http://digitalvaults.org/

The National Archives Experience: Digital Vaults

Looking for Alfred Hitchcocks petition for naturalization to become a United States Citizen? How about a letter to President Eisenhower begging him to not make Elvis cut his hair when he joins the army, signed by the Elvis Presley Lovers? Do you need a daguerreotype of a Mexican war officer from 1846? The National Archives has these documents and photos as well as over 1200 more on their website, www.digitalvaults.org.

This fun, easy-to-use website gives you different options on how to search:

• You can simply use the search function to get you started.
• You can collect photos or documents and similar items will coalesce around the document allowing the user to choose from many other photos and documents.
• Not looking for anything in particular? Then click on "shuffle records" to see hundreds of photos, documents, maps, artwork, video clips and audio files, dating from the 1800s to the present. Items are arranged by theme.
• Take a “Pathway Challenge” – which is a series of clues that reveals relationships between the documents or photos.

Voted one of the 50 Best Websites of 2008 by Time Magazine, digitalvaults.org is not only an invaluable resource for document and photo searches, but it is also a fun way to get lost in history for a few hours. I like the thematic layouts of the documents and photos and trying to guess how they complement each other, often in ways I hadnt thought of or expected. So the next time you need a picture of a very young Jackie O with her puppy or a map of the Louisiana Purchase, be sure to check out digitalvaults.org-an allergen-free way to explore the National Archives.

The House of Viktor and Rolf chronicles the amazing careers of Dutch duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren who graduated from the Arnhem Academy of Art and Design in the The Netherlands in 1992. Their trademark has always been that they essentially have no trademark, they march to the sound of their own unique drummer. Their designs are unconventional yet beautifully sculpted and painstakingly crafted. This book in essence a retrospective of their work as it was presented at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.

Through the pages of this gloriously illustrated book we are treated to a retrospective of Viktor and Rolfs career starting in 1998 with their first couture collection and culminating in their most famous collections such as: Atomic Bomb, Flower Bomb (for which their first fragrance was named), Stars & Stripes, Bells, White, and The Fashion Show, where elements from a real fashion show were integrated into the models outfits to be worn on the catwalk. All the while Viktor and Rolf have stayed true to their Dutch roots integrating such traditions as having your first shoes bronzed into their collections. What is truly amazing is this duos boundless creativity and the remarkable sources for their inspiration. The House of Viktor and Rolf is fascinating reading.

Reviewed by Library Staff Member - Monika Earle