Deep Vellum announces partnership with The Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins — Deep Vellum JULY 2, 2025 — The Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins and Deep Vellum are proud to partner in bringing the world’s greatest writers into dialogue across academic and public spheres...

Great news from Baltimore for world literary translation www.deepvellum.org/news/aghi-dv

Part of a page from a massive press cuttings album relating to the 1893 miners' strike. The outline of a long gone pair of scissors can be seen, marked on the page in rust.

Ghost scissors in the archive

In the sculpture garden, Norval Gallery, Cape Town

If you’re into seeing Elon & DOGE get called out for their lies about *savings* — this account is doing a very nice job of it: x.com/electricfutu...

Noodsy

Woolworths berry medley 🐢
Never say I don't treat my animals right

A TEENY baby froglet in the toe of a grubby slipper that I've just hastily removed from my foot

Close-up of the same baby frog showing its beautiful black and brown banding, big black eyes and pointed nose

This morning something cold and slimy hopped into my slipper ...
😊

Lil scruff

Going crazy in the tub

It's so great!

While waiting patiently for the Smooth Walrus to return to view at @hornimanmuseum.bsky.social, you can soon visit the Chonky Rhino at @sciencemuseumldn.bsky.social .

A small, elderly caliby cat snoozes, curled up with a computer mouse cosily tucked between her chin and paws

Small has caught a mouse for the first time in about 15 years

Extraordinary detail in this fine pencil drawing which shows a child’s Spacehopper toy left in the garden of a house. A tall hedge separates this garden from neighbouring houses also visible are trees and ivy.

Pencil drawing by Lewis Chamberlain ‘Spacehopper.’
www.lewischamberlain.com/drawings-4

Small.
Is annoyed.
And small.

Absolutely livid

I remember seeing this the first time round and I assumed it must be some sort of marine fossil that just looked eerily like a human jawbone - it's amazing that it actually is one!

The Best Gorilla Joke of 1897 Gorilla: Did you hear about the gorilla who escaped from the zoo? Zookeeper: No, I did not. Gorilla: That is because I am a quiet gorilla. [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence)

evergreen:

It’s not often appreciated that Wodehouse was a great nature writer: “It was one of those still evenings you get in the summer, when you can hear a snail clear its throat a mile away.”

An invocation to the nymphs (Orphic Hymns 51):

A photo of copies of the Penguin Modern Classics editions of Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake. The copies date from 1976 and 1977. The covers feature character sketches by the author.

"Gone that torn world of towers. Gone the grey lichen; gone the black ivy. Gone was the labyrinth that fed his dreams. Gone ritual, his marrow and his bane. Gone boyhood. Gone.
It was no more than a memory now; a slur of the tide; a reverie, or the sound of a key, turning."

A young black boy sits on the stoop of a house with a very serious expression on his face. Cradled in his arms like a baby is a very content-looking shorthaired black cat.

Boy with cat, 1949. sova.si.edu/record/eepa....

a tiny frog looking up at a giant sized stork

W. Heath Robinson, The frog meets the stork, 1913
Illustration from Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales

In memoriam: Robin Malan, Rebel Angel Robin Malan – educator, collator, editor, actor, director, writer, publisher – with decades of service behind him, bowed out on 18 September after a short spell in hospital, aged 84.

What a lovely tribute to the great Robin Malan. I'm very saddened to hear that he has passed away. I was one of many many writers who was touched by his benign & tireless influence. Thank you Robin, thanks Anne Schlebusch for this portrait of a full life. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024...

painting a view through tall sparse trees across water to another stand of trees

Jan Mankes , Moon Night at Woudsterweg, 1914

Fun film fact. In Escape from New York (1981) they used reflective tape on a miniature model of the city & filmed it under black light to approximate 'cutting-edge' wireframe CG, which would have blown the budget at the time.

1) Search for 'spitfire'
2) turn your speakers up
3) click things
4) enjoy