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Bisson Frères - Cephalopodes Fossiles et Vivants, 1853.

Authors: Louis Auguste (1814-1876) and Auguste Rosalie Bisson (1826-1900)

Bisson Frères - Cephalopodes Fossiles et Vivants, 1853.

Authors: Louis Auguste (1814-1876) and Auguste Rosalie Bisson (1826-1900)

Guillotine de Pierre, 1957.

"Here is a head in position. It was cut off either with an axe or a sharpened bamboo sword."

From "Mysterieux Archipel du Tiki" by Francis Mazière, 1959.

Guillotine de Pierre, 1957.

"Here is a head in position. It was cut off either with an axe or a sharpened bamboo sword."

From "Mysterieux Archipel du Tiki" by Francis Mazière, 1959.

Sacred ammonite fossils.

From "Culture of stone: sacred and profane uses of stone among the Dani" by O. W. Hampton, 1998.

Sacred ammonite fossils.

From "Culture of stone: sacred and profane uses of stone among the Dani" by O. W. Hampton, 1998.

Mahayana sculptures at Buduruvagala, 1991. Photo by Dominic Sansoni.

From "Sri Lanka" by Gillian Wright.

Mahayana sculptures at Buduruvagala, 1991. Photo by Dominic Sansoni.

From "Sri Lanka" by Gillian Wright.

Ama Divers in Onjuku, 1931.

Photo by Yoshoyuki Iwase.

Ama Divers in Onjuku, 1931.

Photo by Yoshoyuki Iwase.

Le Caire, 1982.

From "Le Caire: Ville phare de l’Islam (Les Hauts lieux de la spiritualité)" by Robert Laffont.

Le Caire, 1982.

From "Le Caire: Ville phare de l’Islam (Les Hauts lieux de la spiritualité)" by Robert Laffont.

Sand Dunes, 1948-1950.

Photo by Shōji Ueda.

Sand Dunes, 1948-1950.

Photo by Shōji Ueda.

Sagami Bay, 1978. Photo by Shoji Otake.

From "Photoreport from Sagami Bay"

Sagami Bay, 1978. Photo by Shoji Otake.

From "Photoreport from Sagami Bay"

Vision of Landscape, 1970-80.

Photo by Shoji Ueda.

Vision of Landscape, 1970-80.

Photo by Shoji Ueda.

Maasai giraffe galloping across the dusty Amboseli plains with Mount Kilimanjar, 19,340 feet, in the background, 1981.

From "William Holden's journey through Kenya" by Mohamed Amin and Duncan Willetts.

Maasai giraffe galloping across the dusty Amboseli plains with Mount Kilimanjar, 19,340 feet, in the background, 1981.

From "William Holden's journey through Kenya" by Mohamed Amin and Duncan Willetts.

In 1934, a devastating typhoon hit Osaka, taking over 3,000 lives. With their school swept away, children continued their lessons outdoors, right where Universal Studios Japan stands today.

"The Muroto Typhoon, which made landfall on September 21, 1934, brought with it a gale with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of over 60 yuan and a storm surge of 3, with a total of 3,036 dead and missing, mostly in the Kinki region. Sakurajima Elementary School in Konohana Ward, Osaka City, whose wooden school building was blown down, began holding classes outdoors."

From "Advancing in the face of air raids"

In 1934, a devastating typhoon hit Osaka, taking over 3,000 lives. With their school swept away, children continued their lessons outdoors, right where Universal Studios Japan stands today.

"The Muroto Typhoon, which made landfall on September 21, 1934, brought with it a gale with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of over 60 yuan and a storm surge of 3, with a total of 3,036 dead and missing, mostly in the Kinki region. Sakurajima Elementary School in Konohana Ward, Osaka City, whose wooden school building was blown down, began holding classes outdoors."

From "Advancing in the face of air raids"

Masai warriors running to Eunoto ceremony in Kenya, 1967.

Photo by Mirella Ricciardi

Masai warriors running to Eunoto ceremony in Kenya, 1967.

Photo by Mirella Ricciardi

Meditating Buddha, Thailand, 1958.

