolf Hitlers paintings for £115,000 and defaced them with rainbows and butterflies for their new show, “If Hitler Had Been a Hippy, How Happy Would We Be”. The show also recreates “Fucking Hell”, a huge swastika shaped diorama of tiny plastic nazis torturing and killing each other, which had been destroyed in a fire.

An example of their modifications to the painting. I’m honestly unsure if this is an act of historic vandalism or legitmate art.

The dismissiveness of the title Time gave this excerpt (it’s the same one I used above) bothers me a bit. What Rutka Laskier, a Polish Jew who died at Auschwitz when she was only 14, wrote could certainly stand on its own merits. This juxtaposition struck me:

I am writing this as if nothing has happened. As if I were in an army experienced in cruelty. But I’m young, I’m 14, and I haven’t seen much in my life, and I’m already so indifferent. Now I am terrified when I see “uniforms.” I’m turning into an animal waiting to die …

Now to everyday matters: Janek came by this afternoon. We had to sit in the kitchen … I told him that I had given away all my photographs. He got very upset. We were joking around; we spoke about “Nica and the gang.” While we were talking he suddenly blurted out he’d like it very much if he could kiss me. I said “maybe” and continued the conversation. He was a bit confused; he thought I was Tusia or Hala Zelinger. I would have allowed [myself] to be kissed only by the person I loved, and I feel indifferent towards him.

(via brijit)

Speaking of World War II, it’s recently been revealed that the British actor Noël Coward (Wikipedia) spied for the Allies during that war.

In a filmed interview with the biographer of Sir William Stephenson, the spymaster code-named “Intrepid,” Coward made his sole public statement about his wartime espionage work. A scrupulous public servant, he got clearance before discussing how he had been a spy for England, trained (with his friend Ian Fleming) in covert action in the secret headquarters of Bletchley Park, which, as he tossed off with characteristic offhandedness, “I should have thought would be fairly easy to find by any German agent with the faintest enterprise.” Working with Stephenson (among others), he had toured three continents singing, being amusing, acting as a courier, filing eyes-only reports on influential people and probably meeting covert British contacts. “I learned a lot from the technical people,” Coward said, and “could have made a career in espionage” — except, he sighed, “my life’s been full enough of intrigue as it is.”

Germany has no medal for military valor, and hasn’t had one since the end of World War II.

The traditional Iron Cross is tainted by association with the Nazi era. Hitler awarded his version of it—complete with a swastika stamped in its centre—to thousands of those who committed atrocities across Europe. But advocates of the Iron Cross argue that the honour predates the Third Reich by 120 years. It is also a familiar sight on German military vehicles and planes around the world.

A petition to parliament to revive the Iron Cross last year gathered more than 5,000 votes—and some attention from the far right. The Central Council of Jews in Germany objects strongly to its revival. A more gentle approach is being tried by the Association of Military Reservists. Ernst-Reinhard Beck, its chairman, says the important thing is not the Iron Cross, but the principle of a bravery medal to bring German troops into line with the soldiers from other countries serving alongside them.

The government has accepted in principle the need for a gallantry award, but balks at an Iron Cross. Instead officials are working on a proposal that would add a “bravery” category to the bronze, silver and gold levels of the existing Ehrenzeichen (badge of honour), which is usually given for long or distinguished service. Defence sources say the idea could be approved by President Horst Köhler by the end of the year. But what would the Red Baron think of it?