Friday Finds 7.17.09

Kyle: Looking Into the Past

This past week while browsing a number of Tumblr accounts, I came across the Flickr Group, Looking Into the Past, which features photos that juxtaposes the past and present states of various landmarks and locations. Photographers hold up historic images of the place they're shooting, inserting its previous incarnation directly into the shot. It's interesting to see how the architecture and landscapes have evolved with time.

Sam: Wright Now

Looking for a Castiglioni table or Sarfatti floor lamp? One of the world's top auction houses for modern design also hosts this online boutique. For window shoppers the items are beautifully photographed and it's enlightening to see how much some of these classic designs can actually be had for (I also recommend perusing the auction portion of the site to see how much lots actually sold for). My personal favorites: this Nelson thin edge dresser; an Isamu Kenmochi rattan chair; and some Stig Lindberg ceramics for Gustavsburg.

Sarah: B'Eau Pal Water

Activist collective The Yes Men emerged this week from what I always picture as an underground idea factory somewhere in the UK with a new disruptive stunt. This time it involves design: Along with creative partners at London firm Kennedy Monk, The Yes Men released a new brand of bottled water called B'Eau Pal, sourced "from the contaminated ground near the site of the 1984 Bhopal catastrophe...The unique qualities of our water come from 25 years of slow-leaching toxins at the site of the world's largest industrial accident." Naturally you wouldn't want to quench your thirst with this stuff, which is just the point—a striking example of leveraging design for social change. (More info on The Yes Men here.)

Aaron: Pascal Anson

When it comes to natty, nifty and utterly doable home improvements, few outshine Pascal Anson, and not just because of his dapper bowtie. I came across his series of design, decorating and DIY videos recently and he's truly wonderful. Whether refurbishing old mirrors, unifying a disparate set of chairs or making an alphabet-inspired installation out of discarded shelves, his ideas are relentlessly witty and seamlessly marry clever home craftsmanship with a scrappy, modern aesthetic. (Via Design Assembly)

Ashley: Architecturally Inspired Rings by Tournaire

Perhaps a bit over-the-top for my own personal taste, but well-suited for the architecturally-obsessed or as a daily reminder to save money for that dream home in Paris, Florence or wherever your wanderlust might lead.

Miyoko: Blast off!

If there's anything I love more than ogling beautiful modern chairs (or lately, bookcases), it's watching a shuttle launch. I'm a huge space enthusiast and was lucky to get my fill this week with the launch of the STS-127 to the International Space Station. My colleague and our creative director here at Dwell, Kyle Blue, sent me a link to a space-related oldie but goodie from NYTimes.com (who covered both the STS-127 launch and looked back at the moon landing 40 years ago this week). This infographic is a beautiful breakdown of the Ares I and Ares V rockets that will take us back to the moon.

Jordan: Gemma Correll's Illustrated Travel Journals

Norwich, UK-based illustrator Gemma Correll has taken her travels and turned them into fun, lovely journal entries, distilling little memorable moments, people, and places into these perfect pages. Makes me wish I was on the road....

She's also got an etsy shop if you're looking for some great wall art or cards. Good stuff. (via Twig and Thistle)

Lead image: uwgb admissions