"Meditating Buddha was cast in bronze at Ayudhya, for four centuries (1350 to 1767) the capital of Thailand, where a remarkable school of Buddhist sculpture developed. Characteristic of the Ayudhya style was the crowning of the Buddha's head with a high conical mass formed by two, three or more rings surmounted by the traditional lotus-bud."

Meditating Buddha, Thailand, 1958.

"Meditating Buddha was cast in bronze at Ayudhya, for four centuries (1350 to 1767) the capital of Thailand, where a remarkable school of Buddhist sculpture developed. Characteristic of the Ayudhya style was the crowning of the Buddha's head with a high conical mass formed by two, three or more rings surmounted by the traditional lotus-bud."

Kashmir, 1967.

Photo by Francis Brunel.

Kashmir, 1967.

Photo by Francis Brunel.

Visions of Angkor, 1926-1928. Photo by Martin Hürlimann.

"The first major artistic survey of Angkor: Burma, Ceylon, Indo-China. Siam, Cambodia, Annam, Tongking, Yunnan. Landscape, Architecture, Inhabitants reflect the eastward journey photographer Martin Hürlimann took in 1926-1928 after completing his splendid book on India."

Visions of Angkor, 1926-1928. Photo by Martin Hürlimann.

"The first major artistic survey of Angkor: Burma, Ceylon, Indo-China. Siam, Cambodia, Annam, Tongking, Yunnan. Landscape, Architecture, Inhabitants reflect the eastward journey photographer Martin Hürlimann took in 1926-1928 after completing his splendid book on India."

India, 1946.

Photo by Margaret Bourke-White.

India, 1946.

Photo by Margaret Bourke-White.

Kama Kala, 1958. Photo by Moti Ram Jain.

From " Kama Kala: Some notes on the philosophical basis of Hindu erotic sculpture" by Mulk Raj Anand.

Kama Kala, 1958. Photo by Moti Ram Jain.

From " Kama Kala: Some notes on the philosophical basis of Hindu erotic sculpture" by Mulk Raj Anand.

Japan, 1970s

From "The Nakazora Project" by Masao Yamamoto.

Japan, 1970s

From "The Nakazora Project" by Masao Yamamoto.

Sculture of Buddha in a temple at Kanheri in British India, 1897.

Author unknown.

Sculture of Buddha in a temple at Kanheri in British India, 1897.

Author unknown.

Winter fog, Vietnam, 1960s.

Photo by Don Hong-Oai.

Winter fog, Vietnam, 1960s.

Photo by Don Hong-Oai.

A cauliflower cloud of dust over Vesuvius in 1944.

From "Weather force: climate and its impact on our world" by John R. Gribbin, 1979.

A cauliflower cloud of dust over Vesuvius in 1944.

From "Weather force: climate and its impact on our world" by John R. Gribbin, 1979.

Russian scientists near Moscow prepare to launch a flock of weather balloons, which will radio back information about conditions in the atmosphere's lower levels.

From "Weather force: climate and its impact on our world" by John R. Gribbin, 1979.

Russian scientists near Moscow prepare to launch a flock of weather balloons, which will radio back information about conditions in the atmosphere's lower levels.

From "Weather force: climate and its impact on our world" by John R. Gribbin, 1979.

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto, 1950.

"On 2 July 1950, at 2:30am, Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavillion) was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk, Hayashi Yoken. He then tried to commit suicide but survived and was taken into custody. Five years later he was released because he was diagnosed with persecution complex and schizophrenia. In March 1956 he died of tuberculosis."

"Japanese literary star Mishima Yukio was one of the best novelists of the twentieth century. Although not a Catholic by any stretch of the imagination, Mishima wrote sensitively, at times searingly, about questions of faith.

Among Mishima's many masterpieces is the 1956 novel Kinkakuji, which Ivan Morris translated into English in 1959 as The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

The Rokuonji marks a high-water point of medieval Japanese culture. Built by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the late fourteenth century, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion was a Zen Buddhist enclave as well as, eventually, a world-renowned artifact of Muromachi brilliance.

But there is a dark side to this resplendent structure.

In 1950, a crazed monk, Hayashi Yoken, followed the derelict dictates of his diseased imagination-it is suspected that Hayashi was suffering from schizophrenia-and set fire to the Kinkakuji.

Mishima's novel is an intense exploration - "vivisection" might be the better word of the psychological state of the young apprentice who set the fire alight. Why would someone torch a cultural treasure? What would drive someone to such an act of wild, hateful vandalism? The Kinkakuji had survived civil wars, world wars, firebombing, earthquakes, typhoons, insurrections, and every manner of social upheaval and natural disaster, only to be reduced to ashes by someone working on the inside. What drives people, Mishima wanted to understand, to take the very best of the world and willfully subject it to ruination?

Mishima Yukio's nalysis of lunacy was much on my mind last week as I watched Notre Dame cathedral in Paris go up in flames."

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto, 1950.

"On 2 July 1950, at 2:30am, Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavillion) was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk, Hayashi Yoken. He then tried to commit suicide but survived and was taken into custody. Five years later he was released because he was diagnosed with persecution complex and schizophrenia. In March 1956 he died of tuberculosis."

"Japanese literary star Mishima Yukio was one of the best novelists of the twentieth century. Although not a Catholic by any stretch of the imagination, Mishima wrote sensitively, at times searingly, about questions of faith.

Among Mishima's many masterpieces is the 1956 novel Kinkakuji, which Ivan Morris translated into English in 1959 as The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

The Rokuonji marks a high-water point of medieval Japanese culture. Built by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the late fourteenth century, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion was a Zen Buddhist enclave as well as, eventually, a world-renowned artifact of Muromachi brilliance.

But there is a dark side to this resplendent structure.

In 1950, a crazed monk, Hayashi Yoken, followed the derelict dictates of his diseased imagination-it is suspected that Hayashi was suffering from schizophrenia-and set fire to the Kinkakuji.

Mishima's novel is an intense exploration - "vivisection" might be the better word of the psychological state of the young apprentice who set the fire alight. Why would someone torch a cultural treasure? What would drive someone to such an act of wild, hateful vandalism? The Kinkakuji had survived civil wars, world wars, firebombing, earthquakes, typhoons, insurrections, and every manner of social upheaval and natural disaster, only to be reduced to ashes by someone working on the inside. What drives people, Mishima wanted to understand, to take the very best of the world and willfully subject it to ruination?

Mishima Yukio's nalysis of lunacy was much on my mind last week as I watched Notre Dame cathedral in Paris go up in flames."

Japan, 1980.

Photo by Sueichi Yoneda. Courtesy of Japanese Neo Noir.

Japan, 1980.

Photo by Sueichi Yoneda. Courtesy of Japanese Neo Noir.

Torii, Japan, 1902.

From "Japan and Japanese"

Torii, Japan, 1902.

From "Japan and Japanese"

Napping polar bear, 1984. Photo by Dan Guravich.

From "Natural History Magazine".

Napping polar bear, 1984. Photo by Dan Guravich.

From "Natural History Magazine".

Akibiyori (autumn day). Mie prefecture, Japan, 1937.

From "Asahi camera magazine selected works"

Akibiyori (autumn day). Mie prefecture, Japan, 1937.

From "Asahi camera magazine selected works"

A woman gazes through a window surrounded by ice in Oymyakon, Siberia, 1967.

Photo by Dean Conger.

A woman gazes through a window surrounded by ice in Oymyakon, Siberia, 1967.

Photo by Dean Conger.

Japan, 1953-54. Photo by José Suárez (Allariz, 1902- A Guarda, 1974).

"José Suárez was a Galician photographer with a strong humanist vision and an innovator. As early as the 1930s, he incorporated the avant-garde movements of the time into photography. But he was also an intellectual admired by his contemporaries, Unamuno, Alberti, Bergamín, Pérez de Ayala, or Kurosawa and a self-confessed lover of Japanese culture.

Japan left a deep mark on him. "I have been told that I take photographs like a Japanese person. And today I believe that I am Japanese and that perhaps I am going through a period of karma for having mistreated some Westerner.

...During my last days of coexisting with the Japanese, I wanted to say farewell to their land of enchantment, from the peak of Mount Fuji, the sacred mountain of the Shinto gods. I had only climbed a few meters when my pole became a pilgrim's staff, directing my steps towards a monumental encounter that, at all times, brushes our senses when we live in close contact with the children of the Sun. This is, in my judgment, the state of mind with which Westerners should approach the rich and millinery culture of Japan."

Japan, 1953-54. Photo by José Suárez (Allariz, 1902- A Guarda, 1974).

"José Suárez was a Galician photographer with a strong humanist vision and an innovator. As early as the 1930s, he incorporated the avant-garde movements of the time into photography. But he was also an intellectual admired by his contemporaries, Unamuno, Alberti, Bergamín, Pérez de Ayala, or Kurosawa and a self-confessed lover of Japanese culture.

Japan left a deep mark on him. "I have been told that I take photographs like a Japanese person. And today I believe that I am Japanese and that perhaps I am going through a period of karma for having mistreated some Westerner.

...During my last days of coexisting with the Japanese, I wanted to say farewell to their land of enchantment, from the peak of Mount Fuji, the sacred mountain of the Shinto gods. I had only climbed a few meters when my pole became a pilgrim's staff, directing my steps towards a monumental encounter that, at all times, brushes our senses when we live in close contact with the children of the Sun. This is, in my judgment, the state of mind with which Westerners should approach the rich and millinery culture of Japan."

Verso l'alto, 1937.

Photo by Riccardo Moncalvo (1915-2008)

Verso l'alto, 1937.

Photo by Riccardo Moncalvo (1915-2008)

Ama divers, Onjuku, 1962. Photo by Ihei Kimura.

"In the lee of a boulder on a windy beach in Onjuku, in the prefecture of Chiba, a woman diver examines her foot while her companion huddles up against the chill wind. Kimura photographed the women, who dive for shellfish such as abalone, while on assignment for the magazine Asahi Camera. Such seemingly offhand photographs characterize the work of Kimura: He felt deeply that by capturing these tiny interludes in a day's work and play, he could suggest the ongoing drama of his subjects' lives."

Ama divers, Onjuku, 1962. Photo by Ihei Kimura.

"In the lee of a boulder on a windy beach in Onjuku, in the prefecture of Chiba, a woman diver examines her foot while her companion huddles up against the chill wind. Kimura photographed the women, who dive for shellfish such as abalone, while on assignment for the magazine Asahi Camera. Such seemingly offhand photographs characterize the work of Kimura: He felt deeply that by capturing these tiny interludes in a day's work and play, he could suggest the ongoing drama of his subjects' lives."

Bahía de Guanabara, 1930.

The Graf Zeppelin flying over Brazil during its Pan American Tour.

Bahía de Guanabara, 1930.

The Graf Zeppelin flying over Brazil during its Pan American Tour.

Amelia Earhart deep-sea diving off Block Island, Rhode Island. July 25, 1929.

In 1932, the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. She landed near Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The trip took her 17 hours to complete from Newfound and making her the first woman to take a solo transatlantic flight.

Amelia Earhart deep-sea diving off Block Island, Rhode Island. July 25, 1929.

In 1932, the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. She landed near Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The trip took her 17 hours to complete from Newfound and making her the first woman to take a solo transatlantic flight.

Egyptian men watch as the Graf Zeppelin floats over the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, while atop the Great Pyramid of Khufu, 1931.

Photo by George Lewis.

Egyptian men watch as the Graf Zeppelin floats over the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, while atop the Great Pyramid of Khufu, 1931.

Photo by George Lewis.

The Gardens of Taprobane, 1937. Author: Count de Mauny.

"Maurice Talvande, Count de Mauny Talvande (1866-1941) was a French-born naturalised British landscaper, furniture-maker, and self-inventor, who is best known as the owner and recreator of Taprobane Island, in Sri Lanka.

One journalist visitor wrote: "The man himself, the occupant of this dream home, remains to its visitors rather a mystery. They sum him up according to their own values in life. There are those who describe him as 'the made French Count who lives alone on his God-forsaken rock... Tiberius on Capri'. Others regard him with unconcealed envy and secret admiration for having so far left the world behind to gain the peace they sense in his home." Said de Mauny: "Mad? I am mad of course if to shape one's own life, to live it and love it is madness."

The Gardens of Taprobane, 1937. Author: Count de Mauny.

"Maurice Talvande, Count de Mauny Talvande (1866-1941) was a French-born naturalised British landscaper, furniture-maker, and self-inventor, who is best known as the owner and recreator of Taprobane Island, in Sri Lanka.

One journalist visitor wrote: "The man himself, the occupant of this dream home, remains to its visitors rather a mystery. They sum him up according to their own values in life. There are those who describe him as 'the made French Count who lives alone on his God-forsaken rock... Tiberius on Capri'. Others regard him with unconcealed envy and secret admiration for having so far left the world behind to gain the peace they sense in his home." Said de Mauny: "Mad? I am mad of course if to shape one's own life, to live it and love it is madness."

Amsterdam, 1950s.

Photo by Kees Scherer.

Amsterdam, 1950s.

Photo by Kees Scherer.

Tanzania, 1953. Photo by Héctor Acebes.

From "Héctor Acebes: portraits in Africa, 1948-1953".

Tanzania, 1953. Photo by Héctor Acebes.

From "Héctor Acebes: portraits in Africa, 1948-1953".

Fireworks, 1976 Boston Bicentennial Celebration.

Author unknown.

Fireworks, 1976 Boston Bicentennial Celebration.

Author unknown.

Tubbu women at Faya Largeau carrying baskets woven from palm fiber, 1969.

From "Africa" by Emil Schulthess.

Tubbu women at Faya Largeau carrying baskets woven from palm fiber, 1969.

From "Africa" by Emil Schulthess.

Dianthus plumarius, 1932. Photo by Karl Blossfeldt.

From "Wundergarten der Natur / The Magic Garden of Nature"

Dianthus plumarius, 1932. Photo by Karl Blossfeldt.

From "Wundergarten der Natur / The Magic Garden of Nature"

Japan, 1986. Photo by Yoko Hayashi.

From "Nippon Camera research project" (a comforting restlessness', looking back to the 80s childhood memories")

Japan, 1986. Photo by Yoko Hayashi.

From "Nippon Camera research project" (a comforting restlessness', looking back to the 80s childhood memories")

Japan, 1946. Author unknown.

Courtesy of Solitude of Ravens.

Japan, 1946. Author unknown.

Courtesy of Solitude of Ravens.

Okinawa, 1979.

Photo by Genichiro Kakegawa.

Okinawa, 1979.

Photo by Genichiro Kakegawa.

One of the many active volcanoes in the Kamchatka region of the Soviet Union, seen during an eruption.

From "Volcanoes" by Alfred Rittmann, 1976.

One of the many active volcanoes in the Kamchatka region of the Soviet Union, seen during an eruption.

From "Volcanoes" by Alfred Rittmann, 1976.

The Lovers of Valdaro at the National Archaeological Museum of Mantua, Italy. The male skeleton is on the left, and the female skeleton is on the right.

The Lovers of Valdaro were two 6,000-years-old skeletons who appeared to have died in a lover's embrace, face to face with their arms and legs entwined.

They were discovered by archaeologists in a Neolithic tomb near Mantua, Italy.

Studies of the remains revealed that they were male and female who were approximately 20 years of age and were both approximately 5'2" (157 cm) tall.

While the bodies were buried with some flint tools, there was no evidence of trauma or fractures, suggesting that they did not die violently.

Many have speculated that they were star-crossed-lovers who died in each other's arms. While there is no such evidence, it is interesting to note that Mantua, Italy is the same city where Romeo is exhiled to after he murders Tybalt Capulet in a sword fight. In Mantua, Romeo has a dream in which he dies but is revived by Juliet's tender kiss. His happiness is short-lived, however, as he learns that she had died early that morning. He hurries back to Verona to be with her once again, and well, you know how the story ends."

The Lovers of Valdaro at the National Archaeological Museum of Mantua, Italy. The male skeleton is on the left, and the female skeleton is on the right.

The Lovers of Valdaro were two 6,000-years-old skeletons who appeared to have died in a lover's embrace, face to face with their arms and legs entwined.

They were discovered by archaeologists in a Neolithic tomb near Mantua, Italy.

Studies of the remains revealed that they were male and female who were approximately 20 years of age and were both approximately 5'2" (157 cm) tall.

While the bodies were buried with some flint tools, there was no evidence of trauma or fractures, suggesting that they did not die violently.

Many have speculated that they were star-crossed-lovers who died in each other's arms. While there is no such evidence, it is interesting to note that Mantua, Italy is the same city where Romeo is exhiled to after he murders Tybalt Capulet in a sword fight. In Mantua, Romeo has a dream in which he dies but is revived by Juliet's tender kiss. His happiness is short-lived, however, as he learns that she had died early that morning. He hurries back to Verona to be with her once again, and well, you know how the story ends."

Hekla during the 1970 eruption.

From "Volcanoes" by Alfred Rittmann, 1976.

Hekla during the 1970 eruption.

From "Volcanoes" by Alfred Rittmann, 1976.

Chinese Girl, 1930.

Photo by Pierre Verger.

Chinese Girl, 1930.

Photo by Pierre Verger.

Merapi, the ''Mountain of Fire'' on the island of Java, Indonesia.

From "Volcanoes, earth's awakening" by Katia Krafft, 1980.

Merapi, the ''Mountain of Fire'' on the island of Java, Indonesia.

From "Volcanoes, earth's awakening" by Katia Krafft, 1980.

"The farmer", 1950. Photo by Kim Khanh.

From "Vietnam during the Frenchcolonial period (L'Indochine Profonde)" by J.P. Dannaud, Raoul Coutard, Jean Lhuissier, Pierre Ferrari and Guy Defive.

"The farmer", 1950. Photo by Kim Khanh.

From "Vietnam during the Frenchcolonial period (L'Indochine Profonde)" by J.P. Dannaud, Raoul Coutard, Jean Lhuissier, Pierre Ferrari and Guy Defive.

"Fire of Love" (2022) directed by Sara Dosa.

"For Katia and Maurice, understanding volcanoes was not just science, it was love. A love of mystery. A love of the unknown. A love that burned."

"Fire of Love" tells the extraordinary true story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French volcanologist couple who dedicated their lives to studying active volcanoes and ultimately died together in a volcanic eruption at Mount Unzen, Japan in 1991.

At its heart, Fire of Love is both a love story and a visual exploration of Earth's elemental forces. It traces Katia and Maurice's passion for one another and their mutual obsession with volcanoes with some of the most stunning, perilous footage ever recorded of eruptions, lava flows, and other geological phenomena.

The film is composed largely of Kraffts' own archival footage accompanied by poetic narration and a whimsical score. It highlights how the pair combined science, adventure, and art in their pursuit of understanding nature's most destructive powers."

"Fire of Love" (2022) directed by Sara Dosa.

"For Katia and Maurice, understanding volcanoes was not just science, it was love. A love of mystery. A love of the unknown. A love that burned."

"Fire of Love" tells the extraordinary true story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French volcanologist couple who dedicated their lives to studying active volcanoes and ultimately died together in a volcanic eruption at Mount Unzen, Japan in 1991.

At its heart, Fire of Love is both a love story and a visual exploration of Earth's elemental forces. It traces Katia and Maurice's passion for one another and their mutual obsession with volcanoes with some of the most stunning, perilous footage ever recorded of eruptions, lava flows, and other geological phenomena.

The film is composed largely of Kraffts' own archival footage accompanied by poetic narration and a whimsical score. It highlights how the pair combined science, adventure, and art in their pursuit of understanding nature's most destructive powers."

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